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Dateline Los Angeles, 1969
Today, (in history that is), in L.A. singer and
guitarist Lowell George from Hollywood, California and Bill Payne, piano player and singer from Waco, Texas, joined forces
with Roy Estrada, from Santa Anna, California on bass guitar and Ritchie Hayward from Clear Lake, Iowa on drums to form a
new soon to be legendary band. The four young men and some friends were sitting around jamming and trying to come up
with a name for the new group. Worn out from pacing round the room, Lowell George,, who has recently been fired by Frank
Zappa kicked back in a chair and propped his feet up on the table. “Check out those little feet” said someone
in the room. The rest, as they say, is history. It was no small feat that brought together George, Payne, Estrada
and Hayward. The spelling of the singer’s little feet was not in
homage to the feat accomplished, Rather, it was in homage to The Beatles.
Little Feat's Self Titled debut Released in 1971
The band's first album was released in 1971 and featured songs written by Lowell George and Bill Payne. One
of the songs on this album, "Willin'" is according to Lowell George, the song that got him fired from Frank Zappa's band The
Mothers of Invention. Zappa himself said he let Lowell go because he, Lowell, had too much talent and needed to go out
and form his own band. Unfortunately for Lowell George, during the recording of this album, George injured his hand
while messing around with a gas powered model airplane, proving that the prop on one of those things is stronger than some
humans bones. Another pioneer of the slide guitar style, ry Cooder, was called in to cover for Lowell. On their
second album, Sailing shoes, the band re-recorded "Willin'" with Lowell George doing the honors.
| Little Feat in Buffalo 1977 |
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| Lowell George playing his Fender Strat |
The second album from Little Feat
recorded in late 1971 and released in May 1972 "Sailin' Shoes" is a continuation of the unique blend of rock, blues, jazz and country that began with the self titled debut and also marks a shift to a more refined sound. "Willin'" was recorded again, this time with author Lowell George playing slide guitar. The album's cover design introduced the band to Deon Parks who came up with the albums cover of a sailing shoe and a cake on a swing. An illusion to "The Swing" by painter Jean-Honoré Fragonard?
"Sailin' Shoes" marked as well the end of Roy Estrada's position as the bass player. And, it was the last album to be produced by an outsider. Lowell George took over production duties starting with the next album "Dixie chicken" and continued with that responsibility through "Down On the Farm", the 1979 album that marked the end of the original Little Feat.
| "Sailin' Shoes" Album Cover |
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| Design by Deon Parks |
The Little Feat Albums
I’ve divided the Little Feat albums in to four groups. The first group is the original Little Feat with Lowell George. The
second group are the albums recorded in the studio with Craig Fuller, formerly with Pure Prairie League and with Shaun Murphy. She was a backup singer with the band on several albums recorded during the nineties,
and, after Fuller left, she stepped up to the front mic. The next group are the
live albums recorded from 1988 to 2007, and the fourth group are the compilation albums.
1.
The Original eight albums
1.1.1.
1971 - Little Feat
1.1.2.
1972 – Sailing shoes
1.1.3.
1973 – Dixie Chicken
1.1.4.
1974 – Feats Don’t Fail Me Now
1.1.5.
1975 – The Last Record Album
1.1.6.
1977 – Time Loves A Hero
1.1.7.
1978 – Waiting for Columbus
1.1.8.
1979 – Down On the Farm Note: This is the eighth and final album recorded before Little feat disbanded.
Between Time Love A Hero and this one, Little Feat was doing backup work for Robert Palmer and Lowell George, who had
already declared Little Feat history , had recorded a solo album, “Thanks, I’ll Eat It Here”. George had oarticipated in the mix down and produced the album with Little Feat on this album, but passed
away while out touring and promoting his only solo effort. Little Feat then finished
the album, released it in October ’79 and called it quits.
2.
The 1987 – 2008 Studio Albums. Tired of sitting
around? reform the band!
2.1.1. 1988 – Let It roll
2.1.2. 1990 – Representing he Mambo
2.1.3.
1991 – Shake Me Up
2.1.4.
1995 – Ain’t Had Enough Fun
2.1.5.
1998 – Under the Radar
2.1.6.
2000 – Chinese Worksongs
2.1.7.
2003 – Kickin’ It At the Barn
2.1.8.
2008 – Join the Band
3.
Live Albums 1988 – 2007
3.1.1.
1996 – Live From Neon Park
3.1.2.
2000 Extended Version
3.1.3.
2001 – Late Night Truck Stop
3.1.4.
2002 – Live At the Ram’s Head
3.1.5.
2003 – Down Upon the Suwanee River
3.1.6.
2004 – High Wire Act Live In Saint Louis 2003
3.1.7.
2005 Barnstormin’ Volumes 1 and 2
3.1.8.
2007 Rocky Mountain Jams
4.
Compilation Albums
4.1.1.
1981 Hoy, Hoy
4.1.2.
1994 As Time Goes By, The Very Best of Little Feat
4.1.3.
2000 – Hotcakes and Outtakes, Thirty Years of Little
Feat
4.1.4.
2002 – Ripe Tomatoes
4.1.5.
2002 Raw Tomatoes
4.1.6.
2005 - The Essentials
4.1.7.
2006 – The Best of Little Feat
Want to hear more of a particular Little Feat album? Get in touch with me via the Feedback link at the bottom of this page and we will set up a private listening party for you.
The Members of Little Feat Over the Years
1969-72
Lowell
George - vocals, guitar, harmonica
Bill Payne - vocals, keyboards
Roy Estrada - bass, backing vocals
Richie Hayward
- drums, backing vocals
1972-79
Lowell
George - vocals, guitar, harmonica
Bill Payne - vocals, keyboards
Paul Barrere - vocals, guitar new member
Kenny
Gradney - bass replaces roy estrada
Richie Hayward - drums, backing vocals
Sam Clayton - congas, vocals, percussion
new member
1987-93
Bill Payne - vocals, keyboards
Paul Barrere - vocals, guitar, slide guitar
Craig Fuller - vocals,
additional guitar fills in for the late Lowell George
Fred Tackett - guitar, mandolin, trumpet new member
Kenny Gradney
- bass
Richie Hayward - drums, backing vocals
Sam Clayton - congas, vocals, percussion
1993-Jan.
2009
Bill Payne - vocals, keyboards
Paul Barrere - vocals, guitar, slide guitar
Shaun Murphy - vocals, tambourine
replaces Craig Fuller
Fred Tackett - guitar, mandolin, trumpet, vocals
Kenny Gradney - bass
Richie Hayward - drums,
vocals
Sam Clayton - congas, vocals, percussion
Jan.
2009-Aug. 2009 Shaun Murphy departs
Bill Payne - vocals, keyboards
Paul Barrere - vocals, guitar, slide guitar
Fred
Tackett - guitar, mandolin, trumpet, vocals
Kenny Gradney - bass
Richie Hayward - drums, backing vocals
Sam Clayton
- congas, vocals, percussion
Aug.
2009-present
Bill Payne - vocals, keyboards
Paul Barrere - vocals, guitar, slide guitar
Fred Tackett - guitar, mandolin,
trumpet, vocals
Kenny Gradney - bass
Gabe Ford - drums fills in for ailing Richie Hayward
Sam Clayton - congas,
vocals, percussion
As
you can see from the band line up over the past forty years, the band has not changed much. With the passing of Lowell
George in 1979 the end of the band seemed likely. In 1988 though, former Pure Prairie League vocalist and guitar player
Craig Fuller joined the band. After he left Shaun Murphy stepped in to add a bit of a twist, i.e. a female vocalist.
Craig departed but was not replaced by another guitarist. And then in 2009 an ailing Ritchie Hayward stepped aside and
left his large empty shoes to be filled by Gabe Ford .
| Little Feat |
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| Paul and Lowell |
Dateline L.A. October 2009
Hard
to believe it's been forty years since that first press release announcing the creation of Little Feat. It is true Linda
Lou. And the band is still working hard. Time loves a hero, also true, but time is slowly but surely taking it's
toll. With the recent diagnosis of a rather serious liver disease forcing Ritchie Hayward to take an unplanned sabbatical
it seems that the mind making promises the body can't fill is becoming more than just a prelude to the old folks boogie.
Our prayers are with Ritchie for a full and speedy recovery. And for Bill, Paul, Fred, Kenny, Gabe and Sam as they continue
to give this old dreamer, and many of you too, sight through music.
Check
out the official Little Feat web site and keep up on Ritchie's condition, the tour schedule and everything Little Feat!
