The Weight By The Band & More
On The Acoustic

Evangeline was never released by The Band as a single. It appears on the box set entitled "The Last Waltz" from 1978 and is the soundtrack of the film of the same name.

Emmylou Harris appeared on this track with the group and then went on to cover the song with Dolly Parton on her album of the same name.

This was the original members of the band captured here performing before they split up and many have since passed on. There are only two chords in this song and they are G and a D with some lead and in standard tuning. Play a root down up down up bass down up down up and repeat for the rhythm pattern.

Ophelia is actually about heroine in case you were wondering.

It was written by band member Robbie Robertson and was one of the tracks on their 1975 album Northern Lights Southern Cross and it was also the lead single from the album.

As popular as The Band was, they never had a top 20 song in the US. Their highest ranking song was a #10 in Canada. This particular song reached #62 on the US charts.

Vince Gill and My Morning Jacket have covered the song.

I play this one in standard tuning with a down down up down up and repeat rhythm pattern and some lead required. For chords play a G, B7, A7, C, D, E, C7 and a D7.

The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down hit the airwaves in 1969 and was The Band's highest charting song at #10 in Canada and #25 in the US. It was from the album "The Band".

Joan Biaz had a #3 hit with her version a few years later in 1971. The song is about the last year of the American Civil War and was researched by Robbie Robertson and Levon Helm before the story was developed around the melody that Robertson already had at the time.

The chords in this song are pretty simple with a G, C, Em, D and an A while playing a root down up root up down up and repeat rhythm pattern. No lead just a few riffs and in standard tuning.

The Shape I'm In is a B-side single from the A -side single Time To Kill. Both of which are from the 1970 album Stage Fright. The Shape I'm In became more popular than the A-Side. Guitarist Robbie Robinson wrote the song about his band mate Richard Manuel, one of main three vocalist in the band.

The song has been covers by several artist including , Marty Stuart, Bo Diddley and Nathaniel Rateliff.

This one is played with the five chords G, C, C7, D and D7. Played in standard tuning with a down down down up down down and repeat rhythm pattern combined with a few down strokes and a little bit of lead.

The Weight is from1968 and the debut album from The Band called "Music From Big Pink" was released and also this single called "The Weight". The song reached #63 in the US, #35 in Canada and #21 in the UK on the charts.

There were several releases of the song and it was also covered by Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross and The Supremes as well as The Temptations.

When The Band first signed to Capitol Records for their first album, they were called The Krackers. But for this album they had switched their name and it remained that way. This is probably the best known song by The Band. 

The chords here are G, C, C/G, Bm, D, D/Gb and an Em in standard tuning and some lead work. For rhythm play a down down down down up with a few shuffles in various places.

Time To Kill was from The Bands 3rd album "Stage Fright" in 1970. The song did not reach the top 40 in the US but it did reach #13 in The Netherlands.It also appeared on their Greatest Hits album.

This one you can play in standard tuning with a down down down down up down up down up and repeat rhythm pattern with some lead required.

The chords here are A, Gb, B7, E, D, G, E7 and a D7.

Up On Cripple Creek was co-written by The Band members Robbie Robertson and Levon Helm  and it was the fifth single from their 1969 album "The Band".

The Band also performed on The Ed Sullivan Show back in  November of 1969 and this was the song they performed.

It reached #25 on the Billboard Hot 100. Another simple chord structure here using the A, D, E , G and Gbm chords playing a down up up down up down up and repeat rhythm pattern. No lead work required and played in standard tuning.