Show Notes
At first, the viewer sees nothing but a blank screen and hears only the voices of Rick Danko, Martin Scorsese and another member of the film crew as they run through a first take, Danko manages to only utter one word "cutthroat" The Last Waltz dragged on. With the concert wrapped and filming complete at the MGM soundstage, Martin Scorsese wanted to now add a series of interviews to further contextualize the footage shot. With the go-ahead and more budget from the studio interviews were filmed. Filming took place at The Band's clubhouse Shangri-La and most evenings didn't start until well after midnight. The goal was to reminisce about the “good old days” and play some instruments. It becomes quite evident through the various interviews littered between the concert footage, that much was being left unsaid. It’s no surprise at this point The Band minus Robertson was uneasy with the whole proposition. In exchange, we get a series of uneven interviews but enough to glean new information and explore the everchanging dynamics of The Band, their relationships with each other and the music. Part of Panteon Podcasts The Band: A History is produced, written and hosted by Tyrell William Lisson with additional research and writing by Alex McGillivray and post-production sound and editing by Michael Koehler. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
More from The Band: A History
Levon Helm built The Barn in Woodstock as a place to keep making music, make a home and then when stuggles hit - through throat cancer and in the process, built something just as lasting with his daughter Amy, who grew up on that stage and has kept it running ever since he passed.
Jericho was the first Band studio album in sixteen years, and by the time it arrived a lot had changed. Richard Manuel was gone. Robbie Robertson was gone. What remained were Levon Helm, Rick Danko, and Garth Hudson, joined by Jim Weider, Randy Ciarlante, and Richard Bell, trying to figure out what The Band could still sound like in the 1990s.
This episode traces the final years of Richard Manuel, from The Band’s relentless touring in 1984–86 to his last night in Winter Park, Florida. We follow the grind of the road, the pressures that built around him, and the moments of beauty still present in his late performances. This is the story of a brilliant singer living through the hardest years of his life, the night everything changed, and the music and tributes he left behind.
This episode follows guitarist Jim Weider, from growing up in Woodstock to finding his way onto the road with Levon, Rick, Richard, and Garth. We trace how he joined The Band in the mid-’80s, held things together through years of hard touring, helped shape their final studio records in the ’90s.