Anybody still play ''Willin''?

[lowrider]

I started learning it this morning to sing with my jam group. It's such a cool song. Way back when, it was one of the songs a band had to do if they wanted to call themselves a country band. Done by everyone from Linda Ronstadt to Phish.

I'm looking forward to playing it. Does anyone else still do it?

[Pixelfergus]

Gregg Allman had it on his posthumous 2017 release "Southern Blood"

[Long Jon]

Yes sir ! That’s my fallback number that makes non musicians think you’re a musician.
I have been playing that for years, in a very simplified form, then, couple weeks back my pal showed me that little walk-down intro and now my repertoire is complete !

Thing is, in UK only a very very small percentage of people have ever heard of Little Feat, BUT, people still like it, great “gateway to real country “ song. It’s got trucks, drugs, drink, Mexico, all kinds of slacking off, but still gettin’ the job done.

A firm favourite, as is Dixie Chicken .....

[mlazare]

It is my go to song. I can actually sing it and it makes my guitar playing sound more advanced then it actually is. Besides it is a Little Feat tune and they have been my favorite band for 30 years.

[HOF dad]

It's amazing how many songs I have forgotten about.
I had to dial it up on y-tube to recall it. I always liked Linda's version of the song.
I don't know it but may have to give it a whirl.

[saxonblue]

Yes absolutely, always drag it out every now & then since I learned to play it. That's after first hearing it on my sister's copy of Waiting for Columbus (LF live album) many, many years ago (still my fave rendition of the song).

[rwmct]

I need to learn that sometime. It is such a great song.

[guitargeak99]

Lowell George was so talented, and left us way too soon.

[JoeCharter]

I don't sing so I never learned to play this song properly -- but I often listen to Linda Ronstadt's version which features an absolutely killer guitar solo.

[KenL]

Yep, great song, fun to play.

A friend once showed me how that C chord slides up to the 3rd fret and back again- that is the key to the song.

And, to do it properly in a band situation, you have to have a bass player who knows what he's about.

[nitram]

Originally Posted by saxonblue

Yes absolutely, always drag it out every now & then since I learned to play it. That's after first hearing it on my sister's copy of Waiting for Columbus (LF live album) many, many years ago (still my fave rendition of the song).

Still have the original vinyl but got the CD so I can howl along to the amazing tunes when I'm on the road. A classic!

[lowrider]

Originally Posted by Long Jon

Yes sir ! That’s my fallback number that makes non musicians think you’re a musician.
I have been playing that for years, in a very simplified form, then, couple weeks back my pal showed me that little walk-down intro and now my repertoire is complete !

Thing is, in UK only a very very small percentage of people have ever heard of Little Feat, BUT, people still like it, great “gateway to real country “ song. It’s got trucks, drugs, drink, Mexico, all kinds of slacking off, but still gettin’ the job done.

A firm favourite, as is Dixie Chicken .....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMYn...GKP-dFmkhyGNGF


Good video showing the opening walk-down and the one in the chorus.


Not too many were aware of Little Feat during the Lowell George time either. They didn't get a lot of radio play. I used to hear them on WCAS in Cambridge, a sun-up to sun-down station with a 25 mile broadcast radius. The bigger Boston and NYC stations barely played them. They were one of those bands that reached out in every direction, country, boogie, jam, jazz, at the same time.

Interesting thing; I never bought a Little Feat album but I have this memory of ''Waiting for Columbus''. It's a picture of American Indians standing on the beach looking out to sea with three ships approaching. I don't know where it comes from but I can see it vividly. It must have been a record store poster or an ad in the weekly Boston papers.

And just one last thing. When you say that Lowell George left us too soon, remember that he, like too many, was a heroin addict who died of an overdose.

[rmoretti49]

That video you just posted is how I learned to play the song. Instead of strumming, though, I use Travis fingerpicking for that walkdown.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by lowrider

I started learning it this morning to sing with my jam group. It's such a cool song. Way back when, it was one of the songs a band had to do if they wanted to call themselves a country band. Done by everyone from Linda Ronstadt to Phish.

I'm looking forward to playing it. Does anyone else still do it?

Another one to learn in a somewhat similar vein is "The Weight" by the Band

[rockabilly69]

Originally Posted by lowrider

I started learning it this morning to sing with my jam group. It's such a cool song. Way back when, it was one of the songs a band had to do if they wanted to call themselves a country band. Done by everyone from Linda Ronstadt to Phish.

I'm looking forward to playing it. Does anyone else still do it?

Two summer's ago I was playing as an opening act for Steve Kimock @ Snowbird Ski Resort's "Summer Cool Air Series", and here is a review of the show, check out the last paragraph...

Tonight’s show was supposed to feature Buckwheat Zydeco but due to an emergency it was filled by the Kimock Band featuring Steve Kimock, whose legendary guitar work is often associated with various members of the Grateful Dead. They played a great set to a packed crowd with Laurie Mendelsen’s soulful vocals carrying the canyon and everyone in it into the twilight.

The opening act of Utah local Daniel Weldon on guitar accompanied by Ryan Hawthorne on mandolin and slide guitar started the night right. They performed Dan’s latest album in its entirety, which was a unique way to play a set. But it was their killer rendition of Lowell George’s “Willin” with just the two instruments that was the highlight of the night. Little Feat couldn’t have done better.