http://www.bhamweekly.com/article.php?article_id=00660
Sweetness and Lightfoot
Veteran folk singer still lets his lifeline show
By: Brent Thompson
Over the years, I have interviewed a number of artists that haven’t had a hit in 20 years but insist that chart success will return again. Be it arrogance, hope or denial, musicians have difficulty admitting that their Top-40 days are behind them. Gordon Lightfoot, however, seems comfortable with the idea that his radio days are finished and it’s a refreshing perspective to encounter. In fact, the Canadian singer-songwriter seems relieved that the Internet piracy, sagging CD sales and commercial radio concerns of today’s music industry don’t apply to him.
“It doesn’t concern me now because the bulk of my recording career took place between 1965 and 1980,” Lightfoot says, speaking by phone from his Toronto home. “After that, it really didn’t matter anymore. There’s a lot out there when you’re getting into the copyright questions that are always hovering over the business. There’s nothing that’s going to change that. It’s not going to change the world. It’s relatively unimportant for anybody to worry about being plagiarized or not getting paid for their work.”
Known for a folk-pop sound delivered with an imitable baritone voice, Lightfoot found massive success in the 1970s with songs including “Sundown,” “Beautiful,” “If You Could Read My Mind” and “Carefree Highway.” This string of hits earned him 15 Juno awards and five Grammy nominations. On Saturday, February 16, Lightfoot will perform at the Alabama Theatre. Show time is 8 p.m.
Surrounded by a stable of prolific singer-songwriters, Lightfoot describes his commercial heyday as creatively inspiring and competitive at the same time.
“I was there during the windfall. I had Neil Young and Rod Stewart to compete with in my own pool at the record company. My windfall took place back when the record business was roaring and there were lots of people to keep driving you right within the confines of your own circle of artists. We had a roster at [label] Reprise of 25 artists and you had to hustle to keep up with the rest of them. I was put in that position and I learned what it was like to write under pressure. In some cases, I saw relationships go down the tube and there was a price to be paid, but getting the work done was the main thing. If you couldn’t sit down and do it, nobody was going to do it for you. I was committed to doing my own material and fortunately it worked. Over a period of 15 years, I think I made about 10 of my 20 albums,” Lightfoot says.
While Lightfoot certainly found success with his own material, a diverse roster of artists has been compelled to record his songs as well. To date, Lightfoot’s songs have been covered by Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, Barbra Streisand and Harry Belafonte among many others. Lightfoot credits his early days on the United Artists label for his exposure to other artists.
“I can only say it in the words of a friend of mine who’s a talent manager who says, ‘I’ve never heard a cover I didn’t like.’ I think there are numerous, wonderful versions out there. I’m overwhelmed that I should be honored in such a way. When I was with United Artists, we were never able to get a single and we were getting lots of cover recordings because people were listening to my stuff. A lot of them figured they might find something in there. Marty Robbins had a hit with ‘Ribbon Of Darkness’ and that got my engine started,” he recalls.
Melding sounds of folk, pop and country into his compositions, Lightfoot feels that variety was a key element to his commercial appeal and the admiration from his peers.
“There’s a lot of variety going through those songs. I’m not locked into a certain style and I don’t have to go in a straight line. There’s lots of variety and that’s one of the things that makes people enjoy listening to it,” he says.
While Lightfoot looks fondly on his past, he continues to write and record. His most recent release – 2004’s Harmony – was completed while Lightfoot was recovering from a life-threatening illness that left him in a coma for six weeks. The recording project proved to be a catharsis and diversion from the rigors of recovery.
“I did one for an independent label while recovering from an illness between 2002 and 2004. It came out pretty good. I used practice tapes for the basic tracks – we had 18 songs and we cut it to 10 songs. I had the guys in the studio and they were bringing the stuff to me in the hospital on CDs with the overdubs on them. It took my mind off my condition. It took us about 14 months during the major part of the recovery period, and I didn’t think about the recovery. All I thought about was the record – I was very fortunate,” he says.
When asked what inspires him when performing live, Lightfoot’s response describes an attention to detail that is evident in his well-crafted songs.
“Every night we have a goal. There’s a goal that begins with me getting there about two o’clock in the afternoon each time. The goal continues until show time and the name of the game is intonation. We try to be in immaculate tuning. The better in tune you are, the better the song is going to be. When the intonation is top-notch in the instruments, I love playing concerts.”
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On Saturday, February 16, Lightfoot will perform at the Alabama Theatre. Show time is 8 p.m. Visit
www.alabamatheatre.com for tickets and more information
Sweetness and Lightfoot
