Whenever a supergroup convenes for an all-star multi-vocal jam, be it Jack White, the Edge, and Jimmy Page or (in this case) Elvis Costello with a few famous friends, you really can’t go wrong playing “The Weight” by the Band. The song has plenty of verses and one of the catchiest choruses ever, not to mention that infamous vocal harmony section which leaves just enough space for each voice to shine.
On the latest episode of Spectacle, Costello called up a few of said friends for a rousing rendition of the Robbie Robertson-penned, Big Pink classic, with Ray LaMontagne, Allen Toussaint, Nick Lowe, and Richard Thompson each picking up a verse and the Band’s Levon Helm on the skins, of course. The lineup clearly meshed well, but it was Toussaint’s adaptation of Richard Manuel’s original piano parts that truly made this a great performance, IMO.
Watch it here or below: