At Fillmore East | ||||
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Live album by | ||||
Released | July 6, 1971[1] | |||
Recorded | March 12–13, 1971 | |||
Venue | Fillmore East (New York City) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 76:22 (1971 release) 132:11 (1992 reissue) 134:58 (2003 reissue) 365:03 (2014 reissue) | |||
Label | Capricorn | |||
Producer | Tom Dowd | |||
The Allman Brothers Band chronology | ||||
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At Fillmore East is the first live album by American rock band the Allman Brothers Band, and their third release overall. Produced by Tom Dowd, the album was released on July 6, 1971, in the United States by Capricorn Records. As the title indicates, the recording took place at the New York City music venue Fillmore East, which was run by concert promoter Bill Graham. It was recorded over the course of three nights in March 1971 (only two nights were used on the album) and features the band performing extended jam versions of songs such as "Whipping Post", "You Don't Love Me" and "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed". When first commercially released, it was issued as a double LP with just seven songs across four vinyl sides.
At Fillmore East was the band's artistic and commercial breakthrough, rapidly escalating the band's exposure and gaining them a new legion of loyal fans. At Fillmore East has since been widely regarded as one of the greatest live albums of all time and the start of the band's association with the jam band school of music (although members of the band have repudiated the label, stating instead they are just "a band that jams"). It has also been ranked among the best overall albums by artists and continues to be a top seller in the band's catalog, becoming their first album to go platinum. In 2004, the album was selected for preservation in the Library of Congress, deemed to be "culturally, historically, or aesthetically important" by the National Recording Registry.
Shortly after completing recording of their second album, Idlewild South (1970), band leader Duane Allman was contacted by guitarist Eric Clapton to contribute to his new project, Derek and the Dominos. Allman was a huge fan of his work with the band Cream, and likewise Clapton enjoyed Allman's session work on Wilson Pickett's "Hey Jude" some years prior. [2] They met after a show one night in Miami and had a jam session together until the next afternoon, [3] with the two guitarists regarding one another as "instant soulmates". [4] Clapton invited Allman to join Derek and the Dominos, and according to band biographer Alan Paul he considered it; in the end, he declined and rejoined the Allman Brothers Band, returning after missing a string of several shows. [5] The sessions were collected on the album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs , issued that November.
In the interim, Idlewild South had yet to achieve strong commercial success, but the band's popularity and reputation began to increase due to their live performances. [6] The band played continuously in 1970, performing over 300 dates on the road traveling in a Ford Econoline van and later, a Winnebago, nicknamed the Wind Bag. [7] [8] During this time, the group began struggling with drug addictions. [9] Everyone in the group, with the exception of the brothers, was also struggling to make a living (vocalist Gregg Allman received more money from royalty payments and Duane more from session work). [9] In one incident, tour manager Twiggs Lyndon stabbed and killed a promoter for not paying the band; he later claimed temporary insanity. [10] Their fortunes began to change over the course of 1971, where the band's average earnings doubled. [11]
The Allman Brothers Band had first played Fillmore East in December 1969, opening for Blood, Sweat & Tears for three nights. [12] Promoter Bill Graham enjoyed the band and promised to have them back soon. [12] In January 1970, the band opened for Buddy Guy and B.B. King at San Francisco's Fillmore West, and one month later at Fillmore East supporting the Grateful Dead. According to biographer Alan Paul, "these shows were crucial in establishing the band and exposing them to a wider, sympathetic audience on both coasts." [12] Drummer Butch Trucks considered their performances at the Fillmore East to be the launching pad for their success. [13] In 1970, Duane Allman told disc jockey Ed Shane, "You know, we get kind of frustrated doing the [studio] records, and I think, consequently, our next album will be ... a live recording, to get some of that natural fire on it." [14] "We were not intentionally trying to buck the system, but keeping each song down to 3:14 just didn't work for us," remembered Gregg Allman. [13] "And we realized that the audience was a big part of what we did, which couldn't be duplicated in a studio. A lightbulb finally went off; we needed to make a live album." [13]
At Fillmore East was recorded over two nights, playing two shows each night — March 12 and 13, 1971 — for which the band was paid $1,250 each show. [13] Recordings from an earlier night's shows were dropped, because they had horns which were deemed unhelpful. The shows were typical performances for the band, and regarded as slightly above average by drummer Jai Johanny Johanson. [15] Ads for the shows read: "Bill Graham Presents in New York — Johnny Winter And, Elvin Bishop Group, Extra Added Attraction: Allman Brothers." [14] While Winter was billed as headliner, by the third night the Allman Brothers were closing the show. [14]
Tom Dowd produced At Fillmore East; he had previously worked on their second studio album, Idlewild South . He had recently returned from Africa from working on the film Soul to Soul , and stayed in New York several days to oversee the live recording. [16] "It was a good truck, with a 16-track machine and a great, tough-as-nails staff who took care of business," recalled Dowd. He gave the staff suggestions and noted the band had two lead guitarists and two drummers, "which was unusual, and it took some foresight to properly capture the dynamics." [16] Things went smoothly until the band unexpectedly brought out saxophonist Rudolph "Juicy" Carter, an unknown horn player, and longstanding "unofficial" band member Thom Doucette on harmonica. [16] "I was just hoping we could isolate them, so we could wipe them and use the songs, but they started playing and the horns were leaking all over everything, rendering the songs unusable," said Dowd. [17] He rushed to Duane during the break to tell him to cut the horn players; while Duane loved the players, he put up no fight with Dowd. [18] The final show was delayed because of a bomb scare, and did not end until 6 am. [19]
Each night following the shows, the musicians and Dowd would "grab some beers and sandwiches" and head to Manhattan's Atlantic Studios to go over the performances. [18] Set lists for following shows were crafted by listening to the recordings and going over what they could keep and what they would need to capture once more. "We wanted to give ourselves plenty of times to do it because we didn't want to go back and overdub anything, because then it wouldn't have been a real live album," said Gregg Allman, [17] and in the end, the band only edited out Doucette's harmonica when it didn't fit. [20] "That was our pinnacle," said Dickey Betts later. "The Fillmore days are definitely the most cherished memories that I have. If you asked everybody in the band, they would probably say that." [21]
On June 27, the Fillmore East closed, and the band were invited to play a final, invitation-only concert, [22] along with Edgar Winter, the Beach Boys and Country Joe McDonald. [23] The Beach Boys initially refused to perform unless they headlined the event, but Graham refused, telling them that the Allman Brothers would be closing the show, and they were free to leave if they disagreed. [22] This Allman Brothers' performance was used for the second disc of the 2006 expanded version of the follow-up album to At Fillmore East, Eat a Peach . [24]
At Fillmore East showcases the band's eclectic mixture of blues, rock, country, and jazz. "Fusion is a term that came later, but if you wanted to look at a fusion album, it would be Fillmore East. Here was a rock 'n' roll band playing blues in the jazz vernacular. And they tore the place up," said Dowd. [25] Stage Manager Michael Ahern opens At Fillmore East with a simple introduction: "Okay, the Allman Brothers Band." [26] Duane Allman biographer Randy Poe describes it as "the only low-key moment over the course of the [show]." [26] The cover of Blind Willie McTell's "Statesboro Blues" which opens the set showcases Duane Allman's slide guitar work in open E tuning. [27] "Statesboro Blues" bears close resemblance to Taj Mahal's 1968 rendition, which had inspired Duane to pick up slide guitar playing. [26] "Done Somebody Wrong" follows, and is introduced by Duane as "an old Elmore James song ... This is an old true story ..." [26] Thom Doucette takes a solo on blues harp, and by the end of the song, the band breaks out of the shuffle and "builds up to a dual-lead guitar, triplet-based crescendo." [26] "Stormy Monday" echoes the band's blues roots, and many guitar parts come from the version cut by Bobby "Blue" Bland in the early 1960s. [28] Allman and Betts trade solos, as does Gregg Allman on the organ as the tempo shifts into a "swinging" beat. [28] "You Don't Love Me" kicks off the first of the jazz-inspired jams and features a solo from Duane Allman in which the entire group stops, leaving it just him and his guitar. The song's conclusion quotes the Christian hymn "Joy to the World". [28] "Hot 'Lanta" is an instrumental, which has elements in common with jazz rock and progressive rock, [29] and is a showcase for Berry Oakley's bass-playing. [30] "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed", with its harmonized melody, Latin feel, and burning drive invited comparisons with jazz saxophonist John Coltrane (especially Duane's solo-ending pull-offs, a direct nod to the musician). [30] The performance begins with a "long, laconic intro" by Betts employing volume swells, reminiscent of the "dreamy trumpet" used to open songs on Miles Davis' Kind of Blue (1959). [30] "Whipping Post" (opening in 11/8 time, unusual territory for a rock band) by this point had become one of the longest jams in the band's set; the original album version runs five minutes, while the At Fillmore East version exceeds 23. [30] Aside from the opening bassline and lyrics, the two versions are completely unalike. [31] Again, Betts and Allman trade long guitar solos, with one of Betts' solos quoting what would later become the main theme for the song "Les Brers in A Minor", as featured on the band's 1972 album Eat a Peach . The song includes a false ending which quotes the theme of the French nursery rhyme song "Frère Jacques", and finally closes with "long, sustained notes" from Allman opposite Trucks' kettledrum. [30] Applause concludes the album and the song fades out. [32] During the fadeout, Trucks begins playing the tympani intro to "Mountain Jam" which would not be released in its entirety until its inclusion on Eat a Peach. [32]
The band devised the cover idea for At Fillmore East rather than leaving it in the hands of Atlantic executives (Duane Allman was particularly disgusted with the artwork for Sam & Dave's Hold On, I'm Comin', although that album's artwork was created by Stax Records, which Atlantic had previously distributed). [33] Initially, the album cover was to be shots of the band taken in front of the Fillmore East with their names on the marquee above them, but no one was satisfied with the results. [21] The band's main purpose for the cover was that it be as "meat and potatoes" as the band's ethos and performing, and someone suggested the band make it a photograph of the band in an alley waiting with their gear to go onstage. [33] The image was shot by photographer Jim Marshall one morning in the band's home of Macon, Georgia. [34] The group were not very happy about being woken up early to shoot ("we figured it didn't make a damn bit of difference what the cover was or what time we took it," said guitarist Dickey Betts). [33] Normally the band hated being photographed; the cover of later retrospective release The Fillmore Concerts shows them displaying terminal boredom. However, during the session, Duane spotted a dealer friend, raced over and grabbed a bag of contraband, then returned to his seat, discreetly clutching the stash in his lap. This made the whole band laugh, resulting in a memorable image. [35] [33] Marshall stenciled the album title on one of the road cases, which were stacked in front of the wall. [21] The back cover shows their road crew gathered in the same spot with 16 oz cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer provided by the photographer as a reward to the roadies for lugging out and stacking the band's heavy equipment for the shoot. [21] Among the crew on the back cover are Joseph "Red Dog" Campbell, Kim Payne, Mike Callahan, Joe Dan Petty and Willie Perkins (the last two the newest additions to the crew at the time). [21] The idea to have the crew on the back cover was Duane Allman's idea, as all involved viewed them the "unsung heroes" in the operation. [33] A photo of Lyndon, then in jail awaiting his trial, was superimposed to the wall behind the crew. [33]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Pitchfork | 9.2/10 [36] |
Robert Christgau | B− |
Rolling Stone | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Encyclopedia of Popular Music | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
At Fillmore East was released in July 1971 by Capricorn Records as a double album, but reduced to the cost of a single LP. [15] Atlantic and Atco initially rejected the idea of issuing a double album, with Jerry Wexler feeling it "ridiculous to preserve all these jams." [15] Manager Phil Walden explained to executives that the band were less of a studio band and that live performances were most important to them. [15] In all, the album featured seven songs spread over four vinyl sides. [38] The album received strong initial sales. [38] While previous albums by the band had taken months to hit the charts (often near the bottom of the top 200), the record started to climb the charts after a matter of days. [39] At Fillmore East peaked at number thirteen on Billboard 's Top Pop Albums chart, and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America that October. [39] The album was later certified platinum on August 25, 1992. [40]
In a contemporary review, George Kimball of Rolling Stone magazine said that "The Allman Brothers had many fine moments at the Fillmores, and this live double album (recorded March 12th and 13th of this year) must surely epitomize all of them." [41] Kimball cited the band as "the best damn rock and roll band this country has produced in the past five years" and said of comparisons to the Grateful Dead at the time, "The range of their material and the more tenuous fact that they also use two drummers have led to what I suppose are inevitable comparisons to the Dead in its better days." [41] In a less enthusiastic review for The Village Voice , Robert Christgau gave At Fillmore East a "B−" grade and said the songs "sure do boogie", but ultimately found it musically aimless: "even if Duane Allman plus Dickey Betts does equal Jerry Garcia, the Dead know roads are for getting somewhere. That is, Garcia (not to bring in John Coltrane) always takes you someplace unexpected on a long solo. I guess the appeal here is the inevitability of it all." [42]
In a retrospective review, AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave the album five out of five stars and stated, "[it] remains the pinnacle of the Allmans and Southern rock at its most elastic, bluesy, and jazzy". [43] Mark Kemp of Rolling Stone gave it five stars in a 2002 review and commented that "these shows [...] remain the finest live rock performance ever committed to vinyl", and the album "captures America's best blues-rock band at its peak". [44]
At Fillmore East was one of 50 recordings chosen in 2004 by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry. Rolling Stone included it at number 49 in their 2003 list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, describing it as "rock's greatest live double LP", [45] maintaining the rating in a 2012 revision, and slipping to number 105 in the 2020 reboot of the list. [46] [47] The album was also included in the books 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die (2005) and 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die (2008). [19] [48] In the latter, author Tom Moon noted that, nearly forty years after its release, "[the album] remains one of the best live albums in rock history. Ornery and loud, it's perfect driving music for the road that goes on forever." [19]
In 2020 The Independent newspaper rated it the best live album of all time. [49]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Statesboro Blues" | Blind Willie McTell | 4:08 |
2. | "Done Somebody Wrong" | Clarence Lewis, Bobby Robinson, Elmore James [50] | 4:05 |
3. | "Stormy Monday" | T-Bone Walker | 8:31 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "You Don't Love Me" | Willie Cobbs | 19:06 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Hot 'Lanta" | Duane Allman, Gregg Allman, Dickey Betts, Butch Trucks, Berry Oakley, Jai Johanny Johanson | 5:10 |
2. | "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" | Dickey Betts | 12:46 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Whipping Post" | Gregg Allman | 22:40 |
Recording dates:
Over the years several expanded editions of At Fillmore East have been released.
On October 10, 1992, The Fillmore Concerts, an expanded version of At Fillmore East, was released as a two-disc CD. It includes all the songs from the original album, plus the live songs from Eat a Peach – "One Way Out", "Trouble No More", and "Mountain Jam" – and two additional tracks – "Don't Keep Me Wonderin'" and "Drunken Hearted Boy" – all of which were recorded at the same concerts. The album was remixed from the concert recordings, and a few of the songs are alternate takes, so the same songs sound somewhat different from those on the original album. [51]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Notes | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Statesboro Blues" | Blind Willie McTell | March 12 second show | 4:15 |
2. | "Trouble No More" | McKinley Morganfield | March 12 second show | 3:46 |
3. | "Don't Keep Me Wonderin'" | Gregg Allman | March 13 first show | 3:20 |
4. | "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" | Dickey Betts | March 13 first show/ March 13 second show | 12:59 |
5. | "One Way Out" | June 27 | 4:55 | |
6. | "Done Somebody Wrong" |
| March 13 second show | 4:11 |
7. | "Stormy Monday" | T-Bone Walker | March 13 second show | 10:19 |
8. | "You Don't Love Me" | Willie Cobbs | March 13 first show/ March 12 second show | 19:24 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Notes | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Hot 'Lanta" |
| March 12 second show | 5:11 |
2. | "Whipping Post" | Gregg Allman | March 13 second show | 22:37 |
3. | "Mountain Jam" |
| March 13 second show | 33:41 |
4. | "Drunken Hearted Boy" (with Elvin Bishop) | Elvin Bishop | March 13 second show | 7:33 |
The Deluxe Edition was released as a two-disc CD on September 23, 2003. It contains the same songs, in a slightly different order, as The Fillmore Concerts, and one additional track from the same concerts, "Midnight Rider". The Deluxe Edition is based on the master recordings for At Fillmore East and Eat a Peach, and so it sounds more similar to those albums than The Fillmore Concerts does. [52]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Statesboro Blues" | McTell | 4:17 |
2. | "Trouble No More" | Morganfield | 3:43 |
3. | "Don't Keep Me Wonderin'" | G. Allman | 3:27 |
4. | "Done Somebody Wrong" |
| 4:11 |
5. | "Stormy Monday" | Walker | 10:19 |
6. | "One Way Out" |
| 4:55 |
7. | "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" | Betts | 12:59 |
8. | "You Don't Love Me" | Cobbs | 19:24 |
9. | "Midnight Rider" |
| 2:55 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Hot 'Lanta" |
| 5:20 |
2. | "Whipping Post" | G. Allman | 22:53 |
3. | "Mountain Jam" |
| 33:41 |
4. | "Drunken Hearted Boy" (with Elvin Bishop) | Bishop | 6:54 |
The 1971 Fillmore East Recordings was released on July 29, 2014. This six-CD boxed set contains the four complete concerts—the early and late shows from March 12 and March 13, 1971—from which the songs included on At Fillmore East were selected, plus the Allman Brothers' performance at the Fillmore East closing show on June 27, 1971. A three Blu-ray edition was also released which contains a multi-channel mix. [53] [54]
* = Previously unreleased track
# = Track selected for the original "At Fillmore East" Album
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Statesboro Blues" (*) | McTell | 4:44 |
2. | "Trouble No More" (*) | Morganfield | 3:47 |
3. | "Don't Keep Me Wonderin'" (*) | G. Allman | 3:53 |
4. | "Done Somebody Wrong" (*) |
| 4:24 |
5. | "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" (*) | Betts | 17:38 |
6. | "You Don't Love Me" (*) | Cobbs | 14:58 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Statesboro Blues" (*) | McTell | 4:29 |
2. | "Trouble No More" | Morganfield | 4:04 |
3. | "Don't Keep Me Wonderin'" (*) | G. Allman | 3:39 |
4. | "Done Somebody Wrong" (#) |
| 4:56 |
5. | "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" (*) | Betts | 18:38 |
6. | "You Don't Love Me" (# – final 12 minutes) | Cobbs | 19:13 |
7. | "Whipping Post" (*) | G. Allman | 19:30 |
8. | "Hot 'Lanta" |
| 5:19 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Statesboro Blues" (#) | McTell | 4:18 |
2. | "Trouble No More" | Morganfield | 3:47 |
3. | "Don't Keep Me Wonderin'" | G. Allman | 3:38 |
4. | "Done Somebody Wrong" (*) |
| 4:08 |
5. | "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" (#) | Betts | 13:15 |
6. | "You Don't Love Me" (# – first 7 minutes) | Cobbs | 19:50 |
7. | "Whipping Post" (*) | G. Allman | 17:30 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Statesboro Blues" (*) | McTell | 4:43 |
2. | "One Way Out" (*) |
| 4:40 |
3. | "Stormy Monday" (#) | Walker | 10:39 |
4. | "Hot 'Lanta" (#) |
| 5:31 |
5. | "Whipping Post" (#) | G. Allman | 23:05 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Mountain Jam" |
| 35:39 |
2. | "Drunken Hearted Boy" (with Elvin Bishop) | Bishop | 7:45 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Introduction by Bill Graham / Statesboro Blues" (*) | McTell | 5:31 |
2. | "Don't Keep Me Wonderin'" | G. Allman | 3:47 |
3. | "Done Somebody Wrong" |
| 3:36 |
4. | "One Way Out" |
| 5:24 |
5. | "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" | Betts | 12:33 |
6. | "Midnight Rider" |
| 3:07 |
7. | "Hot 'Lanta" |
| 5:48 |
8. | "Whipping Post" | G. Allman | 20:14 |
9. | "You Don't Love Me" | Cobbs | 17:23 |
Chart (1971) | Peak position |
---|---|
Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [55] | 44 |
US Billboard 200 [56] | 13 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI) [57] 1998 release | Silver | 60,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [58] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
The Allman Brothers Band was an American rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1969 by brothers Duane Allman and Gregg Allman, as well as Dickey Betts, Berry Oakley (bass), Butch Trucks (drums), and Jai Johanny "Jaimoe" Johanson (drums). Subsequently, based in Macon, Georgia, they incorporated elements of blues, jazz and country music and their live shows featured jam band-style improvisation and instrumentals.
Eat a Peach is the third studio album and the first double album by American rock band the Allman Brothers Band, containing a mix of live and studio recordings released in 1972. Following their artistic and commercial breakthrough with the July 1971 release of the live album At Fillmore East, the Allman Brothers Band got to work on their third studio album. Drug use among the band became an increasing problem, and at least one member underwent rehab for heroin addiction. On October 29, 1971, lead and slide guitarist Duane Allman, group leader and founder, was killed in a motorcycle accident in the band's adopted hometown of Macon, Georgia, making it the final album to feature him.
Howard Duane Allman was an American rock and blues guitarist and the founder and original leader of the Allman Brothers Band, for which he was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995.
Gregory LeNoir Allman was an American musician, singer and songwriter. He was known for performing in the Allman Brothers Band. Allman grew up with an interest in rhythm and blues music, and the Allman Brothers Band fused it with rock music, jazz, and country at times. He wrote several of the band's most popular songs, including "Whipping Post", "Melissa", and "Midnight Rider". Allman also had a successful solo career, releasing seven studio albums. He was born and spent much of his childhood in Nashville, Tennessee, before relocating to Daytona Beach, Florida and then Macon, Georgia.
"Statesboro Blues" is a Piedmont blues song written by Blind Willie McTell, who recorded it in 1928. The title refers to the town of Statesboro, Georgia. In 1968, Taj Mahal recorded a popular blues rock adaptation of the song with a prominent slide guitar part by Jesse Ed Davis. His rendition inspired a recording by the Allman Brothers Band, which is ranked number nine on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time". In 2005, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution ranked "Statesboro Blues" number 57 on its list of "100 Songs of the South".
"Mountain Jam" is an improvised instrumental jam by The Allman Brothers Band, based on Donovan's 1967 hit song "There Is a Mountain". The first known recording of a performance was done on May 4, 1969, at Macon Central Park. "Mountain Jam" was originally released in 1972 on the album Eat a Peach, as recorded at the Fillmore East concert hall in March 1971. It is this rendition that is best known.
John Lee Johnson, frequently known by the stage names Jai Johanny Johanson and Jaimoe, is an American drummer and percussionist. He is best known as one of the founding members of the Allman Brothers Band and, with the death of Dickey Betts on April 18, 2024, he is the last surviving original member of the band.
The Allman Brothers Band is the debut studio album by American rock band the Allman Brothers Band. It was released in the United States by Atco Records' subsidiary Capricorn on November 4, 1969, and produced by Adrian Barber. Formed in 1969, the Allman Brothers Band came together following various musical pursuits by each individual member. Guitarist and bandleader Duane Allman moved to Jacksonville, Florida where he led large jam sessions with his new band, one he had envisioned as having two guitarists and two drummers. After rounding out the lineup with the addition of his brother, Gregg Allman, the band moved to Macon, Georgia, where they were to be one of the premiere acts on Capricorn.
Idlewild South is the second studio album by American southern rock band the Allman Brothers Band. Produced by Tom Dowd, the album was released on September 23, 1970 in the United States by Atco Records and Capricorn Records. Following the release of their 1969 debut, the Allman Brothers Band toured the United States extensively to promote the album, which had little commercial success. Their performances, however, did create positive word of mouth exposure that extended to more famous musicians, such as Eric Clapton, who invited group leader Duane Allman to contribute to his 1970 album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs.
Brothers and Sisters is the fourth studio album by American rock band The Allman Brothers Band. Co-produced by Johnny Sandlin and the band, the album was released in August 1973 in the United States by Capricorn Records. Following the death of group leader Duane Allman in 1971, the Allman Brothers Band released Eat a Peach (1972), a hybrid studio/live album that became their biggest-selling album to date. Afterwards, the group purchased a farm in Juliette, Georgia, to become a "group hangout". However, bassist Berry Oakley was visibly suffering from the death of Duane, excessively drinking and consuming drugs. In November 1972, after nearly a year of severe depression, Oakley was killed in a motorcycle accident, making it the last album on which he played.
"In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" is an instrumental composition by the American group The Allman Brothers Band. It first appeared on their second studio album, Idlewild South (1970), released on Capricorn Records. The jazz-influenced piece was written by guitarist Dickey Betts, among his first writing credits for the group. Betts named it after a headstone he saw for Elizabeth Jones Reed Napier in Rose Hill Cemetery in the band's hometown of Macon, Georgia. Multiple versions of the composition have been recorded, with the version performed on the group's 1971 live album At Fillmore East generally considered the definitive rendition.
A Decade of Hits 1969–1979 is a compilation album of the Allman Brothers Band, released in 1991. The album features songs released on The Allman Brothers Band, Idlewild South, At Fillmore East, Eat a Peach, Brothers and Sisters, and Enlightened Rogues. It is the band's best-selling album in the U.S., being certified double platinum by the RIAA in 1997.
The Road Goes On Forever was The Allman Brothers Band's first compilation album, a two-LP set released in 1975. It featured songs from the Allmans' first five albums. In 2001, an expanded edition was released featuring 13 more tracks. The album's title is a line from "Midnight Rider."
The Allman Brothers Band was an American rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1969 by brothers Duane Allman and Gregg Allman, as well as Dickey Betts, Berry Oakley, Butch Trucks (drums), and Jai Johanny "Jaimoe" Johanson (drums). The band incorporated elements of Southern rock, blues, jazz, and country music, and their live shows featured jam band-style improvisation and instrumentals.
Live at the Atlanta International Pop Festival: July 3 & 5, 1970 is a two-CD live album by the Allman Brothers Band. It features their two performances at the 1970 Atlanta International Pop Festival, at the Middle Georgia Raceway in Byron, Georgia. It was released in 2003.
S.U.N.Y. at Stonybrook: Stonybrook, NY 9/19/71 is a two-CD live album by the Allman Brothers Band. The second of a series of archival concert albums from the Allman Brothers Band Recording Company, it features the original lineup of the group. It was released in 2003.
Gold is a two-CD compilation album by the Allman Brothers Band. It contains songs selected from their first eight albums, which were released by Capricorn Records — The Allman Brothers Band (1969), Idlewild South (1970), At Fillmore East (1971), Eat a Peach (1972), Brothers and Sisters (1973), Win, Lose or Draw (1975), Wipe the Windows, Check the Oil, Dollar Gas (1976), and Enlightened Rogues (1979). It was released by Island Records on October 11, 2005. It is a reissue of the 2001 expanded compilation The Road Goes On Forever: A Collection of Their Greatest Recordings.
"Whipping Post" is a song by The Allman Brothers Band. Written by Gregg Allman, the five-minute studio version first appeared on their 1969 debut album The Allman Brothers Band. The song was regularly played live and was the basis for much longer and more intense performances. This was captured in the Allman Brothers' 1971 double live album At Fillmore East, where a 22-minute, 40-second rendition of the song takes up the entire final side. It was this recording that garnered "Whipping Post" spots on both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll list and Rolling Stone's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time", which wrote, "the song is best appreciated in the twenty-three-minute incarnation on At Fillmore East."
Boston Common, 8/17/71 is a live album by the rock group the Allman Brothers Band. As the name suggests, it was recorded at Boston Common in Boston, Massachusetts, on August 17, 1971. It is the fifth archival release by the Allman Brothers Band Recording Company, and the third one to feature the original lineup of the band. It was released in 2007, and re-released in 2014.
Fillmore West '71 is a four-CD live album by the Allman Brothers Band. It was recorded January 29 – January 31, 1971, at the Fillmore West in San Francisco. It was released on September 6, 2019.