RE: [Harp-L] Re: Subject: The Last Waltz/Muddy Waters, Paul Butterfield

["Bill Hines" <billhines4@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Definitely one of my favorite movies ever. If you get the chance, read
the book "This Wheel's on Fire" by Levon Helm to get the whole story of
The Band and this particular movie. Most of the band were against making
it and hated it because at the time they felt Robbie Robertson's ego was
out of control and he was taking more than his fair share of the band
money, etc. 

It was to be a showcase for Robbie, they felt. The Muddy Waters aspect
in particular is interesting - Robbie and his manager wanted to cut
Muddy out of the lineup and Levon and Butterfield said if Muddy goes, we
go. In fact Muddy's performance was almost missed - out of 9 cameras
shooting the event, only one was rolling for Muddy's song and they
almost missed that magical performance altogether. Idiots. 

They cut out a part where after Muddy performed, he grabbed Levon's head
in both hands and kissed him on the forehead. Cutting that really upset
Levon. Of course, they also cut the part where Neil Young comes out with
a bunch of coke on his moustache, but the left in the part where he is
so wrecked he screws up the start of Helpless. Anyway, great book on the
ins and outs of the music biz. More detail on their encounter with Rice
Miller, which is discussed briefly in the movie.

I loved the movie, but didn't feel that Butterfield was at his best
there, but again he was playing as part of an amazing group of players
and maybe just standing back and comping, some nice chugging train
rhythms on Ronnie Hawkins Train Train. Who knows what shape he was in on
that night, with the smorgasborg of booze and drugs flying around
backstage and everyone trying to outdo each other!

Anyone been to Levon's Midnight Ramble sessions? I'd like to check it
out sometime.

Bill Hines
Hershey, PA

-----Original Message-----
From: harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of EGS1217@xxxxxxx
Sent: Saturday, July 07, 2007 8:06 AM
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [Harp-L] Re: Subject: The Last Waltz/Muddy Waters, Paul
Butterfield


I'm sure this has been discussed here before my time, but I saw The
Last 
Waltz for the first time in its entirety a couple of days ago on  Flix.
The 1978 
movie featuring the 1976 final tour of Robbie Robertson's  The Band
....with 
their guests.  So many fabulous musical moments...some  interesting
harmonica 
work (yes, even by Neil Young and Bob Dylan) ...but what  really stood
out was 
Muddy Waters being backed up by Paul Butterfield.  In  living colour,
instead 
of old black/white youtube videos...performing the entire  song of
"Mannish 
Boy".
 
The video's worth getting for that performance alone, as well  as Robbie

Robertson's reminiscence of their last meeting with Sonny Boy
Williamson shortly 
before his death.  Directed by Martin  Scorsese.  Incredibly good.
 
Elizabeth



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