gordon lightfoot if you could read my mind

He sings the songs that made him a Canadian national hero and an American-radio perennial. To help advance the story, the contemporary Lightfoot walks the Toronto streets he walked as a young hopeful, telling tales along the way. One minor shocker – one that can be told without giving away too much – is the final version of “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” is the band’s first take with very few overdubs. Running 90 minutes and spanning virtually all of Lightfoot’s then-79 years – the film features an audio recording of the future superstar singing soprano in the church choir through to the almost-octogenarian, still smoking cigarettes, playing the famed Massey Hall before it closed for a major renovation in 2018 – “If You Could Read My Mind” paints a complete portrait of Canada’s favorite son, complete with a bunch of surprises. He’s also the rare vocalist whose voice has gotten higher over the years. The sights and sounds are startling, as Lightfoot has gone through so many physical changes that he’s virtually unrecognizable in a number of the clips. Attracted by the poetic lyrics and strong craftsmanship, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Elvis Presley, Barbra Streisand, Bob Dylan, Neil Young and Peter, Paul and Mary are among the many who have recorded Lightfoot compositions.Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind ends with a montage of the title subject singing the title song through the decades. The five-time Grammy nominee and 2012 inductee into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, who studied and learned to write music at an early age, earned perhaps his strongest endorsement from the peers who have covered his songs. Bandmates and Lightfoot's contemporary, Murray McLauchlan, offer insights into his creative process, but it is the man himself who reveals the most about his work ethic and the price he paid for that devotion. Known for his distinctive baritone and emotion-rich songs about heartbreak and betrayal (“If You Could Read My Mind,” “Sundown”), isolation (“Early Morning Rain,” “Song for a Winter’s Night”) and trains and ships (“Canadian Railroad Trilogy,” “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”), Lightfoot connected to Canada’s roots in a way that holds few analogs.Ĭanadian musicians, including Ronnie Hawkins, Ian and Sylvia Tyson (the former folk duo, now divorced), Anne Murray, Randy Bachman, Burton Cummings, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson of Rush, Tom Cochrane and Sarah McLachlan, attest to that connection in the documentary, along with observations from Americans Steve Earle, Greg Graffin of Bad Religion and (somewhat inexplicably) Alec Baldwin. Written and directed by Martha Kehoe and Joan Tosoni, the film is smartly structured around notable songs in the Gordon Lightfoot catalog, charting his journey from small-town, post-World War II Ontario to the coffee houses of 1960s Toronto and his chart-topping run of hits in the 1970s, as the gifted musician found success across the folk, country, rock and pop realms.

audiences will be reminded of the power of an artist who was once a radio staple and regularly sold out shows at the Hollywood Bowl, the Greek Theatre and Universal Ampitheatre whenever he came to L.A. Gordon Lightfoot in the documentary 'Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind.' (Geoff George / Greenwich Entertainment)įor our neighbors to the north, the documentary “Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind” reaffirms the Canadian singer-songwriter’s position as a national treasure.

Gordon lightfoot if you could read my mind