In late 1972 Little Feat reformed, with bassist Kenny Gradney replacing Estrada. The first two albums received nearly universal critical acclaim, and 'Willin '' became a standard, subsequently popularized by its inclusion on Linda Ronstadt's album Heart Like a Wheel.ĭespite good reviews of Sailin' Shoes, lack of commercial success led to the band splitting up, with Estrada leaving to join Captain Beefheart's Magic Band, although he has given other reasons for quitting the band, such as to get away from the Los Angeles pollution and the L.A. Sometime during the recording of the first two albums, the band members along with ex-Mothers of Invention drummer Jimmy Carl Black ('the Indian of the group') backed soul singer Nolan Porter on his first album, No Apologies. Park's surrealist art would continue for all of Little Feat's album covers through to his death in 1993. 'Willin '' would be re-recorded with George playing slide for Little Feat's second album Sailin' Shoes, which was also the first Little Feat album to include cover art by Neon Park, who had painted the cover for Zappa's Weasels Ripped My Flesh. Lowell's accident is referenced on the cover art of the band's 1998 album Under the Radar. When it came time to record 'Willin',' George had hurt his hand in an accident with a model airplane, so Ry Cooder sat in and played the song's slide part. was recorded mostly in August and September 1970, and was released in January 1971. The eponymous first album delivered to Warner Bros. In any version, Zappa was instrumental in getting George and his new band a contract with Warner Bros. On Octoat the Auditorium Theater in Rochester, New York while introducing the song, George commented that he was asked to leave the band for 'writing a song about dope'. George often introduced the song as the reason he was asked to leave the band. The third version says that Zappa fired him because 'Willin '' contains drug references ('weed, whites and wine'). The second version has Zappa firing him for playing a 15-minute guitar solo with his amplifier off.

One has it that George showed Zappa his song ' Willin',' and that Zappa fired him from the Mothers of Invention, because he felt that George was too talented to merely be a member of his band, and told him he ought to go away and form his own band. There are three stories about the genesis of Little Feat. The spelling of 'feat' was an homage to the Beatles. The name of the band came from a comment made by Mothers' drummer Jimmy Carl Black about Lowell's 'little feet'. Hayward had also been a member of the Fraternity of Man whose claim to fame was the inclusion of their 'Don't Bogart That Joint' on the million-selling Easy Rider film soundtrack. They formed Little Feat along with former Mothers' bassist Roy Estrada and drummer Richie Hayward from George's previous band, The Factory. Payne had auditioned for the Mothers, but had not joined. Lowell George met Bill Payne when George was a member of Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention. Guitarist Jimmy Page stated that Little Feat was his favorite American band in a 1975 Rolling Stone interview.

Surviving members re-formed Little Feat in 1987 and the band has remained active to the present. George disbanded the group because of creative differences shortly before his death in 1979. The band's classic line-up, in place by late 1972, comprised George, Payne, Hayward, bassist Kenny Gradney, guitarist and vocalist Paul Barrere and percussionist Sam Clayton. Little Feat is an American rock band formed by lead vocalist and guitarist Lowell George, keyboardist Bill Payne, drummer Richie Hayward and bassist Roy Estrada in 1969 in Los Angeles.

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