Editing Robbie Robertson (section)

====1967–1968: ''Music from Big Pink''====
[[File:Robbie Robertson (1971).png|upright|thumb|Robertson performing live with the Band]]
In late 1967, Dylan left to record his next album, ''[[John Wesley Harding]]'' (1967). After recording the basic tracks, Dylan asked Robertson and Garth Hudson about playing on the album to fill out the sound. Robertson liked the starkness of the sound and recommended Dylan leave the tracks as they were.<ref name=band_bio/>{{rp|147–48}} Dylan worked with the Hawks again when they were his backup band for two [[Woody Guthrie]] memorial concerts at [[Carnegie Hall]] in [[New York City]] in January 1968.<ref name=band_box_2005/>{{rp|29}} Three of these performances were later released by Columbia Records on the LP ''A Tribute to Woody Guthrie, Vol. 1'' (1972).<ref name="woody_guthrie_tribute">{{cite web|title=Various Artists: A Tribute to Woody Guthrie, Part 1|url=http://theband.hiof.no/albums/tribute_to_woody_guthrie.html|website=The Band Website|publisher=Jan Hoiberg|access-date=May 30, 2016}}</ref>

Over the course of the "Basement Tapes" period, the group had developed a sound of their own, and Grossman went to Los Angeles to shop the group to a major label, securing a contract with [[Capitol Records]].<ref name=band_box_2005/>{{rp|22, 28}} The group went to New York to begin recording songs with music producer [[John Simon (record producer)|John Simon]]. Capitol brought the group to Los Angeles to finish the album.<ref name="bowman_band_bio_5">{{cite web|last1=Bowman|first1=Rob|author-link1=Rob Bowman (music writer)|title=The History of The Band: The Debut Album|url=http://theband.hiof.no/history/part_5.html|website=The Band Website|publisher=Jan Hoiberg|access-date=February 14, 2016}}</ref> The resulting album, ''[[Music From Big Pink|Music from Big Pink]]'',<ref name="hoskyns_2000_liner_notes">{{cite web|last1=Hoskyns|first1=Barney|title=Liner notes for the Band 2000 remasters|url=http://theband.hiof.no/articles/hoskyns_ln_remasters.html|website=The Band Website|publisher=Jan Hoiberg|access-date=March 13, 2016}}</ref> was released in August 1968.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Rucker|first1=Leland|title=Big Pink in Retrospect. How Songs Learn: "The Weight" Hangs Tough at 35|url=http://theband.hiof.no/articles/big_pink_in_retrospect_leland_rucker.html|website=The Band Website|publisher=Jan Hoiberg|access-date=March 13, 2016}}</ref>

Robertson wrote four of the songs on ''Music From Big Pink'', including "The Weight", "Chest Fever", "Caledonia Mission", and "To Kingdom Come". He is listed in the songwriting credits as "J.R. Robertson". He sang lead vocal on the track "To Kingdom Come"; he did not sing on another Band song released to the public until "Knockin' Lost John" on 1977's ''[[Islands (The Band album)|Islands]]''.<ref name=band_bio/>{{rp|158}}<ref name=bowman_band_bio_5/> Two of Robertson's compositions for the album, "[[The Weight]]" and "[[Chest Fever]]", became important touchstones in the group's career. "The Weight" was influenced by the films of director [[Luis Buñuel]], in particular ''[[Nazarín]]'' (1959) and ''[[Viridiana]]'' (1961), and reflects the recurring theme in Buñuel's films about the impossibility of sainthood. The song portrays an individual who attempts to take a saintly pilgrimage, and becomes mired down with requests from other people to do favors for them along the way. The mention of "Nazareth" at the beginning of the song refers to [[Nazareth, Pennsylvania]], where the [[C. F. Martin & Company]] guitar manufacturer is located; it was inspired by Robertson seeing the word "Nazareth" in the hole of his Martin guitar.<ref name=rnr_h_seb/>{{rp|20}} Although "The Weight" reached No. 21 on the British radio charts,<ref name="official_charts_band">{{cite web|title=[The] Band|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/13424/band|website=Official Charts|publisher=Official Charts Company|access-date=June 28, 2016}}</ref> it did not fare as well on the American charts, initially stalling at No. 63.

The song gained traction following more successful covers by [[Jackie DeShannon]] (US No. 55, 1968), [[Aretha Franklin]] (US No. 19, 1969), and [[the Supremes]] with [[the Temptations]] (US No. 46, 1969), and the song's inclusion in the movie ''[[Easy Rider]]'' (1969), which became a runaway success. "The Weight" has since become the Band's best known song. It has been covered by many artists, appeared in dozens of films and documentaries, and has become a staple of American rock music.<ref name=band_bio/>{{rp|168–173}}<ref name=band_box_2005/>{{rp|32}}<ref name="viney_the_weight">{{cite web|last1=Viney|first1=Peter|title=The Weight|url=http://theband.hiof.no/articles/the_weight_viney.html|website=The Band Website|publisher=Jan Hoiberg|access-date=May 30, 2016}}</ref><ref name="no_depression_the_weight">{{cite web|last1=Colangelo|first1=Joanna|title=The Weight: When a Song Becomes an Anthem|url=http://nodepression.com/article/weight-when-song-becomes-anthem|website=No Depression|publisher=Kyla Fairchild|access-date=May 30, 2016|date=March 12, 2013}}</ref>

When ''Music from Big Pink'' was released in 1968, the Band initially avoided media attention, and discouraged Capitol Records from promotional efforts. They also did not immediately pursue touring to support the album, and declined to be interviewed for a year.<ref name=band_box_2005/>{{rp|38}} The resulting mystery surrounding the group prompted speculation in the underground press.<ref name=bowman_band_bio_5/> ''Music from Big Pink'' received excellent reviews, and the album influenced many well-known musicians of the period.{{citation needed|date=April 2017}}