Late Again (Getting’ Over You) was another from 1974, from Spooky Lady’s Sideshow, which was a Kristofferson solo release bookended by albums with Rita Coolidge. We were into the Kris Kristofferson section. Female singers do this song especially well- Rita Coolidge has it on several compilations, and Cher did another good cover. I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight by Bob Dylan took us a few years earlier. I just realized we’d had three songs in a row from 1974 to 1975. I was just thrilled to hear it live at all, though it won’t ever touch Betty Wright for me. Rita Coolidge did it much more smoothly, without Betty Wright’s dynamics. That’s taken off the 45 rpm single – neither the LP or single sound as good. Betty Wright’s version would be on a list of my ten all-time favourite soul numbers, and it’s one I rarely go more than a couple of weeks without playing, especially in the car and loud, from a playlist that goes on to Private Number and Tramp. However, the version that was a hit was by Betty Wright. The second Allen Toussaint number was Shoo-Rah Shoo-Rah, Its origin was an album produced by Toussaint for Frankie Miller, High Life. It was unexpected, it’s a song I love, and the guitar playing was great. Whatever, it’s closely associated with Ry Cooder since Paradise & Lunch (1974). She praised Ry Cooder’s musical archaeology and led into Tattler – it’s believed to originate with Washington Phillips, but it’s possibly “Trad. Stuart’s guitar was starting to make its presence felt in the rhythm. She said she would be doing two Allen Toussaint songs, and next up was Basic Lady from 1975’s Southern Nights, an album I was delighted to find on vinyl a few weeks ago. Tonight Superstar had a long and impressive bass guitar solo. The tale was told so well, that it augurs great things for her new autobiography Delta Lady which she signed after the gig. She told the story of how Eric promised the earth to a long series of starstruck groupies, which inspired the tale … the original title was Groupie Song (Superstar). She recounted its origins … it dates to Eric Clapton wanting to join Delaney & Bonney when Rita was a member. It was a B-side which became famous when Rita sang it on the Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour and album. She co-wrote it, though the credits read Delaney Bramlett, Bonnie Bramlett and Leon Russell. The one I’d been most hoping to hear, Superstar came next. They were the quietest band I’ve seen too, especially at the beginning on Ray Charles’ Hallelujah I Love Him So in a jazzy laidback version with brushes on drums, and the vocal mic mixed loud in proportion. It was immediately obvious that the band were top class in all departments. Guitar was the only one standing, and with no music stand. The set up was the current norm, with drums extreme stage left facing in, keyboards extreme right facing in, and guitar and bass at the back. The drummer was also looking at sheets on a music stand, so I guess they’re a new band for her, and this was only the second gig. The bass guitarist was seated and appeared to be reading from music. A true master of the funk guitar, and brilliant all evening. He is in that Albert Lee position of a guitarist everyone wants to work with – ask Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. I have a strong feeling I’ve seen him since. I recognized Hamish Stuart (ex Average White Band) though, and I saw him at the Larmer Tree Festival with Gordon Haskell just before Van Morrison in 2001. I didn’t catch the names of the band properly and welcome corrections. She has to curate a setlist from so many albums. So a career encompassing a huge slice of 70s, 80s and 90s music. They performed with Robbie Robertson at the Agrigento Festival, and the 2002 Winter Olympics ceremony. My personal favourite era is Walela, the Native American group she founded with her sister Priscilla Coolidge, and niece Laura Satterfield. She was married to Kris Kristofferson, romantically involved with Stephen Stills and Graham Nash. The piano part for Layla was Rita Coolidge’s, and she was never credited. Delta Lady was written for her by Leon Russell. She co-wrote and sang Superstar on Mad Dogs and Englishmen. She’s covered Boz Scaggs, Neil Young, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, the Gibb Brothers, Carole King. Rita Coolidge’s career has been largely based on astute cover versions, with impeccable backing. (I didn’t catch the names in full I thought she said Jack Ballard, but it must be jazz drummer Jeff Ballard)
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