Robertson's collaboration with Scorsese

Scorsese at 70: Robbie Robertson

By Justin RiellyThe most significant film in the Scorsese-Robertson canon was the 1986 pool hustling drama The Color of Money. He was working on the Paul Newman-Tom Cruise project while finishing his first solo album with producer Daniel Lanois; a contractual issue kept him from delivering vocals on the material. Despite his famous raspy vocals being a no-show, Robertson still gave Scorsese an original score for the film, along with the hit single "It's in the Way That You Use It." While that song was credited to fellow guitar virtuoso Eric Clapton, Robertson co-wrote it with him. It would surprisingly be the only original material Robertson would compose for a Scorsese film.

The rest of Scorsese and Robertson's partnership would ultimately be involved in the selection of songs from other artists and composers--to give the filmmaker's images powerful soundscapes. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Robertson was credited as a music producer and/or consultant for several Scorsese films--including Casino, Gangs of New York and recently, Shutter Island. He was also given "special thanks" credit on Scorsese's 2005 documentary No Direction Home, a look at the early years of music legend Bob Dylan--a period in which Robertson and his fellow members in The Band were playing with him as The Hawks.Comment:  For more on Robbie Robertson, see Robertson on Canadian Stamp and Robertson to Write Memoirs.

Below:  "Singer-songwriter Robbie Robertson and Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese." (Warner Bros. Records/Jan Hoiberg)

Robertson on Canadian stamp

Canadian Music Icon Robbie Robertson Adds Canada Post Stamp to His List of AchievementsCanada Post today unveiled a stamp featuring Canadian music icon Robbie Robertson, part of the third installment of the Canadian Recording Artists stamp series. Available June 30th, the Robertson stamp will share the spotlight with four other outstanding Canadian singer-songwriters; Kate and Anna McGarrigle, Bruce Cockburn, and Ginette Reno. More than one million of each stamp will be available at post offices across Canada.

"We're proud to be able to add one more honour to Robbie Robertson's long list of accolades," said Jim Phillips, Director of Stamp Services for Canada Post. "It's an honour for us to be able to pay tribute to such a prolific and talented artist."Comment:  For more on the subject, see Robertson to Write Memoirs and Robertson in Songwriters' Hall of Fame.

Robertson to write memoirs

Robbie Robertson set to pen memoirs

The Band's frontman also ready to release new albumCanadian rock icon Robbie Robertson is getting ready for a busy year, after signing a deal to pen his memoirs and a new album set for release this spring.

The book, set to be released within the next two years through Random House, will follow on the heels of the April 5 release of How To Become Clairvoyant—his first solo album in 13 years.

"I'm very excited about doing it," Robertson, the former frontman of The Band, told Reuters.

"I just have to roll up my sleeves, get a cabin in the woods and do it properly."

The 67-year-old singer-songwriter said he had considered collaborating with other writers on a number of occasions, but felt he could do a better job of telling of the story of the popular 1960s and 1970s group himself.

A number of titles have been written about The Band over the years, including British author Barney Hoskyns' 1993 book Across The Great Divide, which Robertson dismissed as "very imaginative and random, and it wasn't what happened at all."

In addition to his 12 years with The Band, Robertson's memoir will document his solo work and movie collaborations with artists such as Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, and Martin Scorsese.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Robertson in Songwriters' Hall of Fame and Robertson Works with Clapton, Reznor.

Robertson in songwriters' hall of fame

Robbie Robertson to join Songwriters Hall of Fame

Luc Plamondon among Quebec songwriters to be honouredRobbie Robertson's prowess at penning poignant, moving songs will be celebrated this spring when he is inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.

The honour will be the latest such accolade for the Toronto-born musician and former member of The Band, who has previously been inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.

Robertson is known for such classic songs as The Weight, Somewhere Down the Crazy River, The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down and Broken Arrow.

He will be feted at a April 2 gala in Toronto as one of two modern-era songwriters, along with French-Canadian colleague Luc Plamondon, who has penned hits for artists such as Céline Dion and Robert Charlebois.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Robertson Works with Clapton, Reznor.

Robertson works with Clapton, Reznor

Robbie Robertson Works with Eric Clapton, Trent Reznor on New Album

By Andrew VaughanRock and roll veteran and former member of seminal ’60s and ’70s group, The Band, Robbie Robertson is releasing a solo album on April 5. How to Become Clairvoyant will be his fifth solo album and his first release in more than 10 years.

After delving into his Native American roots for his past two solo records, Robertson returns to rock and roll with this album. Eric Clapton, Tom Morello, Robert Randolph, Steve Winwood and Trent Reznor guest on the record with Clapton co-writing three tracks with Robertson. Reznor contributes one song, an instrumental called “Madame X.” Comment:  For more on Native music, see Review of For the Generations and Hip-Hop Album for Leonard Peltier.