Recorded in 2011 at Levon Helm’s “Woodstock” New York Studio, ANTI- Records have announced ‘Carry Me Home’ (20 May), a new album that showcases the music of Mavis Staples and Levon Helm. Levon Helm passed away the following year, making this their last performance together. The album, that finds them performing tracks like “This May Be The Last Time” and “Farther Along” is described as a shared journey in which they trace their shared roots and celebrate the enduring power of faith and music.
Talking about the release, Staples says “It never crossed my mind that it might be the last time we’d see each other. He was so full of life and so happy that week. He was the same old Levon I’d always known, just a beautiful spirit inside and out.”
The pair’s mutual love and admiration is on full display on Fred McDowell & Reverend Gary Davis’s ‘Carry Me Home’, the first single to be shared which features a mix of Staples’ and Helm’s bands operating at the peak of their powers as they work their way through an eclectic setlist of tunes made famous by the likes of Nina Simone, The Impressions, Bob Dylan, and The Rolling Stones (see the album’s tracklist below).
“My dad built The Midnight Rambles to restore his spirit, his voice, and his livelihood,” says Helm’s daughter, Amy Helm, who sang backup vocals with her father and Staples at their performance. “He’d risen back up from all that had laid him down, and to have Mavis come sing and sanctify that stage was the ultimate triumph for him.”
Mavis Staples and Amy Helm have a number of upcoming UK Tour dates including two nights at London’s Union Chapel (see details below).
According to the press release, when it was all over, Staples could hardly believe how quickly the time had flown. She dreaded the thought of leaving Woodstock, of leaving Levon, but duty called her back on the road, and so she ended her week the way it began: with a long embrace. “We hugged and hugged and hugged,” Staples recalls. “I just held on to him. I didn’t know it’d be the last time, but in my heart and in my mind, Levon will always be with me because I take him everywhere I go. Yes, indeed. I can see him right now. And some sweet day, we’ll be together again.”
Staples and Amy Helm will also be performing together in Europe and the UK in June.
MAVIS STAPLES TOUR DATES
6/4 – Barcelona, Spain – Primavera Sound 2022
6/7 – Brussels, Belgium – Ancienne Belgique$
6/8 – Paris, France – La Cigale$
6/10 – Hilvarenbeek, Netherlands – Best Kept Secret 2022
6/11 – Kidlington, UK – Kite Festival 2022
6/13 – Stroud, UK – Subscription Rooms$
6/14 – Edinburgh, UK – Usher Hall$
6/16 – London, UK – Union Chapel$
6/17 – London, UK – Union Chapel$
6/19 – Newport, UK – Isle of Wight Festival
$ – with Amy Helm
As well as the above “$” noted dates Amy also has the following UK dates
6/11 – Bristol, UK – Louisiana
6/20 – London, UK – St. Pancras Old Church
Carry Me Home Track Listing
Pre-Order ‘Carry Me Home’ – out on 20 May
1. This Is My Country
2. Trouble In My Mind
3. Farther Along
4. Hand Writing On The Wall
5. I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free
6. Move Along Train
7. This May Be The Last Time
8. When I Go Away
9. Wide River To Cross
10. You Got To Move
11. You Got To Serve Somebody
12. The Weight