Song "The Weight"

[Accumulator]

Many people know this song as recorded by The Band, but before *they* did it my wife had a 45 of it performed by somebody else featuring a female vocalist. The 45 disappeared after she moved out of her parents` house, but there`s no question she *did* have this recording.



Anybody know who it was, what band backed her, anything at all about this?

[SilverBelle04]

Apparently Aretha Franklin did a cover of the Weight. Read down the page:



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aretha_Franklin



Bob

[Accumulator]

SilverBelle04- Thanks! I just knew I could get a response here at Autopia. That date of Aretha`s cover sounds off for what I`m looking for, but I`ll run it past Accumulatorette and see what she says.



Open to any other suggestions!

[C-Man]

From http://www.songfacts.com/detail.lasso?id=420





The Supremes, The Temptations, Aretha Franklin, and Jackie DeShannon all covered this. Franklin`s version was the biggest hit, reaching #19 US in 1969. It has also been covered by: A Group Called Smith, The Black Crowes, Bob Dylan, The Grateful Dead, The Allman Brothers, Joan Osborne, Keller Williams, King Curtis & Duane Allman, Otis & Travis, Rotary Connection, Spooky Tooth, and The Ventures. (thanks, monica - grapeville, PA)

[SilverBelle04]

Good info C-Man

[Accumulator]

Yeah, that`s great. That link is gonna come in handy! Great info about the song in question, that`s for sure.



So far I don`t think we`ve found the one she`s looking for though. It was a "nobody" whose name wouldn`t ring a bell (and Accumulatorette knows her music from this era pretty well, it`s the "music of her life" if you know what I mean). She described the singer as "somebody you`ve never heard of, otherwise I`d remember". She actually heard this version (and bought the 45) before she ever even *heard* The Band`s original version, and it was right around the time that the song was written.



:nixweiss If it were anybody except my wife I`d probably think they were just mixed up, but I`m certain that`s not the case here. She remembers every detail of the whole thing except the person`s name.

[C-Man]

Maybe it was this band http://theband.hiof.no/albums/a_group_called_smith.html which featured a singer named ```le McCormick

[superstring]

Accumulator, you might find this interesting:



http://theband.hiof.no/articles/the_weight_viney.html

[Accumulator]

You folks are great :xyxthumbs



I`d forgotten about the Easy Rider Soundtrack version being by Smith (heh heh, tells you about the state of mind I was in when listening to *that* LP :o ) and that very well might be it, especially given the female vocalist. I`ll report to Accumulatorette...

[SilverBelle04]

Originally posted by Accumulator

You folks are great :xyxthumbs



I`d forgotten about the Easy Rider Soundtrack version being by Smith (heh heh, tells you about the state of mind I was in when listening to *that* LP :o ) and that very well might be it, especially given the female vocalist. I`ll report to Accumulatorette...



Let us know if Accumulatorette gives it the thumbs up !

[Accumulator]

Well, she`s giving it a "definite maybe" :D She`d thought she got the 45 earlier than that but it`s so close she can`t say for sure. So I`m guessing it just might be the answer.



Thanks again for all the help.