Allman Brothers' Butch Trucks Talks Epic 1971 Radio Concert
Drummer recalls cathartic post-Fillmore performance, newly issued as 'Live From A&R Studios: New York, August 26, 1971'
By David Fricke March 8, 2016
Allman Brothers Band drummer Butch Trucks (third from right) recalls an intimate 1971 radio performance, newly issued on the band's own label.
On April 1st, one of the greatest shows from the Allman Brothers Band's most incendiary year on stage — a live radio concert from A&R Studios in New York on August 26th, 1971, aired over the free-form FM station WPLJ — will finally be released in official form by the group's own label, Peach Records. "Oh, man, I'll never forget that one," drummer Butch Trucks says when reminded of that broadcast, which came six months after the New York shows recorded for the iconic 1971 double LP At Fillmore East, has been long treasured by Allmans fans on bootleg and is now remixed for the first time from the original multi-track masters. "We were set up in that studio just like we did on stage," Trucks says of the band, then in its original, classic formation: founding lead guitarist Duane Allman; his younger brother, organist-singer Gregg Allman; second lead guitarist Dickey Betts, original bassist Berry Oakley; and drummers Trucks and Jaimoe.
"But it was better," Trucks goes on. "Rather than having their backs to me, the front line — Duane, Dickey and Berry — was facing us in kind of a semi-circle, which made it even easier to communicate. When I play, I stare at the left hand of whoever is playing lead. And I get to know what people are playing well enough that when they start going somewhere, once they arrive, I'm already there."
That was especially true at A&R Studios, when Duane took the occasion to pay tribute to a recently fallen idol: the R&B saxophonist King Curtis, who had played on many recording sessions with Duane and was murdered on his New York doorstep on August 13th, 1971, two weeks before the Allmans' broadcast. In an extensive, exclusive interview, Trucks explains how Duane turned his grieving into an epic-medley requiem of Willie Cobb's 1960 blues "You Don't Love Me" — an Allmans stage feature — with Curtis' 1964 instrumental "Soul Serenade." Two months later, on October 29th, Duane — just out of rehab for drug addiction — died in a motorcycle accident in Macon, Georgia, the band's hometown. He was 24.
The Allmans are also reissuing five previously released, vintage gigs through a new distribution deal, including two other, classic Duane-era shows at American University in Washington, D.C., in 1970 and at Stony Brook, New York, in 1971. Meanwhile, Trucks has been busy since the last version of the Allmans, with guitarists Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks, played its final concerts in October 2014. The drummer leads a group, the Freight Train Band, that features his son Vaylor on guitar — "He's the little kid on the cover of [1973's] Brothers and Sisters," Butch notes — and Berry Oakley Jr. on bass.
And on March 20th, Trucks will be back in Macon with a group called Les Brers — after the song "Les Brers in A Minor" on 1972's Eat a Peach and derived from a Southern colloquialism for "brothers" — that includes Jaimoe, recent Allmans bassist Oteil Burbridge and percussionist Marc Quiñones and ex-Allmans guitarist Jack Pearson. "We are of the opinion that even though the Allman Brothers broke up, there is a void to be filled," Trucks explains. "Whatever songs we write and play, it's going to be coming from that direction, with a lot of improvisation and dynamics — and not knowing where you want to go next.
"It's the kind of thing the Allmans did all the time." Trucks says. "It could turn into a total train wreck at times. But you don't find new territory by not taking chances. If you're afraid to dive off the cliff, you'll never soar with the eagles."
How big was the audience at A&R Studios that day?
It was no more than 200. It's one of the reasons the station chose A&R. Not only were the acoustics great, it was big enough that you could set up a band like the Allman Brothers.
Did you have enough room for your regular stage rig?
We cut everything down. Duane didn't have his full stack of Marshalls. He went with what he would use in a studio. If there's anybody who knew how to play in a studio, it was Duane Allman.
Did it bother you that most of the people you were playing for were miles away — that they couldn't see you?
That the crowd couldn't see us didn't mean a damn thing. Duane had two very iconic statements he used a lot. One was "This ain't no fashion show." The other was "This ain't no ballet." We were up there to play music. All you need is ears. You don't need to be able to see it. We weren't putting on a show. And those fans that made it into A&R were, I would imagine, the ones who came to see us at the Fillmore East every time. And they were there to hear what we had to play, not to see how cute we were or how big our dicks were.
The set list has some inevitable crossover to the Fillmore East recordings in March: "Statesboro Blues," "You Don't Love Me." But there is a surprising omission: no "Whipping Post."
We had a time limit. Once we started headlining at the Fillmore East, we were free to play all night, at least for the second set. "Whipping Post" could get lengthy. So we decided, "Let's go with some other stuff." That being said, we had no clue that Duane was going to do what he did with "You Don't Love Me." That was what "Whipping Post" would have been.
The set was pretty much what we did every night. Maybe half of our sets were structured songs like "Statesboro Blues" and "Trouble No More." They were all three, four minutes at best. The other half of a set would be no more than four or five songs, but each one would be 10 or 20 minutes.
By this point, "Statesboro Blues" was a signature number in your shows. But even though you recorded it for your second studio album, "Idlewild South," you didn't put it on that record. What was wrong with the studio version?
That's a good question. I really don't know. It really wasn't our song. Of all the songs we played, "Statesboro Blues" was the most ripped-off. We played it exactly the way Taj Mahal did it on his first album [Taj Mahal, 1968]. Jesse Ed Davis' slide guitar on that version is what started Duane on his path as the best electric-slide player of his day. It opened the door for everyone that followed.
Your version was basically an homage to Taj and Jesse.
Exactly. The song wasn't ours. And we knew that. I think we decided not to use it [on Idlewild South] for that reason. And we had plenty of other material that was ours.
How come "Revival" from that album never took root in the live set? Was it too hard to recreate the vocal-choir effect on the record?
That's a good question too — because with this last version of the Allman Brothers, we played it all the time. You may be right about the harmonies. When we recorded "Revival," Gregg was the only one in the band singing other than Berry doing "Hoochie Coochie Man," which was more like him talking the words. Dickey wasn't singing yet. The first song he ever sang was "Blue Sky" [on 1972's Eat a Peach]. And the second was "Ramblin' Man" [on 1973's Brothers and Sisters]. To do "Revival" on stage, each of us would have needed a microphone. When we did it in the studio, every member of the band was around one microphone, doing the harmonies.
The Allman Brothers Band were on the road almost non-stop in the first half of 1971. By the time of this broadcast, you were coming off the Fillmore East recordings and your famous sets during the theater's closing week. How were you feeling — dazed, tired, energized?
We were in another universe. We were out spreading the gospel of this music we had discovered. We never thought that we would be more than an opening act. Atlantic Records was riding our ass constantly to get Gregg out from behind the organ, stick a salami down his pants and jump around the stage like Robert Plant. We told them to go fuck themselves. "We're playing this for ourselves. We've tried it your way before. We didn't make any money and we had a miserable time."
This time, we decided, "OK, we don't care if we don't make any money. We're having the time of our lives." Little by little, people started understanding what we were doing. But it had to start with us. Once the crowd got in and we could feed on their energy, we'd feed it back to them.
King Curtis died two weeks before the WPLJ broadcast. Did Duane say anything before the band went on the air about doing something in Curtis' memory?
No, that just popped up. But from the time he came back from the funeral, up to that show, he talked about Curtis a lot, about the funeral — and about mortality. I think Duane understood that the way he lived life, he wouldn't live a long one.
That day, on the air, was the first time we knew we were doing a tribute or, actually, "You Don't Love Me." I don't recall a set list. But if we had one, "You Don't Love Me" wasn't on it. Duane was at the microphone, talking about King Curtis. You can hear him: "Have you guys all heard 'Soul Serenade'?" He played a bit on guitar, then you could almost see a light bulb go off in his head. He stopped and start playing that riff [hums the opening lick of "You Don't Love Me"].
We knew what was coming then, although we didn't now when or exactly how. Duane played "Soul Serenade" a little slower than I was expecting. I was ready to kick into something more uptempo. But Duane was still so torn up by the fact that King was dead. It ripped him apart. When he came back from the funeral, that's when Duane started talking about his own funeral. He really did.
Actually, it was about a month after the A&R Studios broadcast — and right before his death — that Duane went into rehab for heroin addiction. Did drug use affect his playing?
It did for awhile. It was one of the few times I actually got in Duane's face. But you have to know Duane to know how something like this could happen. You ever read Faust by Goethe? His Faust — all he wanted to do was experience everything life had to offer. Good and bad didn't matter. His deal with Mephistopheles was, "The minute I tell you I am content where I am, that is the minute you can have my soul."
Duane Allman was very much Goethe's Faust. He wanted to try everything. When I first met him, he was eating Black Beauties [diet pills with amphetamine and benzadrine] like they were going out of style — just wired out of his gourd, until the night he realized it was messing with his music. That's the night he stopped. I saw him go through many periods where he would experiment with some drug — psychedelics, whatever — until he realized it was messing with his music. Duane had this laser-like focus, and it was his music. He was also living life to the fullest.
I remember we were playing in San Francisco [in early October 1971]. Duane followed me back to my room, walked in, closed the door, looked me in the eye and went, "Butch, what the fuck is going on with you guys? Every time I start to play, you give me nothin'. When Dickey starts playing, you guys are kicking ass." I stared him in the eye and said, "Duane, you are so fucked up that you're not giving me anything. How can I give you anything if you're not giving me anything to play off of? That's the way I play. I follow you, every single thing you do."
He stood there, it seemed like forever. It was one time when he knew I was right. Finally he turned around and walked out. It was almost right after that — he grabbed Berry, [roadies] Red Dog and Kim Payne and checked into rehab in Buffalo, New York. Then Duane walked into the common room there, saw Red Dog laying there out of it on methadone. Duane went nuclear: "We didn't come here to get fucked up. We came here to get straight." They slipped out that night, back to Macon. But that was the last time Duane touched heroin — from that night in San Francisco, when I told him that shit was screwing with his music and he believed me. He was that strong as a human being.
Several important live albums have been released from the Allmans' archive in recent years. How did the A&R Studios broadcast escape scrutiny until now?
We have so many recordings of unreleased shows that absolutely smoke. We were putting out two recordings a year for awhile, old stuff with Duane and Berry; one with just the five of us before [pianist] Chuck Leavell joined the band [Macon City Auditorium; Macon, Georgia; February 11th, 1972]; and with Chuck and [bassist] Lamar Williams [Nassau Coliseum; Long Island, New York; May 1st, 1973]. For some reason, we stopped putting them out.
Are there other vintage shows that you would like to see released?
There are some nights we did at the Warehouse in New Orleans that I'd give anything to have out. And we have 'em. Also pretty much anything from the Fillmores [East and West]. But definitely the Warehouse — every time we played there, it was magic.
The last two Q&A exchanges are interesting - maybe more archival releases are in the works? I imagine most people around here have had the A&R show - it is a great show, one of my favorites, and deserves a proper release that it is getting.
I sure hope when I regain consciousness I discover there are more releases coming.
By this point, "Statesboro Blues" was a signature number in your shows. But even though you recorded it for your second studio album, "Idlewild South," you didn't put it on that record. What was wrong with the studio version?
Because there is a mistake in it, if you listen carefully,you'll catch it. I'm sure the guys heard it too...
I think we decided not to use (Statesboro Blues on Idlewild South) for that reason. And we had plenty of other material that was ours.
Barely 30 minutes' worth!
Seriously, I can't see the point in re-releasing the discs already in circulation. Almost anyone who wants them will already have them. As a way to launch a new label, it seems a strange business move.
I'd love to see more archive releases but we know that GA thinks that there is already enough of them out there. And unauthorised releases of radio broadcasts are flooding Europe, in number of releases rather than numbers sold.
[Edited on 3/9/2016 by Shavian]
If the Brothers want to release something to generate some revenue. Butch & company need to release some blu rays of the Moogis archive shows. I know the guests during 2009 run & royalties/releases will prevent those from being released, but there is so much video of great nights of music that's release worthy just sitting there! Maybe that is just too obvious.
Are we to assume this release will have the sound somehow improved/enhanced over what has widely circulated for many years? The bootleg I have sounds pretty good.
If the Brothers want to release something to generate some revenue......
.....Then they should release ANY existing video footage with Duane......
If the Brothers want to release something to generate some revenue......
.....Then they should release ANY existing video footage with Duane......
^^
agreed. the Atlanta Pop video exists, just hasn't been released yet.
I'd love to have an official release of the Wharehouse shows. From what I remember, the sound on th 71 shows is Ok. The NYE show is pretty poor, but the playing...
Looking forward to finally hearing a crisp recording of this show! Wanted to share a brief write-up I did about it also 
http://zumic.com/music-videos/225892/you-dont-love-me-soul-serenade-allman-brothers-band-at-ar-studios-in-nyc-on-aug-26-1971-soundcloud-official-audio-stream/
Does anyone know when the release date for this is? I do wonder how much the sound can be improved from what has already been out there. Both versions I've heard are pretty good, actually. Probably better than a couple of the previously released official archive shows.
I know other people have said it before, but they should have continued releasing shows featuring the various line-ups through the years. In particular, Jack and Dickey, Dickey and Derek, and Derek and Jimmy Herring. The original band is great, but the song selection is unfortunately limited.
Does anyone know when the release date for this is?
Try reading the very first line of the interview ...
On April 1st, one of the greatest shows from the Allman Brothers Band's most incendiary year on stage — a live radio concert from A&R Studios in New York on August 26th, 1971, aired over the free-form FM station WPLJ — will finally be released in official form by the group's own label, Peach Records.
[Edited on 3/10/2016 by harvey]
I do wonder how much the sound can be improved from what has already been out there. Both versions I've heard are pretty good, actually. Probably better than a couple of the previously released official archive shows.
I have to agree ... the traded version re-mastered by Capt Skipper is very good ... as is the European "grey" bootleg version by Left Field Media ... however I will still buy this in the hope that it has been re-mastered even better as it is probably my favourite recording of the original band.
One other I would like to see released if a soundboard recording exists is 5/2/70 ... that has Outskirts of Town, Dimples and Oh Pretty Woman on it ... the traded audience tape was cleaned up really well by Skip ... but a soundboard quality version of that show would be a great representation of that era of the band ...
Butch said they have so many shows that smoke. I wonder how many they have with Duane????????????????????
Have to laugh at an announcement of the release of shows already out there. Not complaining but the fans wait for years for another Archive release so they put out the same ones. That is typical and funny.
Agree with Shavian. People that want them already have them. In fact when they released them to stores after they had been selling them for quite a while, they just sat in stores.
Love the A&R Official Release but again the versions out there are great so doubt there will be any improvement. I will let Colin spend his money first and if his review is good then I will dive in. 😉
Gregg doesn't want the old shows released. We will see few if any of the shows that we all crave unless there is a major change in attitude. And even if they do decide to then given the pace that the ABB moves at, my grandchildren will be the ones buying them.
There are few bands that seem so lost in how to conduct business and make money. Especially in a world of downloads, there is so much that they could have done. For years they fought the download concept even though Warren and the Mule were proof at how successful it could be.
The ship has sailed as they should have been releasing things and selling the downloads of shows from the 90s onward. They will still sell but not to the same levels.
For all these guys talk about Duane, you would think that they would have wanted to share his genius long ago.
If I sat in Heaven and watched my brother let my music sit on a shelf instead of sharing it with the world that craves it, there would be a major butt kicking as soon as he walked through the Gates.
They should absolutely start a download only archival release program. They can tap into the Mule Tracks structure or Munch Music and very quickly begin to release some great music to the masses - can't understand why not, it is too good not to be heard!
If I sat in Heaven and watched my brother let my music sit on a shelf instead of sharing it with the world that craves it, there would be a major butt kicking as soon as he walked through the Gates.
There's a loooonng list of reasons over the years for a major butt kicking... 😉
If the band wants to re-releasing CDs for new generations, I don't see a problem with that. There were plenty of people on here begging for Shades of Two World to get re-released for the years it was out of print. The archives and Shades are all available on itunes and other download sites, so the CD market is really secondary since these albums are all perpetually available for purchase digitally.
Same goes for A&R show, it's maybe my favorite show from this period. The more people get to listen to it, the better.
If the band wants to re-releasing CDs for new generations, I don't see a problem with that. There were plenty of people on here begging for Shades of Two World to get re-released for the years it was out of print. The archives and Shades are all available on itunes and other download sites, so the CD market is really secondary since these albums are all perpetually available for purchase digitally.
Same goes for A&R show, it's maybe my favorite show from this period. The more people get to listen to it, the better.
Definitely. There is nothing wrong with any sort of release and the A&R show is something that everyone should own. Don't know what took so long as it was an obvious choice.
Every album should be available from their career.
If these guys didn't fight making money so hard, Butch would own France by now. 😉
That said. Some new shows would be nice and if possible before I am too senile to remember who the ABB are. 😛
where will this cd be available. will the big house be selling it?
and why doesn't gregg want this stuff released?
do they need all four original members to sign off on the releases?
or does gregg own the allman brothers name and hence have control over it's product?
have the show on analog and disc. the cd version is pretty well done.
the disc is called "new york city blues" and the disc has "white port and lemon juice"
printed on it. it's a european release from years ago.
If these guys didn't fight making money so hard
I have to think these guys are a far cry from being Brain surgeons and rocket scientists.....The smartest one in the bunch was Chuck Leavell and he got out years ago.....
where will this cd be available. will the big house be selling it?
and why doesn't gregg want this stuff released?
do they need all four original members to sign off on the releases?
or does gregg own the allman brothers name and hence have control over it's product?
have the show on analog and disc. the cd version is pretty well done.
the disc is called "new york city blues" and the disc has "white port and lemon juice"
printed on it. it's a european release from years ago.
I can help answer a couple of these.
Looks like it will be sold almost everywhere. Amazon has it as a pre-order.
I have read that Gregg doesn't like to release old shows that might show that the band made a mistake or two, but I don't know how accurate that is.
I'm sure they own the ABB name, but likely they do not own their publishing. I am guessing they signed a bunch of bad contracts and can't really dictate their own archive releases like the Dead can.
I do wonder how much the sound can be improved from what has already been out there. Both versions I've heard are pretty good, actually. Probably better than a couple of the previously released official archive shows.
I have to agree ... the traded version re-mastered by Capt Skipper is very good ... as is the European "grey" bootleg version by Left Field Media ... however I will still buy this in the hope that it has been re-mastered even better as it is probably my favourite recording of the original band.
One other I would like to see released if a soundboard recording exists is 5/2/70 ... that has Outskirts of Town, Dimples and Oh Pretty Woman on it ... the traded audience tape was cleaned up really well by Skip ... but a soundboard quality version of that show would be a great representation of that era of the band ...
X2 -- little different in sound quality from commercial release -- guessing most fans would much rather see a 5/2/70, even if slightly subpar-sounding, than another reissue, albeit a masterpiece -- why they keep doing that.....I always thought the Dimples on DA Anth. sounded good, much less the various subsequent Ludlow Garage reissues....
all good, like porkchopbob said the more people who hear A&R the better & I love the ABB
where will this cd be available. will the big house be selling it?
and why doesn't gregg want this stuff released?
do they need all four original members to sign off on the releases?
or does gregg own the allman brothers name and hence have control over it's product?
have the show on analog and disc. the cd version is pretty well done.
the disc is called "new york city blues" and the disc has "white port and lemon juice"
printed on it. it's a european release from years ago.I can help answer a couple of these.
Looks like it will be sold almost everywhere. Amazon has it as a pre-order.
I have read that Gregg doesn't like to release old shows that might show that the band made a mistake or two, but I don't know how accurate that is.
I'm sure they own the ABB name, but likely they do not own their publishing. I am guessing they signed a bunch of bad contracts and can't really dictate their own archive releases like the Dead can.
somewhere I read (maybe in his book) that Gregg wants to keep a bit of his brother all for himself.
whatever the reason, I think they would be contributing more to his legacy by releasing old shows.
somewhere I read (maybe in his book) that Gregg wants to keep a bit of his brother all for himself.
Including the lyrics to "Little Martha"...
If these guys didn't fight making money so hard
I have to think these guys are a far cry from being Brain surgeons and rocket scientists.....The smartest one in the bunch was Chuck Leavell and he got out years ago.....
That is what management is for but the artist has to take their advice. The manager can only deal with what he is given.
I have never met another musician who would prefer to leave something on a shelf as opposed to make money until the ABB. Not the younger generation as Warren and Derek obviously know how to do it.
The concept of someone like Gregg questioning whether something not 100% should be released is comical. The band allowed recording/trading (which Gregg didn't like) so there are hundreds of shows out there with hundreds of mistakes. Having control of the quality and the opportunity the fix some issues would seem a better route if that is how he felt.
To sit on shows with Duane and Berry is a sin.
The concept of someone like Gregg questioning whether something not 100% should be released is comical.
Is it possible he just doesn't care?
That things like this are just not on his radar at all?
The concept of someone like Gregg questioning whether something not 100% should be released is comical.
Is it possible he just doesn't care?
That things like this are just not on his radar at all?
He cares. And this stuff is brought up all the time. He has been vocal in the past about issues like recording/trading, downloads and other concepts. But management definitely presents the ideas and he is aware.
The thing about some of these guys is that you never get a straight and honest answer especially from Gregg. Just look at Butch's answer about old shows. "For some reason, we stopped putting them out."
He knows perfectly well why not. He doesn't agree and that is his jab.
That is part of what I always loved about Dickey when dealing with the band, he is straight forward and always honest. Good or bad - no bullsh*t. I can deal with that all day long.
Hopefully time changes some peoples' minds.
Just more of the same-old same-old. Re-releasing stuff that has been available for years.
I seriously doubt even one other previously unreleased show with Duane ever hits the market.
Not one.
"Is that a real poncho or is that a Sears poncho?"
Just more of the same-old same-old. Re-releasing stuff that has been available for years.
I seriously doubt even one other previously unreleased show with Duane ever hits the market.
Not one.
Sadly, I believe this to be true as well.
