Gone Are The Days: The '65 Song/The '63 movie

[Borderstone]

I was over on Wayne Francis' Lightfoot site and was viewing the "unreleased songs" section and noticed the title "Gone Are The Days" listed in 1965.

It caught my attention mainly because i had heard of a film by that same title many years ago. (I haven't seen the film anywhere by the way.) I do know it's from 1963 and stars Ossie Davis and a "young" Alan Alda.

It makes me wonder if Gordon saw this movie and was inspired to use its title? being only 2 years divided,it seems likely.

Any opinions here? ...and has anyone heard this song or seen this film?

[johnfowles]

Originally posted by Borderstone:


Any opinions here? ...and has anyone heard this song or seen this film?

PASS Your shout Annie!
John Fowles
Hi derry doon in the month of June
Was the song the minstrel sung

[Auburn Annie]

Well, the movie is a precursor to the Broadway play Purlie! See description:


Gone Are the Days
[GONEA]

USA, 1963, 99 min

Directed By: Nicholas Webster
Writer: Ossie Davis
Producer: Nicholas Webster
Cinematographer: Boris Kaufman
Editor: Ralph Rosenblum
Music: Henry Cowen, Milton Okun
Cast: Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Alan Alda, Sorrell Brooke, Godfrey Cambridge, Hilda Haynes

Full Film Note

OSSIE DAVIS (1917-2005)
In addition to being the feature film debut of a young actor named Alan Alda, this tasty slice of old school indie filmmaking is an early example of black storytelling outside of the mainstream. In a no-frills adaptation of his own stage play, Ossie Davis stars as Purlie Victorious Judson, a self-ordained minister returning home to the plantation with his cousin Lutiebelle, played by Ruby Dee, to claim an inheritance due her. The plot twists and con games prefigure Davis's directorial debut, the 1970 film adaptation of Chester Himes' novel Cotton Comes to Harlem.

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As for the song, it's a puzzler since the title might reflect a version of Stephen Foster's song, "Old Black Joe" which begins

Gone are the days
When my heart was young and gay.
Gone are my friends
From the cotton fields away.
Gone from this place,
To a better land I know.
I hear their gentle voices calling:
Old Black Joe...

On the other hand, Connie Kaldor has a song called "Gone Are the Days" on her 1981 album, "One of These Days", that she apparently wrote, lyrics below:

GONE ARE THE DAYS

Gone are the days
That you felt like dancing
Gone are the ways
That you felt romancing
They're gone
With the way that you laughed 'til the tears would come
And oh how the minutes
The days and the years would come

Gone are the days
That you walked hand in hand
Gone are the ways
That you tried to understand
They're gone
With the way that you treasured those special times
Oh the memories are golden
But the present isn't worth a dime

Gone are the days
That he wanted to touch you
Gone are the ways
That he meant so much to you
They're gone
With the smile that you just won't give to him now
You won't give in to him now
No you won't give in

Gone are the days
When you felt like dancing
Gone are the ways
That you felt like romancing
They're gone
Gone
Gone


from One of These Days and Vinyl Songbook

©1981 CAPAC
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But obviously this "Gone Are the Days" is almost 2 decades later.

If "Gone Are the Days" is a Lightfoot original and not a cover of an old folk tune, I haven't found any lyrics/music or information other than what Wayne has on his site.

[davidgledhill]

I seem to recall an interview with Lightfoot in the early 70's where he was musing on the possiblity of recording an album of Stephen Foster songs - possibly in one of the Toronto papers or one his Maclean's magazine interviews.

[Borderstone]

Well Annie,the lyrics seem relate-able to the movie but not enough to tell if he was inspired by it. Thank you though.

It'd be great one day if he did do that Stephen Foster album,sounds interesting. I'd also like to seee him duet with a female singer just once. Maybe,Joni Mitchell might join him or in going younger Norah jones?

[davidgledhill]

if you look on the back of the original album cover of "sit down young stranger" somewhere in the notes I think it mentions Stephen Foster - but this is drawing on memories of 35 years ago - my copy is in my mother's house back in don mills - I have not yet managed to clean out my residue and move it to my abode - duets? how about with bob dylan on six of his and six of bob's - or find a jennifer warnes like leonard cohen did to do justice to his songs from a female perspective - kd lang, linda rhonstadt, shania twain, the timmins girl, and gram parson's girlfriend - Emmylou Harris, - hey, how about Cathy Smith, if she has a voice left, doing duets from songs from the 70's, they would have like a whole new resonance - especially 'Sundown'

[Borderstone]

David,the mentioing of Stephen Foster is related to the song,"Your Love's Return". One of my top ten favorites by Gordon (should I ever challenge myself to make a list! ).