GORDON LIGHTFOOT (1938 - 2023)

Gordon Lightfoot, the Canadian folk-rock musician who had a string of hits throughout the 1970's, has passed away on May 1st at the age of eighty-four. The singer-songwriter has been credited with helping to bring folk music to the pop charts, influencing many artists who would later cover his music.

Born in Orillia, Ontario, Lightfoot began singing in his church as a child, learning to sing with emotion and confidence by his choirmaster. As a boy soprano, he would perform at local operas and music festivals. After taking piano lessons, Lightfoot would teach himself how to play the drums and guitar. In 1958, Lightfoot attended college at Westlake College of Music in Los Angeles to study jazz composition. While in LA, he got involved in the folk music scene that was emerging but after two years, Lightfoot returned to Canada, settling in Toronto.

He began to get his career in motion, making his name in local coffee houses and performing with the country music band, the Singin' Swingin' Eight. This led to Lightfoot getting signed with RCA Records in 1962 and releasing two singles with both receiving significant airplay throughout Canada. Lightfoot worked several folk music festivals until he was able to release his debut album, "Lightfoot!" in 1966 with United Artists Records. This collection highlighted his gift as a singer and songwriter, making him a big name in Canada and bringing him attention elsewhere.

Unhappy with his current label, Lightfoot signed with Warner Bros./Reprise Records in 1970. He would breakthrough with the international hit, "If You Could Read My Mind" from his fifth studio album, originally titled "Sit Down Young Stranger" but later renamed after this single. This would begin a run of successful albums and popular songs which include "Beautiful", "Sundown" (Lightfoot's only number one hit in the US), "Carefree Highway", "Rainy Day People" and "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald". In 1972, Lightfoot contracted Bell's Palsy which left his face partially paralyzed and while it did slow down his touring schedule, this did not prevent him from creating music.

By the 1980's, Lightfoot was no longer a fixture on the pop charts, but he continued to make memorable music up until the late '90's. At the turn of new century, more health issues plagued Lightfoot which included an abdominal aortic aneurysm, a stroke and alcoholism. And while Lightfoot was slowed down, he would recover, managing to return to the stage and record music. His last tour was in 2019 and he released an album, "Solo", Lightfoot's twenty-first, the following year. And Lightfoot was the subject of a 2019 documentary, "Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind".

THE 50 BEST MUSIC DOCUMENTARIES OF ALL TIME

Music has always played an important part in cinema since the very beginning of the industry. The early films were silent but were accompanied by a pianist or even, in some large cities, a small orchestra in theaters. When recorded, synchronized sound began in 1927, it was a game-charger for the movies and the first sound feature film released, "The Jazz Singer" was, not surprisingly, a musical.

Over time, documentaries were made about music and the gifted artists who created these sounds. In recent years, this has exploded with a large number of movies about musicians, well-known, obscure or forgotten, in all genres have been filling cinemas and streaming channels.

Vulture has put together a list of fifty of what they consider to be the best music documentaries of all time. First putting these selections together in 2015, they have updated this listing to include recent releases. These movies (which include a few concert films) are all important and fascinating documents. There are films which deeply explore what has made many of these popular musicians so vital; highlight professionals who had assisted singers and musicians with their careers and reveal talented artists who never had a real opportunity to shine in their lifetime yet remain highly influential.

Click below to read the article:

The 50 Best Music Documentaries of All-Time

2023 NATIONAL RECORDING REGISTRY

The National Recording Registry has just selected the latest twenty-five sound recordings inducted with the goal each year to highlight what it calls "the range and diversity of the American recorded sound heritage". The Registry is an extension of the passage by Congress in 2000 of the National Recording Preservation Act. Since 2002, the Library of Congress oversees the selection of 25 recordings, which must be at least 10 years old at the time of induction, and deemed "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant". This latest group brings the total number of recordings in the registry to 625.

Some of the selections this year include the breakthrough (and then highly controversial) album by Madonna, "Like a Virgin"; "Imagine", the inspirational anthem by the late, former Beatle, John Lennon; the debut album by hip-hop artist, Queen Latifah, "All Hail the Queen"; "Margaritaville", the laid back ode to the cocktail from Jimmy Buffett; Daddy Yankee’s reggaeton explosion, "Gasolina"; "Wang Dang Doodle", the first big hit from "The Queen of the Blues", Koko Taylor; "Stairway to Heaven", the lengthy, innovative rock classic that progressively shifts in tempo and volume from the blues-rock band, Led Zeppelin; the first recording of one of Bacharach-David's legendary pop songs, "What the World Needs Now Is Love" by Jackie DeShannon; the video game sound of "Super Mario Bros." and Mariah Carey's now traditional holiday song, "All I Want For Christmas".

Here is the complete list of the twenty-five selections entered into the 2023 Recording Registry:

"The Very First Mariachi Recordings" — Cuarteto Coculense (1908-1909)
"St. Louis Blues" (single) — Handy’s Memphis Blues Band (1922)
"Sugar Foot Stomp" — Fletcher Henderson (1926)
"Dorothy Thompson: Commentary and Analysis of the European Situation" for NBC Radio (Aug. 23-Sept. 6, 1939)
"Don’t Let Nobody Turn You Around" (single) — The Fairfield Four (1947)



"What the World Needs Now is Love" (single) — Jackie DeShannon (1965)



"Wang Dang Doodle" (single) — Koko Taylor (1966)



"Sherry" (single) — The Four Seasons (1962)



"Ode to Billie Joe" (single) — Bobbie Gentry (1967)



"Déjà Vu" (album) — Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young (1970)
"Imagine" (single) — John Lennon (1971)
"Stairway to Heaven" (single) — Led Zeppelin (1971)



"Take Me Home, Country Roads" (single) — John Denver (1971)



"Margaritaville" (single) — Jimmy Buffett (1977)
"Flashdance. . .What a Feeling" (single) — Irene Cara (1983)
"Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" (single) — Eurythmics (1983)
"Synchronicity" (album) — The Police (1983)



"Black Codes (From the Underground)" (album) — Wynton Marsalis (1985)
"Super Mario Bros. theme" — Koji Kondo, composer (1986)



"Like a Virgin" (album) — Madonna (1984)
"All Hail the Queen" (album) — Queen Latifah (1989)



"All I Want for Christmas is You" (single) — Mariah Carey (1994)
"Pale Blue Dot" — Carl Sagan (1994)
"Gasolina" (single) — Daddy Yankee (2004)



"Concerto for Clarinet and Chamber Orchestra" — Northwest Chamber Orchestra, Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, composer (2012)

NEW SOUNDS

BELINDA CARLISLE

It's been almost three years since The Go-Go's, the first commercially successful all-female rock band, were finally inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. And its been almost twenty-seven years since the group's lead singer, Belinda Carlisle, who went on to have her own popular career as a solo artist after the Go-Go's broke-up for the first time, has released a collection of new pop music. Although she had previously recorded an album of classic French-language standards in 2007 and a collection of Sikh chants ten years later, Carlisle has teamed up with legendary songwriter, Diane Warren, who had written one of her early solo hits "I Get Weak", to work on this recent musical venture. The now sixty-four year old vocalist has previewed the first single from the upcoming EP, "Kismet" due out on May. "Big Big Love" is one of five songs written by Warren and produced by Carlisle's long time collaborator, Gabe Lopez. Carlisle had never planned on recording another pop album but a chance encounter lead to Warren proposing a song which lead to this album. This project went so well that Carlisle plans to record a new studio album.



ALISON GOLDFRAPP

Alison Goldfrapp first came together with Will Gregory to form a band way back in 1999. Taking on her surname as their group's name, Goldfrapp first found success by merging shimmering glam rock with throbbing electro beats. As time went on, the British duo shifted their sound, experimenting with ambient music and trip hop. Now after seven albums as part of a band, Alison Goldfrapp is branching out to release her very first solo album. "The Love Invention" (which will be out in May) began during the pandemic with Goldfrapp forced to think about creating music independently. With production assistance by Richard X and James Greenwood, the fifty-six year old musician has released the first single, "So Hard So Hot", a dynamic electronic track that moves us on to a different side of the dance floor yet doesn't stray too far from what she is best known for.

RANDOM SIGHTS + SOUNDS

After her last venture into '80's synth-pop and hard rock and roll with "Plastic Hearts", Miley Cyrus is back with "Endless Summer Vacation", a new collection that falls more into contemporary dance-pop and mellow rock. Cyrus has teamed up with some of today's top hitmakers on this album, collaborating with Greg Kurstin, Justin Tranter, Tobias Jesso Jr. (who won the very first Grammy Award for Songwriter of the Year last month), Mike Will Made It, Sia and Kid Harpoon, the British musician who handled much of the album's production, crafting an album that is an ode to the city of LA with contrasting musical styles that surprisingly work well together. There are guest artists on board as well with Sia, who provides vocals on "Muddy Feet", and Brandi Carlile is featured on "Thousand Miles". Following the first hit single, "Flowers", this latest album from the thirty year old Cyrus has proven to put even more distance between her early days as a perky, Disney pop-star and effectively displays her growth and maturity as a serious musical artist.

Sparks, the art-rock band made-up of the Mael brothers, Russell on vocals and Ron on keyboards, have been making music together professionally since 1970. Their sound is a quirky blend of various pop music elements and caustic lyrics. The duo has released the title track of their upcoming twenty-sixth (!!) studio album, "The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte", due out in May with Sparks returning to a major label, Island Records. But it's the music video of this song that has drawn a lot of attention due to the star in the clip. Meeting her at France's César Awards last year, the Maels asked Cate Blanchett to appear in the video and she happily agreed, showing off her dancing skills in the process. Sparks will be hitting the road beginning this summer with an extensive world tour which includes a stop at the Hollywood Bowl in their hometown of Los Angeles.



Here is a spotlight on some new songs that I like from Usher (which is giving a Prince vibe), Róisín Murphy, Mae Stephens and the rally calls of the pretty people from Big Boss Vette and Soulja Boy Tell'em:

And finally, I would like to pay tribute to Bobby Caldwell, the r&b musician who passed away on March 14th at the age of seventy-one. He is best remembered for the 1978 ballad, "What You Won't Do for Love" which has gone on to become an enduring classic. But what was not popularly known at the time, largely because it was never actually publicized and Caldwell was not prominently featured on his first album cover, is that the singer behind this soulful song was actually White. Born in New York but raised in Miami, Caldwell was exposed to a variety of soul and Carribean music which would greatly influence his style when he would turn to becoming a professional musician. His first break came playing rhythm guitar on tour for Little Richard in the early '70's. Caldwell later went on to pursue a solo career, eventually signing with TK Records. As they were a r&b label, his self-titled debut was released with an artist rendering that didn't reveal his face, hoping not to alienate their African-American audience. But they had nothing to worry about as the song (which Caldwell co-wrote with Alfons Kettner) was warmly embraced, reaching number six on the r&b chart and cracking the top-ten on the pop chart. "What You Won't Do" went on to be covered and sampled by many artists over the following years, increasing the popularity of the original version. This would be Caldwell's only significant hit as an artist but would go on to write songs for other musicians, most notably "The Next Time I Fall", a hit for Peter Cetera and Amy Grant in 1986.

2023 OSCAR NOMINEES FOR BEST ORIGINAL SONG

In a matter of days, one of these five songs will receive this year's Oscar for Best Original Song, an eclectic bunch of compositions that adds some real intrigue to this category. There are a couple of nominees that created music for two of the biggest box-office hits of 2022 who also happen to be two of today's greatest pop superstars. Lady Gaga contributed the '80's styled, power-ballad, "Hold My Hand" to the long-awaited sequel, "Top Gun: Maverick" which displayed Tom Cruise still has a need for speed. After a few years away from working on new music, Rihanna returned with a mournful ballad for the soundtrack to "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" with the director, Ryan Coogler also nominated for co-writing the song. The teaming of the idiosyncratic artists, David Byrne, Mitski and Ryan Lott of the band, Son Lux was the perfect combination to come up with, "This is a Life" for the absurdist comedy-fantasy, "Everything Everywhere All at Once". Lott along with bandmates, Ian Chang, and Rafiq Bhatia were also recognized for creating the original music score for the film. I'm still shocked that the only nomination that the epic Indian action drama, "RRR" received was for the song, "Naatu Naatu", a Telugu-language song that was used in the high-energy dance sequence which is one of many highlights in this movie. And Diane Warren received her fourteenth nomination for the ballad, "Applause" from the little-seen, anthology film, "Tell It like a Woman". I'm afraid to say Warren will probably have to continue enjoying the Honorary Oscar she received last year.

As for the winner, I think it could be Gaga's "Hold My Hand" if the Academy is feeling safe but the more adventurous "Naatu Naatu" would be the more thrilling selection. Here are the five nominated songs to hear and judge for yourself:

"Applause" from "Tell It like a Woman" - (Music and Lyric by Diane Warren)



"Hold My Hand" from "Top Gun: Maverick" - (Music and Lyric by Lady Gaga and BloodPop)



"Lift Me Up" from "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" - (Music by Tems, Rihanna, Ryan Coogler and Ludwig Goransson; Lyric by Tems and Ryan Coogler)



"Naatu Naatu" from "RRR" - (Music by M.M. Keeravaani; Lyric by Chandrabose)



"This Is A Life" from "Everything Everywhere All at Once" - (Music by Ryan Lott, David Byrne and Mitski; Lyric by Ryan Lott and David Byrne)

NEW SOUNDS

JANELLE MONAE

After spending some time working in front of the camera, appearing as an actor in several movies including "Glass Onion", the recent hit sequel to "Knives Out", Janelle Monáe has returned to what first brought her attention: music. A new song, "Float" is the first studio venture from the queer, Afrofuturistic artist since her third album, "Dirty Computer" in 2018. Using Muhammed Ali's amusing riff, "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee" as a starting point, this uplifting song takes on rising above challenges and not allowing anybody to get you down. And if the track sounds a bit familiar, that's because a snippet of "Float" (which features horns by Nigerian musician, Seun Kuti and Egypt 80) had been used for NBA promos on ESPN. This seems like just the beginning with more music on the horizon from Monáe.

KELELA

It has been almost seven years since the alt-r&b chanteuse, Kelela released her debut album, "Take Me Apart", a progressive collection that combined electronic beats and classic soul to create a shimmering futuristic sound. Now the follow-up to that critically acclaimed album has arrived. The Ethiopian-American performer, born Kelela Mizanekristos, had dabbled in jazz and heavy metal before settling into neo-soul and with "Raven", she has continued on her innovative journey into beat-driven funky jams and pulsating, sensual ballads yet this adventurously stylish record also dives further into intimate reflections. The openly queer artist had been vocal about her concerns regarding Black women in entertainment, particularly feeling isolated working in dance music, with the songs focused more on personal relationships and identity than on the previous album.