Glen Campbell & Jimmy Webb live from the vaults

Glen Campbell’s recordings of Jimmy Webb’s songs have resulted in hits like “By the Time I Get to Phoenix,” “Wichita Lineman,” “Galveston,” and “Where’s the Playground Susie,” among others.

The two have performed countless times together over the years, though recordings of their live appearances have been a scarcity — until now, with the release of this two-disc In Session CD/DVD (Fantasy) on Sept. 25. 

In Session was taped in 1983 in the Hamilton, Ontario studios of CHCH-TV. The syndicated Canadian concert TV series, with Webb at the piano, featured Campbell on guitar, singing and playing the hits “Wichita Lineman,” “Galveston,” and “Where’s the Playground Susie” along with less prominent Webb tunes including Campbell’s only known recording of “Sunshower,” initially written and produced for soul singer Thelma Houston. 

Webb said, “What is happening with Glen, which is basically his long goodbye, is really one of the most painful things I’ve been through in my life,” about Campbell’s public battle with Alzheimer's disease. “There’s no way it can compare to what has happened with the family, but in terms of someone outside the family, I would have to be the one who feels the most.” 

To be released amid Campbell’s Goodbye Tour, the In Session CD/DVD collection includes not only rare, previously unreleased Campbell/Webb performances of some of Campbell's biggest hits, but also features a version of Webb’s “MacArthur Park," plus “Sunshower,” “The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress,” and “Still Within the Sound of My Voice.” This collection is also interspersed with excerpts from an interview with Webb and engaging and insightful reminiscences between the two legends.