Something for the weekend: The Band “The Weight”

Credit: Heinrich Klaffs

Well that’s it for another week dear reader.  Broadly speaking, everyone who enjoys Americana as a genre has their own story about how The Band came into their world – for me, it was taking a year out after school to live in Sydney where I bought an album by Aussie muso royalty Jimmy Barnes ‘Flesh and Wood’ which contained covers of a lot of music I’d never heard before, including one of The Band’s classic ‘The Weight’. I still have a soft spot for Jimmy’s version to this day, but we leave you this week with a clip from the 1978 movie documentary ‘The Last Waltz’ which was filmed by director Martin Scorsese and featured a concert by the band on American Thanksgiving Day, November 25th, 1976, at Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco.

The Last Waltz was advertised as The Band’s “farewell concert appearance”, and the concert had The Band joined by more than a dozen special guests, including their previous employers Ronnie Hawkins and Bob Dylan, as well as Paul Butterfield, Bobby Charles, Neil Diamond, Emmylou Harris, Dr. John, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Ringo Starr, Muddy Waters, Ronnie Wood, and Neil Young. Oh and Eric Clapton who is banned from AUK but we’ll allow a mention here. This particular clip includes The Staple Singers and is as fine a version as you’ll hear of the song, although let’s face it, you’re spoilt for choice, RIP Robbie.

About Mark Whitfield 2070 Articles
Editor of Americana UK website, the UK's leading home for americana news and reviews since 2001 (when life was simpler, at least for the first 253 days)
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Jean Pierre

Why is EC banned from A-UK ?

Jean Pierre

Very dodgy views??

Neville Walker

Sounds as though that should be left well alone. (Evil grin forms).

Jean Pierre

Of course…easy

Pete Feldon

This song is featured in latest episode of the podcast A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs. Highly recommended