Leon Russell

[Midnite Toker]

I saw The Concert for Bangladesh in '77 I think as a midnite movie. Bought the album the next day. Now I have the DVD. Leon owned the audience. Links arn't working so I had to get it on the 60" w/surround sound! Got my blood pumping now. Thanks Wiggs!

 

[Stoner4Life]

I saw The Concert for Bangladesh in '77 I think as a midnite movie. Bought the album the next day.

I bought it as an 8-track tape way back in '73.......

had those tunes a rockin' in my '71 Cuda convertible.

 

[Wiggs Dannyboy]

Me too, Concert For Bangladesh was my first taste of Leon, I think I was maybe 16 when I saw it in the movie theater. Purchased the album soon after. I'm jealous of yuze guys who saw him live....

 

[The OrigF/clred]

we had a few of his albums and they were played - memory is going but iirc, one was "jamming with some friends" with a lot of musicians (yeah, think cocker was one), but Carney, and one, title was something about "Shelter...."

went to see him in concert real late 70s, and it was kind of a let down - he was warm up for another star, and they did some songs together, but he just sat there at the piano, as wooden as a totem pole - no energy, no personality, nothing. The black chick (think she was his wife) kept looking over at him like she wanted to make sure he was still upright

that was the last live concert i went to - realized i was getting old, the crowds were a hassle and that show was enough of a dis-appointment

 

[Tudo]

Was in the Wrecking Crew which did work for Phil Spector yes?

 

[Tudo]

Me too, Concert For Bangladesh was my first taste of Leon, I think I was maybe 16 when I saw it in the movie theater. Purchased the album soon after. I'm jealous of yuze guys who saw him live....

That was recorded outside in a trailer by none other than Phil Spector who of course always lamented over the limitations of quality considering it was on location but wasn't it also the first concert where the proceeds were donated to a noble cause, in this case the displaced and starving in Bangladesh?

 

[BrnCow]

Saw Leon and his new wife Mary in Austin back in the day...picked up on some hitchin nippy hippy chicks and got loaded...great day...

 

[Jellyfish]

Was in the Wrecking Crew which did work for Phil Spector yes?

Yes. Here's Leon with Marvin Gaye and The Blossoms.

 

[Jellyfish]

anybody seen Leon live before?

I saw Leon once, on a midwestern college campus. It was during the summer of streaking. For one of the songs, Leon was standing at the mic singing. This beautiful blonde chick took off all her clothes, ran up on stage, and wrapped her arms and legs around Leon. Leon walked off stage with this girl hanging on, and was offstage for about five minutes while the band kept on playing.

He came back onstage with a big grin, walked up to the mic and said, "Whoooo, I'm getting too old for this shit!" Tore the house down! Great concert memory!

 

[Wiggs Dannyboy]

but wasn't it also the first concert where the proceeds were donated to a noble cause, in this case the displaced and starving in Bangladesh?

I'm pretty certain it was...let me go look it up...here ya go, from wikipedia:

The Concert for Bangladesh (or Bangla Desh, as the country name was spelt originally) was the name for two benefit concerts organised by George Harrison and Ravi Shankar, held at 2.30 and 8 pm on Sunday, 1 August 1971, playing to a total of 40,000 people at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The shows were organised to raise international awareness and fund relief efforts for refugees from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), following the 1970 Bhola cyclone and the civil war-related Bangladesh atrocities. The concerts were followed by a bestselling live album, a boxed three-record set, and Apple Films' concert documentary, which opened in cinemas in the spring of 1972.

The event was the first-ever benefit concert of such a magnitude[1] and featured a supergroup of performers that included Harrison, fellow ex-Beatle Ringo Starr, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Billy Preston, Leon Russell and the band Badfinger. In addition, Shankar and another legend of Indian music, Ali Akbar Khan, performed a separate set. Decades later, Shankar would say of the overwhelming success of the event: "In one day, the whole world knew the name of Bangladesh. It was a fantastic occasion ..."[2]

The concerts raised close to US$250,000 for Bangladesh relief, which was administered by UNICEF. Although the project was subsequently marred by financial problems – a result of the pioneering nature of the venture – the Concert for Bangladesh is recognised as a highly successful and influential humanitarian aid project, generating both awareness and considerable funds as well as providing valuable lessons and inspiration for projects that followed, notably Live Aid.[3][4][5] By 1985, through revenue raised from the Concert for Bangladesh live album and film, an estimated $12 million had been sent to Bangladesh in relief.[6]

Sales of the live album and DVD release of the film continue to benefit the George Harrison Fund for UNICEF.


.

 

[Wiggs Dannyboy]

And, speaking about the Concert For Bangladesh...Ravi Shankar's band was incredible. Although I did read somewhere that he was taken aback by the rowdy nature of the crowd, very different from concert goers in his native India where people would sit quietly and listen. I think he felt alcohol and drugs were bad things because of his experience.

 

[BlackBuds]

Thanks Wiggs...you def have good taste in music. Joe Cocker's Mad Dogs and Englishmen has always been a fav of mine and Leon really shines on that.

 

[RetroGrow]

I have seen Leon live a couple of times. The last time, it was in a small club/piano bar. As someone else posted, he was rather wooden in that last one. Not a lot of energy. I thought possibly he was on heroin. Anyway, I love his music, and he used to really rock it.

 

[RetroGrow]

Whoa, Jumpin Jack Flash first thing in the morning! Leon was involved deeply in the music industry for a long time. Worked with a lot of different musicians. Produced albums for other bands.

He did an album called Hank Wilson's Back which was covers of his favorite country tunes. Great album. He had it produced and printed for release without his name on it, but the record company placed a sticker with his name on the outside.

If you're a Leon fan willing to click links, check this out. It will blow your mind.

Leon Russell, Roll Over Beethoven, 11/18/1964

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUc9W7K-mi0

ROLL OVER BEETHOVEN - LEO..." The YouTube account associated with this video has been terminated due to multiple third-party notifications of copyright infringement.
Bummer.....

 

[Stoner4Life]

ROLL OVER BEETHOVEN - LEO..." The YouTube account associated with this video has been terminated due to multiple third-party notifications of copyright infringement.
Bummer.....

here's a couple of YouTube links to replace that one.

first is Leon's '64 recording, sound quality is fair to middlin'
[YOUTUBEIF]UOk0nztnid0[/YOUTUBEIF]
the YouTube link in case the player becomes disabled:
http://youtu.be/UOk0nztnid0







and what Leon's running today........
[YOUTUBEIF]YkZIbGs96Co[/YOUTUBEIF]
the YouTube link in case the player becomes disabled:
http://youtu.be/YkZIbGs96Co