Islands, The Band’s final studio album with Robertson is released in March. It features “Christmas Must Be Tonight” and “Knockin’ Lost John,” Robertson’s first lead vocal since “To Kingdom Come” on Music From Big Pink.
After 16 years together, The Band say farewell with the gala Last Waltz concert held on Thanksgiving Day, November 25th, at Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. The event is advertised as the end of The Band’s illustrious touring career and the concert features The Band joined by more than a dozen special guests, including Paul Butterfield, Eric Clapton, Neil Diamond, Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Ronnie Hawkins, Dr. John, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Ringo Starr, Muddy Waters, Ronnie Wood and Neil Young. The event is filmed by director Martin Scorsese for future release.
Robbie produces Neil Diamond’s album, Beautiful Noise. It marks a radical departure in production, style, arrangements and compositional diversity for Diamond and is considered by many to be his finest all around album.
Northern Lights – Southern Cross is released in early November. It’s the first album to be recorded at The Band’s new California studio, Shangri-La, and the first album of all-new material since 1971’s Cahoots. Robbie Robertson writes all eight songs on the record and include such gems as “Ophelia,” “It Makes No Difference” and Acadian Driftwood.”
Released in June, The Basement Tapes is a studio album by Bob Dylan and The Band. It consists of sixteen Dylan compositions and eight by the Band. The Dylan tracks were recorded in 1967 in the basement of Big Pink, a house shared by three of the members of the Band, while the Band tracks were recorded at various times and locations between 1967 and 1975.
The Basement Tapes peaked at #7 on Billboard’s Pop Albums chart and reached #8 in the UK. In 2003, the album would be ranked at #291 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
Before the Flood is a the live album by Bob Dylan and The Band, released in June, documenting the Bob Dylan and The Band 1974 Tour. It peaked at #3 on the Billboard 200 and reached #8 in the UK.
Planet Waves, Bob Dylan’s 14th studio album with The Band supporting, is released in mid January. It reaches #1 on the US Billboard charts and #7 in the UK.
On the heels of their studio collaboration, Bob and The Band decide to hit the road together. Ticket demand for the 40 show / 21 city tour is one of highest in rock music history; tickets were sold by mail-order only and promoter Bill Graham claims mail-order requests exceed twelve million, though only about a half-million seats are available for the shows.
The Band head into the studio to support Bob Dylan for his upcoming Planet Waves release.
In July, The Band appear before an estimated 650,000 people (the largest rock concert in history) at the Summer Jam at Watkins Glen, a festival in upstate New York. Sharing the bill are The Allman Brothers and The Grateful Dead.