Delaney & Bonnie And Friends

The Husband-And-Wife Duo Of Delaney & Bonnie Bramlett Created Some Of The Most Distinctive And Unique Music Of The Early '70s But Their Alchemical Sound -- Equal Parts Blue-Eyed Soul Blues Country And Gospel -- Was Often Marginalized By The Attention Instead Paid To The Contributions Of Their Famous "friends " Including Rock Icons Like Eric Clapton Duane Allman And George Harrison.
Delaney Bramlett Was Born July 1 1939 In Pontotoc County Mississippi Later Befriending Fellow Aspiring Musicians Leon Russell And J.J. Cale. On Their Recommendation He Relocated To Los Angeles Briefly Landing With The Champs Before He Was Hired To Play Guitar With The Shindogs The House Band On The Popular ABC Television Variety Series Shindig. Bonnie Lynn O'Farrell Meanwhile Was Born November 8 1944 In Alton Illinois And Raised In Nearby East St. Louis As A Teen She Backed Blues Acts Including Albert King And Little Milton Before Signing On As The First-Ever White Ikette Behind Ike & Tina Turner. She Eventually Migrated To Los Angeles As Well And Met Delaney While The Shindogs Were Moonlighting At A Local Bowling Alley. Within A Week The Couple Were Married.
HomeAfter Signing To The Famed Memphis Soul Label Stax Delaney & Bonnie Recorded Their Debut LP 1969's Home. Though Cut With The Aid Of Stax Linchpins Like Booker T. & The MG's William Bell And Isaac Hayes The Record Went Virtually Unnoticed And The Duo Were Released From Their Contract. They Landed With Elektra To Release The Follow-Up Accept No Substitute -- Recorded With A Superb Backing Band Including Keyboardist Bobby Whitlock Bassist Carl Radle And Drummer Jim Keltner The Album Was Another Commercial Failure But The Couple's Gritty Soulful Vocals And Earthy Sound Earned The Appreciation Of Fellow Musicians At Home And Abroad Not To Mention An Invitation To Serve As The Opening Act On British Supergroup Blind Faith's 1969 U.S. Tour. Blind Faith's Superstar Guitarist Clapton Was Soon A Fixture Aboard Delaney & Bonnie's Tour Bus Regularly Jamming With The Bramletts And Their Band. When Blind Faith Disbanded After The Tour Ended Clapton Joined Delaney & Bonnie Full-Time Assuming A Sideman Role And Actively Avoiding The Spotlight On-Stage And Off. The Group Eventually Toured The U.K. Where Clapton Friends Like Harrison And Dave Mason Occasionally Popped Up On-Stage -- A Late 1969 Show In Croydon Was Released The Following Year As On Tour With Eric Clapton Becoming The Duo's Best-Selling LP When It Cracked The American Top 30.
Mad Dogs & EnglishmenNow Dubbed Delaney & Bonnie & Friends The Group Briefly Joined Up With John Lennon's Plastic Ono Band And Toured Europe Before Returning Stateside In 1970. When Clapton Dropped Out To Begin Working On His Debut Solo Album -- A Record That Introduced A Bluesy Raw Vocal Style Clearly Indebted To Delaney -- Audience Interest Began To Dissipate. Worse Leon Russell Lured Away Radle And Keltner To Join Joe Cocker's Mad Dogs & Englishmen Tour Forcing The Couple To Cancel A Planned Tour Of Their Own. Nevertheless The Backing Band Assembled For 1970's Tom Dowd-Produced To Bonnie From Delaney Was First-Rate Including Guitarist Duane Allman Bassist Jerry Scheff Pianist Jim Dickinson And Saxophonist King Curtis. 1971's Motel Shot Was Another All-Star Affair Highlighted By Delaney & Bonnie's Biggest U.S. Pop Hit "Never Ending Song Of Love." The Following Year's D & B Together Yielded Another Top 20 Hit A Reading Of Dave Mason's "Only You Know And I Know." However The LP Was Delaney & Bonnie's Last -- When Their Marriage Fell Apart So Did Their Musical Collaboration. read less