Stumbled on this tonight – a 2-hour interview with the great Albert Lee, going through his entire life from his first band in 1959. The names keep coming in astonishing progression, from Dickie Pride via the Everly Brothers, Clapton, Chris Farlowe, Emmylou, the Crickets…the list goes on. He loses the thread and drifts off a bit from time to time – he’s even older than I am, after all – and the interviewer is often out of his depth, being a mere child. But definitely worth a watch if Albert has ever struck a chord. Lots of guitar chat if that helps, and lots of great stories. The guy should write a book.
‘Albert, would you like to come and play with us for a few days, because James [Burton] has got to go and play with Elvis.’ – Emmylou Harris.
Here’s a bunch of old gits enjoying themselves. James Burton, let me remind you, first starting playing with Ricky Nelson in 1957.
Just me then?
Not at all. Elvis stole James Burton from Nelson’s band.
He’s British! I have always assumed that he was born and bred in Nashville. Memphis at a push.
Almost Welsh, by birth but brought up in Blackheath, London. From a Romani family.
Saw him with Heads, Hands and Feet in the early ’70s and then several times with Hogan’s Heroes in the late ’90s and early ’00s. On one occasion, at the Rayners Hotel near Harrow, he remarked that we were seeing him there for £7 and the night before he’d been one of the guest guitarists at The Concert For George at the Albert Hall, where scalpers were selling tickets outside for £100 and more.
They played a few times at the Rayners back then, because his drummer Peter Baron came from that area.
Seen him more recently at The Half Moon in Putney with his American band.
What. A. Player.
Magnificent. Anyone who doesn’t enjoy and appreciate this music is dead from the neck up and the knees down.
Indeed …
Here’s Albert playing the piano:
Some nice Floyd Cramer-ish touches in that.
That’s just gorgeous, I had no idea.
Yep.
His approach to piano (stately) is so different to his approach to guitar (frenetic). Both masterful.
I’m a big fan since the Heads, Hands and Feet days, and have just spent 2 hours enjoying the YouTube clip you posted. I’ve met him very briefly a couple of times (he won’t remember!) and he is a lovely chap.