To All The Singers Out There:

[Wes Steele]

I know some of you perform in public.

What GL songs to you sing "on stage"? What are the favorite ones you perform. What is the one you would like to perform but just can't "get it down"?

[wattsdmatter]

I will be at the 'jam' tonight at the local pub. I intend doing 2 Lightfoot songs. 'Second Cup Of Coffee' & 'Restless' I try to do a different Lightfoot song every week. Which should keep me going for a good few years. At the moment the song I am grappling with is 'I'll Tag Along' I am sure I will get there. I have managed to bang out such things as: 'Dreamland' 'Someone To Believe In' 'If Children Had Wings' 'Triangle' 'She's Not The Same' etc, etc. I will not be visting this site for a few weeks, my wife and I are off on a driving holiday through France & Spain shortly. Then when we get back, we head for Canada to pick up 3 Lightfoot concerts 2 in Orilla and one in Stratford, just can't wait.

[SilverHeels]

You are visiting France and Spain and NOT coming to see England? Why?
We are much nicer than either of those
places

[wattsdmatter]

Silverheels, I live in England!

[waltsongs]

I have been known to bang out Seven Island Suite, and The Watchman, but I'm no Gordon Lightfoot.

Walter Farmer

[Wes Steele]

Walt, you have any GL songs on your "site"?

[waltsongs]

That's not allowed, I can only put up songs that I own or have permission to use. I doubt Mr. Lightfoot would give me permission. I have some wanna be songs, "When I think of You" is about as close as I have come to sounding like Gordon Lightfoot. "As the Sun Slowly Sets" is another; but, I'm no Gordon Lightfoot.

Thanks
Walter Farmer

[james hill]

i've done a few GL songs in public. The 1st one i ever did was "Circle is Small". i tried doing the endless wire version but it doesn't work w/ only 1 guitar & 1 voice. "She's Not the Same", & "Poor Little Allison" are also fun to do. "Now and Then" was the song that made me seriously start thinking about singing in public. I spent a lot of time rehearsing that tune, but i still haven't done it in front of people. I still love to sing along to it. a great workout for a singer, & a good example of Gordon's singing & songwriting.

sweet baby james

[Wes Steele]

james hill,

Now & Then? Wow, that is a tough one. I sing along with it often, or should I say, TRY to sing along with it. "Poor Little Allison" is one of my favorites also. Where do you perform in public, if I may ask?

[Cathy]

My favorites to play in public are Ribbon Of Darkness, I'm Not Sayin', Heaven Don't Deserve Me, Heaven Help The Devil, and my all time favorite on a cold winter's night- Song For A Winter's Nite.
Others I've done are:
The Wreck
Go My Way
Redwood Hill
I'll Tag Along
Marie Christine
Unsettle Ways
Crossroads
Borderstone
Long Way Back Home
Wherefore and Why
Home From The Forest
Don Quixote
If You Could Read My Mind
Ode To Big Blue
All the songs we played at the Gordon Lightfoot Tribute Concert, including some of the above.
The song that stumps me, the one that I've never really figured out is the acoustic version of The Way I Feel.

Cathy

[SilverHeels]

Wattsdmatter!

Where about in England are you?

[james hill]

Hi Wes

I don't do much performing anymore, but in my early to mid- 20's I played in small clubs in Scarborough & Markham, Ontario. My big dream is to someday sit in with The Lightfoot Tribute Band.

Talk to you later,
James Hill

[Chuck Darling]

Hey Wes!
I've been playing guitar for about a year and I can play the opening bit to Carefree Hwy! took me forever to learn it!! and I love Poor Little Allison! one of my faves fer sure! Hey lets get together for the Oct show in the land of Cleves!

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Ever Onward...

[Westernstar9]

"Song For A Winter's Night" and "Beautiful". They're short, sweet and easy on the ears. I seldom play with a flatpick anymore, so fingerpicked tunes rate real high with me. I posted a similar question in Small Talk, and the overwhelming favorite was "Canadian Railroad Trilogy". It's my favorite GL tune, but it's easy to lose an audience (short attention span) so I tend to stick with relatively short tunes.

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[telekidd]

Wes:

I would estimate about half my repretoire is composed of GL songs, so anytime I play for people (or just by myself), it's pretty much a given GL songs are going to pop up. I've also taught some to the guys in Red Brick Stew (an acoustic-based band I'm involved with). There are certain songs that, while I can hack them out on guitar, I just don't seem to have the talent to make interesting on solo guitar and vocal. "Bend in the Water" is one; "Waiting For You" is another, for example. I mean, I like to play them, but I just can't figure out how to make them musically interesting for the whole song. I've had fun making recordings of them where I can overdub stuff, but I can't get 'em to work at all solo. Oh well, back to the drawing board. Um...I mean, fretboard... Derek

[telekidd]

<< My big dream is to someday sit in with The Lightfoot Tribute Band.>>

Oh my gosh, James--don't do it! They're a bunch of rude, mean, petty, shallow, vindictive, no-talent backstabbers!

Well, I am, anyway. I'm not sure about the others. They seem nice enough, I guess...
Derek

[Cathy]

quote:Originally posted by telekidd:
<< My big dream is to someday sit in with The Lightfoot Tribute Band.>>

Oh my gosh, James--don't do it! They're a bunch of rude, mean, petty, shallow, vindictive, no-talent backstabbers!

Well, I am, anyway. I'm not sure about the others. They seem nice enough, I guess...
Derek


Don't listen to him, James. Derek is actually pretty harmless. Ed's the one you have to watch out for!

Cathy

[wattsdmatter]

Silverheels, I live in a small village in Hamshire name of Elson.

[wattsdmatter]

Should that be Hampshire? "El Rival Mas Debil"

[SilverHeels]

Wattsdmatter,

I know Hampshire but not Elson. I'm in
Surrey and its good to know there is another
Lightfoot fan close by.