Cabot Hall, London E14, Tuesday Sept 4th 2001
'Beatles Blues'
The packed hall stamped, cheered and sang along as no less than seventeen blues singers and musicians crowded on to the stage at the end of a sweat and soul-soaked marathon that began at 7.45 pm. The raging crowd finally succumbed no less than three hours later, collapsed, satisfied and exhausted.
Supremo of the soul ballad Charles Walker brought down the house with his supercharged rendering of 'Don't Let Me Down', before being joined on stage by the entire cast for the climactic 'A Little Help From My Friends'. Charles' delivery of the famous first lines of the song were enough to bring the already simmering crowd to the boil as they flocked to the front of the stage to dance and sing. The show ended in a tremendous crescendo of sound and fury, driven by powerhouse drummer Colin Nixon, behind an impromptu choir that contained singers of the calibre of Ruby Turner, Earl Gaines, Earl Green, Roscoe Shelton, Fred James and Harry Lang.
But if the entertainers thought they would be let off at that, they were wrong as the audience dragged them back for a jammed-up working of a song the Beatles once covered, 'Money'. This was enough to precipitate a stage invasion and massed dancing on in and around the tables and the stage.
Previous highlights had to be Ruby Turner's superb rendering of 'Hey Jude' - another song whose opening words produced resounding applause - and Earl Gaines thoughtful rendition of 'Something', beautifully set to the interlocking guitars of Peter Farrugia and Fred James. Not far behind came Paul Lamb's haunting version of Norwegian Wood and the massed backingsingers behind Al Garner on 'The Word'.
Prior to that, the Legends of Excello Blues - Roscoe Shelton, Earl Gaines, Al Garner, and Johnny Jones, along with Charles Walker and Fred James - had entertained the crowd with some traditional blues tunes, aptly backed up by the ever-excellent Paul Lamb and The King Snakes and those fast rising sons of Brit blues, Mo'Indigo. The first half was rounded off by some powerhouse singing and guitar slinging from hotshot Nashville performer, writer and producer Fred James.
For the completists out there, the full track listing of Live Beatles Blues
was;
I'm Down - Fred James
Why Don't We Do It In The Road - Fred James with Paul Lamb
Norwegian Wood - Paul Lamb
I Call Your Name - Mo'Indigo
Run For Your Life - Earl Green
From Me To You - Earl Green
For You Blue - Roscoe Shelton with Paul Lamb
Let It Be - Roscoe Shelton
Hey Jude - Ruby Turner
Something - Earl Gaines
Oh Darling - Earl Gaines
Come Together - Johnny Jones
I Saw Her Standing There - Johnny Jones
Drive My Car - Al Garner
The Word - Al Garner
Don't Let Me Down - Charles Walker
A Little Help From My Friends - Charles Walker
with Ruby Turner, Earl Gaines, Roscoe Shelton, Johnny Jones, Al Garner, Fred
James, Paul Lamb, Harry Lang, Rod Demick.
Musicians for Beatles Blues: Peter Farrugia,guitar; John Bulpitt,bass;
Anthony Cooper, keyboards, Colin Nixon, drums.
for more reviews click here
'Beatles Blues'
The packed hall stamped, cheered and sang along as no less than seventeen blues singers and musicians crowded on to the stage at the end of a sweat and soul-soaked marathon that began at 7.45 pm. The raging crowd finally succumbed no less than three hours later, collapsed, satisfied and exhausted.
Supremo of the soul ballad Charles Walker brought down the house with his supercharged rendering of 'Don't Let Me Down', before being joined on stage by the entire cast for the climactic 'A Little Help From My Friends'. Charles' delivery of the famous first lines of the song were enough to bring the already simmering crowd to the boil as they flocked to the front of the stage to dance and sing. The show ended in a tremendous crescendo of sound and fury, driven by powerhouse drummer Colin Nixon, behind an impromptu choir that contained singers of the calibre of Ruby Turner, Earl Gaines, Earl Green, Roscoe Shelton, Fred James and Harry Lang.
But if the entertainers thought they would be let off at that, they were wrong as the audience dragged them back for a jammed-up working of a song the Beatles once covered, 'Money'. This was enough to precipitate a stage invasion and massed dancing on in and around the tables and the stage.
Previous highlights had to be Ruby Turner's superb rendering of 'Hey Jude' - another song whose opening words produced resounding applause - and Earl Gaines thoughtful rendition of 'Something', beautifully set to the interlocking guitars of Peter Farrugia and Fred James. Not far behind came Paul Lamb's haunting version of Norwegian Wood and the massed backingsingers behind Al Garner on 'The Word'.
Prior to that, the Legends of Excello Blues - Roscoe Shelton, Earl Gaines, Al Garner, and Johnny Jones, along with Charles Walker and Fred James - had entertained the crowd with some traditional blues tunes, aptly backed up by the ever-excellent Paul Lamb and The King Snakes and those fast rising sons of Brit blues, Mo'Indigo. The first half was rounded off by some powerhouse singing and guitar slinging from hotshot Nashville performer, writer and producer Fred James.
For the completists out there, the full track listing of Live Beatles Blues
was;
I'm Down - Fred James
Why Don't We Do It In The Road - Fred James with Paul Lamb
Norwegian Wood - Paul Lamb
I Call Your Name - Mo'Indigo
Run For Your Life - Earl Green
From Me To You - Earl Green
For You Blue - Roscoe Shelton with Paul Lamb
Let It Be - Roscoe Shelton
Hey Jude - Ruby Turner
Something - Earl Gaines
Oh Darling - Earl Gaines
Come Together - Johnny Jones
I Saw Her Standing There - Johnny Jones
Drive My Car - Al Garner
The Word - Al Garner
Don't Let Me Down - Charles Walker
A Little Help From My Friends - Charles Walker
with Ruby Turner, Earl Gaines, Roscoe Shelton, Johnny Jones, Al Garner, Fred
James, Paul Lamb, Harry Lang, Rod Demick.
Musicians for Beatles Blues: Peter Farrugia,guitar; John Bulpitt,bass;
Anthony Cooper, keyboards, Colin Nixon, drums.
for more reviews click here