With a calculated facade that hovers decidedly on the redneck side of glam—he'll wear makeup, but with that facial hair and croaking drawl you're never going to mistake him for a girl—Leon Russell comes across as some kind of Dr. John knockoff who absurdly appears to believe he's Bob Dylan, a blip of the early '70s. But something about certain Leon Russell songs has always pierced me deeply and unforgettably. He got his foot in the door playing sessions for Gary Lewis & the Playboys in the mid-'60s and then struck out on his own, eventually making some splash with a couple of Top 40 hits and a few well reviewed albums before settling into a lifetime of semi-respectable bubbling under. His material may be hit or miss, but when it hits, it goes right to the heart, and all these years later his stuff can still sound just great to me.
Carpenters, "Superstar" (1971) First, but only because it's alphabetical, the Carpenters' best song by miles, which Leon Russell co-wrote with Bonnie Bramlett. (3:46)
Gary Lewis & the Playboys, "Everybody Loves a Clown" (1965) I have to include a few songs by Gary Lewis & the Playboys, an infatuation of mine that dates back to my grade school career. As with Dino, Desi & Billy, another favorite at the time, much of their success is due to famous dads, in this case Jerry. The hold on me has dimmed, of course, but I sure loved them at one time, and there was Leon Russell in the middle of it. This one was co-written by Leon Russell, the famous producer Snuff Garrett, and Gary Lewis. (2:26)
Gary Lewis & the Playboys, "Green Grass" (1966) I don't think Leon Russell had anything to do with this one, but I just like it a lot. (2:15)
Gary Lewis & the Playboys, "She's Just My Style" (1966) Co-written by Leon Russell, Snuff Garrett, Gary Lewis, et al. (3:12)
Gary Lewis & the Playboys, "This Diamond Ring" (1964) Leon Russell appears as a session keyboards player and also the arranger for this and numerous other songs by the group. The song was co-written by Al Kooper, Bob Brass, and Irwin Levine. (2:15)
Leon Russell, "The Ballad of Mad Dogs and Englishmen" (1971) (4:03)
Leon Russell, "If the Shoe Fits" (2:22) (1972)
Leon Russell, "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" (1971) Leon Russell has got such a fetish for covering Dylan that I thought I better get one of them in here, even if I don't often think he has that much to bring to them. I think he's better with his own songs, but he seems to want to tell us something. (3:41)
Leon Russell, "Lady Blue" (1975) His last appearance in the Billboard Top 40. (3:36)
Leon Russell, "Magic Mirror" (1972) (4:59)
Leon Russell, "Manhattan Island Serenade" (1972) (3:26)
Leon Russell, "Me and Baby Jane" (1972) I'm not sure how he does it, or sometimes even what he does exactly, but this may be the best single example of him doing it: swooningly sad, ripe to the point of bursting, dramatized within an inch of its life, yet somehow softly understated, always tender, and above all completely beautiful. The heroin theme only makes it hurt more. (3:53)
Leon Russell, "A Song for You" (1970) (4:09)
Leon Russell, "Tight Rope" (1972) His first appearance in the Billboard Top 40. (3:01)
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