Tightrope -Leon Russell (1973) 11/12/22

The name Leon Russell may be vaguely familiar to music fans...but it's almost a crime that a legend of his stature isn't really a household name, like most of the artists he worked with during his 60 year career as a singer/songwriter/pianist and producer. (He passed away in 2016.)

We're talking about everyone from The Beatles to the Beach Boys, Frank Sinatra to the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan to Eric Clapton, Joe Cocker to Tina Turner...and as a member of the famous "Wrecking Crew group of studio musicians, dozens of other hitmakers!

I could name a lot more names...but here are some numbers instead: 430 songs, 30 albums, 6 gold records, and 2 Grammys from 7 nominations...including one for playing on George Harrison's "Concert for Bangladesh" album.

Leon was inducted into both The Rock & Roll and Songwriters Halls of Fame...and the list of his accomplishments goes on and on.

Check out his bio on Wikipedia--it's all there, and to say it's impressive is criminally underselling it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leon_Russell

As a solo artist, he had a few "Great Songs" in the '70s,and today we're looking at his hit from 1972: "Tightrope."

This almost forgotten song features Leon's distinctive voice performing a high-wire act with some honky-tonk piano. Not only that, it features a riff taken from the well-known "circus song," "Entrance of the Gladiators," played slowly in a minor key. Definitely different!

Chartwise, it reached #5 in Canada and #11 in the US.

"Tightrope" by Leon Russell: one of the MANY "Great Songs" from the Leon Russell song list! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qvep3Vsv_uQ