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Old 03-20-2021, 05:18 PM   #4
charlene
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Join Date: May 2000
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Default Re: Interview-Dec.2020-Steve Waxman-

Steve Waxman: There’s a couple more things I want to talk about. I know that the songs on Solo were songs that you found on a CD. How many years ago was that?

Gordon Lightfoot: That was in around ‘98, right at the turn, 1999. Right at the end of the century. 1999. I did not know that they existed. Of the ten songs that are on there, one of them was done right from square one and that was “Easy Flow” and I wrote that for my lovely wife, Kim, who is my wife now. The others are a group of demos and all that is there is guitar and vocal. And it was during a time before I had any health issues. My playing was good. I was singing better than I ever did. When I played it for Warner Brothers they said “Leave it be or we’re not going to see it for another two years,” because I was getting ready to rewrite the whole thing and do the orchestration and teach it to my band and record it. And, all of a sudden, boom, in comes the pandemic. So it wound up coming out right after the plague came down upon us all.

Steve Waxman: So, had you started performing any of the songs off of this record?

Gordon Lightfoot: If we ever get back to work. You see, we’ve been set back about ninety-five shows here. So everything keeps getting rolled ahead because we’re all still prepared to do this if it’s gonna happen. I will teach them “Easy Flow.” We’ll do “Easy Flow.” Oh no, I’m talking about “Oh So Sweet”. It’s the single that they chose. I’ll teach them that one. It’ll be nice of an arrangement. It’ll be nicely orchestrated. And I’ll pick out a couple of the others. I’m not going to be out there like Ronnie (Hawkins) with his solo tour. We’re all going to be there. We’re going to do the show. I’ll get a couple of tunes off the new record.

Steve Waxman: The song that resonated with me on the record was “Just A Little Bit.”

Gordon Lightfoot: Yeah, I know. It’s a lot of fun.

Steve Waxman: It’s a lot of fun and, honestly, I would love to hear a punk rock band play this song.

Gordon Lightfoot: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I could do that one. It’s an easy one to play, too. I could really give it a rock and roll time with that one.

Steve Waxman: I don’t know if I can tell, how many of these songs are you on the twelve-string?

Gordon Lightfoot: Probably three or four of them. The rhythm tunes. Yeah, they’re all twelve-string.

Steve Waxman: Because you’re right, your finger-picking is fantastic on this record.

Gordon Lightfoot: Yeah, it was good then. I don’t know if I could do it that way now. I can still do it but with that kind of attack and everything, that was before there were any health issues involved. My health issues didn’t start until 2002. And I had one that knocked me out for two-and-a-half years.

Steve Waxman: I remember that very well.

Gordon Lightfoot: They didn’t say anything about that in the documentary at all.

Steve Waxman: Are you writing songs these days?

Gordon Lightfoot: No. I’m practising and keeping my chops up and going on walks. I’m not getting any younger. I’m damn near 82 years old. This was my 21st album. I’m walking and I’m practising because we think that we’re going to get back out there.

Steve Waxman: We all hope so.

Gordon Lightfoot: Everybody does. I’m thinking right now about streaming one out because I have an opportunity to stream one right around the world right now if I want to do it. I’m just considering that right now.

Steve Waxman: With the band.

Gordon Lightfoot: Yeah. Sure. With everybody.

* * *
If you want to find out more about Gordon Lightfoot, I suggest reading Nicholas Jennings’ excellent biography simply titled Lightfoot. You should also take time to watch the documentary Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind. Tour info - www.lightfoot.ca
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