Gordon Lightfoot Live at Massey Hall (1974)

Hey all! After a little break, I am back to uploading content again. I'm currently working on preparing to record some new covers in the near future and hope to get them posted here as time permits. Until then, I decided to post one more bootleg concert of Gordon Lightfoot from back in the day.
This one is from his March 1974 performance at Massey Hall. This is from the first night on March 23rd. He was promoting his then latest album "Sundown" and even debuted a new song here: "Cold On The Shoulder" a year before it would be released. This version contains some alternate lyrics and it appears Lightfoot had recently wrote it before this performance.
I believe that the planned but eventually scrapped live album he was working on was also recorded on this night. This recording was done by an audience member near the front row. I have made ZERO changes to the audio with the exception of some reverb to improve it a little and left the concert completely unedited.
As the live album never materialized and until/if they emerge from Lightfoot's archives, this is the best we have at imagining what a live 1974 album would've sounded like.
Hope you all enjoy!
Gordon Lightfoot
Massey Hall
Toronto, Canada
March 23, 1974
First Set:
Tennessee Stud
Pleasures of the Night
High and Dry
Seven Island Suite
Sundown
Alberta Bound
Don Quixote
Christian Island
Affair on 8th Ave
Cold on the shoulder
The Auctioneer
Old Dan's Records
Second Set:
Beautiful
Partners
If you could Read My Mind
ballad of Yarmouth Castle
Stone Cold Sober
Divorce Country Style
Too Late for Prayin
Early Mornin Rain
Ode to Big Blue
Canadian Railroad Trilogy
Looking at the Rain
Wherefore and Why

[@mikeozaruk8927]

It always shocked me that "Wherefore and Why" was never played at any shows of his, other than this one. It's such an uplifting song, and you can hear just how wild the crowd goes for it here - hell, it's one of the songs on Gord's Gold!

[@jamesrae7597]

A great song for sure. A fav of mine.

[@coltonnovak1887]

Legendary

[@uncatila]

two years past his peak. as good as there ever was.

[@HuntOfficial1776]

I don’t know, 74-76 seemed like his peak to me.

[@josephcalrow2586]

@@HuntOfficial1776subscribe to my KZbin channel I post Gordon lightfoot videos too

[@ElChupacabra77B]

@@HuntOfficial1776I agree.

[@vintagesouthern54]

What are your standards that you have judged him 2 years past his peak? He didn’t lose that lush baritone voice until sometime in 1983 or 1984.

[@hunterharrell7491]

He was at his peak here, in 1974 not only did Sundown the song but the whole album went #1, he was huge world wide at this time.

[@Andy-ln6oe]

This would be awesome on cd or record right now. I wish they’d dive off in his archives and grab some of these to release. Be nice if they could do a Songbook Part 2

[@FrancesCopeland-rb6iz]

Hard to believe he left us a year ago. 10:20 p,m.

[@shadow31305]

Amazing

[@cathymarczyk7808]

This is absolutely wonderful! Looking forward to hearing the rest of the concert. Thanks SO MUCH for this!

[@greatunz67]

If this show was planned to be an official live release it's a good thing it wasn't as there are many far better Lighftoot live recordings out there. The 1972 BBC being the best of them.

[@thomaslangr9541]

Indeed

[@johnholland723]

It almost sounds like he is playing solo. I realize his band might be laying , but why ? Are they newly arrived? Minimal sound system. He sounds a lot like Stompin Tom Connors. It's pared down for sure. You can hear him getting comfotable. Canadians seem to be more appreciative than American audiences. I guess it's because he is their native son. Even today, you can mention Stan Rogers and many folks from the USA still look at you bewildered. Mention Dylan and it's a different story all together. Ahhh!, There it is it,.. "Our fingers entwined",.. It does take a while for Gordon to warm to his audience. He was a beautiful man! I met him when I was a young man just out of the Air Force and very confused.. how many people say he ruined my life. I picked up a guitar and never put it down after hearing him. I still am learning songs that he wrote. I will be 74 in June 21. It is the same with Stan once I heard him sing I could never learn enough of his songs. And Dylan too. And I still do this Tennessee stud! (Although I learned this one after I lifted up the tent in Union Grove and popped up behind Doc Watson during his performance in a torrential downpour.) He could have been a great auctioneer!. He was though in a way. I now understand he is/was highly influenced by Appalachian music-mountain music as was Dylan. Oh boy! Now I've stepped in it.

[@kennykotecki7285]

Awesome thanks!!! The last 6 songs didn't make it on the post.!?

[@Telecoaster94music]

I’ll have to fix that, sorry about that

[@karmenjazbec7743]

YEAH GORDON WHEN I WAS YOUNG I LISTENED PINK FLOYD AND BOB DYLAN I STILL DO BUT I LIKE YOU I AM ILL AND LISTENING TO YOU COMFORTS ME

[@user-xv6jq3qc1d]

Great concert. It cuts off after Divorce Country Style, so the remainder of the second set is not available? Thanks for sharing though. Great voice and amazing songs.

[@Telecoaster94music]

I wasn’t aware of that, I’ll have to go back and fix the audio. Sorry

[@user-xv6jq3qc1d]

That would be great if you are able. Thanks for sharing all of these!

[@ElChupacabra77B]

I just read somewhere that his band is continuing to tour without him, and replaced him with singer-guitarist Andy Mauck. I wonder how that would turn out.

[@coltonnovak1887]

I wouldn’t use the term “replaced”, there’s nobody that could replace him. It’s more of a tribute/celebration than anything, plus Mauck is pretty well versed in playing Gords music.

[@ElChupacabra77B]

@@coltonnovak1887If it was a tribute/celebration concert, they would’ve stuck with the format of various guests appearing on the stage with them to perform his songs and talk about them. However; since they opted to strictly use one one vocalist/guitarist, and opted to continue their tour playing in various cities and countries with the “actual”/“real” touring band members if not the “original” ones, and finish without him, despite him being dead, and not have a say, I’m afraid they just did. Everyone gets replaced at one time or another, and Gordon Lightfoot is no exception. I used to think he was one of the most irreplaceable artists in Canadian music when he was alive, because of his unique sound and ability to sing and write great songs with impeccable lyrics, but after watching the quality of his performances on KZbin videos representing his later years, and noticing the band’s decision to feature Andy Mauck as the vocalist and the rhythm guy for the group, I’m convinced that Lightfoot can be replaced as a touring musician, and as a singer. Maybe not so much as a “songwriter” or “composer”. I can only hope that Mauck does a good job of doing these songs justice as the new “designated” Gord.

[@vintagesouthern54]

The replacement singer can be pitchy at times. He sings in the same timbre as this era of Gord which is nice to hear again. We lost that Gord back in about 1984. I wonder what Rick Haynes has to say?

[@ElChupacabra77B]

@@vintagesouthern54 If the replacement was pitchy, and a little fast, then I cannot understand why they didn’t pick Brian Ekard as their new singer. I listened to the replacement, and compared him to Brian Ekard from You Tube, and I think Brian Ekard has the Lightfoot singing, and covering down pat. His voice and timbre is second to none, in comparison to most Lightfoot soundalikes. Ekard’s voice and styling is very close to that 1968-1984 Lightfoot that you speak of and refer to as his prime years. He doesn’t get too agitated, and covering his songs, and sings them in the same speed as Lightfoot does. The only two criticisms that I have with Ekard’s videos are that A. He has never performed in front of a crowd or an audience, it was always in a dark room with shadows, and dogs running around the house, or it was in a recording studio with friends. Does Ekard have stage fright, or a sense of self-consciousness when performing Lightfoot or other music in front of others? and B. Ekard has too much of a shaggy appearance when presenting himself in the videos. Yes Lightfoot sported a beard in the 1971-1976, and 1979-1982 years, but it wasn’t as extreme as Ekard was projecting. Ekard looked more like Grizzly Adams than he did the Gord of any era. Ekard, could’ve cut the fuzz down, and permed his hair to match Gord’s: A poodle-cut, with a mustache and no more than a “string” of beard around the jaw. Andy Mauck I think seemed like the wrong choice for the role, and could’ve been used as an understudy for David James Carlson, another Lightfoot tribute artist in my opinion. He’s a bit too sloppy and too intense to carry on as the the new voice and rhythm guy for the Lightfoot band.

[@user-xv6jq3qc1d]

Please post the remaining six songs if you can. A gem.

[@uncatila]

who will fill the shoes of Gord? who will have his way singing all those country songs he was bound for making hay

[@RichardBejtlich]

52:08 If you could read my mind