Live at Fillmore West is an album by King Curtis, released in 1971. The album showcases the concert he played with his band the Kingpins at the Fillmore West venue in San Francisco in March 1971 who were supporting and backing soul singer Aretha Franklin. A week after its release in August 1971, Curtis was stabbed to death outside his brownstone apartment in New York City.[3]

King Curtis Live at Fillmore West
Live album by
ReleasedAugust 1971
RecordedMarch 5–7, 1971
LabelAtlantic, Rhino
ProducerKing Curtis
Arif Mardin
Jerry Wexler
King Curtis chronology
Get Ready
(1970)
King Curtis Live at Fillmore West
(1971)
Everybody's Talking
(1972)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[2]

It was reissued on compact disc in the 1990s through Rhino Records and was released in an expanded edition in 2006. In addition it was released as an expanded edition four-CD box set entitled, Don't Fight the Feeling: The Complete Aretha Franklin & King Curtis Live At Fillmore West by Rhino Handmade in 2005, featuring the complete concert by King Curtis and Aretha Franklin.[4] This edition was limited to 5,000 numbered copies.[5]

History

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Recorded at the Fillmore West concert hall, the storied rock venue in San Francisco, over three nights, March 5, 6 and 7 1971,[6] King Curtis and his band the Kingpins were supporting Aretha Franklin as well as playing as her backing band.[7] the album opens with his own composition "Memphis Soul Stew", but the bulk of the album is taken with cover versions of recent rock, soul and country recordings including Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours", Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" and Bobbie Gentry's "Ode to Billie Joe". His version of Procol Harum's "A Whiter Shade of Pale" found renewed fame when used in the opening title sequence of cult British comedy film Withnail and I, although the film is set in 1969, two years before the performance.[8]

Professionally Curtis was having a prolific and successful time in the summer of 1971. Aretha Franklin's Live at Fillmore West album was a huge hit, he had contributed to two tracks on John Lennon's album, Imagine, recorded the theme to the television show Soul Train and had made a highly acclaimed performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival with Champion Jack Dupree. It was in this climate that the album was released in August 1971. A week after its release, Curtis was stabbed to death outside his brownstone apartment in New York City, following an argument with two drug addicts.[3] The day after he died the album peaked at No. 54 on the Billboard 200 album chart, his greatest success as a solo artist.[9] There is a widely held misconception that Curtis was murdered on the night of this live performance.[10] Ralph Brown, in the audio commentary on the DVD issue of Withnail and I, wrongly states that he was shot in the car park after the concert.

Track listing

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Live at Fillmore West (original edition)

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Released August 1971

Live at Fillmore West (expanded edition)

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Released July 11, 2006, featuring 5 additional tracks.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Memphis Soul Stew"Curtis Ousley7:41
2."A Whiter Shade of Pale"Gary Brooker, Keith Reid, Matthew Fisher5:26
3."Whole Lotta Love"Led Zeppelin2:16
4."I Stand Accused"Jerry Butler6:05
5."Them Changes"Buddy Miles7:01
6."Ode to Billie Joe"Bobbie Gentry3:22
7."Mr. Bojangles"Jerry Jeff Walker4:30
8."Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours"Lee Garrett, Lula Mae Hardaway, Stevie Wonder, Syreeta Wright2:37
9."Soul Serenade"Luther Dixon, Curtis Ousley5:32
10."My Sweet Lord"George Harrison2:33
11."Them Changes" (alternate take)Buddy Miles5:33
12."Ode to Billie Joe" (alternate take)Bobbie Gentry4:35
13."Soul Serenade" (alternate take)Luther Dixon, Curtis Ousley4:51
14."Memphis Soul Stew" (alternate take)Curtis Ousley5:05
Total length:67:07

Don't Fight the Feeling: The Complete Aretha Franklin & King Curtis Live at Fillmore West

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4 CD Box-set. Released May 3, 2005 by Rhino Handmade in a limited edition of 5000.

Disc one
No.TitleWriter(s)ArtistLength
1."Intro"   
2."Knock on Wood"Eddie Floyd, Steve CropperThe Memphis Horns 
3."Whole Lotta Love" King Curtis 
4."Them Changes" King Curtis 
5."A Whiter Shade of Pale" King Curtis 
6."My Sweet Lord" Billy Preston 
7."Ode to Billie Joe" King Curtis 
8."Mr Bojangles" King Curtis 
9."Soul Serenade" King Curtis 
10."Memphis Soul Stew" King Curtis 
11."Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)" King Curtis 
12."Respect"Otis ReddingAretha Franklin 
13."Call Me"Aretha FranklinAretha Franklin 
14."Mixed-up Girl"Jimmy WebbAretha Franklin 
15."Love the One You're With"Stephen StillsAretha Franklin 
16."Bridge over Troubled Water"Paul SimonAretha Franklin 
17."Eleanor Rigby"Lennon–McCartneyAretha Franklin 
18."Make It with You"David GatesAretha Franklin 
19."Don't Play That Song (You Lied)"Ahmet Ertegun, Betty NelsonAretha Franklin 
Disc two
No.TitleWriter(s)ArtistLength
20."Share Your Love with Me"Alfred Braggs, Deadric MaloneAretha Franklin 
21."Dr. Feelgood (Love Is a Serious Business)"Aretha Franklin, Ted WhiteAretha Franklin 
22."Spirit in the Dark"Aretha FranklinAretha Franklin 
23."Spirit in the Dark (reprise)" Aretha Franklin 
24."Knock on Wood" The Memphis Horns 
25."Them Changes" King Curtis 
26."Whole Lotta Love" King Curtis 
27."A Whiter Shade of Pale" King Curtis 
28."I Stand Accused" King Curtis 
29."Soul Serenade" King Curtis 
30."Memphis Soul Stew" King Curtis 
31."Respect" Aretha Franklin 
32."Call Me" Aretha Franklin 
33."Love the One You're With" Aretha Franklin 
34."Bridge over Troubled Water" Aretha Franklin 
Disc three
No.TitleWriter(s)ArtistLength
35."Share Your Love with Me" Aretha Franklin 
36."Eleanor Rigby" Aretha Franklin 
37."Make It with You" Aretha Franklin 
38."You're All I Need to Get By"Nickolas Ashford, Valerie SimpsonAretha Franklin 
39."Don't Play That Song" Aretha Franklin 
40."Dr. Feelgood (Love Is a Serious Business)" Aretha Franklin 
41."Spirit in the Dark" Aretha Franklin 
42."Spirit in the Dark (reprise)" Aretha Franklin 
43."Knock on Wood" The Memphis Horns 
44."Them Changes" King Curtis 
45."A Whiter Shade of Pale" King Curtis 
46."Ode to Billie Joe" King Curtis 
47."Soul Serenade" King Curtis 
48."Memphis Soul Stew" King Curtis 
Disc four
No.TitleWriter(s)ArtistLength
49."Respect" Aretha Franklin 
50."Call Me" Aretha Franklin 
51."Love the One You're With" Aretha Franklin 
52."Bridge over Troubled Water" Aretha Franklin 
53."Share Your Love with Me" Aretha Franklin 
54."Eleanor Rigby" Aretha Franklin 
55."Make It with You" Aretha Franklin 
56."Don't Play That Song" Aretha Franklin 
57."You're All I Need to Get By" Aretha Franklin 
58."Dr. Feelgood (Love Is a Serious Business)" Aretha Franklin 
59."Spirit in the Dark" Aretha Franklin 
60."Spirit in the Dark (reprise)" Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles 
61."Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)"Nickolas Ashford, Valerie SimpsonAretha Franklin 

Chart performance

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Album

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Chart Peak position
Billboard 200 54
Billboard Jazz Albums 3
Billboard Soul albums 9

Single

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Title Chart Peak position
Whole Lotta Love Billboard Hot 100 64
Billboard Best Selling Soul singles 43

Personnel

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The Memphis Horns:

References

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  1. ^ AllMusic review
  2. ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. pp. 399–400.
  3. ^ a b "Live at Fillmore West by King Curtis". Swampland.com. 27 March 2011.
  4. ^ "Aretha, King Curtis Fillmore Sets Remastered". Billboard. May 18, 2006.
  5. ^ "Don't Fight The Feeling: The Complete Aretha Franklin & King Curtis Live At Fillmore West". Rhinomedia.com. 27 March 2011. Archived from the original on 26 August 2011. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
  6. ^ "ARETHA LIVE AT FILLMORE WEST". theblacklistedjournalist. 25 March 2011.
  7. ^ "King Curtis, Aretha Franklin". bassplayer.com. 25 March 2011.
  8. ^ "Top 25 Movie Music Moments". clashmusic.com. 27 March 2011.
  9. ^ "King Curtis Biography". Soultracks.com. 27 March 2011.
  10. ^ "Withnail Links – Soundtrack". Fan site. Retrieved 14 December 2010.