thebestmusicyouhaveneverheard

Welcome to day two of our multi-day Canada Day music celebration.  Today we will highlight a group called Lighthouse.

In the late 1960’s and early 1970’s bands with large horn sections were huge ( think Blood, Sweat, and Tears, Chicago, The Ides Of March, etc.)  Canada had its own horn driven band named Lighthouse and they were actually my favorites for this genre of music.

Lighthouse was formed in Toronto in 1968 but I really didn’t get into them until their 1971 album named One Fine Morning.  I absolutely feel in love with the title song from that album.  Let’s listen……

What an amazing song.

Lighthouse followed up One Fine Morning with a 1972 double album live set recorded at Carnegie Hall.  Here is a cut from that album called Old Man that really gives you a sense of of their musical chops.

Their next studio album, Sunny Days, was also released in 1972.  This album features some really fine music, including my favorite track called Broken Guitar Blues.  I think you will like it…..

Lighthouse and I drifted apart after Sunny Days.  The group broke up in the mid-1970s after producing a couple more studio albums.  I understand that a version of the band regrouped in the 1990s and still performs live.

Before we end this post, I want to leave you with one interesting footnote about Lighthouse.  The band’s original alto sax player was Howard Shore and he went on to do great things after his time with Lighthouse.  He was a long time musical director on the Saturday Night Live Show in the 70s and went on to became a composer of film scores.  He is probably best know as the composer of the music for the Lord of the Rings trilogy for which he won three Academy awards.