Welcome to Orillia - Home of Dav -- er, Gordon Lightfoot!
David Bradford
Hi everyone. I am new to the list, though I have been lurking for a
month or so to get the hang of things. I first heard Gord in the late
60s, courtesy of my older brother who had a couple of LPs. Needless to
say, I have been hooked ever since, and I was thrilled to find this group.
A bit more personal info: 40 years old, born Christmas Eve in Orillia,
Ontario. I married a Swedish woman five years ago and we own a small
farm just north of Uppsala. I work for an American company in Stockholm
and make the 100 km commute every day.
Just to chime in on one of the latest topics, I think we SHOULD discuss
Harmony, though we could use a bit of spoiler space as a courtesy to
those who wish to be surprised. I realize every group has its own
personality, and I truly enjoy what I see here. I see nothing wrong with
being open and honest and saying, "Yes, I love that song" or "No, that
one doesn't do it for me". I don't consider honest, thoughtful, and
responsible opinion to be dissing anyone. Gord is one of the most
amazing singer-songwriters on the planet, and I think anyone associated
with this group understands that.
It's almost impossible to find Gord stuff in Sweden these days, so I'll
probably have to pick up Harmony from over 'ome when it becomes
available. I still need to get A Painter Passing Through, so perhaps I
can get both at the same time if one of the record shops puts on a good
deal.
Ta-ta for now.
David in Sweden
BrunaZanelli
Welcome, Dave!
Seems you Orillia guys have a thing for the Swedish ladies... ;)
Bru
Kimberly E. Pendergrass
Welcome Dave!
Ok, I'll be brave . . .
I have a some comments I'd like to make about 'River of Light'. I
liked it, right off, without really listening to the meaning and the
more I played it, the more it occurred to me, how much, I could
identify with that one. Having grown up in Illinois, near the Chain of
Lakes, living on many points on the Fox River and the DuPage River, my
whole life was centered around the river, in some way. As a child,
many days were spent, at one point on the Fox River, our beach. So,
many evenings and good times were spent on the that river, as well. It
was a place for good times, bad times, contemplation, fishing,
cruisin' in a boat all the way into Wisconsin and several times, it
was my backyard. I moved to California, last April with great hopes
and dreams, a lot of which didn't come to pass. It's lovely here and
there are other opportunities and dreams that I don't know to exist,
presently, but no rivers and no old friends to look up. Sometimes, it
feels like I'm lost here. The line, 'how long must I travel on', hits
home these days, as well, as I really thought some of my dreams would
come to fruition, here. So, 'In the cool of an evening' I won't be
going to the river, or 'looking up old friends, ever again', at best,
I better think of calling them, on the phone, before it's the middle
of the night, back there. Bittersweet, but like an anchor and still,
in all, my favorite of the three releases.
My second favorite is 'Flyin' Blind' and 'Inspiration Lady' is growing
on me.
All in all, I think it is a great privilege to have these to listen
to, at all, given the way it was created around Gord in layers and in
spite of all the health scares and mending. I like that Gord seems, so
relaxed in his singing and I like his guitar work, as it seems he is
playing a bit more than just the rhythm, like he does with a full
band, more like how he plays when solo. So, it seems richer to me in
those ways.
Kimberly
Char
too bad you're still not in Orillia - I'd come up and visit you - I'm in
Whitby - just an hour or so south of Orillia!
Although I could always take a trip to Sweden!
lol
welcome!
Char
"David Bradford" <davidb...@telia.com> wrote in message
news:qA43c.51710$mU6.2...@newsb.telia.net...
john fowles
Let me add my welcome to the group Dave it's a great comunity with
some super characters some of whom have the strangest obsessions right
Derek "Zippo" Kidd!!
Tell me have you met any good Swedish chefs yet or are all the locals
monsters??
I am hoping to sometime soon revamp the Gordon Lightfoot "webring" I
had it set up with a lengthy list of sites but each site should have
had a webring identification/navigation bar plainly impossible to
include on this site amongst several others for example. So during a
routine revue of listed sites the webring organisation automatically
deleted every reference that failed to include such a bar except the
one remaining to my own "ringmaster's page" at:
http://www.johnfowles.org.uk/lightfoot
and even that attempt badly needs a thorough overhaul but it does
include a picture (video still in fact) of the 1999 Massey Hall
Convention group enjoying our visit to Orillia .Soon I hope to get
around to properly organising the webring I have a good idea for
achieving an effectively linking webring which will encompass a long
list of interesting Gord related sites. these will
include a recreation on my own site as best as I can manage of Matthew
Fifer's long deleted and pioneering Lightfoot site. Promises
promises!!!
John Fowles
from Dorset (England dis-united states of Europe) and ex-Montreal
(Kaybec Canada) and now in New Jersey (U.S.A.)
David Bradford
> Hi David, too bad you're still not in Orillia - I'd come up and visit
> you - I'm in Whitby - just an hour or so south of Orillia! Although
> I could always take a trip to Sweden! lol welcome! Char
It doesn't look like my wife and I will get back over this year, but the
next time we visit my mom and brother (both in Orillia), perhaps we can
arrange a visit.
Oh, and Sweden is a wonderful country. You'd love it!
I also have relatives in Vancouver and Victoria, if there's any west
coasters in the group.
David in Sweden
David Bradford
>
> I have a some comments I'd like to make about 'River of Light'. I
> liked it, right off, without really listening to the meaning and the
> more I played it, the more it occurred to me, how much, I could
> identify with that one. Having grown up in Illinois, near the Chain
> of Lakes, living on many points on the Fox River and the DuPage
> River, my whole life was centered around the river, in some way. As a
> child, many days were spent, at one point on the Fox River, our
> beach. So, many evenings and good times were spent on the that river,
> as well. It was a place for good times, bad times, contemplation,
> fishing, cruisin' in a boat all the way into Wisconsin and several
> times, it was my backyard. I moved to California, last April with
> great hopes and dreams, a lot of which didn't come to pass. It's
> lovely here and there are other opportunities and dreams that I don't
> know to exist, presently, but no rivers and no old friends to look
> up. Sometimes, it feels like I'm lost here. The line, 'how long must
> I travel on', hits home these days, as well, as I really thought
> some of my dreams would come to fruition, here. So, 'In the cool of
> an evening' I won't be going to the river, or 'looking up old
> friends, ever again', at best, I better think of calling them, on the
> phone, before it's the middle of the night, back there. Bittersweet,
> but like an anchor and still, in all, my favorite of the three
> releases.
>
>
I haven't heard any of the songs yet, but Kimberly's comments on River
Of Light really show how each of us can interpret a specific song in a very
special and personal way. What a touching and heartfelt review.
I really hope your dreams come true for you, Kimberly.
This album is beginning to sound like vintage Gord, and I'm
starting to get wound up at the thought of getting my hands on a copy!
David in Sweden
David Bradford
> Tell me have you met any good Swedish chefs yet or are all the locals
> monsters??
I thought "Swedish chef" was an oxymoron. Or a muppet character.
Actually, I am used to the food now, and I do like it, but it took awhile.
>
> http://www.johnfowles.org.uk/lightfoot
>
Had a quick look at your website and I like what I see. I'll give it a
thorough visit in a few days when I have a bit of time to spare.
John
> Fowles from Dorset (England dis-united states of Europe) and
> ex-Montreal (Kaybec Canada) and now in New Jersey (U.S.A.)
Another well-travelled soul!
We've been to England twice in the past four years. I am an avid
bookworm, and visits to London's Charing Cross bookshops are, and always
will be, an absolute must. There are a couple of Swedish internet
booksellers who sell enough English books to give me my fix, but nothing
beats the feeling of being in a used bookstore in an area with so much
history and character!
David in Sweden
BrunaZanelli
>beats the feeling of being in a used bookstore in an area with so much
>history and character!
David,
I so agree with you! I used to work in the Charing X Road area, and the
bookstores were where I spent my lunch breaks. I dunno about you, but I cannot
pass a used bookstore without going in and coming out with a book. It's an
illness, I think
A bit like being a Lighthead ;)
Bru
Cathy Cowette
David, you should try to arrange your trip to Orillia to coincide with
Gord's Massey Hall concerts, hopefully sometimes next year. A bunch of us
will be getting together in Toronto for this event, and you and your wife
would be welcome to join us.
Cathy
http://www.cathycowette.com
Kimberly E. Pendergrass
See you and your wife in Toronto.
Kimberly
David Bradford <davidb...@telia.com> wrote in message news:<c2l2bd$feu$1...@yggdrasil.glocalnet.com>...
> I really hope your dreams come true for you, Kimberly.
> David in Sweden
Ron Jones
Hi David. I've been part of this group for more than a year and what
a great group of folks thay are. It's that amazing communicator of
Lightfoot music that brought us together and keeps us connected. I
live downtown Vancouver in English Bay and Gord's music is alive and
well here. You are very welcome. Sincerely, Ron Jones.
David Bradford
>
> I so agree with you! I used to work in the Charing X Road area, and
> the bookstores were where I spent my lunch breaks. I dunno about you,
> but I cannot pass a used bookstore without going in and coming out
> with a book. It's an illness, I think
>
> A bit like being a Lighthead ;)
>
> Bru
Agreed on both points! The old-fashioned used record stores are dying a
slow death, and that is such a shame. I am SO thankful the used
bookshops are hanging in there!
David
David Bradford
> David, you should try to arrange your trip to Orillia to coincide
> with Gord's Massey Hall concerts, hopefully sometimes next year. A
> bunch of us will be getting together in Toronto for this event, and
> you and your wife would be welcome to join us.
>
Sounds like a wonderful idea. I haven't been to Massey Hall for perhaps
ten years now, and Mia (my wife) has never seen Lightfoot in concert, though
she is a fan too.
This could shape up to be an awesome trip - family, friends, and Gord!
David
David Bradford
> Hi David. I've been part of this group for more than a year and what
> a great group of folks thay are. It's that amazing communicator of
> Lightfoot music that brought us together and keeps us connected. I
> live downtown Vancouver in English Bay and Gord's music is alive and
> well here. You are very welcome. Sincerely, Ron Jones.
Thanks for the welcome, Ron. I've been lurking for a bit before I said
"hello" and this is a great group of people. I am delighted to have
found you!
My nephew and his wife live on Cordova St. (I think) in downtown
Vancouver. I also have a sister in Victoria, and they are always in my
plans whenever a trip is planned. I spent the first 35 years of my life
in either Orillia or Toronto - and that's fine - but I do LOVE the west
coast!
Great to know Gord is still popular out there.
David
Gary Sprang
As has been well said, welcome to the group. It really is a great bunch of
people. I haven't met any of them yet in person - though I DID have tickets
for Massey Hall, just before our hero took sick! Arg! Ah, well, I am
waiting, like everyone else here, for the opportunity to go see Gord once
again, after he gets himself back in shape.
Regards,
Gary (hey, a decendant of mine was born in (I think) Thuun, Switzerland,
many years ago. I probably didn't spell it correctly)
David Bradford
Are you living in the Toronto area, or would you have been making a long
trek?
Gord pretty much owns Massey, and I've GOT to get back there soon!
David
Char
put up one that said "House of Gord". He laughed and said he couldn't afford
it....
he owns it whether he bought it or not....
Char
"David Bradford" <davidb...@telia.com> wrote in message
news:c2p05m$ffg$1...@yggdrasil.glocalnet.com...
Gary Sprang
Actually, David, I live in Ohio, a ways south of Ontario, but close enough
to consider a road trip. 8D
-Gary