The Band is gearing up to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its third album, Stage Fright, and has shared a live recording from “Time To Kill” taken from a show at London’s Royal Albert Hall on June 3rd, 1971. The previously-unreleased concert is set to appear in full on The Band’s Stage Fright 50th Anniversary Edition box set, out on February 12th.
This rendition of the Robbie Robertson-penned, Rick Danko-sung tune came in the two slot of The Band’s second of two shows at the famed London venue. The run at Royal Albert Hall marked the tail end of The Band’s 1971 European Tour, but still found the young act brimming with energy. With just over two years since The Band’s live debut at Bill Graham‘s Winterland Arena in San Francisco in April of 1969, the group had already become a live tour de force as it enjoyed a meteoric rise from small theaters to some of the world’s most prestigious stages. The crisp vocal performances found on this “Time To Kill” captures the group at the top of its game.
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The 50th-anniversary edition of Stage Fright is set to feature a trove of other extras in addition to the Royal Albert Hall gig. Featuring new mixes executed by Bob Clearmountain and supervised by Robertson, the tracks on Stage Fright will be presented in their intended order for the first time ever. The box set will also include field recordings made on a hazy night at the Calgary Hotel as Roberston, Danko, and keyboardist Richard Manuel workshopped “The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show” and jammed on other songs that didn’t make the record.
Listen to The Band perform “Time To Kill” live at Royal Albert Hall on June 3rd, 1971. The Stage Fright 50th Anniversary Edition is available for pre-order in a variety of formats here.
The Band – “Time To Kill” – London, England – 6/3/71
[Video: Various Artists – Topic]