Gregg Allman ~ The Gregg Allman Tour (1974){Original US}
Gregg Allman ~ The Gregg Allman Tour
Vinyl transfer in 24/96 & 16/44.1 | 2 LP | Artwork
Capricorn ~ 2C 0141
The Gregg Allman Tour is the second album and first live album by Gregg Allman, released in 1974. It was recorded at Carnegie Hall and Capitol Theatre. It peaked at number 50 on the Billboard Pop Albums charts in 1974. It was originally released as a double LP.
For this concert, Allman was backed by guitarist Tommy Talton's band, Cowboy, who played two of their own songs, and accompanied by a 24 piece orchestra.
REVIEW
Gregg Allman's tour in support of his debut solo LP, Laid Back, led to the recording of this album (originally two LPs) at Carnegie Hall in New York and the Capitol Theatre in Passaic, NJ. It's a match for Laid Back in musical value and then some, with a good, wide range of repertory and great performances throughout by all concerned, plunging head-first and deep into blues, R&B, honky tonk, and gospel. Strangely enough, the album contains only three of Laid Back's songs -- "Don't Mess Up a Good Thing" opens the show in a properly spirited, earthy manner, but it's the second song, "Queen of Hearts," in a soaring rendition, with gorgeous backing by Annie Sutton, Erin Dickins, and Lynn Rubin, and superb sax work by Randall Bramblett and David Brown, that shows Allman in his glory as a singer and bandleader. Allman gives a lively, raucous, honky tonk-style rendition of the Elvis Presley hit "I Feel So Bad," complete with a killer guitar solo by Tommy Talton, and "Turn on Your Lovelight" gets an extended treatment worthy of the Allman Brothers Band. One would expect that, with Chuck Leavell and Jaimoe present in the band, there were be more similarity to the Allmans' sound, and that they'd be prominently featured, but Tommy Talton and bassist Kenny Tibbetts get more of a spotlight. Several Allman Brothers songs are present here, in more laid-back and lyrical versions, and the Capricorn Records band Cowboy -- essentially serving as the core of Allman's touring band -- gets a featured spot with two songs, "Time Will Take Us" and "Where Can You Go," that leave one wanting to hear a lot more concert material from them, and from Talton as a singer. ~ Allmusic
TRACKS
1."Don't Mess Up a Good Thing" (Oliver Sain) – 5:06
2."Queen of Hearts" (Gregg Allman) – 7:43
3."I Feel So Bad" (Chuck Willis) – 4:47
4."Stand Back" (Gregg Allman, Berry Oakley) – 3:32
5."Time Will Take Us" - Cowboy (Frank Thomas Talton) – 5:51
6."Where Can You Go?" - Cowboy (Frank Thomas Talton) – 8:10
7."Double Cross" (Gregg Allman, Chuck Leavell) – 4:41
8."Dreams" (Gregg Allman) – 7:29
9."Are You Lonely for Me Baby" (Andy Cousin, Warne Livesey, Mark Price, Julianne Regan) – 4:27
10."Turn On Your Love Light" (Deadric Malone, Joseph Wade Scott) – 10:45
11."Oncoming Traffic" (Gregg Allman, Janice B. Allman) – 5:56
12."Will The Circle Be Unbroken" (Traditional) – 7:21
PERSONNEL
Gregg Allman - Lead vocals, organ
Tommy Talton - Lead guitar, slide guitar
Scott Boyer - Rhythm guitar
Bill Stewart - Drums
Johnny Lee Johnson - Drums and percussion
Kenny Tibbetts - Electric bass
Chuck Leavell - Piano and electric piano
Randall Bramblett - Soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, C-Melody Sax (all horn solos)
David Brown - Tenor saxophone
Harold "Bullets" Williams - Baritone saxophone
Todd Logan - Trumpet
Peter Eklund - Trumpet
Annie Sutton - Background vocals
Erin Dickins - Background vocals
Lynn Rubin - Background Vocals
COWBOY (tracks 5-6)
Tommy Talton - Lead Vocals, Lead Guitar, Slide Guitar
Scott Boyer - Harmony Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, Lead Guitar
David Brown - Electric Bass
Chuck Leavell - Piano & Electric Piano
Randall Bramblett - Organ, Saxophone
Bill Stewart - Drums
Johnny Lee Johnson - Congas & Drums
Todd Logan - Trumpet
Peter Eklund - Trumpet
Harold "Bullet" Williams - Baritone Saxophone
Gregg Allman - Organ on "Where Can You Go"
PRODUCTION NOTES
Gregg Allman - Producer
Johnny Sandlin – Producer, Remixing
Sam Whitesdie - Remixing
Randall Bramblett - Horn Arranger
Ed Freeman - Horn & Strings Arranger
Strings under the direction of Max Cahn
George Marino - Mastering
Dennis M. Drake - Mastering on Compact Disc
Tom Flye & Tom Scott - Engineers