Somewhere I have a cassette tape of this session, recorded from the TV using the tiny built-in audio mic on my radio cassette player; very low tech. The recording was further embellished with random sneezes from my Dad, particularly irritating at the time. This Old Grey Whistle Test special from The Shepherd’s Bush Theatre was one of the first times I’d ‘witnessed’ Skynyrd and 51 years later I still absolutely love this band, this song and Second Helping, the album it was taken from, a southern rock masterpiece and their best by a country mile.
This song is of course a JJ Cale cover, a track which appeared on his 1971 album Naturally. Covered by many artists including Johnny Cash, John Mayer and Bobby Bare, Skynyrd’s version is probably one of the most recognisable. Originally Ronnie van Zant had wanted to do a laid back version of the song similar to Cale’s yet Gary Rossington transformed it, according to Odom and Dorman in their excellent 2002 book, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Remembering The Free Birds of Southern Rock “into a rollicking good-time rocker that would’ve become their encore if not for Freebird”. This recording came at a time when Ed King, after a well-publicised bust up with Ronnie van Zant, had left the band. A replacement for King, Steve Gaines, joined in 1977 so in the meantime Rossington and Collins shared the guitar duties between them.
As the song kicks off, Rossington, Les Paul in hand, launches into the opening riff. Allen Collins joins with his cooler than cool reverse Firebird and Van Zant, a prowling mean and moody MC, wolf whistles the song into a glorious driving boogie riff fest. A barefoot Van Zant stalks the stage, mic stand in hand, cowboy hat shading half his face, glowering and growling. In the second verse, bassist Leon Wilkinson provides vocal support as Van Zant looks on as if in judgement. Collins drives the song forward whilst Rossington loosens up with some tasty, economical licks before absent-mindedly wandering out of shot. He reappears and the others graciously step back and for the next minute Rossington goes into a masterclass of a solo, a series of repetitive progressing motifs, some deft linear blues lines, structured, distinctive, infectiously memorable and totally supportive of the song.
Rossington slides effortlessly back into his riffing as Van Zant returns for the third verse. Billy Powell’s boogie piano then takes over, providing a different texture and showing it’s not all about the guitars. On the record, the celebrated horns of Bobby Keys, Trevor Lawrence and Steve Madiao introduce a syncopated earworm of a riff, yet live, the heavy lifting is done by Collins and Rossington. As the song wraps up, Van Zant leads the band into the big finish, Collins leaping, almost throwing his guitar, Powell’s piano frantically tinkling in the higher registers and on cue, Artimus Pyle giving his drum kit hell.
This is a fantastic record of Skynyrd in their pomp, three albums in with their fourth, Gimme Back My Bullets, just about to be released. Through a relentless schedule of gigging Skynyrd totally nailed the southern rock boogie riff thing. I saw them with my best buddy at the Free Trade Hall in Manchester, February 11th 1976 and thank goodness we didn’t wait to see them next time around. At least we have recordings like this one to remind us of how great they were and maybe, one day I will find that cassette tape and be able to re-live that 1970’s lo-fi home recording moment not forgetting of course my Dad’s untimely sternutation.
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