It's Happening: Mad Dogs & Englishmen Documentary

Gotta be a must, right?

Hardly any one my age knows about this band, it's criminal

read the liner notes from the original album, I'm sure they are on line, about how and why it was thrown together. I got to see both Cocker and Russell, separately, shortly after the event.

Elton John wrote to Lefsetz:

Dear Bob, thank you for the article on Leon. It warmed my heart. As you know I adored his style of playing, singing and songwriting. He was a one off and treated me with incredible kindness when I came to America. He took me on tour with him and I was able to watch the maestro every evening. What a beautiful experience it was!

So glad that other musicians are playing homage to him.Great musicians and singers.

To be honest you have to be good to play his stuff. Derek Trucks is a beautiful man and an incredible guitarist as you so rightly point out. In fact DT plays on one of my upcoming album tracks. Tedeschi Trucks keep soulful music alive amongst many others.

Their tribute to "Layla" being a recent example. This is the music that inspired me and thousands of other musicians/singers. Joe Cocker was an extraordinary singer and performer. The rendition of “The Letter” has been shown many times to new artists that I encounter. They always make me play it again. Also the backing vocalists are sublime. Ditto Bobby Keys. Going to shows like “Mad Dogs” made you feel superhuman after you left. Your whole being became joyful and full of love.

When I did "The Union" with Leon, I took HIM on tour and we played big arenas the likes of which he had not played for many years. When he came on stage at every concert he got a standing ovation. During the barren years he had lost his self worth as an artist.

I was SO happy to give him his belief back. The album came in at number 4. He got into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. The Songwriters Hall Of Fame. His star was shining again. Alas his health had long deteriorated long before we started the album. He was unable to take advantage of his resurrection, so to speak. But, he got his self respect back which was all I ever wanted.

By writing about him you help keep the magic alive. Thank you so for doing that.

He was a true musical genius. And, I still think about him, talk about him and play his music on my radio shows.

I send buckets of love to you Bob.

Elton x

This from Dave Frey--remember him?

From: Dave Frey
Subject: Re: Re-The New Mad Dogs & Englishmen Movie

Hi Bob,

As a promoter it’s rare to get props so I really appreciate you mentioning Lockn’ in your Learning To Live Together letter. During my 7-year run with Pete Shapiro our thing was to try to present once-in-a-lifetime artist collaborations. We had some big ideas and swung hard at them, like pairing Clapton with TTB (and Whitlock, Bramlett, Keys et al) to do Layla. That incarnation of our idea never got off the ground, but the TTB next one, Mad Dogs did. I’d seen Mad Dogs & Englishmen at the Evanston Theater on Central St when I was 11 and then bought the record. Pete, who’s younger, got it but didn’t connect like I did so he gave me the rope. I first tried to pair Joe with TTB and we got close, but sadly Joe died and the idea did too.

Later on Wayne called and said Derek & Susan were still up for it as a celebration. So again Pete gave me the rope and we worked out a deal and secured Leon. My next inquiry was to The Boss who wasn’t available, and when Paulo Nutini didn’t work out the focus switched to different singers doing their own interpretations. That’s when Wayne Forte really stepped up and we confirmed Rita Coolidge, Chris Stainton, Claudia Lennear, Chris Robinson, Dave Mason, John Bell, and others, and don’t forget Susan Freaking Tedeschi, Wayne was totally immersed, he even put up show posters!

Pete reminded me the budget was spiraling; “did I know what I was doing?” On a financial basis… it was out of control, sorry Pete. But Shapiro’s always been a great music film and video producer fans.live and he had the foresight to bring in (and vouch for) Jesse Lauter to document everything. Jesse found the original photographer Linda Wolf who we also flew in, Linda recently released a great book called "Cocker Power." She and Mary Beth Aungier became invaluable because I couldn’t stop. They were tasked with the Easter Egg hunt and they found Bobby Torres, Pamela Polland, Bobby Jones, Don Preston, Donna Washburn, Jim Price, Daniel and Matthew Moore, and others. Some had been out of the game for years and wouldn’t come. Not Keltner, he wasn’t going to travel but said not to worry, the show would have “the pocket” because Leon and Stainton were there (and don't forget Kofi Burbridge too!). Steve Martin stepped up too and got Chuck Blackwell and Sandy Konikoff's info from Leon. Leon officially passed the baton to Derek who did what he does so well, he became the wizard, the eye of the hurricane, and a master music director.

At the rehearsals everyone seemed so happy to be together again, it was like a good high-school reunion. But there were serious challenges too. Marketing learned it was hard to message, sprawling, obscure, few knew what it was, especially without Joe. Then the day before doors a derecho storm hit the site and we lost Thursday. Our incredible crew recovered the site, re-permitted everything, and then Pete and I pushed most of those bands into shorter sets on Friday. No one slept for 3-days.

Come Friday night I stopped to breathe and my wife and I watched the show from out in the crowd. Everyone killed it of course, but when Leon sang “Mad Dogs & Englishmen” on his own, and we used two spotlights, one on Leon and the other on a center stage mic where Joe would have stood, there were few dry eyes in the crowd. I know it’s an old trick, and I sure hope it was captured on Jesses film. Afterward Leon shared that he was grateful because the show got him and Joe in touch again. The last thing he told me was to thank my mom for letting me see the movie at such a young age. So thank you mom, and thank you Bob for the acknowledgement.

Dave Frey
Lockn’ LLC & Lockn’ Farm LLC
Managing Member / Owner

P.S. And after all this time I still run into people that say they had no idea what they were about to see, but that MD&E then became one of their favorite shows ever. But to be candid, the show lost a fortune and raised my blood pressure, considerably.