Originally posted by DW58 .
Gordon said that his record company wasn't going to release that song because they told him it "was too long to be a single". So he shortened the instrumental part by 2 minutes, and of course it was then released as a single.
In concert he does the full length version of Edmund Fitzgerald.
3 of the 4 backing musicians at the concert last night played on the original recording with Lightfoot.
To hear it live, from my front row seat was an almost out of body experience. Lots of the folks in the audience here in northern Wisconsin have had their own person experiences on Lake Superior to draw from too.