Albums That Should Exist: Gordon Lightfoot - Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA, 10-5-1968

Thursday, June 16, 2022

Gordon Lightfoot - Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA, 10-5-1968

I wasn't planning on posting any more of Gordon Lightfoot's music. I like his stuff, but to be honest only in limited doses. However, I stumbled across this by accident the other day, and the quality is so good for 1968 that I couldn't resist sharing it. The sound quality is phenomenal for the era - as good or better than most official live albums from that time. And the performance is solid too. Lightfoot is backed by a second guitarist (Red Shea) and bassist (John Stockfish), but their contributions are subtle - it's basically him in solo acoustic mode.

Because this was is such great quality already, I didn't have to do anything other than put some of his banter between songs onto separate tracks. He didn't talk much in any case, other than telling a weird joke near the end.

Apparently, this was recorded by Bill Graham, who owned the venue. He played it on a radio station a couple of years later, which is how it got to the public. It's a crying shame this hasn't been officially released. I think it's better than his official live album from 1969.

This album is 58 minutes long.

01 I'm Not Sayin' (Gordon Lightfoot)
02 talk (Gordon Lightfoot)
03 If I Could (Gordon Lightfoot)
04 Softly (Gordon Lightfoot)
05 Boss Man (Gordon Lightfoot)
06 Black Day in July (Gordon Lightfoot)
07 Cold Hands from New York (Gordon Lightfoot)
08 Walls (Gordon Lightfoot)
09 Affair on 8th Avenue (Gordon Lightfoot)
10 talk (Gordon Lightfoot)
11 Steel Rail Blues (Gordon Lightfoot)
12 talk (Gordon Lightfoot)
13 Long Thin Dawn (Gordon Lightfoot)
14 Rosanna (Gordon Lightfoot)
15 Mountain and Marian (Gordon Lightfoot)
16 Early Morning Rain (Gordon Lightfoot)
17 The Auctioneer (Gordon Lightfoot)
18 Unsettled Ways (Gordon Lightfoot)
19 talk (Gordon Lightfoot)
20 Pussywillows, Cat-Tails (Gordon Lightfoot)
21 Canadian Railroad Trilogy (Gordon Lightfoot)