Solomon Burke – The King Live At Avo Session Basel (2007)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0_4zeMzbxk


29 m 30 sec.

"Cotton Fields" from Happening '69 is played live and based on the 20/20 version. The performances of "Break Away" and Johnny B Goode" are also live.

Wow, that must be only the second time an act played live on the show. Wilson Pickett was on the show the year before, and did 3 or 4 songs live. IIRC, Pickett insisted that he and his band play live, so Lindsay and Revere went to the producers and insisted that he be allowed to do so.


The timeline for the show posted above is slightly off - the show began as Happening '68 early that year, hosted by Lindsay and Revere, as a once a week show. In the summer, Revere, Lindsay, and soon-to-be-Raider Keith Allison hosted a Monday thru Friday spinoff called It's Happening. That ended when the kids went back to school in the fall. In '69, Happening '68 became simply Happening, and ran through September of that year.
 I'm a Paul Revere/Raiders fan, so I know all this stuff.
I think there was also an episode where the Beach Boys promo film for I Can Hear Music was shown. The group themselves was not on the show that ep.

Is that where that "Just Like Me" clip comes from that used to get played on VH1 from time to time? Keith Allison is miming with the band and Smitty is punching a puppet.

Here's the majority of "It's OK":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUsO5DLOHtk&list=FL0dftRhJ76dCyJthC4OcDRw&index=2

Can't tell if it's supposed to be a Matt lead or if he's just taking it over because Brian's not singing. Kinda seems like the latter as the verse starts. I dunno. The band and Matt sound excellent. Brian looks completely blank. I'm sure he's less so when he's more engaged singing a lead. But at this stage, if they want to do gigs, I'm not opposed to it being more of a "Brian Wilson Band" concert and have Brian just come on stage for a set of songs where it's mostly his leads.

Matt was talking to Brian and pointing at the teleprompter after the song started but Brian didn't budge. He and Al were signalling to the sound guy all night for one issue or another.

Earlier during Sail on Sailor Brian jumped in singing the first line. Al laughed and looked at Blondie. I thought we were going to hear a cool double lead with Brian and Blondie but Blondie started singing the first verse again and Brian just did some occasional chorus back ups vocals.

I agree with others in that Brian sounded really good. However by the 60 minute mark he seemed really tired, just pooped. I was surprised he was able to pull off Love and Mercy as good as he did.

The place was packed. I thought the last minute requirements for proof of vaccine or negative test would affect attendance.

Here's a very insignificant question. I'm a big fan of the Holland album (their best group effort imho) and the picture of Brian on the sleeve has always fascinated me. He looks troubled and lost, with his hair unkempt and that grumpy (?) look on his face. I've often wondered who decided to use this picture. This looks like a snapshot that was taken on a bad day. I've been wondering if it was a deliberate decision to use a picture of Brian that portrayed him as sort of "difficult"? Maybe in order to reinforce the "genius recluse" image?

I think Brian in the Rock and Roll to the Rescue video looked exactly like he did in the Holland photo.