Yesterday I said I had started a 30-day Folk Music Challenge early last week. Well, As a result yesterday was the sixth day of the challenge. Blue River Eric Andersen’s 1972 release.was the album of the day. In this post I’d like to start to catch up and write about the albums I listened to on the first 5 days. Gordon Lightfoot kicked it off!
Cold in the Shoulder – Gordon Lightfoot
Gordon Lightfoot’s Cold on the Shoulder was the first album I listened to as part of my 30-Day Folk Music Challenge.
While Gordon Lightfoot was never a huge favorite of mine, his impact on the genre was immense! Some of the earliest folk music I listened to was Peter, Paul and Mary who covered at least two Gordon Lightfoot songs “Early Morning Rain” and “For Lovin’Me”.
However, I didn’t have any Lightfoot albums in my music collection until his 1972 release Sundown. The second album I added to my collection was Cold on the Shoulder.
Here’s some biographical information about Gordon from Wikipedia:
Gordon Meredith Lightfoot Jr….(born November 17, 1938) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist who achieved international success in folk, folk-rock, and country music. He is credited with helping to define the folk-pop sound of the 1960s and 1970s. He is often referred to as Canada’s greatest songwriter and is known internationally as a folk-rock legend.
“Rainy Day People” – Cold on the Shoulder’s Hit
The big hit on Cold on the Shoulder was “Rainy Day People” again from.Wikipedia……..
Rainy Day People” is a song written and recorded by Gordon Lightfoot, released on his 1975 album, Cold on the Shoulder, and also as a single. “Rainy Day People” went to number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was Lightfoot’s last of four songs to reach number one on the Easy Listeningchart, spending one week at number one in May 1975.
Lightfoot’s discography consists of 19 studio albums, 3 live albums and 16 computation albums Eighteen of his nineteen studio albums were released between 1966-2004. The last Gordon Lightfoot album I added to my library was A Pilgrim Passes By released in 1998.
Gordon Overcomes Major Health Problems
In 2004 Lightfoot almost died when he…
….underwent emergent vascular surgery for a rupturedabdominal aortic aneurysm, and he remained in serious condition in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Lightfoot endured a six-week coma and a tracheotomy, and he underwent four surgical operations.
In 2006, Lightfoot suffered a minor stroke in the middle of a performance. The stroke left him without the use of the middle and ring fingers on his right hand. It took him many months to recover.
In spite of his health problems, Lightfoot has not retired. Last year Lightfoot released his 19th studio album Gordon Lightfoot Solo. from Gordon’s website:
Nine of the songs come from two CDs of songs he had recorded back in 2001 – 2002 and which he had forgotten. He discovered them when cleaning his office, listened to them, and decided to make an album with just him and his guitar, removing other instruments that had been added. The 10th song, “Easy Flo,” was written and recorded more recently.
Lightfoot says this about the album….
“I thought my fans would be interested in hearing what songs sound like when first written”
So if you’ve never listened to Gordon Lightfoot You really need to do it….as for me I’m checking out Gordon Lightfoot Solo.
Links for the Further Exploration of the Music of Gordon Lightfoot
Artist’s Website
Here’s “Rainy Day People” from Gord’s Gold
