EARLY
LIGHTFOOT
by Wayne
Francis
I'd like to do some personal reviews of some of Lightfoot's lesser known recordings
which are very difficult, if not next to impossible to find. I'll start
off with the infamous 1971 release of early 60's, pre-United Artists recordings
- EARLY LIGHTFOOT.
The album came out on the AME label in 1971, to capitalize on the recent success
Lightfoot had with If You Could Read My Mind. The album was cleverly
released to appear as if it "might" be a new Lightfoot album, that is, an
album of newly written and recorded material, as the cover photo was a then
recent picture from 1970 Mariposa taken by Joan Latchford, not from the early
60's when the album was recorded.
Well to say the "album" was recorded is not really accurate either, as it's
really just a collection of singles Lightfoot did very early in his career
for a label called Chateau Records, before he had even established his folk
identity. Three of the songs on the album are released for the first time
- This Is My Song (which turned up on the Two Tones At The Village Corner
album - which I'll review later); Sleep Little Jane and Long Haired Woman.
Here is a rundown of the songs:
REMEMBER ME
(I'M THE ONE)
Lightfoot
This song made the Canadian charts when it was released as a single in the
early 60's. It is a medium
tempo Nashville type ballad, with the distictive country piano sound of that
era.
DAISY DOO
Lightfoot
A bit of a rocker, you might even say a toe-tapper, but more along the lines
of some of Elvis' movie songs than what we'd later be tapping our toes to
from Lightfoot.
ADIOS, ADIOS
Lightfoot/Hash
A nice Spanish style song about a young man looking to be united with his
lost love. A forerunner of Miguel?
IS MY BABY
BLUE TONIGHT
Lou Handman
One of three cover songs on the album. Lightfoot does an interesting
job with this standard.
SLEEP LITTLE
JANE
Lightfoot
A tender lullaby, probably the most indicative song on this album of how Lightfoot's
writing style and sound would eventually develop.
LONG HAIRED
WOMAN
Lightfoot
An uptempo tune with swirling organs and electric guitars. "A long haired
woman make a long time wreck out of me." Kinda catchy really.
IT'S TOO LATE,
HE WINS
Lightfoot
Another mid-tempo "Nashville of the day" type of song, like Remember
Me (I'm The One). Nice melody, nice song.
TAKE CARE
OF YOURSELF
Hoffman/Klein
Another standard covered. Lightfoot handles it well, too!
THIS IS MY
SONG
Lightfoot
This one got radio play in 1971 when this album came out here in Canada, which
further confused the issue as to whether this album was new material or not.
You couldn't really blame Gord for being seriously annoyed! Good song
though, but light years removed from where Lightfoot was at in 1971.
NEGOTIATIONS
Les Pouliot
Yes, that's right folks - Les Pouliot, the guy who later wrote the Harry Tracy
theme, My Love For You. Negotiations has to be heard, I couldn't begin
to describe it, but just let me say, Gord does some "rap" on this one that
the Fresh Prince might want to take some lessons from! The song uses
the Cold War as a metaphor for a failing relationship. All very tongue-in-cheek.
All in all, this album is a very interesting set when looked at from the historical
standpoint of Lightfoot's earliest directions, before being transformed after
hearing the Weavers At Carnegie Hall and other folk music which led him into
that area of music, and ultimately a style uniquely his own.
His voice is very rich and strong throughout this album. The melodies
seem to emphasize the mid to lower range of his voice. Probably because of
that, I find that he sounds "older" than he would later sound on his UA stuff,
which started to emphasize the upper register of his singing.
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