Been up all night chatting with a friend, and I noticed that you all had been left alone. That terrified me, so I thought I would put this up before y’all blow shit up:
There are so many things to love about that video- the striped jacket on the drummer, the smooth looks on the face of the band, the cracking and sensual voice of Withers as he gives it his all, while beads of sweat pour down his face. Just so fucking good. But if that isn’t enough to calm you down, here is another favorite of my mine:
I actually own the DVD of that show (BECAUSE IT IS FUCKING AWESOME TO DRINK WINE TO), and I listen to it quite frequently because A.) it rocks and B.) I’m a middle aged fat white guy.
Also too, it rocks. I totally fucking want a backup band. I want two women to stand behind me waving their hands to emphasize my point. Make it happen, Jeebus!
honus
You know Bill Withers is from Beckley.
Odie Hugh Manatee
If yer lookin’ fer Jeebus to help ya yer lookin’ in the rong place. ;)
Some of the best times I have had partying was the late night jam sessions while in a band. We would have a few friends over and after some serious practice we would just sit and noodle around on the instruments, getting wasted and trying out odd stuff we would pull out of the ether.
When you are up there playing and everyone is ‘hitting it’ just right…
there’s nothing else like it. You hate to reach the end of the song, it’s that good.
srv
I am totally jazzed that Brian Auger is still kicking. I’d been under the impression he had passed way back. Going to fly down to Santa Monica to see him live this summer.
GxB
Christ, what a tater! And I’m stone sober too!
I know, I know, I know,I know,I know,I know,Iknow,Iknow,I know,Iknow,I know, (inhale)…I KNOW…
Night all, and tip your servers generously!
vicki
If you’re going Jeebus, go big. A back up band is great, but try a full symphony orchestra.
Thrill of all thrills. Will probably never recover from that high.
::
Raven
Brian Auger and the Trinity Indian Rope Man.
RosiesDad
Lido Shuffle is one of the great rock songs ever.
Boz Scaggs and Little Feat? You can’t be all bad, Cole.
RossInDetroit
A backup band awaits you in heaven for all of your good works on Earth, John.
Speaking of Brian Auger, I’ve been playing the hell out of Closer To It, which I stumbled on by accident. One of my old school buddies is a semifamous keyboard player and he falls all over himself in worship of Auger. I’m gonna dig up more of his stuff.
Donut
As a person who has at various and long-past times made enough scratch to survive the music biz, I just want to add an official “professional” finding (ahem) that no less than100% of Bill Withers’ band was smoking some bad ass herb hat day.
Fucking bass player is lounging in club chair, y’all. Case closed.
Thanks for posting that clip, Cole. I’ve seen it before and it simply makes me smile and feel happy.
wvblueguy
Bill Withers retunes home quite often. He is from Slab Fork WV which is near Beckley. He is a member of the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame that is located at Tamarack in Beckley,WV.
gravie
I always wanted to BE one of those backup singers. All the fun, none of the responsibility.
Skepticat
You have two girls standing behind (and in front of, on, and beside) you waving their tails, probably with Tunch muttering backup vocals. What more could you want?
honus
@wvblueguy: I think the Tamarack thing is an annex or exhibit. The official WV Music HOF in on Hale Street in Charleston just down from where The Strand used to be. (bonus points for anyone here that was ever in The Strand) They’ve got a picture of Billy Cox in the window.
double nickel
Boz!
russell
the brothers never rush. cool clips cole.
Joe
Those backup singers are excellent. I really hope that show included a number where Boz shut up and let the ladies fly.
Teejay
I saw the Boz at the Greek Theater in LA in the
summer of 76. He played the entire Silk Degrees album. One of the very best concerts I have ever
been to. Ever! Thanks for the reminder.
Lavocat
I think we should all pitch in to PURCHASE you a back-up band for your birthday.
This will entitle you to live out an average day of your life with a chorus of black songstresses a few paces behind you.
It is my supreme hope that you would use this opportunity to hunt down all the rat-bastards who ever did you wrong and chew them out, while the chorus gets a chance to belt out mellifluously harmonized and drawn-out rants of “MOTHERFUCKER!!!” and “Tell it, Brother Cole!” as often as humanly possible.
They would also have to know how to scat like the best o’ them, to fill in those empty spaces when you’re busy thinking of new and rude things to hurl at your cowering adversaries.
Hey, I can dream, can’t I?
mb
FYI to all Bill Withers’ fans:
there is an excellent documentary on him called Still Bill. He’s an amazing guy as full of integrity as he is music.
Highly recommend it.
ruemara
You sir, are/were, drunk. I would prefer a greek chorus.
trollhattan
Boz/Slim can’t help but be the coolest guy in the room. Have seen him several times, the best shows being outdoors at Mondavi winery (he lives and grows grapes in the Napa area.) If you ever have a chance to see him, make it so.
stinger
Striped jacket, nothing! About 3:30-3:45 you can plainly see the striped pants, too. MUST have been stoned to wear it….
Don Moors
The striped outfit is not on the drummer. It’s on THE DRUMMER.
That’s the master of groove, the incomparable James Gadson.
He not only did both of Bill Withers’ first albums, he’s on about a million and a half hits from the 70’s & 80’s (and, through his mentoring, I was fortunate enough to be on a few hundred of those dates, too.) James is still in LA teaching the youngsters how to find that “pocket”.
Go ‘head on, Gad.
hoosierspud
Boz Scaggs may be the coolest rock and roll name ever, with Bo Diddley being a close second.
I hope if I live a good life I will die and go to heaven and sing back-up for Aretha Franklin.
tones
These things are attainable , Jon…
Sell the car , hire some out of work back up singers for a day or a week and voila!
It is only a matter of money, at least in this case.