William Bell: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert
Вставка
- Опубліковано 10 лют 2025
- September 6, 2016 by RACHEL HORN • When we invited William Bell to the Tiny Desk, we looked forward to witnessing part of a veteran soul hitmaker's journey back to the spotlight. Bell is known for writing and performing several of the R&B classics that emerged from Memphis' Stax Records in the 1960s, "You Don't Miss Your Water" and "Everybody Loves A Winner" among them. After decades away from Stax - and away from sizable record labels entirely - he returned to his old label home earlier this year to release This Is Where I Live. So we were ready to be won over by Bell's rich, expressive voice and bandleader's charm; we were prepared for emotionally dense songs that say a lot in only a few words. We just didn't expect so much yellow.
Bell, who's 77 and now makes his home in Atlanta, worked suavely through two new songs from This Is Where I Live. The title track follows an autobiographical structure common among soul singers of a certain age (see: Sharon Jones, Charles Bradley, Aaron Neville). It narrates the story of Bell's life in specific detail, from the first time he heard Sam Cooke to the memorable hotel stay when he wrote "You Don't Miss Your Water," the song that "took [him] all around the world." And "The Three Of Me" is a love song of measured regret, typical of earlier Bell ballads but for its patina of time-worn wisdom.
To close his performance, Bell led the Total Package Band through one of the most enduring songs he's written: the blues standard "Born Under A Bad Sign," which has been covered by folks like Cream and Koko Taylor since Albert King first recorded it in 1967. When Bell's co-writer on the song, Booker T. Jones, played it at the Tiny Desk in 2011, his solo organ work lent the tune an appropriately eerie cast. For Bell and company, though, "Bad Sign" became a joyous, communal celebration. Nearly every member of the 12-piece band took a chorus before settling into an energetic vamp, their leader's grin as bright as his band's T-shirts.
This Is Where I Live is available now:
iTunes: itunes.apple.c...
Amazon: www.amazon.com...
SET LIST:
"This Is Where I Live"
"The Three Of Me"
"Born Under A Bad Sign"
CREDITS:
Producers: Rachel Horn, Niki Walker; Audio Engineers: Suraya Mohamed, Josh Rogosin, Andrew Huether; Videographers: Niki Walker, Colin Marshall, Kara Frame, Maia Stern; Production Assistant: CJ Riculan; Photo: Claire Harbage/NPR.
For more Tiny Desk concerts, subscribe to our podcast: www.npr.org/pod...
Whoever is doing the sound for these concerts is doing a great job.
For real !!!
Professor, agreed. Clean sound.
To hell with "he's still got it" ... William Bell never lost it! Writing great songs and singing them with all of his heart and soul.
Those are synonims 😝
Brian, I couldn't agree with you more...
Still is synonymous with never stopped...
Soul Music at its finest
Proof age does not matter when you’ve got SOUL!
This is real music and He is singing about his own life, It is Genius
This man and his music takes me back to the sixties. A young highschool girl from Louisville Ga. He sounds as good today as he did back then. What a gifted singer and showman. Many blessings and wishes are sent to your way Mr Bell.
Anyone who loves this should come on over to Memphis! We'd be happy to have y'all!!
Now, more than ever, this world needs real music!!!
The Three of Me is a piece of art and a concept every man can relate to
William Bell is a Stax Record icon!!
Wow real old soul music
Still listening Jan 2023. This is one of my favorite Tiny Desk concert.
Mines too
Always loved eloise hang on in there by Mr bell
This is mint.. William Bell one of the last true originals.. we love you x
So fine! Amazing that Bell was 77 when that vid was shot in 2016.
And let me add this the best concert performer on Tiny Desk. What a performer what a band.. I got to play it again
for a third time. LB Dec 13, 2022
Great job...thanks people of LA and the band for this perfect concert
So awesome to hear everyone burn it down at the end!
Great musicians, great songwriting. That's all you need :)
Great job as always William Bell. Always the professional
He gave his band solos,COOL !
once in a while I can't sleep, so I throw on my headphones, listen to some music and fold laundry...this has me groovin' not foldin'...the dog thinks im nuts haha I have officially decided my new dream job is to be this man's back up singer
LOL! I feel you!
Off the Chain !!!!!
I Love These People and their Music ! Tears in My eyes ! So beautiful !!!!!!!!!!
One that will be revisited often!!!
Beautiful!
Wow, what a fantastic concert, William Bell, what a voice and a great performer too. Much Kudos to the band and also the sound engineer. The best place by far to listen too to live music on the web. A thousand thank you's for giving such a great location where the very best of music across so many genres can be heard. William Bell you are a treasure too...
Perfection
The sound quality is Amazing!
Beautiful just beautiful. Loved all of the eye contact and hand signals. groovey.
I don't post on UA-cam much, but damn! This moved me! Huge Stax fan. I Nice to see William Bell out there with a new, fantastic album!
Wow this is so underrated only 78, and sent 100,000+ views.
People just don’t get it but thank you
Wow, what a set - this is the real thing - Soul Music at its finest!
This is one of my favorite things right now.
Beautiful song I love that man he is a true gem !
This is an artistic Master
Best music ❤
That band is huge! But bringing it back to that classic style, love it.
Great music - so great!
A real treat. Great band. and the recording is superb thank you npr and the band.
So damn beautiful!!
Excellent performance... Thumbs up !!!!!
Thanks NPR for presenting such an R&B master! Truly hope he and Booker Jones got their proper royalties for Born under a Bad Sign.
Loved every minute of this one!
This is so much better than the studio version. Man, he sounds great.
Three of me is one of the greatest songs ever.
So real it ain't funny...one of the best things I've ever heard.
I likes this!!!
I knew the name William Bell sounded familiar. He sang the original "I forgot to be your lover" that Jaheim remade.
that song is so silky smooth, damn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
that is my favourite tune of all time. Gutted he didn't play it
Fabulous !
Greatness. And wonderful sounding recording, thank you NPR
Great ! Thanks for posting, NPR Music .
It makes my day every time I watch this :) Thank you!
Legend, still got the Magic. 💫💫💫💫💥💥💥💥💫💫💫now thats a group of talented folk it'd be a great blessing to tour with.
really amazing
This is GREAT !!
thank you so much
Perfect!
Awesome!
Such a sweet, tight, harmonious band. Every note counts.
Amazing vibe!!! :)
The bassist at the beginning's little smile made it for me
the Man !!!
His new album is fantastic.
True music
Brilliant Band!!
There should be more funk and soul in this world today
Man what a soulful singer. The songs I grew upon. Memphis Stax had some great singers. And just think a White Brother and Sister turned an old movie theater into one of the greatest studios of all time with people like William Bell, Isaac Hayes, Al Green, the great Otis Redding, Carla Thomas, The Staple Singers, Johnie Taylor, Wilson Picket, Booker T and the MGs, Arthur Conley, Eddie Floyd, Sam and Dave (soul man) , Rufus Thomas, and many more. Just think those folks didn’t see color they saw talent.. The greatest singers of all time.. C’mon now. Give it up for William Bell look all them folks he brought in the Tiny Desk. Lawd Hamercy. LB Tuesday 12-13-2022 10:05pm
Yesssirrr!!!
Alright Nah...Can we Give it up fa da Band💯💯❤️🎶🎷
IM enjoyin it
He's actually really good
Boy that Sure is a Pretty song 🎶 THE THREE OF ME 🎶
the brother got soul
This channels is so awesome! Good Job!!
NPR STOP RECORDING SUCH GOOD SOUND. Almost every artist I find on here, their actual studio albums sound worse. How you do that?
check their youtube channel! there is a video where they actually show their audio set-up @revenant3138
Double-dipped in secret soul sauce.
Hell yeah ...
Trying to love 2 show aint easy to do😊
This music is food , ain’t need nothing to eat
muy bueno! 🎵
bring Vulfpeck, please!
I only needed 30 seconds to hit 'like'
10 :)
lindooooooooooooooooooooo
4:09 Three of Me
My 5 yr old grandson's favourite youtube clip. Mine too.
"We're gonna need a bigger desk..."
It would be fantastic if he could link up with Tower of Power!
How did they fit on the tiny desk?
You can hear where van morrison gets a lot of inspiration from
He didn't do "I Forgot to Be Your Lover"😢😢😢😢
This has 100k views? You Tube is crazy !
Kinda disappointed he didn’t do I forgot to be your lover
I wonder if 'The Three of Me' was inspired by a certain recent Oscars Acceptance Speech...
And whoever gives a thumbs down to this got to be an android
Sounds like Van Morrison, but better. Did the Irishman steal his sound from Mr Bell?
must have been influenced
First.
s1ck