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LITTLE FEAT
    
Formed
in 1969 in Los Angeles by two former members of Frank Zappa’s Mothers
of Invention, songwriter,
multi-instrumentalist, and
vocalist Lowell George and Roy Estrada on bass guitar, completing the
line up were drummer Richard Hayward and Bill Payne on keyboards. Little
Feat’s music is eclectic mix of blues, R&B, country and rock and
roll.
 They
were soon signed to Warner Bros., where Little Feat, in various
configurations, would remain for twelve of their sixteen albums. This
initial line-up recorded the band’s first two LPs, 1971 self-titled
“Little Feat”, featuring the classic cut Willin, and its follow-up,
Sailin’ Shoes, which added Easy To Slip, Trouble, Tripe Face Boogie,
Cold Cold Cold and the infectious title track to their repertoire. ''Little
Feat'' and ''Sailin' Shoes'', received good reviews but failed
commercially, and the band split up until 1972 when it reformed with
Kenny Gradney replacing Estrada. This new incarnation also included
guitarist Paul Barrere and percussionist Sam Clayton.
Next
up was Dixie Chicken (’73), a New Orleans-influenced gumbo of
greatness that offered up the signature title track and Fat Man In The
Bathtub, among other delights. The two LPs that followed, Feats Don’t
Fail Me Now (’74) and The Last Record Album (’75) served up Rock
& Roll Doctor, Oh, Atlanta, and All That You Dream, respectively,
while 1977’s Time Loves a Hero offered up, in fine Feats fashion,
another unforgettable title track. That same year delivered the
aforementioned Waiting For Columbus, forever memorializing their
legendary stage prowess.
During Little Feat’s recording of their eighth album as a group,
1979’s Down On The Farm, founding member Lowell George—who had
already been veering towards solo work—met a tragic and untimely
passing. Except for Hoy, a 1981 full-length assemblage of rarities, live
performances, previously overlooked tracks, and a new song apiece from
Payne and Barrere, Little Feat disbanded until the mid-‘80s. At that
point, their own lyrics from Hangin' On To The Good Times Here,
“…although going their separate ways, they found themselves that a
chance jam session in 1986 brought them together again, they were then
reminded of how deeply Little Feat’s music was ingrained in them.
 In
1988, the reformed band, with new members Craig Fuller (handling
George’s vocal duties) and Fred Tackett rekindled Feat’s magic for
fans old and new alike. That year, they released the lively reunion
album Let It Roll, and the singles Hate To Lose Your Lovin' and, of
course, the title track. The 1989 follow-up, Representing The Mambo,
would prove to be their last for Warner Bros. Next came 1991’s Shake
Me Up (on Morgan Creek), after which Fuller's
vocals were replaced by those of female singer Shaun Murphy
and released an acclaimed studio album, Ain’t Had Enough Fun in 1995
(this time on Zoo). Shaun’s feminine energy and powerful, seasoned,
bluesy vocalizations certainly upped the fun quotient for a recharged
Little Feat. Miss Murphy
began her career working in Detroit, Michigan, most notably in theatre,
and received a record contract with Rare Earth Records, a division of
Motown Records, as a member of a duet with notable recording artist Meat
Loaf. The duet team later disbanded, and Miss Murphy went on to sing and
record with renowned artists such as Eric Clapton and Bob Seger, prior
to joining "Little Feat" as a replacement for Craig Fuller.
The replacement was not an easy task for a female in an all-male band,
but Murphy adjusted, and soon became one of the band's biggest
attractions in their evolution.
In
1998, Little Feat released Under The Radar, their first album on CMC
International. Spotlighting a confident and well-oiled configuration of
first-rate talents, Under The Radar delivered a consistently strong set
of songs including new Feat favourites Home Ground, Eden’s Wall, and
Calling The Children Home. With 2000’s Chinese Work Songs, also on
CMC, Little Feat’s ever-evolving repertoire grew even more, featuring
original compositions including Marginal Creatures, Eula, and Another
Sunday, as well as vibrant covers of Bob Dylan, The Band and Phish
songs.
In
2002, "Little Feat" then launched their own record label, Hot
Tomato Records.
Some of the prominant musicians and bands to play, record, and cover the
music of "Little Feat" include The Byrds, Garth Brooks,
Jackson Browne, Emmylou Harris, Nicolette Larson, Randy Newman, Robert
Palmer, Bonnie Raitt, Linda Ronstadt, John Sebastian, Van Halen, Joe
Walsh, and Bob Weir.
"Little Feat" one
of the hardest working bands
continues to play and tour all over the world and are regarded by many
rock music critics as a "band's band", and as being one of the
greatest rock bands in American rock music history.
DISCOGRAPHY
ALBUMS
Little
Feat (1971) Sailin' Shoes (1972) Dixie Chicken (1973) Feats Don't Fail
Me Now (1974) The Last Record Album (1975) Time Loves A Hero (1977) Down
On The Farm (1979)Let It Roll (1988) Representing The Mambo (1990) Shake
Me Up (1991) Ain't Had Enough Fun (1995) Under the Radar (1998) Chinese
Work Songs (2000) Kickin' It at the Barn (2003) Join The Band (2008)
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