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- Lorne
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Lightfoot quits smoking, gets back into songwriting for new album
TORONTO -- Gordon Lightfoot says he recently kicked his smoking habit and rekindled a reluctant relationship with songwriting in the process.
The 80-year-old Canadian musician says the two life changes have led him towards planning a full-length album due out sometime later this year or in early 2020.
- G.
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Re: Lightfoot quits smoking, gets back into songwriting for new album
Gord released a song in late '67 that was banned by most top-40 broadcasters in the USA because it was considered too controversial. As Lorne has attracted contributors to this forum from Europe and from Down Under and others, am wondering if you are familiar with the tune, which rode high on Canadian charts for weeks, well into '68.
The song is titled "Black Day in July"
G.
- G.
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Re: Lightfoot quits smoking, gets back into songwriting for new album
Perhaps, not
G.
- Lorne
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Re: Lightfoot quits smoking, gets back into songwriting for new album
Given that Lightfoot hadn't yet charted on Billboard, and wouldn't until 1970, I've wondered how well this song would have done in the US anyway. Lightfoot may have been well-enough known by folk artists in the US by that point, but probably not so much by the public in general.
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Thread Starter- G.
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Re: Lightfoot quits smoking, gets back into songwriting for new album
The subject matter was well-known to citizens of the US and it was released during the protest-song era, but that (being a foreign topic) wd also explain why visitors to this site from Europe & New Zealand have likely never heard "Black Day in July"
- Lorne
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Re: Lightfoot quits smoking, gets back into songwriting for new album
Just had a look at the info that Wikipedia has about this at . It indicates that he had become known to the American public from around 1965 onwards, but also that he was unhappy with the lack of support he was getting from United Artists -- and in that regard, it is noteworthy that he scored his first US hit not long after he moved to Warner Brothers. So maybe this could have happened for him earlier if United Artists had done more to support him. However, when he hit it big it was with songs that were very different from Black Day In July, so I still have my doubts that it would have been that much of a hit in the US even if there hadn't been any bans.
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Thread Starter- G.
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Re: Lightfoot quits smoking, gets back into songwriting for new album
Flo & Karen are both in Ohio where Black Day in July should have registered (if not already banned). S-a-a-a-y where are those gals lately?
- It's me Karen
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Re: Lightfoot quits smoking, gets back into songwriting for new album
G. wrote:
Flo & Karen are both in Ohio where Black Day in July should have registered (if not already banned). S-a-a-a-y where are those gals lately?
I don't remember this song. I most certainly remember the time and the news of that summer. Toledo was experiencing its own "Hot Summer" as well. Listening to CKLW and Toledo stations religiously at that time, I'm saying it might have been banned out here.
BTW, when I saw Flo & Karen, I thought at first you were making a joke: Flo & Eddie... I know, I know, lame...
- G.
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Re: Lightfoot quits smoking, gets back into songwriting for new album
I also posted the question on the Southern Ontario Western New York (SOWNY) radio board and the consensus is that the tune WAS banned in most US markets for being potentially objectionable to Detroit listeners. As you likely know, CKLW 800 broadcast out of Windsor, Ontario. The tune charted across Canada but not on the Big 8. Thx for your input, It's me Karen
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- Dial Twister
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Re: Lightfoot quits smoking, gets back into songwriting for new album
- Dial Twister
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Re: Lightfoot quits smoking, gets back into songwriting for new album
- Flo
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Re: Lightfoot quits smoking, gets back into songwriting for new album
Flo & Karen are both in Ohio where Black Day in July should have registered (if not already banned). S-a-a-a-y where are those gals lately?
I don't remember this song. ..
I don't remember it either, Karen.
- Flo
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Re: Lightfoot quits smoking, gets back into songwriting for new album
Lorne, I really just came here tonight to thank you for this article. It may seem inappropriate, but it gave me a good chuckle. How many people at 80 have declared they just quit smoking? You sorta wonder why bother? But if it gave him a whole album's worth of new songs, that's great.
- Lorne
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Re: Lightfoot quits smoking, gets back into songwriting for new album
I wonder if he was at least partly motivated by a desire to improve his singing voice for the new album. But yes, no matter what the reason is, it's very good to see.
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Thread Starter- Flo
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Re: Lightfoot quits smoking, gets back into songwriting for new album
Yes, I've heard comments from other singers (Ray Price included) who noted how their singing voices improved when they quit smoking.
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