Miss Leon bigly

It's 12:35 pm and I've been struggling to get the day started for some time now (long COVID). This song did the trick for  me ... and life is good again. Grateful.

BILLG! You really need to play this a tad more often.
Such a well crafted, song

Big fave, thanks Bill.

Just don't know, don't know where I've been
But I think I've been walking, I'm walking round in circles
Can't even find a friend
Woah, my love, my love's not waiting
Think I might've been gone, I've been gone too long
People make me crazy

Can't wait to get lost in the woods next week!

Whoa! Haven't heard this since I bought the LP in the 70's. Such a clever song — and along with "Stranger in a Strange Land", among the best tunes from the "Mad Dogs & Englishmen" era of rock. Ran right over to Amazon (via the link here, natch) to buy it.

 zesty !

I remember him being introduced at shows as "The Master of Time and Space".

 ronniegirl wrote:
Lindo525 wrote: 



I realize now that I loved his bigger hits without actually identifying that guy on the FM. My bad. I think Leon was one of those guys who was huge in the early 70s and then got pigeonholed into semi-obscurity. 

 thewiseking wrote: 
Hearing Alt-J too, oddly, except they've lost the glamour.

edit:  oops, today followed by Tessellate ...

Always felt he was Elton's inspiration

those monkeys do excellent backing vocals  

It was such a great loss to lose Leon. Thanks Bill, for helping keep his memory alive, One of my favorite songs by him.   Cheers Leon!

thanks Bill

I say thank you to LR every time I hear his voice cuz it's so distinct and gloriously bursting with love

Bless you LEON RUSSELL. From all the Shelter People

HAven't heard this for a while! Saw him with the "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" tour in 1970. Outstanding!

 Skydog wrote: 

Good analogy.

Damn, I've been listening to a sample of this for years without even knowing the original !
Not really the same vibe but I like them both now :)

Hilltop Hoods + Adelaide Symphony Orchestra 

 CatSitter wrote: 
PBS/NPR:  excellent value.

Leon Russell:  excellent value.   

excellent..

 pinto wrote: 
like maybe 1979?
.
.

 

I always felt that "Carney" was Leon Russell's Sgt Pepper

for some reason, I'd missed this song.
Most excellent groove.  Funny, a stronger verse than chorus.

Thought this was early Willie at first.

There is a live version of this song that is way better, from a 3 LP set called Leon Live

https://www.amazon.com/Leon-Live-2-CD-Russell/dp/B000002U5F 

 dharmabumrap wrote: 
Yes, they were both inducted into the Hall of Fame  in 2011.

Geez, he looked old in '72!  

 ronniegirl wrote: 
You must be exhausted

 dharmabumrap wrote: 
It's only a matter of time before he and Willie Nelson collaborate.  Maybe ZZ Top too.  Imagine the lice.

Who? *ducks to avoid flying brickbats*

 ronniegirl wrote: 
Thanking sharkartist for the good looking photo. We went to see him in November here in Houston. He still rocks... 

Love me some Leon!!.  For some odd reason, I've had Back to the Island playing in my head for two days now.  Thanks for playing this... maybe it will dislodge the Island!!

 ronniegirl wrote: 
Just the other day I was wondering if he was still alive.  I remember when he turned 40 and I was still in my 20's and I thought, Wow!  This guy has really turned into a geezer.  Now I'm 60 years old and it seems like yesterday.  Fogeyhood has its disadvantages but it's still pretty good.

 sharkartist wrote: 
I have loved Leon for decades. 

Un buen 8

 It's true!!!!!! (More like, why is Leon on the cover of Rob's album?)

  Byronape wrote: 

 

scraig wrote: 

Wait a minute, that's the same stupid bird sound from "Back to the Island." Did Joan Embry produce his records?

 Yes, I really enjoy these "deep cuts".   jimbaca wrote: 

 Byronape wrote: 
Awesome!!  Inquiring minds want to know!!

Why is Rob Zombie on the cover of a Leon Russell album?  

 

Did Dr. John and Leon ever do anything together?  Seems like a natural, but I can't recall anything with the both of them.

always good

YUCK

 strange_brew00 wrote: 

I've always felt that way about Leon, too.  I have never bought any of his music because there is always something higher on the wish list, but I always enjoy hearing him.

Leon is cool incarnate!

this song is COOL

Congrats to Leon for his recent and long overdue induction into the RRHOF! 

Bill, I can't get moving today! Stop playing such great sets! Ah! I could sit and listen all damn day...
Likin' the bluesy, beaty, vibe...

Yer man on the cover looks disturbingly like Roy Wood from Wizzard (look 'em up, young 'uns), just with less hair. Nice blues, though, and love the jungle sounds (must be some wood if he hears those beasts in it).

Spooky, I was just thinking about this tune.

Don't know how to define why.. but this guy rocks...

Add to his many talents "band leader" - recall that he put together the Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour in two weeks.

As in two weeks to assemble, rehearse, and transport them to their first show. Pretty farkin' amazing, especially how hot and tight that band was. 

 sharkartist wrote: 
Nice shot, Kris. Was Sugaree still performing with him? Beautiful girl.
I saw him a few years ago from about the tenth row. I swear he looked right at me when he walked out on stage. ;)

sharkartist wrote:
Oh, yeah, great capture! And I'm loving the stereo separation on this song. It's delicious.

 sharkartist wrote: 
Nice shot. Good story.

Saw ol' Leon just a month or so ago. Shot this photo as he was singing this very tune. He's movin' a little slower these days but still has that signature sound. An excellent show ,,,and a classic tune!

Beautifully segued (from Anders Osborne)by the master....Bill
Good tune to play whilst chilling with a Corona(or 2).

KurtfromLaQuinta wrote:It made it to the Main!

Hmmmm.....does Leon Russell ever awaken the mind. A year had passed since "coming home" wounded from a second combat tour with the USMC in Vietnam. Music was the way the returning psyche was numbed and the veterans quietly slipped back into an America transformed from mainstream into a flooding torrent of rage. I vividly recall a 1968 (1969?)concert at the Portland Coliseum (...as in Portland, Oregon), the stage is dark, the warm up band is in place, a solo piano begins to play. Oh no, what a rip, I have to sit through some dud warm up while awaiting the Blood Sweat and Tears main act. Suddenly the lights are on and Leon Russell begins to rock with Delta Lady....what a revelation, Blood Sweat and Who? The man is pure soulful with ranges that bring you from tearful introspection to flat out boogey. No downside to Leon Russell and his wife. When Leon Russell teams up with Willie Nelson its like two scoops of masterfully blended music, go find...!

Redstrat wrote:I've got "Manhattan Island Serenade" on the LRC. When it comes around give it a THUMBS UP! I managed to get "Acid Annapolis" on the Main Channel for a Halloween song. It's never been played though. It would be the scariest song played for Halloween.

not sure why i like this, but i do. alot.

nigelr wrote: Took the words right out of my mouth! Fondest Leon Russell memory (back in the day) was seeing him and Cat Stevens each play a set on a local PBS station of all places. Both were excellent!

mirland wrote: Hell Yeah...

Some of my earliest music memories are Leon Russell adn The shelter People. I'll never grow tired from his groove :)

Outstanding songwriter musician and performer. IMO, way under-rated.

We saw Leon perform live at the Canyon Club in Agoura Hills this past Thursday night. He still puts on a great concert, and still sounds great. Nice to hear his stuff being played here.

Been a long time since I heard anything from 'Carney.'

I thought this was Dr. John! Nice swamp feel....

I recently bought the DVD of the concert for Bangla Desh, including interviews with the still living performers, a.o. Leon Russell. Good to know he's still alive and looking like Santa Clause! Rotund, big bush of completly white hair, face barely visible and still the hippy he always was.

jbtidwell wrote: My daughter won't listen to my vinyl LP copy of this because it scares her too (she's 17!)

Great to hear this one -- what about the others from Carney too??

Dancing in my chair..

dadofsammy wrote: What tiresome diatribes are those? Diggin' Leon.

kazuma wrote: Still does me!

That album cover used to spook the livin' sheep outta me when I was a kid.

God what a performer! He sure brings back the great memories. The last time I saw Leon live was in Medford on a double bill with Edgar Winter. A Great show.

Whenever I hear Leon it always makes me think of my brother who is no longer with us. Leon was one of his faves. Thanks for the memories.

Leon Russell was my fave in college; I saw him record in Nashville in '72 with JJ Cale - I was too young to really take it all in. I also saw him at Duke playing with Parliament/Funkadelics. Now THERE was a great show! Now I have all of his recordings, including the Bangladesh benefit, to remind me. Youngblood! Yo' da one! It sounds like Claudia Lennear singing backup on Jumping Jack Flash/Youngblood. Does anyone know what happened to her, the orginal 'Brown Sugar' and the hottest backup singer of the 70's. We all wanted to shake it like Claudia!

And don't overlook Leon's rippin' piano in Bob Dylan's ''Watching the River Flow.''

Now I need to get my old Leon ( both redbone and russell ) and rip them ! don't he just make your feet move

Don't you just want to hear a couple of duets with Leon and Dr. John?

Bravo! Just finished a book about the legendary sessionman Tommy Tedesco, the most-recorded guitar player ever. Interesting to learn that one of the studio regulars, along with Larry Carlton and Glen Campbell, was none other than Leon. And, as I recall, Leon penned the 60's AM hit, This Diamond Ring, performed by Gary Lewis & the Playboys.

Hey, I just made a reference to how we should hear some Leon Russell the other day...and here he is! ('Course, I shoulda checked the music list.) A true genius. As I recall, he also was the producer behind the whole Joe Cocker/Mad Dogs & Englishmen tour, or at least the albums. Made some great music, and a real original to boot.

Yipee,Leon Russell Gotta love it!

If you want to hear Russell at his best check out the 'Jumpin' Jack Flash/Youngblood' medley on the Concert for Bangla Desh (click here) His studio recordings don't begin to do him justice.

Did Peter Gabriel later lift that chorus part at the end? Sounds familiar.

hetchins wrote: Leon would have used that as a song or album title.

:nodhead: Bill Introduced this track as a "blast from the past" just now. I gotta dust off that piece of vinyl and burn me up a CD for the car! :-k (I hope there's still some grooves left! I played that sucker to death back in the day!) :goodvibes:

Posted 19 years ago by laozilover    [ Reply ]

I would hope ya like Leon...then again he's one that ya hadda been there.Good thing.

lily33 wrote: Yeah That was Dr. John. Similar (hair) styles though

To my knowledge, Leon is still performing. Saw him a couple of years ago, totally white hair, barely able to walk (with a cane), but still pounding the keyboard and singing like a young kid. Sure, his voice wasn't the same, but his energy more than made up for it. He will probably drop dead playing music. What a way to go! YOU GO, LEON!

Damn, I don't know how Bill does it. I was never a big LR fan and I had forgotten everything about him but his hat and glasses. This song, however, is outrageous. Keep on truckin', Bill. Mucho gracious.......

Good memories. Leon was road music for 1972, the year that my wife and I spent on the road, living in our '69 VW bus. Of course it was our year-long honeymoon, that might have had something to do with the goodness of the memories. Yes, we're still married, to each other. One man, one woman, one dog, one VW bus, no job! Thanks for playing this.

leon russel was one of the most overlooked greats of the late 60's and early 70's. his "shelter people" works were incredible. saw him perform in 73 in san francisco, and the entire audience was mesmerized. what was really cool about him was that the audience was everything from runaway teens to "old folks". a lot of people GOT him, and i have always wondered why he didn't make a bigger mark in the music world than he did. i really think he didn't want it, because the audience for his music was out there.

oh yeah...more leon, please, brother Bill...

I'd like to here this remixed to eliminate the completely graceless "jungle" sounds... I swear I've heard that exact jungle sounds track on every bad sitcom and cartoon, it really distracts the hell out of me, otherwise me likey.

Carney is one of the most underrated albums ever. When you hear those tiresome diatribes about how 70's music sucked, pull this one out and tell em to shove it.

I heard this song over and over as an adolescent in the Seventies, because I had signed up for the Columbia House Record Club, the one where you got an LP every month unless you mailed them back the postcard with the NO box checked off, and so I got a copy of Carney one day in the mail. I was already somewhat hip to Leon Russell (and to Dr. John, see below) . . . I think that "Tightrope" was the single, but I used to just let "the whole side" play, and so this song is eerily familiar. Of course, now that I'm older, I "get" the song. PS: My first rock concert was Dr. John, he was playing with King Crimson and Procol Harum, and my mezzanine ticket was three dollars American, no kidding, circa 1974.

Posted 21 years ago by Brad_Eleven    [ Reply ]

Get out the headphones for this one. One of the highest and best uses of stereophonic sound. I wonder how it comes across in Dolby stereo?? How about something off of "Leon Russel and the Shelter People"? Way to go, Bill!

tdawg wrote: Absolutely. Very nice analogy. Almost Zelig-like in music circles, Leon was informed and influenced from a diverse group...he, in turn, was invited to join many of those groups/musicians. He influenced as well.

If the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame can induct Billy Joel, Tom Petty and The Flamingos, I think they might be able to find room for Leon Russell!

Leon Russell put on one of the most mesmerizing concerts I have ever been to (Ft Worth, 1974?) His talent as a performer never really came across over the radio like it did in live performances.

yep, lily that was dr. john that did "right place...". they sometimes sound alike. adding to what i said back in july, i bought this 8-track before i raced a grand prix motorcycle race at deadmans point (apple valley, ca.)way back in '72. everytime i hear a cut off it, all i think about is that race. good times.