Little Feat
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Little Feat | ||
|---|---|---|
 Little Feat in 2006 with Shaun Murphy on vocals
|
||
| Background information | ||
| Origin | Los Angeles, California | |
| Genre(s) | rock | |
| Years active | 1969–1979, 1988–present | |
| Label(s) | Rhino Records Warner Bros. Records CMC International Hot Tomato |
|
| Website | littlefeat.net | |
| Members | ||
| Richie Hayward Bill Payne Kenny Gradney (1972) Paul Barrere (1972) Sam Clayton (1972) Fred Tackett (1988) Shaun Murphy (1993) |
||
| Former members | ||
| Lowell George Roy Estrada Craig Fuller |
||
Little Feat is an American band formed in 1969 in Los Angeles. They play a mixture of blues, R&B, country, and rock and roll and could be considered current rock masters of off-beat musical syncopation with some of their fan-favorite popular classics of the old days, as well as other music genres that they play currently.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Lowell George Era (1969-1979)
The band was formed by two former members of Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention: songwriter and guitarist Lowell George, who also provided vocals and slide guitar and Roy Estrada on bass guitar. They were joined by drummer Richie Hayward and Bill Payne on keyboards and vocals. The name of the band came from a comment made by Mothers' drummer Jimmy Carl Black about Lowell's diminutive pedal extremities.
There are three legends about the genesis of Little Feat. One has it that George showed Frank Zappa his song Willin, and that Zappa fired him from The Mothers, because he felt that George was too talented to merely be a member of his band, and told him he ought to go away and form his own band. The second version has Zappa firing him for playing a 15 minute guitar solo - with his amplifier off! The third version says that Zappa fired him because Willin contains drug references ("weed, whites and wine"). Ironically, when Willin was recorded for the first, eponymous Little Feat album, George had hurt his hand and could not play the song's slide part, so Ry Cooder sat in and played the part. This was one reason why Willin' was re-recorded and included on the lineup for their second album Sailin' Shoes. Sailin' Shoes was also the first Little Feat album to include cover art by Neon Park, who had painted the cover for Zappa's Weasels Ripped My Flesh.
The first two albums, Little Feat and Sailin' Shoes, received nearly unanimous critical acclaim. George's song Willin' became a classic, subsequently popularized by its inclusion on Linda Ronstadt's album Heart Like A Wheel. Lack of commercial success led, however, to the band splitting up, with Estrada leaving to join Captain Beefheart's Magic Band. In 1972 Little Feat reformed, with bassist Kenny Gradney replacing Estrada. The band also added a second guitarist/vocalist, Paul Barrere, and percussionist Sam Clayton. This new lineup radically altered the band's sound, creating more polished but funky elements and new songwriting abilities. The group went on to record Dixie Chicken (1973)—one of the band's most popular albums, which incorporated New Orleans musical influences and styles—as well as Feats Don't Fail Me Now (1974), which was a studio-recorded attempt to capture some of the energy found in many of their live shows of that time. The album concludes with a medley of Cold, Cold, Cold/Tripe Face Boogie - songs from Sailin' Shoes - reworked in a "live" style.
Little Feat reached a musical peak in the mid-1970s period. Although outdone in sales and popularity by other rock contemporaries, it built a solid audience through its album releases and frequent touring, factors that led the band to be hailed as groundbreaking by many music critics. That members of The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin were among their loyal fans gave proof of their musical influence. Mick Taylor, for example, can be heard guesting on Waiting For Columbus. Lowell George was respected for his idiosyncratic genius, for crafting sophisticated melodies and lyrics, and for his high production standards. But he's probably best remembered for his exuberant, unique slide guitar style, which featured sustained, ringing legato lines. His soulful, expressive voice has influenced many performers.
The release of The Last Record Album in 1975 signaled another change in the Little Feat sound, with Barrere and Payne developing an interest in jazz-rock, which was further extended in 1977's Time Loves A Hero. Prior to the recording of The Last Record Album, drummer Ritchie Hayward parted company with his motorcycle at high speed. The sleeve liner to the LP version of The Last Record Album was decorated with copies of his many hospital bills. Also present was evidence of a late change to the running order of tracks. The lyrics for Paul Barrere's song Hi Roller were printed on the sleeve, but scored out, and the words "maybe next time" scrawled over them. Sure enough, Hi Roller was the first track on the subsequent album Time Loves A Hero.
Lowell George continued to produce the albums, but his songwriting contribution diminished as the group moved into jazz-rock. In August 1977, Little Feat recorded a live album from gigs at The Rainbow Theatre in London and Lisner Auditorium in Washington, DC. Waiting For Columbus is considered by many rock music critics to be one of the best live albums of that decade. It was released in 1978, by which time it had become apparent that Lowell George's interest in the band was waning, as was his health. George did some work on what would eventually become Down On The Farm but then recorded a solo album Thanks, I'll Eat it Here and declared that Little Feat had disbanded. While touring for Thanks, I'll Eat it Here in June of 1979, at the age of 34, George was found dead in his hotel room in Arlington, Virginia. An autopsy found the death to be caused by a heart attack, although it is considered likely that George's weight, (formerly chronic) drug usage, and the stress of touring contributed to his condition.
The surviving members finished and released Down On The Farm before disbanding in 1979. A subsequent retrospective double album compilation of rare outtakes and live tracks, Hoy-Hoy!, was released in 1981.
[edit] Little Feat after Lowell George (1988-Present)
In 1986 Richie Hayward, Paul Barrere and Bill Payne were invited to play on Blue Slipper, the 1987 debut album by Helen Watson. They subsequently appeared on her sophomore effort The Weather Inside. The group then reformed when Barrere, Clayton, Gradney, Hayward and Payne added songwriter/vocalist Craig Fuller, formerly from the band Pure Prairie League (who also provided some rhythm guitar), and Fred Tackett on guitar, mandolin and trumpet. The band admired Fuller's previous work and were impressed when he toured with them in 1978 as part of the Fuller/Kaz band. They did not even request an audition, simply advising him they wanted him; and the reformation of Little Feat was complete. The initial release by the new lineup, Let It Roll, was a tremendous success, garnering Feat its first gold record LP since Waiting For Columbus which now had gone platinum. The band received more exposure than ever, including an appearance on Saturday Night Live. Concerts were booked nationally and Little Feat played enthusiastic, sold out shows. Fuller's vocals and high energy were a primary reason for the success. Barrere, Payne and company were pleased by the audience reaction: not only were they able to put over the Feat classics, but the new music was solid. While there were a few Little Feat diehards who could not accept the band without Lowell George, Little Feat with Fuller made a comeback that not only resurrected the old music, but introduced a whole new generation to Little Feat. Fans who were unfamiliar with the band were enthusiastic, even seeking older Little Feat recordings.
Little Feat released two more recordings with Fuller, and the band continued to tour on a large scale. However, many of the radio stations and venues who supported this music began disappearing. Fuller departed in 1993, stating that touring required too much time away from his family. His contribution to the history of Little Feat cannot be overstated.
In September 1993 Fuller's vocals were replaced by those of female singer Shaun Murphy. Murphy began her career working in Detroit, Michigan, most notably in theatre, and received a record contract with Rare Earth Records, a division of Motown Records, as a member of a duo with notable recording artist Meat Loaf. The duo later disbanded, and Murphy went on to sing and record with renowned artists such as Eric Clapton and Bob Seger. Fuller's departure proved to be a difficult hurdle for Feat, both in the studio and live. The band had to take a new approach. With Murphy, the tone of the live shows is more relaxed, and lends itself to more free-flowing jams, which other members of the band seem to prefer. The studio albums with Murphy failed to attract many of the Feat fans who had followed them with George and Fuller, possibly because both George and Fuller were fronts for the band, while Murphy is a team player and singer, as well as other members of the band, and has sung both background and lead in her career.
The current line up found some critical acclaim and continue to attract a faithful following, especially from the baby boomer generation.
Some of the prominent musicians and bands to play and record the music of Little Feat include The Byrds, Garth Brooks, Jackson Browne, Emmylou Harris, Nicolette Larson, Randy Newman, Robert Palmer, Bonnie Raitt, Linda Ronstadt, John Sebastian, Carly Simon, Van Halen, Joe Walsh, Phish, and Bob Weir.
Little Feat tours all over the world and is regarded by many music critics as a "band's band" and one of the greatest rock bands in history.
The majority of Little Feat album releases through 1990 can be found in the Warner Brothers Records catalog. In 2002 Little Feat launched their own record label, Hot Tomato Records.
[edit] Selected discography
[edit] Chronological albums
- Little Feat (1971)
- Sailin' Shoes (1972)
- Dixie Chicken (1973)
- Feats Don't Fail Me Now (1974)
- The Last Record Album (1975)
- Time Loves A Hero (1977)
- Waiting For Columbus (1978 live)
- Down On The Farm (1979)
- Hoy-Hoy! (1981)
- As Time Goes By : The Best Of Little Feat (1986 compilation)
- Let It Roll (1988)
- Representing The Mambo (1990)
- Shake Me Up (1991)
- As Time Goes By : The Very Best Of Little Feat (1993 compilation)
- Ain't Had Enough Fun (1995)
- Live From Neon Park (1996 live)
- Under the Radar (1998)
- Extended Versions: The Encore Collection (2000 live)
- Chinese Work Songs (2000)
- Hotcakes & Outtakes : 30 Years Of Little Feat [4CD Box] (2000)
- Waiting For Columbus : Deluxe Edition (2002 live)
- Raw Tomatoes : Volume One (2002 live)
- Ripe Tomatoes : Volume One (2002 live)
- Live At The Rams Head (2002 live)
- Down Upon The Suwannee River (2003 live)
- Kickin' It At The Barn (2003)
- High Wire Act Live In St. Louis 2003 (2003 live) [2CD]
- Kickin' It At The Barn (2004) [DVD-Audio Special Edition]
- Barnstormin' Live Volume One (2005 live)
- Barnstormin' Live Volume Two (2005 live)
- The Essentials (2005 compilation)
- The Best Of Little Feat (2006 compilation)
- Rocky Mountain Jam (2007 live)
[edit] Video
- Rockpalast Live (2000) [DVD] - Eleven-song performance for German live music television show "Rockpalast" that originally aired in July 1977, plus one bonus live track from 1976
- High Wire Act Live In St. Louis 2003 (2004 live) [DVD]
- Little Feat & Friends in Jamaica - Burgers & Paradise (2006 live) [2DVD] - Little Feat & Friends in Jamaica 2005
There is a Warner Bother's tape (VHS) out but hard to find of Little Feat hosting the Midnight Special. Other video snippets can be found on youtube.com Search Little Feat and you will find dozens of short clips from their 2006 tour, shot by one of the band's road crew. Other clips dating from the late 80's to the present by a good friend of the band.
[edit] Box Sets
- Hotcakes & Outtakes : 30 Years Of Little Feat [4CD Box] (2000 collection & outtakes)
