A friend of ours won tickets to a show by entering a newspaper contest. It includes four show tickets, a limo to the show, and two rooms for one night in a Manhattan hotel, with dinner for four at a restaurant near the newly restored Beacon Theater.
On the bill: Elton John and Claude Russell Bridges, better known as Leon Russell. The show kicks off their tour together supporting their album: The Union”, which is being released today.
I was flattered that our friends invited us to share their good fortune, but I didn’t really care so much about Elton John…..but Leon has been fairly scarce around these parts lately, so I am looking forward to seeing the pride of Lawton, Oklahoma.
Since his days in Tulsa with the Starlighters, Russell has backed many of the 60’s and 70’s most popular artists, including the Byrds, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, Bobby "Boris" Pickett, Herb Alpert, the Beach Boys, Delaney Bramlett, Glen Campbell, Eric Clapton, Joe Cocker, Bob Dylan, George Harrison, B.B. King, Jerry Lee Lewis, Dave Mason, Willie Nelson, Rolling Stones, and the Shindogs (the house band for the dance show “Shindig”).
He was a member of “The Wrecking Crew”, Phil Spector’s studio band, and assisted Liberty records producer Snuff Garrett on a number of hit records. Members of the Crew included, at various times:
Glen Campbell, Carol Kaye, Billy Strange, James Burton, Tommy Tedesco, Al Casey, Steve Douglas, Jay Migliori, Jim Horn, Nino Tempo, Sonny Bono, Gene Cipriano, Mac Rebennack (aka Dr. John), Larry Knechtel, Al Delory, Hal Blaine, Earl Palmer, Jim Gordon and conductor/arranger Jack Nitzsche.
This group of musicians played on hundreds of hit records during the 60’s and 70’s, usually uncredited. For example, “Mr. Tambourine Man”, by the Byrds, featured only Roger (then Jim) McGuinn…all the rest of the music was played by the Crew.
Russell helped save Joe Cocker’s career when he organized the Mad Dogs and Englishmen Tour, to avoid union and immigration hassles in 1970 (a show I witnessed at SUNY New Paltz in April that year, the day I blew my straight 6 Chevy engine on the way home).
Back in 1970, Elton John was the opening act for Leon Russell at the Fillmore East.....finally, they have recorded a collaboration.
Looking forward to a good show.
Hank Wilson's Back.........
Sounds like a great show. I've met both Tommy Tedesco and Larry Carlton a few times. Thousands of records have their guitar work featured in them. Tommy and Larry both could play any style and produce almost any sound possible.
Besides Mac, the other New Orleans native in SC's list is Earl Palmer.
Drum virtuoso who could play r/b, rock/roll and a lot of modern jazz.
He was a mentor to many young drummers here who went on to success.
btw, the gay horse joke below was told to me by a acquittance and former co-worker who has won a Grammy and played with Mac when they were teens.
When I first read the subject line I thought this was going to be a subject on Deral. 😉
That's The OTHER Pride of Lawton
😉
