With a roster of talented live acts that could boogie on stage, Capricorn Records would release compilation live albums called Hotels, Motels & Roadshows. When the label was resurrected in the mid-1990s they tried to reboot it with aLive Down South (Charlie Daniels similarly began re-releasing Volunteer Jam discs as well).
Like the new label, the series never took off, but there were some choice cuts. One of the finest being Sea Level performing "Hot Lanta" with Chuck closing it with "Little Martha" on piano. Really nice take from an underrated band at their peak.
The album is out of print, but copies are available from HTN: https://www.merchmountain.com/products/alive-down-south-various-artists-cd
That picture on the link above of course is the cover of the first Sea Level album. I bought it when it came out in 1977. First time I saw Sea Level it was 4 piece and before they released their first album. They were at a small club in Greensboro, N.C and set up their own equipment. Apparently Chuck used a house piano. Jaimoe's floor tom still had a big mushroom sticker and The Allman Brothers Band on it. It was white with black art and letters. Chuck said they were all fed up with Gregg and when the Scooter thing went down Butch and Dickey quit so the band collapsed and broke up. Chuck said it was for the best. Gregg wasn't interested, hadn't been there and into the band for a couple of years. They couldn't record together but they did get a late 1975 early 1976 tour out of Gregg but nobody enjoyed it, they blew all the money on a huge staff, limos, etc.
I asked Chuck who was wearing a belt that looked like piano keys what were the other guys going to do. He said Dickey is putting together a lineup that mirrors the originial ABB. Twin lead, bass, organ/piano and two drummers. I ask about Butch and was told Butch wanted to be in Sea Level and they did a club tour before the current club tour with Butch but Chuck said he liked it better with just the 4 of them. Chuck, Lamar and Jainoe I had seen many times but the guitar player was new to me. He was tasty and clean. He played a Strat with single coils but had an okay tone to me. Jimmy Nalls. I think he has passed on.
I bought Hotels, Motels and Roadshows porkchopbob when it came out. Still have it but haven't played it in years. Think it was 1978. It had live tracks. Several bands including Sea Level, Gregg solo, Dickey solo and an ABB track. I was hoping it was a version of Statesboro I hadn't heard before but it was the Fillmore version which I already had on ATE, Duane Allman Anthology and The Road Goes On Forever ( greatest hits package from 1975).
Butch eventually put together a band called Trucks but I have no idea who was in it. They never played in my areas, New York City, Virginia, NC, SC and Georgia. If they did I didn't know about it.
Hotels, Motels & Road Shows also contained a live Richard Betts cut, "No Hard Times" - a Jimmy Rodgers tune performed during his American Music Tour in 1974. I have a copy of the Winterland show from that tour and it's fantastic.
You can hear a clip of it (as well a live "Sweet Mama") here:
Would be nice if more of this material got a proper release.
You are right Porkchopbob. That Richard Betts track was the only track I heard back then from Dickey's solo tour. I did see one show early in the tour and it was a unique show. First time I saw Dickey play an acoustic guitar or a resonater guitar. Good playing. I'd seen Clapton playing an resonater guitar and both he and Dickey are fine with that instrument.
As that tour progressed Dickey and Phil Walden were not happy with the band. Dickey was quoted in Rolling Stone or some mag that he had forgotten how hard it is to put a band together for a tour. I think the article stated Dickey wanted Chuck but Gregg got him first ( Gregg did a competing fall tour without strings and two drummers) and it mentioned a change of bass players and adding a second drummer, probably Butch Trucks. But I don't think Butch ever played with that tour.
I do remember Butch was rather irritated that they had become the biggest band in America and they only got 15 shows in 1974 and no album because Gregg and Dickey wanted to be solo band stars. Gregg had Jainoe in his spring tour but did not offer in the fall. I saw Gregg's fall tour too ( one show) and was expecting Jaimoe to be with Bill Steward on drums again but it was only Stewart. Chuck was there though. Back then I wasn't aware Gregg was put out with Butch over Queen of Hearts. Gregg actually considered leaving the ABB after Laid Back sold over 500,000 copies. Gregg also was irritated at Dickey for never complimenting him for Laid Back. Indeed in Gregg's book he wrote as far as he knows Dickey Betts never listened to Laid Back.
@porkchopbobJust remembered a live Dickey track of Sweet Mama I have on vinyl from 1976. It's a Charlie Daniels Volunteer Jam. It's the same music from the film version which was released to theaters in the fall of 1975.
Dickey doesn't play slide on the version. Straight lead guitar.
Always thought that was an incredible rendition of Little Martha. Chuck will always be an Allman Brother to me
@masbama Yes Chuck will always be an Allman Brother to me too. Chuck does a wonderful piano solo on one of the band's most memorable and successful instrumentals Jessica. And was a major contributor to the ABB'S best selling album. And was stellar and consistent live with the band from late 1972 to 1976.
Here is Chuck in Pink Floyd....almost. Say in ain't so Chuck!
Allman Brothers, Rolling Stones, Clapton had him on his Unplugged album that sold 15 million copies and David Gilmore called to have Chuck in his band. That means Chuck is respected by some of the most successful musicians in rock. Jagger and Richatds are worth over 300 million and Gilmore is too. Clapton is worth $450 million dollars. Incredibly wealthy men.
