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Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,640
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: G. LIGHTFOOT DOCUMENTARY IF YOU COULD READ MY MIND

[ Edited ]

I watched the doc last night & enjoyed it a lot.  When I was a teen in high school in SoCal in the mid to late 60's, I listened to a DJ named Skip Weshner on one of the FM stations that had a late night program & played a lot of Lightfoot & also had him on to sing live on-air.  When GL mentioned in the doc that a DJ in L.A. was playing his stuff a lot early on & helped with his popularity, I wondered if it was Skip Weshner. 

 

That's where I discovered a lot of folks acts that others weren't playing yet, as Weshner was pretty involved in the folks scene as she wife was a member of the Rooftop Singers ("Walk Right In").  His program was where I first heard folks like Joni Mitchell, Fred Neil, Hoyt Axton, John Denver, etc. that no one else was playing yet. 

 

ETA: I even found on You Tube some recordings  of one of the times he was on the Skip Weshner show.  This is him singing the Kris Kristofferson some "Me & Bobby McGee".  This was in 1969, before Janis Joplin recorded it:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXQzB9edHvU

 

 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 37,847
Registered: ‎06-11-2011

Re: G. LIGHTFOOT DOCUMENTARY IF YOU COULD READ MY MIND

@aubnwa01  Interesting post. I listened to GL singing Bobby McGee which was good.  So handsome in that poster!

 

I enjoy GL singing his own songs best. However, I absolutely love his cover of Phil Ochs' song Changes, and his cover of The First Time Ever I Saw Her Face.   When I used to play Changes on the album it's on, I would play it over and over again (lifting the record needle of course) because GL sang it so beautifully.

 

Thanks for posting.

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,181
Registered: ‎02-05-2011

Re: G. LIGHTFOOT DOCUMENTARY IF YOU COULD READ MY MIND


@Pearlee wrote:

@Biftu wrote:

@Pearlee wrote:

@Biftu. Let me know what you think when you're finished watching. 🙂


@Pearlee  I thoroughly enjoyed it.  So much so that I grabbed a CD to play!  Don't know why, but I wasn't aware of his background. I learned a lot about him and was quite surprised that his old girlfriend was involved in John Beluchi's death.  How could I have missed that!  I love his voice and song writing talent.  So glad you suggested it.


@Biftu  I'm really happy you enjoyed it and learned some things. I was kinda shocked at what Kathy Smith said about Gordon -- that she used him! And what that other guy interviewed said, that she slept with his friends.Yet he speaks well of her to this day.

 

She died not too long ago and I remember Gordon made a statement at the time and said very nice things about her.(He was quoted in articles about her death.)  Sundown indeed. Listen to the lyrics now with what Gordon said in the doc in mind!

I also thought the background Gord gave about The Circle Is Small song was interesting.


@Pearlee  She was one tough cookie.  I did google her to find out more.  The lyrics now  take on an understanding of their true meaning.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 37,847
Registered: ‎06-11-2011

Re: G. LIGHTFOOT DOCUMENTARY IF YOU COULD READ MY MIND

"Sundown you better take care

  If I find you've been creeping down my back stair."

@Biftu 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 8,035
Registered: ‎03-14-2010

Re: G. LIGHTFOOT DOCUMENTARY IF YOU COULD READ MY MIND

I just noticed that Gordon Lightfoot postponed his latest tour. It said 6 days ago he fell and broke his wrist. So sorry to read that.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 37,847
Registered: ‎06-11-2011

Re: G. LIGHTFOOT DOCUMENTARY IF YOU COULD READ MY MIND


@drizzellla wrote:

I just noticed that Gordon Lightfoot postponed his latest tour. It said 6 days ago he fell and broke his wrist. So sorry to read that.


@drizzellla. Oh dear! 😦

Contributor
Posts: 43
Registered: ‎12-02-2020

Re: G. LIGHTFOOT DOCUMENTARY IF YOU COULD READ MY MIND

@Pearlee Thank you for bringing this to our attention.  I have Amazon Prime and had no idea the documentary was available.  I watched last night and completely enjoyed seeing GL again.  I have always been a fan and am glad he shared his memories and insights into his writing.  One song I have always loved is Affair on 8th Avenue.  It was not mentioned in the documentary but I listened to it on YouTube this morning.  The haunting lyrics still stop me in my tracks.  Music can be so powerful-it can completely take us to another place and time.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 37,847
Registered: ‎06-11-2011

Re: G. LIGHTFOOT DOCUMENTARY IF YOU COULD READ MY MIND


@AZMattie wrote:

@Pearlee Thank you for bringing this to our attention.  I have Amazon Prime and had no idea the documentary was available.  I watched last night and completely enjoyed seeing GL again.  I have always been a fan and am glad he shared his memories and insights into his writing.  One song I have always loved is Affair on 8th Avenue.  It was not mentioned in the documentary but I listened to it on YouTube this morning.  The haunting lyrics still stop me in my tracks.  Music can be so powerful-it can completely take us to another place and time.


@AZMattie  I'm so happy you enjoyed the doc; thanks for letting me know.  That is a really good song.  His song catalog is so large that he couldn't possibly mention everything.  Speaking of songs not mentioned, this line of his has gone through my head thousands of times in the past 50 years: "I'm on my second cup of coffee and I still can't face the day."  ☕