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Old 01-29-2005, 10:32 AM   #1
Station Master
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Char, thanks ALOT for posting this below (what a great publication), i just thought this portion of the article deserved a separate post (people who are tired of reading about the Tributes may otherwise miss out on this anecdote)...if Kara can get a fresh thread i don't see why this can't, lol

i spent alot of time at Ryerson, too much, lol (Younge & Gould) but i was 20 years late!

thank also to author, Stanley Fedderman:

"Here's one of my own Lightfoot stories. A bunch of us English types were getting ready to leave Ryerson Tech late in the afternoon of Friday, November 22, 1963, when we heard the news that President Kennedy had been shot. Instead of going to our homes, we decided to gather at Bassel’s, a nice upstairs bar and grill near Yonge and Gould to drink and talk about this awesome event. Drinks led to dinner and at some point, the entertainment came on. This guy in jeans and cowboy boots with his blonde hair slicked back in a pompom got seated on the small stage with his 12-string and began doing tunes like “The Piddlin’ Pup, “The Auctioneer,” and “Don’t Let ‘em Tear That Little ‘Ol Builin’ Down—a song about a guy that loved his outhouse. A real hick! but he was versatile in his delivery, meaning he could yodel, and he was appealing. His name was Gordon Lightfoot. He also played “Changes” by Phil Ochs, and Ewan McCalls’ “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” showing he had sensitivity and taste beyond that of the drugstore cowboy singer he appeared to be. He also worked in, somewhat apologetically, a few originals, which were very impressive.

On the strength of those few originals, we stayed for that set, and the next as well, and gave him plenty of applause. Around midnight, with an hour to closing time, and an audience reduced to us few diehards, he asked would we like to hear him play a set of just his own music? Sure would! So he put away the twelve string, brought out his six-string, and proceeded to play “For Lovin’ Me,” “The Way I Feel,” “I'm Not Sayin',” “Ribbon Of Darkness,” “Steel Rail Blues,” and all the songs he would be recording the next month on his first LP, Lightfoot.

I bought that LP a few months later and learned to sing and play “For Lovin’ Me.” I made a parody of it, which I called, “That’s What I Got From Lovin’ You,” making reference to STD and all the typical emotional and financial devastations that can come about from romantic fixations. I typed up a copy and when Lightfoot came back to Bassel’s in the Spring of ’65 I gave it to him between sets. He read it over, didn’t appear to know why I was showing it to him, and after an uncomfortable pause, his face lit up with a big grin and he said “Hey, that’s “Lovin’ Me” backwards. Can I keep this?” Sure can. But Gord, if you’re out there and you still have your copy, could you fax it to me. I’ve lost mine."
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Old 01-29-2005, 10:32 AM   #2
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Char, thanks ALOT for posting this below (what a great publication), i just thought this portion of the article deserved a separate post (people who are tired of reading about the Tributes may otherwise miss out on this anecdote)...if Kara can get a fresh thread i don't see why this can't, lol

i spent alot of time at Ryerson, too much, lol (Younge & Gould) but i was 20 years late!

thank also to author, Stanley Fedderman:

"Here's one of my own Lightfoot stories. A bunch of us English types were getting ready to leave Ryerson Tech late in the afternoon of Friday, November 22, 1963, when we heard the news that President Kennedy had been shot. Instead of going to our homes, we decided to gather at Bassel’s, a nice upstairs bar and grill near Yonge and Gould to drink and talk about this awesome event. Drinks led to dinner and at some point, the entertainment came on. This guy in jeans and cowboy boots with his blonde hair slicked back in a pompom got seated on the small stage with his 12-string and began doing tunes like “The Piddlin’ Pup, “The Auctioneer,” and “Don’t Let ‘em Tear That Little ‘Ol Builin’ Down—a song about a guy that loved his outhouse. A real hick! but he was versatile in his delivery, meaning he could yodel, and he was appealing. His name was Gordon Lightfoot. He also played “Changes” by Phil Ochs, and Ewan McCalls’ “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” showing he had sensitivity and taste beyond that of the drugstore cowboy singer he appeared to be. He also worked in, somewhat apologetically, a few originals, which were very impressive.

On the strength of those few originals, we stayed for that set, and the next as well, and gave him plenty of applause. Around midnight, with an hour to closing time, and an audience reduced to us few diehards, he asked would we like to hear him play a set of just his own music? Sure would! So he put away the twelve string, brought out his six-string, and proceeded to play “For Lovin’ Me,” “The Way I Feel,” “I'm Not Sayin',” “Ribbon Of Darkness,” “Steel Rail Blues,” and all the songs he would be recording the next month on his first LP, Lightfoot.

I bought that LP a few months later and learned to sing and play “For Lovin’ Me.” I made a parody of it, which I called, “That’s What I Got From Lovin’ You,” making reference to STD and all the typical emotional and financial devastations that can come about from romantic fixations. I typed up a copy and when Lightfoot came back to Bassel’s in the Spring of ’65 I gave it to him between sets. He read it over, didn’t appear to know why I was showing it to him, and after an uncomfortable pause, his face lit up with a big grin and he said “Hey, that’s “Lovin’ Me” backwards. Can I keep this?” Sure can. But Gord, if you’re out there and you still have your copy, could you fax it to me. I’ve lost mine."
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Old 01-29-2005, 12:55 PM   #3
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I remember it very clearly as do most who were around at the time.
I was driving home to Dorset from my apprenticeship home at Rolls-Royce in Derby it being a Friday evening.
(I was going for the weekend to introduce my new girl friend to my parents). At about 7 PM GMT as we approached Coventry

The magnificent Graham Sutherland tapestry in the (post-war) Coventry Cathedral
we were listening to the pop music station Radio Luxembourg on 208 metres on the dial (this being in those far off days when the BBC
radio stations had very strict limits on the amount of recorded music they could play (fears of making live musicians
unemployed and all that rubbish etc).So Lux was the only outlet to hear decent music (later the advent of the off-shore
"pirate" radio stations forced the Beeb to tell the Musicians Union to go jump in a lake and radically change their policy.
Be that as it may at 7PM it was therefore extremely peculiar to realise that Lux had ceased their usual pop music and were
playing Beethoven or something quite out of character. and we heard the very sad news of the shooting
They were obviously quick off the mark as JFK was shot at 12:30 PM Central time (18:30 UTC);
and "At 1:00 p.m., CST (19:00 UTC), after all the heart activity had ceased and after a priest administered the last rites,
the president was pronounced dead."
which I make to be 7:00PM GMT.
Ok I may be a few minutes out but 7pm has stuck in my memory for over 40 years now
John Fowles
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Old 01-29-2005, 12:55 PM   #4
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I remember it very clearly as do most who were around at the time.
I was driving home to Dorset from my apprenticeship home at Rolls-Royce in Derby it being a Friday evening.
(I was going for the weekend to introduce my new girl friend to my parents). At about 7 PM GMT as we approached Coventry

The magnificent Graham Sutherland tapestry in the (post-war) Coventry Cathedral
we were listening to the pop music station Radio Luxembourg on 208 metres on the dial (this being in those far off days when the BBC
radio stations had very strict limits on the amount of recorded music they could play (fears of making live musicians
unemployed and all that rubbish etc).So Lux was the only outlet to hear decent music (later the advent of the off-shore
"pirate" radio stations forced the Beeb to tell the Musicians Union to go jump in a lake and radically change their policy.
Be that as it may at 7PM it was therefore extremely peculiar to realise that Lux had ceased their usual pop music and were
playing Beethoven or something quite out of character. and we heard the very sad news of the shooting
They were obviously quick off the mark as JFK was shot at 12:30 PM Central time (18:30 UTC);
and "At 1:00 p.m., CST (19:00 UTC), after all the heart activity had ceased and after a priest administered the last rites,
the president was pronounced dead."
which I make to be 7:00PM GMT.
Ok I may be a few minutes out but 7pm has stuck in my memory for over 40 years now
John Fowles
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Old 01-29-2005, 01:01 PM   #5
charlene
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thanks james.
i laffed for 10 minutes about the "that's what i got ffom lovin you"
very funny!
I found that publication on Justin Rutledge's website. I really liked that kid. Read about him and his reviews etc. He's quit something!


[This message has been edited by charlene (edited January 29, 2005).]
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Old 01-29-2005, 01:01 PM   #6
charlene
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thanks james.
i laffed for 10 minutes about the "that's what i got ffom lovin you"
very funny!
I found that publication on Justin Rutledge's website. I really liked that kid. Read about him and his reviews etc. He's quit something!


[This message has been edited by charlene (edited January 29, 2005).]
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Old 01-29-2005, 01:15 PM   #7
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I was 6 and home sick instead of in school. I was ironing my dads handkerchiefs and saw it on TV my Mother and I sat glued to the TV for the rest of the day. Even at 6 I understood what was happening. We had just gotten our first TV about a month before. Which was probably why I was home pretending to be sick.
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Old 01-29-2005, 01:15 PM   #8
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I was 6 and home sick instead of in school. I was ironing my dads handkerchiefs and saw it on TV my Mother and I sat glued to the TV for the rest of the day. Even at 6 I understood what was happening. We had just gotten our first TV about a month before. Which was probably why I was home pretending to be sick.
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Old 01-29-2005, 04:32 PM   #9
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I was 3 1/2 and in nursery school on an elementary school campus. Someone called my teacher on the intercom and told her that the president had been shot. She was crying when she told us. I remember wondering which president - the PTA president, the local union president, the Lions Club president - we had lots of presidents. Then she mentioned President Kennedy's name, so that clarified it. I remember being very sorry for John and Caroline.

We went fot a walk because the teacher was too upset to do anythng else. It was a gray day, which was a little unusual in itself. Even in November, it's sunny more often than not here. A mother of one of the kids drove by as we were on our walk. She stopped and told the teacher that President Kennedy had been pronounced dead.

It's weird that I can remember it so clearly, but some things stick with you.

quote:Originally posted by brink:
I was 6 and home sick instead of in school. I was ironing my dads handkerchiefs and saw it on TV my Mother and I sat glued to the TV for the rest of the day. Even at 6 I understood what was happening. We had just gotten our first TV about a month before. Which was probably why I was home pretending to be sick.

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Old 01-29-2005, 07:52 PM   #10
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I was in second grade. In a seven room schoolhouse. The janitor went around and knocked on the doors to tell the teachers. My teacher told us "you probably don't feel like doing any more work" so the girl in front of me turned around and we played checkers. I didn't realize the whole impact of it all until I went home and saw my mom crying on the couch in front of the TV.
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Old 01-29-2005, 08:01 PM   #11
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I was in 8th grade but at home with home schooling because of surgery. Mother had went up town for something and I was at home watching "As the World Turns" when they interupted with an "Important Message". What a shock. I was waiting at the door when mother returned home.
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Old 01-29-2005, 08:01 PM   #12
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I was in 8th grade but at home with home schooling because of surgery. Mother had went up town for something and I was at home watching "As the World Turns" when they interupted with an "Important Message". What a shock. I was waiting at the door when mother returned home.
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Old 01-29-2005, 09:06 PM   #13
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I was in the 5th grade, and the whole class was currently reading a book called "Where The Red Furn Grows", when the pricipal of our school came on over the intercom and announced that president Kennedy had been shot and killed. I was a bit too young and not emotional enough to really feel the impact at that time. Only as I grew older did I realize the full horror.
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Old 01-29-2005, 09:06 PM   #14
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I was in the 5th grade, and the whole class was currently reading a book called "Where The Red Furn Grows", when the pricipal of our school came on over the intercom and announced that president Kennedy had been shot and killed. I was a bit too young and not emotional enough to really feel the impact at that time. Only as I grew older did I realize the full horror.
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Old 01-29-2005, 09:14 PM   #15
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quote:Originally posted by GJA:
I was in 8th grade but at home with home schooling because of surgery. Mother had went up town for something and I was at home watching "As the World Turns" when they interupted with an "Important Message". What a shock. I was waiting at the door when mother returned home.

We were between classes. At that point school was cancelled for several days. The sadness of it all was overwhelming. Thanks to you all for relating your own experiences.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




------------------
"Rainy day people always seem to know when it's time to call; Rainyday people don't talk, they just listen, till they've heard it all." - GL
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Old 01-29-2005, 09:14 PM   #16
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quote:Originally posted by GJA:
I was in 8th grade but at home with home schooling because of surgery. Mother had went up town for something and I was at home watching "As the World Turns" when they interupted with an "Important Message". What a shock. I was waiting at the door when mother returned home.

We were between classes. At that point school was cancelled for several days. The sadness of it all was overwhelming. Thanks to you all for relating your own experiences.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




------------------
"Rainy day people always seem to know when it's time to call; Rainyday people don't talk, they just listen, till they've heard it all." - GL
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Old 01-30-2005, 06:55 AM   #17
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I wasn't here, no memories of it at all.
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Old 01-30-2005, 06:55 AM   #18
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I wasn't here, no memories of it at all.
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Old 01-30-2005, 08:32 AM   #19
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I was in 5th grade at St. Joseph's Hill Academy and I remember they used the intercom to make the announcement. I went to that school from K thru 8 and they never used the intercom another time while I was there ! The memory that really sticks with me though is being home the next few days, as they closed the school, and seeing Jack Ruby shoot Lee Harvey Oswald on live TV. I'll never forget that one.

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Old 01-30-2005, 10:00 AM   #20
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I was here, but no memories of it at all
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Old 01-30-2005, 10:00 AM   #21
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I was here, but no memories of it at all
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Old 01-30-2005, 12:27 PM   #22
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I don't remember anything at school although I am sure something was said. I was in Grade 4. I skipped Grade 2 so was a year younger than the other kids. When I got home my mother was crying and very upset about it. She still can tear up to this day. I have her collection of books and magazines etc. about JFK and his assassination.

It's amazing that nowadays we know everything about public figures but back then we were only told what they wanted us to know..things aren't always as they seem....it seems.



[This message has been edited by charlene (edited January 30, 2005).]
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Old 01-30-2005, 12:27 PM   #23
charlene
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I don't remember anything at school although I am sure something was said. I was in Grade 4. I skipped Grade 2 so was a year younger than the other kids. When I got home my mother was crying and very upset about it. She still can tear up to this day. I have her collection of books and magazines etc. about JFK and his assassination.

It's amazing that nowadays we know everything about public figures but back then we were only told what they wanted us to know..things aren't always as they seem....it seems.



[This message has been edited by charlene (edited January 30, 2005).]
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Old 01-30-2005, 12:32 PM   #24
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quote:Originally posted by charlene:
I don't remember anything at school although I am sure something was said. When I got home my mother was crying and very upset about it. She still can tear up to this day. I have her collection of books and magazines etc. about JFK and his assassination.




I was in a coffee bar in Soho in London, with a bunch of kids. The manager told us the dreadful news. I rang home immediately to confirm. It was indeed true. London that night was like a ghost town. Everybody was standing on street corners reading the late editions, not talking. It is a night I will never forget. It was the night that began the change of the world, IMO.
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Old 01-30-2005, 01:37 PM   #25
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Bill W I remember that too. But, I had thought that he punched him in the stomach. It was a day or two later that I finally was aware that he had been shot. Even though it said on TV that was what happened, just actually seeing it made it like it wasn't real. I think somebody getting shot, up to that point, was abstract to me. You shoot deer and skunks not people. It was the end of innocence for a lot of us.

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