Where There’s a Will: Derek and the Dominos’ Bobby Whitlock Joined by Clapton, Harrison, Delaney and Bonnie On Reissued Solo LPs

The story of Bobby Whitlock is one that intersects with rock royalty like George Harrison and Eric Clapton – and now Light in the Attic’s Future Days Recordings imprint is getting ready to tell the story of the Derek and the Dominos pianist-organist. On June 25, Future Days will reissue Whitlock’s two solo albums for ABC-Dunhill, Bobby Whitlock and Raw Velvet (both from 1972), as one 2-CD set entitled Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way: The ABC-Dunhill Recordings.  For purists, the label will also issue the two albums as individual remastered vinyl LPs with the liner notes and the original artwork.  In any edition, though, Bobby Whitlock’s albums are a true southern soul stew, with guest appearances from the aforementioned Messrs. Harrison and Clapton plus Delaney and Bonnie, Klaus Voormann, and fellow Dominos Carl Radle and Jim Gordon.

A real-life son of a preacher man, Whitlock rose from the impoverished streets of Tennessee, Arkansas and Missouri to follow his musical muse from Memphis all the way to the United Kingdom.  In Memphis, he befriended the house band at Stax Records, supplying handclaps for Sam and Dave’s “I Thank You” and recording for the label’s HIP pop imprint.  It was a Stax session with new signings Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett that led Whitlock first to Los Angeles and then across the ocean.  In sunny California, he joined Delaney and Bonnie’s Friends – a fluid group that also included Leon Russell, Jim Keltner, Rita Coolidge, Bobby Keys, Jerry Scheff, Joe Tex, Dave Mason, and future Dominos Radle and Gordon.  This hot new band was a favorite of George Harrison’s, and when he played Delaney and Bonnie’s tapes to Eric Clapton, the guitar god arranged for them to support Blind Faith on the band’s U.S. tour.  Before long, Clapton became disenchanted with his supergroup – including Steve Winwood, Ginger Baker and Ric Grech – and looked to the American band for inspiration.  Before long, Blind Faith was through, and Eric Clapton was touring as Delaney & Bonnie and Friends with Eric Clapton.

Hit the jump for more on Bobby Whitlock’s musical odyssey – including the track listing and pre-order links for Where There’s s Will!

Review: Duane Allman, “Skydog: The Duane Allman Retrospective”

“I ain’t wastin’ time no more,” Gregg Allman sang following the death of his brother Duane at the age of 24 in October 1971, “’cause time goes by like pouring rain…and much faster things/You don’t need no gypsy to tell you why/You can’t let one precious day slip by.”  Surveying the remarkable new box set Skydog: The Duane Allman Retrospective (Rounder 11661-9137-2), it’s evident that Duane Allman’s too few days certainly were precious, filled with soulful sounds that transcended genre tags like rock, blues, pop and R&B.  It’s sobering to realize that the seven-disc box’s consistently surprising, dynamic and gripping licks were recorded in just six short years, between 1965 and 1971, and only three of its 129 tracks were recorded under the name of “Duane Allman.”  Rather, as a leader of the Allman Brothers Band and anonymous session man for everybody from Lulu to Aretha Franklin, Duane Allman generously placed his gifts as a musician in the service of others.

Skydog tells the story of Howard Duane Allman’s transformation from journeyman guitarist in a number of bands to session pro and ultimately, rock star.  (“Skydog” was his nickname.)  It’s artfully crafted in chronological fashion by recording date, including all of the major touchstones in Allman’s career as well as a number of tracks that add color, context and a further understanding of the man’s art.  All told, 33 of its tracks are new to CD or previously unreleased altogether, and each disc as so expertly curated by producers Bill Levenson and Duane’s daughter Galadrielle Allman creates a distinct chapter of a tragically too-short story.

Dive in, after the jump!

The Year in Reissues, Part III: The Gold Bonus Disc Awards

Well, another New Year is in sight, the CD still isn’t dead (told you so!) and celebration is in the air at The Second Disc. Back on December 23, Mike shared The Year in Reissues both here and over with our pals at Popdose. Do not pass go, do not collect 200 bucks until you read these indispensable columns!

Are you back with me? Good. Now, I’d like to take this opportunity to take a fun look back at a few of my favorite things via Joe’s Gold Bonus Disc Awards! I’m awarding these to the reissues that have raised the bar over the past 12 months. You’ll notice a number of titles that have already been praised by Mike, as well as new entries, but overall, I’ve simply tried to recognize as many diverse, worthy releases as possible. It’s my sincere hope, though, that you’ll take a chance on a title previously unknown to you; all of the artists, producers, and labels mentioned here have kept great music alive in 2010.

Friends, as always, please share your thoughts and comments below. Without further ado, let’s celebrate 2010’s best of the best. Welcome to the Gold Bonus Disc Awards!

Which releases take home the gold?  Hit the jump to find out!

Rhino Handmade Goes “On Tour” Plus a Bit of Live Dead

Rhino Handmade has announced its latest title, a thoroughly expanded edition of Delaney & Bonnie’s seminal live LP On Tour with Eric Clapton.

In late 1969, Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett embarked on a killer tour that included some of the best blues and rock musicians of the era. Clapton was the featured performer, to be sure, but that tour also included star turns from Leon Russell, Dave Mason of Traffic, Carl Radle, Jim Gordon and Bobby Whitlock (who would form Derek and The Dominos with Clapton) and a performer credited as L’Angelo Mysterioso on the original album but known to the world as George Harrison.

The resultant live album, released on Atco in 1970, was an eight-track affair culled from two shows at Fairfield Halls in Croydon in December 1969. But this new deluxe edition ups the ante considerably, offering not only those two complete Fairfield shows but another two shows from that same period, bringing the box to four discs.

The set is available for pre-order now (expected release date is July 20) for $79.98 (and eligible for free shipping through the label’s Web site) and you can get it here.

But before you get the tracks after the jump, The Second Disc might as well let you know about another live catalogue release coming through Rhino: The Grateful Dead have released the latest release in their Road Trips series (Vol. 3, No. 3), featuring nearly the complete Fillmore East show from May 15, 1970 over three discs (just a bit before the release of Workingman’s Dead that same year) and, with the first wave of releases, a bonus disc that includes more songs from the same set as well as some from a show at Meramec College from the previous night.

That set can be pre-ordered here, and specs for both can be seen after the jump.