The Midnight String Quartet were an easy listening chamber music quartet, consisting of two violins , a viola , and a cello , made up of students (at the time) or graduates from the University of Southern California . They played covers and standards over several albums from 1966 to the early seventies, supplemented by a professional rhythm section, often including bass, drums and guitar and sometimes piano and harpsichord .
64-1142: The Midnight String Quartet made a series of instrumental recordings produced by " Tommy 'Snuff' Garrett ", on Viva Records (U.S.) , a subsidiary of Snuff Garrett Records. Their First album, Rhapsodies for Young Lovers (1966) was arranged by Leon Russell and spent 59 weeks in the Billboard charts peaking at number 17 in November 1966. More chart success followed in the U.S. with Spanish Rhapsodies for Young Lovers , reaching number 76 in May 1967 and Rhapsodies for Young Lovers, Volume Two , reaching number 67 in July 1967. Christmas Rhapsodies for Young Lovers reached number 18 at Christmas 1967 while Love Rhapsodies only making number 129 in March 1968. The Look of Love and Other Rhapsodies for Young Lovers reached number 194 in August 1968. Midnight String Quartet continued releasing albums with
128-482: A Grammy Award. Russell was born on April 2, 1942, the second of John Griffith and Hester Evel (née Whaley) Bridges' two sons at Southwestern Hospital in Lawton, Oklahoma . Russell's mother said he started talking later than most children. She said while he was "watching the birds, and something was going on with the birds", Russell's first words were "What's the matter little birdie, you cry?". Russell's mother said "she
192-665: A beer joint, then 1 to 5 (am) at an after-hours club. It was a hard schedule to do when going to school. I slept in English a lot". Russell said "I got out to California, and they were more serious about their liquor laws. I about starved to death because it was so much harder to find work at my age". Settling in Los Angeles , he studied guitar with James Burton . Russell was primarily a session musician in his early career. During session work he played for and with artists as varied as Jan and Dean , Ricky Nelson , Gary Lewis &
256-417: A concert band and rehearse a 48 date tour. Cocker said he had been told by United States immigration authorities he had to perform "right away" or lose his visa and be deported from the U.S. Rita Coolidge claimed the real reason was due to threats that Cocker would be physically harmed if he didn't comply with an order to tour. Russell had only a week to locate, audition, hire and rehearse a 10-piece band and
320-559: A cover of " The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy) ". Russell also played piano on the track. Russell also co-produced and arranged recordings by Canadian folk-rock singer Tom Northcott , including a cover version of Donovan 's "Sunny Goodge Street". In 1968 Russell formed The Asylum Choir , a two-man group with Marc Benno . Benno, a Texan, sang and played guitar and bass. Russell sang and played guitar, piano, and drums. The duo had met in LA. Their twenty-six minute long LP Look Inside
384-623: A double album Best of the Midnight String Quartet being released in 1971. Interest resurfaced during the Lounge Revival of the mid nineties and has seen among others, the re- release on cd of Rhapsodies for Young Lovers on the Varèse Sarabande label with extra tracks and additional liner notes by ‘Elevator music’ and ‘The Cocktail’ author Joseph Lanza. Their version of Mason Williams ' Classical Gas
448-400: A number of music publishing divisions. In 1969, it was reported Russell had been the vice-president of Viva. Russell said the music he created while collaborating with Garrett motivated him to leave. "That wasn't my cup of tea... it wasn't the kind of thing I liked. I was anxious to not do that very much anymore, it just seemed too fluffy". Russell was an arranger and songwriter as well as
512-637: A piano and guitar player in The Shindogs, the house band on the ABC-TV dance show series Shindig! Fellow musicians Glen Campbell , Delaney Bramlett , and Billy Preston were among the Shindogs' alumni. Russell released his first solo record, the single, "Everybody's Talking 'Bout the Young", for Dot Records in 1965. Produced by Russell and Snuff Garrett, the folk-rock, anti-Vietnam war protest song
576-751: A ranch built for himself. Garrett died of cancer in Tucson, Arizona , at the age of 77. Garrett was inducted into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame on November 14, 2015 in Austin, Texas. Leon Russell Leon Russell (born Claude Russell Bridges ; April 2, 1942 – November 13, 2016) was an American musician and songwriter who was involved with numerous bestselling records during his 60-year career that spanned multiple genres, including rock and roll , country , gospel , bluegrass , rhythm and blues , southern rock , blues rock , folk , surf and
640-687: A shift by Garrett away from pop-rock toward the easy-listening "countrypolitan" sound. Garrett worked regularly with the Johnny Mann Singers and the Ron Hicklin Singers on many projects, and was responsible for the new sound of the Ray Conniff Singers in the early 1970s (which employed the Hicklin Singers), producing two albums with Conniff. Garrett also produced several tracks by Nancy Sinatra in
704-662: A staff producer at Liberty Records in Hollywood, after having joined the label to work in the promotions department. Although not a musician, Garrett showed he had a knack for finding hit songs, going on to produce a string of hits and becoming the label's head of A&R until he left Liberty in 1966. His first job as producer for the label was on Johnny Burnette's "Settin' the Woods on Fire" on July 9, 1959. Among Garrett's roster of artists were Bobby Vee , Johnny Burnette , Gene McDaniels , Buddy Knox , Walter Brennan , Gary Lewis &
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#1732790306798768-629: Is often still mentioned on the Lubbock oldies station KDAV on a program hosted by his friend Jerry "Bo" Coleman . Garrett also worked in radio in Wichita Falls , Texas, where he performed on-air stunts. On February 3, 1959, Garrett broadcast his own tribute show to Holly after he was killed (along with Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper ) in a plane crash in Iowa. In 1959, Garrett became
832-611: The Brill Building songwriters in New York City. Others who worked closely with Garrett include future recording star Leon Russell , who often arranged his productions, and Lenny Waronker , Liberty co-founder Simon Waronker 's son who became a producer in his own right and eventually president of Warner Bros. Records . Later, after leaving Liberty, Garrett worked with Cher and Sonny & Cher and had his own record labels, Snuff Garrett Records and Viva Records, which
896-701: The Fillmore East , with Elton John on the same bill. Those performances have been bootlegged. Russell and John appeared on The David Frost Show with Fillmore owner Bill Graham on December 3, 1970. Russell's album Prince of Peace: Radio Broadcast 1970 is a soundboard recording of a concert at Fillmore East in late 1970. Leon Russell and Friends recorded the Homewood Sessions , broadcast as an "unscripted and unrehearsed" one-hour TV special on KCET (Los Angeles) that aired in December 1970 and
960-605: The Grammy Award for Album of the Year in March 1973. The Concert also became an Apple concert benefit film directed by Saul Swimmer and released in spring, 1972. In 1971, Shelter Records released Leon Russell and the Shelter People and Asylum Choir II (co-produced by Marc Benno) and recorded at Russell's Skyhill Studios. Leon Russell and the Shelter People went on to be Russell's first U.S. gold album. In
1024-776: The Tulsa sound . His recordings earned six gold records and he received two Grammy Awards from seven nominations. In 1973 Billboard named Russell the "Top Concert Attraction in the World". In 2011, he was inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame . Russell collaborated with many notable artists and recorded 33 albums and 430 songs. He wrote "Delta Lady", recorded by Joe Cocker , and organized and performed with Cocker's Mad Dogs & Englishmen tour in 1970. His " A Song for You ", which
1088-683: The 24K gold re-release by DCC Compact Classics (DCC Compact Classics GZS 1049). The Rolling Stones included the song, under the title " Shine a Light " on their 1972 album Exile on Main St. . In 1972, Russell did a concert tour with his Shelter People entourage. One performance was recorded in California at the Long Beach Arena on August 28, 1972, and was released as a three-record set in 1973 as Leon Live . It became his third U.S. gold album. In November 1972, Billboard cited Russell as
1152-567: The Asylum Choir was released on Smash Records. Russell and music producer Denny Cordell established Shelter Records in 1969. The company operated from 1969 to 1981, with offices in Los Angeles and Tulsa. Shelter Records released "Duppy Conqueror", reggae artist Bob Marley 's first American single. In 1972, DC Comics sued the record label for copyright infringement. The Shelter Records logo included an upside down version of
1216-471: The Canadian Sweethearts' ( Bob Regan and Lucille Starr ) first A&M Records recording session with Dorsey Burnette in 1963. The lp Introducing The Canadian Sweethearts was released in 1964. Glen Campbell's 1967 album Gentle on My Mind credited him as Russell Bridges on piano. In 1962 a 20 year-old Russell appeared on Los Angeles TV station KCOP leading The Leon Russell Trio on
1280-589: The Carpenters and The Temptations named an album after the song. Ray Charles ' version earned him the 1994 Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance . "A Song For You" was inducted into Grammy Hall Of Fame in 2018. Russell's "Delta Lady" was first released in 1969 on The Mad Dogs & Englishmen lp, performed by Joe Cocker. Cocker's version changes Russell's original lyric from "I’m over here in England" to "when I’m home again in England" as Cocker
1344-606: The Flying Burrito Brothers . As Russell developed his solo artist career, he crossed genres to include rock and roll , blues , bluegrass , and gospel music . In Los Angeles, Russell played as a studio musician on many of the popular songs of the 1960s, including the Byrds, Gary Lewis & the Playboys , Bobby Pickett , and Herb Alpert . He played piano on Phil Spector productions including recordings by
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#17327903067981408-520: The Hell’s Angels lived at Skyhill because of all the cars, motorcycles, and loud music at all hours of the day and night". Russell and his friends referred to the studio as "the home for unwed musicians". Russell's recording studio home featured sound proofing, double walls and extensive wiring. Different rooms throughout the house were used to record various instruments, with a bathroom dedicated for use as an echo-chamber. The first recording session in
1472-637: The Law and the Law Won ". In 1966–67, Garrett and J. J. Cale co-produced A Trip Down the Sunset Strip (attributed to the Leathercoated Minds ), a compilation of psychedelic covers, together with four instrumentals of Cale's own composition. In addition to his hits with Sonny & Cher for Kapp Records and MCA Records in the 1970s, Garrett also produced Vicki Lawrence 's " The Night
1536-633: The Lights Went Out in Georgia " for Bell Records (a song written by Lawrence's then-husband Bobby Russell ), and Tanya Tucker 's " Lizzie and the Rainman " for MCA . Both of these songs had been intended for Cher; but her husband and manager at the time, Sonny Bono, thought it might offend Cher's Southern fans. Other artists produced by Garrett in the 1970s included Brenda Lee and "singing cowboy" Roy Rogers . These recordings and others marked
1600-596: The Mad Dogs & Englishmen tour. The album, recorded at Sunset Sound Recorders in Los Angeles featured a number of guest vocalists and musicians, including Marc Benno , Bonnie Bramlett , Eric Clapton , Merry Clayton , Joe Cocker, Greg Dempsey, Bob Dylan , George Harrison , Mick Jagger , Keith Richards , Chris Stainton , and Ringo Starr . The album included two Russell compositions that have become best-selling standards, " A Song for You " and "Delta Lady". Russell explained how he wrote "A Song For You", saying "I
1664-711: The Playboys , George Harrison , Delaney Bramlett , Freddy Cannon , Ringo Starr , Doris Day , Elton John , Ray Charles , Eric Clapton , the Byrds , Barbra Streisand , the Beach Boys , the Ventures , Willie Nelson , Badfinger , the Tijuana Brass , Frank Sinatra , the Band , Bob Dylan , J. J. Cale , B.B. King , Dave Mason , Glen Campbell , Lynn Anderson , Joe Cocker , the Rolling Stones , and
1728-502: The Playboys , and Del Shannon . Garrett was invited early on to produce the Monkees before they had become a major selling act, but a test session did not go well, with the Monkees preferring to work with Boyce and Hart , writers of " Last Train to Clarksville " and the Monkees' theme song . He was also responsible for hiring Phil Spector for a short period as an assistant producer. Many of Garrett's hit singles came from songs by
1792-463: The River Flow " and " When I Paint My Masterpiece ", both of which prominently featured Russell's gospel-flavored piano. At the invitation of George Harrison, Russell played piano on Badfinger 's third album, Straight Up in the summer of 1971. Leon performed piano, vocals, bass and backing vocals at the two shows of the war-refugees' benefit ( Concert for Bangladesh ) on August 1, 1971. He
1856-596: The Ronettes , the Crystals , and Darlene Love and in the 1963 A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector album. Herb Alpert said of Russell, "Leon was on several sessions that I produced with the Tijuana Brass. He was always dressed in a suit and tie, with short hair and no beard! This was soon after he arrived in Los Angeles from Oklahoma. We would go through the same routine each time I started rehearsing
1920-534: The Space Choir which would consist of 10 backup singers. Russell said Cocker, reportedly using copious illicit drugs at the time "was pretty wrecked when we started out". Asking Cocker "Does it sound good to you?" during an audition, Cocker said "It never sounds right to me". "I didn’t know how to take that. So I said, 'Shit, I’ll just do whatever I want'". Russell hired many of the musicians from Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett's band. He both conducted and performed in
1984-481: The band The Fencemen. Russell credited his awareness of the precursors of American soul music to a homemade AM crystal radio. He was offered a chance to tour with Jerry Lee Lewis after graduating. Explaining his decision to not attend college, Russell said, "I figured this was my chance to eat in a lot of restaurants and travel around, play some rock and roll music, which I decided was easier and better". Performing while underage in clubs and bars, Russell assumed
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2048-806: The catalog was licensed to Warner Bros during the 1980s. Between 1961 and 1969, Garrett produced The 50 Guitars of Tommy Garrett , a series of over 25 instrumental albums on Liberty Records featuring solo guitar work by Tommy Tedesco , six of which appeared on the Billboard Top LPs chart. In 1966, Garrett produced an album by singer-songwriter Sonny Curtis on the Viva label, The 1st of Sonny Curtis , which contains some of Curtis' most popular tunes, including " Walk Right Back " (an Everly Brothers hit). Other tracks that came out of this session are "My Way of Life", "Hung Up in Your Eyes", and " I Fought
2112-519: The lessons of Phil Spector and Brian Wilson to create rich, bold pop far greater than the sum of its parts". The track reached #20 on the Billboard Hot 100 . Two years later, Garrett and Russell started Viva Records. Russell was the record label's initial A&R representative as well as producer for many of the label's recordings, including The Shindogs' 1966 "Who Do You Think You Are / Yes, I’m Going Home" (Viva V-601). Viva Records also had
2176-402: The mid-1970s that were issued by Private Stock Records. In 1976, Garrett set up a sublabel of Casablanca Records , Casablanca West. The label released just one album and two singles before folding. In 1978, Garrett produced the country -oriented soundtrack of Clint Eastwood 's Every Which Way but Loose , which appeared on Garrett's latter-day label, Viva Records. In 1976, when home video
2240-548: The music. He would sit at the piano and he would always say, 'I don’t know what to play'. And I would say, 'Just wait and see if you feel something, and if you don’t it’s okay. I just like your energy at the sessions'. Well, he would always chime in with something special and affect the groove in a very Leon Russell way that was always unique. Leon was a wonderful musician and had a major effect on all of my recordings. His touch can be heard on many Tijuana Brass records, including "Whipped Cream" and "A Taste of Honey". To top it off, Leon
2304-493: The name "Leon Russell" from a fake ID card he used to enter clubs even though he was a high school student. At the time, Oklahoma was a "dry" state, so teenagers were able to perform in clubs that ordinarily would have only been open to those over 21 years of age. Although still in high school, Russell performed at area supper clubs, bars and nightclubs with his group "The Starlighters" (Russell, J.J. Cale , Leo Feathers, Johnny Williams, and Chuck Blackwell). Blackwell said Russell
2368-584: The record was produced by Gary Paxton and first released on Paxton's G.S.P. Records label. In the mid-1960s, he wrote or co-wrote songs, including two hits for Gary Lewis and the Playboys: " Everybody Loves a Clown " (which reached the Billboard Top 40 on October 9, 1965, remaining on the chart for eight weeks and reaching number 4) and " She's Just My Style " (which entered the Billboard Top 40 on December 18, 1965, and rose to number 3). Russell
2432-641: The right side, so my piano style comes from designing stuff I can play with my right hand". Russell said the condition helped him become "very aware of the duality involved in our plane of existence here". Russell also had a limp caused by the same condition that was once thought due to polio. He said "I felt like the world had cheated me big time" but added "If I hadn't had the problem, I probably wouldn't have gotten into music at all and would have been an ex-football player, selling insurance in Des Moines". Both of Russell's parents played upright piano, and when he
2496-593: The rock 'n' roll show Stepping Out . Airing at 11:00 at night, the live broadcast often aired multiple times per week. He was in the 1964 concert film T.A.M.I. Show playing piano with the Wrecking Crew sporting short, dark, slicked-back hair, in contrast to his later look. In 1962 a 20 year-old Russell once again collaborated with David Gates, releasing the 45 rpm single "Sad September / Tryin’ To Be Someone" which featured session guitarist James Burton . Credited to David & Lee and later to Dave & Lee,
2560-421: The same year, Russell played on recording sessions with B. B. King, Eric Clapton, and Bob Dylan. Russell helped the blues guitarist Freddie King revive his career by collaborating on three of King's albums for Shelter Records during the early 1970s. During those same years, Russell profited from what was then called the "country and western" market by recording and performing under the moniker Hank Wilson, and
2624-538: The studio was an August 1965 Glen Campbell session. Russell’s Skyhill Studios was often used by up-and-coming artists to record demos to attract recording companies' attention. Russell was hired as an arranger and producer in 1967 by Lenny Waronker , then a junior A&R representative for the Reprise and Warner Bros. record labels. Russell's early work for Waronker included arranging and producing Harpers Bizarre 's 1967 debut album Feelin' Groovy which featured
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2688-456: The tour, playing either piano or lead guitar. Singer and former Ikette Claudia Lennear , who performed during the tour, said Russell had the unique musical talent of being able to fuse together "white gospel and Black gospel". After watching the Mad Dogs & Englishmen concert film, Elton John said of Russell "There are some people who are born to be leaders of musicians and he is. It
2752-411: The touring band. Through this group, he met George Harrison and others with whom he would work over the next couple of years. Russell was the co-producer, arranger, a songwriter and performer on Joe Cocker’s 1969 LP Joe Cocker! Russell wrote the song "Delta Lady" on the album. The album reached number 11 on the Billboard 200. In March 1970 Russell was hired by Joe Cocker to help quickly mount
2816-468: The well-known Superman logo. Shelter Records obscured the logo with an overstamped black rectangle in response to the lawsuit and later settlement. Later versions of the logo replaced the Superman artwork with a scrawled letter "S" inside an outline of an egg. Russell performed as a member of Delaney & Bonnie and Friends in 1969 and 1970, playing guitar and keyboards on their albums and as part of
2880-459: Was "...especially good at playing Erroll Garner -style jazz during dinner, but then, after everybody got through eating, he'd break into Jerry Lee Lewis ". Russell also backed groups in Tulsa including Ronnie Hawkins and The Hawks , often until early morning, after having worked through the night. Russell said "I worked six or seven nights a week till I left Tulsa at 17. I'd work 6 to 11 (pm) at
2944-487: Was British. Bobbie Gentry performed the song under the title "Delta Man" on her 1970 album Fancy . In 1970, Russell played piano on Dave Mason 's album Alone Together , notably on the song "Sad and Deep as You". The song "The Letter" performed by Joe Cocker with Leon Russell & the Shelter People peaked at #7 on the Hot 100 on May 30, 1970; this was Russell's first hit song. In November 1970, Russell performed at
3008-443: Was Leon I was watching. He had the feel for that music. Joe was an amazing singer. But you could tell it was Leon's band". Russell purchased the top hat and Holy Trinity basketball jersey shirt he wore on the tour at a used clothing store near his Skyhill Studios in Los Angeles. He explained "I’m an actor - I was just trying to make a show". Russell released his 1970 solo album, Leon Russell on his Shelter Records label during
3072-456: Was a "mentor" and an "inspiration". They recorded their album The Union in 2010, earning them a Grammy nomination. Russell produced and played in recording sessions for Bob Dylan , Frank Sinatra , Ike & Tina Turner , the Rolling Stones , and many other artists. He wrote and recorded the hits " Tight Rope " and " Lady Blue ". He performed at The Concert for Bangladesh in 1971, along with Harrison, Dylan, and Clapton; for this he earned
3136-519: Was a regular performer at Gilley's Club , a honkytonk in Pasadena, Texas , made famous by the film Urban Cowboy . Russell recorded the song "Get a Line on You" at Olympic Studios in October 1969, with contributions from Mick Jagger (lead vocal), Ringo Starr (drums), and probably also Bill Wyman (bass) and Mick Taylor (guitar). It was shelved until 1993, when it was issued as a bonus track on
3200-445: Was a true gentleman with a special talent and he was a person that I had a great feeling for". In 1962 Russell played piano on Walter Brennan 's lp Old Rivers , produced by Snuff Garrett. Garrett said "I could talk style with him (Russell) and he'd do it. I'd name a record. I'd go, 'I like the piano on this... and he'd go, 'Okay', and do the piano part... I fell in love with his playing". Credited as Russell Bridges, he contributed to
3264-538: Was an American record producer whose most famous work was during the 1960s and 1970s. Garrett was born in Dallas , Texas , United States, and attended South Oak Cliff High School , dropping out in the 10th grade. In 1976, he returned to Dallas to receive a special high school diploma that conferred an "honorary music degree." At seventeen, Garrett was a disc jockey in Lubbock, Texas , where he met Buddy Holly . He
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#17327903067983328-543: Was co-charted in Canada with the Williams version. They reached #2. Besides the string quartet itself (The Midnight String Quartet), other players in the rhythm section of their first album Rhapsodies For Young Lovers include: Midnight Strings Quartet Members: Original LPs CD reissues Snuff Garrett Thomas Lesslie Garrett (July 5, 1938 – December 16, 2015) known as Snuff Garrett or Tommy Garrett ,
3392-498: Was co-written by Russell, T. Lesslie (Snuff Garrett) and J. J. Cale. In 1965 Russell built his first recording studio, Skyhill Studios inside his 2,900 sq. ft., 4 bedroom home at 7709 Skyhill Drive in the Hollywood Hills . Russell had seen and worked in similar home recording studios owned by Les Paul , Ernie Kovacs and others. He hired fellow Tulsan J.J. Cale as his in-home studio manager. Cale said "the neighbors thought
3456-507: Was featured performing a medley of the songs " Jumpin' Jack Flash " and " Young Blood " and singing a verse on Harrison's " Beware of Darkness ". Bob Dylan surprised Russell by asking him to play bass for some of Dylan's portion of the concert; Russell and Harrison sang harmonies on the chorus of " Just Like a Woman ". The Concert for Bangladesh benefit album released in late 1971 was a major critical and commercial success. The release topped album charts in several countries, and went on to win
3520-569: Was four years old Russell's mother heard him picking out the melody to "Trust and Obey", a hymn he had heard at church. He then began piano lessons in Anadarko , a 38-mile (61 km) trip to and from the family home. While still taking piano lessons, Russell learned the alto saxophone and cornet in his elementary school band. He then learned to play the baritone horn. After impressing the Maysville High School band director, Russell
3584-524: Was hired by Snuff Garrett and together they formed a production company, Snuff Garrett Productions in 1964. Russell was a production assistant, arranger and creative developer for the company. Russell played on many number-one singles, including " This Diamond Ring " by Gary Lewis & the Playboys. Russell also acted as Garrett's arranger and conductor of the Midnight String Quartet 's debut album Rhapsodies For Young Lovers . The album
3648-508: Was in 1957 age 15 years old, when he played piano on "Jo-Baby", a song written by 16 year-old Gates. Originally attributed to "The Accents" it was released on the Tulsa-based Perspective Sound label then re-released a year later and distributed nationally by Marty Robbins on his Robbins Records record label under the band name "David Gates & The Accents". Russell collaborated later with Gates after high school in
3712-561: Was in its infancy, Garrett bought cassette rights to the old RKO , Republic and Hal Roach ( Laurel and Hardy ) films for what United Press International termed "a pittance." By 1980, the 800-title library of his company, The Nostalgia Merchant, was earning $ 2.3 million a year. "Nobody wanted cassettes four years ago...It wasn't the first time people called me crazy. It was a hobby with me which became big business", Garrett told UPI . Garrett lived in Bell Canyon, California , in
3776-744: Was in my studio in Hollywood and actually I was trying to write a standard. I was trying to write a blues song that Frank Sinatra and Ray Charles both could sing... I wrote it in 10 minutes. It was for a specific occasion. And I went in there and wrote it very quickly... that happens sometimes. Sometimes they're very quick. It's almost as if one is not writing them, you know? Like they're coming from another place". "A Song for You" has become one of Russell's best-known songs, with versions released by more than 40 different artists, including Elkie Brooks , The Carpenters , Ray Charles , Billy Eckstine , Donny Hathaway , Peggy Lee , Carmen McRae , Willie Nelson , Freda Payne , Helen Reddy , and The Temptations . Both
3840-606: Was invited to join the high school marching band while in the fifth grade. Russell said he learned to fake a classical piano style, saying "I studied classical music for a long time, maybe ten years, and I realized, finally, I was never going to have the hands to play that stuff. It was too complicated. I invented ways to play in a classical style that was not the real deal". Russell attended Will Rogers High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma . His classmates included Elvin Bishop , Anita Bryant , and David Gates . His first record appearance
3904-497: Was later re-broadcast several times on the Public Broadcasting Service . Also in December 1970, Rolling Stone magazine carried an interview with Russell. It opened with a characterization of his sound as "those driving, lurchy, churchy rock and roll songs". Russell produced some tracks for Bob Dylan in March 1971 when Dylan was experimenting with his new sound. The sessions produced the single " Watching
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#17327903067983968-451: Was named to the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2018, has been recorded by more than 200 artists, and his song " This Masquerade " by more than 75. As a pianist, Russell played in his early years on albums by the Beach Boys , The Ventures , Dick Dale , and Jan and Dean . On his first album, Leon Russell , in 1970, the musicians included Eric Clapton , Ringo Starr , and George Harrison . One of his early fans, Elton John , said that Russell
4032-432: Was planned as a solo Leon Russell lp, but was instead marketed as a Midnight String Quartet production. Russell and Al Capps arranged Brian Hyland 's 1966 single " The Joker Went Wild ", written by Bobby Russell (no relation to Leon). Russell also played xylophone and bells on the record. Jason Ankeny of AllMusic said "Russell's evocative arrangements lend 'The Joker Went Wild' much of its appeal, however, channeling
4096-491: Was shocked, because he never spoke". Russell said he "was born with 'spastic paralysis', now called cerebral palsy ". An injury at birth had damaged his second and third vertebrae, causing a slight paralysis in the right side of his body, most notably affecting three fingers on his right hand. This caused Russell to favor his left hand and develop his signature left-hand-dominant piano playing style. He said "My chops have always been sort of weak ... I have damaged nerve endings on
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