Oh! This is so good. My only regret is that ‘Dixie Chicken’ needs to be shared when we pay homage to the great Lowell George on the 40th anniversary of his untimely death. Another musician who died way too young.
‘Dixie Chicken’ is the opening track on Little Feat’s landmark 1973 album of the same name. It is a classic musical scene. A patron sitting at a bar, telling the bartender the story of his failed romance. A man who met the love of his life in the lobby of the Commodore Hotel. He becomes so captivated that he makes a lifelong commitment to her, promising his eternal devotion, only to be left behind, crying in his drink. As he tells the story others at the bar add to his story. He soon realizes that he is only one in a long line who have been taken by the same woman. The final chorus becomes a harmony of the many who were drawn in by the spell of this “Dixie Chick”.
Interesting fact! The all-female country band, The Dixie Chicks actually took their name from this Little Feat song.
Lowell George is a fascinating character in the world of music with some interesting connections to greatness. He was a member of Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention. He also produced the Grateful Dead’s 1978 album Shakedown Street. Add this to frequent guest appearances on albums by; John Cale, Bonnie Raitt, James Taylor, John Sebastian, Jackson Browne and Robert Palmer and you get a sense of how highly sought after he was. His musical genius knew no bounds. Beyond his ability as a unique singer, songwriter he gravitated towards production work; mostly because he subscribed to the “if you want something done right, you’ve got to do it yourself” philosophy. It is no accident that at one time he resided in Frank Zappa’s orbit. The two approached their craft in much the same way. Where the two fell out was entirely due to the fact that Lowell George struggled with overindulgence. His challenges with addiction began with binge eating and spread to alcoholism and a disastrous combination of heroin and cocaine. He died of a heart attack on this day in 1979. He was only 34 years old. Another victim of rock and roll excess. A sad waste of a unique talent and musical vision. One can only imagine what he could have created had he continued to produce with uninhibited abandon. For more on Lowell George and Little Feat please see Ted Tocks Covers from April 13, 2018.
There are a few great covers of ‘Dixie Chicken’ and appropriately they cover a range of artists. Here is Garth Brooks.
Numerous artists have paid tribute to Little Feat in the live format. The freestyle that this song inspires is truly where the greatness comes through. Here are a couple of examples.
To lead off, here is Little Feat performing on Midnight Special with special guests, Bonnie Raitt, Emmylou Harris and Jesse Winchester.
How about The Black Crowes?
And naturally Phish love to dip their toe in the southern water. A nine minute jam version. I love the audience reaction when they hear that telltale piano introduction.
While navigating Youtube looking for great examples of cover versions I stumbled across this special version. Eric Church performs ‘Dixie Chicken’ in Denver with the great pianist Chuck Leavall. Many of you know Chuck from his contributions as a member of the Allman Brothers Band. He is currently on tour with The Rolling Stones and has played with this act since 1982. The man is a living legend. This recording with Eric Church puts his playing on full display. What a treat.
Everyone sing along…
“If you’ll be my Dixie chicken, I’ll be your Tennessee lamb
Lowell George
And we can walk together down in Dixieland
Down in Dixieland”
Ted Tocks Covers 