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'Why do you keep pressing our buttons?'

Broadcast Date: Dec. 31, 1997

"Why do you keep pressing our buttons?" That's the question foremost on Pamela Wallin's mind in this CBC Television clip as she sits down to interview the singer. Though he's penned hundreds of songs that are emblazoned in the Canadian conscience, Lightfoot attributes his success to his live performances. "We have a really sincere attitude towards touring and doing concerts," says an almost bashful Lightfoot. "We spend a lot of time working on it and being in a state of readiness to do that."

'Why do you keep pressing our buttons?'

• Although he's played venues all across Canada and the United States, Lightfoot is most famous for his annual multi-night stand every November at Toronto's Massey Hall.

• Lightfoot had just completed recording songs for A Painter Passing Through (1998) when he sat down for this interview with Pamela Wallin. It was his first new studio effort in five years, and contained eight original songs and two covers, including a rendition of Ian Tyson's Red Velvet. Asked by Wallin what it felt like to be releasing his 19th original album, Lightfoot simply commented, "It surprises me quite a bit."

'Why do you keep pressing our buttons?'

Medium: Television

Program: Pamela Wallin

Broadcast Date: Dec. 31, 1997

Guest(s): Gordon Lightfoot

Host: Pamela Wallin

Duration: 7:35

Last updated:
March 5, 2008