Leon Russell: Difference between revisions
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Leon Russell) penned song "The Joker Went Wild" which was sung by [[Brian Hyland]], in 1966. |
Leon Russell) penned song "The Joker Went Wild" which was sung by [[Brian Hyland]], in 1966. |
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His first songwriting success was [[Joe Cocker]]'s 1969 version of "Delta Lady".<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/> Russell then went on to organise Cocker's ''[[Mad Dogs and Englishmen (album)|Mad Dogs and Englishmen]]'' [[concert tour|Tour]].<ref name="Wolf"/> "[[Superstar (Carpenters song)|Superstar]]", co-written by Russell and [[Bonnie Bramlett]], and sung by [[Rita Coolidge]] on that tour, would also be a success for [[The Carpenters]], [[Luther Vandross]], [[Sonic Youth]], and several other performers. |
His first songwriting success was [[Joe Cocker]]'s 1969 version of "Delta Lady".<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/> Russell then went on to organise Cocker's ''[[Mad Dogs and Englishmen (album)|Mad Dogs and Englishmen]]'' [[concert tour|Tour]].<ref name="Wolf"/> "[[Superstar (Carpenters song)|Superstar]]", co-written by Russell and [[Bonnie Bramlett]], and sung by [[Rita Coolidge]] on that tour, would also be a success for [[The Carpenters]], [[Luther Vandross]], [[Sonic Youth]], and several other performers. Russell and Coolidge began an intense relationship during the tour, and when they split up he went to England to record some solo music. It was at this time that he met and befriended George Harrison. |
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Russell released an eponymous solo album soon after the Mad Dogs and Englishmen Tour, ''[[Leon Russell (album)|Leon Russell]]'', which included the original version of "[[A Song for You]]". This has become one of his best-known songs, with [[cover version]]s released by more than forty different artists including [[Ray Charles]], [[Peggy Lee]], [[Helen Reddy]], [[Whitney Houston]], [[Donny Hathaway]], and [[Christina Aguilera]]. Both [[The Carpenters]] and [[ The Temptations]] named an album after the song. Also during 1970, Russell played piano for [[Dave Mason]]'s album, ''[[Alone Together]]'' (notably, on the song "Sad and Deep as You"). |
Having already made albums with the [[Midnight String Quartet]] and the [[Asylum Choir]], Russell released an eponymous solo album soon after the Mad Dogs and Englishmen Tour, ''[[Leon Russell (album)|Leon Russell]]'', which included the original version of "[[A Song for You]]". This has become one of his best-known songs, with [[cover version]]s released by more than forty different artists including [[Ray Charles]], [[Peggy Lee]], [[Helen Reddy]], [[Whitney Houston]], [[Donny Hathaway]], and [[Christina Aguilera]]. Both [[The Carpenters]] and [[ The Temptations]] named an album after the song. The album also contained "Pisces Apple Lady", written for Chris O'Dell, whom Russell was dating at the time. Also during 1970, Russell played piano for [[Dave Mason]]'s album, ''[[Alone Together]]'' (notably, on the song "Sad and Deep as You"). |
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In 1969, Russell co-founded [[Shelter Records]] with his manager, [[Denny Cordell]]. Russell recorded for the label until 1976, when he sold his interest to Cordell |
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During the 1960s and 1970s, Russell owned the Church Recording Studio on 3rd Street in Tulsa, which is now owned by Glen Mitchell and one-time Russell studio engineer [[Steve Ripley]] of the country band [[The Tractors]]. Russell still records there frequently, while his former home on Grand Lake, in northeast Oklahoma, still contains the dining room table and chairs made from church pews from his Church Studio. On the property stands a private recording studio that has witnessed many famous musicians, including members of [[The Beatles]]. |
During the 1960s and 1970s, Russell owned the Church Recording Studio on 3rd Street in Tulsa, which is now owned by Glen Mitchell and one-time Russell studio engineer [[Steve Ripley]] of the country band [[The Tractors]]. Russell still records there frequently, while his former home on Grand Lake, in northeast Oklahoma, still contains the dining room table and chairs made from church pews from his Church Studio. On the property stands a private recording studio that has witnessed many famous musicians, including members of [[The Beatles]]. |
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Revision as of 07:14, 11 March 2011
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Leon Russell |
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Claude Russell Bridges (born April 2, 1942), known professionally as Leon Russell, is an American musician and songwriter, who has recorded as a session musician, sideman, and maintained a solo career in music.[1]
Born in Lawton, Oklahoma, Russell attended Will Rogers High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma. At this time he was already performing at Tulsa nightclubs.[2] He became a session musician, becoming a keyboardist who has worked with many notable musicians since the 1960s. By the late 1960s, Russell diversified, first to writing songs, and then working his way from gigs as a sideman to joining bands as a full member. Eventually, he began solo recording, although he never ended all his previous roles within the music industry. Russell is among the 2011 inductees to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.[3]
Career
Known first mostly as a session musician, Russell has played with artists as varied as Jerry Lee Lewis, George Harrison, Delaney Bramlett, Ringo Starr, Elton John, Eric Clapton, The Byrds, The Beach Boys, Willie Nelson, Badfinger, Tijuana Brass, Frank Sinatra, The Band, Glen Campbell, and The Rolling Stones.[4] With a solo career involving the genres of rock and roll, blues, and gospel music, Russell began his musical career at the age of 14 years in the nightclubs of Tulsa, Oklahoma. He and his group "The Starlighters", which included J.J. Cale, Chuck Blackwell and Johnny Williams,[5] were instrumental in creating the style of music known as the Tulsa Sound. After settling in Los Angeles, California, he studied guitar with James Burton, and worked sessions with Dorsey Burnette and Glen Campbell. [citation needed]
Becoming a part of Phil Spector's studio group, Russell played backup for many of the most popular successes of the 1960s, including songs by The Byrds, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, Bobby "Boris" Pickett, and Herb Alpert. He can be seen in 1964's "The T.A.M.I. Show", playing piano with the Wrecking Crew (the Spector studio band), sporting short, dark, slicked-back hair, in contrast to his later look. [4] He also served as Snuff Garrett's assistant for numerous productions. For example, he played the xylophone/bells on the Bobby Russell (no relation to Leon Russell) penned song "The Joker Went Wild" which was sung by Brian Hyland, in 1966.
His first songwriting success was Joe Cocker's 1969 version of "Delta Lady".[4] Russell then went on to organise Cocker's Mad Dogs and Englishmen Tour.[6] "Superstar", co-written by Russell and Bonnie Bramlett, and sung by Rita Coolidge on that tour, would also be a success for The Carpenters, Luther Vandross, Sonic Youth, and several other performers. Russell and Coolidge began an intense relationship during the tour, and when they split up he went to England to record some solo music. It was at this time that he met and befriended George Harrison.
Having already made albums with the Midnight String Quartet and the Asylum Choir, Russell released an eponymous solo album soon after the Mad Dogs and Englishmen Tour, Leon Russell, which included the original version of "A Song for You". This has become one of his best-known songs, with cover versions released by more than forty different artists including Ray Charles, Peggy Lee, Helen Reddy, Whitney Houston, Donny Hathaway, and Christina Aguilera. Both The Carpenters and The Temptations named an album after the song. The album also contained "Pisces Apple Lady", written for Chris O'Dell, whom Russell was dating at the time. Also during 1970, Russell played piano for Dave Mason's album, Alone Together (notably, on the song "Sad and Deep as You").
In 1969, Russell co-founded Shelter Records with his manager, Denny Cordell. Russell recorded for the label until 1976, when he sold his interest to Cordell
During the 1960s and 1970s, Russell owned the Church Recording Studio on 3rd Street in Tulsa, which is now owned by Glen Mitchell and one-time Russell studio engineer Steve Ripley of the country band The Tractors. Russell still records there frequently, while his former home on Grand Lake, in northeast Oklahoma, still contains the dining room table and chairs made from church pews from his Church Studio. On the property stands a private recording studio that has witnessed many famous musicians, including members of The Beatles.
During the summer of 1971, Russell was asked by George Harrison to play piano on Badfinger's third album, Straight Up. The piano which complemented Pete Ham and George Harrison's dual slide guitars on Badfinger's "Day After Day" was played by Russell from those Apple sessions. The sessions were interrupted because many of the musicians on Straight Up left for New York City to participate in the Concert For Bangladesh, organized by George Harrison and Ravi Shankar, at which Russell performed a medley of the songs, "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and "Young Blood," and sang a verse on George Harrison's "Beware of Darkness."[4] Russell (on electric guitar) and George Harrison (on electric guitar/vocals) also played along side Bob Dylan (acoustic guitar/vocals) at The Concert For Bangladesh, performing a number of Dylans hits.
Also during 1971 Russell played on recording sessions with B.B. King, Eric Clapton, and Bob Dylan, and he released two studio albums by his own name that year (Leon Russell And The Shelter People and Asylum Choir II with Marc Benno). Further, Russell helped Freddie King to revive his career by collaborating with him on three of his albums for Shelter during the early 1970s.
Russell and Willie Nelson had a number one duet on the Billboard country music chart during 1979 with "Heartbreak Hotel". He spent the next two years touring with the New Grass Revival, and released two more albums with Paradise before the label folded.[4]
During November 2009, he wrote many songs with Elton John and Bernie Taupin for an album with John which was recorded in February 2010 and produced by T-Bone Burnett.[7] The Union (album) was released on October 19, 2010.[8]
Discography
Albums
| Year | Album | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales thresholds) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US Country | CAN | CAN Country | UK | ||||||
| 1966 | Rhapsodies for Young Lovers (with Midnight String Quartet) | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1968 | Look Inside the Asylum Choir (with Marc Benno) | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1970 | Leon Russell | 60 | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1971 | Leon Russell And The Shelter People | 17 | — | 14 | — | — | US: Gold[9] | |||
| Asylum Choir II (with Marc Benno) | 70 | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 1972 | Carney | 2 | — | 4 | — | — | US: Gold[9] | |||
| 1973 | Leon Live | 9 | — | 9 | — | — | US: Gold[9] | |||
| Hank Wilson's Back | 28 | 15 | 85 | — | — | |||||
| Looking Back | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 1974 | Stop All That Jazz | 34 | — | 43 | — | — | ||||
| 1975 | Will O' the Wisp | 30 | — | 72 | — | — | US: Gold[9] | |||
| 1976 | Best of Leon Russell | 40 | — | — | — | — | US: Gold[9] | |||
| Wedding Album (with Mary Russell) | 34 | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 1977 | Make Love to the Music (with Mary Russell) | 142 | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1978 | Americana | 115 | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1979 | One For the Road (live)(with Willie Nelson) | 25 | 3 | 28 | 1 | — | US: Gold[9] | |||
| Life and Love | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 1981 | The Live Album (with New Grass Revival) | 187 | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1984 | Hank Wilson, Vol. II | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| Solid State | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 1989 | Leon Russell | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1992 | Anything Can Happen | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| Crazy Love | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| Collection | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 1995 | Hymns of Christmas | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1996 | Gimme Shelter: The Best of Leon Russell | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1997 | Retrospective | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1998 | Hank Wilson, Vol. 3: Legend in My Time | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1999 | Face in the Crowd | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| Blues: Same Old Song | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 2000 | Live at Gilley's | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 2001 | Best of Leon Russell | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| Guitar Blues | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| Signature Songs | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| Rhythm & Bluegrass: Hank Wilson, Vol. 4 (with New Grass Revival) | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 2002 | Moonlight & Love Songs (with the Nashville Symphony) | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 2003 | In Your Dreams | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| Bad Country | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| Almost Piano | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 2006 | A Mighty Flood | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| Angel in Disguise | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 2010 | The Union (with Elton John) | 3 | — | 7 | — | 12 | UK: Silver[10] | |||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | ||||||||||
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | Album | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US Country | CAN | CAN Country | CAN AC | ||||||
| 1972 | "Tight Rope" | 11 | — | 5 | — | — | Carney | |||
| 1973 | "Queen of the Roller Derby" | 89 | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "Roll in My Sweet Baby's Arms" (as Hank Wilson) | 78 | 57 | — | 30 | — | Hank Wilson's Back, Vol. 1 | ||||
| "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" (as Hank Wilson) | 78 | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 1974 | "A Six Pack to Go" (as Hank Wilson) | — | 68 | — | 76 | — | ||||
| "If I Were a Carpenter" | 73 | — | 87 | — | — | Stop All That Jazz | ||||
| 1975 | "Lady Blue" | 14 | — | 44 | — | 18 | Will O' the Wisp | |||
| 1976 | "Back to the Island" | 53 | — | — | — | 33 | ||||
| "Rainbow in Your Eyes" | 52 | — | — | — | — | Wedding Album | ||||
| 1978 | "Heartbreak Hotel" (w/ Willie Nelson) | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | One for the Road | |||
| 1984 | "Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues" | — | 63 | — | — | — | Solid State | |||
| "Wabash Cannonball" (w/ Willie Nelson, as Hank Wilson) | — | 91 | — | — | — | single only | ||||
| 1992 | "Anything Can Happen" | — | — | — | — | — | Anything Can Happen | |||
| "No Man's Land" | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | ||||||||||
Music videos
| Year | Video | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | "Anything Can Happen" | Sherman Halsey |
| "No Man's Land" |
References
- ^ Leon Russell at AllMusic
- ^ Biography at Leon Russell Records
- ^ http://rockhall.com/inductees/leon-russell/
- ^ a b c d e Strong, Martin C. (2000). The Great Rock Discography (5th ed.). Edinburgh: Mojo Books. pp. 838–839. ISBN 1-84195-017-3.
- ^ Wolley, John. "Come Blow Your Horn", Tulsa World, March 31, 2002.
- ^ Joe Cocker Mad Dogs & Englishmen Tour photos at lindawolf.net
- ^ "New Album Update" at berniejtaupin.com
- ^ http://www.undercover.com.au/News-Story.aspx?id=11444_Elton_John_and_Leon_Russell_Album_Cover_Revealed
- ^ a b c d e f http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS
- ^ http://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/search.aspx
External links
- 1942 births
- Living people
- Songwriters from Oklahoma
- American rock musicians
- American pop musicians
- American session musicians
- American singer-songwriters
- People from Tulsa, Oklahoma
- Musicians from Oklahoma
- People from Lawton, Oklahoma
- Delaney & Bonnie & Friends members
- The Wrecking Crew members
- Grammy Award winners
- American rock pianists
- American rock guitarists
- Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame inductees
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees