Whipping Post

Zoo Freaks, get ready for a wild ride with The Allman Brothers Band’s epic “Whipping Post” from their legendary At Fillmore East album, spinning now on THE ZOO! This 23-minute masterpiece, recorded live on March 13, 1971, at New York’s Fillmore East, is a cornerstone of Southern rock, blending blues, jazz, and raw emotion. One juicy tidbit: Gregg Allman wrote the song’s lyrics in a frenzy, scribbling them on an ironing board cover with a burnt match because he couldn’t find a pen! The song’s hypnotic 11/8 time signature, driven by Berry Oakley’s bass riff, was a bold move for a rock band, and its extended jams, led by Duane Allman and Dickey Betts’ dueling guitars, made it a crowd favorite. Fans loved it so much that in the early 1970s, audiences at other artists’ concerts, like Jackson Browne’s, would cheekily yell “Whipping Post!” between songs, a nod to a fan’s shout captured on the Fillmore recording. This tradition even annoyed Frank Zappa during a 1974 Helsinki show!

Another cool story comes from the song’s cultural impact. “Whipping Post” wasn’t just a song; it became a metaphor for pain and struggle. In a 2004 novella, Tim McCleaf used it to symbolize suffering, while a 1995 book, The Eighteen Stages of Love, likened it to a toxic relationship. The track’s intensity even landed it in pop culture, like the 2008 My Name Is Earl episode “Joy in a Bubble” and the 2018 film A Star is Born. On social media, fans still rave about it—r/allmanbrothers user u/BNBluesMasters called a 1970 performance “crisp” and “like seeing ghosts,” while a 2019 post by @catturd2 on X waxed nostalgic about its raw, live energy. The song’s length didn’t scare off radio either; in the early ’70s, progressive rock stations played it late at night, cementing its status as, in Rolling Stone’s words, “the finest live rock performance ever committed to vinyl.”

Now, let’s rewind to how The Allman Brothers Band got rolling. Formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1969, the band was a melting pot of talent: brothers Duane and Gregg Allman, Dickey Betts, Berry Oakley, Butch Trucks, and Jai Johanny “Jaimoe” Johanson. Duane, a guitar prodigy, had been a session musician at Muscle Shoals, backing legends like Wilson Pickett. Gregg, with his soulful voice and organ chops, was penning songs in L.A. when Duane called him to join the new band. Their chemistry was instant, blending blues, rock, and jazz into a sound that was uniquely theirs. Early gigs at Southern bars and colleges built their rep, but their first two albums, The Allman Brothers Band (1969) and Idlewild South (1970), didn’t sell well. It was their live shows, like those at Fillmore East, that made them stars. Tragically, Duane died in a motorcycle accident in 1971, just months after At Fillmore East’s release, but the band carried on, becoming icons over decades until their final show in 2014.

Want to dive deeper into the Allman Brothers’ world? Check out their official website for news and merch, or follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and X for updates and throwback posts. Fans gather at Hittin’ The Web, a community site where “music plus friends equals family.” On Facebook, groups like the Allman Brothers Band Fan Club share memories and rare photos. For Reddit Zoo Freaks, r/allmanbrothers is a hot spot for trading stories and clips. So, crank up “Whipping Post,” vibe with the Zoo Crew, and keep the Allman spirit alive!