Posted on 04/16/2016 9:57:02 AM PDT by DrJeff
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Sweet Home Alabama Recorded Live: 7/2/1977 - Oakland Coliseum Stadium - Oakland, CA
Personnel:
Ronnie Van Zant - vocals
Allen Collins - guitar
Gary Rossington - guitar
Steve Gaines - guitar
Artimus Pyle - drums
Leon Wilkeson - bass
Billy Powell - piano
Cassie Gaines - vocals
Jo Billingsley - vocals
Leslie Hawkins - vocals
Summary: Just three and a half months before the fateful plane crash that killed Skynyrd members Steve Gaines, his sister, backing vocalist Cassie Gaines (of the Honkettes), and lead vocalist Ronnie Van Zandt, Lynyrd Skynyrd played this 4th of July weekend program in Oakland.
While this is only a partial recording of the show, two of the three songs are probably the ones you would skip to anyway: "Sweet Home Alabama" and the legendary closing track that has inspired legions of concert-going yokels to make millions of ironic requests over the years, "Free Bird." The first track is an excerpt of a standard Skynyrd live show cover, Jimmie Rodgers' "T for Texas" The guys take six minutes to stretch their legs on this version of "Sweet Home Alabama." The song had been released three years prior as a response song to the Neil Young numbers "Southern Man" and "Alabama," which were both critical of southern politics. Ironically, by some reports, Van Zant was wearing a Neil Young t-shirt at the time of this performance.
The show is closed with "Free Bird," which by many fans' estimations is only rivaled by Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" as the most epic closing song in rock history. Allen Collins handles most of the five-minute solo, while Gary Rossington plays the "bird-chirp" guitar parts, which are not on the original recording, as well as the slide work on the opening riffs. Billy Powell also plays a masterful piano solo that is unique to the live show.
While Lynyrd Skynyrd would release the multi-platinum Street Survivors in October of 1977, the band's structure would be fundamentally devastated by the crash of their private Convair 240 that took the lives of three members, as well as the pilots and assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, and terribly injured every other member, except for Honkette, JoJo Billingsley, who was at home with her children and had reportedly begged the band to quit using the plane after dreaming of such a crash.
From the ashes of this Skynyrd incarnation, Van Zant's younger brother, Johnny, stepped in and made Lynyrd Skynyrd a popular band once more when they reformed in 1987. Lynyrd Skynyrd is planning to release an unearthed recording of pre-plane crash Skynyrd in 2009
Billy finishes up on the piano and Steve takes over in a fantastic solo at 4:43. Ronnie grins with admiration as Steve works the fretboard - just a fantastic solo. He closes out and Allen Collins takes over for another great solo.
One of my favorite versions. Great to see the boys jamming in '77. God Bless America
I saw them at their next to last concert at Lakeland Civic Center in Florida.
The studio version is on my 'heard ~10,000 times and I don't want to hear it again' list.
I like the live version because it has a bit of room for improv.
Steve didn’t play on Second Helping did he?
I thought Ed King played the opening chords in studio in Atlanta after noodling with Kooper on piano and Rossington helping too
Not gonna google it’s cheating
Classic opener
Like Smoke or Purple Haze or Whole Lotta Love or Paranoid or I’m 18
Or Statesboro Blues
Some songs just bam! You know them instantly
Yeah Gaines was amazing. Ronnie once said he expected Steve to go on to a solo career that would surpass anything Skynyrd ever did, that’s how much he was blown away by him as a musician. What’s interesting about those old videos is how many young girls are in the audience. Now girls that same age are into sh*t like Justin Bieber. What happened?
BFL, am currently sitting in the GA 6th District Republican convention.
Saw LS twice in the 70s. First time they were blind running drunk, fighting with each other on stage. It was terrible.
A couple years later I saw them from right on the wall from the days of “festival seating”. Top ten all time show for me, and I’ve seen a lot of live music over the years.
Lord...I can’t change...
Not sure - I thought Billy was always on the keys....
I just can't get into the popular music today. My musical diversity is Steve's strat, Gary's Les Paul, and whatever that beast is Allen is playing!
Incredible talent assembled in one band. When you need a break from the convention, come back and press play here, FreedomPoster!
Improv for sure - so great to see the boys up there - enjoyed watching them hit solos. Even the ominous Leon and his crazy hats...
I saw that day on the green in 77, and saw them again last week at the duck Commander 500.
I'm old but I got to see them in 1974, what do kids have today? Mily Cyrus? LOL really?
Right on - still unbroken!!
Ronnie: "Don't let that flag hit the ground!"
Yeah, somewhere, lol. What strikes me was back then nobody was fat
Great tune and look at that great big beautiful Confederate flag!
Yep - I’ve noticed that in pictures and vids from pre-1990’s. Less processed foods...
No video games.
I looked up their 1977 tour dates. I saw them on October 18, 1977. The plane crash was October 20. I vividly remember my disbelief when I heard about it on the radio.
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