The Memphis Tour
| Untitled | |
|---|---|
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 Official Music Video Gimme Some Lovin. with Steve Cropper and Band. |
The Memphis Tour is a live DVD/CD by Australian singer Guy Sebastian, released on May 3, 2008 through Sony BMG. The DVD features a live recording of one of Sebastian's concerts from his national tour of the same name. Sebastian's backing band during the tour included Steve Cropper, Donald 'Duck' Dunn and Steve Potts, who are members of American soul band the MGs. They had recorded The Memphis Album with Sebastian in 2007. The DVD include a 20 minute documentary detailing the making of The Memphis Album. There is also a bonus CD featuring live audio from the same concert.
Background
In 2007 Sebastian recorded a cover album of soul songs at Ardent Studios, Memphis with Steve Cropper, Donald 'Duck' Dunn, and Steve Potts, (a.k.a. the MGs), with Lester Snell on keyboards. The MGs were the Stax band who played on many of the original versions of the songs Sebastian recorded on the album.[1] Steve Cropper was also the co-writer of three of the songs Sebastian sang on the album, "In the Midnight Hour", "Knock on Wood" and "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay".[2] Whilst recording The Memphis Album, The Mgs and Snell agreed to come to Australia to be Sebastian's backing band on his 2008 national tour.[3] The concert at The Palms in Melbourne was filmed and released as a DVD/CD in May 2008. Apart from songs from The Memphis Album it also contains a Sebastian orginal "I Feel A Fire", and a performance by the MGs of Green Onions, their hit soul instrumental from 1962.
After the first concert of the tour Sebastian spoke to Stuart Bocking from radio station 2UE about what it felt like to be on stage with the MGs, "There were so many moments when I just had to take a step back and think 'This is unbelievable'. Like the history that is behind me, and I'm singing these songs. You know they start playing Dock Of The Bay, and the guys that played it are on the stage. You know the guy who wrote the song with Otis Redding is playing guitar. The same with Midnight Hour and Knock on Wood. All these songs that I keep starting. These guys played on the original and wrote the songs, and were the sound that created them." During the interview Sebastian said he had just received a message from Dunn thanking him for inviting him on the tour, saying, "I'm having the time of my life and it's an honour to play with you."[4]
On return to the US Cropper spoke to online Memphis radio station AllMemphisMusic about the tour, saying, "There was a little apprehension about us going down to play behind him, because the people who were fans were there to see Guy. Well they were there to see some of the old Memphis guys as well. And that comradre with everybody, and hearing him singing our music, which was born and raised and produced and recorded in Memphis Tennessee. It was just something I, it's hard to explain the excitement coming from being on stage and that excitement coming out of the audience. It just filled our hearts. Because they really liked us, and they really liked that good old Memphis music, and here’s one of the biggest Idols singing that music. It's just pretty much an overwhelming experience that we will probably never ever get over. I hope some way we can do it again."[5] Sebastian was nominated for a Helpman Award for The Memphis Tour for "Best Performance In An Australian Contemporary Concert".[6]
Chart performance
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Music DVD Chart | 12 |
Track listing
DVD and CD
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Gimme Some Lovin’" | Steve Winwood, Mervyn Winwood, Spencer Davis | 4:32 |
| 2. | "Soul Man" | Isaac Hayes, David Porter | 2:42 |
| 3. | "Hold On, I'm Comin'" | Samuel David Moore, David Prater | 3:20 |
| 4. | "In the Midnight Hour" | Steve Cropper, Wilson Pickett | 3:08 |
| 5. | "Let's Stay Together" | Al Green, Willie Mitchell | 6:12 |
| 6. | "Hard to Handle" | Alvertis Isbell, Allen Jones, Otis Redding | 3:03 |
| 7. | "Under the Boardwalk" | Arthur Resnick, Kenny Young | 4:36 |
| 8. | "I've Been Loving You Too Long" | Jerry Butler, Otis Redding | 5:37 |
| 9. | "Green Onions" | Booker T. Jones, Steve Cropper, Al Jackson, Lewis Steinberg | 5:05 |
| 10. | "I Feel A Fire" | Guy Sebastian | 5:54 |
| 11. | "Take Me to the River" | Mabon Hodges, Al Green | 4:38 |
| 12. | "Respect Yourself" | Luther Ingram, Mack Rice | 4:54 |
| 13. | "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" | Steve Cropper, Otis Redding | 4:25 |
| 14. | "Knock on Wood" | Steve Cropper, Eddie Floyd | 4:34 |
| 15. | "Shake A Tail Feather" | Otha Hayes, Verlie Rice, Andre Williams | 2:54 |
DVD extras
"On a Dusty Road" documentary
Personnel
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DVD/CD
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"On A Dusty Road" documentary
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References
- ^ Booker T. and the MGs. History Of Rock. Retrieved September 7, 2010
- ^ Steve Cropper. Stax Records. Retrieved September 7, 2010
- ^ Band's on a mission for Guy . The Daily Telegraph. February 21, 2008. Retrieved September 7, 2009
- ^ Stuart Bocking 2UE interviews Guy Sebastian about Steve Cropper. Google Videos. Retrieved September 7, 2010
- ^ Steve Cropper talks about touring with Guy Sebastian. Myspace Videos. Retrieved September 7, 2010
- ^ 2008 Helpman Award Nominations. Helpman Awards. Retrieved September 7, 2010
- ^ The Memphis Tour liner notes. Sony Music Entertainment, 2008
External links
