Writer: Robbie Robertson
Producer: The Band
Recorded: July 13th, 1970, at the Woodstock Playhouse in Woodstock, New York
Released: August 1970
| Players: | Rick Danko — vocals, bass Levon Helm — percussion, vocals Robbie Robertson — guitar, vocals Richard Manuel — piano, vocals Garth Hudson — keyboards |
| Album: | Stage Fright (Capitol Records) |
Though a single and a popular track with fans, “Stage Fright,” the title track of the Band's third album, was not a chart success.
However, The album was, reaching Number Five on the Billboard 200 — the highest showing of any release by the Band in the U.S. — and earning a gold album.
Stage Fright also reached Number 15 on the U.K. chart.
Though written about a third-person character, “Stage Fright” makes allusions to the Band's own view of performing, which was always extremely low-key and without the histrionics of many of their rock peers of the time.
The Band had some noteworthy assistance on the Stage Fright album, with Todd Rundgren as the engineer and noted British producer Glyn Johns mixing.