Robbie Robertson staged his first late-night performance in eight years Wednesday with a rendition of Let Love Reign, the John Lennon-inspired song from the former Band leaders new album Sinematic.
The Tonight Show house band the Roots backed the guitarist for a brassy take on the track.
In a statement, Robertson previously said of Let Love Reign: Some people think John Lennons dream about love and togetherness went up in flames. I think thats wrong. Its everlasting. There was something a little naive about John Lennon going around singing about peace, but in that period young people celebrating love and peace helped end a war.
In addition to Sinematic, Robertson also contributed music to Martin Scorseses upcoming epic The Irishman.
I was working on music for The Irishman and working on [The Band] documentary, and these things were bleeding into each other, Robertson said of Sinematic in a statement. I could see a path. Ideas for songs about haunting and violent and beautiful things were swirling together like a movie. You follow that sound and it all starts to take shape right in front of your ears. At some point, I started referring to it as Peckinpah Rock,' a nod to the legendary Westerns director.