The Auctioneer

[ricky Jay]

Since I got Dream Street Rose yesterday and have played the album probably 5 times LITERALLY since then, I just thought I'd ask a question....do some Lightfoot songs make you LAUGH (instead of getting watery-eyed, for example)?

For example, when I listened to the Auctioneer, it made me want to laugh for no apparent reason! And if not laugh, it seemed that I involuntarily smile WHENEVER I play that track. (I heard Lightfoot didn't write it but that's not my point right now )

Hey, it takes talent to sing like an actual auctioneer LOL. Whenever I play DSR I like to hear Auctioneer because I like hearing Gordon singing auction-style LOL.

Okay now are there any songs that make you either smile or almost laugh when you hear them, or do they mostly get you watery-eyed??

[This message has been edited by Shazia (edited March 17, 2004).]

[Shazia]

Since I got Dream Street Rose yesterday and have played the album probably 5 times LITERALLY since then, I just thought I'd ask a question....do some Lightfoot songs make you LAUGH (instead of getting watery-eyed, for example)?

For example, when I listened to the Auctioneer, it made me want to laugh for no apparent reason! And if not laugh, it seemed that I involuntarily smile WHENEVER I play that track. (I heard Lightfoot didn't write it but that's not my point right now )

Hey, it takes talent to sing like an actual auctioneer LOL. Whenever I play DSR I like to hear Auctioneer because I like hearing Gordon singing auction-style LOL.

Okay now are there any songs that make you either smile or almost laugh when you hear them, or do they mostly get you watery-eyed??

[This message has been edited by Shazia (edited March 17, 2004).]

[joveski]

the auctioneer is a great one. and when he did it live, it was sung even faster than the album version. i think he left the song behind in 1991, which is a pity.

songs that make me laugh:

Boss Man
Betty Called Me In
Bend In The Water
Blackberry Wine

notice a common theme?

[ricky Jay]

they begin with B?

OMG he did the Auctioneer even FASTER live? This is better than I thought! LOL

[This message has been edited by Shazia (edited March 17, 2004).]

[Shazia]

they begin with B?

OMG he did the Auctioneer even FASTER live? This is better than I thought! LOL

[This message has been edited by Shazia (edited March 17, 2004).]

[SomewhereupinMichigan]

Oh my...there are a bunch. Let's see...

1) Wild Strawberries (from WFY) because of the line about "all of these years, I have been wearing polka-dot underwear." My son was about 12 when this CD came out and he always cracked up uncontrollably over that line. Now, whenever I hear it, I think of him in a fit of giggles and, of course, I get a chuckle.

2) Partners (a staple of his 70s concerts, though never officially released on an album). The story of two partners in search of gold, trapped by snow in a mountain pass, when the food ran low the younger one made a meal of his "partner." Gord always sang "partners" in a falsetto voice between verses. That always brought a crowd reaction.

3) Divorce Country Style. Like Partners, another one that never made a commercial album release, but a staple of his 70s concerts. Humourous, as the title implies.

4) Cod Liver Oil. Another early tune that Gord recorded informally and used in concerts in the 60s. The story of a young man married to a "sick-ely" wife who consumes mass quantities of Dr. John's cod liver oil.

5) The General Store. Yet another early, but discarded, Gord tune. It was recorded for his Warner Arts Demos. A pleasant little ditty about the wonderous world of a General Store to a young boy (presumably Gord the child). It is so innocent it always brings a smile.

6) Calypso Baby (from the Two Tones album with Terry Whelan, c. 1962) This one is Gord in his short-lived duo days as a true folkie act. He and Terry whoop it up on this one as they try - desperately - to get into their Harry Belafonte feel. A great one to bring on laughter!

7) Daisy Doo (From the ill-fated and short-lived Early Lightfoot album, c. 1971. This is the one that Gord, reportedly, did all he could to round up -the copies on the market- and destroy.) It's Gordon Lightfoot meets the Big Bopper, recorded whilst our hero was still casting about for his own identity. As a matter of fact, pick any of the tunes on this one and you'll probably get at least a chuckle. The tunes Remember Me and It's Too Late, He Wins (contained on the Songbook boxed set)were from this period.

So...do you get the idea that Gord was a lot more humourous, as well as frivolous in his early years? Whether intentional or not? Then I suggest you listen to Uncle Toad Said from 1998 to see that Gord still has a fine-tuned sense of humour. Watch for a couple of the upcoming tunes on Harmony to be in this vein, as well.

[Gaby]

SORRY!!

I HATE The Auctioneer –It is the one song of GL’s guaranteed to have any cd player metaphorically flung out of the window!!!!!!

I love Joveski’s choices.

Betty Called Me In
Bend In The Water

Add Triangle and Spanish Moss and we know where the man’s coming from.

However, if we’re talking stuff rarely mentioned on this site, SUIM’s choices are bang on, especially Divorce Country Style. (Not Cod Liver Oil – Yuk)
GL might not be too keen on these tracks, nowadays, but surely his ‘fans’ (hate that word) can still have their (favourable) opinion.

I would add:-

Long Haired Woman – my husband swears it was written for me – definitely a backhanded compliment!
Harbour Le Cou – I knew a few Penzance fishermen like that, in my youth. Happy days!
Gossip Calypso – A song of the times. I think it was written by a British comedian, Bernard Cribbins. Prof. Fowles will be able to verify that. John?

Shadows is probably one of the deepest songs the man has ever written but one line always has me grinning like a Cheshire Cat.

Please kiss me gently, darling, where the river runs away.

Okay, good, I'm not the only one who wonders about the, er, "meaning" of that line.


quote:Originally posted by Gaby:
Please kiss me gently, darling, where the river runs away.

[/B]



------------------
Born once - Got it right the first time. )O(

Okay, good, I'm not the only one who wonders about the, er, "meaning" of that line.


quote:Originally posted by Gaby:
Please kiss me gently, darling, where the river runs away.

[/B]



------------------
Born once - Got it right the first time. )O(

[Gaby]

[joveski]

yeah, i forgot about divorce country style. the audience laughs after every verse. it's on the Massey Hall 74 bootleg././

[Iron]

WOW I never really gave that line in Shadows that much thought,now I'm going to smile when I hear it...Thanks for the insight..

[ricky Jay]

quote:Originally posted by violet Blue Horse:
Okay, good, I'm not the only one who wonders about the, er, "meaning" of that line.

------------->

[Shazia]

quote:Originally posted by violet Blue Horse:
Okay, good, I'm not the only one who wonders about the, er, "meaning" of that line.

------------->

I love the way Dream Street sounds. I'm not thrilled with the effect the engineering had on his voice, but I love listening to that CD with headphones on. The stereo effects, the placement of sound, particularly on "Sea of Tranquility" is a whole lot of fun.


[QUOTE]Originally posted by Shazia:
[B]Since I got Dream Street Rose yesterday and have played the album probably 5 times LITERALLY since then,

I love the way Dream Street sounds. I'm not thrilled with the effect the engineering had on his voice, but I love listening to that CD with headphones on. The stereo effects, the placement of sound, particularly on "Sea of Tranquility" is a whole lot of fun.


[QUOTE]Originally posted by Shazia:
[B]Since I got Dream Street Rose yesterday and have played the album probably 5 times LITERALLY since then,

[ricky Jay]

how did the engineering affect his voice?

[Shazia]

how did the engineering affect his voice?

[anne41]

I don't know about the effects of the engineers, but, DSR is my favorite Gord album. I thought Don Quixote album had the cutest picture of Gord right up to A Painter Passing Through. But, this new cover is so cute.

[morning glory]

I don't know about the effects of the engineers, but, DSR is my favorite Gord album. I thought Don Quixote album had the cutest picture of Gord right up to A Painter Passing Through. But, this new cover is so cute.

Some of the depth and bass was taken out of the mix to achieve the sound separation and kind of crystalize the sound, if that makes any sense. There is also lots and lots of echo in there which is sometimes not kind to some voices. The voice wasn't as full sounding as it could have been in order to achieve the clean clean sound. Fortunately he still had more than enough depth to his voice to get away with it. Engineering is a balancing act, and sometimes to achieve one goal you have to let something else slide a bit.

Having never had that one on vinyl I wonder how clean it sounded on a brand new album?


quote:Originally posted by Shazia:
how did the engineering affect his voice?



------------------
Born once - Got it right the first time. )O(

Some of the depth and bass was taken out of the mix to achieve the sound separation and kind of crystalize the sound, if that makes any sense. There is also lots and lots of echo in there which is sometimes not kind to some voices. The voice wasn't as full sounding as it could have been in order to achieve the clean clean sound. Fortunately he still had more than enough depth to his voice to get away with it. Engineering is a balancing act, and sometimes to achieve one goal you have to let something else slide a bit.

Having never had that one on vinyl I wonder how clean it sounded on a brand new album?


quote:Originally posted by Shazia:
how did the engineering affect his voice?



------------------
Born once - Got it right the first time. )O(

[ricky Jay]

OMG guess what....the echo in the voice is what made me LIKE the way he sounded in the album LOL... Just wanted to say that!!

[Shazia]

OMG guess what....the echo in the voice is what made me LIKE the way he sounded in the album LOL... Just wanted to say that!!

[anne41]

yeah it really does sound quite good like that!!!