This week’s installment of “Bootleg Friday” contains one of my favorite bootlegs ever. It’s a Keith Richards solo session from Toronto in March of 1977, recorded shortly after he was busted for heroin and couldn't leave Canada. It’s an incredibly beautiful session – just Keith accompanying himself on piano, with Ian Stewart adding support. Every song is an incredibly well picked cover including songs from George Jones, Hoagy Carmichael, Fats Domino, Merle Haggard and Jerry Lee Lewis, and it exhibits that above all, Keith Richards has exquisite taste in music. Keith’s vocals are sweet, delicate, heartfelt and completely soulful – he gets completely inside each song, and makes each one feel like an autobiography of sorts.*Note: Keith’s reputation may be that of the rock n’ roll outlaw, but beneath his swagger lays a chivalrous gentleman. I’ll never forget the sight of seeing him play at Joey Ramone’s Christmas party at Life in NYC. He was backing up Ronnie Spector and when he came onstage, he got down on one knee, took Ronnie’s hand and gently kissed it. Then he plugged in a Gibson ES-355 hollow body and tore into Chuck Berry’s “Run Run Rudolph.” It killed, and it made every other band I saw that year seem superfluous.
Download: "Say It's Not You" (George Jones)
Download: "Don't" (Written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller for Elvis Presley)
Download: "Blue Monday" (Fats Domino)
Download: "Sing Me Back Home" (Merle Haggard)
Download: "The Nearness Of You" (Hoagy Carmichael)
Download: "Whole Lotta Shaking Goin' On" (Jerry Lee Lewis)
Download: "All I Have To Do Is Dream" (Everly Brothers)
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ReplyDeleteNever heard Keith like this before, thanks!
ReplyDeleteToo bad the Stones did not relocate to a hick corner of Canada. Keith would have made quite the rancher. Not sure how he would have made out in the winter, surrounded by white powder and all.
ReplyDeleteThis seems to be missing some songs.
ReplyDeleteIf Gram would have been alive these sessions could have began a whole new thing.
ReplyDeleteThese are not the Toronto sessions. I have heard the original bootleg on vinyl and these are not it.
ReplyDeleteWhere can I hear these songs. Nothing here. Great blog though. I'm hooked.
ReplyDeleteHi, I'm looking about this record since months with no chance to find it at this time. Do you have any ideas !!! It would be great. Thanx
ReplyDeleteBertrand
Thanks for writinng this
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