View Full Version : how did Gord break his hand back in 1970?
this is the era when Mariposa was still on Toronto Island
btw, the festival auditions were at the Riverboat in 1967...in those photos you can see the 'port holes' on stage...not many pics of inside that old coffee house basement
there are also pics of David Rea (I believe GL's first guitar player), Bonnie Dobson, James Taylor, Phil Ochs, John Allen Cameron, Ramblin Jack, Baez. Joni, etc
char, if you need a better view you can stack picnic tables and put your lawn chair atop them, lol (see old pic:) )
browse away
http://www.cbc.ca/arts/music/story/2010/07/05/mariposa-online-archive.html
haven't kept up with many of latest posts but don't see this and the YU archive link posted yet
and a bit later shot of David Rea...plus another crowd shot (locked in the 70s)
That's a good question. Maybe something went awry as he was assisting in the stacking of picnic tables.
Nice pics.....a different time and space.
Auburn Annie
07-08-2010, 08:49 PM
Boy, those are SO 1970!
That's a good question
hey, char...did you ask him?
btw, Mer has more pics (nice depth of field work) to add from this year
http://lightfootmeredith.tumblr.com/post/805180618/mariposa-2010
like the Sylvia greeting Gord pic and the Keelor one
how was the surprise Cuddy Keelor set (did they do Go Go Round?)
how was the 4 Strong Winds reunion gem? how was the mud? ;)
read a few misc reviews but Yours is always worth the biggest wait:):):)
hey, char...did you ask him?
btw, Mer has more pics (nice depth of field work) to add from this year
http://lightfootmeredith.tumblr.com/post/805180618/mariposa-2010
hey, GL will now have to also do a promo spot for her photo web site;)
YouTube- MYSPACE INTRO FROM GORDON LIGHTFOOT
note:
I'm surprised she puts her home# on her website..maybe it's cell, but still
charlene
07-13-2010, 01:31 PM
I know - I saw that the other day...Daddio might not be too happy about it..
She does take some good pics however..
I never spoke with Gord before or after the show. Security perimeter was heavy..lol
Jesse Joe
07-13-2010, 01:34 PM
Great looking bunch of pics jj, tks for posting those. :)
charlene
07-13-2010, 01:37 PM
hey, char...did you ask him?
btw, Mer has more pics (nice depth of field work) to add from this year
http://lightfootmeredith.tumblr.com/post/805180618/mariposa-2010
like the Sylvia greeting Gord pic and the Keelor one
how was the surprise Cuddy Keelor set (did they do Go Go Round?)
how was the 4 Strong Winds reunion gem? how was the mud? ;)
read a few misc reviews but Yours is always worth the biggest wait:):):)
Jim and Greg didn't do any Gordstuff. I didn't record any of their stuff cuz I didn't want to fill up my HD card in case Gord sang a certain song..lol
They were great tho-that Cuddy is so freakin' adorable. the Big screen was an incredible help for everyone to see people onstage.
The 4 strong winds brought me to tears..it was breathtaking to be there and see/hear it.
Not much mud in the common areas.
working on the report...
The 4 strong winds brought me to tears..it was breathtaking to be there and see/hear it.
you were amongst many who were teared up I'll bet...you heard so many good sounds at this milestone event:)
speaking of good sounds and I+S, I heard this old classic on oldies radio while painting last week and haven't been able to get the chorus out of my head since...i think it's one of my fave choruses
YouTube- Johnny Cash Show - Lovin' Sound [Ian & Sylvia]
imo, they have Sylvia's tremolo accompaniment up too far in those verses
ok, i digress...take your time with the report:)
Gordon was on Jonathan Schwartz's radio program in 1970 (exact date unknown) and they discussed the cast on his right hand. Jonathan asked how he played with the cast and how he got it. Gordon replied that one does not play and that he got the cast when he hammered a two inch oak door with a closed fist.
Gordon was on Jonathan Schwartz's radio program in 1970 (exact date unknown) and they discussed the cast on his right hand. Jonathan asked how he played with the cast and how he got it. Gordon replied that one does not play and that he got the cast when he hammered a two inch oak door with a closed fist.
interesting stuff. suzi...thanks
seems he rehabilitated while doing an extensive radio interview tour following the 'mishap';)
it looks like Gord requested his two smoking fingers be left cast-free:whistle:
charlene
07-13-2010, 09:07 PM
the next question is "what pissed him off so much that he would endanger his tools of the trade??"
Jesse Joe
07-14-2010, 06:20 AM
Everytime I read a story like this it always reminds me that he is human after all. :redface:
It reminds me of a NIRVANA interview w/ Musique Plus when during the interview for no reason @ all, Kurt Cobain suddenly started running towards the wall only to stop when he collided with a bunch of chairs.
I can still picture him lying there with chairs all around him; (lol) rubbing his hand on his chin looking up @ the ceiling.
It was like he was kind of wondering what just happen here, & what was that question again ??? lol ! :whistle: :cool:
formerlylavender
07-14-2010, 08:32 AM
it looks like Gord requested his two smoking fingers be left cast-free:whistle:
LOL!
Moose
07-14-2010, 09:06 AM
According to a tiny snippet in August, 1970 Billboard - the hand was the result of an ill-fated Karate Chop. From the shape of the cast, it seems the worst of the damage was at the out side of the hand where one would expect a Karate type injury to be. So... My question is " How drunk would one have to be to try to Karate chop a two inch oak door?"
http://books.google.ca/books?id=kikEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA27&lpg=PA27&dq=%22lightfoot%22++%22BROKEN+HAND%22&source=bl&ots=_3egtoIi1O&sig=bUD4Exz2wJLriv1v6lurIFpaekQ&hl=en&ei=6rI9TITVA4G78gbakLCnBg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CBcQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=%22lightfoot%22%20%20%22BROKEN%20HAND%22&f=false
vlmagee
07-14-2010, 01:05 PM
and a bit later shot of David Rea...plus another crowd shot (locked in the 70s)
JJ, thank you so much for digging up those photos of David! I am doing a web site for him, and had seen the Mariposa digital exhibit, but somehow failed to find any photos of him - just the mention on the 1965 page. After you posted the photos here, I went back to the site and finally found a page with the search box, and ... magic! How wonderful!
I am hoping to use a photo or two on David's site, but it appears there is a fee. I may go ahead anyway (not sure I will ask David to pay). We'll see.
But thank you so much for posting those photos here. Otherwise, I might have never found them!
I listened to the interview and this is what Gordon said about the incident: "There was a certain amount of tension in the air at the time you might say. These things happen. It's rather shameful. It was quite a thing, you know. The police came. There was a lot of drinking going on." (I do enjoy his colorful early days.)
charlene
07-14-2010, 05:25 PM
it still begs the questions..'what caused the tension? why? with who?, where?'...must have been quite the time if the cops showed up.
The interview provides no further information on the topic...
charlene
07-14-2010, 06:29 PM
York U. archives of Mariposa festivals of the past has some great pics..
can't recall seeing this particular pic..similar ones but not this one.
BILLW
07-14-2010, 08:18 PM
Of course I was not a witness to this incident but I was to quite a few similar ones in and around 1970ish. Perhaps there was something in the air. And if I had a nickel for every time someone said "there was a lot of drinking going on". Yeah maybe it was rather shameful but if I had it to do all over again I know we'd do it all again (and again).
I'm so pleased Gord, and some of us, survived those good times. "Colorful" is a lovely way to describe those days. And police - well that's a whole other story, lol.
Great pictures!
I listened to the interview and this is what Gordon said about the incident: "There was a certain amount of tension in the air at the time you might say. These things happen. It's rather shameful. It was quite a thing, you know. The police came. There was a lot of drinking going on." (I do enjoy his colorful early days.)
Wes Steele
07-14-2010, 09:50 PM
Char,
Great pic.... WOW....
Jesse Joe
07-14-2010, 11:22 PM
Of course I was not a witness to this incident but I was to quite a few similar ones in and around 1970ish. Perhaps there was something in the air. And if I had a nickel for every time someone said "there was a lot of drinking going on". Yeah maybe it was rather shameful but if I had it to do all over again I know we'd do it all again (and again).
I'm so pleased Gord, and some of us, survived those good times. "Colorful" is a lovely way to describe those days. And police - well that's a whole other story, lol.
Great pictures!
Those were the days my friend ! ;)
johnfowles
07-15-2010, 11:23 AM
According to a tiny snippet in August, 1970 Billboard - the hand was the result of an ill-fated Karate Chop. side of the hand where one would expect a Karate type injury to be.
http://books.google.ca/books?id=kikEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA27&lpg=PA27&dq=%22lightfoot%22++%22BROKEN+HAND%22&source=bl&ots=_3egtoIi1O&sig=bUD4Exz2wJLriv1v6lurIFpaekQ&hl=en&ei=6rI9TITVA4G78gbakLCnBg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CBcQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=%22lightfoot%22%20%20%22BROKEN%20HAND%22&f=false
Well that sure is some awesome software that Google Books is using!!
On the face of it by simply searching for "Lightfoot broken hand" it scanned the text of at least the one relevant issue of Billboard and found Moose's snippet of text then highlighted it
I initially had trouble finding it so for anybody else so challenged here is a screenshot of the snippet
http://www.johnfowles.org.uk/lightfoot/images/broken_hand.jpg
goodluck with the Rea page, Valerie....I know quite little of him
lovely son, Darin...i was gonna test taking my 6 yr old to Massey last year but thought he might start clapping along to every tune (and it's already bothersome enough when char does that!;))... glad he met and sang to the man
the GL outburst could have also been catalyzed by drugs (and/or women, lol)
char, thanks for posting that GL pic...some other dandies from that year when it was in Caledon ...one of my faves:
charlene
10-10-2012, 04:13 PM
Chat of July 10,2012 - I asked him about the cast on his hand back in 1970 @ Mariposa and he said, “it just occurred in accident.” I said it must have been worrisome for him to have a broken hand and he answered, “well it got better.” Lol
http://www.corfid.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=26359&highlight=chat
Rob1956
10-10-2012, 07:32 PM
I remember a couple of times that Gord got upset about something and had a violent reaction.
There was a story about Gord putting his hand through a wall backstage at some point. If it was 1970 or not, I don't recall. Around 1972, well known producer Ken Erlich was based in Chicago and was running WTTW, Channel 11's "Made In Chicago" series of televised concerts.
Gord headlined one of those shows. Later, Ken sat in on an FM talk show and fielded a number of calls about the series. During the show, Ken said that during the taping, Gord was unhappy about something and took his guitar and broke every single light bulb on one of those makeup mirrors we always see that have bulbs all around the periphery of the mirror. The cast, well, when you make your living using your hands (guitar), I'm surprised he would be so careless. But, most of us don't know what it's like to be a musician, and maybe it's easy to forget to protect your assets.
...Ken sat in on an FM talk show and fielded a number of calls about the series. During the show, Ken said that during the taping, Gord was unhappy about something and took his guitar and broke every single light bulb on one of those makeup mirrors we always see that have bulbs all around the periphery of the mirror.
never heard that one before... that would make for a good action scene in a Gord bio film (movie producers salivate over that kind of testosterone outburst stuff)
Sydney Steve
10-11-2012, 03:26 AM
Fortunately I was wearing my brown trousers and thus the stains were camouflaged when I first read this thread name outside on the main screen which alarmingly reads " how did Gord break his hand " , ( cutting off the relieving descriptor "....in 1970..." because of lack of space.
I thought my worst nightmares had been realised.
Put that bloke in cotton wool until Nov 18 at least !
Dave, Melbourne,Australia
10-12-2012, 10:04 AM
Sydney Steve,
You're bringing back memories of how I felt before flying over to my only Lightfoot concert in 2008. Paranoia about something happening to Gord or to you. Stock up on that cotton wool!
vBulletin® v3.8.7, Copyright ©2000-2025, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.