Current status of Levon and the Hawks: From Bacon Fat to Judgement Day

http://theband.hiof.no/albums/from_bacon_fat_to_judgement_day.html
http://www.opm66.com/news.php

Anyone know the current status of this box set??

 

Wow, they've been talking about this for 9 years ?!?!? ( Google search )

 

I have no idea, but I am still waiting for it. I am curious if it is mostly live material. How much of it is from the Basement Tapes? I wonder if Garth Hudson is being legally prevented from releasing it?

 

Ugh, one of the Holy Grails. Still waiting...

 

I been checking their web opm66 for years now....without Levon involvement seems the project is loosing speed
We now the stuff is really good from the tracks released on the BOX set.

 

I'm hoping the upcoming Dylan Complete Basement Tapes box, assembled with the cooperation of Jan Haust (owner of OPM, the label behind the Bacon Fat box), might jump start the release of this long promised collection.

It's not unreasonable, I think, to wonder if part of the hold-up was if they required the consent of Dylan's office for some of the Basement material? Maybe resolving those issues was part of price Jan demanded to share his BT reels? If nothing else, he could ask to promote the Bacon Fat box with an insert in the Dylan box (much like the one in the Musical History box that got us so excited in the first place!).

The early publicity for the Dylan set suggests Jan and Garth are working together on the Dylan box. That alone is promising, I hope.

 

Exactly what I'm hoping as well. After the Basement Tapes this one is very high on my wish list.

I remember that insert in the Musical History box set as well. I saw that and wondered, "How the hell did I miss this!?" Turns out I didn't, almost ten years later.

 

My collection is totally deficient in the pre-Band material. I'm ashamed to admit that I heard this track for the first time today:


I resisted the Musical History box because I had so much of it already, but something like Bacon Fat would be an instant purchase for me.

 

My fingers are crossed that with the release of Bob Dylan's Basement Tapes we will see this Levon and the Hawks box set.

 

It would be the perfect companion to the upcoming BT set.

 

Intriguingly, the Other People's Music site is currently blank, with the exception of a graphic showing a Canadian Squires (one of The Band's early names) single. Near as I can tell, this went up on or around the time the Basement Tapes box news broke. (Though, in fairness, it *has* been quite a while since I last visited the page so it could have been like this for longer than I realize).

In any case, I'm taking it as a hint.

http://www.opm66.com/news.php

 

Richard - what a voice he had!

 

This is my favorite, reminds me of Motown !

 

http://theband.hiof.no/albums/from_bacon_fat_to_judgement_day.html

This site now states it is slated for a 2014 release ... ?!

 

The "from the pre-Hawkins bands of late '50s" is both enticing and probably the reason why this has taken so long. Just imagine the challenge of finding usable copies of recordings of that vintage and level of obscurity, and getting the OK to use them (although perhaps they're in the public domain now?)

 

If you mean they wanted to include some of the Dylan songs sung by Dylan on which they back him from the Basement Tapes, maybe, but since its a Band box and not a Dylan or a "Dylan & The Band" boxset, I dont see how the inclusion (or not) of Dylan sung songs should be enough of a sticking point to hold up the box set for a decade (so far). Just leave those out - Dylan's finally putting out those tracks himself anyway.

OTOH, if you mean they need to clear the release with Dylan because he appears on all "The Band" Basement Tapes tracks on guitar and backing vocals, I doubt that is the case because I doubt he appears on many (if any?) of their tracks. I doubt that The Band (at least a couple of whom were living in the house above the basement at the time) thought "Gee, we'd really like to do some recording today, but obviously we can't, since we really need Bob's contribution on second guitar and fourth vocal*")

* ...or fifth vocal if Robbie was singing at the time, or third vocal if Robbie was not and Levon had not yet rejoined The Band (after his nearly 2 year absence).

 

Yes, unfortunately it's always dated as the year that we're in. It started as released 2005, then 2006 and so on until presently listed as 2014.

 

I shall believe it when I see it.

 

In 2005, OPM said:

"There were many recordings from "The Basement" which excluded Bob Dylan. OPM Inc. supplied a few of these for the Band Box Set: Words And Numbers, You Don't Come Through, etc., on disc 1. There's more that is currently being considered for inclusion in The Hawks' Box Set.

Any songs including Bob Dylan would require his consent. If we were able to include any material of the Hawks featuring Bob Dylan on lead vocals from "The Basement", we would focus only on a few selections. Those considered would be cover songs... Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, etc., as this project is about The Hawks. They would not be Dylan originals. Certainly we hope to include the other version of "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" with Dylan singing lead and the Hawks singing back-up harmonies. Robbie originally wished to include both versions; with and without Dylan. Despite the report in the liner notes by Rob Blowman that this version was too distorted to use, I'm not sure that the esteemed Mr. Blowman has even heard the entire version of this song; certainly not a restored version. It's quite haunting."

I imagine if ever there was a time to negotiate Bob Dylan's consent, it would be when OPM provided the original Basement Tapes recordings for the upcoming Bootleg Series release.

And in 2009, OPM said:

"Glad to hear you enjoy A Musical History. From Bacon Fat to Judgement Day is not a "The Band" box set, but is a "Levon and The Hawks" box set...

From Bacon Fat to Judgement Day will definitely be released when it is finished. The longer it takes, the more interviews and source material. So no one is worried about the time with this box set. It has taken 14 years already. The process of this project is exceeding the original list. It is worth the wait. There will be an announcement when it nears release.

This box set is close to Garth's heart and he appreciates your interest"

So this means the box set has now been in the works for almost 20 years.

 

Sounds very similar to an email response I got a few years ago. This thing must be released in my lifetime!

 

I don't know if it's intensional or not, but the fact that Rob Bowman is referred to as "Blowman" makes me think the use of "esteemed" is meant sarcastically.

Gotta say, I quite enjoyed his notes in the various Band sets.

 

Hard to imagine/believe that Bob, Robbie, and Garth are all that remain .....We miss you immeasurably Rick, Levon, and Richard.

 

With all the interest in the Dylan Basement Tapes release, I was wondering if anyone has a listing of the Band only tracks known to circulate from the Basement period. I'd be interested in putting together my own companion piece while I wait for this box set to someday materialize.

 

I don't, and I'd love to see one too. But I just cut and pasted the Band-only tracks from the (er) From the Reels track listing. Based on how the set was compiled, there seems to be some repetition of tracks, but it was so long since I listened to my copy (not even really sure where it is right now) that I've can't recall specifically in many cases so I thought it'd be best to include it all. Also there is ongoing debate as to whether some of these songs were "true" Basement recordings. But even so, this could still be useful to spur on further debate and analysis. Any corrections, insights, opinions welcome. Maybe we can "crowd-source" a more reliable list?

1. Katie's Been Gone
2. Ruben Remus
3. Yazoo Street Scandal
4. Yazoo Street Scandal
5. You Say You Love Me
6. You Say You Love Me
7. Instrumental
8. Instrumental
9. Sonny Boy (With Tiny Tim)
10. Instrumental (All You Have to Do is Dream #3 intro-or ending? 15 sec)
11. Piano solo
12. Orange Juice Blues Instrumental
13. Ferdinand the Impostor
14. Instrumental
15. Be My Baby (With Tiny Tim)
16. I Got You Babe (With Tiny Tim)
17. Memphis Tennessee (With Tiny Tim)
18. Ferdinand the Impostor
19. If I Lose
20. Instrumental
21. Orange Juice Blues
22. Jam
23. Gloria/Banana Boat Song 1 (with count in)
24. Instrumental
25. Ruben Remus Instrumental
26. Beautiful Thing
27. Beautiful Thing
28. Orange Juice Blues
29. Katie's Been Gone
30. Ruben Remus
31. Orange Juice Blues
32. Yazoo Street Scandal
33. Organ riffs
34. Blues Instrumental
35. Ferdinand the Impostor
36. If I Lose
37. Bacon Fat
38. Long Distance Operator
39. Spoken Word/Instrumental
40. Blue Moon (Instrumental)
41. Gloria//Banana Boat Song 2
42. Katie's Been Gone
43. It's Just Another Tomato in the Glass
44. Don't Ya Tell Henry
45. Ferdinand the Imposter
46. Ain't that a Kindness (Cuts at 57 Seconds)
47. Bessie Smith
48. Ain't No More Cane

 

I shall be released...maybe someday. Wonder if the hold up is Robbie?