The Band

zach · Joined: 27 Jun 2003 Posts: 251

Check out the dvd "Classic Albums - The Band" by Rhino http://theband.hiof.no/videos/classic_albums.html Filmed before the passing of Rick Danko, includes interviews with all of them except the late Richard Manuel. Details the making of their second studio album. Well worth the viewing.

I also recommend Levon Helm's book "This Wheel's on Fire", which gives The Band's history through Levon's eyes. I noticed some other posters have read/are reading this one. I really enjoyed it. Makes you like "The Last Waltz" and Robbie Robertson a little less. Makes you love Levon.

Neverwonagrammy · Joined: 01 Aug 2004 Posts: 772 Location: St. Louis, MO

Yeah, we asked Levon about Robbie. He said, "I don't wanna talk about him, he's an arrogant bastard, that's all I gotta say."
We never brought him up again.
Brian
P.S. Also, at that time, The Band were managed by a guy named Joe Forno. Owned Forno's Pharmacy, in Woodstock, New York.
How's THAT for convenience?

manshank · Joined: 27 Jun 2004 Posts: 1407 Location: Shakedown Street

I saw The Band at Watkins Glenn. Love them so I do. Only time I saw them but I did see Rick open for NRPS one time. It was pretty sad as he was totally wasted. NRPS brought him out for thier encore of Dead Flowers and they basically had to prop him up and feed him the words.

Last Waltz one of the best concert movies ever IMO. Love the Neil footage........the boots of that show are wonderful since Robbie could not clean/pretty it up.

Robbie Robbie Robbie.....its all about me.

Duckman · Joined: 19 Mar 2004 Posts: 259 Location: Bergen, Norway

Have to share my Rick-story.

Some years ago Rick played with Norwegian Jonas Fjeld and Eric Andersen (who also lives in Norway) in Danko, Fjeld, Andersen. (I recommend both their albums if you can get them!)

They had a show at my local pub. I was to young to attend, but my friends went and actually met Rick.

They didn't have tickets, and the venue was sold out, so they hung around in the sittingroom at the hotel upstairs from the bar.

My friend was sitting with his back to the door, and was quite drunk.
Suddenly there was total silence in the room, as the bar-owner walked into the room.

"Rick Danko!", the barowner announced.

My friend who didn't see this, just heard the owners voice, and answered "Rick The Dick!!".

TOTAL silence....

My friend turned around, and looked right into Rick Dankos face.
Rick Danko laughed his ass off, and my friend was suddenly Dankos best friend.
They sat drinking for a couple of hours, and when the concertstart approached Rick brought my friends down to the venue via the back-stairs.
When the doorman saw them, he told them that my friends couldn't come it, 'cause it was sold out.

Bullshit, Danko told him. These guys are my choir-girls!

And they got in.

The next morning I saw Rick Danko standing in the parkinglot in front of the venue in his boxershorts, brushing his teeth.

My friends also told me he had his little briefcase with him, full of pills and stuff...

Got to see Danko live a few years later, as The Band played in Oslo right after the release of the "Jericho"-album...

Duckman · Joined: 19 Mar 2004 Posts: 259 Location: Bergen, Norway

And I have to paste this from another thread here... it's actually a more appropriate thread for it Wink

True story from Bergen, Norway:

Many, many years ago - when rock-music still was young, Norway was a place where almost no-one had heard of that kind of music.
But slowly things like Elvis, Beatles & The Stones became popular among the kids.

A few "grown-up" people liked the music, and one of these so-called grown-ups had is own place where one now can find Finnegans Irish Pub and partly where the nightclub Ricks have it's english pub.
He booked pop-bands and rock-bands and the place was quite well liked because of the in-music.

One day he got a letter from a canadian band, wondering if he was interested in booking them for a gig one night.
They were planning a trip to Scandinavia, and one of the guys in the band had heard of this place called "Geiranger". A beautiful little place in the fjords in western Norway.
They were willing to play for whatever came in at the door, and all they wanted was food and somewhere to sleep.
They hadn't released any albums yet, but enclosed a tape.

The guy listened to it, and wrote back to them.
He thanked them for their interest, finding it flattering that they had heard of his little pub way over there.
He also said that he didn't think they had what it took to be popular in Bergen, but wished them good luck with their career.

I just hope Rick Danko, Levon Helm, Robbie Robertson, Richard Manuel and Garth Hudson wasn't too disappointed when they got the letter from him, basically telling them they were no good, and probably putting an end to their hopes of visiting Geiranger...

Haggischomper · Joined: 17 Jun 2003 Posts: 190 Location: Chicagoland

Levon Helm is the best, most-swingingest drummer on the fucking planet. EVER. Bar none. All that and he could sing too.

I don't have any funny Danko stories but I did once hear him sing It Makes No Difference live with The Band and that remailns one of the highlights of my gig-going life.
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This song is for the broken-spirited man

calexico · Joined: 15 Apr 2005 Posts: 23442 Location: Terrigen Mists

*insert waving madly smilie*
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Texas Tom Shatters Masturbation World Record!

el caballo loco · Joined: 06 Jun 2008 Posts: 932

Pray for Levon.

Voltage75 · Joined: 02 May 2004 Posts: 120 Location: Oklahoma

Just came from levon's website, i didn't know he was dying of cancer, such a shame.god bless levon!

SPIKE · Joined: 13 Aug 2006 Posts: 542 Location: Alphabet City

End of the Line for Levon Helm

@ 10:09=Greatness..."You'll enjoy this when you wake up"
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el caballo loco · Joined: 06 Jun 2008 Posts: 932

From Robbie's Facebook:

Last week I was shocked and so saddened to hear that my old band mate, Levon, was in the final stages of his battle with cancer. It hit me really hard because I thought he had beaten throat cancer and had no idea that he was this ill. I spoke with his family and made arrangements to go and see him.

On Sunday I went to New York and visited him in the hospital. I sat with Levon for a good while…, and thought of the incredible and beautiful times we had together. It was heartwarming to be greeted by his lovely daughter Amy, whom I have known since she was born. Amy’s mother, Libby Titus, and her husband, Donald Fagen, were so kind to help walk me through this terrible time of sadness. My thoughts and prayers are with his wife Sandy.

Levon is one of the most extraordinary talented people I’ve ever known and very much like an older brother to me. I am so grateful I got to see him one last time and will miss him and love him forever.

manshank · Joined: 27 Jun 2004 Posts: 1407 Location: Shakedown Street

Coffee Creek · Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2012 1:53 pm Post subject: Also.

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"If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough".
-- Albert Einstein

"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness".
-- Mark Twain

farrarfan1 · Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2012 5:48 am Post subject:

Grew up listening to Levon.Here's a nice tribute to the legend and it seems even more fitting after this sad news...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyLvo2CrkQY
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The salt and the steel of the breath of those not keeping still.

Tokyo Fan · Joined: 31 Mar 2006 Posts: 1106