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The Little Feat story begins in 1969, when two Frank Zappa-inspired musicians, vocalist-guitarist Lowell George and keyboardist Bill Payne, met in Los Angeles and decided to collaborate.
They’d enlist some like-minded sonic adventurers in the cause and quickly began creating some daringly eclectic music, drawing from rock, blues, R&B, country, soul and, well, basically anything that caught their attention.
The band made an impressive debut with its 1971 eponymous outing, which many consider a classic, and then followed up with such highly regarded efforts as 1972’s “Sailin’ Shoes” and 1973’s “Dixie Chicken.”
The works garnered the group a loyal following of fans, including Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page, Jimmy Buffett, Linda Ronstadt, Phish and so many other famous artists and acts who have sung the praises (and, in some cases, the songs) of Little Feat over the years.
The band is currently celebrating its 50th anniversary with a tour that touches down at the Fox Theater in Oakland on May 28. Show time is 8 p.m. and tickets are $55-$95, www.ticketmaster.com.
I recently spoke with Bill Payne about a half-century of Little Feat.
Q: What were your original hopes and ambitions for the band when it started back in 1969?
PAYNE: Lowell and I started this probably realizing that we wouldn’t be a household name with people, but our hopes were that we would be able to influence others. In other words, we would be well known within the musical community.
In terms of the actual musical genres we were attracted to, there were many and varied, obviously. So, we wanted to do something that wasn’t tied to anything specific musically. We’d take the influences as they came in, do things as we saw fit, and – you know – throw it out and see us where different directions would take us.
Q: How did you and Lowell first meet?
PAYNE: I had heard about Lowell when I was up in Northern California, searching out whether I should relocate to that neck of the woods. There’s an album called “Uncle Meat” that came across my attention and I thought, “Man, the band that I want to be with is the Mothers (of Invention).”
So, I made an effort to get in touch with Frank Zappa (of the Mothers of Invention). There were these phony calling cards that people were using on pay phones, so you didn’t have to pay for long distance call. I was one of the guys using those, because I was broke. I called (Zappa’s label) and initially they said, “Frank is over in Europe.” But there was this guy named Jeff Simmons (who played with Zappa). So, I called Jeff and we had a meeting and he said, “You know I play keyboards too, so there might be a riff there. But there’s a guy named Lowell George. He’s just been asked by Frank to set up his own band.”
So, I called (Zappa’s label) again and they put me in touch with Lowell. I called him up and set up a meeting. That’s kind of how it took place.
Q: Take me back to that initial meeting with Lowell.
PAYNE: He lived in a little home, which was just off the street and was rustic. I walk up and the door is open and there’s this young lady in there, cross-legged, listening to (music). She goes, “You must be Bill. Lowell is expecting you. He’ll be back in four hours.” I said, “Really? What does he do when he’s not expecting you?”
Q: Oh, wow. That’s a lot of time to make someone wait.
PAYNE: I wandered around the house and checked out his record collection, which had some John Coltrane and some blues records with Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf. There’s a social commentary record with Lenny Bruce, which was on Zappa’s label. There were some books out and some poetry – Allen Ginsberg’s “Howl,” “Last Exit to Brooklyn.” On the back wall was a samurai sword. On the right hand corner was his guitar. So, by the time Lowell did show up, I kind of felt that I knew him a little bit.
Q: That was the start of a great musical partnership, which continued through the ‘70s, basically right up until Lowell’s death in 1979.
PAYNE: Yeah, he was going out on his solo tour and he had just played Washington D.C. Apparently it was a great gig. The world lost him after that. We did hold a (tribute) concert at the Forum in Los Angeles that sold out I think in two hours or less, 18,000 people, with a lot of different artists. Linda Ronstadt was one of them. I’m sure Bonnie Raitt and Emmylou Harris were there.
A: Yet, the story didn’t end there, as Little Feat got back together in 1987 and started recording and gigging again. You said at the beginning of the interview that one of the original goals was to inspire other musicians. How cool is it to see that dream come to fruition in such amazing fashion?
PAYNE: It’s humbling, first and foremost. I mean how many things in life can you point to and say, “I envisioned this happening.” It never comes about the way you think it might. But the fact that we wanted to be a band that was influential to others and resonate within the music community, and also resonate with fans of eclectic taste, to see that come to fruition over a number of years, and intensify, it’s amazing. I have put in more than a call or email to Mike Gordon of Phish to thank him for the various things that his group has done to put the spotlight on Little Feat.
Q: Besides working in Little Feat, you also play with the Doobie Brothers. What’s new with that legendary South Bay group?
PAYNE: We have a tour this summer with Santana. And next year is the Doobie Brothers’ 50th anniversary. So, I will be with them for that as well. But this year, I am bouncing back and forth between Little Feat and the Doobie Brothers. It’s a busy year.
Q: Of course, Little Feat and the Doobies are just two of acts that you’ve worked with over your career. You’ve also toured and recorded with so many other famous acts – including Bob Seger, who is one of my all-time favorites.
PAYNE: Bob is obviously just one of the most dynamic singers you can imagine. I played on a lot of his records. I think the first one I got to play on was “Against the Wind” and I played Hammond B-3 on that. But I also played on “Hollywood Nights,” “Shame on the Moon,” “Like a Rock.”
I love Bob. He’s the best. In terms of being a legitimate rock ‘n’ roll singer, I’d put him up there with anyone.
Q: “Hollywood Nights” is such a great song. I always thought it was ironic that arguably the best song every written about Los Angeles came courtesy of a Midwesterner.
PAYNE: Well, that often happens. Because people who are not enveloped by it come in with their own view and can see things with a different slant. But he spent a lot of time in L.A., too. We recorded a lot of that stuff at Capitol Records in Hollywood
