Last night as I was closing the windows, I looked out and up, and witnessed the rising of the moon.
I hadn’t used my real camera in a while, but I knew my phone would never be able to capture the details, so I snapped a few pics with my Canon and this was the best of the bunch…She’s a beauty!
Photo by Enchanted Seashells
Yes, it was really that reddish-orange-gold color, probably from whatever wildfires are raging in the area, and those are the power lines near the lagoon.
Thank you, Mother Moon! Happily, I found a Leon Russell song to accompany a full moon…When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold:
I couldn’t locate a live performance, but it’s still Leon being Leon, Master of Space and TIme.
I hope nobody watched or streamed that demented orange POSs speech yesterday. There are other, more pressing matters to occupy ourselves with, like why can't we eat salads or fresh salsa with cilantro? Why is our food contaminated with cyclospora? Why did that POS remove the FDA “Food Traceability Rule” and place us at risk?
ANYWAY, back to my form of reality (and therapy)…
Does anybody even know what “shindig” means?
The word originated in the United States in the mid-19th century. It’s believed to be a playful alteration of the older slang word shindy, which originally referred to a rowdy commotion or a street game similar to field hockey.
In modern, everyday use, it’s synonymous with words like “bash,” “blowout,” or “hoedown”. For example, you might say, “Are you going to the big neighborhood shindig this weekend?”
In the mid-60s, there was a TV show broadcast from Los Angeles called Shindig! It was a musical variety series hosted by DJ Jimmy O’Neill. I never watched it, maybe it wasn’t shown in my area, I dunno.
Most exciting for all of us who love him is that Leon Russell, the house band’s pianist, was often featured in solo performances.
I never get tired of wondering exactly how Leon went from THIS to the uber cool long-haired sunglass-wearing exuberant Master of Space and Time that filled stadiums. The butterfly definitely broke out of the chrysalis!
Photo credit from Pinterest
Check out Leon on the first song with Donna Loren (you can hear him before you see him, it’s unmistakably LEON) and something I’ve never seen before, Leon on organ with Bobby Sherman at 10:02.
And on another day with Aretha Franklin; I also always wonder what HE was thinking about…it’s a mystery.
I’ve been waiting…..for the great relief of having you to talk to...
Pain is a crazy thing; it has a life of its own, it takes over every minute of every day, and that’s all you can think of — it’s like oceans of pain with no relief.
Anyway, stubborn me finally called the doc to tell her I had shingles. She immediately called in a prescription for an anti-viral. She said I’m a bit outside of the 72 hour window for it to be totally effective, but she hoped it would still work to relieve the intense burning and stabbing pain and shorten the duration of this cycle of hell.
I can’t get comfortable, I can’t lie on my back or my right side and sitting is also excruciating, so I’ve given up attempting to find the least tortuous position. I’m sick of watching TV, too. Sleep is elusive because I can’t get comfortable.
Awake at 3am, these lyrics were swirling around in my delirious brain…“darling, be home soon…”
I couldn’t remember what song it came from, so I opened my computer and searched. I learned that it was originally written and performed by John Sebastian of the Lovin’ Spoonful for the soundtrack of Francis Ford Coppola’s film You’re a Big Boy Now, and another version included in the Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour.
Not only was our magical Leon Russell a brilliant songwriter, composer, pianist, and singer, his arranging skills were off the chart.
Here’s the original of Darling Be Home Soon by the Lovin’ Spoonful and the Leon Russell version with Joe Cocker of the Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour.
Bonus! Master of Space and Time, Leon Russell, on guitar. You beauty!
They lyrics are quite poignant and as beautiful now as they were in the 60s…
Come and talk of all the things we did today Here and laugh about our funny little ways While we have a few minutes to breathe And I know that it’s time you must leave
But darling be home soon I couldn’t bear to wait an extra minute if you dawdled My darling be home soon It’s not just these few hours but I’ve been waiting since I toddled For the great relief of having you to talk to
And now, a quarter of my life is almost passed I think I’ve come to see myself at last And I see that the time spent confused Was the time that I spent without you And I feel myself in gloom
So darling be home soon I couldn’t bear to wait an extra minute if you dawdled My darling be home soon It’s not just these few hours but I’ve been waiting since I toddled For the great relief of having you to talk to
So darling… My darling be home soon I couldn’t bear to wait an extra minute if you dawdled My darling be home soon It’s not just these few hours but I’ve been waiting since I toddled For the great relief of having you to talk to
Go and beat your crazy head against the sky Try and see beyond the houses and your eyes It’s OK to shoot the moon
Darling be home soon I couldn’t bear to wait an extra minute if you dawdled My darling be home soon It’s not just these few hours but I’ve been waiting since I toddled For the great relief of having you to talk to
“Without music, life would be a mistake” – Friedrich Nietzsche Auf Deutsch: Ohne Musik wäre das Leben ein Irrtum.
This famous quote by Friedrich Nietzsche, found in his 1889 book Twilight of the Idols, highlights his belief that music is essential to a meaningful existence.
Music directly affects our mood. It accompanies us when we’re sad, makes us cheerful when we’re happy, increases our motivation, and calms us down.
Whether it’s Leon Russell (literally any song) or Kpop Demon Hunters, music appeals directly to emotions. It can bring people together and overcome cultural, racial, and language barriers.
This is true for animals, too. Have you seen the video of the guy who plays the piano for elephants? British concert pianist Paul Barton frequently plays classical music on an acoustic piano for rescued, blind, and elderly elephants at the Elephants World sanctuary in Thailand. His performances aim to bring comfort, emotional healing, and a calming presence to traumatized animals through soothing vibrations and melodies.
Music plays a critical role in the construction of individual and social identity. It accompanies important memories in our personal memory.
Scientific research shows that music reduces stress, strengthens memory, enhances neurological connections, and can be used for therapeutic purposes. Music therapy for brain injury uses neuroscience to retrain the brain. By targeting cognitive, sensory, and motor functions through active music-making or rhythmic listening, it stimulates neuroplasticity to help survivors regain lost speech, movement, and emotional control.
Have you heard this? “Music hath charms to soothe a savage breast” was written by English playwright William Congreve in his 1697 play The Mourning Bride.
I recall one time in the car when the Angel Kids were being obnoxious in the back seat. Because they were really getting on my nerves, I started to play Beethoven’s Fur Elise and within literal SECONDS, they both calmed down for the remainder of the drive. If it can soothe those feral creatures, I’m a believer.
I’m sure you know that I’m listening to Leon Russell right now…what are YOU listening to?
I possess an endless fascination and curiosity about how someone can change so drastically from being an anonymous, quiet, shy, piano player behind the scenes on hundreds of songs — to the persona that emerged and developed into the magical Master of Space and Time, Leon Russell.
I wish I could have asked him how it happened, how he shifted from one to the other, but sadly, I’ll never get the chance, so I continue to marvel at his drastic transformation.
In 1959, he was still Claude Russell Bridges; he hadn’t yet metamorphosed into the uber cool bearded musician with long hair and those iconic sunglasses, but the talent was there. Long before he became Leon Russell and had massively successful career as a solo artist, he was still a musical genius.
Leon was only about fourteen when he formed The Starlighters in the mid-1950s. He and the other band members attended Will Rogers High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
This is a photo of the Starlighters at the Tropicana Club, 1959. Left to right: Leo Feathers, Chuck Blackwell, Ron Ryan, Johnny Williams, and Russell Bridges wearing glasses.
A promoter at Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa hired the Starlighters to back Jerry Lee Lewis at an upcoming show.
After the Starlighters’ first warm-up set, Lewis came up onto the bandstand, pointed at seventeen-year-old Leon, and declared, ”I’m not gonna set down at that piano. He plays a lot better piano than I do!” Lewis immediately hired the band to back him on a tour. (Courtesy of the OKPOP Museum)
Leon produced this record when he was seventeen. I’m blown away by his piano mastery; he was definitely destined for greatness.
Amy Lee Nelson and Tina Rose Bridges, the daughters of Willie Nelson and Leon Russell, have officially joined forces to create a brand new duo, ALeeN ROSE.
Their debut single, “They’re There” features music icon Willie Nelson. According to PEOPLE, he wrote the song’s bridge, played guitar, and lent his unmistakable vocals. “Now it’s a full-on family song, as it should be,” Amy said.
The song is a loving tribute to Amy’s late brother Billy Nelson who died in 1991 and Tina Rose’s father, Leon Russell. Leon died in 2016.
“In my dreams, my daddy tells me stories / Of all the things I can do and who I could be / He takes my hand / says understand you’re still beside me/ I’m not gone/ We are waltzing inside this dream,” Tina Rose sings on her verse.
This is a sweet and beautiful song that honors their spirits and the memories that continue to guide them through life.
“Tina Rose called me one evening during lockdown and we spoke about the feelings of loss surrounding the death of her dad,” Amy Lee Nelson recalls, “I told her how I’ve found myself often saying ‘they’re there’ when speaking of loved ones who have passed. I shared with her a song that I had begun writing after having dream visions of my brother, Billy.”
She continues, “I asked her to write the second verse as a healing outlet for her pain and grief. I was blown away by the verse she brought back to me. But it still wasn’t finished and we weren’t sure where to take it. We asked my dad for help, and so he wrote the bridge. Now it is a full-on family song, as it should be.”
Willie Nelson and Leon Russell are two of the best and most individual songwriters and vocalists in any musical genre. Leon Russell was a musician, songwriter, and arranger who had been a first-call session man and producer even longer than he had been known as an individual performer.
In 1979, Willie Nelson and Leon Russell released their chart-topping double album, One for the Road. Although One for the Road is their only joint album, the two continued to perform together on stage over the years.
News of ALeeN ROSE’s “They’re There” release comes soon after Willie Nelson’s son, Lukas Nelson, performed a cover of Leon Russell’s “A Song for You” at Cain’s Ballroom in Oklahoma. The track’s release also coincides with what would have been Billy Nelson’s 68th birthday.
As you listen to “They’re There”, the respect and love is truly inspirational.
It oozes with generational talent. Their ability to translate feelings into a musical format is genuine and authentic. What an amazing way to carry on the legacy of two musical giants. I just know that Leon Russell would be so proud of Tina Rose.
Crazy random connection time…I read something on Facebook about Oak Park High School where I briefly attended before moving to California.
The post shared information about a former classmate who became a famous singer/songwriter; Marcy Levy/Marcella Detroit.
Because I’m obsessed and have a one-track-mind, I messaged her and asked if she had ever known Leon Russell because I knew he spent a lot of time in Detroit around the early ’70s.
Her response blew me away! Not only did she know Leon, she toured with him before going on tour with Eric Clapton and co-wrote some of Clapton’s songs, including my favorite, “Lay Down Sally.”
ERIC CLAPTON, OMG.
I’m not at all embarrassed to tell you that I asked her if Leon’s eyes were as amazing as everyone has reported, and her exact quote was, “Oh yes his eyes were incredible.” I have so many more questions. So many. I can be SO annoying.
As a teenager, Marcy had posters of Russell on her walls. She later achieved her goal of singing with him, joining his touring band as a featured female vocalist for the Stop All That Jazz album (which also featured The Gap Band).
Leon Russell wrote the song “Time for Love” for her. The two developed a personal and professional connection in the early 1970s, during which time they dated for approximately nine months.
Detroit has reflected on their relationship in interviews, noting that Russell was a childhood idol. She viewed him as an incredibly gifted songwriter, musician, and arranger. She specifically recalled him creating an amazing live arrangement of “Unchained Melody” for her to sing on tour.
We’re fortunate to see Marcy as a background singer with Ann Bell on the Midnight Special with Leon, too. It’s an amazing video:
One more brick in the path that leads to Leon. One more step.
Another mind blowing fact I learned is that one of Marcy Levy’s earliest gigs was opening for David Bowie! DAVID BOWIE!!!
She was also a member of the ground breaking award winning band “Shakespear’s Sister”. Their song “Stay” is the longest running number one hit for a female band in UK history remaining at number ONE for eight weeks, and Marcy recently appeared on THE MASKED SINGER UK. https://marcelladetroit.com/
At the time, I would have had no idea there was such talent lurking at OPHS. I certainly never accomplished anything that rises to Marcy’s level. Sigh. #failure
Enjoy all of these songs on this beautiful Friday before Mother’s Day.
Did you know about Dylan and Leon?
Leon Russell considered Bob Dylan to be one of the greatest songwriters of all time. He enjoyed playing on covers of his songs by other artists, and even produced Dylan Jazz, an album of jazz versions of Dylan songs for GNP Records in 1965.
Their friendship lasted decades. Leon Russell joined Bob Dylan for a series of U.S. dates during Dylan’s Never Ending Tour in the summer of 2011.
In March 1971 Leon was the producer as he and his group, The Tulsa Tops, worked with Dylan at Blue Rock Studios in New York. When I Paint My Masterpiece and Watching The River Flow were recorded live with no overdubs with Dylan on vocal as Leon played an acoustic grand piano, Jesse Ed Davis was on electric guitar, Carl Radle played electric bass with Jim Keltner on drums.
I prefer Leon Russell’s version (below) as I always do, but you can definitely hear Leon’s magical contribution here:
I discovered Steve Liddycoat isolated Leon’s piano umami here and it’s awesome:
When I Paint My Masterpiece studio outtake:
On the Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour, Leon and Joe Cocker sang a beautiful duet of Girl From The North Country to serenade Dylan who was in the audience. Listen to what Leon had to say about Dylan….
Bob Dylan is coming to my area in June. I’m sure all tickets are sold out, but I’d love to see him if anyone has a spare????
Lastly, Leon’s version of Dylan’s Masters of War is especially poignant today; as fresh as when Dylan originally recorded it in 1963.
Featured image found on Pinterest; credit to owner.
I discovered yet another talented musician who had Leon’s magic umami sprinkled onto his songs.
This time it’s Dave Mason, founding member of the rock band, Traffic, who recently passed away on April 19.
As he was forming his own public persona as a solo artist, Leon Russell continued to collaborate with other musicians.
As I re-listen to these Dave Mason songs, I can now detect Leon’s contributions; always distinctive, always the secret ingredient, the umami that enhanced the flavor of every melody and arrangement.
In my opinion, he was meant to be on center stage, never in the background and anonymous.
Special thanks to Leon Russell Superstar in a Masquerade. His YouTube channel is an encyclopedia about the Master of Space and Time. Featured photo curated from Pinterest.
I’m not sure I really liked this song when it first came out; perhaps it was a bit too “country” for this little hippie rocker chick, along with “Rhinestone Cowboy”, but the lyrics and melody stood the test of time, and then there’s LEON, or as he was known back then, Claude Russell Bridges.
I had no idea he was the pianist on this recording; another magical moment from the Master of Space and Time, the secret ingredient.
Here’s another version from 1983. They made a great team, part of the famous Wrecking Crew of first call studio musicians in Los Angeles during the 1960’s. I could watch his fingers on the piano all day every day.
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