The Band marks 40 years of The Last Waltz

The Band. Photo: Capitol Records/Wikimedia Commons

Four new anniversary editions of the historic final concert, including collector’s edition boxed set featuring never-before-seen Martin Scorsese shooting script

Rhino Entertainment will celebrate The Last Waltz with four new 40th anniversary editions, including the pairing of the audio and video for the first time. On Thanksgiving Day 1976, The Band took the stage for the very last time at the Winterland Theatre in San Francisco, joined by an all-star group that included Eric Clapton, Neil Diamond, Bob Dylan, Ronnie Hawkins, Dr. John, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Muddy Waters and Neil Young. The evening was captured on film by director Martin Scorsese and, released theatrically in April 1978 to critical acclaim, The Last Waltz is still considered by many to be the greatest concert film ever made.

Available as a four-CD/Blu-Ray set, and on vinyl as a six-LP set for the first time, the 40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition of the original soundtrack has 54 tracks, including the entire concert, as well as rehearsals and outtakes. Among the rarities are performances not featured in the film, such as Furry Sings The Blues with Joni Mitchell and All Our Past Times with Eric Clapton, plus rehearsals for Caravan with Van Morrison, Such A Night with Dr. John, and King Harvest (Has Surely Come) – a song that was not performed in concert.

The CD version also includes newly-penned liner notes by music journalists David Fricke and Ben Fong-Torres, along with an essay from 1977 written by author Emmett Grogan. The 40th Anniversary Collector’s Edition, limited to 2,500 copies worldwide, includes a replica of Scorsese’s original shooting script, and The Collector’s Edition also includes a foreword by Scorsese and an essay from screenwriter Mardik Martin.

On 15 November, The Band’s guitarist and principle songwriter, Robbie Robertson will also mark the anniversary with the release of Testimony (Crown Archetype) – a new memoir in which he finally tells his own story of the band, his personal journey, and his creative friendships with some of the greatest artists of the last half-century. Robertson will also release a new musical anthology of the same name on UMe on 11 November. The 18-track collection, curated by Robertson, will feature a mix of live and studio tracks spanning his entire career.

All formats will be available 11 November except The Collector’s Edition, which will become available 9 December. To find out more, visit rhino.com/thelastwaltz40

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