gordon and marty

[Kilgore]

I've long been a Marty Robbins fan and know he covered Gordon's "Ribbon of Darkness". Wasn't "A Way Out There" a Lightfoot song as well? I think for an excellent writer like Marty to cover another's songs is the ultimate compliment. I also notice similarities in their voices and styles, they are both, or in Marty's case was, baritones. I particularly notice a similarity to the early (1950's) Marty Robbins in Gordon's "I'm Not Saying". It's probably just me, but I was curious if anyone else can relate. At any rate, no finer singer/songwriters ever lived than these two, in my opinion. Does anyone know if they ever met?

I've long been a Marty Robbins fan and know he covered Gordon's "Ribbon of Darkness". Wasn't "A Way Out There" a Lightfoot song as well? I think for an excellent writer like Marty to cover another's songs is the ultimate compliment. I also notice similarities in their voices and styles, they are both, or in Marty's case was, baritones. I particularly notice a similarity to the early (1950's) Marty Robbins in Gordon's "I'm Not Saying". It's probably just me, but I was curious if anyone else can relate. At any rate, no finer singer/songwriters ever lived than these two, in my opinion. Does anyone know if they ever met?

[SomewhereupinMichigan]

Hmmm...very good question. One would imagine that Gord and Marty did meet at some point in time, although offhand I don't recall ever seeing anything confirming that it happened. I do know that Gord covered a lot of Marty's music in his early days...64-65...a fact confirmed by Ronnie Hawkins who tells of going to hear Gord perform in Toronto at Steele's Tavern in those days. It was Albert Grossman, Gord's agent in the late 60s/early 70s, who worked the deal for "Ribbon of Darkness" to be recorded by Robbins.

Maybe one of our other prolific posters will know whether, in fact, the two ever met.