This month we take a look at the work of Canadian singer songwriter Gordon Lightfoot and in particular at his best-selling album of 1974 “Sundown”.
Lightfoot’s career might best be described as a slow burn.
Early Days
In 1961, Lightfoot released two singles, both recorded at RCA in Nashville that were local hits in Toronto and received some airplay elsewhere in Canada and the northeastern United States. “(Remember Me) I’m the One” reached No. 3 on CHUM radio in Toronto in July 1962 and was a top 20 hit on Montreal’s CKGM, then an influential Canadian Top 40 station. The follow-up single was “Negotiations”/”It’s Too Late, He Wins”; it reached No. 27 on CHUM in December.
In 1965, Lightfoot signed a management contract with Albert Grossman, who also represented many prominent American folk performers, and signed a recording contract with United Artists who released his version of “I’m Not Sayin'” as a single.
1966 marked the release of his debut album Lightfoot!, which was recorded in New York City and brought him greater exposure as both a singer and a songwriter.
The album featured many now-famous songs, including “For Lovin’ Me”, “Early Mornin’ Rain”, “Steel Rail Blues”, and “Ribbon of Darkness”. On the strength of the Lightfoot! album, blending Canadian and universal themes, Lightfoot became one of the first Canadian singers to achieve definitive home-grown stardom without having to move permanently to the United States to develop it.
He then moved to Warner Bros. Records in 1971, scoring his first major international hit with “If You Could Read My Mind”. That song became a popular cover for folk singer songwriters around the world.
Lightfoot’s albums prior to this were well received abroad but did not produce hit singles outside Canada. Until 1971, he was better known in the US as a songwriter than a performer but was to find commercial success there before being fully appreciated in his home country.
Sundown – a breakthrough success
There were a handful of albums in between, but we will fast forward to 1974 and the release of the album “Sundown” which went to number 1 on the US album chart and was the most successful commercial achievements of his musical career. “Sundown” the single went to number 1 on the US pop char and the other single “Carefee Highway” also charted well.
Tune in to The Album Show on 88.0 HEPFM to hear the album in its entirety on Saturday morning at 10am.
Image sourced from: https://www.deezer.com/en/album/356330
