Lighthead Seniority
Ron Jones
Seeing this is now 2005 and my very first conversion as a Lighthead
was right after my introduction to Gord's voice singing "Steel Rail
Blues." That was in Toronto and the year was 1965. That makes me a
proud 40 year Lighthead. Ron Jones, Lighthead2toe.
Derek
;)
Derek
"Anybody who has survived his childhood has enough information about
life to last him the rest of his days."
--Flannery O'Connor
Kimberly
blondie
"Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go."
- Oscar Wilde
Char
Toronto.
1973-May- saw Lightfoot sing Bobby Magee with Kristofferson and Coolidge at
Massey Hall-Toronto.
1975-March-first Lightfoot concert-Massey Hall, Toronto.
Continued to see Lightfoot at Massey at almost every concert series at
Massey since then. Some series I had tix for first night, middle of week and
last night shows! Attended Massey, March 1984 concert just days prior to
giving birth to my first born, a son-(Mar.21-due on 17th tho) with
permission from my doc who was also a Gord fan and rec'd a copy of "Salute"
from me for a job well done! LOL
1999-around October/November I think I found The Net People!!
and it just got better and better!!!!
Char
"Ron Jones" <ran...@telus.net> wrote in message
news:5d2dc9c1.05033...@posting.google.com...
Tony Wesley
Artists Great Hits. Bought tickets to see Gordon in 1976, but broke up
with my girl friend and gave them to a friend. Was into rock for a
long time, but at some point, maybe mid-80s, bought "Gord's Gold" on
vinyl. Really liked it, eventually got GGII. Started picking up
albums on CD, now I probably have 8 or 9 of them (I know, I'm a
lightweight compared to you Lightheads).
Finally went to see the master in 1999. I kicked myself for all the
missed chances before that. No more of those, I've seen Gord twice
since then, and I'll be there everytime he come back into town.
Jack Gillen
I was listening to hard rock as a young teenager in the early '70's until I
found out that a lot of the girls I was chasing were into the
"singer/songwriters," a la Jackson Browne (to this day second in my
estimation only to Gord), James Taylor, and that ilk. Only knew of Gord from
IYCRMM, which I liked well enough, but was not prompted to listen to more
until I saw the Soundstage show when it aired (1975?). "Don Quixote"
completely knocked my socks off and I've been a fan ever since. First and,
alas, only time I've seen him live was in 1993 at the Hemet Bowl in Hemet,
Ca., a small outdoor amphitheater in the foothills of the mountains. The
setting was very intimate and it was the best live music performance I've
ever seen.
Peace,
Jack
--
"If you understood everything I say, you'd be me!" --- Miles Davis
Peter C. Bogert
Young Stranger.
That makes me a 34-year veteran. I'm 52.
I've seen him 4 times - once at William Paterson College in NJ back in
1970-71, and three times locally here in the PA area.
"Ron Jones" <ran...@telus.net> wrote in message
news:5d2dc9c1.05033...@posting.google.com...
Bru
Hey RJ,
I am right behind you! I was 'introduced' to Gordon Lightfoot via
'The Circle is Small' 1969, I think, and I met him, for the first time,
the same year, in London. Of course, I was just a wee young thing in
those days but the spell remains and the memories are just as vivid.
:)
Ron Jones
It's great hearing all these stories. Like what Char did, when Gord
was coming to Massey I would book the first concert, one in between
and the last one as well. The guy I bought my 12 string from used to
do the same thing. Of course there were times when I would just book
them all. He told me he did that once also. I found out that
occasionally I would annoy the person in the seat in front of me as I
loved to sing along with the tunes and I knew exactly which song Gord
was going to do right when the intro kicked in. To get around this
when I booked my seats originally I would book the seat in front of
the one I was in as well. Problem solved! I ended up working a lot of
overtime but boy, was it ever worth it!. Ron Jones.
Char
too funny! I'm sure if the funds had allowed it I would have done the same
thing Ron.
;)
jsga...@hotmail.com
I heard
Carefree Highway on my local radio station for the first time. Been a
fan ever since.
Steven
Shirley
teens, my girls had talked about him and listened to him (had crushes
on him) but I hadn't paid a lot of attention. Well.......in 1991,
after the girls were all grown up, I saw a little notice in the paper
that he was coming here and I asked them if they would like to go with
me to see him. Yes!! I was happy THEY were going to get to see him at
last. He came walking out on the stage looking nothing like that
gorgeous creature who graced the cover of his old LP but something
happened to me at that moment. Maybe lightning? My hands clasped
together, went up under my chin and stayed there through the entire
concert. I was in love! I still am. In days to come, I frantically
searched out all his albums in used record stores and received
beautiful gifts from my children and cyber-children. I bought every
one of his albums that were on CD. I think my first purchase was 12
CDs at one time. I think I now have everything he ever uttered. I saw
him again here in OKC and in Tulsa, later made a small trip to Ft.
Worth TX, then made the trek to Toronto and saw him in four concerts at
Massey Hall. Thanks to a good friend, I met (and hugged) him then. I
joined two friends in Phoenix in 1997 and was privileged to talk to him
again. That was and will be my last trip. I still get that old feeling
when I listen to my CDs. I will love Gord forever. I enjoyed reliving
this. I hope I didn't bore everyone too much.
Shirley
Roger G
local Country radio station (5000 Watts, sunrise to sunset) in
Lovington, NM. Kinda lost him til IYCRMM, and fell right back in!
Roger
Kimberly
Thanks for posting this.
Kimberly
"It is difficult to say what is impossible, for the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow."
-- Robert H. Goddard
1882-1945; US rocket and space pioneer
drb...@sbcglobal.net
teleNoJunk...@sbcglobal.net wrote on 3/30/05 1:38 PM:
> Well, of course, I'm only 22, and thus Salute was the first one for me...
> ;)
> Derek
Hmmmm...is your nose growing? Of course, Harmony was the first for me, mere
CHILD that I am. :)
donnie
drb...@sbcglobal.net
lightf...@rogers.com wrote on 3/30/05 3:18 PM:
> 1970-IYCRMM - poignant lyrics, haunting voice reached a 15 year old girl in
> Toronto.
>
OK...This is closer to the truth for me than "Harmony".
Donnie
drb...@sbcglobal.net
a fan. After all, he had both "Old Dan's Records" and "If You Could Read My
Mind" on 8-track. He, in turn, pointed out that he had them because I bought
them for him. :)
donnie
in article 1112289877.0...@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com, Bru at
brunaz...@aol.com wrote on 3/31/05 11:24 AM:
drb...@sbcglobal.net
donnie
in article 1112308122.2...@l41g2000cwc.googlegroups.com, Shirley at
ok...@aol.com wrote on 3/31/05 4:28 PM:
meason...@wmconnect.com
How we can all be so influenced by Lightfoot. The time, energy, and
money expended in pursuit of his magic.
The "spell" was first cast upon me in approx. 1967. Listening to a
country-western station in Yuma, AZ : "Home From the Forest" is played.
The DJ only states that the song was written by Gordon Lightfoot. Was
it the original or a cover ? I don't know.
The race was on.
Ron M.
Tony Wesley
Shirley wrote:
> [...] I enjoyed reliving
> this. I hope I didn't bore everyone too much.
Thanks for posting it, Shirley. I enjoyed read it.
Peter T.
> Well, of course, I'm only 22, and thus Salute was the first one for me...
> ;)
> Derek
What a load of........ bunkum
everyone knows that you are only 12 and WFY was your first listening
experience :-)
Seriously I remember having to learn Early Morning Rain for my year 8
class concert number and I remember thinking at the time that is a great
song I but really thought no more of it until IYCRMM came out; well from
that moment on the Gordon Lightfoot floodgates opened up and I was hooked.
Like Derek DQ blew me away and Georgian Bay Christian Island has a
special place as it reminded me of the fishing fleet that used to
operate off the Lorne pier; one man boats that were winched up onto the
pier as there is no safe harbour. Sadly the fleet is no more but that
song remains, and is for me a poignant reminder of what used to be.
I have seen GL twice, once in Melbourne many many years ago and at
Massey in 2001. Even though the concerts were great (every time I listen
to The No Hotel and Shellfish I am right back there) The people I met
and friendships that have endure since ...well they are the absolute
tops for me Oh and meeting GL that's up there as well
Sadly I will not be making the Massey trip this year but for those of
you that are you're in for a real treat.
So I guess 1968 to now well that's, let me see 37 yrs a fan and many
more to come
--
Warmest Regards Peter T.
Peter T.
Thank you Shirley a great post that I thoroughly enjoyed reading.
mcarl-at-cablespeed.com
heard Gord sing that I actually was aware who his name was "In A
Windowpane" - I think we got "Sit Down Young Stranger" a few weeks
later. I was transfixed by the sound. And still am. To get to hear
the ambience of Massey in person brought that moment back to me full
circle. Second to meeting all of the fine Lightheads, it was the
highlight of the Toronto pilgrimage.
I can't remember all the places I've seen Gord. First time I saw him
was Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing.
Best sound outside of Massey: The Auditorium in Chicago - it was like
having headphones on.
Worst sound and venue: Chastain Park in Atlanta in 82 I think.
Biggest audience: Michigan Fest on Mich State's campus (actually right
outside Munn Ice Arena). They said it was about 25,000 folks. It was
pretty neat.
Great thread Ron. Shirley, you are never boring.
Matt
Derek
Derek
Derek
And yes, seriously, my GL epiphany moment came when I heard Don Quixote
for the first time when the album came out. (It's too long and too
boring a story to recount here, plus I'm currently caffiene-deprived.)
Suffice it to say I've been hooked on GL's music ever since. And I've
been hooked on the wonderful friendships that have graced my
life--friendships that have their roots in the love we have for GL's
body of work.
Derek
drb...@sbcglobal.net
mcarl-at-cablespeed.com at mcar...@aol.com wrote on 4/1/05 7:41 AM:
> My brother brought home "Sunday Concert" in 69 and the first song I
> heard Gord sing that I actually was aware who his name was "In A
> Windowpane"
I LOVE that song! Great lyrics.
donnie
johnfowles
Great thread Ron. Shirley, you are never boring.
Now it's my turn:-
OK OK Ron beats me by a couple of years
But I clearly recall those heady days back in 1966 when I was working
in Montreal and the best non-top 40 radio station there was CJAD still
going I see which started what would nowadays be termed a MOR station
on the new fangled FM system it was called CJFM (googling for that
leads now to something else called "mix96 Montreal")
Anyway I clearly remember my ears perking up upon hearing "Spin Spin"
(probably at about the time it was a top 10 hit see:-
http://www.webfitz.com/lyrics/Charts/1966/Ch196610.html
scroll down to:-
Chart #503 - Monday, October 10, 1966
number 4!!!
and I think some time a bit later CJFM selected the wonderfully
mesmerising "The First Time"
At that time I often bought albums "on spec" if I heard a track I liked
so in due course (early 1967 I believe) I found Lightfoot!
A guitar playing friend David latched onto some of the songs and played
them in a small folk-singing group he had started. One of his bandmates
Peter had recently arrived from Toronto and enthused aboot this great
song aboot the Canadian Railroad that he had heard Gord sing at the
Riverboat.One Sunday in May 1967 Pete phoned Dave and myself to
excitedly report that he had just heard that Gord had been playing on
the Expo67 site and would appear that evening in a small coffee bar in
downtown Montreal!! We attended what in retrospect was undoubtedly the
most magical concert I have ever had the privelage to see, sitting as I
fondly recall on seats made from basic scaffolding planks.See the
relevant poster at:-
http://www.johnfowles.org.uk/LIGHTFOOT/newpenelopeposter.jpg
Don't ask what he played other than CRT of course (which I had missed
the premier of on TV on January the First
(A million thanks to the CBC Archives site for leting me see it 37
years later)
I went to 4 more concerts in Montreal before going home late in 1969
where I eagerly scanned the Saturday Daily Telegraph for possible
Lightfoot UK concerts thereby finding out and going to the June 1972
and May 1981 London Royal Albert Hall concerts but despite that
vigillance I missed at least two others.All those years like many
others I haunted record shops to see what might be released.
Then miraculously the Internet arrived and after communicating with
Wayne Francis and reading the Newsgroup it seemed unlikely that Gord
would tour the UK again and as I said in an email in 1997 to Wayne
something like
"I'll have to come over to North America to see him one more time
before he and I get too old!!!" prophetic words since both me in 1999
and Gord in 2002 both nearly snuffed it !!
Then the second miracle Rik's original chat room arose and after my
mother died in April 1999 I at last had spare cash to spend on long
expensive internet connection phone calls so after a timely reminder
here by Rik I visited the room and discovered a lady named Rivard who
bless her was organising the successful November 1999 Massey Hall
"convention".I also met a "gordlover" one Susan in that room who one
chat brazenly asked me for a virtual dance and in Toronto we really
fell in love, and a year later after she had saved my life in chat
after I had unknowingly sufferred a stroke we got married in England
Yes 38 momentuous years since I heard that special voice.
I too hope that that oft told story did not bore too many of you
Kimberly
Kimberly
On 4/1/05 11:44 AM, in article 1112384659.7...@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com, "johnfowles" <fowle...@hotmail.com> wrote:
I also met a "gordlover" one Susan in that room who one
chat brazenly asked me for a virtual dance and in Toronto we really
fell in love, and a year later after she had saved my life in chat
after I had unknowingly sufferred a stroke we got married in England
Yes 38 momentuous years since I heard that special voice.
I too hope that that oft told story did not bore too many of you
mcarl-at-cablespeed.com
mcarl-at-cablespeed.com
Ed Mullen
> Just thought I'd throw this in as it may generate a little interest.
> Seeing this is now 2005 and my very first conversion as a Lighthead
> was right after my introduction to Gord's voice singing "Steel Rail
> Blues." That was in Toronto and the year was 1965. That makes me a
> proud 40 year Lighthead. Ron Jones, Lighthead2toe.
Hmm. Might have been '65 but it could have been '66. (Sorry, but too
much of the mid/late 60s and early 70s seem to be extremely blurry to
me!) I know the album has a copyright date of '65 but I'm not sure it
was actually available in the states until '66. Oh well, whatever.
I was in high school and in a folk group. We were talking about songs
to sing and Early Morning Rain came up. Of course I thought of Peter
Paul & Mary and Ian & Sylvia. And one of the guys said: "No no! Not
like that! You have got to hear this!!!" and put on the "Lightfoot!" album.
Oh yeah. That folk group?
http://edmullen.net/Abington/AHS_Reunion_nostaglia.html
I have a feeling I'm gonna be really sorry I posted that link. ;-)
--
Ed Mullen
http://edmullen.net
http://edmullen.net/Mozilla/moz.html
http://edmullen.net/Mozilla/seamonk.html
It doesn't matter what you do in the bedroom as long as you don't do it
in the street and frighten the horses
Peter T.
> Ron Jones wrote:
>
>> Just thought I'd throw this in as it may generate a little interest.
>> Seeing this is now 2005 and my very first conversion as a Lighthead
>> was right after my introduction to Gord's voice singing "Steel Rail
>> Blues." That was in Toronto and the year was 1965. That makes me a
>> proud 40 year Lighthead. Ron Jones, Lighthead2toe.
>
>
> Hmm. Might have been '65 but it could have been '66. (Sorry, but too
> much of the mid/late 60s and early 70s seem to be extremely blurry to
> me!) I know the album has a copyright date of '65 but I'm not sure it
> was actually available in the states until '66. Oh well, whatever.
>
> I was in high school and in a folk group. We were talking about songs
> to sing and Early Morning Rain came up. Of course I thought of Peter
> Paul & Mary and Ian & Sylvia. And one of the guys said: "No no! Not
> like that! You have got to hear this!!!" and put on the "Lightfoot!" album.
>
> Oh yeah. That folk group?
>
> http://edmullen.net/Abington/AHS_Reunion_nostaglia.html
>
> I have a feeling I'm gonna be really sorry I posted that link. ;-)
>
Gee Ed you were quite the Stud Muffin and not a flared collar in sight :-)
Derek
;)
Derek
Ed Mullen wrote:
> Ron Jones wrote:
>
>> Just thought I'd throw this in as it may generate a little interest.
>> Seeing this is now 2005 and my very first conversion as a Lighthead
>> was right after my introduction to Gord's voice singing "Steel Rail
>> Blues." That was in Toronto and the year was 1965. That makes me a
>> proud 40 year Lighthead. Ron Jones, Lighthead2toe.
>
>
> Hmm. Might have been '65 but it could have been '66. (Sorry, but too
> much of the mid/late 60s and early 70s seem to be extremely blurry to
> me!) I know the album has a copyright date of '65 but I'm not sure it
> was actually available in the states until '66. Oh well, whatever.
>
> I was in high school and in a folk group. We were talking about songs
> to sing and Early Morning Rain came up. Of course I thought of Peter
> Paul & Mary and Ian & Sylvia. And one of the guys said: "No no! Not
> like that! You have got to hear this!!!" and put on the "Lightfoot!"
> album.
>
> Oh yeah. That folk group?
>
> http://edmullen.net/Abington/AHS_Reunion_nostaglia.html
>
> I have a feeling I'm gonna be really sorry I posted that link. ;-)
>
"The wages of sin are death, but by the time taxes are taken out, it's
just sort of a tired feeling."
--Paula Poundstone
Tony Wesley
> Oh yeah. That folk group?
>
> http://edmullen.net/Abington/AHS_Reunion_nostaglia.html
>
> I have a feeling I'm gonna be really sorry I posted that link. ;-)
I dunno, I think it's a great picture. Thanks for posting it.
I was looking at the fellow members of your group. I gotta believe
that if I had been Richard's father, I would have insisted on a
different name for my son.
Char
;)
"Tony Wesley" <tonyw...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1112477239.5...@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
Ron Jones
again from "head 2toe" I realize that it has manifested itself into
some wonderful stories of experience that may even be just the "tip of
the iceberg" for some serious Lightheads. Despite this bouyant feeling
of floating around in the sky on a glowing cloud of well being, "The
House You Live In" is very present here. Up from the high generated in
"Knowing the Watchman's Gone" down to the "Touch Of Sadness" (from the
song "Stone Cold Sober") my feelings have been filtered through the
spectrum. From the eye of this Lighthead a tear did break its way
through, to set it's winding wove around the many encountering ripples
and land itself gently on the ground below. Ron Jones.
Ed Mullen
I was pretty sure someone would notice that. So, I'll tell the short story.
Rich (not "Dick"!!!) was from England where the vernacular (obviously)
was quite different from that in America in 1965. His father worked for
the American importer of Jaguar and other exotic cars, his Mum was a
very sweet lady who was a bit adrift here in the colonies, but was much
like a second Mom to me for a time.
Now, given the name issue, Rich (not "Dick"!!!) learned quickly to set
people straight. He was a gymnast, in addition to playing the guitar,
and was as well-muscled as any football player. So after the first few
incidents no one messed with Rich (not "Dick"!!!). ;-)
A couple of interesting notes ...
1. Rich, as a legal temporary immigrant to the USA, although not a
citizen, was subject to the draft. I found that to be quite bizarre.
But it was true.
2. Rich's father was a lunatic when it came to cars. I remember one
time when he outran a PA State Trooper on the Northeast Extension of the
PA Turnpike by driving a Jaguar XKE at 120 MPH, eventually exiting the
Turnpike through a corn field and disappearing into a maze of
single-lane local roads in rural PA. Rich was quite proud and I was in awe.
3. One memorable time Mr. Blower drove home the first imported DeTomaso
Mangusto (go ahead, Google it), a bright yellow exotic mid-engined
Italian car powered by a Chrysler engine. And took Rich and I for a
ride. Which was quite funny given that the cockpit was barely large
enough for the driver and one small passenger. That ride confirmed my
love of fast cars, rebellious music, and disdain for most things pedantic.
So, anyway, here's to Richard Blower, wherever he may be. And I hope
he's still playing Early Morning Rain on a nylon-stringed folk guitar.
--
Ed Mullen
http://edmullen.net
http://edmullen.net/Mozilla/moz.html
http://edmullen.net/Mozilla/seamonk.html
Photons have mass? I didn't even know they were Catholic.
sj
>Ron Jones wrote:
>
>> Just thought I'd throw this in as it may generate a little interest.
>> Seeing this is now 2005 and my very first conversion as a Lighthead
>> was right after my introduction to Gord's voice singing "Steel Rail
>> Blues." That was in Toronto and the year was 1965. That makes me a
>> proud 40 year Lighthead. Ron Jones, Lighthead2toe.
>
>Hmm. Might have been '65 but it could have been '66. (Sorry, but too
>much of the mid/late 60s and early 70s seem to be extremely blurry to
>me!) I know the album has a copyright date of '65 but I'm not sure it
>was actually available in the states until '66. Oh well, whatever.
>
>I was in high school and in a folk group. We were talking about songs
>to sing and Early Morning Rain came up. Of course I thought of Peter
>Paul & Mary and Ian & Sylvia. And one of the guys said: "No no! Not
>like that! You have got to hear this!!!" and put on the "Lightfoot!" album.
>
>Oh yeah. That folk group?
>
>http://edmullen.net/Abington/AHS_Reunion_nostaglia.html
>
>I have a feeling I'm gonna be really sorry I posted that link. ;-)
Please thread, don't die on me. I have something to say, but no time
to say it now ... Alas, this is soooo reminiscent. Thanks to all!
-sj
Tony Wesley
Ed Mullen wrote:
> I was pretty sure someone would notice that. So, I'll tell the short
story.
And an interesting story it is.
> Rich (not "Dick"!!!) was from England where the vernacular
(obviously)
> was quite different from that in America in 1965.
And it still is. I understand that our cousins across the pond have
been known to giggle at the title of the movie "Free Willy."
Ed Mullen
Geez, I obviously have to reply to that just to see what you post next! :-D
--
Ed Mullen
http://edmullen.net
http://edmullen.net/Mozilla/moz.html
http://edmullen.net/Mozilla/seamonk.html
FATAL ERROR! SYSTEM HALTED! - Press any key to do nothing.
gordlover
On the contrary, Shirley! I don't often get in here to check things,
but had a minute and did. I happened to open this subject first and
saw you had posted, so, I started there and your post brought me to
tears! I will come back in later and read the rest of the posts, but
really, your post just says it all for me. Once you've got Lightfoot
Fever, you're incurable, deliciously incurable! How lucky we all are
to have found our co-afflicted soulmates in these cyberspaces. For all
of the times each of us has been met with a blank stare from the
un-enLIGHTened, or worse, that half-mocking "Gordon Lightfoot???", we
have been rewarded so many times over with the fellowship of those who
so totally understand your Lightfoot moment (and every moment after
that!), and so vividly recall their own. So, Shirley, bored me? No!
Gord me! Take care and be sure to relive that moment frequently!
Susan
drb...@sbcglobal.net
donnie
in article 1112652404.3...@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com, gordlover
at gord...@hotmail.com wrote on 4/4/05 5:06 PM:
johnfowles
Roger wrote:
And it still is. I understand that our cousins across the pond have
been known to giggle at the title of the movie "Free Willy."
Bearing in mind that in the UK a "willy" is something a gentleman uses
to "roger" a lady.
Some UK readers will no doubt recall the late great cricket commentator
Brian Johnson who once was reduced to helpless titterings after a
colleague pointed out that he had just said "the bowler's Holding, the
batsman's Willey"!!
this and the use of the word willy for a man's thingie is mentioned
along with many other quaint or confusing word usages or expressions
like cock-up "fanny" 'bum" etc on the excellent BBC "hitch hikers
guide" page at:-
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A753527
I also liked the folowing that I read there:-
"There is also the phrase 'sweet Fanny Adams' which is sometimes
abbreviated to 'sweet FA'. Fanny Adams was an eight-year-old
child who was murdered and dismembered in Alton, Hampshire, in 1867.
Her grave is still there."
and
"There is a story in Oxford that one of the religious societies in
England's oldest university was the Cambridge University New Testament
Society, though that has the whiff of urban legend about it."
Not to mention of course:-
"There is a legend that the old name for the crime of rape was 'Forced
Unlawful Carnal Knowledge', and part of the punishment was that an
abbreviation of the crime would be branded on the perpetrators head"
It also confirms your point about "willy"
"This British English word had audiences sniggering in the aisles of
cinemas throughout the UK when the first trailers were
shown for the film Free Willy"
John Fowles
johnfowles
for crying out loud man don't keep Ed on tenterhooks any longer
JohnFowles
Oh yes I always wanted to know what are them there thingies??
NOUN: A hooked nail for securing cloth on a tenter.
IDIOM: on tenterhooks In a state of uneasiness, suspense, or anxiety.
So what on earth is a "tenter"
Duh...I should have known
NOUN: 1. A framework on which milled cloth is stretched for drying
without shrinkage
Joe Cline
I first heard EMR and FLM on the Ian & Sylvia ablum in late '64, and
immediately learned both songs -- not that I was any good at
performing back then. I heard a few rumors about Gord down here in the
musical backwaters of Nawth C'lina and was really eager to hear the
man hisownself.
In late '65, I was working in uptown Charlotte, waiting to be drafted;
I had pretty good relations with the record shop (remember them? gone
the way of the LP, mostly it seems) on the Square in town, and they
saw the announcement of the UA album -- I immediately told them to
order me a copy. It showed up in early '66, just before I went into
the Coast Guard, and was HOOKED!
A year and some later, I was stationed in Boston, and spotted a poster
announcing Gordon was going to be at the Unicorn for a week! He opened
on a Tuesday, as I recall, and we were sailing the next day. Drat! But
I was there as soon as the doors opened that first night. (I was the
first one there, too.)
Red Shea and John Stockfish were setting up their PA system, so I got
drafted to help. Red was juggling mics, and asked me to hold on to one
for me. I was laying out cables, so I stuck it in my hip pocket.
Great show, needless to say. I headed back for the ship after the last
set, walking on air from the memory of some fine music.
Now, back in those days during the war, we weren't allowed civilian
clothes on ship -- you wore a dress uniform when going ashore; many of
us rented locker space across the street from the base on Hanover
Street, where you changed into your civvies. When I got back to the
locker club, I found the mic, still in my pocket! They were locking up
the Unicorn as I was leaving, so there was no way to return it that
night, and we sailed the next morning at 7 am.
I had that mic (an EV 635, as I remember) for years, but never used it
-- just kept it as a souvenir of the night. I was misplaced, probably
in a move, decades ago, but it lives on in my memory, as does a night
where I got to be a roadie, if only for a half-hour or so, for GL.
Joe Cline
www.kilocyclekowboys.com
Charlotte
Tony Wesley
Joe Cline wrote:
> [...] but it lives on in my memory, as does a night
> where I got to be a roadie, if only for a half-hour or so, for GL.
What an interesting story! Thanks for sharing it.
Ron Jones
so pleased to read Joe's response. Thanks Joe, you sound like a real
great guy. It sure is good to know that Lightheads of all age and
walks of life are out there and the knowledge and stories they have to
share are just a joy to behold. The flashbacks still lighten the
spaces and the one that comes to my mind at present is in St. John's,
Nfld., the Province where I was born, and the year if I recall was
1968. I know for sure in my collection I still have the newspaper
article regarding that gig and Gord's flight arrived at an "early
morning hour," and would you believe it was raining in St. John's at
the time. He wasn't exactly in a good mood when he got off the plane
any many of us were there with our very offensive flash cameras to
intensify that mood, but I guess he was flying on the "RED eye" and
just probably a little tired. Also, "RED" could not make it for the
gig, due to having the flu, so John and Gord did the show on their
own. What a show! It was in Memorial University in St John's, and he
did "BITTER GREEN." Just wish I knew more about those different guitar
tunings in those days so I don't have a clue if he used the drop D
tuning. He probably did seeing it was just John and himself so it
would not be such a big deal. Thanks folks for putting up with me.
Sincerely, RJ.
Derek
Derek
CatWoman
I think I may be about the same time - I started listening to KSAN in
San Francisco when it was still short 1-hour programs, and the first
one they played was 'The Way I Feel' - the version off the first album.
Diana - Feeling *good*! Ticketmaster's mailing says the tix for the SF
Bay Area concert go on sale tomorrow.