Live at Fillmore West

Recorded at the Fillmore West concert hall, the storied rock venue in San Francisco, over three nights, March 5, 6 and 7 1971,[5] King Curtis and his band the Kingpins were supporting Aretha Franklin as well as playing as her backing band.[6] the album opens with his own composition "Memphis Soul Stew", but the bulk of the album is taken with cover versions of recent rock, soul and country recordings including Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours", Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" and Bobbie Gentry's "Ode to Billie Joe". His version of Procol Harum's "A Whiter Shade of Pale" found renewed fame when used in the opening title sequence of cult British comedy film Withnail and I, although the film is set in 1969, two years before the performance.[7]

Professionally Curtis was having a prolific and successful time in the summer of 1971. Aretha Franklin's Live at Fillmore West album was a huge hit, he had contributed to two tracks on John Lennon's album, Imagine, recorded the theme to the television show Soul Train and had made a highly acclaimed performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival with Champion Jack Dupree. It was in this climate that the album was released in August 1971. A week after its release, Curtis was stabbed to death outside his brownstone apartment in New York City, following an argument with two drug addicts.[2] The day after he died the album peaked at No. 54 on the Billboard 200 album chart, his greatest success as a solo artist.[8] There is a widely held misconception that Curtis was murdered on the night of this live performance.[9] Ralph Brown, in the audio commentary on the DVD issue of Withnail and I, wrongly states that he was shot in the car park after the concert.

• King Curtis - Saxophone
• Cornell Dupree - Electric guitar
• Jerry Jemmott - Bass guitar
• Pancho Morales - Congas
• Billy Preston - Hammond B-3 Organ
• Bernard Purdie - Drums
• Truman Thomas - Electric piano

The Memphis Horns:

• Jack Hale - Trombone
• Roger Hopps - Trumpet
• Wayne Jackson - Lead, Trumpet
• Andrew Love - Tenor Saxophone
• Jimmy Mitchell - Baritone Saxophone