Leon Russell – Will The Chain Be Unbroken
Description
During the Mad Dogs & Englishmen tour, Shelter Records released his 1970 solo album, Leon Russell, which included the first recording of “A Song for You“. This has become one of his best-known songs, with versions released by more than 40 different artists, including the Carpenters, Ray Charles, Billy Eckstine, Peggy Lee, Willie Nelson, Helen Reddy, Carmen McRae, Elkie Brooks, Freda Payne, and Donny Hathaway. Both the Carpenters and the Temptations named an album after the song. Ray Charles recorded a version that earned him the 1994 Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. Another song from the same album, “Delta Lady”, was covered by Bobbie Gentry under the title “Delta Man” on her 1970 album Fancy. The Leon Russell album had a number of guest vocalist and accompaniment: Chris Stainton, Bonnie Bramlett, Greg Dempsey, Bob Dylan, Marc Benno, Eric Clapton, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Joe Cocker, and Merry Clayton. Leon Russell’s A Song For You was added to Grammy Hall Of Fame for the 2018 Grammy Hall of Fame class.[27]
Also in 1970, Russell played piano on Dave Mason‘s album Alone Together, notably on the song “Sad and Deep as You”. The song “The Letter” performed by Joe Cocker with Leon Russell & the Shelter People peaked at #7 on the Hot 100 on May 30, 1970; this was Russell’s first hit song.
In November 1970, Russell performed at the Fillmore East, with Elton John on the same bill. Those performances have been bootlegged. Russell and John appeared on The David Frost Show with Fillmore owner Bill Graham on December 3, 1970. Russell’s album Prince of Peace: Radio Broadcast 1970 is a soundboard recording of a concert at Fillmore East in late 1970.
Leon Russell and Friends recorded the “Homewood Sessions”, broadcast as an “unscripted and unrehearsed” one-hour TV special on KCET (Los Angeles) that aired in December 1970 and was later re-broadcast several times on the Public Broadcasting Service.
Also in December 1970, Rolling Stone magazine carried an interview with Russell. It opened with a characterization of his sound as “those driving, lurchy, churchy rock and roll songs”.
Russell produced some tracks for Bob Dylan in March 1971 when Dylan was experimenting with his new sound. The sessions produced the single “Watching the River Flow” and “When I Paint My Masterpiece“, both of which prominently featured Russell’s gospel-flavored piano.
