The Band
The Canadian- American rock band called The Band was one of the most influential formations of rock history. Your farewell concert after 16 years of touring on 25 November 1976, filmed by Martin Scorsese as The Last Waltz is one of the classics of the concert films. The band was, inter alia, as Bob Dylan's backing band on the road, but also played her own songs and, together with the most famous musicians of the 1960s.
- 2.1 albums with Ronnie Hawkins
- 2.2 Albums with Bob Dylan
- 2.3 The band
Band History
Career
The members of The Band first met when she played for Ronnie Hawkins in his group, The Hawks. Levon Helm came in 1957 as the first to Hawkins, Robertson, Danko and Manuel in the early sixties. Hawkins sent the musician in a hard school: For several years they were six nights a week on stage. "That kept Those guys out of trouble. And we were all staying together, so i could keep an eye on them, "noted Hawkins years later in an interview ( " so could these guys do not get into trouble and because we were always together, I could keep an eye on it " ).
1965 left the four young men the Hawks - they wanted to play their own sound. From 1963 to 1965 she was under the name " Levon and The Hawks " in clubs and taverns on the road until they were discovered by Bob Dylan. They accompanied Dylan on his " Electric " tour ( 1965-1966 ) and for the "Basement Tapes" in 1967. Their long time only as a bootleg released " Basement Tapes" make 1967 the beginning of the intensive study of various American rock musician with the so-called roots music dar. particular country, the band wove into their music until the mid-1960s had been rejected in the youth movement as reactionary. The band was thus part of the beginning of an alternative, paired with the spirit of rock country music.
All these years played The Band but also his own songs and concerts. Songs like The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, The Weight and King Harvest ( Has Surely Come ) wrote rock history. After 16 years on the road, the five musicians were tired. They had played in every club in the U.S. and knew most stadiums and concert halls. They had played for four people and 600,000. "We filled up that glass to search on extent did I did not have any great hungry for it anymore" ( Robertson). 16 years on tour had also called for health took its toll, and saw The Band, what had happened to Elvis, the Beatles, Janis Joplin and others. "The hardest thing in rock'n'roll are knowing When to quit and how to do it with class. "
The band decided to give a brilliant farewell concert.
The Last Waltz
Five weeks they had time to prepare for the big moment: Guest musician 's repertoire, money for the film, a screenplay, stage presentation and a director had to be found. First, Robertson called her fan Bill Graham, one of the largest concert promoters in San Francisco. He immediately agreed to provide them his Winterland hall with 5,400 seats. Winterland was the hall in which the Band in April 1969 had given her stage debut as The Band. Graham, who had promoted The Band on their 1974 tour, was thrilled by the idea of "Rock'n'Roll last supper ," and he took the logistical challenge: be organized had 200 turkeys, 150 kg salmon, 200 kg pumpkin. Graham also organized a classical orchestra that would play waltzes, as well as professional dancers that should assist guests with two left feet.
After dinner, Graham's people had to perform a miracle and make them disappear by 5000 viewers in just a few minutes, the tables and chairs before the Band took the stage. Graham also had the idea to have them read poems during the meal. He organized this poet from San Francisco, including Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Michael McClure and Frank Reynolds (of the Hells Angels ).
In her quarters in Los Angeles, the members of The Band, meanwhile, thought after the concert. Should they re-enact their first concert? Or they should do something else? Then they thought they could Ronnie Hawkins and Bob Dylan invite. When these two come, but would also be invited Eric Clapton. Finally, the following names were on the list: Paul Butterfield, Van Morrison, Dr. John, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Neil Diamond, Muddy Waters, Emmylou Harris, Ringo Starr, Ron Wood, The Staple Singers. The songwriter Bobby Charles should help with the arrangements. Rock Brynner, son of Yul Brynner and a friend Robertsons, had the brilliant idea for the name of the concert.
Just before the concert and filming The Band Although the name ( "The Last Waltz" ) but had no title song. Even as the talks for the film took place, Robbie Robertson began to compose. The concert itself, the Thanksgivingday, 25 November 1976 was a huge success. Although the tickets cost $ 50 ( for those times an unimaginable price) the Winterland hall was sold out. Everything was anybody flowed, to San Francisco. The band and their fellow musicians played and jammed for five hours. After the last notes died away, and already moved the band, Bill Graham came out from behind the stage: " You've got to do something, people want one more synthesis " ( "You must do something, these people still want to listen to a song " ). So she went out again and played the song with which their success had begun: Do not Do It! by Marvin Gaye. After they had finally adopted the audience, the band and their guest musicians jamming in hotel go on for hours. "The best thing was neither filmed nor recorded ," said Bobby Charles later regret.
After The Last Waltz
After the successful farewell to the audience was the story of " The Band" does not end here: First, the film had finished and a recording contract are met. Two songs that are featured in the film were, until after the concert included: Evangeline by Emmylou Harris and The Weight with The Staple Singers. The original version of The Weight was already on the album Music from Big Pink in 1968 and is also in the film Easy Rider 1969 heard. For legal reasons, the song appeared on the Easy Rider soundtrack album in a cover version of the Californian band Smith.
The film The Band by Martin Scorsese came in the spring of 1978, 16 months after the concert, in the movie theaters. Four months had Robertson and Scorsese worked alone on the mastering, with success: At the Oscars 1979, the film was nominated for Best Sound ( also for Best Editing and Best Documentary ). However, Robertson changed the original soundtrack greatly by overdubs; as he played his guitar solos in the studio by again. Therefore, plate and film give the concert event again though brilliant, but not quite authentic. When Bob Dylan song Forever young, for example, the second verse was cut out. Untreated shooting the concert are now published as bootlegs.
Subsequently, the members of The Band went their own ways. In 1977 she took on her last album, Islands, no longer, however, could build on the previous successes.
Robbie Robertson and Levon Helm made careers in the music and film industry, Rick Danko tried to launch a solo career. But all the band members except Robertson mourned for the old times. In 1983, she attempted a comeback without Robertson, should be replaced by Earl Cate. 1986, took the severely depressed and alcohol dependent Richard Manuel 's life. Robertson dedicated to him on his first solo album in 1987 a song: Fallen Angel.
In 1993, Danko, Helm and Hudson another album on Jericho. Without the guitarist and main songwriter Robertson is no longer sounds like The Band, was nevertheless well received by critics. A year later, they were included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 1996 the album High on the Hog and 30th band anniversary in 1998, the last album Jubilation. Rick Danko died on 10 December 1999 - that was the final out of the band.
In February 2008 The band formed in Los Angeles were honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award. On April 19, 2012 Levon Helm died at 71 of throat cancer. The disease had been found in the late 1990s.
Discography
Albums with Ronnie Hawkins
- Ronnie Hawkins ( 1959)
- Mr. Dynamo (1960 )
- The Folk Ballads of Ronnie Hawkins ( 1960)
- Sings the Songs of Hank Williams ( 1960)
- The Best of Ronnie Hawkins ( 1964)
Albums with Bob Dylan
- Self Portrait ( 1970)
- Tribute to Woody Guthrie (1972 )
- Planet Waves (1974 )
- Before the Flood (1974 )
- The Basement Tapes (1975, recorded 1967)
Subsequent publications by Dylan on which The Band also plays:
- Masterpieces (1978 )
- Electric Lunch (1983 )
- Biograph (1985 )
- Bootleg Series Vols. 1-3 ( 1991)
- Greatest Hits, Vol 3 (1995 )
- The Best of Bob Dylan (1997)
- The Bootleg Series Vol 4: Live 1966 ( 1998)
- The Best of Bob Dylan Vol 2 (2000)
- The Essential Bob Dylan (2000)
- Live 1961-2000 (2001)
The Band
- Music from Big Pink (1968 )
- The Band ( The Brown Album) (1969 )
- Stage Fright (1970 )
- Cahoots (1971 )
- Rock of Ages (1972 ) - live
- Moondog Matinee (1973 )
- In Concert (1973 ) - live
- Northern Lights - Southern Cross (1975 )
- Islands ( 1977) - studio album, which had to be taken after the band broke up in order to fulfill a record contract. The band has never promoted the album itself.
- The Last Waltz ( 1978) - live ( in the original three LPs, in Release 2 CDs)
- The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down ( 1990) - live
Later publications ( without Robbie Robertson):
- Jericho (1993 )
- High on the Hog (1996 )
- Jubilation ( 1998)
Tribute albums
- Endless Highway - The Music of the Band (2007)
Compilations
- Greatest Hits (2012 )