No Small Feat

March 16, 2008

Little Feat is coming, Little Feat is coming. Cool, you say. Okay, if you are such a big fan, name some Little Feat songs. I am waiting. Yeah, gottcha. Hey, no worries, as Little Feat are one of those bands everyone knows, but only a few are able to name the tunes.
When Little Feat takes the stage March 18 at the Traverse City Opera House, they bring a 39-year storied career and the reputation as one of the great jam bands of all time. They served along with the Grateful Dead as the major influences of second generation jam-banders like Dave Matthews and Phish. The talents of this band have led Bob Seger, Barbara Streisand, Frank Sinatra, Bob Dylan, Frank Zappa, Eric Clapton, Rod Stewart, The Grateful Dead, Manheim Steamroller, Jimmy Buffet and Neil Diamond to use Little Feat members on their recordings.
Bands like Little Feat built their reputation on the stage, not on the radio. It’s not that the band doesn’t have two-handfuls of hits -- it’s just that their music hit when FM radio and its formatted approach took over for the eclectic approach of AM radio. Crafting a fusion of blues, country, New Orleans R&B and eclectic jazz elements, Little Feat found a home on the stage, building a cult following.

SIGNATURE SONGS
“For almost 40 years this band has lived and died on our live performances,” said Bill Payne, keyboardist and co-founding member. “Our best selling record is a recorded version of our concerts, so that should tell you something. We always get the ‘you guys are the ones that did that song’ or when someone hears our songs on the radio, they recognize the song but can’t name the band.”
Little Feat has plenty of signature songs, including “Dixie Chicken,” “Let It Roll,” “Old Atlanta,” “Willin’,” and the band’s anthem “Hate To Lose Your Lovin’.”
The band built its reputation around its musicianship, including that of co-founder Lowell George, whose celebrated slide guitar work and vocals served as the band’s foundation. George passed away at the age of 34 in 1979, leaving a huge void for the band to fill; one that would eventually be filled by Fred Tackett on guitar and a female vocalist from Michigan.
Shaun Murphy joined Little Feat in 1988, at first serving as a backing vocalist with Pure Prairie League founder and vocalist Craig Fuller at the helm after George died. Fuller left in 1992, and Murphy, who went to high school in Detroit and was once a musician with the Rare Earth division of Motown Records took over the helm.
“It was interesting at first because the dyed-in-the-wool Feat fans didn’t want any change at all. In fact a couple of years into it at a pre-concert meet and greet, a fan came up to us and said, ‘Thank God that Lowell is back tonight singing with the band.’ I guess some of our fans didn’t get the memo that Lowell had passed,” said Murphy. “But fortunately for me and the band, my presence has been embraced.”

STONEY REMEMBERS
Murphy got her musical and performance start in Detroit on the high school stage, acting in school plays before she took up signing. She eventually joined the Wilson Mower Pursuit who was part of the burgeoning Detroit rock scene. That scene included a Midland band fronted by vocalist Marvin Lee Aday, better known as Meat Loaf. Meat Loaf and Murphy (known as Stoney in those days) would form a duo and record one album for Motown.
“Wow, that is going back a long time ago. I would see Marvin around the scene at gigs and then he disappeared. Well, when I went to the auditions for the Detroit production of ‘Hair,’ I was surprised to see him there. We were not even in the same scenes together, but on opening night some Motown people saw us and felt we would make a good duo,” said Murphy. “We signed a deal and made one record. Well, Meat Loaf grew impatient as things were not happening, and he was let out of his contract, and for him the rest is history.”
What happened to Murphy was the frustration common to many who sign a major deal only to find that the deal stalls.
“Motown moved their operations in the early ’70s to California and asked me to move with them, so I did,” said Murphy. “I waited and waited for them to come to me as I was sitting idle. I guess I was waiting in the bullpen, waiting for that call and it never came.”

STAR TOURS
Many, however, had heard Murphy’s vocal talents, including Bob Seger, Eric Clapton, John Hiatt and The Moody Blues who took Murphy with them on tour and in the recording studio. She toured last year with Seger on his first tour in years.
“Shaun Murphy is overqualified to be a backing vocalist. That is why she is out front with Little Feat,” said Bob Seger. “I am honored that she agreed to arrange her tour schedule with them to go out on the road with me.”
Eric Clapton agrees.
“I was looking for a strong female vocalist for my ‘Behind The Sun’ album (critics coined this Clapton’s comeback album with the song ‘ForeverMan’climbing to #1 on the Billboard charts in 1985) and a friend suggested Shaun,” said Clapton. “She was also in my touring band for awhile and definitely is perfect fronting Little Feat.”
As Murphy looks back on a career that has spanned 40 years, she does pinch herself every so often.
“I have done pretty good for a kid from Detroit who really didn’t know what she wanted out of life. I just sort of fell into it,” said Murphy. “I don’t want to think about it too much just in case it is all a dream and I wake up from it. Also, I don’t think about it because I don’t want to live in the past because there is so much more I want to do that I don’t want this great ride to end.”
That great ride will include another big project for Little Feat.
“We get asked if we are going to retire. We can’t afford to as we all have huge mortgages still,” said Murphy. “But I am very excited to announce we are undertaking one of our biggest recording projects ever. We have Jimmy Buffett and -- oops, I better not say any more -- it is supposed to be a surprise. But anyways, we have a lot of great people joining us in the studio, so look for a new album soon.”

HOMEWARD BOUND
Murphy, who now lives in LA and doesn’t miss the cold, says the band is looking forward to returning to Michigan.
“I was in Michigan with Seger last year and it is such an energizing place musically. We had so much fun when we (Little Feat) played Traverse City three years ago at the Cherry Festival,” said Murphy. “Of course, Bill (keyboardist Bill Payne) lives in the Upper Peninsula year ’round, so this is a homecoming for us.”
After 40 years, Little Feat remains at the top of their game. Drummer Richie Hayward joins Bill Payne as a founding member with bassist Kenny Gradney, guitarist Paul Barrere and conga player Sam Clayton joining in 1972. Murphy and guitarist Fred Tackett have been with Little Feat since 1988.

Little Feat performs this Tuesday, March 18 at the Traverse City Opera House. The concert is presented by Grassroots Productions and the Opera House has a cash bar. Tickets are close to being sold out. For ticket information call the Opera House at 231.941.8082. If you need to reacquaint yourself with the music of Little Feat, visit littlefeat.net.