The Big Announcement
SO, WHO IS THIS NEW GUY IN THE LIGHTFOOT BAND?
Perhaps the introduction should be in his own words:
Greetings, I am Andy Mauck, the luckiest guy in the world. Here’s why……..
In 1970, I heard “If You Could Read My Mind” on the radio. It grabbed my attention, more than any other music I had heard. Of course, the voice was a big part of it, but the melody, the story, and the way it SOUNDED were all just different. A classmate of mine who was already an advanced guitarist and great musician (and dear friend to this day), pointed out how special the arrangements were—the guitar licks, the bass notes, the “color” of the instruments. I started listening to all music differently from then on. And Gordon Lightfoot’s music was my gold standard—and has been ever since. I came to understand how important the arrangements are to the impact of a song; how important the taste level and the ability of the backing musicians are to creating “the sound” of any artist’s music. Gord was very fortunate to have found these guys. He wrote great songs that, all on their own, are outstanding. But the guys in his band were the perfect artists to add the “color and texture” that made those great songs so memorable. They became my musical “idols”. They still are.
As luck would have it, I had a chance to meet Gord and the guys in 1976. It was a nice, after show gathering, and I was thrilled. A year later, I saw them again—and Gord and Terry remembered me! So, I was invited backstage after the show, and it was then that my friendship with them began. My “idols” became my friends. And now, it is the honor of my life, (next to my wife saying “yes”), to have been asked to join them in keeping Gord’s music alive on stage for his fans all over the world.
For years I have been playing Lightfoot songs. I can play over 150 of them—so I know the catalog. I eventually grew up and became an entrepreneur in vehicle manufacturing, but my passion has always been music. More recently, I was playing solo in bars with a heavy mix of GL tunes—a rarity. And, evidently, well enough that I became know as “The Lightfoot Guy” around town (Punta Gorda, Florida). To now be playing those songs with the original band- my friends and my musical idols- is the most meaningful and fulfilling way possible for me to honor Gord’s music.