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The ultimate rock & roll session man, Leon Russell's long and storied career includes collaborations with a virtual who's who of music icons spanning from Jerry Lee Lewis to Phil Spector to the Rolling Stones. A similar eclecticism and scope also surfaced in his solo work, which couched his charmingly gravelly voice in a rustic yet rich swamp pop fusion of country, blues, and gospel. Born Claude Russell Bridges on April 2, 1942, in Lawton, OK, he began studying classical piano at age three, a decade later adopting the trumpet and forming his first band. At 14, Russell lied about his age to land a gig at a Tulsa nightclub, playing behind Ronnie Hawkins & the Hawks before touring in support of Jerry Lee Lewis. Two years later, he settled in Los Angeles, studying guitar under the legendary James Burton and appearing on sessions with Dorsey Burnette and Glen Campbell. As a member of Spector's renowned studio group, Russell played on many of the finest pop singles of the 1960s, also arranging classics like Ike & Tina Turner's monumental "River Deep, Mountain High"; other hits bearing his input include the Byrds' "Mr. Tambourine Man," Gary Lewis & the Playboys' "This Diamond Ring," and Herb Alpert's "A Taste of Honey."
In 1967, Russell built his own recording studio, teaming with guitarist Marc Benno to record the acclaimed Look Inside the Asylum Choir LP. While touring with Delaney & Bonnie, he scored his first songwriting hit with Joe Cocker's reading of "Delta Lady," and in 1970, upon founding his own Shelter Records imprint, he also organized Cocker's legendary Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour. After the subsequent tour film earned Russell his first real mainstream notoriety, he issued a self-titled solo LP, and in 1971 appeared at George Harrison's Concert for Bangladesh following sessions for B.B. King, Eric Clapton, and Bob Dylan. After touring with the Rolling Stones, Russell increasingly focused on his solo career, reaching the number two spot with 1972's Carney and scoring his first pop hit with the single "Tight Rope." While the success of 1973's three-LP set Leon Live further established his reputation as a top concert draw, response to the country-inspired studio effort Hank Wilson's Back was considerably more lukewarm, as was the reception afforded to 1974's Stop All That Jazz. 1975's Will O' the Wisp, however, restored his commercial luster, thanks in large part to the lovely single "Lady Blue."
In June of 1975, Russell married singer Mary McCreary; the following year the couple collaborated on The Wedding Album, issued through his newly formed Paradise Records label. Also in 1976, the Russell-penned "This Masquerade" earned a Grammy Award for singer George Benson. He and McCreary reunited for 1977's Make Love to the Music, and upon completing the solo Americana, Russell teamed with Willie Nelson for 1979's Willie & Leon. He then spent the next two years touring with his bluegrass band, the New Grass Revival, issuing a live LP in 1981; although Paradise shut down later that year, the label was reactivated for 1984's Hank Wilson, Vol. 2 and Solid State. Russell spent the remainder of the decade largely outside of music and did not resurface until issuing the Bruce Hornsby-produced Anything Can Happen in 1992. The album appeared to little fanfare, however, and another long period of relative inactivity followed prior to the 1998 release of Hank Wilson, Vol. 3: Legend in My Time. Face in the Crowd appeared a year later. Moving into the new century, Russell issued Moonlight & Love Songs, an album of cover songs, in 2002, followed by Angel in Disguise five years later in 2007. A trio of releases, Almost Piano, Bad Country, and In Your Dreams, appeared in 2008.
-- Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
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01. Welcome to Hollywood 02. Soul Food 03. Icicle Star Tree 04. Death of the Flowers 05. Indian Style |
06. Episode Containing 3 Songs: A. NY Op 06B. Land of Dog 06C. Mr Henri the Clown 07. Thieves in the Choir 08. Black Sheep Boogaloo |
01. A Song For You 02. Dixie Lullaby 03. I Put A Spell On You 04. Shootout On The Plantation 05. Hummingbird 06. Delta Lady |
07. Prince Of Peace 08. Give Peace A Chance 09. Hurtsome Body 10. Pisces Apple Lady 11. Roll Away The Stone 12. Masters Of War (Old Masters) |
01. Sweet Home Chicago 02. Down On The Base 03. Hello Little Friend 04. Salty Candy 05. Tryin' To Stay 'Live 06. Intro To Rita 07. Straight Brother 08. Learn How To Boogie |
09. Ballad For A Soldier 10. When You Wish Upon A Fag 11. Lady In Waiting 12. Welcome To Hollywood 13. Death Of The Flowers 14. Icicle Star Tree 15. Mr. Henri The Clown 16. Soul Food |
01. Stranger In A Strange Land 02. Of Thee I Sing 03. A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall 04. Chrystal Closet Queen 05. Home Sweet Oklahoma 06. Alcatraz |
07. The Ballad Of Mad Dogs And Englishmen 08. It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry 09. She Smiles Me A River 10. Sweet Emily 11. Beware Of Darkness |
01. Tight Rope 02. Out In The Woods 03. Me & Baby Jane 04. Manhattan Island Serenade 05. Cajun Love Song 06. Roller Derby |
07. Carney 08. Acid Annapolis 09. If The Shoe Fits 10. My Cricket 11. This Masquerade 12. Magic Mirror |
01. Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms 02. She Thinks I Still Care 03. I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry 04. I'll Sail My Ship Alone 05. Jambalaya (on the bayou) 06. A Six Pack To Go 07. The Battle Of New Orleans 08. Uncle Pen |
09. Am I That Easy To Forget? 10. Truck Drivin' Man 11. The Window Up Above 12. Lost Highway 13. Good Night Irene 14. Hey, Good Lookin' 15. In The Jailhouse Now |
01. Mighty Quinn Medley 02. Shootout At The Plantation 03. Dixie Lullaby 04. Queen Of The Roller Derby 05. Roll Away The Stone 06. It's Been A Long Time Baby 07. Great Day 08. Alcatraz 09. Chrystal Closet Queen 10. Prince Of Peace |
11. Sweet Emily 12. Stranger In A Strange Land 13. Out In The Woods 14. Some Day 15. Sweeping Through The City 16. Medley: Jumping Jack Flash/Young Blood 17. Medley: Of Thee I Sing/Yes I Am 18. Delta Lady 19. It's All Over Now, Baby Blue |
01. If I Were A Carpenter 02. Smashed 03. Leaving Whipporwhill 04. Spanish Harlem 05. Streaker's Ball 06. Working Girl |
07. Time For Love 08. The Ballad Of Hollis Brown 09. Mona Lisa Please 10. Stop All That Jazz 11. Wild Horses 12. Wabash Cannonball |
01. Will O' The Wisp (inst.) 02. Little Hideaway 03. Make You Feel Good 04. Can't Get Over Losing You 05. My Father's Shoes 06. Stay Away From Sad Songs |
07. Back To The Island 08. Down On Deep River 09. Bluebird 10. Laying Right Here In Heaven 11. Lady Blue |
01. Rainbow In Your Eyes 02. Like A Dream Come True 03. Love's Supposed To Be That Way 04. Fantasy 05. Satisfy You |
06. You Are On My Mind 07. Lavender Blue 08. Quiet Nights 09. Windsong 10. Daylight |
01. Roll Away The Stone 02. Delta Lady 03. Bluebird 04. Shootout At The Plantation 05. Stranger In A Strange Land 06. Hummingbird |
07. Out In The Woods 08. A Song For You 09. Lady Blue 10. Tight Rope 11. This Masquerade 12. Back To The Island |
01. Easy Love 02. Joyful Noise 03. Now Now Boogie 04. Say You Will 05. Make Love To The Music |
06. Love Crazy 07. Love Is In Your Eyes 08. Hold On To This Feeling 09. Island In The Sun |
01. Let's Get Started 02. Elvis And Marilyn 03. From Maine To Mexico 04. When A Man Loves A Woman 05. It's Only Me |
06. Midnight Lover 07. Housewife 08. Ladies Of The Night 09. Shadow And Me 10. Jesus On My Side |
01. Detour 02. I Saw The Light 03. Heartbreak Hotel 04. Let The Rest Of The World Go By 05. Trouble In Mind 06. Don't Fence Me In 07. The Wild Side Of Life 08. Ridin' Down The Canyon 09. Sioux City Sue 10. You Are My Sunshine |
11. Danny Boy 12. Always 13. Summertime 14. Because Of You 15. Am I Blue 16. Tenderly 17. Far Away Places 18. That Lucky Old Sun 19. Stormy Weather 20. One For My Baby And One More For The Road |
01. One More Love Song 02. You Girl 03. Struck By Lightning 04. Strange Love 05. Life And Love |
06. On The First Day 07. High Horse 08. Sweet Mystery 09. On The Borderline |
01. Over The Rainbow 02. I've Just Seen A Face 03. One More Love Song 04. Pilgrim Land 05. Georgia Blues 06. I Believe To My Soul 07. Prince Of Peace |
08. Rollin' In My Sweet Baby's Arms 09. Stranger In A Strange Land 10. I Want To Be At The Meeting 11. Wild Horses 12. Jambalaya (on the bayou) 13. Caribbean 14. Jumping Jack Flash |
01. Wabash Cannonball 02. Oh, Lonesome Me 03. Tennessee Waltz 04. Heartaches By The Number 05. If You've Got The Money, Honey 06. Tumbling Tumbleweeds |
07. I'm Movin' On 08. Waltz Across Texas 09. Don't Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes 10. On The Wings Of A Dove 11. I'll Be There If You Ever Want Me 12. I Saw The Light |
01. Rock & Roll Part Of My Heart 02. Lost Love 03. All The Love Is On The Radio 04. There's No Understanding The Heart 05. Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues |
06. Rescue My Heart 07. To See You Again 08. New Kind Of Fire 09. Like A Thief In The Night 10. If You Go Away |
01. Anything Can Happen 02. Black Halos 03. No Man's Land 04. Too Much Monkey Business 05. Angel Ways |
06. Life Of the Party 07. Stranded On Easy Street 08. Jezebel 09. Love Slave 10. Faces Of The Children |
01. Oh, Holy Night 02. We Three Kings 03. Away In A Manger 04. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing 05. Joy To The World |
06. It Came Upon A Midnight Clear 07. The First Noel 08. Oh, Little Town Of Bethlehem 09. Oh, Come All Ye Faithful 10. Silent Night |
01. Sixteen Tons 02. Night Life 03. Act Naturally 04. Sweet Dreams 05. Daddy Sang Bass 06. He Stopped Loving Her Today 07. Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys |
08. Funny How Time Slips Away 09. Okie From Muskogee 10. Crazy 11. Love's Gonna Live Here 12. He'll Have To Go 13. Legend In My Time |
01. Love Is A Battlefield 02. Dr. Love 03. Down In The Flood 04. So Hard To Say Goodbye 05. Betty Ann 06. This Heart Of Mine |
07. Message From My Baby 08. Blue Eyes And A Black Heart 09. What Will I Do Without You 10. Mean And Evil 11. The Devil Started Talking 12. Don't Bring The Blues To Bed |
01. End Of The Road 02. Ways Of A Woman 03. House Of Blues 04. Rip Van Winkle 05. This Love I Have For You 06. Lost Inside The Blues |
07. Dark Carousel 08. It's Impossible 09. My Hard Times 10. Strange Power Of Love 11. Make Everything Alright 12. The Same Old Song |
01. Mystery Train 02. One More Love Song 03. Truck Drivin' Man 04. Cajun Love Song 05. My Cricket 06. I'm Movin' On |
07. Lady Blue 08. In The Pines 09. A Song For You 10. Uncle Pen 11. Prince Of Peace 12. Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms |
01. A Song For You 02. One More Love Song 03. Tight Rope 04. Stranger In A Strange Land 05. Hummingbird 06. Back To The Island |
07. Out In The Woods 08. Lady Blue 09. Delta Lady 10. Magic Mirror 11. This Masquerade |
01. I've Just Seen a Face 02. Footprints In The Snow 03. Columbus Stockade Blues 04. I Believe To My Soul 05. Rough And Rocky Road 06. Mystery Train |
07. When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold 08. In The Pines 09. Open Up The Door 10. The Bluebirds Are Singing For Me 11. Rhythm And Bluegrass 12. Pilgrim Land |
01. Orchestra Tuning 02. The Very Thought Of You 03. That's All 04. My Funny Valentine 05. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes 06. Stormy Weather |
07. Once In Awhile 08. That Lucky Old Sun 09. 'Round Midnight 10. The Shadow Of Your Smile 11. As Time Goes By 12. Angel Eyes |
01. A Song For You 02. Bluebird 03. This Masquerade 04. Roll Away The Stone 05. Beware Of Darkness 06. Chrystal Closet Queen 07. Delta Lady 08. Back To The Island 09. Stranger In A Strange Land |
10. Hummingbird 11. Queen Of The Roller Derby 12. Of Thee I Sing 13. Streaker's Ball 14. Lady Blue 15. Tight Rope 16. Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms 17. Magic Mirrorr |
01. Sweet Mimi 02. How Can This Be Love 03. Angel In Disguise 04. Lovin' On My Mind 05. Come For You 06. Honey & Eli |
07. Black N' Blue 08. All Through The Night 09. Honky Tonk Eyes 10. Dyess Colony 11. Desire Inside Your Eyes |
01. Ixtland 02. Piano Polka 03. Friendly Fire 04. Whitewater Blues 05. Harpo's Dream |
06. Kiss My Eyes 07. A Girl I Once Knew 08. Blind Lemon Cream 09. Big Easy 10. Reba Lights |
01. A Little Bit Of Love 02. Honkytonk Dream 03. Oklahoma Girl 04. California dreams 05. Hungry Eyes 06. Real Love |
07. Rio Grande 08. Sweet Magic Love 09. Tennessee Hayride 10. Come Lay With Me 11. Bad Country |
01. I Love The Way You Love Me 02. Oklahoma Boogie 03. Lover's Hideaway 04. Big Lips 05. End Of A Love Affair 06. Love Can Hurt You So |
07. I Wanna Make Love To You 08. Down In Louisiana 09. Perfect Love 10. A Little Thing Called Love 11. Last Dance 12. Down In Dixieland |
01. Hungry For Love 02. Crazy Love 03. Deep In The Heart Of Dixie 04. Through Lover's Eyes 05. Sweet Surrender 06. Fool In Love |
07. Too Hot Too Handle 08. Sugaree's Birthday 09. Love Is In The Air 10. Human Sacrifice 11. Let Me Down Easy |