The all-star recording of The Band classic "The Weight" that Robbie Robertson teased last week is now available.
Featuring Robbie, Ringo Starr, Willie Nelson's son Lukas Nelson and musicians from around the world, it was done for Playing for Change, which works to "break down the boundaries and overcome distances between people.”
It took a year-and-a-half to complete, and with musicians from five continents, Playing for Change co-founder and Grammy-winning producer and engineer Mark Johnson says, "We could never have never assembled this group in the studio. You need to go there, and then when you go there, you’re where they feel comfortable. You hear that in the music.”
The idea to record "The Weight" came from Robbie and his son Sebastian. Johnson adds, "It’s a chance for Sebastian to promote a legacy for his father, and for us to take an amazing song around the world with a legend."