I’m trying not to react to current events and news reports and instead surround myself with positivity and joy. What shines more light than love?
Leon Russell and New Grass Revival – The Live Album is AMAZING. It was recorded live at Perkins Palace, Pasadena, CA. on May 15, 1980 by Paradise Records and Paradise Video (all Leon productions.)
The beauty of this man.
Performing with New Grass Revival.
Photo by Steve Kahn via Pinterest
I’m forever and also at the same time NEVER surprised to discover the depths of Leon’s talents.
Eric Clapton popularized J.J. Cale’s songs, After Midnight and Cocaine. I happen to like J.J.’s versions better, but it’s fascinating to learn that so many great musicians collaborated.
From YouTube channel, Leon Russell Superstar in a Masquerade: Leon Russell’s first solo album in 1970 was long-overdue. He’d been making records as far back as 1957 in Oklahoma with schoolmate David Gates. He moved to Hollywood, where he spread his chops over more records by other artists than believable, and made more singles of his own, but none reached the public’s attention as he’d hoped.
His meeting up with Joe Cocker and Denny Cordell and putting together Joe’s band for the Mad Dogs & Englishmen tour in spring 1970 was timed beautifully with the release of his own solo album on his and Denny’s Shelter label, THAT began his launch into stardom!
From tapes that rolled in September and October 1969, here is a jam with Leon and Eric Clapton, simply titled “Jammin With Eric.” It appeared on the 1995 DCC 24 Karat Gold edition of Leon Russell, and again on the 2002 Hi-Res DVD Audio release of that album.
Image from Pinterest, credit to owner.
UPDATE 2026: Here’s yet another missed opportunity to meet the MOSAT. This is an update to a post I wrote in 2020. I was purging old posts, read this one, and have no idea how I missed the connection between Tom Petty’s guitarist and Leon Russell, but I did, and now that I know, I’m going to contact him and hopehopehope he’ll be amenable to sharing stories about Leon and not be too annoyed with my LR obsession.
Ron Blair, the original bassist for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, has a direct connection to Leon Russell through the band’s early career and record label, Shelter Records.
Leon Russell’s Shelter Records was the platform that signed and released the early music of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, featuring Ron on bass.
In the mid-1970s, Tom Petty signed with Shelter Records, a label co-owned by Leon Russell and Denny Cordell.
Ron Blair joined the Heartbreakers in 1976 after Mudcrutch (Petty’s previous band) disbanded. During this period, the band was under the Shelter Records umbrella, which Russell founded.
Before forming the Heartbreakers, members of the group, including those who worked with Blair, were part of the Los Angeles music scene where Leon Russell was a prominent figure. Ron Blair was the bassist for the band from 1976 to 1981, during which time the band established its sound, often described as a mix of rock, country, and blues.
Original post…
I just saw an old video of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and it reminded me of something from my past.
When my son was around eight or ten years old (early 1990s), I’d bring him along with me to the gym and he’d go (reluctantly) to the babysitting room for an hour or so. It was mostly other doubledigiters so he didn’t have a real problem with it, and eventually became friendly with a boy about the same age.
Their friendship progressed beyond the gym to birthdays and sleepovers. For a while, these two boys were inseparable.
One day, out of the blue, and I’m a bit fuzzy on the details, the boy’s dad asked if I could give him a ride to LAX. It’s a ninety minute drive and I’m not sure why I said yes ‘cos I seriously HATE to drive, especially if it involves LA traffic, but I loaded the boys and the dad (along with his guitar) in my car.
I can’t pinpoint the exact moment when I learned that his dad was actually superstar guitarist Ron Blair of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, but when I did, I was suitably impressed and starstruck. All I do remember is that he was always quiet but courteous and appreciated the airport ride. However, he looked EVERY bit a rock and roll superstar.
A couple weeks pre-Covid, a friend invited me to a fundraiser for the local food bank. It was an outdoor venue with a lot of musical guests. The headliner’s name was a familiar one. Lo and behold, it was Ron Blair, who now lives in my little town.
We chatted a bit; I can’t honestly say that he remembered me, but he did remember my son which was cool.
Still quiet, humble, friendly, and amazingly talented.
We’ve all aged and I’m obviously way too old to be a groupie (sigh), but I do remember THOSE good old days, haha.
OMG just listen to Leon’s piano magic…it’s spellbinding.
Leon Russell’s relationship with Delaney Bramlett had been quite productive. They’d worked together on demos for Metric music in the early 60s and recorded solo material for Delaney in 1964 with Jackie De Shannon and Billy Strange.
After his stint as a Shindog on Shindig!, Delaney met Bonnie which led to one of music’s legendary duos, Delaney & Bonnie. After some recording sessions in Hollywood for release on the Independence label, the duo got involved with Don Nix in Memphis, who’d been working with Leon Russell in the studio for Gary Lewis & The Playboys. Don got them on the soulful Stax label and their album Delany & Bonnie Home was made.
Credit to Leon Russell Superstar in a Masquerade — Photo from Pinterest
The “Queen of the Tulsa Sound” is Ann Bell, a pioneering vocalist and performer instrumental in defining the unique musical style known as the Tulsa Sound alongside legends like Leon Russell, the one and only Master of Space and Time, and J.J. Cale.
Inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame, Bell’s distinctive voice and deep involvement with the scene earned her that title for her significant contributions and ongoing legacy.
As a backup singer for the original Joe Cocker and Leon Russell Mad Dogs & Englishmen tour and album, she was an important part of the band and is remembered for her contributions to the “Tulsa sound” that Leon Russell helped create. She has also participated in reunion and tribute events in the years since.
I never get tired of hearing this story. I surely wish there was a recording of Leon that night….
Ann is one of the very talented backup singers here (wearing an awesome outfit), along with the GAP Band. I love this comment: “No matter how cool you think you or your band is, you will NEVER be as cool as Leon Russell and the Gap Band doing this Marvin Gaye classic.”
Sunglasses off, shirt open, those EYES...”Wait now. WAIT!” So much Leon joy…
Recorded for the TV show, Midnight Special with Wolfman Jack, “Ain’t That Peculiar” is a classic Motown song originally by Marvin Gaye, but Leon Russell turned it into something spectacular with his signature energetic performance. Watch the entire show here: https://youtu.be/19z9JSaTm8c?si=n96fSGGrQxQuer2R
Did you know that Leon Russell wrote “Lost Inside of You” with the one and only Barbra Streisand? The hit song was recorded for the movie, A Star is Born, and that’s Leon on the soundtrack. He will forever be the one and only Master of Space and Time, a musical, visionary genius.
Barbra Streisand took on the lead female role of Esther Hoffman in the 1976 remake of the 1954 film A Star Is Born, opposite Kris Kristofferson as John Norman Howard, an aging singer engulfed by excesses and demons.
Howard’s road manager was portrayed by Gary Busey, a friend of and drummer for (as Teddy Jack Eddy) Leon Russell. Busey introduced Barbra to Leon, and while at her Malibu ranch, Barbra and Leon wrote “Lost Inside of You”.
It was included in the film, on the soundtrack, and as a B-side to Barbra’s single “Comin’ In And Out Of Your Life” from her 1981 hits album Memories. The soundtrack album has sold more than 15 million copies worldwide, and Memories did well with over 10,000,000 in sales worldwide, earning Russell loads of money in royalties as a songwriter. From Leon Russell Superstar in a Masquerade
I love knowing that Barbra Streisand collaborated with Leon and I love hearing him play the piano. I wish I had a photo of the two of them. One day, it would be my dream to chat with her about it.
A small anecdote about my six degrees connection to Barbra Streisand is that I once met and had lunch on set with her husband, James Brolin, when he did some filming locally. He was SUPER nice and welcoming. It was a special day and if you’re wondering, he’s even more handsome up close.
P.S. And did you know that Streisand’s co-star in A Star is Born, Kris Kristofferson, was married to Rita Coolidge, who was once upon a time Leon Russell’s girlfriend? Leon’s song, Delta Lady, was written about her. Cool info, huh?
…of what? Of a totally insane dream.
I had a dream that seemed to last forever and here are some snippets that I can actually recall.
For no apparent rhyme or reason, Leon Russell (yes, I know) was showing me a ballet move called développé à la seconde, which I thought was even more remarkable because he was slightly paralyzed from a birth injury on the side that was attempting the move.
I can’t even begin to explain how or why my mind connected the Master of Space and Time to a difficult dance position, but that’s the beauty of the subconscious, I guess. It doesn’t have to make sense.
When I was involved in ballet, this particular move was a struggle for me to master. I often uttered a silent groan when Madame Kaliskis said it was time for développé because I knew she’d eventually make her way over to me at the barre and watch me until I felt my leg was going to fall off. She’d say “encore” which meant I had to do it again and again, and then she’d hold my leg up where it SHOULD be, and my task was to hold it there, but I never could.
Here’s a vid of how it ought to look; sadly, my extensions were never this perfect no matter how much I practiced.
Anyway…
As soon as Leon finished with his (quite nice, better than mine ever were) développé, the dream became all about me.
I was driving from my house to Catalina Island which is not at all possible as it’s about seventy-five nautical miles from my area and can only be reached by boat or air, but there I was, driving along a very narrow path with water on both sides of me, sometimes lapping up ever so slightly over the road, which totally freaked me out. This wasn’t a fun part of the dream as I was in a constant state of anxiety and vigilance so I wouldn’t miss the road and end up in the ocean.
(It’s only about twenty-six miles from the Los Angeles area, and the song by The Four Preps is accurate). https://youtu.be/1I7zMKptjRs?si=AwM3Vdcb5Y9iIzee
I remember taking the ferry back from Catalina Island but not sure what happened to the car that I drove along the non-existent road to get there. On Catalina, visitors can’t bring their own cars; most people use golf carts or bicycles. Only a very limited number of residents and businesses have vehicle permits and there’s a years-long waiting list for them.
Since I used to work for the (now defunct) company that used to go to Catalina Island from San Diego, it’s not too unusual to dream about it, but the more than four hour-long one way trip was often referred to as the “vomit comet” because, well, you can probably figure out WHY, haha.
I didn’t often accompany passengers over there for that reason, and because I generally get seasick. Ick.
After I was safely back on terra firma, my subconscious decided to go on another exploration of past memories and my often dreamed about kitty, Bandit, returned to snuggle with me in bed. She loved freshly washed flannel sheets as much as I do and we kept each other warm. The dream ended far too soon, along with the feeling of being safe and loved by a purring machine. That morning I had changed the sheets to soft, fragrant flannel ones, so THAT part of the dream fused with reality.
Strange dream, right? I can’t even begin to figure out what it all means, but it really wasn’t embarrassing at all because I’m fascinated with the human mind during different sleep states.
Back To The Island is playing in my head, so here’s the Leon connection, and to reiterate, this song was written and composed by Leon Russell, NOTNOTNOT Jimmy Buffet, and of course, Leon does it better.
And a live version with a couple of his children in the band…https://youtu.be/UXuPT-p3xk4?si=y0Bx361ND_jKT-wg
“Day After Day” was Badfinger’s biggest hit.
George Harrison invited Leon Russell to play piano on Badfinger’s third album in the summer of 1971. The piano part complemented Pete Ham’s and Harrison’s dual slide guitars on “Day After Day.” (Church Studio)
I always loved the way the piano sounded on this tune and when I found out that it was Leon I was blown away. It’s like so many songs I’ve loved over the years only to discover that Leon’s contribution was the magic that made them so memorable.
“He just sat down, closed his eyes, and played the part in one take.”
According to sound engineer Richard Lush, Russell nailed the “Day After Day” piano line almost instinctively.
I’m repeating a comment from YouTube about this recording. “George Harrison asked Leon Russell to add the piano accompaniment. They played the tracks that had already been laid down, as Leon sat in the studio by himself. After listening to it once, he sat at the piano with his eyes closed. George thought he had fallen asleep and said Leon’s name a couple of times over the speaker. Leon held his hand up and then a moment later told them he was ready and to roll tape. He played the part in one take. Don’t know if it’s true, but a cool story.”
Russell – like so many greats – had an almost spiritual sense for when not to play, and on “Day After Day” he seems to materialize only at the emotional inflection points. He doesn’t play on the piece – he haunts it, and once done, disappears from the song again like incense in a draught. He is a spectral presence, and this plays on my imagination as a strange portent for the tragedy that would befall Badfinger the band. https://danegiraud.substack.com/
Of course it’s true. I’m not at all surprised. Leon was a visionary, a musical genius, and will always and forever be the master of space and time.
PS I know there was a tragic end to Badfinger but this isn’t an exposé, just another example of the hundreds of songs that were all the better because of Leon Russell’s magic touch.
Every full moon in September, this song comes to mind…
Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon
Or asked the grinning bobcat why he grinned?
Can you sing with all the voices of the mountain?
Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?
–Colors of The Wind from the film, Pocahontas
September’s full moon is special because it’s accompanied by a total lunar eclipse. Sadly, I don’t think we’ll be able to experience the eclipse here in the States but we might observe the moon’s deep reddish hue; not blue, though.
We are reminded to connect with themes of gratitude, release, and harvest by writing down what we’re thankful for and what we want to let go of, and by creating a gratitude chart. As always, this is a great time to charge crystals under the light energy of this full moon.
Featured image by Enchanted Seashells
Because both of the Angel Kids’ eyes literally roll back in their heads when I make them listen to Leon Russell music, I found a slightly obscure song called “Too Much Monkey Business”. It’s more spoken than sung, like a precursor to rap music, and was written by Chuck Berry in 1956.
I played it and the Angels started singing along, as it’s a very catchy tune. I’d call out “How much monkey business” and they’d respond, “Too much monkey business!”
This song is totally earworm-worthy because they couldn’t stop singing it to themselves. All day long, during breakfast and helping to organize their books so we could donate some, I heard them quietly repeat “too much monkey business”, or “too much for me to be involved in.”
I said, “Cool song, huh?” as I planned my final move in my neverending quest to make them love Leon as much as I do.
When we sat on the sofa together after dinner playing card games, I asked Siri to play “Too Much Monkey Business” by Leon Russell and AB said, “Wait, that was LEON? It didn’t sound like him!” I replied, “That was my little joke. You had no idea you were singing one of his songs hahahahaha!”
Too late to stop it from happening; the lyrics are firmly embedded in their brains. They changed the words to: “How much Grandma business?” and “Too much Grandma business.”
They grudgingly agreed it was GOOD but asked me to pleasepleaseplease stop dancing because I was embarrassing them. I can only imagine the many ways I’ll be an embarrassment when they’re teenagers. It’s a rite of passage. They can ask their dad for confirmation.
Those kids are uber funny but I won. They’re now listening to and appreciating the Master of Space and Time–in spite of themselves. My work here is done.
Runnin’ to and fro, hard workin’ at the mill
Never failed in the mail, yet come a rotten bill
Too much monkey business, too much monkey business
Too much monkey business for me to be involved in
Salesman talking to me tryin’ to run me up a creek
Say, “You can buy it, go on, try it, you can pay me next week” ah
Too much monkey business, too much monkey business
Too much monkey business for me to be involved in
Blonde-haired, good lookin’ tryin’ to get me hooked
Want me to marry, get a home, settle down, write a book, ha
Too much monkey business, too much monkey business
Too much monkey business for me to be involved in
Same thing every day, gettin’ up, goin’ to school
No need to be complainin’, my objections overruled, ah
Too much monkey business, too much monkey business
Too much monkey business for me to be involved in
Payphone, somethin’ wrong, dime gone, will mail
I ought to sue the operator for tellin’ me a tale, ah
Too much monkey business, too much monkey business
Too much monkey business for me to be involved in
I been to Yokohama, been fightin’ in the war
Army bunk, army chow, army clothes, army car, ah
Too much monkey business, too much monkey business
Too much monkey business for me to be involved in
Workin’ in the fillin’ station, too many tasks
Wipe the windows, check the tires, check the oil, dollar gas, ah
Too much monkey business, too much monkey business
I don’t want your botheration, get away, leave me be
Too much monkey business for me
Enchanted Seashells | Princess Rosebud 