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Versions of "The Weight"

By Peter Viney

© Peter Viney 1996
Appendix to the article "The Weight".

Official versions by the Band and its members
Bootleg versions / Radio CDs
Significant unreleased broadcast versions
Selected collectors' tapes
Covers by other artists

Numbers in parenthesese indicate official different versions of The Weight.

Official versions by the Band and its members

Albums

  • Original studio version 1968 (1)
    The Band: Music From Big Pink, Capitol, 1968
    Chart US#30, single UK #21

  • Live, Woodstock Festival, 21 June 1969 (2)
    Woodstock Diary, Atlantic 1994
    Woodstock: The 25th Anniversary Collection, 4 CD set, Atlantic 1994

  • Live, Academy of Music, New York, New Years' Eve, 1971 (3)
    The Band: Rock of Ages, Capitol, 1972
    Chart, US#6

  • Live, Los Angeles, 1974 (4)
    Bob Dylan & The Band: Before The Flood, Asylum 1974
    Chart: US #3, UK #8

  • Studio, 1977 with The Staple Singers (5)
    Recorded after the concert for inclusion in The Last Waltz Suite on side 6 of the set. Mavis Staples and Pops Staples take verses.
    The Band: The Last Waltz, Warner Brothers, 1978 3 LP / 2 CD set
    Chart: US #16, UK # 39

  • Live, Greek Theater, Los Angeles, 1989, Ringo Starr & His All Star Band (6)
    Features both Levon Helm and Rick Danko, as well as Billy Preston who briefly joined The Band in 1990. As Garth sidles on uncredited to play accordion, this is as near a Band version as you can get for the era. Dr John takes the extra verse.
    Ringo Starr: Ringo Starr & His All Star Band, Rykodisc, 1990

  • Live, Massey Hall, Toronto, January 1995 (7)
    The Band perform a three song set at this concert
    Ronnie Hawkins: Let it Rock - The 60th Birthday Celebration, Canadian 2 CD set, Quality, 1995

  • Rick Danko, live broadcast, Bring It On Home, sometime between 1988 and 1992 (8)
    Various Artists: Bring It On Home Volume 2, Sony Legacy, 1994

Videos

Bootleg versions / Radio CDs
  • Live, The Hollywood Bowl, July 1970 (13)
    LP, Live At The Hollywood Bowl, 1970
    CD, Real Old Time
    CD, Live At The Hollywood Bowl 1970, Italian

  • Live, Jersey City, 1973 (14)
    CD, The Band: This Wheel's On Fire, Luxemburg 1990
    CD, The Band: Blue Highways, 1995

  • Live, Charlotte, North Carolina, January 1974 (15)
    (Before The Flood Tour)
    LP, Down South

  • Live, Madison Square Garden, New York City, January 1974 (16)
    (Before The Flood tour)
    CD, Before and After The Flood

  • Live, San Francisco, March 1975 (17)
    This was a Neil Young charity show with Dylan guesting. Levon Helm, Rick Danko, Garth Hudson, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Ben Keith perform together. Lots of bootleg versions, mainly Italian CDs.
    CD, Various Artists: The S.N.A.C.K Concert
    CD, Various Artists: San Francisco Bay Blues
    CD, Bob Dylan: The Prophet & The Clown
    CD, Bob Dylan: San Francisco 1975
    CD, Bob Dylan / Neil Young: Super Golden Radio Shows #27

  • Live, Washington DC, 16 August 1976 (18)
    CD, The Band: Live in Washinton (sic) December 1976 (sic), Italian CD
    CD, The Band: Ophelia - King Biscuit Flower Hour, German CD
    CD, The Band: And The Band Played On ... With Robbie Robertson
    CD, The Band: Live USA
    CD, King Biscuit Flower Hour, 1990 Radio CD
    CD, King Biscuit Flower Hour, 1991 Radio CD
    CD, King Biscuit Flower Hour, 1993 Radio CD

  • Live, The Last Waltz, San Francisco, 1976 (19)
    This is the live version by The Band - official releases have the studio cut with The Staple Singers
    CD, The Complete Last Waltz, 4 CD set, Taiwan

  • Live, Woodstock 94, 1994 (20)
    CD, The Band: Woodstock 94, Australian (title here is The Wait!)

Significant unreleased broadcast versions
  • The Band: Live, Syria Mosque, Pittsburg, November 1970
    Quite widely disseminated early live TV show (rebroadcast in 1990s)

  • Rick Danko: The Real Story, CMBC TV 1991
    Rick's solo version where the audience are expected to sing along to an instrumental

  • Robbie Robertson: Guitar Legends - Sevilla, Expo 92
    Sung by Robbie Robertson, Ivan Neville, Bruce Hornsby, Monk Bordeaux

  • Robbie Robertson: Saturday Night Live, 18 January 1992
    Same band as Sevilla (+ G.E. Smith on mandolin)

  • The Band, CBC TV, Canada 3 December 1993
    Introducing Randy Ciarlante on verse 4

  • The Band: Woodstock 94 TV broadcast
    With Bruce Hornsby singing verse 2 (as with Robbie Robertson) and Jack Casady on second bass guitar.

  • The Band: The Letterman Show, January 1995
    The Band with stunning accordion from Garth, plus Paul Shaeffer, Anton Fig

Selected collectors' tapes

Everyone except Garth has done live solo versions, e.g.

  • The Band
    Winterland, San Francisco, 19 April 1969
    Isle of Wight Festival, 31 August 1969
    Central Park, New York, 1 May 1970
    Tufts University, 5 November 1970
    Copenhagen, 27 May 1971
    Royal Albert Hall, London, 3 June 1971
    Rotterdam, 6 June 1971
    Central Park, New York 30 June 1971
    Central Park, New York 1 July 1971
    Boston, 6 December 1971
    Watkins Glen, 28 July 1973
    New Jersey, 31 July 1973
    Buffalo, 7 June 1974
    Toronto, 1 September 1974
    Wembley Stadium, London, 14 September 1974
    San Francisco, 19 April 1975
    Lennox, 18 July 1976
    Los Angeles, 24 & 25 August 1976
    Lennox, 29 August 1976
    Toronto 31 August 1976
    Philadelphia, 17 September 1976
    New York, 18 September 1976
    Central Park, New York 30 June 1971

  • The Band with The Cate Bros
    (with four Cate Bros replacing one Robbie Robertson)
    Numerous tapes from 1983 and 1984 tours (see the official videos)
    Nostell Priory, England, 25 August 1984 (without Levon Helm)

  • The Band
    (with Jim Weider replacing Robertson)
    Stratford, Ontario 2 November 1985
    Worcester, Mass 21 February 1986

  • The Band
    (with Jim Weider and Fred Carter replacing Robertson and Manuel)
    Dallas, 31 December 1986

  • The Band
    (with Jim Weider, Stan Szeleste replacing Robertson and Manuel)
    Santa Rosa, 14 November 1990

  • The Band
    (with Jim Weider, Stan Szelste, Vassar Clements)
    San Francisco, 20 September 1992

  • The Band - post-1993
    (with Jim Weider, Randy Ciarlante, Richard Bell)
    Mountain Stage, 27 February 1994
    Quatro Club, Tokyo 4 May 1994
    Bergen, Norway 27 May 1994
    Telluride, Colorado 19 June 1994
    Kitchener, Ontario 25 March 1995
    Richmond, Va 3 May 1995
    Poughskeepie, 15 December 1995
    Philadelphia, 3 February 1996
    Carnegie Hall, New York, 29 March 1996
    Dublin, 21 June 1996 (without Rick Danko)

  • Levon Helm & The Cate Bros
    Toronto, November 1981
    Toronto, 19 June 1986

  • Levon Helm, Russell Smith & The Muscle Shoals All Stars
    San Jose, 26 April 1982

  • Levon Helm & Bob Dylan
    Lone Star Café, New York 29 May 1988

  • Levon Helm & The Woodstock All Stars
    Storrs, 1 November 1984
    Woodstock, 16 February 1985

  • Helm & Hudson
    Lennox, 3 July 1992

  • Rick Danko & Levon Helm
    Berkely, 25 March 1983

  • Rick Danko
    Roslyn, New York 15 December 1977
    Lone Star Café, 21 December 1977
    The Roxy, Los Angeles 1 March 1978 (with Levon, Richard & Garth)
    New York, 7 May 1992
    Philadelphia, 22 January 1993
    London, England, 6 April 1993
    New York, 3 November 1995
    Pawling, 24 November 1995

  • Danko, Hudson, Manuel
    Lone Star Café, New York 3 January 1985
    Lone Star Café, New York 31 March 1985

  • Danko, Hudson & Friends
    Toronto, 11 March 1988 (joined by Robbie Robertson)
    Kuranda, Australia 5 June 1988

  • Richard Manuel
    The Getaway, Woodstock, 7 December 1985

  • Robbie Robertson
    Guitar Legends, Sevilla 1992

Covers by other artists

  • Jackie De Shannon
    US #55, August 1968, now on What the World Needs Now - The Definitive Collection

  • Smith
    who rerecorded it for the US # 6Easy Rider soundtrack album

  • Diana Ross and The Supremes with The Temptations
    US #46, 1969, now on I'm Gonna Make You Love Me album, Spectrum CD 1993

  • Aretha Franklin
    US # 19, 1969

  • Mike Bloomfield & Al Kooper
    Live Adventures of Bloomfield & Kooper

  • Spooky Tooth
    It's All About Spooky Tooth / Best of Spooky Tooth

  • Amen Corner
    High in The Sky

  • Ronnie Hawkins
    Several times

  • Giant Sand

  • Joe Cocker
    4 CD set The Long Voyage Home

  • Ausgang

  • The Staple Singers
    Soul Folk in Action LP 1968

  • The Staple Singers & Marty Stuart
    Rhythm, Country & Blues album. Produced by Don Was, 1994

Contributed by Peter Viney. © Peter Viney 1996.
Peter Viney is working on a critical discography of The Band. Comments welcome.
e-mail: TheBand@PeterViney.co.uk

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