November 10th, 1975

Discussion on new albums, developing listening skills, critical listening to others' work, as well as TOMB members' MP3 links, online recording critiques

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November 10th, 1975

Post by cgarges » Sat Nov 11, 2006 9:29 pm

Yesterday was the 31st anniversary of the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. I love Gordon Lightfoot's homage to it, which was a Billboard #1 in August of 1976, less than a year later.

This is a freaking sweet recording with great playing on it. Jim Gordon on drums, freaking MILT HOLLAND playing percussion, and Pee Wee Charles playing some astoundingly cool pedal steel (gotta wonder if this guy had an affect on Lanois). The tom sounds on this record are crazy sweet. Ballsy and just too loud.

Maybe it's just nostalgia to me, but when I think of analog, vinyl, and the 70s, the sound of this song coming out of my parents' entirely too bassy stereo is one thing that comes to mind. I'm finding that this tune is on a lot of people's guilty pleasures list, but I'm not ashamed of it at all. Balls.

Chris Garges
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Last edited by cgarges on Tue Nov 09, 2010 10:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Post by ;ivlunsdystf » Sat Nov 11, 2006 10:19 pm

I saw an old interview with G Lightfoot somewhere - where he said that he takes great pride in his band and spends a lot of time making sure they sound just right -

I couldn't agree with you more about those old Lightfoot LPs.

I used to do some canoeing in the far north of Canada and from this era of my life I have a guidebook to canoeing the rivers of the Canadian tundra and in the book there are a few pictures of Gordon Lightfoot as part of a crew lining a canoe down some remote Canadian river. Badass.

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Post by DryCounty » Sat Nov 11, 2006 11:28 pm

One of those old Lightfoot LPs had a great shot of downtown Burbank, CA circa 1900 -- I remember looking at that for hours as the LP would play.

Amazing, great recordings. One I will have to find now that I've completed my own analog "dream" and have an amazing setup from which to listen -- I've just purchased a DUAL 1920 (I think) turntable which will go through my Mcintosh 1700 and spread the love via two Altec 604s. Can't freaking wait to revisit that warmth...
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Post by Zoltar » Sun Nov 12, 2006 9:18 pm

how strange, the gails of november. I just moved to rosedale, and decided to seekout the old Lightfoot house, and finally yesterday figured out which one it is (he doesn't live there anymore).

also, yesterday, when sorting Vinyl, I stopped on Lightfoot, and threw it on..."black day in July" in memory of my prior home (well, I was in Windsor, not Detroit). Music with its regionallity is interesting, to see a place and know what was created there...Nashville, Memphis, San Fransisco, Chicago have so many icons. I know Canadians are always quick to point out who else is Canadian, but that's all we really have going for us.

That said, dispite separating my records into 10 styles, Hope Sandoval ended up next to the Hot Snakes, I thought that was funny. Lightfoot ended up next to the Little River Band, and that doesn't seem right either.

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Post by ;ivlunsdystf » Sun Nov 12, 2006 9:54 pm

I forgive Canada for the Barenaked Ladies because you've also given us Lightfoot, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Ron Sexsmith, and (gulp) Rush, among many others ...

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Post by Zoltar » Mon Nov 13, 2006 12:59 pm

Tatertot wrote:I forgive Canada for the Barenaked Ladies because you've also given us Lightfoot, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Ron Sexsmith, and (gulp) Rush, among many others ...
The latest is The Great Lake Swimmers, light alternative, (They call themselves some kind of country) The singer has a golden voice, but they have roots in many places, which brings a legitimacy to it. It's not some kid whining about some place he's never been, and its not some old guy whining about the way things used to be.

they are on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iU7HE6MkMqY

this is a plug, but it is a custom plug

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Post by JASIII » Mon Nov 13, 2006 3:09 pm

I have childhood memories very similar to Chris' when it comes to this song. It does sound like 70's analog personified. What a voice too. Instantly recognizable.

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Post by Kevin Kitchel » Thu Nov 16, 2006 9:30 am

Two of my friends work on iron ore freighters in the great lakes. One of their brothers got married, and they played that song at the reception.

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Post by cgarges » Thu Nov 16, 2006 11:03 am

Kevin Kitchel wrote:Two of my friends work on iron ore freighters in the great lakes. One of their brothers got married, and they played that song at the reception.
That's kind of dark, don't you think?

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Post by Kevin Kitchel » Thu Nov 16, 2006 11:55 am

cgarges wrote:
Kevin Kitchel wrote:Two of my friends work on iron ore freighters in the great lakes. One of their brothers got married, and they played that song at the reception.
That's kind of dark, don't you think?

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC
More than kind of dark...yeah!!

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Post by amishsixstringer » Thu Nov 16, 2006 2:48 pm

My uncle, Paul Rippa died on the Fitz. It's a pretty big deal in my family around this time of the year.

Neil

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Post by ;ivlunsdystf » Thu Nov 16, 2006 3:06 pm

amishsixstringer wrote:My uncle, Paul Rippa died on the Fitz. It's a pretty big deal in my family around this time of the year.

Neil
I did "Edmund Fitzgerald" as karaoke at a seedy bar a few years ago, and didn't try very hard to be serious as I sang it, and afterwards a woman approached me and praised my rendition of the song and told me that her brother died on that ship!

Luckily she either didn't care that I was being goofy as I sang, or didn't notice. Anyway, I felt pretty crummy about choosing that song for my goofing off activities.

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Post by cgarges » Thu Nov 16, 2006 10:57 pm

amishsixstringer wrote:My uncle, Paul Rippa died on the Fitz. It's a pretty big deal in my family around this time of the year.
Wow. 29 guys died on that ship. It's pretty amazing that one of them was related to someone here.
Tatertot wrote:I did "Edmund Fitzgerald" as karaoke at a seedy bar a few years ago, and didn't try very hard to be serious as I sang it, and afterwards a woman approached me and praised my rendition of the song and told me that her brother died on that ship!
That's impressive in that there are SO MANY words.

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

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Post by JASIII » Fri Nov 17, 2006 2:40 pm

It's kind of amazing, the power that song holds. Ive seen guys get up and do it at open mics and the place will get real quiet, people who were talking and drinking and not paying attention suddenly perk up. Either that or people go nuts and sing along. Either way, there's a certain respectful reverence that is attached to that song.

I hope Gordon Lightfoot has recovered from his health problems of a couple years ago.

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Post by amishsixstringer » Mon Nov 20, 2006 1:19 pm

Hey Tot, do you know where you were when you sang that song? Perhaps you've met one of Paul's 5 sisters.


Neil

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