Leon Russell and Friends live in studio 1970

[Strays Dave]

I just stumbled on this December 1970 in studio concert called the Homewood Session. Besides some nice music, it's also a slight glimpse into some L.A. hippie vibe circa 1970. Interesting to see one of the backup singers holding a cigarette while singing - not uncommon at the time.

 

Also some nice shots here and there of Leon's piano playing.

 

[video:youtube]

[area51recording]

"Unrehearsed and spontaneal".....I'm totally stealing that....

[Ken Beaumont]

Rolling pin lady cracked me up around 39:00!

[jahfume]

 

Thanks for that blast from the past.

 

Righteous stuff!

 

I saw a movie documentary a while back about Leon.It had been lost and in the can for forty years or so but the intensity of the music in this vid was something else.

[Docbop]

Brings back so many great memories. I met Leon back then and worked with some of that Delaney & Bonnie and Oklahoma crowd. Great time in music.

[zxcvbnm098]

Leon was all of 28 when this was recorded. Damn, the guy was a great player, singer and writer.

 

The rolling pin lady is Emily, as in his tune "Sweet Emily". She was a Tulsa fixture and longtime friend and supporter of the Tulsa musicians that all came up around Leon. And that was Don Nix doing percussion and singing lead on the one tune, another great musician.

 

What a wonderful snapshot in time..

[Strays Dave]

 

I found a little info on Sweet Emily(linked below). I noticed the backup singer (red dress) behind Sweet Emily. She seems to be singing into a dead microphone. You can see her - but not hear her - wailing fills between musical phrases.

 

http://oklahomarock.com/sweet-emily-smith-dead-at-69/

[bennyray]

Very refreshing to hear music that is not overly processed so much. I saw him several times back in the day.

[Strays Dave]

Delaney and Bonnie's "Motel Shot" album was acoustic and featured Leon Russell and Eric Clapton. This album along with the Joe Cocker's "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" were my initial exposure to Leon. I loved his style on piano. I never could appreciate his singing, but for me his strength was as a wizard behind the curtain. Both as a studio player and a talented songwriter.

 

Motel Shot:

https://smile.amazon.com/Motel-Shot-DELANEY-BONNIE-FRIENDS/dp/B00C2WF8CE/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=delaney+and+bonnie+Motel+Shot&qid=1557497504&s=gateway&sr=8-3

[Doug Robinson]

So much '70s music had such great spirit and energy. Imagine if Lee Michaels had joined this group for a number or two.

 

I also got a kick out f the drummer pounding away with his left hand in traditional grip. Impressive!

 

[Rustar]

Leon epitomized natural born cool.

[Threadslayer]

Thanks so much for posting that Dave. Just awesome.

I've got to get back to work on that time machine thingy...

I sometimes forget what a fun time that was to be alive.

[jahfume]

 

Info about the rockumentary "A Poem is a Naked Person":

 

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/7bdkxa/les-blanks-leon-russell-masterpiece-finally-makes-its-way-into-the-world-40-years-later-555

 

 

"Russell wasn't just a talented musician; he embodied the open-mindedness, eclecticism, and steadfast conviction that so many artists strive to capture.​"

 

A good read.

 

Now Im gonna hunt down Leon's 1972 album "Leon Russel Live"

 

 

[zxcvbnm098]

Leon's induction from Elton to the RR Hall of Fame is pretty touching, and worth watching:

 

 

 

[ChiefDanG]

I had seen bits and pieces of this before, but never in its entirety til now. Thanks for posting.

I've had the audio for Delta Lady, complete with the false starts, for years on my computer under the title Emily Bakes a Cake.

It does look like Kathi MacDonalds mic is off, but she probably filled the studio anyway with her powerful voice. Claudia Linnear was another powerhouse and a joy to behold. Interesting there's no bassist. The B3 player was playing LH bass on something - anyone tell what that was?

[jahfume]

 

More live goodies from the vault.

 

Leon with The New Grass Revival from 1980 (Sam Bush on mandolin y'all!)

 

The solo rendition of A Song for You at 50.52 secs had me in tears;

 

 

 

[Strays Dave]

I had seen bits and pieces of this before, but never in its entirety til now. Thanks for posting.

I've had the audio for Delta Lady, complete with the false starts, for years on my computer under the title Emily Bakes a Cake.

It does look like Kathi MacDonalds mic is off, but she probably filled the studio anyway with her powerful voice. Claudia Linnear was another powerhouse and a joy to behold. Interesting there's no bassist. The B3 player was playing LH bass on something - anyone tell what that was?

 

I don't know what the organ player was playing for the bass. But my suspicion is that it was a Fender Rhodes keyboard bass.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keyboard_bass

 

Two examples of Leon's "behind the curtain" talents, for me, are on B.B.King's "Indianola Mississippi Seeds". Leon wrote Hummingbird. And IMO Leon's piano playing on "Ask Me No Questions" makes the recording sparkle.

 

Hummingbird

 

Ask Me No Questions

 

 

 

[Threadslayer]

Claudia Linnear was another powerhouse and a joy to behold.

Amen to that.

[Adan]

Claudia Linnear was another powerhouse and a joy to behold.

Amen to that.

 

Lennear was in 20 Feet From Stardom, though I don't think she was featured as much as some other singers. I like her 1973 solo album Phew!, both for her and for the backing music. Her voice has so much character and depth, under the right circumstances she could have been a star, which I guess was the whole point of the movie, but in her case I really believe it.