Leon Russell in Video


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Important Press Release regarding A Song For You's US Release!

Please note, I cannot make copies of any of these videos for any reason.

Most of the images from these DVDs were obtained by photographing them on my TV.
As a result some of image quality was lost.

Leon is on DVD courtesy of Classic Pictures Entertainment of the UK!
  

Also:

Leon Russell: A Song for You

The Best of the Leon Russell Festivals Live! Update!

Edgar Winter Live Feat. Leon Russell

Leon Russell & The New Grass Revival
J.J.Cale The Lost Sessions

Concert for Bangladesh  Update!

Joe Cocker's Mad Dogs and Englishmen

The Homewood Show

One For The Road

Bob & Ray, Jane, Laraine & Gilda (1979) Pix

Willie Nelson's 4th of July Celebration (1979)

Links are from the Classic Pictures Entertainment website:

Leon Russell: A Song for You - There was a problem with the audio being out of sync on the original release of this DVD. The problem has since been corrected. For details on this see the A Song for You Press Release page.

Beware of purchasing this DVD on Ebay. Be sure that you will be able
to return it if you get one of the defective copies.
When purchasing this DVD be sure that the catalog and bar-code numbers are:

Catalog #  DVD7026X
Bar-code #   634991133722.


Despite some erroneous information on this DVD, it is a must have for every Leon fan. The disc opens and closes with Leon singing A Song for You from various stages in his career. Some of the video will be familiar to old time fans [Homewood , Deep Freeze (?), The Paradise Show , The Live Video , etal.]. The remaining clips appear to have been recorded specifically for this release or from other sources.  Unfortunately, most probably due to copyright restrictions, some of Leon's best known performances, The Concert for Bangladesh and Mad Dogs and Englishmen among them , are not represented. The tracks with Edgar Winter appear to be from a different concert than the Main Street Cafe aka Edgar Live on Stage: featuring Leon Russell video/DVD. The clips of Leon and Edgar on this DVD feature a livelier Leon than the one on the Edgar Live.

The format of the DVD is live performances from throughout Leon's career interspersed with narration detailing its twists and turns.  I would have preferred the narration be optional like the directors' commentaries on movie DVDs. In my opinion Leon's performance with Ambrose Campbell on One More Love Song is perhaps the most heart wrenching of his career.

Special features are skimpy: a video rendition of Steve Todoroff's Leon's Rock Family Tree Poster. While interesting to look at, it is not the same as being able to study the actual poster freely. A biography, video taped interview, and discography would have been nice special features but alas, no. Also missing is any mention of Leon's ex, Mary Russell.



Video Performances

A Song for You
Hummingbird
This Masquerade
Delta Lady
Jumpin' Jack Flash
Tightrope
Crystal Closet Queen
{Of Thee I Sing} not listed
I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry
Sweet Willie
My Cricket and Me
Jesus Will Take Me Home
Stranger in a Strange Land
Back to the Island
Tightrope/Mystery Train
Jambalaya
Prince of Peace
One More Love Song
Life and Love
Out in the Woods
Magic Mirror
Will the Circle be Unbroken
Lady Blue
Shootout on the Plantation
Over the Rainbow
A Song for You

 

 
 

Edgar Winter Live Feat. Leon Russell - This was released in Europe some years ago as The Main Street Cafe tape.  The VHS of this sometimes turns up on Ebay but don't settle for tape. Make the move to DVD. The concert is about evenly divided between Edgar and Leon's performances. Look for current Leon band member, Jack Wessel, on bass and backing vocals.
 



 


Video Performances
Special Features
Key to the Highway
Harlem Nocturne
Dixie Lullabye
Against the Law
Lady Blue
Fly Away
Rollin' in My Sweet Baby's Arms
Free Ride
Fannie Mae
Frankenstein
  • Edgar Discography
  • Edgar Biography


 
 

Leon Russell & The New Grass Revival - Originally released in 1994 on VHS by Monarch Media. The performance was taped at Perkins Palace in Pasadena, California on May 15, 1980.  Leon was in great form on that night and was backed by New Grass Revival. Oddly enough, Classic Pictures has chosen to put the emphasis on New Grass Revival instead of Leon on this release .
Don't let the packaging fool you, this is a Leon concert all the way.
 



Band Members

Leon Russell - Piano
Ambrose Campbell - Percussion
Sam Bush - Mandolin & fiddle
Courtney Johnson - Banjo
John Cowan - Bass
Curtis "Doctor Dobro" Burch -Guitar & Dobro
Bill Kenner (uncredited) - Mandolin & percussion*

*Thanks again to Jack Wessel for the info.


Video Performances
Special Features

Over the Rainbow
I've Just Seen a Face
One More Love Song
I Am a Pilgrim/Columbus Stockade
Jesus Will Take Me Home
Stranger In A Strange Land
I Want To Be At The Meeting
I Believe to My Soul
Prince of Peace
Rollin' in My Sweet Baby's Arms
Wild Horses
(Of Thee I Sing)
Amazing Grace
Jambalaya
Jumpin' Jack Flash
Truck Drivin' Man
Down in the Caribbean
A Song for You
  • NGR Bio
  • Bonus Audio:

  • Cajun Love Song
    Dancing w/Angels
    I Will Fly Away
    Rhythm & Bluegrass
    Randy Lynn Rag
    Out in the Woods
    Roll Over Beethoven
    Uncle Penn
    Lead Highway Blues


Repackaged and available on DVD! See above .




 
 

J.J.Cale The Lost Sessions with Leon Russell on keys - What a find! 
This is a must for any J.J. Cale fan. Leon sings, plays piano and organ, and does some impromptu MC-ing.
It's a treat to see him literally
let his hair down. I talked a musician friend into borrowing this DVD. He was reluctant to as he wasn't a huge J.J. Cale fan but he raved about the DVD and asked where to get one, when he returned it.

I very highly recommend this DVD.



Video Performances
Special Features
T-Bone Shuffle
Nowhere to Run
Cocaine
Ten Easy Lessons
Sensitive Kind
Hands Off Her
Louisana
Going Down
Corine Corina
Roll On
No Sweat
Crazy Mama
Fate of a Fool
Boilin' Pot
After Midnight
T-Bone Shuffle
T-Bone Backwards
Same Ole Blues
Don't Cry Sister
Set Your Soul Free
T-Bone Backwards
Ten Easy Lessons
  • Discography
  • Bonus Audio Tracks

  • Call Me the Breeze
    Ever Lovin' Woman
    Katy Kool Lady
    Lies
    Don't Wait







 
 

Available in Brazil and Europe but not directly in the U.S. is One for the Road with Willie Nelson. While the video quality isn't the best by DVD standards, the musical performances are first rate! Willie sings the most heartfelt renditions of Crazy and Ain't It Funny How Time Slips Away I have ever seen him do. I recommend this one for any Willie or Leon fans. This was originally called The Paradise Show and unsuccessfully marketed television.



Brazilian Cover

German front cover

German back cover

   Tracks:

  1. Heartbreak Hotel - Willie & Leon
  2. Crazy -  Willie
  3. Ain t it Funny How Time Slips Away - Willie
  4. White Lightning - Leon
  5. Life and Love - Willie. This isn't the Leon song fromLife and Love
  6. My Cricket - Leon
  7. Trouble in Mind - Maria Muldaur
  8. Can The Circle Be Unbroken (bye & bye) Leon, Willie, Maria, & Bonnie
  9. Its Not Supposed to Be That Way - Willie & Leon
  10. Wabash Cannonball - Willie
  11. South of The Border - Willie
  12. Always - Willie
  13. Talk How - (aka Sweet Willie) Leon's tribute to Willie
  14. One For My Baby and One More For The Road - Willie & Leon
  15. Mystery Train - Leon
  16. Roll in My Sweet Baby's arms -
  17. Final Jam (Under the Double Eagle )


 
 


The Homewood Video Concert

Originally aired in 1971 on PBS, actually KCET in LA at the Vine Street Theatre on Hollywood and Vine !  A theatre with a little studio in the back part of the building.  Not there anymore! It is really billed as the Vine Street Theatre presents Homewood, but the on air guy nicknames it Session right at the start of the studio intro's!
They actually shot 6 hours, but only broadcast 1 hour exactly!

Unscripted and Unrehearsed!

Now - this is a fact - it was the first national broadcast of a "stereo"
rock and roll performance - that's why Leon agreed to do it!

Billed as Session - Leon Russell and some close friends.
Don Nix
Sweet Emily
Claudia Linnear
Kathi McDonald
Chuck Blackwell
Jim Horn
John Gallie
Furry Lewis
Don Preston
Joey Cooper
Carl Radle
There's another woman there with a baby, but I have no idea who
she is - she just sits there.  lol

Songlist:

Will The Circle Be Unbroken
Jim's Thing
It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry
Delta Lady
Song For You
Furry's Blues
Amos Burke
Honky Tonk Woman
Sweet Emily
Prince Of Peace
North Country
Big Boss Man
Crystal Closet Queen
Of Thee I Sing Medley

***My thanks to Rick Taylor for this information!***


 


 

Update! This film had been remastered & re-released on DVD by the original editor.  Don't go looking for this one on ebay. Jeff has invested a lot of effort, time, & love into this re-release.

Filmed performances from the Leon Live era in different parts of the country.
Note the clothes/hats changes due to the editing together of multiple dates.
This DVD is NOW AVAILABLE! For more information on this video check out
its editor's comments at The Leon Live Video-aka "Deep Freeze".
I highly recommend this one!




 
 

 
The Concert for Bangladesh (1972). Update: Re-released on DVD on October 25, 2005. Accept no substitutes!

The definitive version of Leon's medley of Jumpin' Jack Flash/Youngblood!

UPDATE! Avoid this DVD from ebay!
An official re-release of this DVD is scheduled for October 25, 2005.  It will feature bonus footage including an extra Dylan song AND a Leon/Eric Clapton jam session! 

I recently purchased a copy of The Concert for Bangladesh on DVD from Brazil. It appears to be a direct dub from a pan and scan VHS tape. Oddly enough there are some vertical scratch marks on portions of the DVD.  I'd recommend settling for the US VHS release, if one can be found, or waiting for an authorized US or European release.













 Mad Dogs and Englishmen (1971). DVD premiere on October 18, 2005 with bonus features. Accept no substitutes.

 I recently {pre-2005} obtained a DVD of this movie from Brazil. While the video & audio are adequate, there's nothing spectacular in the way of added features. It appears to be a direct dub from the VHS pan and scan release. Hopefully there will be an authorized US
or European DVD release of the original widescreen film.
 




Willie Nelson's 4th of July Celebration (1979)



No Graphics Available for:
When You Comin' Back Red Ryder? (1979) Leon is heard preaching over the radio.
A Poem Is a Naked Person (1974)