Joe Cocker / Claudia Lennear / Leon Russell "Let it Be"

[superfuzzymomma]

and I bet nobody in the joint can play in the pocket like Jim can!

[tool68und]

Not only is she beautiful, but highly talented.

[Claudius131]

Claudia features heavily in backup on the PBS Homewood program: Leon Russell & Friends (1971). Google around and you'll find clips.

[superfuzzymomma]

Yes, we have the Master of Space and Time, Mr. Leon Russell, on piano...he's also the band leader! Please, also, some Love for the great Jim Gordon at 1:18 - I forget who the quote is from, but its touting Gordon as the greatest rock drummer of the era....(And hell yes he's up there).. Google the man!

[judecreek2]

@superfuzzymomma But then he killed his mother and is still in prison for it......

[tiotgris1]

Oh my god, je l'ai toujours aimé

[recubejim1]

This was no doubt taken from the original Mad Dogs and Englishmen concert DVD. I saw it on a big screen. WoW! Best rock DVD I've seen!!

[tank3ful]

I think Claudia purposely escaped fast paced rock n roll lifestyle. She was a talent for sure, and I will always remember her. I hope she is happily married somewhere and enjoying grand kids. Her work with Leon Russell, Joe Cocker, the Stones, and George Harrison's "Concert For Bangladesh", leaves me with great memories during my youth. Cheers to you Claudia!!!!

[kingfucter]

@tank3ful That makes sense to me. I can't find much about her, i think she sounds and sings great. someone with that kind of talent doesn't just fade away. Bummer...

[judecreek2]

@kingfucter Claudia led a very interesting life in the 70's. She toured Europe with Leon and had an affair with Mick Jagger. She was the partial inspiration for "Brown Sugar." Her romance with David Bowie inspired him to write "Lady Grinning Soul" for her. A beautiful love song for a beautiful lady.

[kingfucter]

WOW...Leon can play the hell outta those keys & I'd let her sing me a bedtime hymn any night, although prefibly on hump day.

[huichol53]

leon russell was one of my favorites (5) in the 60's and 70's. I was totally happy to hear leon is fine after his surgery and making music and doin' really fine. keep up the great work with love and prayers huichol 53.........

[houstonsleonman]

LEON IS THE MOSAT!

GREAT ! IT'S FUCKING GREAT!

[9mmbigpapa]

that DUDE is LEON my friend.don't forget it!

[Thadmotor1044]

@9mmbigpapa chris stainton also be jammin with the mad dogs , like them both playin with don nix .... and furry lewis , glory , glory , wen i lay my burden down , black cat moan.......

[realgwoodard]

Great Voice! The dude wearing the mad hatter hat is really good on the piano (good embellishment).

[judecreek2]

@realgwoodard Ah Ah Ah !!!!! You cannot be serious. Leon Russell is, was, and will always be The Master of Space and Time. Look up his videos and become a fan!

[HarleyJohnnyG55]

Claudia Lennear is so fine! And she can sing a little too. . .

[Caribou1974]

@carusmike hahahaha, you're serious? I mean, Joe is an amazing vocalist, but that's all he does...Leon sings, writes, plays...a true musician....an amazing piano player and his vocal styling is great...so if you're one of those people that rates someone that's just a singer as better than the whole package (leon) then you should probably just stop listening to music now, you're done, no more for you...also, I don't see everyone's obsession with this black chick- not the greatest singer or looker

[LDGOODWIN1968]

with the exception of bonnie bramlett, best fenale singer of all time!!!!!

[SuperXavier30]

Crystal-clear vocals from Claudia!...Quality!

[jamesstephensherman]

One of the most beautiful women I have ever seen. Claudia looks good too.

[carusmike]

"Leon was the busiest AND the most talented person on the stage at all times." Utter borelocks. Joe, Claudia, Chris, Bobby, Don I'd put all of these before Leon. Leon's guitar playing was embarrassing.

[judecreek2]

@carusmike  Borelocks???

[oleole52]

@carusmike his guitar playing was pretty good for a piano player.

[Jagman94]

She was an Ikette from the Ike and Tina Turner Revue. Her and Tina Turner did NOT get along according to Ike in his Autobiography. Tina has been trying to tell Ike about this and he of course ignored it, until one night on stage he noticed Claudia looking off from Tina as they were dancing and supposed to both be looking at each other. At that point he fired her which was around 1970 and this video with Joe Cocker was apparently her next stop.

[judecreek2]

@Jagman94 Claudia also sang backup for Leon on his 1971 European tour where she obviously mad a lasting impression with Mick Jagger- she was a partial inspiration for "Brown Sugar" and her romance with David Bowie inspired him to write "Lady of the Grinning Soul" for her--a beautiful love song. Lucky girl.

[cherylbeee]

@judecreek2 think they may have been the lucky guys!

[trollop19]

@Jagman94 I never knew that i always loves to watch Claudia as an ikette along with Esther Jones these woman were my favorite ikettes of all time. It saddens me to think her and Tina didnt get along (sad face) LOL

[FourTrotters]

Teh thing about Leon Russell is, of course, that he doesn't have to play anything much - a bit of piano here and there, as he is doing in this clip. No matter what he's doing, he's being the Master of Space and Time

[judecreek2]

@FourTrotters doesn't have to play much??? Have you listened to "Cry Me A River" or "Space Captain" or "The Letter"? And that's just piano. He plays guitar on "Honky Tonk Women" "Feelin' Alright" and a lot of other songs all while leading the band and the choir. Leon was the busiest AND the most talented person on the stage at all times.

[gittahfiend]

I'll bet leon was doing cartwheels in that chocolate poontang !

[StuartStreet]

Absolutely wonderful.I had forgotten all about her.

Go Claudia!

[santamara]

@StuartStreet

Great post Arizonas9!

Sweet share S.S.

Thank you both:)

[dkparamore1]

My god she was hot!!

[IBobCruise]

Every now and then you come across something you've never heard before and thrills you immediately. Beautiful. Thank you for uploading.

[thedeadbeats]

please someone make music like this these days. listen to it... no senseless lyrics involving the same old bullshit; sex, girlfriends, and all that other cookie cutter bullshit... just music with real meaning. if it werent for the 60s and 70s i probably wouldnt even listen to music. and another thing... when they covered songs they definitely didnt fuck em up... they made em better. unlike kid rock.

[MrGustavoand]

THE MOST BEAUTIFULL SON TO YOU

[ByrdLover72]

Claudia Lennear was such an amazing talent - she made one album and then disappeared.

[cubchubby]

I read from another youtube thread that Claudia is a bank teller in Memphis. She was amazing in beauty and talent.

[michisade1]

The best cover of Let it be that I have ever listened in my life, Claudia`s voice and the style gospell that Leon Russel gives with the piano impressed me so much that it remained in my memory. I am grateful for the video, because it was impossible to find it. it`s a shame that they cut the solo of piano of this song, in the same way this song was removed of the double disc in the American version, but in the Colombian version it apperars. Thank you Pretty Claudia for your beautiful voice

[murphstrings]

...her and Merrie Clayton too!

[thedenverkid1]

have met almost all of the lennear family but still looking forward to meeting claudia. i asked her brother why she quit singing and he said he didn't know.

[gittahfiend]

I would have tried to suck all the chocolate off her sexy ass !

[carusmike]

I am so sad. For all these years Claudia, my Claudia, has been without doubt the best female vocalist of all time. I loved you then and I love you still. It hurts that now there is a female vocalist who in my opinion has taken that number one spot away from Claudia. Her name is Connie Talbot. But Claudia, do I love you any less? Of course I don't. You remain very much in my heart.

[poindexterqueef]

Come back, Claudia,.... "Please?"

[wsgf822]

I feel the same way. I've google claudia over and over again. I actually own her LP. Interesting that Claudia got the solo and Rita Coolidge is in the background not even singing.

[MattHatter]

Absolutely awesome! Claudia should have gone on to become as big as Rita Coolidge at least. She's got a real similarity to P.P. Arnold who never got big over here in America.

[JPmantull]

Why did this girl never become well known?? I just recently noticed her in a "Mad dogs and Englishmen" Video aand am having difficult time finding more about her. This is great song! Is there more?? Help please1

[PastaBender]

She was primarily a backup singer (don't know why). Did have at least one solo album: 'Phew!' in 1973 ... there's a short blurb about her on Wikipedia.

[carusmike]

Thank you for adding this to youtube. I've listened to this song thousands of times over the years and I never tire of its perfection. She is/was by far the best female vocalist of all time. Love her.