R.I.P. Gordon Lightfoot

 

Last night (5/1/2023), shortly before I shut down for the night, I saw a blurb on Facebook that Gordon Lightfoot had passed away.  After verifying with a couple other sources, I shared the original link, then posted a Youtube of the first Lightfoot song I thought of.  Nope, not "The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald".  Rather, his #1 song from 1974:  "Sundown".  

Gordon Lightfoot was a big star in Canada, where he was born (not for from Toronto), with his first Canadian hit in 1962.  He'd had 1/2 dozen Canadian Top 40's before he cracked the US charts in 1970 with "If You Could Read My Mind", which hit #5 on the Hot 100, and topped the US country charts.

Still, he didn't break big until 1974, with Sundown, which started a run of 4 big hits in 2 years:

• Sundown - #1
• Carefree Highway - #10
• Rainy Day People - #26
• Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald - #2

All very solid songs. I didn't own any Lightfoot albums back then, but I certainly knew the hits.  Later, I acquired his "Summertime Dream" album when I got married, which I have dubbed to digital.  

I noted that "Sundown" was the song that first popped into my head.  His 1st (US) hit, it peaked right about my 14th birthday, the summer before I started High School.  It spent 18 weeks on the charts, 11 in the Top 40, and 7 in the Top 10, making it a notable part of my life soundtrack at a key time.  That said, it is the only one of those mid 70's hits that I don't currently own.  That will have to change.

Anyway, rest in peace, Mr. Lightfoot, and thanks for the music, and the memories it brings!

1973 In Music - April's Almost Made the Charts

Continuing my look at songs that dropped off the charts during the month, but never made the Top 40.  And for the April, I counted 16.  That's notably fewer than previous months in 1973. February and March.

Here they are, with peak position noted:

• Superman - Donna Fargo - 41
• Down And Out In New York City - James Brown - 50
• Pardon Me Sir - Joe Cocker - 51
• Let Your Yeah Be Yeah - Brownsville Station - 57
• Yesterday I Had The Blues - Harold Melvin And The Blue Notes - 63
• If You Gotta Break Another Heart - Albert Hammond - 63
• Gudbuy T' Jane - Slade - 68
• Mama Was A Rock And Roll Singer, Papa Used To Write All Her Songs Part 1 - Sonny & Cher - 77
• Wish That I Could Talk To You - The Sylvers - 77
• Sail On Sailor - The Beach Boys - 79
• Delta Queen - Don Fardon - 86
• River Road - Uncle Dog - 86
• If I Could Only Be Sure - Nolan Porter - 89
• Saw A New Morning - Bee Gees - 94
• Mr. Magic Man - Wilson Pickett - 98
• Friend And A Lover - The Partridge Family - 99

Pond 17 - Color or Black and White?

Pond 17 at Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge in Marion, IL.  

Just a simple iPhone shot, converted to B&W later (on the computer).

---

 

Watershed Nature Center

A couple of bird shots from a recent wander at Watershed Nature Center, Edwardsville, IL, USA.  

I was watchingthis Heron hunting, looked down to adjust my camera settings for the tricky light, and completely missed the catch.  But he (she?) held it nicely for a quick photo!

- - -

I caught his Egret (Heron?) at the end of our walk, across the main pond.  I liked the layers, especially the Redbud in the background.

 

On The Charts - April 1973

 Continuing the review of songs that were on the Top 40 (US) charts 50 years ago (1973).  We're on to April, and 33% through the year!  

All of the 1973 music posts can be seen HERE, btw.

Following the format from last year, here's the Top 10 songs for April1973, based on the average chart position (US charts) over the 4 weeks in the month:

• The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia - Vicki Lawrence - 2
• Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Ole Oak Tree - Dawn Featuring Tony Orlando - 2.75
• Sing - Carpenters - 4.5
• The Cisco Kid - War - 5.5
• Neither One Of Us (Wants To Be The First To Say Goodbye) - Gladys Knight And The Pips - 5.5
• Ain't No Woman (Like The One I've Got) - Four Tops - 5.75
• Masterpiece - The Temptations - 10
• Danny's Song - Anne Murray - 10.5
• Little Willy - The Sweet - 11
• Killing Me Softly With His Song - Roberta Flack - 11.5

"The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia" spent the first 2 weeks at #1, followed by "Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Ole Oak Tree" for the next 2 weeks.  

There were 56 individual songs on the Top 40 over the course of the 4 weeks, wich tracks pretty closely with the January, February and March.

Not the greatest month for me, as far as top 10, I only own 6 of the 10 songs, but only one I didn't remember (Masterpiece).   On the other hand, there were quite a few great songs making their Top 40 debuts:

• Reeling In The Years - Steely Dan - 25
• Pillow Talk - Sylvia - 30
• Thinking Of You - Loggins & Messina - 32
• Out Of The Question - Gilbert O'Sullivan - 34
• Daniel - Elton John - 35
• "Cherry Cherry" from Hot August Night - Neil Diamond - 36
• My Love - Paul McCartney And Wings - 36
• One Man Band (Plays All Alone) - Ronnie Dyson - 37
• Funky Worm - Ohio Players - 37
• Armed And Extremely Dangerous - First Choice - 37
• Step By Step - Joe Simon - 38
• The Right Thing To Do - Carly Simon - 38
• I'm Doin' Fine Now - New York City - 38
• Bitter Bad - Melanie - 38
• Hallelujah Day - Jackson 5 - 39
• Frankenstein - Edgar Winter Group - 39
• Hocus Pocus - Focus - 39
• Pinball Wizard/See Me, Feel Me - The New Seekers - 40
• Oh La De Da - The Staple Singers - 40
• Leaving Me - The Independents - 40

So that's it, look for the post later this month of songs that dropped off the Hot 100 in April without having made the Top 40!

Toulouse Street

 

"I'm walkin' in shadows, I cannot see.  Faces, they smile when I fall or flee.  Doors without windows all shuttered tight.  I just might pass this way again" - Doobie Brothers - Toulouse Street.

Doorway, Toulouse Street, French Quarter, New Orleans, USA

Monument to the Immigrant

 Statue on the waterfront in New Orleans...  

As noted on the internet:  "The “Monument to the Immigrant” was erected in March 1995 and stands along the Mississippi River in Woldenberg Park. The monument depicts an immigrant family on one side and the other side a stylized figure shaped like the front of a ship, reminding people that New Orleans is historically a port city and a city of immigrants."

This is the side facing the city, the other side (with an immigrant family) faces the river.  I like this side much better than the other, but that's just my opinion...

Elizabeth Female Academy, Natchez, Mississippi

During our recent travels, we drove 100 miles +/- on the Natchez Trace Parkway. Just 5 miles from the Natchez start is the remains of the Elizabeth Female Academy, which was the 1st female educational institution in Mississippi, and was active from 1818 to 1845. I took a handful of photos, but these 2 are my favorites. 

 Shot with the camera's B&W filter (not converted on the computer).  First one is SOOC (straight out of camera) and the second has very minor tweaks (I think I  added a hint of "warmth".

 
Which do you prefer?

- - -

---

One of my favorite thing about digital is that it is "free".  there is no cost to take reference photos, like the signs at historical places,  So, here's some notes on the Academy: 

Yellow Crowned Night Heron

 During our recent trip to New Orleans, we took a drive to Venice, LA, which is (reportedly) the Southernmost Point in Louisiana. They even have a sign where the road runs out. This Heron was hanging out where the road ended, and was polite enough to pose for a couple of photos. This is a new entry in my gallery of birds I've photographed!

Hiker's 365 Challenge - March update

 March is in the books, and we're 25% through the year!  Through 3/31, I've completed 127 miles, still nicely above pace (90 miles).  That said I managed 0.7 fewer miles in March than February, even with 3 more days.  Blame it on weather, travel and work.  

I did add hikes in Louisianna, so I've hiked in 6 states over the past 3 months (IL, LA, MO, OH, PA, VA). Not that it means anything, but I think it is cool.  I'll be pleasantly surprised if I make a dozen for the year, 10 is probably more realistic.  

 I did continue to lengthen my hikes, my average for March was 2.0, up from 1.8 in February and 1.4 in January.  I tried to be better about posting to the Weekend Adventurer Facebook group, but still pretty spotty. 

Looks like I only posted 3 shots of my badge, I need to be better about that!

Color or Black and White: Owens Creek Waterfall

Owens Creek Waterfall is at mile 52.4 of the Natchez Trace Parkway, about an hour from the SW terminus (at Natchez, MS).  Very cool spot, although the creek was a little slow.  I took this photo in color, but with black and white in mind.  Both images are tweaked in a hotel room, on my iPad, using Snapseed editing ap.  The original photo is from my Fujifilm X-T4,  Zoom was at 18mm (27mm equivalent).

So, what do you think?

- - -

- - -

1973 In Music - March's Almost Made the Charts

Continuing my look at songs that dropped off the charts during the month, but never made the Top 40.  And for the March, I counted 25.  Accounting for the 5 week month, that's pretty consistent with January and February.

Here they are, with peak position noted:

• Rosalie - Sam Neely - 43
• Today I Started Loving You Again - Bettye Swann - 46
• The Message - Cymande - 48
• Keep On Singing - Austin Roberts - 50
• Control Of Me - Les Emmerson - 51
• Follow Your Daughter Home - The Guess Who - 61
• Lost Horizon - Shawn Phillips - 63
• Palace Guard - Rick Nelson And The Stone Canyon Band - 65
• One Man Parade - James Taylor - 67
• Happy - Bobby Darin - 67
• How Can I Tell You - Travis Wammack - 68
• Boo, Boo, Don't 'Cha Be Blue - Tommy James - 70
• Bell Bottom Blues * - Eric Clapton - 78
• Don't Burn Me - Paul Kelly - 79
• Good Morning - Michael Redway - 85
• Girl You Need A Change Of Mind (Part 1) - Eddie Kendricks - 87
• Names, Tags, Numbers and Labels - The Association - 91
• Stop, Wait and Listen - Circus - 91
• Breaking Up Somebody's Home - Albert King - 91
• Rosanna - Dennis Yost And The Classics IV - 95
• We Did It - Syl Johnson - 95
• Love Music - The Raiders - 97
• Tossin' And Turnin' - Bunny Sigler - 97
• If It's All Right With You - Dottie West - 97
• She's Got To Be A Saint - Ray Price - 98

Interestingly, I only know (and have) tow songs of this list.  Note that this was Bell Bottom Blues's second release as a single, neither of which cracked the Top 40.

Concert Review - Jim Messina at The Wildey

 

Last Thursday & Friday, Jim Messina played at the Wildey Theater in Edwardsville, IL.  Our first show in 2023, but a good one!    

Jim Messina is one of the big names of 1970's music.  As explained by wikipedia:  he "is an American musician, songwriter, singer, guitarist, recording engineer, and record producer. He was a member of the folk rock group Buffalo Springfield, a founding member of the pioneering country rock band Poco, and half of the soft rock duo Loggins and Messina."  When I saw (in January) that he was coming to the Wildey, we jumped and got tickets:  5th row, on the aisle.  Of course, there are no bad seats at the Wildey, but 5th rows is especially good.

We started the evening with a great dinner at the Foundry just a short walk down Main Street.  And we even had a break in the rain (down to a misty drizzle) for the walk to the tjeater.  This my only my 2nd time to the Foundry, but we'll be doing it again!

There was no support act, just Jim Messina and his band. And the band was outstanding:  Steve Nieves on Saxophone, Woodwinds and Percussion,  Jim Frazier on Keyboards, Ben King on Bass and  Jack Bruno on Drums.  A really tight band, and they provided a full sound without overwhelming the music.  Top marks!

They played 2 full sets, with a short break between, and then 2 encores.  Messina played mostly acoustic guitar in the first set, and mostly electric in the second.  Butthe full band played the whole All of it was wonderful, but my favorites were "You Better Think Twice" and "Angry Eyes".  After the show I managed to snag a photo of the setlist, you can see it at Setlist.fm.  

  While there was a mech table (I picked up a signed copy of 2017's In The Groove), he didn't do a meet and greet.  Rather he came out after the set and did a Q&A with whoever chose to stay around.  Since the Wilsey is only 330 or so seats, it was a manageable group that stuck around, and the session was a real highpoint.  Jim Messina answered questions for about 40 minutes.  

Here's some phone photos I took during the show:

The Best Camera?

I've long been a proponent of the adage "The best camera is the one you have with you".  And I still am.  HOWEVER, that doesn't quite mean that the camera you have with you is necessarily the best camera...  

Case in point: I recently made a late afternoon walk at Watershed Nature Center.  Given the time, and the weather, and my mood, I decided to NOT plan on photography, and didn't take one of my "real" cameras.  Naturally, I came across this Hawk hanging out in one of the small trees just offthe trai:

If I had my Fujifilm with my 55-200mm lens (78-300mm equivalent) I might've managed a decent photo.  If I owned a longer lens, it would've been even better.  But I don't own a longer lens, and my telephoto was safe at home.  So I pulled out my phone  as quietly as I could and took a photo with that.  You can see it above, the Hawk is the spot in the middle.

Using lots of cropping, you can at least tell it is a hawk:

-----

I tried to inch quietly closer, but the hawk almost immediately took off, flying parallel to my position.  I took 2 more phone shots, only one of which fired before the hawk was obscured by tree branches. Below is a crop and an extreme crop of that photo:

-----

 Oh well, huh?  So the camera a had with me (phone) was certainly better than no camera, but dramatically worse than my idea camera.  Which still wasn't as good as options outside my budget.

Chickadee

 

Carolina or Black-Capped?  Or Hybrid?  According to the internet, the easiest way to differentiate is where you live, but we're right on the line.  One of my aps says Carolina, the other says one or the other.  In digging around the internet, I couldn't find any photos of either with the distinctive stripes this one has across the shoulders.  I also like the white :eyelashes" ..

Any bird experts out there?