stonesrule Wrote:
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> Do you remember any more specifics?


Not specifics as such. It was a really hot sunny day, so much so that fire warnings about the festival were being broadcast on national TV. It was a nice atmosphere, but only really took off when Skynyrd hit the stage. I would guess that most of the audience were Stones fans rather than festival goers per se (remember it was only a one day festival) and were more into the rootsy rock of Skynyrd than, say, Todd Rundgren's set. They went down an absolute storm and it must have been a buzz for the band to lift an audience of that size. The festival site was like a natural amphitheatre and I remember looking round at the huge crowd of sun burned faces, all of them smiling and watching Skynyrd. I would say that Ronnie ushering the guitarists down the catwalk (and yes, I do believe they went to the edge of the stage) was totally spontaneous and not pre-planned. It certainly felt that way and the crowd loved it; it was like him acknowledging to the crowd that the boys done good!

My recollection was that this was during Freebird, but after 30 years I can't be certain. The whole festival was filmed and I remember a Skynyrd track from the show being shown on "The Old Grey Whistle Test" shortly afterwards. I know some of it is on Freebird the Movie, but I haven't seen that. After Skynyrd, it was a mixture of long waits and 10cc before the Stones came on hours later. I will always remember Skynyrd in the hot August sunshine just hitting the spot like a cold beer when you're thirsty. I'd seen them a few times before and my favourite two performances were when they opened for Golden Earring in Glasgow and, of course, when they gave the Knebworth crowd exactly what they were needing. Saw them headline as well, but these two shows stand out in my memory as being very special; maybe they liked the challenge of not being top of the bill.

Like so many, I was shocked and saddened when I heard about the air crash, but I will always have my memories and Ronnie proudly steering the guitar players down Jagger's catwalk on that hot day is up there with the best.

Yes! re Billy Powell. Chuck does not move me. But then I knew Ian Stewart and Nicky.

Billy is a sweet character, very talented classical pianist Ronnie was on his case constantly to make him really special for LS. Don't think any of you ever heard this but when the RossingtonCollinsBand came out of the Skynyrd survivors on special occasions Billy would play this lengthy, semi-classical intro which eventually phased into "Free Bird." Audiences went iINSANE for this. So Big Frankie, take that! Also, the current "Lynyyrd Skynyrd"-- They should be ashamed to follow greatness and glory with what came before.

Teleblaster, thank you so much! You really got it. And I'd like to quote you (will get your permission) for my next book. It's titled PEACOCKS IN THE JUNGLE and is an inside look at Pop Culture from 1965 through the present.
One of the big chapter in it is a look at Hendrix, Lennon and Van Zant, who turned out to have so much in common that people are unaware of (beyond the tragedy of their deaths). It'll take me three years to write it, and I'm exhausted already from reviewing my adventurous life. The Stones are who got me hooked so I blame them for my lack of sleep through the years.

One sunny morning in 1974 in the Record Plant parking lot in LA, I introduced John to LS. You can't imagine how awestruck Skynyrd were. John was very sweet to them, later played their music and phoned me several weeks after the crash. "They were just kids," he said. "Just kids." SO sweet and consoling he was in this moment. I could never have imagined what would happen three years later to John.

I always thought of RVZ as "the General" commanding his troops. He was a really good human being, much softer and more intelligent than the "image."
Re Knebworth and generally, Ronnie was very spontaneous. Little was pre-planned.

Ronnie and Allen especially had studied how the English bands did it since they were young teenagers. It was so much fun to listen to them talk about how they became a band and learned how to take over a stage. From crummy little beer bars to the bigtime. In their struggling days the seven of them could barely fit on those tiny stages.

Assume many of you in this thread will be at O2 in London? Hope I will be there, too. It would be great to meet you all. Those damned summer air fares are going to kill me if I see shows in June and August.

One more tidbit, in 1973 and 1974, I sometimes wore a brown suede cape (bought in Tijuana, of all places). Ronnie gave me a small Confederate Flag patch and dared me to wear it. So I had it sewn on the cape. Everyone in LA and NY thought it was the essence of cool. Bernie Taupin used to refer to it "as the most famous cape in the world." One day, being a semi-fashionista, I took a look in the mirror and said, "Enough of this heavy thing." But before I dumped it, I had the patch cut off. Haven't a clue where it is now but I didn't dare toss it, in case Ronnie found out!



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2007-03-27 19:06 by stonesrule.

Stonesrule, although I was never much of Skynyrd fan, I found myself after reading your posts having a new found appreciation for them as people and musicians. Perhaps I should give their music another listen as I have not really done so since the late 70's. Thanks for pulling back the shades. Roll on!

Can't believe how you guys have pushed my buttons to lay all this Skynyrd stuff on the Stones board! Generally, I really do like to live in the present.

Chris M, if you listen to the first two albums, "Pronounced" and "Second Helping" you should get hooked quite easily. It's amazing how FRESH LS music sounds today.

again, stonesrule, thanks for sharing....I too plan to dust off my old Skynyrd LP's when I get home tonight

A lot of Skynyrd's performance from that day is in Freebird, The Movie. It's now on a DVD with the Tribute Tour disc. Good stuff for those interested in the band.

"No Anchovies, Please"

stonesrule,

You can take your e-mail address down if you need to. I've got it. Will contact ya later (when I'm off work).

"No Anchovies, Please"

Some people really like the stones Knebworth performance, others say it was their low point. Its hard to get a handle on it if your weren't there.
Its very "Kneb"-ulous

I have read that too; lots of people say the stones were not as good as L.S

Stones were better. Skynyrd were great. 10cc dire. Remember the Stones didn't come on till shortly before midnight, had massive technical problems prior to that,had Keith well out of it and yet still managed nearly 30 songs during a two and a half hour set? Who's the greatest rock n roll band?

Ronnie's solo on Wild Horses was the best ever. Now Skynyrd can beat that ever. Seriously, it's a dream come true.

A couple of picture links - I hope.

[images.google.com]

[images.google.com]

"No Anchovies, Please"



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2007-03-28 00:34 by Elmo Lewis.

Elmo Lewis Wrote:
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> A couple of picture links - I hope.
>
> [images.google.com].
> photobucket.com/albums/e69/GastonPetrollini/Lynyrd
> %2520Skynyrd/jump.jpg&imgrefurl=http://lynyrdskyny
> rddixie.com/forums/viewtopic.php%3Fp%3D153&h=644&w
> =435&sz=24&hl=en&start=1&tbnid=3aE0qO-DYmln4M:&tbn
> h=137&tbnw=93&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dlynyrd%2Bskynyrd%
> 2Bknebworth%26gbv%3D2%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den

Hey, Elmo - any comment on my song? I sent you an email a while ago. Guess it is so bad you didn't even bother to comment on it

No, Lorenz, I ain't forgot ya! Just been busy. I'll be back in touch!

SK

"No Anchovies, Please"

Elmo Lewis Wrote:
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> No, Lorenz, I ain't forgot ya! Just been busy.
> I'll be back in touch!
>
> SK

Thanks for the answer!

Didn't Keith used to ride around with Confederate flags on his car?

Didn't Keith used to ride around with Confederate flags on his car?

He also wrote a song called "Slave".

"No Anchovies, Please"

For some reason, everytime I hear Lynyrd Skynyrd, I think of this woman...




(Jamie Pressly from 'My Name is Earl')

Remember, LS were at their prime, the Stones were at a nadir. To be fair to The Stones, they played Knebbers to satisfy those who were unable to buy tix for the UK shows in the Spring of '76. Hey, if Knebbers was the only Stones show I'd ever seen I'd've been excited.

Once you dig past the overplayed hits (Free Bird, Sweet Home, etc.), you can really find some good music - "Swamp Music", "Double Trouble", "Roll Gypsy Roll", "Am I Losin'", "One More Time", etc.

"No Anchovies, Please"

Elmo Lewis Wrote:
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> Once you dig past the overplayed hits (Free Bird,
> Sweet Home, etc.), you can really find some good
> music - "Swamp Music", "Double Trouble", "Roll
> Gypsy Roll", "Am I Losin'", "One More Time", etc.


Don't forget "On The Hunt","I Need You","Ballad of Curtis Lowe"
Also another great song off of Street Survivors called "I Never Dreamed"

"It's just some friends of mine and they're busting down the door"



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2007-03-30 01:16 by sweetcharmedlife.

Too many to name, really.

"No Anchovies, Please"

Cry For The Bad Man, Tuesday's Gone, Saturday Night Special,
All I Can Do Is Write About It...

kish_stoned Wrote:
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> Hi i was at kenbworth,stones came on late but they
> brilliant,STONES ARE STILL
> ROLLING,where are lynyrd skynyrd?


Um....half the band died in a plane-crash...

Elmo Lewis Wrote:
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> Too many to name, really.


Yeah Elmo. I was just trying to think of some of the better stuff that's not on the live album. Street Survivors is very underrated.

"It's just some friends of mine and they're busting down the door"

Gimme Back My Bullets was not a very good seller, yet several fine songs. Think it sold poorly in part because the title song (not one of my favorites) was the single.

Street Survivors = good top to bottom.

"No Anchovies, Please"

Another great song is "Was I Right Or Wrong?" and LS version of J.J. Cale's "They Call Me The Breeze."

When they first opened for The Who they left out "Breeze" the first two gigs.. I had a mini-tantrum and said "This WILL be your third song" (of a fifteen minute set? It's a realaudience grabber.

And "Working for MCA" was a BIG guitar song.

"Saturday Night Special" has its moments, too.

Another great song is "Was I Right Or Wrong?" and LS version of J.J. Cale's "They Call Me The Breeze."

When they first opened for The Who they left out "Breeze" the first two gigs.. I had a mini-tantrum and said "This WILL be your third song" (of a fifteen minute set? It's a realaudience grabber. You ought to have seen The Who audience, who'd never heard of the young Skynyrd, flip when Allen jumped higher in the air than even Pete Townshend could. Allen was a true star but always an ensemble player; this fact always reminded me of Keith at his best.

"Working for MCA" was a BIG guitar song.

"Saturday Night Special" has its moments, too.

stonesrule, how about sending me a PM as I accidentally washed your address in yesterday's clothes. Ooops! Have a few ideas about your exhibit. Thanks.

SK

sbking@wildblue.net

"No Anchovies, Please"

speaking of Skynyrd, anybody know any good Skynyrd bootlegs?

I have Cardiff '75, Asbury Park '77, and the '73 radio broadcast (from Memphis maybe?) but are there any other good soundboard recordings out there?