Like a great many Canadians I was saddened by the news of Gordon Lightfoot’s death last week. I bought his first album ‘Lightfoot’ when it was released in 1966 mainly because he was related to a friend and I thought he was cute. However, while the Lightfoot look was attractive, the Lightfoot sound hooked me. I bought all the albums as they were released and headed off to hear him live at Yorkville’s famous Riverboat Café in Toronto. What you may not know however, is that way back in those pre-album days, Lightfoot had a strong connection to an early travel industry founder.
In the mid-fifties Lightfoot was part of a barbershop quartet called the Teentimers who performed at clubs and dances across Ontario. When the group disbanded Lightfoot moved to California to study music. He returned to Canada in the early sixties and teamed up with one of his former TeenTimer pals, Terry Whalen and, calling themselves the Two Tones, they performed regularly in Toronto, Orillia and Muskoka.
They released an album – ‘Two Tones at the Village Corner’ recorded live at the Village Corner in Toronto in 1962. They also released a single – both those records are now collectors’ items.
The duo split and Lightfoot went on to a brilliant musical career. Terry Whalen continued to sing but soon his career took a twist as he became part of a very different duo. Teaming up with Ron Harding, in 1966 the two founded a wildly successful and innovative tour company aptly named Great Places. Those were the early days of charter holidays as Canadians were introduced to new destinations including St. Lucia and San Juan. Skiing was also a big part of Great Places programme with ski packages to Austria and Aspen.
Unfortunately by the early seventies Great Places was no more and Whalen and Harding went their separate ways (Harding to a long travel career at Sunquest). Terry Whalen left the industry and died in 2004.
Gordon Lightfoot of course, went on to became a Canadian music icon, with his compositions being covered by major artists including Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, Barbra Streisand, Neil Young and Harry Belafonte.
Dylan who inducted Gordon Lightfoot into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame at The 1986 JUNO Awards, has been quoted as saying, “I can’t think of any Gordon Lightfoot song I don’t like. Every time I hear a song of his, it’s like I wish it would last forever.”
Hard to choose just one, but here goes…
Turns out I couldn’t choose just one – so while there’s no video of him singing this – here’s another Lightfoot song that brings back memories of summers spent around Georgian Bay.
The Minstrel of The Dawn
The minstrel of the dawn is here
To make you laugh and bend your ear
Up the steps you’ll hear him climb
All full of thoughts, all full of rhymes
Listen to the pictures flow
Across the room into your mind they go
Listen to the strings
They jangle and dangle
While the old guitar rings
The minstrel of the dawn is he
Not too wise but oh so free
He’ll talk of life out on the street
He’ll play it sad and say it sweet
Look into his shining face
Of loneliness you’ll always find a trace
Just like me and you
He’s tryin’ to get into things
More happy than blue
A minstrel of the changin’ tide
He’ll ask for nothing but his pride
Just sit him down upon that chair
Go fetch some wine and set it there
Listen to the pictures flow
Across the room into your mind they go
Listen to the strings
They jangle and dangle
While the old guitar rings
A minstrel of the dawn is near
Just like a step’n fetchit here
He’s like an old time troubadour
Just wanting life and nothing more
Look into his shining eyes
And if you see a ghost don’t be surprised
Like me and you
He’s tryin’ to get into things
More happy than blue
The minstrel boy will understand
He holds a promise in his hand
He talks of better days ahead
And by his words your fortune’s read
Listen to the pictures flow
Across the room into your mind they go
Listen to the strings
They jangle and dangle
While the old guitar rings
The minstrel of the dawn is gone
I hope he’ll call before too long
And if you meet him you must be
The victim of his minstrelsy
He’ll sing for you a song
The minstrel of the dawn
Songwriter: Gordon Lightfoot
Christian Island (Georgian Bay)
I’m sailing down the summer wind
I’ve got whiskers on my chin
And I like the mood I’m in
As I while away the time of day
In the lee of Christian Island
Tall and strong she dips and reels
I call her silver heels
And she tells me how she feels
She’s a good old boat and she’ll stay afloat
Through the toughest gales and keep smilin’
But for one more day she would like to stay
In the lee of Christian Island
I’m sailing down the summer day
Where the fish and seagulls play
I put my troubles all away
And when the gale comes up I’ll fill my cup
With the whiskey of the highlands
She’s a good old ship and she’ll make the trip
From the lee of Christian Island
Tall and strong she slips along
I sing for her a song
And she leans into the wind
She’s a good old boat and she’ll stay afloat
Through the toughest gales and keep smilin’
When the summer ends we will rest again
In the lee of Christian Island
Songwriter: Gordon Lightfoot