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The Allman Brothers Band – Jessica (7:00)

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About This Track

“Jessica” is a rock instrumental written by Dickey Betts, guitarist of The Allman Brothers Band.

Jessica was first released on the band’s 1973 album Brothers and Sisters, and has subsequently been used in many musical contexts. In January 2006, a Wall Street Journal article referred to the piece as “a true national heirloom.”

The piece, along with “Ramblin’ Man”, is one of the two most famous tracks from the album, an album which marked the beginning of a new era for the Allman Brothers Band following the deaths of Duane Allman and Berry Oakley. The song is named for Jessica Betts, the daughter of Dickey Betts and bride-to-be Sandy Bluesky.

Composition

The piece is very structured, starting out with an opening motif on acoustic guitar (played by guest guitarist Les Dudek) that gradually builds into the signature main theme played by Dickey Betts on two electric guitars, Gregg Allman on Hammond Organ, and Chuck Leavell on Fender Rhodes Electric Piano. The theme follows in a somewhat “verse/chorus” style, but quickly changes directions after the second “verse”, breaking back down into the opening motif. The reprise of the opening motif builds at a slower pace, introducing different percussion instruments (congas, tambourine, maracas) and the dueling Grand Piano and Bass Guitar melody-line one by one until the drumset enters to introduce the Grand piano solo section. Soon the piece changes key from A Major to D Major for Betts’s guitar solo. An establishing melody line at the end of the solo and another set of key changes brings the piece back to the original main theme, breaking down this time at the “chorus” section to end the piece.
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  • elciscokid

    Jessica has got great tracts of land!

    10 days ago

  • oldiesfanjohn

    Jessica...The epitome of what Southern Rock is all about!!!

    last month

  • GRAMPAPROG

    @ Chocolate_Donut: TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR TOP GEAR

    last month

  • xtwntraphq

    7 min version is now playing.

    last month

  • oldiesfanjohn

    Why does Last.fm play only the shorter version..the beauty is the 7+ minutes

    March 2012

  • Chocolate_Donut

    Why do people feel the need to mention Top Gear here? All you are doing is ruining the majesticness of the music by associating it with that crap program. If anything, you should be posting Allman Bros on every Top Gear page about to try an improve it.

    March 2012

  • satanistrue2you

    warren and derrick still do it up real nice.

    March 2012

  • BOC42

    Top Gear. :) Much better when the Allman Brothers do it, as opposed to when May tried to record car exhaust notes to recreate it.

    March 2012

  • CrimsonGameroom

    top gear

    March 2012

  • pteronophobic

    Pure felicity.

    March 2012

  • NorthernExile

    Top track (but just try not to think of Clarkson's ugly mug whilst listening) !

    March 2012

  • oldiesfanjohn

    GOT ANY GUM STILL SMELL WEED JK RED SOLO CUPS LET`S HAVE A PARTY @skyvalley6969 et al ---->LQQK,here`s my true life spin... Me and 50 million other ppl esp.-the Dads would be naming our daughter (song came out in1973... mine was born back in 1983) I thank you!

    March 2012

  • ERIXWORX

    don't get me wrong- I love this track ...but can't you just picture the Peanuts gang dancing to it? Seriously; listen to Jessica while watching this video(mute the video) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBPcoI4OE9Y

    March 2012

  • skyvalley6969

    for true life... i'm named after this song :))) *x*

    February 2012

  • Mactele52

    Dickey sure did write some beautiful melodies

    February 2012

  • ThovurNaer

    <3

    February 2012

  • FernandoVGP

    Fantástica!

    February 2012

  • oldiesfanjohn

    Sums up what Southern Rock is all about,perfectly!!!...now enuf is said!

    February 2012

  • LWRICH

    Great tune; great band!!! Enough said!!!

    February 2012

  • kevinkelly111

    Why did it cut off halfway through?! Damn!

    February 2012
See all 410 shouts

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