Gordon Lightfoot Forums - View Single Post - Survivors and Friends-Bill Hall

geodeticman · 03-15-2006, 09:21 AM

Peter,
Your charitable endeavours are remarkably giving. You and the others are to be applauded indeed , as Char put it.
One song and writer you mentioned in the event set-list was of special interest to me. John Hartford's "Gentle On My Mind".
I agree it is one of the most beautiful songs I have heard, too. Did you know that while of course most of us remember Glen Campbell's cover of it that was a chart-topper cross-over country hit into pop.
What I thought might be interesting though, was that it may not be known widely that Hartford wrote many more of Campbell's string of similar hits. I believe relatively few were
recorded by Hartford; many more penned.
Interesting though is for reasons I have never tried to research on the 'net, or in the library is that Hartford stoppped writing (and recording too) that particular "easy-listening" style of country-folk-contemporary such as GOMM. He had a remarkably pleasasnt and listenable voice that Lightfoot fans would take to right away; I did.
Oddly, after writing a string of hit-driven
albums, maybe more like a few anyway, he changed labels from Warner-Bros Reprise (I believe) to what I think was his own label (......Fish). Flying Fish, I think. He also dramatically changed his style to a "wacky" version of bluegrass which I enjoy in general, but this was a little fringe odd to my taste.
I always have loved GL's ODR album, reportedly recorded in or around Nashville and also emplying bluegrass luminaries as studio musician's. I read it was recorded in a barn as well. Of course post-prcoessing was done back presumably at a sound-studio house and engineered to couple with some of the most beautiful string arrangements and instrumental tracks I have heaard on any of GL's albums I have heard.
Favorite songs from ODR that I love include "That Same Old Obsession" , "Lazy Morning" and "It's worth Believin' " . What a great album, and every song is memorable, a characteristic of Gord's that among all the best singer-songwiters' work I am aware of is a relatively rare occurence; but not for Gord.
Thanks for sharing the story of the admirable benefit work Peter - an inspiration to me.

- Steve (Geo)

03-15-2006, 09:21 AM	#47
geodeticman Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Colorado Rockies- Rampart Range Posts: 261	Peter, Your charitable endeavours are remarkably giving. You and the others are to be applauded indeed , as Char put it. One song and writer you mentioned in the event set-list was of special interest to me. John Hartford's "Gentle On My Mind". I agree it is one of the most beautiful songs I have heard, too. Did you know that while of course most of us remember Glen Campbell's cover of it that was a chart-topper cross-over country hit into pop. What I thought might be interesting though, was that it may not be known widely that Hartford wrote many more of Campbell's string of similar hits. I believe relatively few were recorded by Hartford; many more penned. Interesting though is for reasons I have never tried to research on the 'net, or in the library is that Hartford stoppped writing (and recording too) that particular "easy-listening" style of country-folk-contemporary such as GOMM. He had a remarkably pleasasnt and listenable voice that Lightfoot fans would take to right away; I did. Oddly, after writing a string of hit-driven albums, maybe more like a few anyway, he changed labels from Warner-Bros Reprise (I believe) to what I think was his own label (......Fish). Flying Fish, I think. He also dramatically changed his style to a "wacky" version of bluegrass which I enjoy in general, but this was a little fringe odd to my taste. I always have loved GL's ODR album, reportedly recorded in or around Nashville and also emplying bluegrass luminaries as studio musician's. I read it was recorded in a barn as well. Of course post-prcoessing was done back presumably at a sound-studio house and engineered to couple with some of the most beautiful string arrangements and instrumental tracks I have heaard on any of GL's albums I have heard. Favorite songs from ODR that I love include "That Same Old Obsession" , "Lazy Morning" and "It's worth Believin' " . What a great album, and every song is memorable, a characteristic of Gord's that among all the best singer-songwiters' work I am aware of is a relatively rare occurence; but not for Gord. Thanks for sharing the story of the admirable benefit work Peter - an inspiration to me. - Steve (Geo)