Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings

3 May 2001: Paradiso, Amsterdam

Frans Steensma writes to BtP
Rhythm Kings: Breaking Up The House Tour 2001

It really was Gary’s night, last Thursday. It was the fourth time The Rhythm Kings played for an – again – sold out Paradiso and Gary (+ black hat) took more lead vocals than ever. The band in the regular line-up (Graham Broad had returned) enjoyed themselves immensely and so did the audience.

Setlist:
Let The Good Times Roll (GB – shared lead vocal)
Walking One And Only
It Should Have Been Me (GB – lead vocal)
Love Letters
Melody
Jump Jive And Wail
Keep Your Shirt On (GB – lead vocal)
I Put A Spell on You
Hello Little Boy
Hit The Road Jack (GB – lead vocal)
I’m Ready
Breaking Up The House (GB – lead vocal)
Mystery Train (GB – shared lead vocal)
Lipstick, Powder And Paint (GB – shared lead vocal)
Baby Workout
Tear It Up

Encore
Georgia On My Mind
Hole In The Wall (GB – lead vocal)

Some news:

• Keep Your Shirt On is a new composition by Gary Brooker (very Coasters-like song). Lipstick, Powder And Paint is a 1955 composition by Jesse Stone and a true Big Joe Turner classic.
• Among the merchandise there was the second Bootleg Kings album (pretty cheap) with nine great tracks (eight of them recorded during the British tour last June). For Brooker fans the most important is the second track: Lead Me To the Water, recorded at Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury (28 June 2000). Gary had only received the album three days previously, had put it on for a casual listening, but was captured by the great quality and listened to it intently right through to the end. All tracks on Ride Again are not available on the regular Rhythm Kings albums. Gary sings lead on four songs. Can also be ordered at www.billwyman.com
• Gary thought Double Bill, the fourth Rhythm Kings album, was the best so far. He was most satisfied with his rendition of Bobby Bland’s Turn On Your Lovelight. And was pleasantly surprised that The Rhythm Kings had turned the weak Marc Benno composition Hot Foot Blues into a good song. Lonely Boy Blue, another one starring Gary, is an old Conway Twitty song.
• The last gig Gary does in the first part of the Rhythm Kings tour is 12 May in Sweden and he picks up the tour again 20 July in Denmark. For the US tour he’ll be present all along. Big Town Playboy Mike Sanchez (who has his own neat little feature in the official programme) will replace Gary.
• Upon my asking if Gary knew which songs would be on the Procol tour he protested: "We haven’t started rehearsing yet!" And when I asked if the setlist would feature any new Brooker-Reid compositions he gave a very straight answer. I’ll keep that a secret. Go and see/hear for yourself.