In this out take from the film, Leon Russell talks about his days as part of the Wrecking Crew in an interview from 2013. Also included in the video are Hal Blaine, Cher, Larry Levine, and Tommy Tedesco.
I am right there with you,my brother. I have seen him in person several times and his music was such a big part of my life.We will always have his music and our memories.May he rest in peace
Of course he was a great studio musician, but his songs are some of the best songs i have ever heard. And he plays them so soulfully, Back to the Island and Song for You are my favorites. No one has written and performed a better song in my opinion.
Sadly, Leon went "back to the island" several years after you posted this. That song is among my favorites as well, but isn't mentioned much. I was thinking of it watching his memorial service, and thought it would have been appropriate and gratifying to have been played at the beginning.
As I'm writing this, there are 6 "thumbs down." I honestly don't understand it. I can understand not giving a crap one way or the other, and being neutral about the whole thing, but, I don't understand why anyone would dislike this.
I see (The AMAZING) Leon Russel sitting there in all his sartorial splendor with his trademark white beard and mane thinking "this is EXACTLY the look that Howard Hughes was going for" . This would be back when he was wandering the Nevada Desert and the Strip in Vegas.
I worked with ad agencies in LA and cannot imagine how Leon could fit in with all those stuffed shirts. I share his admiration for Stan Frieberg who was an offbeat genius in advertising and comedy routines. I am so happy advertising was not for the genius of Leon Russell and am grateful for all the years of his great music. 🎵
Yes,yes,yes! The man was an American singer/songwriter LEGEND! The world is a sadder place. Yeah, Eddie Van Halen could play guitar, but Leon could do it ALL! He is truly the "Master of Time and Space. Don't RIP, just keep singing your songs!
+MICHAEL DAVIS, most of the time they didn't. Since social media and the like obviously didn't exist back then, the word didn't spread as quickly that these bands couldn't reproduce live the sound of the studio recordings. Some people didn't care; those that did, could quickly figured out what was going on. Shortly after the Monkees were exposed for not playing on their first two albums (by Michael Nesmith), most of the new acid rock bands had already started playing on their own records and the heyday of the Wrecking Crew was more or less over.
