East Lansing Interview-June 18-2014

[charlene]

Wednesday, June 18,2014
Golden road
Q&A: Gordon Lightfoot plays Wharton on 50th anniversary tour
by Rich Tupica

Bob Dylan once said that when he heard a Gordon Lightfoot song, he wished it would last forever. The two songwriters came up through the ‘60s music scene together, churning out folk tunes that have become standards.

Lightfoot, who performs Thursday at the Wharton Center for Performing Arts, penned classics like “Early Morning Rain,” “Sundown,” “If You Could Read My Mind” and “Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” This appearance is part of his 50 Years on the Carefree Highway Tour, which marks the golden anniversary (sort of) of being on the road.
Lightfoot, 75, chatted by phone recently about partying with Dylan, which artist he got star struck around and why Detroit holds a special place in his heart.

How did you meet Bob Dylan?
I was in his management stable with Albert Grossman, the famous manager. I met Bob at Albert’s office in New York. He was under contract at the same time. When I got with Albert Grossman I couldn’t believe my songwriting had taken me to that point.

Did you hang with Dylan outside of work?
I went to his house up in Woodstock, years before the Woodstock festival. We’d go there and visit. (Canadian country/folk singers) Ian & Sylvia went up there with me. When Bob’s Rolling Thunder Revue (tour) came through Toronto, my house became party central. I’ve had interesting times with Bob.

What’s the favorite tour you’ve done?
There was one in my particular genre — James Taylor, myself, John Denver and Harry Chapin all together did a series of concerts. That was definitely a high point. That was in the late ‘70s.

Have you ever been star struck?
I met Mick Jagger. I was so shy and awestruck I could barely speak to him. The first time I met him was in Montreux, Switzerland, at his recording studio there. I was in Switzerland playing with Van Morrison, Leonard Cohen and Jesse Winchester. When I went into the recording studio, Mick was working on something, I think I was interrupting him. There I was, playing on the piano when you walk in the place. I don’t know if he liked it. I was sitting there playing it when he walked in, he said, ‘Who’s this guy?’

How did this tour come about?
Well, that was really my agent’s idea to do that. Actually, he tacked on two years: I’ve only been at it 48 years. He’s a nice guy so I didn’t get on his case about it.

When did you first start touring?
I played both Canada and the United States starting in 1965. First time I ever played in the United States with a work visa, I opened for Oscar Peterson at the Masonic Temple in Detroit. Detroit was my jumping off spot. I was playing the club circuit.

How did you land your first record deal?
I got some songs recorded by Peter, Paul & Mary. They were very big at the time, they got a hit single with one of my songs called ‘For Loving Me.’ That was my start. Back then, I was still living very menially with a wife and two young children. I walked out of the bedroom one day and it was playing on the radio. I couldn’t believe it.

How did you research the facts for ‘Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald?’
I went to the newspaper — we had no computers then — and got the back copies. I thought I’m certainly not going to guess upon whose fault this was. Secondly, I’m going to get it into chronological order.

What can people expect to hear at the Wharton Center?
We have to make sure we do all of the standards every night — maybe 12 or 14 songs we think people would really like to hear. We always play the standards, then rotate the extra songs around the standards. We do two hours with a 20-minute intermission.

You had a stroke and some other health issues a few years back, how are you feeling?
I’m good. I still love going on tour. At one point there was a rumor going around that I had died. That was about four years ago. The reports of my death were greatly exaggerated.

Do you think you’ll release a new album anytime soon?
I’m not interested in getting into another project because all of my recording obligations have been fulfilled and I don’t wish to re-sign with any label right now. Besides, I have an extended family and they require a lot of attention. There are always a couple songs on the backburner and I enjoy that, just for fun.

Gordon Lightfoot
8 p.m. Thursday, June 19 Wharton Center, Cobb Great Hall 750 E. Shaw Lane, East Lansing, MSU campus $35-$65 (800) WHARTON, whartoncenter.com

[jj]

first started touring Can and USA in 1965 he says

SO, it's next year that the 50 years on the Carefree Highway poster is valid

[charlene]

yep - last year he said it was only 48...lol

[charlene]

Living legend Gordon Lightfoot ready to play at Wharton Center
http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/a...nclick_check=1

Fans of Gordon Lightfoot’s rich catalog surely remember the first time they heard “Sundown,” “Rainy Day People,” “If You Could Read My Mind” or “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” Those memories are what make a Gordon Lightfoot concert truly the soundtrack of an era.

Lightfoot will bring his current tour, “Gordon Lightfoot: 50 Years on the Carefree Highway,” on Thursday to the Wharton Center on the campus of Michigan State University. The show celebrates the Canadian singer-songwriter’s 50-year legacy, from the folk revival of the early-’60s and the singer-songwriter explosion of the mid-’70s to today.

Lightfoot still is writing and performing, and he chatted with the LSJ about why he’s called to continue his musical passion 50 years later.

Q: Where did you get the idea for the “50 Years on the Carefree Highway” tour?

A: That idea came from my agent. He suggested we call it that, but the funny thing is that when he dreamed it up, I’d only been doing it for 48 years! (Laughs) So, he wanted to stretch it a bit. It’s a great run and a really tight and well-planned schedule.

Q: Tell me about the band supporting you on the road. The guys have been with you for decades.

A: I have a wonderful band. Mike Heffernan plays all the keyboard parts, and it’s beautiful stuff. Bass player Rick Haynes has been with the band 45 years. Drummer Barry Keane and lead guitar player Carter Lancaster are great. So, it’s a five-piece. All these guys are excited and love to travel.

Q: Why do you think your songs enjoy such longevity?

A: It’s the marriage between the lyric and the melody that does it. Sometimes it takes a while. With “Sundown,” it took eight months for it to catch on. It finally went up to No. 5 on the Billboard chart, so somebody knew it was right. I actually hadn’t thought about that song as a single, but the cream rises to the top.

Q: What’s your writing process like?

A: I start with a title and work around that. My best example of that is “Carefree Highway.” I got that idea from looking at a road sign out in Arizona. But, first you get a chord progression, then you find a melody to go with that chord progression, and you can find that chord progression on the piano or guitar.

Q: What should we expect from your show at the Wharton Center this week?

A: Well, I have to be careful, because I have a lot of songs. I have to make sure I don’t disappoint anyone. So, we have condensed some of the songs to tighten them up and keep them within a time frame. We play for a little over two hours, with a 20 minute intermission. We never miss any of the standards. Performing is a great thrill for me. It makes me feel really good.

• Online: www.gordonlightfoot.com

• Show details: Gordon Lightfoot, 8 p.m. Thursday at Wharton Center’s Cobb Great Hall, tickets $65, $45, $35 via www.whartoncenter.com, (517) 432-2000 or 1-800-WHARTON.

[charlene]

RICK: Tonite we are lurking and loitering around the Wharton Center again, (3rd time since 1999) on the MSU campus in East Lansing, MI. We played outdoors here at the Michigan Festival in 1995. They told us we had the biggest crowd in the Michigan Festival's history here. Back to today, or should I say "Back to the Future" - did y'all notice Mike is sporting a new keyboard. Hats off to Mike for mordernizing his gear while retaining all the classic sounds he produces. Quite a techno achievement, and he'll probably kill me for saying anything!!