King Curtis - A Whiter Shade of Pale - HD

King Curtis - A Whiter Shade of Pale

From Album - Live at Fillmore West

In 1970, King Curtis appeared with Aretha Franklin and The King Pins on Aretha Live at Fillmore West, and another record, Live at Fillmore West, which included a version of "Memphis Soul Stew" and covers of Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love", Isaac Hayes' "I Stand Accused" and Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours". The line-up for these performances included: Hammond organ player Billy Preston, bassist Jerry Jemmott, guitarist Cornell Dupree, Pancho Morales (percussion), drummer Bernard "Pretty" Purdie and The Memphis Horns. A cover of Procol Harum's "Whiter Shade of Pale" was taken from this album.
Around midnight on August 13, 1971 Curtis was lugging an air-conditioning unit towards his brownstone apartment on West 86th Street in New York City when he noticed two junkies were using drugs on the steps to his home. When he asked them to leave, an argument started.The argument quickly became heated and turned into a fist fight with one of the men, 26-year old Juan Montañez. Suddenly, Montañez pulled out a knife and stabbed Curtis in the chest. Curtis managed to wrestle the knife away and stab his assailant four times before collapsing. Montañez staggered away from the scene and Curtis was taken to Roosevelt Hospital, where he died from his wounds less than an hour later.

Montañez was arrested at the same hospital Curtis had been taken to. When police officers investigating the murder learned that another man had been admitted to Roosevelt hospital with stab wounds around the same time as Curtis, they quickly realized that the two events were connected. Montañez was charged with Curtis' murder and subsequently sentenced to a term of imprisonment.

On the day of Curtis' funeral Atlantic Records closed their offices.Jesse Jackson administered the service and as the mourners filed in, Curtis's band 'The Kingpins' played "Soul Serenade". Amongst those attending were Aretha Franklin, Cissy Houston, Brook Benton and Duane Allman.Franklin sang the closing spiritual "Never Grow Old" and Stevie Wonder performed "Abraham, Martin & John and now King Curtis.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• King Curtis
• A Whiter Shade of Pale
• Curtis Ousley
• Procul Harem
• rhythm and blues
• rock and roll
• soul
• funk
• soul jazz
• saxophone virtuoso

[BeerGogglesReviews]

I first heard this on the brilliant film Withnal & I.

Bought this album and was blown away. Oops bad choice of words. Sorry KC.

[ALfaDuB101]

@BeerGogglesReviews Yeah what a shame, a junkie stabbed him on his own doorstep

[TomthatiscalledTom]

What happened to my cigar commercial, that's what I wanna know..! What happened to my agent? BASTARD must have died!

[GHub99]

oh man the way he plays this tune, no words, just no words...

[MrAdammassacre]

You want me to call whats-his-name and ask him about his house?

[Django5198]

@custardo1 we're down to our last bottle of wine

[custardo1]

This is the best version of this song.. I've got some extremely distressing news.... 

[halwil03]

@ziggy1415 Rumour has it they're rather ordinary. I've learnt the hard way not to second guess a pair of balls.

[grantorren]

this is great but i must place Fausto Pappetti's name here , his version of this song is great as well

[ziggy1415]

Imagine the size of his balls...

[Django5198]

I'm not leaving a comment because this is too good for words

[SuperFunkyfever]

Fabuloso King Curtis uno de los grandes. Por cierto, muy interesante el Solo de Organo de Billy Preston.

[laxeydog]

i demand more booze



[SuperBIGTEL]

There it is.