Sit Down Young Stranger

Sit Down Young Stranger is Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot's sixth original album and also his best-selling original album. It was released in 1970 on the Reprise Records label. The album was renamed If You Could Read My Mind shortly after release, after the song of that title reached number 1 on the RPM Top Singles chart in Canada and number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US. The album itself reached #12 on the Billboard 200 chart.

History

Sit Down Young Stranger was Lightfoot's first recording for his new label, Reprise Records. He had left United Artists because he believed they did not promote his albums well enough.

On this album, Lightfoot included more orchestration, which is particularly evident on "If You Could Read My Mind". It was also the first studio album to feature long-time Lightfoot bassist Rick Haynes. The orchestration on "Minstrel of the Dawn" and "Approaching Lavender" was arranged by Randy Newman.

The album contained one of the first recorded versions of Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster's "Me and Bobby McGee" which had previously been a country hit for Roger Miller and would later become a hit for Janis Joplin.

A small number of vinyl copies of the album contain no title on the front cover. This is because the cover was originally supposed to be just a picture of Lightfoot, but it was then thought that stating the title would increase the album's sales. The untitled copies did have a small sticker on the cellophane wrap bearing the album's title.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	^[1]

In his Allmusic review, critic Jim Newsom praised the album, writing "While future albums would begin to drift away from the folky acoustic timbres of this one, the beauty and simplicity of Sit Down Young Stranger make it a timeless recording."^[1]

Track listing

All compositions by Gordon Lightfoot; except where indicated

"Minstrel of the Dawn" – 3:26
"Me and Bobby McGee" – 3:38 (Kris Kristofferson, Fred Foster)
"Approaching Lavender" – 2:56
"Saturday Clothes" – 3:20
"Cobwebs & Dust" – 3:20
"Poor Little Allison" – 2:30
"Sit Down Young Stranger" – 3:26
"If You Could Read My Mind" – 3:48
"Baby It's Alright" – 2:58
"Your Love's Return (Song for Stephen Foster)" – 3:55
"The Pony Man" – 3:27

Personnel

Gordon Lightfoot - Guitar, Piano, Vocals
Red Shea - Guitar
Ry Cooder - Guitar, Mandolin
Rick Haynes - Bass
Van Dyke Parks - Harmonium
John Sebastian - Guitar, Harmonica
Nick DeCaro - String arrangements
Randy Newman - String arrangement on "Minstrel of the Dawn" and "Approaching Lavender"
Kris Kristofferson was rumored to have provided harmony vocals on "Me and Bobby McGee".

References

1 2 Newsom, Jim. "Sit Down Young Stranger > Review". Allmusic. Retrieved November 7, 2011.

External links

Album lyrics and chords

Gordon Lightfoot

Band musicians	Rick Haynes Barry Keane Mike Heffernan Carter Lancaster

Former members	Red Shea John Stockfish Terry Clements Pee Wee Charles

Albums	Lightfoot! (1966) The Way I Feel (1967) Did She Mention My Name? (1968) Back Here on Earth (1968) Sunday Concert (live) (1969) Sit Down Young Stranger (1970) Summer Side of Life (1971) Don Quixote (1972) Old Dan's Records (1972) Sundown (1974) Cold on the Shoulder (1975) Summertime Dream (1976) Endless Wire (1978) Dream Street Rose (1980) Shadows (1982) Salute (1983) East of Midnight (1986) Waiting for You (1993) A Painter Passing Through (1998) Harmony (2004) All Live (live) (2012)

Compilations	Early Lightfoot (1969) The Best of Gordon Lightfoot (1970) Classic Lightfoot (1971) The Very Best of Gordon Lightfoot (1974) The Very Best of Gordon Lightfoot, Vol. 2 (1975) Gord's Gold (1975) Early Morning Rain (1976) Songbook (1985) Gord's Gold Volume 2 (1988) The Best of Gordon Lightfoot (1989) The Original Lightfoot (1992) The United Artists Collection (1993) Songbook (1999) Complete Greatest Hits (2002)

Singles	"(Remember Me) I'm the One" (1962) "It's Too Late, He Wins/Negotiations" (1962) "Adios, Adios" (1962) "Day Before Yesterday" (1963) "I'm Not Sayin'" (1965) "Ribbon of Darkness" (1965) "Spin Spin" (1966) "Go Go Round" (1966) "The Way I Feel" (1967) "Canadian Railroad Trilogy" (1967) "Black Day in July" (1968) "Bitter Green" (1968) "Me and Bobby McGee" (1970) "If You Could Read My Mind" (1970) "If I Could" (1971) "Talking in Your Sleep" (1971) "Summer Side of Life" (1971) "Beautiful" (1972) "Alberta Bound" (1972) "You Are What I Am" (1972) "The Same Old Obsession" (1972) "Can't Depend on Love" (1973) "It's Worth Believin'" (1973) "Sundown" (1974) "Carefree Highway" (1974) "Rainy Day People" (1975) "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" (1976) "Race Among the Ruins" (1976) "The Circle Is Small (I Can See It in Your Eyes)" (1977) "Daylight Katy" (1978) "Dreamland" (1978) "Dream Street Rose" (1980) "If You Need Me" (1980) "Baby Step Back" (1981) "Blackberry Wine" (1982) "In My Fashion" (1982) "Salute (A Lot More Livin' to Do)" (1983) "Without You" (1983) "Anything for Love" (1986) "Stay Loose" (1986) "East of Midnight" (1987) "Ecstasy Made Easy" (1987) "I'll Prove My Love" (1993) "Waiting for You" (1993) "A Painter Passing Through" (1998) "Inspiration Lady" (2004)

Related articles	Discography Beautiful: A Tribute to Gordon Lightfoot

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