Rick Danko Finishes 'Sipping The Wine'

11/22/1999 4:00 PM, Yahoo! Music
Craig Rosen

(11/22/99, 4 p.m. ET) - Rick Danko of the Band released Live On Breeze Hill a few months ago, his first major solo album in several years. With the exception of one track, "Sip The Wine," the entire album was recorded live at a private party in 1998, with many top rate musicians, including fellow Band member Garth Hudson.

LAUNCH spoke with Danko recently about the album and the re-recording of "Sip The Wine," which fans of the Band may recognize from the 1976 farewell concert film The Last Waltz. "When we're watching The Last Waltz and I'm walking down the hallway and Martin Scorcese's asking me what I'm gonna do now that the Band is retired, I told him that they weren't my words, that I wasn't gonna retire, I was gonna do what I do best--and that's make music. And then I started playing 'Sip The Wine' when I sat down in the studio. Anyway, that's kind of why I re-recorded 'Sip The Wine,' because I wasn't really happy with the way I arranged [it] the first time I recorded it."

Since the song's appearance in the movie more than 23 years ago, it hasn't appeared on any other recording until now. Danko says that for a very long time, he never even performed the song. "Over the years, a lot of people have requested me to do the song, and I haven't been doing it…I do now, now that I've re-recorded it and I figured out the ending. I think it wasn't finished, but now it is."

Danko's Live On Breeze Hill includes several creative live reworkings of Danko/Band favorites: "Twilight," "Stage Fright," "Ophelia," "Makes No Difference," and "Shape I'm In." A portion of the proceeds for the album benefits Greenpeace; it can be ordered through Woodstock Records at 1-800-585-1812.

-- Sue Falco, New York

Got news tips, comments, or questions? Send them to newstips@launch.com.