A Bill Becomes a Law

Hello there! Remember me? I am finally back from NYC with a post commemorating the birthday of one of the very finest American songwriters ever.

This is a fantastic 1/2 hour concert of today's hero, recorded by the BBC back in 1973. It's got some of his most enduring compositions and the band is tighter than money on the first of the month.

You know the songs; we all grew up with them. Hell, we sang Lean On Me in 6th Grade Chorus. Who didn't? That's just his most famous tune, merely one of the most inspirational songs of all time. I'd dare say that's a song that has saved lives.

Even the between-song introductions he makes are worthy of deep consideration, yet he speaks them in such a disarming and sincere way that you don't even know you're learning something. And the versions of the songs almost couldn't be better.

Bill Withers

Command Studios

London, UK

BBC-TV, 1973

01 Ain`t No Sunshine
02 Lonely Town, Lonely Street
03 Grandma`s Hands
04 Use Me
05 Let Me In Your Life
06 Lean On Me
07 Harlem

Total time: 29:37

 Bill Withers - guitar, vocals 

William Garrett "Snuffy" Walden - guitar

Melvin Dunlap - bass

James Gadson - drums

Raymond Jackson - piano

PAL DVD of a 2007 BBC rebroadcast

823 MB/July 2014 archive link

Who ever did it better than Bill Withers? He is 76 today, so while you're BBQ'ing and fireworking at the Great American Birthday Party, take a half and hour to enjoy and share this 30 minutes of mastery from one of the all-time champions of the music of our lifetimes, born on the Fourth of July in 1938.--J.