The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • Page 78

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19. 2008, I did a cable program called which I produced with my partner, David saidJohn, 63, referencing the Elvis Costello-hosted music interview-performance series he helped create. chose three singer-songwriters to talk about that I thought had been neglected: one was David Ackles, one was Laura Nyro and one was Leon Russell. At the end of the program, I kind of made up a pseudo- Leon Russell song. Because my never heard of these people, he went out and bought all the CDs and put them on his iPod.

January of 2009, I was in Africa on safari, getting ready to go to lunch, and David started playing greatest John told a small audience gathered recently at the West Los Angeles recording studio where he, Russell and producer Bone Burnett recorded earlier this year.As he sat on a swivel chair in front of the expansive mixing board with the studio lights dimmed, Burnett looked on from a few feet away while Russell, 68, relaxed in an overstuffed recliner chair at the back wall. four tracks in I started to weep uncontrollably, and said, sake, what is I said, takes me back to one of the most beautiful times in my life: the and John recalled. Russell was my idol; he became my idol, became the person that I wanted to play like, that I wanted to sing like and who I eventually met at the Troubadour club on the second night I came here in That was during the week of performances at the fabled West Hollywood club that made John a star virtually overnight. was sitting in the audience with his hair and his glasses, fright- ening the hell out of John said, after the show so incredibly sweet. We consequently went and did some shows It was wonderful to be able to tour with your idol and be treated so sweetly by someone who, really, you thought could have eaten you for breakfast as far as it comes to playing the Russell remembers that tour from a slightly different perspective.

Of that night at the Troubadour, he said, think he might have been a little nervous being it was his first time in America. I really bowled over until he was opening some shows for me. I went out to see his showand I thought that my career was over. It was really quite Indeed, there was a time in 1970 and after both had released their debut albums, when each was poised for major star status: John from an outpouring of critical raves for the beauty and sensitivity of such early numbers as and Years many of which he and lyricist Bernie Taupin wrote out of their love for American country and gospel music; Russell lauded for swampy rockers such as and Away the as well as heart-rending ballads such as the oft-recorded Song for and a No. 2 hit for the Carpenters in 1971.

At that point, Russell had the greater momentum, coming off stints working as abandleader for Joe Cocker and Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett, having established himself previously as atop session player in the Los Angeles amalgam of studio aces known as the Wrecking Crew for knocking out hit after hit for Phil Spector, the Beach Boys, Frank and Nancy Sinatra, Sam Cooke, the Fifth Dimension, Sonny Cher and on and on. Soon, however, career eclipsed as he soared to the top of the pop charts and stayed there throughout the and much of the and Or as Russell succinctly puts it: went to the top and I went to the Russell hit his chart peak in 1972 with the single which reached No. 11, and subsequently traveled pop rootsy tributaries, exploring country, blues, gospel and jazz. He has continued to write, record and release albums on his own Leon Russell Records label, but he dented the national album sales chart in nearly 30 years. Ostin Warner Bros.

Records said I had catholic Russell said with a little chuckle. that meant was I made it very hard on program directors. I was not a brand that they could always expect was going to be the same thing. not as aware of categories in music as some people are. To me just music.

interested in all kinds of John, meanwhilebe- camethe biggest-selling artist in all of pop during the 1970s. So 30-plus years later, John decided that he done enough for the man whose music he so admired. listened to these CDs and I said to really have to speak to this man and tell him how much I love him and how much I miss him and how much his music means to With the help of U.S. Barbis, Johndid just that. told him the story, as well about breaking down when I heard his music and how much it meant to John said, adding, I come back to America, going to look you up and going to get And I put the phone down, and I thought, well, not quite So he called back and invited Russell tomake an album together.

was kind of flabbergasted, Russell said. spoke to him in 35 years, and he called up and said do a duet Isaid, Thank you very Enter Bone Burnett. John told the 10-time Grammy winner how much he adored what he did bringing Robert Plant and Alison Krauss together on the album, and said you ever do another duet record, would you ever consider doing me and Bone got out his computer and played us a Mahalia Jackson video from the Newport Jazz Festival, Lord, It And of course Leon is a huge gospel fan, and I am, and we had two pianos in the John said. went out and started playing a song, which became Dream Come Leon came and started playing with me, and we wrote that song together. That really broke the ice, and from that point on we knew this was going to John and Taupin came up with new several songs for the session, among them a quintessential piano-pounding rocker, while Taupin and Russell crafted Should Have Sent a haunted ballad of a relationship that inexplicably fell by the wayside.

Burnett, John and Taupin collaborated on writing the title referencing the 1920s and singer and songwriter often referred to as father of country John and initial collaboration for the record, Dream Come is a rollicking gospel-infused rave-up featuring, as do most of the tracks, both men banging, caressing or tickling the piano keys in complementary fashion, John in the left channel, Russell in the right in sonically marrow- deep production. For John, sessions were the happiest ever been he said, adding with a wickedly wry smile, been on some happy sessions in my life, believe heading out on a joint tour that includes a Nov. 3 stop at the Hollywood Palladium. For John, irrelevant whether it comes close to the level of popularity of his periodic dual piano tours with Billy Joel. I wanted for Leon is to have in his later life, the accolades that seem to have been missing for him in the last 35 John said.

me, one of the greatest American treasures ever had in this country. played on so many wonderful records, you believe what played on, you believe who played with. And for his own, he was the greatest bandleader of the and At the Harrison- for Dogs and he was the man. He walks into a room of musicians, sits down at the piano and he still is the bandleader, he still is the man. want his name written in stone, I want him in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Iwant his name to be on lips again, like it used to John said.

think such an important story, because Leon is now rehabilitated not fully yet in the world of music, but by the end of this year, by God he will randy.lewis@latimes.com Joseph Guay REUNION: Elton John, left, and Leon Russell, who first met in 1970, have a new album together. A cool collaboration between honky cats Elton John says his idol Leon Russell never got a fair shake. Now he aims to rectify that. Randy Lewis takes me back to one of the most beautiful times in my LTON OHN after listening to several vintage Russell tracks.