Ok, after watching Coco Carmel's interview with Bobby Whitlock, I was listening to Sam Samudio's work with Duane Allman on "Sam, Hard and Heavy" (1970/71) recorded during the "Layla" sessions. I was listening repeatedly to "Relativity" as it sounded so familiar. I finally figured out where I had heard parts of it, in Charlie Daniel's "Sweet Lousiana" from 1976.
If you have the time and patience, compare the work.
Sam:
CDB:
Nice catch, Carlos!! I have always loved the Saddle Tramp album and "Sweet Louisiana" has such a cool chunky tempo. I assume it's Charlie on slide and Tom Crain on the chunky rhythm.
As for the slide melody, tone and tempo.....it's eerily similar. In today's world it could be viewed as "sampling".
I doubt there was any ill intention, and maybe Charlie was just paying homage to the late-great Duane Allman!
Saddle Tramp was released around 1975?
I am also sure that George Harrison never heard a certain song, or, that Robin Thicke ever heard another certain song, right?
Nice catch, Carlos!! I have always loved the Saddle Tramp album and "Sweet Louisiana" has such a cool chunky tempo. I assume it's Charlie on slide and Tom Crain on the chunky rhythm.
As for the slide melody, tone and tempo.....it's eerily similar. In today's world it could be viewed as "sampling".I doubt there was any ill intention, and maybe Charlie was just paying homage to the late-great Duane Allman!
Saddle Tramp was released around 1975?
76.
"Birmingham Blues" sounds an awful lot like "Whippin' Post".
Here's Charlie and band - opening for Widespread Panic in ... BIRMINGHAM!
I get the similarities you're hearing (piano, slide guitar), but they are both pretty standard boogie songs (always dug "Sweet Louisiana") that have even more differences in structure, chord progression, and melody. The fact is that lots of songs can sound alike, sometimes these artist were simply inspired by each other - Peter Green's "Albatross" inspired The Beatles' "Sun King".
First time I saw Charlie they opened for Hot Tuna at Hofstra Playhouse in 1973. Next year I saw them open for Marshall Tucker on the "Where We Belong tour at Felt Forum which is the smaller theatre attached to Madison Square Garden in NYC. CDB then opened for Lynyrd Skynyrd at Academy of Music in 1974 or possibly 1975. What a show that was!!!
What was great about those years was you could hit great live shows by bands all inspired by The Allman Brothers.
At the same time you had Hot Tuna, NRPS and the Grateful Dead all touring each season.
I don't recall so many Allman Brothers tours in that time frame so CDB and the rest sort of took up that space for us and we had loads of fun at the shows.
I saw Charlie a couple years ago and he was still bringin it.
"Birmingham Blues" sounds an awful lot like "Whippin' Post".
Yeah it does, and not really surprising. After doing session work for a few years in the 60s (on Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan, to name a few) he released a solo album in 1971 that went no where. Charlie pretty blatantly reformed his band in the style of the Allman Brothers - keys, twin guitar melodies, twin drummers, long jams. James Flourney Holmes even did the cover art for Fire on the Mountain, and of course Dickey Betts sits in on "Long Haired Country Boy".
He even re-recorded a few of his previously release songs with the new lineup (and better producers like Paul Hornsby)
"Trudy" (1971)
"Trudy (1974)
Charlie turned away from that southern rock jam sound towards traditional country in the later 1970s, which worked out well for him. Maybe he just knew which way the wind blew. Had he not jumped on the southern rock train, he might have just been another country novelty song writer. I still enjoy Saddle Tramp and Fire on the Mountain once in a while, but over time it all starts to sound the same to me.
Charlie had a surprise hit single called Uneasy Rider before he form his Southern rock band. I got to talk with him in 1974 and he said the Allman Brothers was a big influence on him when he decided to get into Southern rock and Duane Allman was his favorite guitar player. And though Uneasy Rider was a big hit, that was done before he got into Southern rock and his CDB doesnt do it even in the face of requests. But he also said Marshall Tucker had become a band that he liked as well as the ABB and that actually Lynyrd Skynyrd had become his favorite band now that the ABB's sound changed with two keyboards and one guitar. But he said that didn't mean the new ABB isn't good. Charlie said they came to Nashville in 1973 and man o man did they crush it then he complimented Chuck and the ABB's rhythm section.
Just last year Charlie again said Duane Allman is his all time favorite guitar player and anyone that can hear the opening of Statesboro Blues on Fillmore East and not have to get on their feet isn't alive. Duane Allman had a touch on slide guitar that no other had. It moves Charlie's soul.
[Edited on 6/24/2020 by blackey]
Actually, that Sam "Relativity" song reminds me more of ZZ Top's "Cheap Sunglasses"
