Almanac Music: ‘Willin’ – Little Feat.
For many, Little Feat were one of those bands you knew or heard very little about, because like me, you were not completely au fait with their music as it was rarely played on Australian radio at the time.
I had a couple of friends, Lefty and O’Grady, who loved their music, both were keen experimenters in discovering and exhorting the pleasures of new music they found and liked. How they discovered much of this music I’m uncertain as very few avenues for discovering new music from outside the music promoted in the commercial Top 40 scene or Go Set magazine for example, were available for the discerning music lover, but find it they did. O’Grady in particular was a keen reader of early Rolling Stone magazine – when it was worth reading, and other magazines of that ilk from the era, such as many of the short lived underground type magazines – often containing copy lifted directly from American magazines, and often found proliferated around the unis, some book and record shops, especially the import ones, and other places for those in the know.
I first became really aware of Little Feat through the Lowell George song ‘Willin’ performed by Linda Rondstadt on her Heart Like A Wheel album released in 1974 which I’d purchased at the time.
Later, the ‘Dixie Chicken’ album (released in 1973) started making appearances at music sessions, parties etc brought along by my two music mates, and it wasn’t long before the band became another favourite of mine.
I saw Little Feat perform at Festival Hall in July 1976 with my music mates. I’m sure we were sitting in the balcony because I had a terrific view of the concert but my memory may not be too good with regards to that aspect, but the one thing I remember was amount of smoke in the hall. I’m absolutely certain smoking was not allowed in venues even back then, but over half the audience obviously smuggled in a joint or two for a quick and discreet toke! As I remember, it was a pretty good concert.
In the latest edition of the Oxford American magazine there is a compelling and informative article about Lowell George’s musical background and the formation of Little Feat. You can read the article Here.
It also has a terrific Spotify soundtrack you can play as you read the article.
More from Col Ritchie can be read Here.
Read more stories from Almanac Music HERE
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Retired teacher who enjoys following the Bombers, listening to music especially Bob Dylan, reading, and swimming.
That was a pleasant few minutes listening to those songs just now Col. I don’t think I’d heard of them before. Thanks.
Great band, great singer (another sadly, passed away way too young) and what a song. Big fan, particularly of the LG years.
LR does a great version too.
Always love singing the line, “I’ve been from Tucson to Tucumcari, Tehachapi to Tonopah”.
Thanks for the Oxford American article. Will read that this evening, while downing weed, whites and wine (I wish!).
Cheers
Great stuff. I had all their albums on vinyl back in the 70’s. They were right up there with The Band for the origins of Americana. Oh Atlanta; Dixie Chicken: Sailing Shoes – I can still vaguely sing a few lines from memory. “Feats Don’t Fail Me Now” is one of the great album titles.
Lowell George – what might have been……..
Brilliant Col. And brilliant they were. Lowell had a way with words and his slide guitar playing was exceptional. The music of the band was always interesting. Like PB I had all the early vinyl.
I saw them at Festival Theatre, Adelaide on the 1976 tour. Great concert. Huge “dancing” cacti on stage behind the band but no smoking, illegal or otherwise, in the hallowed hall.
On the strength of this I went looking for info and found the Adelaide setlist (12 July 1976)
https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/little-feat/1976/festival-theatre-adelaide-festival-centre-adelaide-australia-33e16879.html
and
https://guestpectacular.com/artists/little-feat/events/1976-07-12/australia/adelaide/festival-theatre-adelaide-festival-centre
Thanks for the link to the Lowell George back story. I also discovered a couple of YouTube interviews, one from 1976 and one shortly before his untimely death.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFQoBzyTZow
and
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7G1IYR78Cw
As the Oxford American story tells, in his personal life Lowell George “was like a big sheepdog that’s always wandering into the wrong places.” But for me, Lowell has,
“Two degrees in be-bop, a PhD in swing
He’s the Master of rhythm he’s a rock and roll King”
(And Rock and Roll Doctor is one of three great songs that mention the town of Nacogdoches, Texas).
I also discovered that the opening act for Little Feat at the Adelaide concert was Cold Chisel. I must admit I did not recall this. It was in their early days and they were yet to sign a record contract with Jimmie apparently going through his “leaving the band, back again phase”.
The Maria Muldaur/Jackson Browne concert six months later was also, to use an Almanac term, “a cracker”.
Loved Little Feat in the LG era. It wasn’t music that could be heard in my little hometown but when at school I saw the cassette of Sailin’ Shoes at the town library, borrowed it and was hooked. It was an arresting mix and like much great music, opened up a world well beyond my tiny sphere.
Thanks Col.
Thanks man. I got into Little Feat via Led Zep after I read in RAM that Plant & Page were in the audience somewhere. We had Waiting for Columbus in the car cassette for about a year. There was a button you could push to play the other side without taking it out, but you had to be quick because there was also auto rewind. Me and my mate could sing it all the way through. We didn’t care where we were going, we were already there.