Gordon Lightfoot on Saturday Night

[gwen snyder]

Two nights ago I was glancing over at the T.V., and was watching the roll script for the players on Saturday Night Live. Suddenly, I was reading Gordon Lightfoot and then the announcer was saying, "and friend Gordon Lightfoot will be here" ???? Was I dreamin'? I tried to stay awake and wait for him, but, I woke up and some other show was on. Was I dreamin' or has Gordon Lightfoot been on Saturday Night Live?
Strange nights...
GSS

[Auburn Annie]

You weren't dreaming. He appeared on SNL in, I think, 1976. Buck Henry was the guest host. I caught part of it a couple of nights ago myself. It came on around 1 a.m. (eastern); Gord's first number was about 40 minutes into the show. I was up at that hour because one of my sisters had to go to the ER and I was getting dressed to meet her there. (She's fine, well, sorta - gallstones.
Anyway there was himself, singing Summertime Dream. I missed the second song later in the show; SNL rotates through its old shows on Comedy Central; unfortunately this one seems to turn up in the middle of the night. Wish I was more of a night owl.

[This message has been edited by Auburn Annie (edited April 24, 2003).]

[MaryEllen]

For the syndicated Saturday Night reruns, they have cut all the hour-and-a-half shows down to an hour. So Gord's second number is not shown, or the bit where John Belushi (as the Samurai Tailor) cut his guitar strings with a sword.

[gwen snyder]

So come on Auburn Annie and Maryellen, what is the background for this SNL stuff? Were John Belushi and Gordon Lightfoot really good friends, or what?
GSS

[Borderstone]

I saw that appearence a few years back on a VH 1 show! I think it might have been 8-track Flashback (which I wish they would bring back.) He had his bushy hair,his moustache,blue denim clothes and of course his acoustic guitar and acoustic voice to match! He stood kind of still though. ..and I mean "very still"! It couldn't have been because it was a live broadcast,could it? I can;t imagine him being nervous over a thing like that. Well,I'm outta here and A.B.! Catch ya on the flipside of Sundown!

[Auburn Annie]

quote:Originally posted by gwen snyder:
So come on Auburn Annie and Maryellen, what is the background for this SNL stuff? Were John Belushi and Gordon Lightfoot really good friends, or what?
GSS

I think for Gord it was just a gig (a good one, but business). As far as I know he didn't know Belushi before that, unless they crossed paths tangentially. It was post-Cathy Smith for Gord; she hadn't yet hooked up with Belushi (that would have been late 1981, early 1982 - he died in March of that year.) She hung with The Good Brothers, members of The Band, Mick Jagger (who didn't??)etc. She sang backup for Hoyt Axton. But I've never heard anything about any friendship of any kind between Gord and John B. - no animosity, just no relationship outside of the one SNL show.

[Kenyon]

Gord appeared on SNL in 1976 and did Summertime Dream and later, Spanish Moss. The joke with Belushi cutting Gord's guitar strings began with the opening bars of Sundown, and then Buck Henry walks on stage and stops the band. He calls to Belushi who subsequently cuts Gord's strings! Not too funny, but Gord's performance was flawless.

[Borderstone]

Being the '70's and most guys not liking MOR music,I think the joke was supposed to reflect Belushi's opinion and guys just like him that basically stuck Gordon in the "Light Rock or Less" category. Hopefully,Gordon was in on the joke. I wonder if that's where he got the album title for,"Endless Wire"? It's been me and I'll catch ya on the flipside of Sundown!