[Chicago Slices raw : Leroy Brown at Blue Chicago]

Raw footage for the TV series Chicago Slices. Leroy Brown at Blue Chicago.

00:00Copy video clip URL Exterior b-roll of police vehicles parked on city street.

00:05Copy video clip URL B-roll of a blues band playing a classic blues tune at Blue Chicago club. Poor audio signal, weak and muffled. B-roll of audience watching the performance.

03:28Copy video clip URL Continued b-roll of the band playing. The guitarist, Eddy Clearwater, plays and sings. Various crowd shots.

08:37Copy video clip URL The band finishes the song, the audience applauds. The band leader introduces the band.

09:10Copy video clip URL The band starts another song.

09:20Copy video clip URL Exterior b-roll of the Blue Chicago club. Patrons enter and pay cover charge.

09:45Copy video clip URL B-roll of club patrons clapping to the beat of the music. B-roll of the band playing a lively piece mixing rock and blues. The guitarist plays his guitar behind his head.

10:46Copy video clip URL Leroy Brown, whose real name is LeRoy Joyce [christened Leroy Brown at the time Croce’s song “Bad Bad Leroy Brown” was published], comes up on stage and gives props to the band. Audio signal weak and poor.

11:40Copy video clip URL The band plays a bouncy blues instrumental. Various shots of the lead guitarist.

17:10Copy video clip URL The band finishes their song to energetic response from the audience.

17:19Copy video clip URL Interview with Brown sitting on the edge of the stage. “How bad is Leroy Brown?” “I’m not really bad.” Jim Croce’s song Bad, Bad Leroy Brown is one of the most famous songs ever. Brown comments that he was in the service with Jim Croce and that’s how the song came about. “I seldom think about doing the song.” Brown notes that mutual friends knew of Brown’s wild activities before the service: gambling, a lot of women, fast cars. These exploits were told to Croce. Brown says that’s all in the past, he’s changed.

18:55Copy video clip URL “Did Croce tell you he was going to write a song about you?” “Not exactly, we were friends and we would get together and sing songs. We’re both vocalists. The actual lyrics were written once he was out of the service. Croce was a quiet and laid back guy. Real nice. He wasn’t a wild guy. He thought about things a lot.”

19:50Copy video clip URL How did you first hear the song? Brown laughs and says, “The first time he heard it was in demo form. He called me and played it over the phone. I was flattered. I was moved and touched that he thought enough about me to write a song.” He notes that not all of the lyrics in the song are true. The diamond rings and fast cars were true.

21:12Copy video clip URL The videographer stops and starts recording. In the middle of a sentence, Brown notes about band member Eddy Clearwater, “we’ve been together 18, 19 years now. He says people expect us not to change.  We play blues. We go all over the world playing blues clubs. That’s what we do. I am known all over the world. I did something in Helsinki last summer with Alvin Collins Buddy Guy, Michael Smith, and a rock band called Little Village.”

23:08Copy video clip URL Brown talks about his music partner Eddie. “He’s been a friend of mine for over 20 years. He got me starting singing blues.  I was in the Marine Corps. Croce back then looked thin, wiry, lot of distinctive. We ended up in the same outfit in the Marine Corps together.” Brown notes that he heard of Croce’s death on either the radio or TV and from friends who’d called. He says it felt like he’d lost a good friend. He was shocked at first, then angry because he couldn’t do anything about it.

25:09Copy video clip URL Brown talks about wanting to make it on his own, not just be known for Croce’s song. He notes that Croce was one of the best and that even today kids know and love his work. “Time in a Bottle” is an ingenious song.”

27:22Copy video clip URL B-roll of Brown signing autographs.

27:50Copy video clip URL Brown hugs a friend and introduces him to someone. They fraternize.

28:36Copy video clip URL Interview with Bernard Reed who talks about the history of the band. He says he was a bass player. “Leroy was in a band called The Five Du-Tones. I use to go to the Regal Theater. Leroy stood out among the group. He was always smiling.” He adds, “We know he know, so we’re gonna let him have his way.”

30:30Copy video clip URL Brown prepares to sing. He notes that he still has a temper, but not like he used to. B-roll as the band prepares their instruments to play.

32:08Copy video clip URL Brown introduces the Eddy Clearwater Blues Band. The band starts playing a heavy blues instrumental. Various shots.

39:10Copy video clip URL The band falls into a slower, more soulful instrumental. Brown watches from the side. Various b-roll of the band playing.

42:47Copy video clip URL Videographer starts recording in the middle of a song. The guitarist is playing the guitar with his teeth.

45:43Copy video clip URL Audience applauds. Band finishes a song. Brown comes up on stage, acknowledges the band, and introduces its members. Eddy Clearwater comes on stage and together with Brown sings  a blues version of “On Broadway.” Then the band goes into a rendition of “Shake, Rattle and Roll.”

56:41Copy video clip URL Brown addresses the audience, introduces “Fever.” The band plays a slow blues version. The tape ends in the middle of the performance.

01:02:40Copy video clip URL END