20150425 195603 Gordon Lightfoot The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald - Scott Jeffers - Desert Daves

"The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" is a song written, composed and performed by the Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot to commemorate the sinking of the bulk carrier SS Edmund Fitzgerald on Lake Superior on November 10, 1975. Lightfoot drew his inspiration from Newsweek‍‍ '​‍s article on the event, "The Cruelest Month," which it published in its November 24, 1975, issue.[1] Lightfoot considers this song to be his finest work.[2] The ballad originally appeared on Lightfoot's 1976 album, Summertime Dream, and he later released it as a single. The release hit #1 in his native Canada (on the RPM national singles survey) on November 20, 1976, almost exactly one year after the appearance of the article that inspired it.[3] In the United States, the single hit #1 in Cashbox and #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making it Lightfoot's second-most-successful single behind "Sundown". "Edmund Fitzgerald" peaked at #40 in the UK Singles Chart. The song contains a few artistic omissions and paraphrases. In a later interview aired on Canadian commercial radio, Lightfoot recounted how he had agonised, while trying to pen the lyrics, over possible inaccuracies until Lenny Waronker, his long-time producer and friend, finally removed his writer's block simply by advising him to play to his artistic strengths and "just tell a story". On the other hand, Lightfoot's personal passion for recreational sailing on the Great Lakes[5] informs his ballad's verses throughout, thus amplifying its ring of authenticity. According to the song, the Fitzgerald was bound "fully loaded for Cleveland". In fact she was heading for Detroit, there to discharge her cargo of taconite iron ore pellets before docking in Cleveland for the winter.[6] Capt. Ernest McSorley had stated in his last radio transmission before the boat sank that they were "holding our own." What the cook or any other crew member did or did not say will never be known; however, it is customary for folk music to include artistic renderings of a crew's final moments or speech, especially if it is unknown. Furthermore, it is doubtful if under the actual conditions of the gale, neighbouring vessels would have been able to render any real assistance if the ship was heard calling for help—or if the Edmund Fitzgerald managed to send out an SOS at all. The "old cook" in the song was actually a replacement for this particular voyage, as the normal cook was too ill to make this trip. Lightfoot refers to Mariners' Church of Detroit as "The Maritime Sailors' Cathedral" in the lyrics. Lightfoot says that the bell was rung 29 times, once for each crew member aboard the ship. Internet sources often incorrectly claim that the bell was also rung once more in honour of all people who had lost their lives at sea, for a total of 30 times. Reverend Richard W. Ingalls, Sr., rector of Mariners' Church, tolled the bell 29 times, not 30.[7][8] The practice of tolling a bell a 30th time for all lives lost at sea began in November 10 memorial services following 1975. In a later live recording, Lightfoot recounts that a parishioner of the church informed him that the church is not "musty." From that time, instead of singing "In a musty old hall...", he now sings "In a rustic old hall..."[9] In March 2010, Lightfoot changed a line during live performances to reflect new findings that there was no crew error involved in the sinking. The line originally read, "At 7 p.m. a main hatchway caved in; he said..."; it is now sung as "At 7 p.m. it grew dark, it was then he said...". Lightfoot learned of the new research when contacted for permission to use his song for a History Channel documentary that aired on March 31, 2010. Lightfoot has stated that he has no intention of changing the copyrighted lyrics; he will instead, from now on, simply sing the new ones in live performances.[10] Please show your support and visit the Traveler online store at http://travelerworldmusic.com/travele... for a copy of their many albums. Please like this video in your support of it remaining on youtube. Also, subscribe to this channel for more upcoming videos. Thanks for watching! Scott Jeffers-Vocals, Violin, Guitar Video and editing: Doris O'Neil