Gordon’s voice was a constant when I was growing up in the Seventies. In my opinion, he was the leading artist towards the formation of Adult Contemporary as a radio format. Sure you’d hear him on Pop stations (WLS, WGN, WCVS), yet he didn’t “rock” enough to be played on AOR alongside James Taylor.
It was quite a surprise in how “If You Could Read My Mind,” could be remixed into a Disco song in the movie 54. Sure, Joe DeRosa mocks it as a demonstration on how gay men also have bad taste contrary to reality shows fixing heterosexual dudes’ wardrobes. If you need to ask, it’s Viola Wills who did the best version.
Not sure why they chose Gordon to be Kevin French’s favorite artist in Mission Hill. I will have to ask Bill Oakley on this. My immediate hypothesis is to show there was a fan in the Nineties who liked Gordon sans irony while many of my Gen X peers did.
Farewell Gordon! You will be missed throughout the world, not just Canada.