Monday 1 February 2016

The Last Waltz: the lost photos of The Band, Bob Dylan, Neil Young etc...

The Last Waltz concert at Winterland November 25, 1976, was filmed by Martin Scorcese

The Band and many guest musicians performed, including Neil Young, Muddy Waters, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison Eric Clapton Ron Wood, Ringo Starr, Dr. John  and Joni Mitchell Photo: Gary Fong, The Chronicle
Long-lost photos from legendary S.F. concert discovered amid dust

By Bill Van Niekerken
27 January 2016

The Winterland stage stands packed in anticipation of the guests joining The Band on stage for their final road performance, a classic concert, the Last Waltz, in San Francisco on Nov. 25, 1976.
Robbie Robertson during the finale at the Last Waltz show in San Francisco. Photo: Gary Fong, The Chronicle
For decades, The Chronicle’s photos from “The Last Waltz,” one of San Francisco’s greatest rock music events, were lost, thought never to be seen again.

The concert at Winterland in 1976 was to be the final concert that The Band performed on the road, and filmmaker Martin Scorsese was on hand to shoot it and produce a feature-length movie.
Members of Martin Scorsese’s film crew at the Last Waltz show. Photo: Gary Fong, The Chronicle
The evening started with a Thanksgiving dinner for the 5,000 concertgoers, with the diners entertained by Berkeley Promenade Orchestra, a 40-piece string group. Bill Graham borrowed set decorations from San Francisco Opera’s production of “La Traviata,” and he added chandeliers and a fountain in the lobby. After dinner, The Band took the stage, and as the night went on the musicians were joined by several famous friends: Eric Clapton, Van Morrison, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Ronnie Wood and Ringo Starr.
The Berkeley Promenade Orchestra would provide the Last Waltz’s early entertainment, with many in the audience dancing. Photo: Gary Fong, The Chronicle
It was a San Francisco concert filled with rock royalty in a starry setting, but the images disappeared among the dust of The Chronicle’s vast archive.
Ringo Starr drumming with The Band, with Robbie Robertson on guitar at the Last Waltz. Photo: Gary Fong, The Chronicle
Then, 40 years later, fortune smiled on fans on The Band.
The Last Waltz concert at Winterland November 25, 1976, was filmed by Martin Scorcese
In this photo Paul Butterfield, Neil Young and Steve Stills

The Band and many guest musicians performed, including Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison Eric Clapton Ron Wood, Ringo Starr, Dr. John  and Joni Mitchell Photo: Gary Fong, The Chronicle
Chronicle pop culture critic Peter Hartlaub and I had searched extensively for the photos and negatives but had come up empty-handed. Last week, our luck changed. We were searching through shots of a 1980 Bread and Roses show featuring Joni Mitchell playing guitar with B.B. King. Looking at the negatives as I scanned them, it became clear it was a different show.
The Band began the rock-’n’-roll portion of the event. Here Rick Danko and Robbie Robertson play. Photo: Gary Fong, The Chronicle
The first few negatives showed an indoor venue with ornate decorations. It didn’t look dilapidated enough for Winterland, but by the 10th negative I was looking at couples dancing, maybe waltzing, and I started to get excited.
The Last Waltz concert at Winterland November 25, 1976, was filmed by Martin Scorcese
In this image, Eric Clapton, Paul Butterfield, Bobby Charles and Ron Wood (Bill Graham is in the background) 
The Band and many guest musicians performed, including Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison Eric Clapton Ron Wood, Ringo Starr, Dr. John  and Joni Mitchell Photo: Gary Fong, The Chronicle
I kept scanning, and there they were: dozens of shots of the concert, taken by ace Chronicle photographer Gary Fong, showing The Band, the guest rockers and the final jam with all of the musicians on stage.
The Band with menbers Garth Hudson, Rick Danko, Robbie Robertson Richard Manuel and Levon Helm at the Last Waltz show. Photo: Gary Fong, The Chronicle
After 30 years digging through The Chronicle’s archive as a big rock ’n’ roll fan, this might be my favorite find.
The Last Waltz concert at Winterland November 25, 1976, was filmed by Martin Scorcese
Ringo Starr and Levon Helm at the drums

The Band and many guest musicians performed, including Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison Eric Clapton Ron Wood, Ringo Starr, Dr. John  and Joni Mitchell Photo: Gary Fong, The Chronicle
Bill Van Niekerken is the library director of The San Francisco Chronicle, where he has worked since 1985. In his weekly column, From the Archive, he explores the depths of The Chronicle’s vast photography archive in search of interesting historical tales related to the city by the bay.

All photos by Gary Fong

http://www.sfchronicle.com/thetake/article/Long-lost-photos-from-legendary-S-F-concert-6788689.php?t=9a9372e28f&cmpid=twitter-premium#photo-9286335

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