The influence of "folk" music on the Great American Songbook has been in what nosotros consider two waves. The first is unquestionably the influence of Stephen Foster and like "folk" music in the very foundation of American popular song, beginning with Irving Berlin.

The second wave of folk music was markedly different; it was folk music as a specific segment of pop. It began with groups like the Weavers, continued with Terry Gilkeyson, The Kingston Trio, and Harry Belafonte.

Some historians argue that a 3rd wave hit with the likes of The Eagles, Jackson Browne, Crosby-Stills-Nash, and Linda Ronstadt. The consensus at PopularSong.org, notwithstanding, is that these later artists were only standing the 2nd wave. This is based on the thought that acts like The Rooftop Singers, Barry McGuire, Judy Collins, Roger McGuinn and Joan Baez bridged the gap from the 1950s to the 1970s. In this mode of thinking, the 2d moving ridge of folk influence began with The Weavers and continued through the late 1970s, when Bernie Leadon left the Eagles and took the folk influence with him into obscurity. Although artists like Collins and John Denver carried on, their importance dwindled right nigh the time the Eagles plugged into Hotel California.

Each of the artists above is connected in some fashion; the world of folk music is a friendly society, and folkies gravitate to one another. Thus a common thread can be traced from The Weavers through the Eagles, and this second wave of folk music was rife with inbreeding.

One artist came on the scene during the second wave of folk music who somehow tied information technology all together, marrying folk to pop, created new standards, and traced information technology all back to Stephen Foster. He'south a Canadian who redefined folk music in American Popular Song, and his name is Gordon Lightfoot.

Like many singer/songwriters, we could hem and haw about whether he should be considered a singer or a songwriter. If anything, Lightfoot has been much more than prolific equally a songwriter. How to choose? In Lightfoot's case his recordings and performances are nonetheless extremely powerful, while his songs recorded past other singers are mostly obscure. So with that in mind, nosotros nowadays folksinger Gordon Lightfoot, and reflect on his contribution to the Great American Songbook.

Back up a couple paragraphs, and yous'll see that we describe Lightfoot as someone who tied it all together. Similar Irving Berlin, Lightfoot lists Stephen Foster among his most significant influences. He moved to California at age xx and began to study jazz and classical, just had to generate commercial-sounding music to put food on the table. So in retrospect, if Berlin hadn't invented popular song, Lightfoot probably would have. It just would've sounded a lot more than like folk.

After a few years writing jingles and studying in California, Lightfoot returned to Canada and his musical roots. By the mid 1960s he was circulating in and amidst the folkie crowd on both sides of the border. His songs were recorded by acts similar Ian and Sylvia, Judy Collins, The Kingston Trio, and Peter, Paul & Mary. Lightfoot fabricated a few records of his own, having reasonable success locally in Toronto.

Buoyed by his success, Lightfoot signed with United Artists and generated a string of hits in Canada. He appeared at U.Southward. festivals and on television, but an American striking eluded him. Ii of his 1960s compositions became well-known songs for other artists; "Ribbon of Darkness" for Marty Robbins, and "Early on Morning Rain" for Judy Collins and then Elvis Presley.

Failing to nautical chart stateside, Lightfoot was released by United Artists, but picked up by the more than progressive Warner/Reprise label in 1970. Warners was run by visionary Mo Ostin at the time. Ostin was known for signing has-beens and obscure acts alike, equally long every bit they showed a creative spark. He inked The Beach Boys at the absolute ebb of their career, and Frank Zappa when he was deemed besides bizarre past other major labels. Working with the likes of Lenny Waronker, Ted Templeman, and Van Dyke Parks, Ostin had an ear for quality.

Lightfoot rewarded the label immediately with a hit. "If Y'all Could Read My Heed" was almost raw, a minimal production that soared to #5 in the USA on the basis of Lightfoot's performance. He had penned the vocal near his awaiting divorce, and the emotion is inescapable.

Despite the success of "If You Could Read My Mind," Lightfoot was not inclined to create pop. His breakthrough album in the U.South. was Don Quixote, which yielded a number of highly regarded but commercially obscure songs. Some of his early 1970s songs limped into the Hot 100, but didn't hit the tiptop half. Warners wasn't really expecting many striking singles from a Canadian folk vocaliser. The label was satisfied with the albums, which sold reasonably well.

Lightfoot finally cracked the pop charts again in 1974, this time in a large way. "Sundown," a single from the album of the same name peaked at #one on the US charts, both the pop and the easy listening charts. The subject of the song was adultery in a drug and alcohol infused human relationship. Lightfoot readily admits that it was written about Cathy Evelyn Smith, a Canadian-born back-up singer/groupie who cutting quite a swath through the popular and folk earth of the early 1970s.

Oddly enough, this was merely the 2nd known hitting song with inspiration contributed by Ms. Smith. The first was allegedly "The Weight," written past Robbie Robertson of The Band. "The Weight" wasn't exclusively nigh Smith, who was dating various members of The Band. (The song was released past the group in 1968, but didn't make much chart dissonance. Aretha Franklin picked it up, and took the song to #18.) After leaving The Band, Smith began her tumultuous thing with Lightfoot, which ended equally "Sundown" was climbing the charts in 1974. She then took up with quasi-folkie Hoyt Axton, singing and fifty-fifty co-writing a vocal called "Wink of Fire." Somehow Smith was pulled dorsum into the orbit of The Band while that group was actualization on Sabbatum Night Live in the tardily 1970s, and ultimately gained national notoriety for serving up the elixir of cocaine and heroin that killed John Belushi.

You'll have to pardon that slight detour; the Smith saga is included here considering of her role in "Sundown," a song that remains popular. Three decades afterwards, Lightfoot's recording doesn't sound dated at all, which is rather unusual for music from the 1970s.

Another classic from that album is "Carefree Highway," which peaked at #10 pop and #ane on the easy listening charts. The LP itself also rode to #1 on both the popular and easy listening album charts. It was also a solid seller on the country charts, and the songs were covered by country artists.

By all definitions, "Sundown" is a pop standard. "Carefree Highway" doesn't quite have the aforementioned status, but remains pop to some extent. He followed these a year later with "Rainy Day People," which is a song that absolutely begs to be re-recorded past a contemporary artist. Perhaps the idea of duplicating Lightfoot's incredible performance on the original is just also daunting; it supports our premise that his importance as a vocalist hands rivals his importance as a songwriter.

By 1976 Lightfoot's records were amid the most compelling offerings on mainstream radio. On a radio dial crowded with songs like "Disco Duck," "Convoy," and "Give thanks God I'1000 a Country Male child," Gordon's songs required more but vacuous enjoyment. His records didn't entreatment to anybody, simply everyone noticed them. He provided important music at a time when America was mostly tuned in to disco.

His signature song is arguably "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," a surprise hit released during the summer of 1976. It's probably i of the most unusual entries in the Groovy American Songbook, a long narrative with no chorus. The melody is carried by Gordon's vocal. Information technology should exist pointed out that he never had a tremendous range, and he couldn't hold a note for whatever meaning length of time. However his song manner — specially on Edmund Fitzgerald — is what makes the song piece of work. In the 30 years since, folk guitarists in java shops and nightclubs across the state accept dreaded the inevitable audience request: "do you know the Edmund Fitzgerald vocal?"

Popular music's overproduced sound and obsession with poofy pilus left little room for Gordon Lightfoot in the 1980s. His output slowed, and he faded from the charts. He had some wellness issues in recent years — at i point came close to dying — merely a return to the live stage and a critically-acclaimed 2004 album Harmony led to a "re-discovery" of his music. As Lightfoot continues to tour in the new millenium, respect for his songs and his influence is higher than ever.

If you lot don't accept any Gordon Lightfoot music in your collection, in that location is an abundance of greatest hits collections to cull from. Must-haves are of course, "Edmund Fitzgerald," "Sundown," "Daylight Katy," "Cotton Jenny," "Rainy Day People," "If You Could Read My Mind," "Carefree Highway," "The Circumvolve Is Small," "Cute," "The Summer Side of Life," "The Watchman's Gone," and of form "Early Mornin' Rain."

At present if you lot want a piddling more than just a collection of swell songs, the album to look at is Sundown. This is one of the best albums released in the 1970s, and similar most important artists, Lightfoot's individual CDs present a much more than thorough expression of his music than a greatest hits CD. The link goes to Amazon, so you lot accept a choice of CD or download — or even vinyl — whichever you prefer. Best thing nearly ownership from Amazon.com, besides the fact that you don't have to drive anywhere, is that yous can return them if you don't like them.