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Bonnie Raitt's "Road Tested," Historic Live Performance Home Video From 1995, Is Remastered and Reconfigured as DVD

• 21 song program, filmed at Paramount Theatre in Oakland, CA features guest appearances by Bryan Adams, Jackson Browne, Bruce Hornsby, Kim Wilson, Ruth Brown and Charles Brown
• The only live performance video ever produced on 9-time Grammy winning, multi-multi-platinum, Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame inductee is set for October 23 in-store date
• Raitt enters the studio to record 16th album, due out early next year

Two of three nights at the Paramount were filmed, resulting in the first and only live home video of Bonnie Raitt's career, "Road Tested," which became a PBS special in the bargain and the watershed event of a lifetime. (An accompanying double CD, also titled "Road Tested," documented the three nights at the Paramount as well as three shows in Portland, Ore.) Now the home video has been digitally remastered and reconfigured for the first time as a DVD.

The "Road Tested" DVD, due in stores October 23, provides fans with a remarkable glance back at this milestone in Raitt's career, and is sure to whet appetites for her upcoming Capitol CD, "Silver Lining," which she is currently recording. The new collection of songs, scheduled for release early next year, will be her sixth album on Capitol Records, and the 16th record of her career.

From the opening take of the John Hiatt-penned "Thing Called Love," in which Bonnie calls upon the accordion style and vocal backing of Bruce Hornsby, to her signature closing number, the John Prine composition "Angel From Montgomery," which Bonnie has been singing since 1974, and for which she is joined by her full complement of special guests (Hornsby, Bryan Adams, Jackson Browne, and Kim Wilson), "Road Tested" delivers a nonstop series of compelling performances over the course of its 105 minutes.

The high points are numerous and show the diversity of music with which Bonnie Raitt is both familiar and comfortable: Ruth Brown, Charles Brown and Kim Wilson join Bonnie early in the show for "Never Make Your Move Too Soon," a Jazz Crusaders number made famous by gritty R&B/jazz singer Ernestine Anderson and B.B. King. Later on, Bonnie has as much fun with bluesman Mississippi Fred McDowell's "Kokomo Medley" as she does with her covers of the Talking Heads' "Burning Down the House" and Michael McDonald's dreamy "Matters Of the Heart."

Jackson Browne shows up for a duet on his timeless "My Opening Farewell," which he recorded on his debut album of 1972, and which Bonnie cut five years later on her classic "Sweet Forgiveness" LP. That album is also the original source for her contrasting covers of Don Covay's "Three Time Loser" and Paul Siebel's "Louise." Bonnie reaches all the way back to her second album ("Give It Up," 1972) for a number that has become another one of her signatures, "Love Me Like a Man," written by fellow Boston folk-bluesman Chris Smither.

The classic, "I Can't Make You Love Me," perhaps her most career-defining song, was introduced by Bonnie her 1991 "Luck Of the Draw" album. Here she is joined once again by the exquisite piano of Bruce Hornsby, whose playing added so much magic to the original hit. By now a classic, it has since been covered by everyone from Prince to George Michael, Nancy Wilson, Kenny Rogers, Will Downing, and Loretta Holloway. On the other hand, Bonnie waited years to have the opportunity to record her own version of "I Believe I'm In Love With You" with Kim Wilson, after "sitting in" on the tune with the T-Birds on many occasions. Rocker Bryan Adams wrote "Rock Steady" especially for Bonnie to perform with him in Oakland that night, and it was subsequently chosen as a single from "Road Tested."

"We were going for something really special, and it's the best I've ever heard her live show sounding," said producer Don Was, who had just won the Grammy as Producer Of the Year in March, at the same ceremonies that awarded Bonnie her eighth statue, for "Longing In Their Hearts" as Best Pop Album. Was was in a position to know, having worked with Bonnie on 1989's "Nick Of Time" (4X Platinum), 1991's "Luck Of the Draw" (5X Platinum), and 1994's "Longing In Their Hearts" (2X Platinum).

But Bonnie Raitt was the ultimate arbiter. "What's great about a live show," she said, "is that immediate feedback. And that's where I'm the most comfortable: onstage." 25 years into honing her craft she was ready to undertake the challenge of a live recording.

On November 7, "Road Tested" hit the stores as a 22-song double-CD, subsequently certified gold by the RIAA. Four weeks later on December 5, the "Road Tested" home video arrived in-store as a 21-song VHS, thoroughly resequenced as a video program (and excluding "Three Time Loser"). Its release was underscored by a PBS special airing of the concert video. In August 1996, the release of "A Tribute To Stevie Ray Vaughan" (Epic Records) featured Bonnie on three tracks, one of which, "SRV Shuffle" (also showcasing Jimmy Vaughn, Eric Clapton, Robert Cray, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Dr. John, and Art Neville) went on to win the Grammy award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance, Bonnie's ninth prize.

In order to "shake things up a bit" in her music, Bonnie approached Mitchell Froom and Tchad Blake to co-produce her next album, and assembled a new cast of musicians to play in the studio. Her 15th album, "Fundamental" (released April 1998, certified gold) was a liberating project distinguished by collaborator David Hidalgo (of Los Lobos) who co-wrote "Cure For Love," played most of the instruments on the track (except drums and slide guitar) and sang the tune with Bonnie.

In March 2000, Bonnie Raitt was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame along with Eric Clapton, Earth, Wind & Fire, the Lovin' Spoonful, the Moonglows, and James Taylor. Praised as a musician and activist, a woman of conscience whose leadership role in the Rhythm and Blues Foundation made a difference -- as well as one of our most treasured artists! -- Bonnie Raitt was well-deserving of the honor. "Road tested" for three decades, she continues to meet new challenges with a sense of social consciousness all too uncommon among many of her peers.

Watch for Bonnie's new CD early next year, "Silver Lining."

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"Road Tested" / Bonnie Raitt

Filmed and recorded live at the Paramount Theatre, Oakland, Calif., July 18-19, 1995.

¢ºProduced by Don Was and Bonnie Raitt. Recorded by Ed Cherney. (Capitol 77907)

¢ºDirector: Jim Yukich

¢ºProducer: Jim Glander

¢ºProduction Company: Palomar Pictures

¢ºExecutive Producers: Ron Stone, Liz Heller & Michelle Peacock

¢ºEditors: Jerry Behrens/Sirius Editing, Jim Yukich/Palomar Pictures, Scott Richter/Graying & Balding

¢ºThe Band:

   Bonnie Raitt -- Vocals/Acoustic & Slide Guitar/Keyboards ("Feeling Of Falling")

   Glen Clark -- Keyboards/Harmonica/Vocals

   Debra Dobkin -- Percussion/Vocals

   Ricky Fataar -- Drums

   James "Hutch" Hutchinson -- Bass/Vocals

   Mark T. Jordan -- Keyboards/Vocals/Mandolin ("Longing...")/Guitar ("Something...")

   George Marinelli -- Electric & Acoustic Guitar/Vocals/Mandolin ("Louise") Featuring

¢ºSpecial Guests: Bryan Adams, Charles Brown, Ruth Brown, Jackson Browne, Bruce Hornsby, Kim Wilson

¢ºSelections:

   01. Thing Called Love (with Bruce Hornsby)

   02. Something To Talk About

   03. Love Letter

   04. Never Make Your Move Too Soon (with Ruth Brown, Charles Brown and Kim Wilson)

   05. Shake a Little

   06. Matters Of the Heart

   07. Have a Heart

   08. Love Me Like a Man

   09. The Kokomo Medley

   10. Louise

   11. Dimming of the Day

   12. My Opening Farewell (with Jackson Browne)

   13. Longing in Their Hearts

   14. Come To Me

   15. Love Sneakin' Up On You

   16. Burning Down the House

   17. I Can't Make You Love Me (with Bruce Hornsby)

   18. Feeling of Falling

   19. I Believe I'm In Love With You (with Kim Wilson)

   20. Rock Steady (with Bryan Adams)

   21. Angel From Montgomery (with Jackson Browne, Bruce Hornsby, Bryan Adams, and Kim Wilson)

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[Source : BryanAdams On The WWW]