It's called the last Waltz because this was their final concert in 1978. Martin Scoresee filmed a documentary about it and named it The Last Waltz. This concerts featured The Staple Singers, Muddy Waters, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and Van Morrison
The Staples were not at the Last Waltz concert; their performance was shot separately on a soundstage (as was Evangline with Emmylou Harris, and the Last Waltz Suite outro), which is why a) the camera work is so much better than the rest, b) the sound quality is so much better than the rest, c) the Band is wearing different outfits and arranged on stage differently than the rest of the concert, d) they're not soaked in sweat, and e) the Staples don't come out on stage during the final performance like everyone else.
I'm 66 years old and I have loved The Band for nearly 57 years. The Weight is a favorite of mine and my 28 year old son is now a fan as well. The drummer, lead singer ,Levon Hrlm was the daddy in Coal Miners Daughter, a great actor. Sadly he died of cancer and was working right til the end because his medical expenses took everything he had. He was, in my opinion, a one of a kind, unique talent.
He also had a memorable performance in The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada. Some of the members of the Band continued to perform under that name for years and Levon Helm particularly made several solo recordings of note.
What? Jerry Garcia? No - maybe you're thinking about the Grateful Dead. The Band was Bob Dylan's backup band for a while - not anybody else's (other than Ronnie Hawkins, which is who they started with and is why the Band was formerly known as "The Hawks".)
Congratulations you have reached rarified air with The Band. Three lead singers, masterful musicians and legendary link to true rock history. Their original lead singer didn’t even weigh in on this song, he just stayed back on the piano. You now can move into The Last Waltz experience. As for The Staples-Papa and the girls are Gospel/Soul Legends.
A classic, for sure. The exact meaning of the lyrics is a hotly debated topic among fans. Robbie Robertson, the songwriter, once said that the song is about how hard it is to be a good person. The guy in the song is just trying to live his life, but everyone keeps asking him for help, for favors. But ultimately, you can't help everyone, and you'll run yourself ragged trying to carry all that "weight".
By the time The Band called it quits, Robbie himself were carrying quite a "weigth", 3 members of The Band was doing heroin, and Robbie was married with 3 small children, he was trying to hold everything together, quite a balancing act, he said. Richard, Levon and my favorite Rick were doing heroin, which put quite a strain on the group. Robbie wrote in his book, RIchard and Levon was out of reach, I got through to Rick at times, but he drifted in and out. Whatever flaws they all had, they were all very talented and I love all of them, especially Rick and Robbie.
@@sorbabaric1 Robbie wrote the song in 1968, they were just getting noticed and making some money. There were several car crashes, Rick had a near fatal car accident broke his neck and back, which left him in pain for the rest of his life, and probably contributed to his lifelong addiction to heroin. They all did drugs, but with Robbie the music always came first, and Robbie and Garth stayed away from heroin. In an interview Robbie said in the seventies things got dark, that is when things got dark and he decided to stop touring and came up with the idea of The Last Waltz.
Now you're getting deep into music. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. One of the greatest songs written. It's a great song on its own with just the Band. Add in the Staples and you get legendary
"I pulled into Nazareth" The inspiration for "The Weight" came from a single word inscribed inside Robbie Robertson's Martin D-28 guitar, made in Nazareth, PA.
The Staple Singers were Pop Staples and his 3 daughters, Staples was their last name. They had several hits in the 1970's including "I'll Take You There", "Respect Yourself", and "Touch the Hand, Make a Friend."
Gospel first , then pop . They were gospel before pop even existed . They were like the Carters , except they were R & B And the carters were country . Same gospel background tho hence the old time religion . The documentary country music explains the evolution ! Very cool
first time I saw them was on an afternoon talk show, The David Frost Show. They did "Respect Yourself' It went on to be a hit. 1971. Prescott AZ radio daytimers not a good situation for R&B. At nighttime we had KOMA in Okla City to fill in the void.
Every Chicago artist -- no matter the discipline -- knows what we owe to The Staples Singers. Mavis Staples carries on their legacy, and is considered a city jewel, who is beloved by the world. I listen to something of hers every day.
There’s a video of the Kennedy Center Honors of Paul McCartney. Mavis Staples does a duet with James Taylor of “Let It Be” written by Paul. Then… Steven Tyler joins in. So amazing.
Only one man left alive of the band is the keyboard player with the broad head and the beard... the man is an eclectic legend. Elton John inducted him into the rock hall of fame he's now like a half blind white haired wizard dude and totally out there. Levon Holm's the singing drummer lost his voice through cancer but recovered and came back and also had a second career as a talented character actor ... He plays a old almost blind Kentucky fire arms expert/sniper/ex hit man in a Cameo performance .. who helps two young Military guys, one a brilliant sniper, figure out how they were framed for a killing and why. Think it was called The Shootist.🤔🧙🏻♂️
@@lisawilham-pepper He wasn't the only one. Robbie wrote in his book when Neil Young entered the stage "I knew no one in Winterland was feeling better than Neil".
The Band is called THE Band for a reason. They are the best! Check out their songs "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" snd "It Makes No Difference " and "Don't Do It." You'll be astounded! Hooked. TRANSFORMED.
The Band was made up of 4 guys from Canada and Levon Helmes from Arkansas. Robbie Robertson (lead guitar) wrote all the songs. Per his autobiography, "Nazareth" was the name of a town in PA where his guitar was made. From the book - " I revisited memories and characters from my southern exposure and put them in a surreal setting. One of the themes that struck me from Bunel's films was the impossibility of sainthood - no good deed goes unpunished. I wrote The Weight in one sitting that night." The book - Testimony - is fantastic.
Actually, Robbie claims to have written the songs, but there was a lawsuit and court proceedings fighting that for many years, because originally there were no names for which members wrote the songs. According to the lawsuit, it was suggested to Robbie, that he take the credit. Anna Lee, mentioned in The Weight says she met Robbie once, but had been a good friend of Levon's for years. It was these things that eventually led to the split of The Band and there never being a reunion of any type, even at Hall of Fame events.
@@meeting_meghan The Band split up because after 16 years on the road. Robbie had been on the road since he was 16, now he was married with 3 young children, and trying to keep things together with The Band, 3 members were doing heroin. He felt if they continued to tour something bad would happen. There had already been several accidents, car accidents, Richard was in a boating accident.
@@meeting_meghan Ronnie Hawkins said Robbie was the main songwriter and Robbie had written 2 songs when he was 16 that Ronnie recorded. None of us know for sure what happened but Robbie had a proven track record of song writing before and after The Band so I believe he wrote the ones he said he did.
@@meeting_meghan Utter nonsense! There wasn't any lawsuit or court proceedings! The fact that semi-literate broke-ass junkie Levon Helm couldn't come to grips with the fact that the person who comes up with the melody and words gets the songwriting credits is the only basis for this wild ass assertion. Adding a word or phrase or music or arranging does NOT give you song writing credits. If it did - studio musicians like the famous Wrecking Crew would all be billionaires. Levon Helm couldn't write a song to save his soul. Levon didn't write songs before Robbie joined The Hawks whereas Robbie sold two songs to Hawkins when he was only 16. Helm didn't write a song after The Band either. Robbie continued to write and score music and release albums of his own songs up until he died. There was NO court case or lawsuit because they all knew damn well they didn't have a prayer unless all of them got up on the stand and lied through their teeth.
The Band is called the Band because they started out as Bob Dylan's backing band and were always introduced as "Bob Dylan and the Band". The Last Waltz was their final concert where they invited all of the friends they've made over the years in the music business to join them onstage for a blowout performance.
Actually, they started out as Ronnie Hawkins’ backing band, the Hawks, and then later moved on to Bob Dylan. Ronnie Hawkins performs Who do You Love with The Band in The Last Waltz.
It's one of my favorite live performances, and I'm a heavy metal guy. Great song too. It's not about the political aspect of the civil war, it's about the human element of it, which people tend to forget.
Baby - get your hands on The Last Waltz! It’s riveting for ANY music lover. This song, over the years, never fails to bring tears to my eyes - EVERY TIME. Especially now that most of these great singers/musicians are gone. Also, if the stories are true, The Band got their name from being Bob Dylan’s accompanying band. Additionally, though Robbie Robertson wavered on the question, the song (to many) is biblical.
I've been listening to it since the Easy Riders sound track in 69, and parts of it have meant different things at different times. Kinda what makes art ...art. I always loved the song, but having The Staples in on it is just sugar on top.
the blu ray is reference level if you have a good sound system to test. and after using many names they just went with what the other musicians called them..the Band.
Nazareth, PA was the town where Robbie Robertson's guitar was made. He said he looked inside his guitar and got the inspiration for the first line. Robertson was a big fan of Spanish filmmaker Luis Buñuel, who often wrote stories of people who start out with an initial intention in their life and the world conspires to aim them in another direction based on the characters they meet along the way. Many of the references in the song are about real people, friends or acquaitances of various band members. Fanny ran a bookstore Robertson frequented and asked Robbie to say Hi to someone when he was traveling. Anna Lee was a friend of drummer Levon Helm, they grew up together. She was the type who would have the whole band over and cook for them when they were touring nearby. There really also was a Chester, in Arkansas where Helm and Band mentor Ronnie Hawkins hailed from. Apparently Chester wandered around town with a cap gun on his hip.
The Band started out as Bob Dylans backup band. They went off on their own and were very successful in the 70's and 80's. Their hits include "Up on Cripple Creek", "Stage Fright", "I Shall Be Released", "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down", "Time to Kill", "Atlantic City", "The Shape I'm In", and, of course, "The Weight."
Thanks for doing this. The Band are a Canadian group and were originally Ronnie Hawkins' band and they were Ronnie Hawkins and The Hawks and they toured southwestern Ontario extensively in the 60's. Robbie is from Six Nations outside Toronto, Levon is from Arkansas, Ricky Danko is from Petrolia Ontario about 20 miles from my home and then there's Garth Hudson and Richard Manual. As a child I was extremely fortunate enough to know these guys through our (I won't say who I'm related to) familial connection and as a toddler I even got to meet Bob Dylan when they were recording at Big Pink and The Basement Tapes which Robbie engineered. My mom worked for an entertainment lawyer as well as being personal friends with the entire group so my parents hung out with these guys for years and stayed in contact up when my Mom passed last year in May when Robbie called my Dad to give his condolences. Robbie passed last year as well. Sorry for the long post but seeing my family and friends on your 'cast was cool. Thanks for this again , it was very much appreciated.
Fun Fact: Pops Staples' first name is Roebuck and yes, he had an older brother named Sears. Also, John Fogerty credits Pops' guitar playing with helping him develop his own style. When you hear Pops play, you can definitely hear the influence.
I once heard a quote about The Band, that when everyone else was going one way, they turned and went in the opposite direction. The results are great and have added massively to the world.
Levon Helm ( singer/drummer) is a national treasure and was the heart and soul of The Band. The Band is probably the only group that could stop playing their instruments, put them down or back away from drums or piano and move left or right and pick up a different instrument, and keep playing without missing a beat. They all could sing, and everyone could play just about everything/ anything ! The Last Waltz is one of the greatest concerts of all time, The Band playing their last concert and wanted to go out with a bang so they had a few friends over and it turned out to be 4 hours of wonderful classic american rock-n-roll. Here are a few of those friends you might recognize their names... Eric Clapton Muddy Waters Bob Dylan Van Morrison Joni Mitchell Neil Young Neil Diamond Paul Butterfield Emmylou Harris The Staples & so many More......
I wholeheartedly agree. I mean Leon is the heart and soul of the band. The funny thing is im a Canadian and i love the non Canadian member of the group
The Band are easily one of the greatest groups ever. The Last Waltz film is 100% worth watching and is packed with so many legendary musicians I can't even list them. The performances from the concert are legendary. The part at the end with the impromptu "Ole Time Religion" is one of the small vignettes of the band talking or answering questions that was interspersed between the performances on the movie.
Nazareth is a town in Pennsylvania. PA also has a town named Bethlehem. When my husband lived in Woodstock, NY he would play with some of these guys. The lead singer from his band was good friends with Levon Helm (the drummer/singer). Levon Helm had a place in Woodstock that musicians would get together and just play for fun.
@@sundayze Nazareth Pa, is where Robbie bought one of his guitar. He looked inside it and saw the name and wondering how he could incoporate it into a song? Genius so creative.
According to Wikipedia: The original members of The Band performed "The Weight" as an American Southern folk song with country music (vocals, guitars and drums) and gospel music (piano and organ) elements. The lyrics, written in the first person, are about a traveler's arrival, visit, and departure from a town called Nazareth, in which the traveler's friend, Fanny, has asked him to look up some of her friends. According to Robertson, Fanny is based on Frances "Fanny" Steloff, the founder of a New York City bookstore where he explored scripts by Buñuel.[18] The town is related to Nazareth, Pennsylvania, because it was the home of Martin Guitars. (Robertson wrote the guitar parts on a 1951 Martin D-28.)[17][18] The singers, led by Helm, vocalize the traveler's encounters with people in the town from the perspective of a Bible Belt American Southerner,[19] like Helm himself, a native of rural Arkansas. The characters in "The Weight" were based on real people that members of the Band knew, as Helm explained in his autobiography, This Wheel's on Fire. In particular, "young Anna Lee" mentioned in the third verse is Helm's longtime friend Anna Lee Amsden,[20] and, according to her, "Carmen" was from Helm's hometown, Turkey Scratch, Arkansas.[21] "Crazy Chester" was an eccentric resident of Fayetteville, Arkansas, who carried a cap gun. Ronnie Hawkins would tell him to "keep the peace" at his Rockwood Club when Chester arrived.
Φίλος μου. As a Scot, living here in Greece, I have been binging your reactions. Man, seriously? Your takes on iconic music are amazing. Please keep ‘em coming. You, yes YOU, are the best reaction channel ever. As we Scots say…’lang may yer lum reek.’
IKR. When I discovered this channel a couple moths ago that first session was a 3 day binge of dozens of songs having a great time reliving old musical memories.
This was a quiz night question - part of The Weight was played and the question asked “What’s the name of the band that sings this song?” I leaned over to the person writing our answers and whispered “The Band”. They whispered back “Yes, we need the name of the band.” I blinked and whispered “Yeah… The Band.” I was stared at for a moment and the response was “Yes, we NEED the NAME of the band.” We got there in the end. But I was surprised to be the only person in a team of six who knew this song, and The Band. And as if it really needs saying, Mavis Staples is a legend.
Similar thing happened to me at the Superbowl halftime show this year when I was at the bar with a few friends. Usher brought out H.E.R as a guest performer. A friend asked who that was. I said HER. Who? HER! Yea ...her, the girl singing. What's her name? 😂
You gotta take time and watch the whole movie. The Band is 4 Canadians and Levon Helm (drummer) was from Arkansas. They are incredibly cool & talented. And then there's the Staple Singers. Pop Staples and his 3 daughters. Such soul! Great voices! You have judge touched the tip of the iceberg....dig deeper!!
'The Band' were previously 'The Hawks', the backing band for Ronnie Hawkins. They were a pretty varied but accomplished bunch. Bob Dylan met Ronnie Hawkins during the making of a film. When Dylan made the cross from being an acoustic folkie to an electric artist, & touring, he needed a backing band of musicians, possibly for only one tour. So, Ronnie Hawkins' band became Bob Dylan's band. But, Bob Dylan didn't want to be " Bob Dylan and the ............... ", so they became just 'The Band', and the name stuck. They had their own career afterwards for a while, but when they decided to call it a day, they hired the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco, invited their friends & past collaborators, and an audience. Martin Scorcese filmed it.
The Band saved me and i will be eternally grateful. The Last Waltz is a celebration and their final live concert with this line up. One of the best music documentaries, one of the best bands ever and a guest line up to die for. IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE is my all time favourite. R.I.P Rick, Robbie, Levon and Richard. Rock on Garth. 12:29
If you want to hear Rick Danko's voice going beautifully human (for want of a better word) and emotional do listen to "It Makes No Difference" also from this concert.
The Weight is the name of a song that was included in a movie titled 'The Last Waltz' about 'The Band's' farewell concert, which was directed by Martin Scorsese. The list of musicians in the concert/movie is quite extensive (Neil Diamond, The Staples, Neil Young, Dr. John, Emmylou Harris, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Ringo Starr and many others). The movie is well worth watching if one can find it in its entirety.
The Band was Bob Dylan's band. Bob discovered them playing in a club in Toronto Canada. They decided just to call themselves The Band because everyone would ask Bob, where is The Band or how is The Band. The Band eventually went solo from Bob and The Last Waltz is a movie about their very last concert in San Francisco. That is the great Levon Helm on drums and vocals. Levon Helm was from Arkansas and the rest of The Band are all Canadian. The Staple Singers or just The Staples were an American gospel group that had tons of hit songs. The leader is the great Mavis Staples with her 2 sisters and their father. The Band had tons of hit songs including The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down which was their biggest hit song. I think only 1 or 2 members of The Band are still alive.
One of the best groups ever. Another reactor mentions their great songs. THE LAST WALTZ was a movie Concert made by Martin Scorsese. Leon Helms has always been a favorite.
You just found gold. Congratulations! 🏆👑🌟🥇The best part of this reaction is that you let the music carry you and you let the ambiguity of the lyrics go. Because the meaning lyrics will always be personal. Right?
I heard that Pops Staples asked Robbie Robertson (the guitarist for the Band, who wrote this song) what the song meant. Robbie replied, "Pops if I knew I would tell you."
Rick Danko (bass player) is/was an amazingly talented individual and great singer. You should listen to "Makes No Difference" from the Last Waltz. Rick sings lead. You'll have a new appreciation for him after listening.
Take a load off was a 60’s & 70’s slang term…. It referred to “kicking back” and literally taking a load off of your tired feet or was used to refer to letting your friends help with a burden thus taking a load off of your mind…..
Rick Danko on bass has his own singing style but I think he's great. "It Makes No Difference", also from The Last Waltz movie is a great song. This movie was their final concert after spending many years on the road. Wonderful concert movie with many fabulous guest appearances. It's a slice of American (and Canadian) music from about 1960 to 1975. It's got everything.
One of the greatest songs ever written. Covered by many including Aretha Franklin. Written by Robbie Robertson, the guy with the double guitar. The Band, got their name from being the band for Bob Dylan. The Staple Singers are a dad and his daughters. Mavis Staples is an American treasure. She is still out there making beautiful noise!
FINALLY!!!!! AT LAST!!!!!! ABOUT TIME!!!!! THE BEST !!!!!!! Probably one of the best preformances of this song EVER!!!!! Mavis blows this out of the water with her ""Take ya to church"" vibes!!! Pop Staples adds the perfect touch!!!!! One of my Top 10 songs of all!!!!!!
The Last Waltz was The Bands final concert as The Band. They formed in the early 60s. You must watch the movie The Last Waltz lots of musical history. I believe The Last Waltz was recorded in 1976. They invented all the famous musicians they played with over the years. Bob Dillon, Neil Young, Jony Mitchell, Dr. John and several others.
The Band were the back up band for Bob Dylan for a couple years. The drummer, Levon Helm, is the only American. Everyone else is Canadian. Robbie Robertson died in 2023 at age 80. Levon died in 2012. I love their music. I’ve been a fan ever since their first album. The Last Waltz was their final performance and was recorded with many other artists joining them on stage for each song. The group disbanded after this performance. Several members went on to have solo careers.
The Band were Bob Dylan's backing band when he progressed from solo folk guitarist to "rock" in the mid 60s. People were always asking, "man, who is that Band backing Dylan?" When they left Dylan to do their own recordings they decided to just call themselves The Band. The Staple Singers were an iconic family gospel group, led by the father with his daughters. This song closed out the film The Last Waltz, which was a huge tribute concert to THE BAND'S career. Many iconic guest musicians playing with The Band. A must watch.
Thanks for reacting to The Band! I heard this on the radio and never knew who sang it! I heard of the Band but never really knew what their songs were - was distracted with the Beatles, Chicago, Crosby Stills Nash Young, Seals & Crofts, Elton John, BeeGees, Doobie Brothers, Queen, Fogelberg, Fleetwood Mac .... so many good bands in the 70s...
I highly recommend the version of this song by Playing For Change. Musicians from all over the world joining in to sing this for its 50th anniversary. Very inspirational
That was a nice surprise to see you react to this song today. It's my favorite song and I was so happy to see you not only like it, but REALLY like it. Made my day!
Here's what you need to understand about how great THE BAND were. Both ERIC CLAPTON and BEATLE GEORGE HARRISON inquired about joining The Band>>>that's how well regarded their music was thought of. They were the first rock band to play what is now known as Americana, or roots rock. Countryish with basic rock beat, multiple vocalists and instruments.
The Band was the group of musicians that Dylan put together when he went "electric". This alienated many of his "folk" fans, and it took a while to bring them around. So they were Dylan's first back-up band.
This is a great classic tune! The Staple Singers are a legendary R&B family group! Mavis, the lead singer, has an amazing voice! Her sisters and father make up the group and they started in gospel! Check out their hits, “I’ll Take You There” and “Let’s Do It Again”! ❤❤
Pop Staples and his girls were a true gift. Mavis is the only surviving member of the gmail and is still on the road delivering her message. Levon Helm (drums), Rick Danko (Bass), and Richard Manuel (dark haired keyboardist) were all accomplished vocalists too. You might check out the version done by the Playing For Change organization too.
The lyrics are very enigmatic. I've been listening to this song since it first came out and I haven't been able to completely understand it myself. It won a Grammy and I think it's mostly because of the mood of the song and a plea for help.
The bassist Rick Danko is a gifted vocalist with his best song from the Last Waltx being it makes no difference. Nazareth is also in Pennsylvania and famous as race car driver Mario Andretti’s hometown.
This was the Bands last tour and Martin Scorsese filmed their last concert and there were many guest singing with the Band to give respect such a great group thus why they called it The Last Waltz. Its the name of the film and concert
The Band, before they were The Band, was Bob Dylan's back up band. They lived in upstate New York, Woodstock. Whenever they were out on the town either as a group or individually, everyone said "that's The Band", or he is in The Band" So when they went out on their own and had to come up with a name for their first record, they just stuck with The Band. They are The Band, no one like them. Robbie Robertson such a great songwriter, Levon Helm a great singer and drummer, Richard Manuel piano and a soulful voice. Rick Danko bass guitar and also a great singer, his rendition of It makes no difference, tears your heart out. Garth a genius on several instruments. They all were beyond talented. Their story is fascinating. 4 Canadians and one, the drummer from Arkansas.
The Last Waltz was a concert by the Canadian-American rock group The Band, held on American Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 1976, directed by Martian Scorsese following The Band's last performance. The list of guest performers is legendary.
Actually, according to his autobiography, they only part of the concert that wasn't overdubbed later was his drumming. He refused to go into the studio to re-record his parts. However, I think he was just angry about it and was exaggerating - I have recordings of the actual concert, and they are pretty damned close to the released versions, so... There was definitely some re-recording here and there, but not as much as Levon claimed.
You need to check out the night they drove old Dixie down & up on cripple creek. They about 20 hit songs in the 8 years they were together started in 1968
I got to see Levon Helm about nine months before he passed. Throat cancer had taken the power out of his voice, but he still drummed like he was in The Band. He did sing this song and it was very moving and emotional. A friend used to go to his rambles down by Woodstock, NY and met him several time. She was a radio DJ and the day after Levin passed she said in the radio: “When I heard he passed I didn’t cry. I cried when I heard him play.”
"The Last Waltz" was filmed by the great Martin Scorsese with the Band in their farewell concert. The clip you watched was filmed separately from the actual show. The studio version of the song featured Levon Helms (the drummer) on most of the lyrics. The "homie" did sing that one verse in the original version. That was Rick Danko, who I did see in a solo show at Carnegie Hall years before his death. The entire movie really should be seen in a movie theatre with an excellent sound system. It almost makes you feel like you're really at the concert.
The Band, was the back up band first for Rockin Ronnie Hawkins, and then for Bob Dylan. When they decided to go as a solo act, they asked what should we call ourselves, and after looking at each other, well we have always been just "The Band", so...
I'm 26 from Canada and a huge fan of the band. 4/5 of them being from southern ontario where i am. They have such a cool story and seem to be in revelationary glimpses in the 60s-70s scene. In a psycidilla era they made "American roots" as what we know it thanks to these gents. They were simply "the band". Their chemistry was like no other. Also don't think to much into this song!! The guitarist and primary song writer robbie roberston (rip 2023). Was strumming a tune and looked into his martin guitar manufactured in "Nazareth P.A" the other characters in the song are people from their bar days in Arkansas and Canada! Also these 5 white boys could rock with the best and woth the most soul.
It's called the last Waltz because this was their final concert in 1978. Martin Scoresee filmed a documentary about it and named it The Last Waltz. This concerts featured The Staple Singers, Muddy Waters, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and Van Morrison
Sooooooo good too.
Had this on VHS and wore it out!
Their last concert before they got back together, minus Robbie Roberts.
The Staples were not at the Last Waltz concert; their performance was shot separately on a soundstage (as was Evangline with Emmylou Harris, and the Last Waltz Suite outro), which is why a) the camera work is so much better than the rest, b) the sound quality is so much better than the rest, c) the Band is wearing different outfits and arranged on stage differently than the rest of the concert, d) they're not soaked in sweat, and e) the Staples don't come out on stage during the final performance like everyone else.
@@ksborder me too
I'm 66 years old and I have loved The Band for nearly 57 years. The Weight is a favorite of mine and my 28 year old son is now a fan as well. The drummer, lead singer ,Levon Hrlm was the daddy in Coal Miners Daughter, a great actor. Sadly he died of cancer and was working right til the end because his medical expenses took everything he had. He was, in my opinion, a one of a kind, unique talent.
He was wonderful in Coal Miner's Daughter, and he also had a small but memorable role in The Right Stuff.
He also had a memorable performance in The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada. Some of the members of the Band continued to perform under that name for years and Levon Helm particularly made several solo recordings of note.
The Band legendary place in music history is immense. They were the band for legends like Bob Dylan, Jerry Garcia. They backed up everybody.
The back Dylan, and might have played with Garcia and other bands, but after backing Dylan, the went on their own and became The Band.
Don’t get me started on this concert!💪🤣😉👍🫡🙏✌️❤️
What? Jerry Garcia? No - maybe you're thinking about the Grateful Dead. The Band was Bob Dylan's backup band for a while - not anybody else's (other than Ronnie Hawkins, which is who they started with and is why the Band was formerly known as "The Hawks".)
It is religiously touched. Sings about Luke, John, Moses. The weight is sin/sorrow...
They were the best backup band but full best band ever! They all can play multiple Instruments and sing... except garth obviously 😊
Congratulations you have reached rarified air with The Band. Three lead singers, masterful musicians and legendary link to true rock history. Their original lead singer didn’t even weigh in on this song, he just stayed back on the piano. You now can move into The Last Waltz experience. As for The Staples-Papa and the girls are Gospel/Soul Legends.
They all could play any instruments. One of my favorite is it makes no difference. Be ready for it. Peace man. Tx
Thanks for reacting to my suggestion. I'm sure others did too so thank you! They are a crazy group. I lived Levon Helm (the drummer)
A classic, for sure. The exact meaning of the lyrics is a hotly debated topic among fans. Robbie Robertson, the songwriter, once said that the song is about how hard it is to be a good person. The guy in the song is just trying to live his life, but everyone keeps asking him for help, for favors. But ultimately, you can't help everyone, and you'll run yourself ragged trying to carry all that "weight".
By the time The Band called it quits, Robbie himself were carrying quite a "weigth", 3 members of The Band was doing heroin, and Robbie was married with 3 small children, he was trying to hold everything together, quite a balancing act, he said. Richard, Levon and my favorite Rick were doing heroin, which put quite a strain on the group. Robbie wrote in his book, RIchard and Levon was out of reach, I got through to Rick at times, but he drifted in and out. Whatever flaws they all had, they were all very talented and I love all of them, especially Rick and Robbie.
Thanks. I’ve always listened to and enjoyed this song, not sure of the meaning(s), but your explanation helps me understand it a little better.
@@sorbabaric1 Robbie wrote the song in 1968, they were just getting noticed and making some money. There were several car crashes, Rick had a near fatal car accident broke his neck and back, which left him in pain for the rest of his life, and probably contributed to his lifelong addiction to heroin. They all did drugs, but with Robbie the music always came first, and Robbie and Garth stayed away from heroin. In an interview Robbie said in the seventies things got dark, that is when things got dark and he decided to stop touring and came up with the idea of The Last Waltz.
Now you're getting deep into music. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. One of the greatest songs written. It's a great song on its own with just the Band. Add in the Staples and you get legendary
Id argue the original was already legendary on its own...
"I'll take you There", "Cripple Creek", "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down", "The Shape I'm In", classic! Don't miss them!
And Ophelia
Yes, what he said!
"I'll Take You There" was the Staples Singers - The Band was not involved.
Maybe a traveler like Mary and Joseph. But the point is, help people going through hard times. Take your load off, I'll carry it. Love thy neighbor
Any day you can hear Mavis Staples sing is a great day!
There will NEVER be another BAND... Loved Leon Helm!!!
Just saying....his name was Levon. He did some solo work after The Band. Worth checking out.
Saw him solo in the early 80s
Ahhhh.....Levon. And RIP Robbie.
Levon was the coolest guy God ever put breath in !!! I love all his solo albums...He was THE MAN !!!!
He was in several movies as well. He beat throat cancer, lived for a long while and I think passed not too long ago. Levon Helm is the drummer.
"I pulled into Nazareth" The inspiration for "The Weight" came from a single word inscribed inside Robbie Robertson's Martin D-28 guitar, made in Nazareth, PA.
Sometime you just don’t have to understand it … you just sit back and enjoy the music
That’s not really BP’s strong suit. 🤭
That's right! I've never questioned it. Just enjoyed the ride
The Last Waltz is the greatest concert film ever made. RIP Robbie Robertson. Mavis Staples is a legend, and still here! (this film is 1976).
The Staple Singers were Pop Staples and his 3 daughters, Staples was their last name. They had several hits in the 1970's including "I'll Take You There", "Respect Yourself", and "Touch the Hand, Make a Friend."
"The Weight" was one of their live concert staples (pun unintended) so it was a no-brainer for them to this with The Band.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Staple_Singers
Gospel first , then pop . They were gospel before pop even existed . They were like the
Carters , except they were R & B
And the carters were country .
Same gospel background tho hence the old time religion .
The documentary country music explains the evolution ! Very cool
first time I saw them was on an afternoon talk show, The David Frost Show. They did "Respect Yourself'
It went on to be a hit. 1971. Prescott AZ radio daytimers not a good situation for R&B. At nighttime we had KOMA in Okla City to fill in the void.
I'll Take You There and Respect Yourself. Top shelf.
Every Chicago artist -- no matter the discipline -- knows what we owe to The Staples Singers. Mavis Staples carries on their legacy, and is considered a city jewel, who is beloved by the world. I listen to something of hers every day.
Mavis Staples is an absolute treasure. And Levon Helm's voice was always so damn good. The Band, easily one of my all time favorite bands!
If warm butter and honey could sing it would sound like Mavis
Mavis going strong at 85.
There’s a video of the Kennedy Center Honors of Paul McCartney. Mavis Staples does a duet with James Taylor of “Let It Be” written by Paul. Then… Steven Tyler joins in. So amazing.
Only one man left alive of the band is the keyboard player with the broad head and the beard... the man is an eclectic legend. Elton John inducted him into the rock hall of fame he's now like a half blind white haired wizard dude and totally out there.
Levon Holm's the singing drummer lost his voice through cancer but recovered and came back and also had a second career as a talented character actor ...
He plays a old almost blind Kentucky fire arms expert/sniper/ex hit man in a Cameo performance .. who helps two young Military guys, one a brilliant sniper, figure out how they were framed for a killing and why.
Think it was called The Shootist.🤔🧙🏻♂️
I actually was fonder of the Staples Singers than of The Band.
To hear Rick Danko (that singer on bass) sing: It Makes No Difference from this very concert (Last Waltz) will give you chills.
during this concert Rick Danko said he was so high on coke.
+100 He absolutely kills it on It Makes No Difference, which I think is one or two songs sooner in the concert than The Weight.
@@lisawilham-pepper He wasn't the only one. Robbie wrote in his book when Neil Young entered the stage "I knew no one in Winterland was feeling better than Neil".
@@dongiovanni6796 Rick also did a great on "Stage Freight", the way Scorsese filmed it, when the light hits Rick's face it was magical.
@@hannejeppesen1809 They had to black out the coke boogers from his closeups frame by frame for the movie.
The Band is called THE Band for a reason. They are the best! Check out their songs "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" snd "It Makes No Difference " and "Don't Do It." You'll be astounded! Hooked. TRANSFORMED.
The Band was made up of 4 guys from Canada and Levon Helmes from Arkansas. Robbie Robertson (lead guitar) wrote all the songs. Per his autobiography, "Nazareth" was the name of a town in PA where his guitar was made. From the book - " I revisited memories and characters from my southern exposure and put them in a surreal setting. One of the themes that struck me from Bunel's films was the impossibility of sainthood - no good deed goes unpunished. I wrote The Weight in one sitting that night." The book - Testimony - is fantastic.
Actually, Robbie claims to have written the songs, but there was a lawsuit and court proceedings fighting that for many years, because originally there were no names for which members wrote the songs. According to the lawsuit, it was suggested to Robbie, that he take the credit. Anna Lee, mentioned in The Weight says she met Robbie once, but had been a good friend of Levon's for years. It was these things that eventually led to the split of The Band and there never being a reunion of any type, even at Hall of Fame events.
@@meeting_meghan The Band split up because after 16 years on the road. Robbie had been on the road since he was 16, now he was married with 3 young children, and trying to keep things together with The Band, 3 members were doing heroin. He felt if they continued to tour something bad would happen. There had already been several accidents, car accidents, Richard was in a boating accident.
@@meeting_meghan Ronnie Hawkins said Robbie was the main songwriter and Robbie had written 2 songs when he was 16 that Ronnie recorded. None of us know for sure what happened but Robbie had a proven track record of song writing before and after The Band so I believe he wrote the ones he said he did.
@@meeting_meghan Utter nonsense! There wasn't any lawsuit or court proceedings! The fact that semi-literate broke-ass junkie Levon Helm couldn't come to grips with the fact that the person who comes up with the melody and words gets the songwriting credits is the only basis for this wild ass assertion. Adding a word or phrase or music or arranging does NOT give you song writing credits. If it did - studio musicians like the famous Wrecking Crew would all be billionaires.
Levon Helm couldn't write a song to save his soul. Levon didn't write songs before Robbie joined The Hawks whereas Robbie sold two songs to Hawkins when he was only 16. Helm didn't write a song after The Band either. Robbie continued to write and score music and release albums of his own songs up until he died.
There was NO court case or lawsuit because they all knew damn well they didn't have a prayer unless all of them got up on the stand and lied through their teeth.
Now it's time for cripple creek. The band is one of my all time favorite bands.
The Band is called the Band because they started out as Bob Dylan's backing band and were always introduced as "Bob Dylan and the Band". The Last Waltz was their final concert where they invited all of the friends they've made over the years in the music business to join them onstage for a blowout performance.
Actually, they started out as Ronnie Hawkins’ backing band, the Hawks, and then later moved on to Bob Dylan. Ronnie Hawkins performs Who do You Love with The Band in The Last Waltz.
The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down live from The Last Waltz is fantastic to see Levon singing and drumming
It's one of my favorite live performances, and I'm a heavy metal guy. Great song too. It's not about the political aspect of the civil war, it's about the human element of it, which people tend to forget.
Probably the best song from the Last Waltz
@@smileygladhands
Yes, even as a Brit I love the emotion in his voice and can imagine the pain and hardship he describes.
It isn't the band, it is THE Band.
Absolutely, all can swap instruments np... and can sing except shy garth 😊
Baby - get your hands on The Last Waltz! It’s riveting for ANY music lover. This song, over the years, never fails to bring tears to my eyes - EVERY TIME. Especially now that most of these great singers/musicians are gone. Also, if the stories are true, The Band got their name from being Bob Dylan’s accompanying band.
Additionally, though Robbie Robertson wavered on the question, the song (to many) is biblical.
I've been listening to it since the Easy Riders sound track in 69, and parts of it have meant different things at different times. Kinda what makes art ...art. I always loved the song, but having The Staples in on it is just sugar on top.
Yes, The Band was the touring and back-up band for Bob Dylan until they decided to go off onto their own. There's a good article on Wikipedia.
Levon Helm was a legend
I'm SO HAPPY these youngins have these channels and are listening and sharing to other generations!!!
the blu ray is reference level if you have a good sound system to test. and after using many names they just went with what the other musicians called them..the Band.
Nazareth, PA was the town where Robbie Robertson's guitar was made. He said he looked inside his guitar and got the inspiration for the first line. Robertson was a big fan of Spanish filmmaker Luis Buñuel, who often wrote stories of people who start out with an initial intention in their life and the world conspires to aim them in another direction based on the characters they meet along the way.
Many of the references in the song are about real people, friends or acquaitances of various band members. Fanny ran a bookstore Robertson frequented and asked Robbie to say Hi to someone when he was traveling. Anna Lee was a friend of drummer Levon Helm, they grew up together. She was the type who would have the whole band over and cook for them when they were touring nearby. There really also was a Chester, in Arkansas where Helm and Band mentor Ronnie Hawkins hailed from. Apparently Chester wandered around town with a cap gun on his hip.
The Band started out as Bob Dylans backup band. They went off on their own and were very successful in the 70's and 80's. Their hits include "Up on Cripple Creek", "Stage Fright", "I Shall Be Released", "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down", "Time to Kill", "Atlantic City", "The Shape I'm In", and, of course, "The Weight."
They took the name The Band because that is how Bon Dylan introduced them.
They actually started as Ronnie Hawkins band, then went to become Dylan's band
@@michaellockhart554
Thanks, I was going to point that out and ya best me to it!
chest fever
They were Ronnie Hawkins band first
Thanks for doing this.
The Band are a Canadian group and were originally Ronnie Hawkins' band and they were Ronnie Hawkins and The Hawks and they toured southwestern Ontario extensively in the 60's.
Robbie is from Six Nations outside Toronto, Levon is from Arkansas, Ricky Danko is from Petrolia Ontario about 20 miles from my home and then there's Garth Hudson and Richard Manual.
As a child I was extremely fortunate enough to know these guys through our (I won't say who I'm related to) familial connection and as a toddler I even got to meet Bob Dylan when they were recording at Big Pink and The Basement Tapes which Robbie engineered. My mom worked for an entertainment lawyer as well as being personal friends with the entire group so my parents hung out with these guys for years and stayed in contact up when my Mom passed last year in May when Robbie called my Dad to give his condolences. Robbie passed last year as well. Sorry for the long post but seeing my family and friends on your 'cast was cool.
Thanks for this again , it was very much appreciated.
Nazareth, is in Pennsylvania, it is the place Gibson guitars were made for years, and quite famous with many musicians.
Martin guitars. Gibson made in Kalamazoo
The have a yearly festival that fully books all the hotels in the area
Martin Guitars, not Gibson
Martin Guitars not Gibson.
The rock band *Nazareth* took their name from this song.
Fun Fact: Pops Staples' first name is Roebuck and yes, he had an older brother named Sears. Also, John Fogerty credits Pops' guitar playing with helping him develop his own style. When you hear Pops play, you can definitely hear the influence.
I once heard a quote about The Band, that when everyone else was going one way, they turned and went in the opposite direction. The results are great and have added massively to the world.
Levon Helm ( singer/drummer) is a national treasure and was the heart and soul of The Band.
The Band is probably the only group that could stop playing their instruments, put them down or back away from drums or piano and move left or right and pick up a different instrument, and keep playing without missing a beat. They all could sing, and everyone could play just about everything/ anything !
The Last Waltz is one of the greatest concerts of all time, The Band playing their last concert and wanted to go out with a bang so they had a few friends over and it turned out to be 4 hours of wonderful classic american rock-n-roll.
Here are a few of those friends you might recognize their names...
Eric Clapton
Muddy Waters
Bob Dylan
Van Morrison
Joni Mitchell
Neil Young
Neil Diamond
Paul Butterfield
Emmylou Harris
The Staples
& so many More......
I wholeheartedly agree. I mean Leon is the heart and soul of the band. The funny thing is im a Canadian and i love the non Canadian member of the group
The Band are easily one of the greatest groups ever. The Last Waltz film is 100% worth watching and is packed with so many legendary musicians I can't even list them. The performances from the concert are legendary. The part at the end with the impromptu "Ole Time Religion" is one of the small vignettes of the band talking or answering questions that was interspersed between the performances on the movie.
Rick is hilarious there, and I'm pretty sure he was stoned. Love Rick.
no question, its great
Nazareth is a town in Pennsylvania. PA also has a town named Bethlehem. When my husband lived in Woodstock, NY he would play with some of these guys. The lead singer from his band was good friends with Levon Helm (the drummer/singer). Levon Helm had a place in Woodstock that musicians would get together and just play for fun.
Several states have a town named Nazareth, but the one in PA is definitely the most well known.
@@sundayze Nazareth Pa, is where Robbie bought one of his guitar. He looked inside it and saw the name and wondering how he could incoporate it into a song? Genius so creative.
@@hannejeppesen1809 Exactly.
According to Wikipedia:
The original members of The Band performed "The Weight" as an American Southern folk song with country music (vocals, guitars and drums) and gospel music (piano and organ) elements. The lyrics, written in the first person, are about a traveler's arrival, visit, and departure from a town called Nazareth, in which the traveler's friend, Fanny, has asked him to look up some of her friends.
According to Robertson, Fanny is based on Frances "Fanny" Steloff, the founder of a New York City bookstore where he explored scripts by Buñuel.[18] The town is related to Nazareth, Pennsylvania, because it was the home of Martin Guitars. (Robertson wrote the guitar parts on a 1951 Martin D-28.)[17][18] The singers, led by Helm, vocalize the traveler's encounters with people in the town from the perspective of a Bible Belt American Southerner,[19] like Helm himself, a native of rural Arkansas.
The characters in "The Weight" were based on real people that members of the Band knew, as Helm explained in his autobiography, This Wheel's on Fire. In particular, "young Anna Lee" mentioned in the third verse is Helm's longtime friend Anna Lee Amsden,[20] and, according to her, "Carmen" was from Helm's hometown, Turkey Scratch, Arkansas.[21] "Crazy Chester" was an eccentric resident of Fayetteville, Arkansas, who carried a cap gun. Ronnie Hawkins would tell him to "keep the peace" at his Rockwood Club when Chester arrived.
@@sundayze It's where Martin Guitars is
The Band is killer! Omg you are learning some good stuff now. Man I loved Robbie Robertson!! BP this band is epic
The Staple Singers covered this in 1968 which is why they were invited to sing it with The Band on The Last Waltz in 1976.
You need to react to The Staple Singers song "ILL TAKE YOU THERE" !!!
This should be much higher up the comments list.
HELP ME!!!!
Preach it!
Mercy!
Φίλος μου. As a Scot, living here in Greece, I have been binging your reactions.
Man, seriously? Your takes on iconic music are amazing. Please keep ‘em coming.
You, yes YOU, are the best reaction channel ever.
As we Scots say…’lang may yer lum reek.’
IKR. When I discovered this channel a couple moths ago that first session was a 3 day binge of dozens of songs having a great time reliving old musical memories.
Mavis Staples has a voice like buttered bourbon and honey.
(A cannonball is a freight train.)
"I'll Take You There" is her most sexy vocal. She does take me there!!
Thanks a lot. Now my mouth is watering.
This was a quiz night question - part of The Weight was played and the question asked “What’s the name of the band that sings this song?” I leaned over to the person writing our answers and whispered “The Band”. They whispered back “Yes, we need the name of the band.” I blinked and whispered “Yeah… The Band.” I was stared at for a moment and the response was “Yes, we NEED the NAME of the band.” We got there in the end. But I was surprised to be the only person in a team of six who knew this song, and The Band. And as if it really needs saying, Mavis Staples is a legend.
Similar thing happened to me at the Superbowl halftime show this year when I was at the bar with a few friends. Usher brought out H.E.R as a guest performer. A friend asked who that was. I said HER.
Who?
HER!
Yea ...her, the girl singing. What's her name? 😂
@@troyhagen9843 Love it - it’s like Abbott and Costello’s “Who’s on first” in real life.
@@troyhagen9843 Just like Abbott and Costello I did that to my dad whenever a song by The Guess Who came on the radio.
Been a fan of this song for literally decades.
You gotta take time and watch the whole movie.
The Band is 4 Canadians and Levon Helm (drummer) was from Arkansas. They are incredibly cool & talented.
And then there's the Staple Singers. Pop Staples and his 3 daughters. Such soul! Great voices!
You have judge touched the tip of the iceberg....dig deeper!!
'The Band' were previously 'The Hawks', the backing band for Ronnie Hawkins. They were a pretty varied but accomplished bunch.
Bob Dylan met Ronnie Hawkins during the making of a film. When Dylan made the cross from being an acoustic folkie to an electric artist, & touring, he needed a backing band of musicians, possibly for only one tour. So, Ronnie Hawkins' band became Bob Dylan's band. But, Bob Dylan didn't want to be " Bob Dylan and the ............... ", so they became just 'The Band', and the name stuck. They had their own career afterwards for a while, but when they decided to call it a day, they hired the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco, invited their friends & past collaborators, and an audience. Martin Scorcese filmed it.
The Band saved me and i will be eternally grateful.
The Last Waltz is a celebration and their final live concert with this line up. One of the best music documentaries, one of the best bands ever and a guest line up to die for.
IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE is my all time favourite.
R.I.P Rick, Robbie, Levon and Richard.
Rock on Garth. 12:29
If you want to hear Rick Danko's voice going beautifully human (for want of a better word) and emotional do listen to "It Makes No Difference" also from this concert.
❤❤❤
Thanks!
thank you so much for the extra support!
thank you so much for the extra support!
The look on your face when Mavis Staples started singing priceless
The Weight is the name of a song that was included in a movie titled 'The Last Waltz' about 'The Band's' farewell concert, which was directed by Martin Scorsese. The list of musicians in the concert/movie is quite extensive (Neil Diamond, The Staples, Neil Young, Dr. John, Emmylou Harris, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Ringo Starr and many others). The movie is well worth watching if one can find it in its entirety.
The Band was Bob Dylan's band. Bob discovered them playing in a club in Toronto Canada. They decided just to call themselves The Band because everyone would ask Bob, where is The Band or how is The Band. The Band eventually went solo from Bob and The Last Waltz is a movie about their very last concert in San Francisco. That is the great Levon Helm on drums and vocals. Levon Helm was from Arkansas and the rest of The Band are all Canadian. The Staple Singers or just The Staples were an American gospel group that had tons of hit songs. The leader is the great Mavis Staples with her 2 sisters and their father. The Band had tons of hit songs including The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down which was their biggest hit song. I think only 1 or 2 members of The Band are still alive.
One of the best groups ever. Another reactor mentions their great songs. THE LAST WALTZ
was a movie Concert made by Martin Scorsese. Leon Helms has always been a favorite.
You just found gold. Congratulations! 🏆👑🌟🥇The best part of this reaction is that you let the music carry you and you let the ambiguity of the lyrics go. Because the meaning lyrics will always be personal. Right?
I heard that Pops Staples asked Robbie Robertson (the guitarist for the Band, who wrote this song) what the song meant. Robbie replied, "Pops if I knew I would tell you."
You will love anything from The Band. They are just so good.
Rick Danko (bass player) is/was an amazingly talented individual and great singer. You should listen to "Makes No Difference" from the Last Waltz. Rick sings lead. You'll have a new appreciation for him after listening.
Take a load off was a 60’s & 70’s slang term…. It referred to “kicking back” and literally taking a load off of your tired feet or was used to refer to letting your friends help with a burden thus taking a load off of your mind…..
Rick Danko on bass has his own singing style but I think he's great. "It Makes No Difference", also from The Last Waltz movie is a great song. This movie was their final concert after spending many years on the road. Wonderful concert movie with many fabulous guest appearances. It's a slice of American (and Canadian) music from about 1960 to 1975. It's got everything.
One of the greatest songs ever written. Covered by many including Aretha Franklin. Written by Robbie Robertson, the guy with the double guitar. The Band, got their name from being the band for Bob Dylan.
The Staple Singers are a dad and his daughters. Mavis Staples is an American treasure. She is still out there making beautiful noise!
FINALLY!!!!! AT LAST!!!!!! ABOUT TIME!!!!! THE BEST !!!!!!! Probably one of the best preformances of this song EVER!!!!! Mavis blows this out of the water with her ""Take ya to church"" vibes!!! Pop Staples adds the perfect touch!!!!! One of my Top 10 songs of all!!!!!!
Mavis Staples is still performing after 70 years on stage
Mavis is a queen, man. That voice, so full of soul. The whole of the Staples are great, but she is something else
Generally considered one of the best rock live albums ever.
these are REAL musicians......and the last waltz the best concert movie ever
For sure.
It’s forever on my playlist. I’m 69 years old and have created my top ten songs for me. The Weight is solidly on there.
Yessir..
Great movie..a must watch..
The Last Waltz...the Band's final concert....
The Last Waltz was The Bands final concert as The Band. They formed in the early 60s. You must watch the movie The Last Waltz lots of musical history. I believe The Last Waltz was recorded in 1976. They invented all the famous musicians they played with over the years. Bob Dillon, Neil Young, Jony Mitchell, Dr. John and several others.
The Band were the back up band for Bob Dylan for a couple years. The drummer, Levon Helm, is the only American. Everyone else is Canadian. Robbie Robertson died in 2023 at age 80. Levon died in 2012.
I love their music. I’ve been a fan ever since their first album.
The Last Waltz was their final performance and was recorded with many other artists joining them on stage for each song. The group disbanded after this performance. Several members went on to have solo careers.
Hi BP. Nazareth was know for being a place of sanctuary. I think each of the characters was seeking a safe place to rest. Excellent choice by the way.
The Band were Bob Dylan's backing band when he progressed from solo folk guitarist to "rock" in the mid 60s. People were always asking, "man, who is that Band backing Dylan?" When they left Dylan to do their own recordings they decided to just call themselves The Band.
The Staple Singers were an iconic family gospel group, led by the father with his daughters. This song closed out the film The Last Waltz, which was a huge tribute concert to THE BAND'S career. Many iconic guest musicians playing with The Band. A must watch.
Thanks for reacting to The Band! I heard this on the radio and never knew who sang it! I heard of the Band but never really knew what their songs were - was distracted with the Beatles, Chicago, Crosby Stills Nash Young, Seals & Crofts, Elton John, BeeGees, Doobie Brothers, Queen, Fogelberg, Fleetwood Mac .... so many good bands in the 70s...
Rick Danko has a sincere voice. I love the songs he sings lead on..Stage Fright comes to mind
I highly recommend the version of this song by Playing For Change. Musicians from all over the world joining in to sing this for its 50th anniversary. Very inspirational
Love it when they give all the members a piece of the spotlight.
That was a nice surprise to see you react to this song today. It's my favorite song and I was so happy to see you not only like it, but REALLY like it. Made my day!
Treat yourself and do Leon Russell and friends 1971-A Song for You 😎
He’s “The Master of Space and Time”
You are welcome 🤗
The Staples Family Singers…Gospel, Blues…beautiful, heavenly music…
All great singers!!! A great collaboration. The lyrics are up for interpretation.
Nazareth is the town he pulled into on a trip. I thought of Jerusalem too. There’s YT info on it.
Here's what you need to understand about how great THE BAND were. Both ERIC CLAPTON and BEATLE GEORGE HARRISON inquired about joining The Band>>>that's how well regarded their music was thought of. They were the first rock band to play what is now known as Americana, or roots rock. Countryish with basic rock beat, multiple vocalists and instruments.
I always associated The Band with Bob Dylan for some reason, but I learn from this and the comments that they were so much more than that.
The Band was the group of musicians that Dylan put together when he went "electric". This alienated many of his "folk" fans, and it took a while to bring them around. So they were Dylan's first back-up band.
@@double00spy They had been together as a band for years before they ever met Dylan.
This is a great classic tune! The Staple Singers are a legendary R&B family group! Mavis, the lead singer, has an amazing voice! Her sisters and father make up the group and they started in gospel! Check out their hits, “I’ll Take You There” and “Let’s Do It Again”! ❤❤
POPS STAPLES IS EVERYTHING!
Why Am I Treated So Bad
Somebody Was A Watching
start with those
When Pops passed, we all mourned
Pop Staples and his girls were a true gift. Mavis is the only surviving member of the gmail and is still on the road delivering her message. Levon Helm (drums), Rick Danko (Bass), and Richard Manuel (dark haired keyboardist) were all accomplished vocalists too. You might check out the version done by the Playing For Change organization too.
“It makes no difference” from the same concert is a must listen!!
The lyrics are very enigmatic. I've been listening to this song since it first came out and I haven't been able to completely understand it myself. It won a Grammy and I think it's mostly because of the mood of the song and a plea for help.
"The Last Waltz" is the quintessential concert film!
The bassist Rick Danko is a gifted vocalist with his best song from the Last Waltx being it makes no difference. Nazareth is also in Pennsylvania and famous as race car driver Mario Andretti’s hometown.
This was the Bands last tour and Martin Scorsese filmed their last concert and there were many guest singing with the Band to give respect such a great group thus why they called it The Last Waltz. Its the name of the film and concert
The Band, before they were The Band, was Bob Dylan's back up band. They lived in upstate New York, Woodstock. Whenever they were out on the town either as a group or individually, everyone said "that's The Band", or he is in The Band" So when they went out on their own and had to come up with a name for their first record, they just stuck with The Band. They are The Band, no one like them. Robbie Robertson such a great songwriter, Levon Helm a great singer and drummer, Richard Manuel piano and a soulful voice. Rick Danko bass guitar and also a great singer, his rendition of It makes no difference, tears your heart out. Garth a genius on several instruments. They all were beyond talented. Their story is fascinating. 4 Canadians and one, the drummer from Arkansas.
The Last Waltz was a concert by the Canadian-American rock group The Band, held on American Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 1976, directed by Martian Scorsese following The Band's last performance. The list of guest performers is legendary.
PLEASE MORE "THE BAND" I grew up with "THE BAND" ❤ Love them so much!!!!!
No remastering. i have the vinyl and its great
Actually, according to his autobiography, they only part of the concert that wasn't overdubbed later was his drumming. He refused to go into the studio to re-record his parts. However, I think he was just angry about it and was exaggerating - I have recordings of the actual concert, and they are pretty damned close to the released versions, so... There was definitely some re-recording here and there, but not as much as Levon claimed.
The Staples give me chills❣️
They were one of my favorite groups back in the day the last Walz was a great show
You need to check out the night they drove old Dixie down & up on cripple creek. They about 20 hit songs in the 8 years they were together started in 1968
Love The Band, especially Levon Helm (R.I.P) and the Staples. The Last Waltz is a great documentary
I got to see Levon Helm about nine months before he passed. Throat cancer had taken the power out of his voice, but he still drummed like he was in The Band. He did sing this song and it was very moving and emotional.
A friend used to go to his rambles down by Woodstock, NY and met him several time. She was a radio DJ and the day after Levin passed she said in the radio: “When I heard he passed I didn’t cry. I cried when I heard him play.”
The drummer singer was the late great Levon Helm to me one of the best. Great song and reaction
"The Last Waltz" was filmed by the great Martin Scorsese with the Band in their farewell concert. The clip you watched was filmed separately from the actual show. The studio version of the song featured Levon Helms (the drummer) on most of the lyrics. The "homie" did sing that one verse in the original version. That was Rick Danko, who I did see in a solo show at Carnegie Hall years before his death. The entire movie really should be seen in a movie theatre with an excellent sound system. It almost makes you feel like you're really at the concert.
The Band, was the back up band first for Rockin Ronnie Hawkins, and then for Bob Dylan. When they decided to go as a solo act, they asked what should we call ourselves, and after looking at each other, well we have always been just "The Band", so...
I'm 26 from Canada and a huge fan of the band. 4/5 of them being from southern ontario where i am. They have such a cool story and seem to be in revelationary glimpses in the 60s-70s scene. In a psycidilla era they made "American roots" as what we know it thanks to these gents. They were simply "the band". Their chemistry was like no other. Also don't think to much into this song!! The guitarist and primary song writer robbie roberston (rip 2023). Was strumming a tune and looked into his martin guitar manufactured in "Nazareth P.A" the other characters in the song are people from their bar days in Arkansas and Canada! Also these 5 white boys could rock with the best and woth the most soul.