Old friends and iconic musicians Mavis Staples and Levon Helm came together in June of 2011 for a special series of concerts at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, New York. Highlights from their joint performances, recorded under a year before Levon’s death, will be released as the live album Carry Me Home through ANTI- Records on May 20.
The Band drummer Levon Helm and The Staple Singers vocalist Mavis Staples first met and shared the stage together at The Band’s 1976 Thanksgiving farewell concert that was captured by director Martin Scorsese in his film, The Last Waltz. Levon and Mavis became friends immediately and forged a working relationship that culminated with Staples and her band joining Helm and his band for June 2011 concerts as part of the Midnight Ramble series.
“It never crossed my mind that it might be the last time we’d see each other,” Staples recalled of her trip to Woodstock. “He was so full of life and so happy that week. He was the same old Levon I’d always known, just a beautiful spirit inside and out.” Helm died of throat cancer on April 19, 2012. The forthcoming collection features one of Helm’s last recordings.
Carry Me Home consists of 12 songs from the concerts’ varied setlists, including a cover of The Rolling Stones’ “You Got To Move,” a single released today along with a video featuring rehearsal footage to preview the set. The musicians also performed gospel gems, Bob Dylan’s “You Got To Serve Somebody,” The Band classic “The Weight,” Helm’s “When I Go Away” and more. “The Weight” found Levon taking a verse for his lone lead vocals of the concert as he was content to let Mavis do the heavy lifting when it came to vocal work.
Preview Carry Me Home by watching the “You Got To Move” video below:
Carry Me Home Tracklist
- This Is My Country
- Trouble In My Mind
- Farther Along
- Hand Writing On The Wall
- I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free
- Move Along Train
- This May Be The Last Time
- When I Go Away
- Wide River To Cross
- You Got To Move
- You Got To Serve Somebody
- The Weight
