My Lightfoot Connection...

[paredbear]

Well I have only been on this site for a few weeks now, but in reading some of the archives, I feel as though I have discovered Gord all over again. A lot of these posts are really interesting. My Lightfoot experience started back in grade school in the mid-seventies when I was about 8 or 9. At that time, we would have music class once a week to learn singing and music. Our singing teacher was an old Catholic nun who often lacked patience with kids. Even more disturbing was that she would like to bring her own records to class. Some of this music was rather boring, but on occasion she would bring in a Lightfoot album and put it on the portable record player. I can't remember which album it was, but as soon as she played it, she seemed to be more pleasant and less frightening. I can still see her by the piano with a big smile, "Now kids, listen to Gordon Lightfoot!" she would say.

[stationmaster]

Well I have only been on this site for a few weeks now, but in reading some of the archives, I feel as though I have discovered Gord all over again. A lot of these posts are really interesting. My Lightfoot experience started back in grade school in the mid-seventies when I was about 8 or 9. At that time, we would have music class once a week to learn singing and music. Our singing teacher was an old Catholic nun who often lacked patience with kids. Even more disturbing was that she would like to bring her own records to class. Some of this music was rather boring, but on occasion she would bring in a Lightfoot album and put it on the portable record player. I can't remember which album it was, but as soon as she played it, she seemed to be more pleasant and less frightening. I can still see her by the piano with a big smile, "Now kids, listen to Gordon Lightfoot!" she would say.

[stationmaster]

Well that was the beginning of my Lightfoot experience. For some years afterward, I lost contact with Lightfoot's music and got caught up in the classic rock of the eighties. Then one day, I listened to a cassette of Gord's Gold II. Well I was hooked! I had to buy my first Lightfoot cassette. Since then I have purchased several cassettes and CDs, my most recent being HARMONY. Well that's about all for me. What was your LIGHTFOOT EXPERIENCE?

[stationmaster]

Oh, I forgot to say that I saw Gord at the Peterborough Festival of Lights on August 11, 2001. He played for a couple hours at the free outdoor festival. It was great to hear and see him. He also gave autographs and signed CD,s afterward. I regret not waiting in the two huge lines for a signed copy of "APPT"

[This message has been edited by stationmaster (edited July 19, 2004).]

Whilst getting prepared for a backpacking trip to Yosemite, my cousin (5 yrs older then me) put on his recently purchased album "Sundown". That was 1974. Since that time I have been a hardcore Lightfoot fan. GL's music has helped me through some tough times and continues to give me great pleasure through these great times.

I started seeing Gord in concert in 93. Mostly at Humphries in San Diego. BTW, except for being packed-in like a Sardine, Humphries is a great venue. Should Gord go back on the road, I highly recommend seeing him there. Now that I'm a NoCal man, Humphries is a little inconvienient.

One year while watching the bands sound check, Gord left the stage and was walking back to speak with the sound tech. To do this he had to walk right past me. I'm thinking...should I bolt up in front of him and introduce myself? What the heck! I may never get another chance in my life to do this so I do it. Gord stopped and introduced himself (duh). We talked for a few minutes. I have no idea what I asked him. I was so in awe. Probably said something stupid. Before leaving he asked if I was coming to the show, I said "of course" and asked if there was any chance of getting back stage passes. He said sure, I'll let Barry know. Sure enough, when he walked back onto the stage he pulled Barry aside and pointed to me (semi-hidden on the stairwell). I figure "I'm In"!

After the concert Barry didn't remember me from Adam. I had to recount to him Gord personally pointing to me that afternoon. All this while others are hounding him as well, so he was very distracted and only half listening. But finely he said to go on in and the rest is history!

Gord personally pointed to me...I like that!

That's my best Gord story. Tony

Whilst getting prepared for a backpacking trip to Yosemite, my cousin (5 yrs older then me) put on his recently purchased album "Sundown". That was 1974. Since that time I have been a hardcore Lightfoot fan. GL's music has helped me through some tough times and continues to give me great pleasure through these great times.

I started seeing Gord in concert in 93. Mostly at Humphries in San Diego. BTW, except for being packed-in like a Sardine, Humphries is a great venue. Should Gord go back on the road, I highly recommend seeing him there. Now that I'm a NoCal man, Humphries is a little inconvienient.

One year while watching the bands sound check, Gord left the stage and was walking back to speak with the sound tech. To do this he had to walk right past me. I'm thinking...should I bolt up in front of him and introduce myself? What the heck! I may never get another chance in my life to do this so I do it. Gord stopped and introduced himself (duh). We talked for a few minutes. I have no idea what I asked him. I was so in awe. Probably said something stupid. Before leaving he asked if I was coming to the show, I said "of course" and asked if there was any chance of getting back stage passes. He said sure, I'll let Barry know. Sure enough, when he walked back onto the stage he pulled Barry aside and pointed to me (semi-hidden on the stairwell). I figure "I'm In"!

After the concert Barry didn't remember me from Adam. I had to recount to him Gord personally pointing to me that afternoon. All this while others are hounding him as well, so he was very distracted and only half listening. But finely he said to go on in and the rest is history!

Gord personally pointed to me...I like that!

That's my best Gord story. Tony

[Boat House AKA member]

I think the first album I ever I beilieve ever bought was Summer Side of Life or it might have been the "Best of Vol 1" (boy that was a long time ago) and I have been hooked ever since. One thing I like about Gord is he has never sold out, looking for some AM radio smash hit. You look at his writing and he has remained true to the "song"
____________________________________
Every day the same thing, variety

[Kilgore]

I think the first album I ever I beilieve ever bought was Summer Side of Life or it might have been the "Best of Vol 1" (boy that was a long time ago) and I have been hooked ever since. One thing I like about Gord is he has never sold out, looking for some AM radio smash hit. You look at his writing and he has remained true to the "song"
____________________________________
Every day the same thing, variety

[stationmaster]

Great stories folks! Lets see more...

[Janice]

T.C., the first time I saw Gord was at Humphries - it is a great venue!!! Although I'll agree with you that the seats force you to get to know your neighbor a little too well. I tend to ignore my assigned seat and sit over on the bench by the water - the view of the stage is just as good as any other seat and your not as scruntched. I actually flew out from NH to meet a few Internet friends for that show. I fell so in love with San Diego that within 10 months I came back out for three visits and the fourth time stayed I've seen him one other time there and once at Massey Hall in Toronto.

Hey Janice. I always sit on the wall near the water also. And your right, San Diego for being such a large city is very beautiful. I lived there for 44 years but moved away last year. Best thing I ever did.
If Gord ever does tour again and ends up at Humphries, go there around 3 pm and if your covert and not to obvious you will be able to watch Gord and the band on stage doing their sound checks. I did that every year he was at Humphries. Tony

Hey Janice. I always sit on the wall near the water also. And your right, San Diego for being such a large city is very beautiful. I lived there for 44 years but moved away last year. Best thing I ever did.
If Gord ever does tour again and ends up at Humphries, go there around 3 pm and if your covert and not to obvious you will be able to watch Gord and the band on stage doing their sound checks. I did that every year he was at Humphries. Tony

[johnfowles]

quote:Originally posted by stationmaster:
Great stories folks! Lets see more...
"Lets see more..."
So at the risk of boring those who have read my story before In particular in a similar topic:-
"When/Where did you first see Gordon Lightfoot? " at:- http://www.corfid.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/001419.html
But I can add few thoughts and a pair of pics now. So here goes:-
I spent 1964 to 1969 in Montreal, before returning to the UK
Although when I first arived it was fun to constantly hear The Beatles on the top 40 radio stations I soon tired of that and graduated to the FM service of CJAD-800 known then as CJFM but now I believe Mix96. They featured what would now be termed Adult Contemporary music, and in 1966 I was much struck by a hit single caled "Spin Spin" by some Lightfoot bloke
I found the Toronto CHUM radio station charts listing of Gord's singles at:- http://www.1050chum.com/Charts/1050C...&ArtistID=8344
showing "Spin Spin" at number 6 in October 1966
as confirmed at:- http://www.webfitz.com/lyrics/Charts/1966/Ch196610.html
I think that sometime after that I heard Gord's beautiful version of Ewen McCall's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face". for many years when I heard something new like this I would buy the relevant album on spec to find out more. Usually the rest of such albums were stinkers but having before the end of 1966 bought the first United Artists (Mono) album "Lightfoot" (yes in those days the record companies decided they could charge more for a stereo version-can you believe that!!!) I was delighted to find that I loved the entire album. so began a collecting mania.As I previously reported through a friend I'd made playing badminton Dave Moxey who had started a folk-song group

From the left Dave Moxey partly hidden, Rae, Dave Taggart, Peter Wright
It was Pete Wright (newly arrived from Toronto where he had seen Gord at the Riverboat) who got us to see Gord on Sunday May 21st 1967 at The New Penelope Coffee House In Montreal

Whilst googling for the New Penelope I came acros this site http://www.doncullen.com/bohemianEmbassy.html
which mentions Joni Mitchell the Two Tones Barry Harvey and Gord's illness.
Anyway I was most fortunate to catch Gord three more times in 1968 and 69 before returning home in late 1969
But once back in England nobody knew Gord so I began educating my friends there.
At the time my favo(u)rite Disk Jockey was BBC Radio One's Noel Edmunds
In 1971 Noel began playing IYCRMM every day on his program(me)
and I believe was therefore responsible for making it a hit in the UK
In those primitive days news of concerts and new releases was hard to come by but I managed to get each new album up till "Waiting For You" and by scanning the Royal Albert Hall London adverts assiduously caught Gord's June 1972 and May 1981 RAH concerts only finding out recently that I missed another two in 1973 and and 1974.
I managed to convert a few friends into Lightheads.
Eventually in 1997 I got connected to the Internet only to discover as have so many fans here that I was strangely not the only Lightfoot fan on the planet. I made contact with Wayne Francis and successfully traded with him for some eagerly sought video tapes (after finding that it was unlikely that Gord would do a UK tour for some time I recall telling Wayne that I would probably have to make the pilgrimage to Canada "before Gord and I got too old". In those days UK internet access required expensive telephone calls. But after my mother died in 1999 I had money to spare and I began frequenting Rik Steven's original chat room, where I met Jenney then organising the highly successful November 1999 Massey Hall Convention and also a chatty Gordfan called Susan who having met in Toronto literally saved my life in that chat room after I had a stroke in January 2000. Hence I am now with her in New Jersey and my continuing efforts to keep the chat room going

------------------
My Gordon Lightfoot webring
starts at
http://www.johnfowles.org.uk/lightfoot

Edited to link to smaller group picture

[This message has been edited by johnfowles (edited June 08, 2004).]

[johnfowles]

quote:Originally posted by stationmaster:
Great stories folks! Lets see more...
"Lets see more..."
So at the risk of boring those who have read my story before In particular in a similar topic:-
"When/Where did you first see Gordon Lightfoot? " at:- http://www.corfid.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/001419.html
But I can add few thoughts and a pair of pics now. So here goes:-
I spent 1964 to 1969 in Montreal, before returning to the UK
Although when I first arived it was fun to constantly hear The Beatles on the top 40 radio stations I soon tired of that and graduated to the FM service of CJAD-800 known then as CJFM but now I believe Mix96. They featured what would now be termed Adult Contemporary music, and in 1966 I was much struck by a hit single caled "Spin Spin" by some Lightfoot bloke
I found the Toronto CHUM radio station charts listing of Gord's singles at:- http://www.1050chum.com/Charts/1050C...&ArtistID=8344
showing "Spin Spin" at number 6 in October 1966
as confirmed at:- http://www.webfitz.com/lyrics/Charts/1966/Ch196610.html
I think that sometime after that I heard Gord's beautiful version of Ewen McCall's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face". for many years when I heard something new like this I would buy the relevant album on spec to find out more. Usually the rest of such albums were stinkers but having before the end of 1966 bought the first United Artists (Mono) album "Lightfoot" (yes in those days the record companies decided they could charge more for a stereo version-can you believe that!!!) I was delighted to find that I loved the entire album. so began a collecting mania.As I previously reported through a friend I'd made playing badminton Dave Moxey who had started a folk-song group

From the left Dave Moxey partly hidden, Rae, Dave Taggart, Peter Wright
It was Pete Wright (newly arrived from Toronto where he had seen Gord at the Riverboat) who got us to see Gord on Sunday May 21st 1967 at The New Penelope Coffee House In Montreal

Whilst googling for the New Penelope I came acros this site http://www.doncullen.com/bohemianEmbassy.html
which mentions Joni Mitchell the Two Tones Barry Harvey and Gord's illness.
Anyway I was most fortunate to catch Gord three more times in 1968 and 69 before returning home in late 1969
But once back in England nobody knew Gord so I began educating my friends there.
At the time my favo(u)rite Disk Jockey was BBC Radio One's Noel Edmunds
In 1971 Noel began playing IYCRMM every day on his program(me)
and I believe was therefore responsible for making it a hit in the UK
In those primitive days news of concerts and new releases was hard to come by but I managed to get each new album up till "Waiting For You" and by scanning the Royal Albert Hall London adverts assiduously caught Gord's June 1972 and May 1981 RAH concerts only finding out recently that I missed another two in 1973 and and 1974.
I managed to convert a few friends into Lightheads.
Eventually in 1997 I got connected to the Internet only to discover as have so many fans here that I was strangely not the only Lightfoot fan on the planet. I made contact with Wayne Francis and successfully traded with him for some eagerly sought video tapes (after finding that it was unlikely that Gord would do a UK tour for some time I recall telling Wayne that I would probably have to make the pilgrimage to Canada "before Gord and I got too old". In those days UK internet access required expensive telephone calls. But after my mother died in 1999 I had money to spare and I began frequenting Rik Steven's original chat room, where I met Jenney then organising the highly successful November 1999 Massey Hall Convention and also a chatty Gordfan called Susan who having met in Toronto literally saved my life in that chat room after I had a stroke in January 2000. Hence I am now with her in New Jersey and my continuing efforts to keep the chat room going

------------------
My Gordon Lightfoot webring
starts at
http://www.johnfowles.org.uk/lightfoot

Edited to link to smaller group picture

[This message has been edited by johnfowles (edited June 08, 2004).]

[stationmaster]

Those are some great stories folks!

[stationmaster]

I just finished watching some video clips of Gord on the CBC archives. It's great to see some early footage as well as a timeline through the years. Although he looks and sounds a little different now, he still has a certain mystery about him. I guess it's part of his "reserved" personality, as he described himself in one clip. I think that's what draws me to him and his musical style. Although I could never compare myself to Gordon musically, I too have the same type of personality. I am amazed at how comfortable he is singing live on stage. I always wished that I could overcome my fears and sing in public. I love to sing and play guitar, (especially Gord's tunes) but I get really nervous at the center of anything. Maybe someday Gord could help me out...

[Borderstone]

...and much like John said about that other similar topic,if you've read my account before,feel free to pick another topic.

Well stationmaster,yoooooou asked foooor it!

When I was 5/6 years old I'd listen to WCCK out of Erie,PA in my hometown of Corry just 30 little miles southeast. One day in 1974 I heard Sundown. I didn't know who it was but I remembered hearing it for years afterward. In the late 70s or early 80s,I heard Carefree Highway (which I thought was called "Every Highway").

Not long after that time,I caught,"Wreck" on Kool FM here in Phoenix. (Only a 5 or 6 year old song and they call it an oldie? ) Then about the mid 80s I heard,"Rainy Day People" on an AC radio station,K-Lite I believe. Then "finally",I bought a vinyl copy of Gord's Gold in I think,1985 or 86 (used). Next was GL's new song,"Anything For Love",although I wasn't aware of the LP "East Of Midnight",which I now have on CD,LP & Cass.

Until 1993 I only knew the hits and the few selections on GG. This is when I finally bought Sundown,COTS,SummerT. Dream and Endless Wire at a used vinyl store. Now I knew just a little bit more about his music!
After those,I really did not think to find more until 2000! (I don't know why.) I then acquired "IYCRMM" early that year.

In June of 2001,I saw,"Songbook" at Sam Goody's here at the mall and bought it on a payment plan! On Tuesday August 7th,it was mine and I played all 4 all day! (Much to the chagrin of my brother,then my roomate). Almost another year later,I heard he was coming here to Phoenix at the new Dodge theatre on Aug. 6th,2002. Before that happened though,I found $1 copies of "Lightfoot!" / "Did She Mention..." and a really great looking copy of GG!

To make the concert part "very" brief! After going downtown to the concert and watching the show,I got to meet Gordon and the band afterwards in an autograph session outside the theatre! He was cool and totally down to earth! After that night and until the end of the year,I went and got every available original LP I could get! (See "The Complete Borderstone Stash...OOOOOOh!" thread for the list.)

So,I now conclude with buying Harmony on it's very 1st day out! The first GL album I've had the priviledge to do so with and now receiving "Live In Reno" on the 13th.
Not the most exciting story but how many folks do you know that could recall all of that? Been me! Aurevoir! OWWW~! My fingers!! Mommy!!!!

------------------
"A knight of the road,going back to a place where he might get warm." - Borderstone

[Jim Dundee]

My story is somewhat similar to stationmaster. I was in Grade 4 in Vancouver in 1969 and a student teacher named Miss Dolan came to teach us for a few weeks. She brought in a record that I recognized from home (it was a copy of the brand new "Sunday Concert" LP).

Canadian history was in the Grade 4 curriculum then so she played The Canadian Railroad Trilogy. I was hooked. I went home and got my dad to get out his copy and I remember him sitting on the floor with me writing out the lyrics to the song. It was then that I learned the meaning of the words "verdant" and "navvies" which I'd never heard before.

So, thanks dad and Miss Dolan (wherever you are - I'd love to say thanks to you). I think I had a crush on Miss Dolan which lasted a few weeks but a love-affair with Gord's music that is going on 35 years. I've seen him 25 times in concert in Vancouver, Toronto and Ottawa.

John

[donquixote]

My story is somewhat similar to stationmaster. I was in Grade 4 in Vancouver in 1969 and a student teacher named Miss Dolan came to teach us for a few weeks. She brought in a record that I recognized from home (it was a copy of the brand new "Sunday Concert" LP).

Canadian history was in the Grade 4 curriculum then so she played The Canadian Railroad Trilogy. I was hooked. I went home and got my dad to get out his copy and I remember him sitting on the floor with me writing out the lyrics to the song. It was then that I learned the meaning of the words "verdant" and "navvies" which I'd never heard before.

So, thanks dad and Miss Dolan (wherever you are - I'd love to say thanks to you). I think I had a crush on Miss Dolan which lasted a few weeks but a love-affair with Gord's music that is going on 35 years. I've seen him 25 times in concert in Vancouver, Toronto and Ottawa.

John

[stationmaster]

Great stories folks! Lets hear more...

[Mair]

Well - here's my story!

I have people to thank too - two friends, thirty years apart - Gillian and Alison. And my story starts with "Canadian RR Trilogy" too. Just remember that I'm in the UK - things are different here. And my friend Gillian (where is she now?) when we were about thirteen years old somewhere around 1975 - she's very excited that she's found something new, and she explains this song to me in great detail in school - and later, when I'm a "captive audience" (literally!) - she practically ties me to a chair in her bedroom until I listen to this one album from start to finish - on reflection it must have been "Gord's Gold", though I don't really remember now, it was a compilation, anyway. I just remember being completely carried away. I was never so happy at being forced to listen to anything! I then buy everything that's available in the UK on vynil.

Jump now to 1981, and I'm at university. I've just come across "The Best Of" at my local record shop (in the middle of a "New Romantic" craze) and bought it on cassette. I have a couple of hours coach ride every weekend back and fore from my home, and this is the only cassette I play on my "new-fangled" Walkman! And my friend Christine and I - we just love this, and play it all the time ... and it means so much to us ... so much that I quote from "IYCRMM" when I sign her copy of my first published short story ...

Jump again - to just over a year ago (yes, I know that's more than twenty years!) Here I am, happily following my life, and the years have gone by, and now I've gone from short stories to novels and I've listened to so much music ... and then I meet this oh-so-wonderful woman on a message board (in Wales (yes, in "Welsh Wales", John!) - and we speak to each other in Welsh, as it happens!), and we start talking off line, and she asks "which music means the most to you? What makes you tingle?" And she sends me a collection of her tracks. And I start to think - think back over everything I have ever loved, everything that has ever meant anything to me, and for the first time in twenty years I think about Gord - and think "I have to include something by him on my CD" but I don't have anything on CD and can't even find my old cassette now! - so I go to my local Borders and find only one CD - IYCRMM. That's (more than) enough, and I send it to her, and she loves it, and ... I find I'm falling in love all over again.

And then I do a Web search - and realise what I've been missing! And then I find you all. And ... how can I miss twenty years?!? I just don't believe this, don't believe that this is possible!

But here in the UK - you have to realise that there is zero publicity, nothing since IYCRMM - he just disappeared here ... and until I went on line ... The Internet is what has made all this possible - where was I to get any recordings in the UK in the 80's and 9O's? How was I even to know that anything new had been released?

And Alison (I know she's lurking here, even if she doesn't post!) - if you hadn't asked me about the songs that had most influenced me I would never have found Gord all over again - and I thank you so much for this!!!! And since then I've had a "crash course" in everything that's happened between 1982 and now - amazing, isn't it? Just completely mad.

Well - that's my story, anyway! And (as you must all know by now) my "Harmony" arrived last week - I've come a long way in a very long, and also a very short, time! And Alison - "I saw two minds in the world set free ..."

M

[stationmaster]

Thanks Mair! That was a great story. Gord would be proud to read that one. I only wish he would read some of this stuff and see what an impact he still has on real people. Thank you Mr. Gordon Lightfoot!!!

[Shipwrecked_00s]

OH jeez, my first Lightfoot experienc was standing at a department store in 1974 wondering which album to buy. It was "Sundown" I've been hooked ever since.

[groban]

OH jeez, my first Lightfoot experienc was standing at a department store in 1974 wondering which album to buy. It was "Sundown" I've been hooked ever since.

[Mair]

quote:Originally posted by stationmaster:
I only wish he would read some of this stuff and see what an impact he still has on real people. Thank you Mr. Gordon Lightfoot!!!

Yes, a real impact, on real people. You know, when I heard "Carefree Highway" for the first time in twenty years I cried - and cried, and cried ... not because I was sad ... I was ecstatic, the feeling was one of "coming home" That was a moment I will never be able to re-create and will always remember. It just brought back so many things, so many times, so many people, and something that was definitely still alive in me and I realised that then. So many people, in places he hasn't even dreamed about, have gained so much from his music. I know I will never lose this again, and that I need to hear at least one song every day now - so important to me. There is a song for every occasion, for every mood - for every need. Forever.