Video: Johnny Cash plays A Boy Named Sue at San Quention Prison

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The Zombies - video: Tell Her No

I like about five Zombies songs. I never totally bought the critical acclaim for Odyssey and Oracle. It's kind of like Captain Beefheart's Trout Mask Replica, where after you listen once or twice, all you can say is huh? I fit them in with other bands like Paul Revere, or Herman's Hermits, who also recorded up to 10 really good songs. Here's one of them.
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Video: The Beatles play Please Please Me, warts and all

I am always fascinated by The Beatles live performances, using PAs and guitar amplifiers far less powerful than what we see in 100 person clubs now. They couldn't usually overmatch the screaming. When I saw them in '66 in their second to last show, it was a murky jumble of sound, and the girl's screams won. And yet, it is amazing how good they were live, with the deck totally stacked against them...

Talking Heads and Laurel & Hardy mash up Slippery People

This is an incredible mashup of the Talking Heads playing Slippery People, mashed with video clips of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy dancing. Who'd have thunk?

The Tom Tom Club play Genius of Love

The Tom Tom Club (Tina and Chris from Talking Heads, and friends and family) play Genius of Love at a Talking Heads show (this may well be from Demme's Stop Making Sense film). When I lived in NYC, we saw the Talking Heads many times at CBGB, at the short lived CBGB Second Avenue, and in Central Park. I always loved watching Tina play bass. And she had great legs.


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Music video: Pierre Nadeau's "Girls Boys."

This is a video of Pierre Nadeau's "Girls Boys." It will probably one day be looked upon as a seminal music video. . .around 3:25 or so, you'll see Pierre rocking out on the KeyTar. The French video was re-released a couple years ago as Dans Le Speedo de Pierre Nadeau.


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Prince solos wth Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, etc. on While My Guitar Gently Weeps

This solo is effortless and unbelievable. Prince starts soloing at around 3:30 or so and it is just unbelievable. He blows the doors off the hall and probably sucker punches every other guitarist on stage (and there are plenty). A real mind-F’er of a solo, and in general, a great performance of the tune by the gang, including Harrison's old Wilbury bandmates Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne.




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Video; The Beach Boys' Darling

CLICK THE BEARDED ONES TO ENLARGE

This is a nice uptempo performance of an uptempo song by the Beach Boys. This YouTube video is from the Knebworth Festival, and had to happen sometime prior to 1983, since Dennis Wilson appears in the video, still alive and well. The great vocalist Carl Wilson gives a true blue-eyed soul performance here. The lyrics are weak, but they are well-propelled by the tune.

Darlin'
(Brian Wilson/Mike Love)

Ohh darlin'
My darlin' you're so fine
Ohhhh-hhh-hhh

Don't know if words can say
But darlin' I'll find a way
To let you know what you meant to me
Guess it was meant to be
I hold you in my heart
As life's most precious part

Oh darlin'
I dream about you often my pretty darlin'
(Darlin' you're so fine)
I love the way you soften my life with your love
Your precious love uh huh oh

I was living like half a man
Then I couldn't love but now I can
You pick me up when I'm feeling sad
More soul than I ever had
Gonna love you every single night
Cause I think you're too outta sight

Oh darlin'
I dream you often my pretty darlin'
(Darlin' you're so fine)
I love the way soften my life with your love
Your precious love uh huh huh

Woah oh oh oh

Every night darlin'
Gonna love you every single night, yes I will
Cause I think you're too doggone outta sight

Oh darlin'
I dream you often my pretty darlin'
(Darlin' you're so fine)
I love the way soften my life with your love
Your precious love uh huh huh
Oh

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Video: Bob Dylans Love Minus Zero/No Limits, performed with a few pals - Leon Russell, Billy Preston, Eric Clapton, George Harrison and Ringo Starr

Love Minus Zero/No Limits one of Bob's great love songs, is performed at the excellent Concert for Bangladesh (and film)...not a bad backup band: George Harrison, Leon Russell, Billy Preston, Eric Clapton, and Ringo on drums.



Love Minus Zero/No Limit
by Bob Dylan

My love she speaks like silence,
Without ideals or violence,
She doesn't have to say she's faithful,
Yet she's true, like ice, like fire.
People carry roses,
Make promises by the hours,
My love she laughs like the flowers,
Valentines can't buy her.

In the dime stores and bus stations,
People talk of situations,
Read books, repeat quotations,
Draw conclusions on the wall.
Some speak of the future,
My love she speaks softly,
She knows there's no success like failure
And that failure's no success at all.

The cloak and dagger dangles,
Madams light the candles.
In ceremonies of the horsemen,
Even the pawn must hold a grudge.
Statues made of match sticks,
Crumble into one another,
My love winks, she does not bother,
She knows too much to argue or to judge.

The bridge at midnight trembles,
The country doctor rambles,
Bankers' nieces seek perfection,
Expecting all the gifts that wise men bring.
The wind howls like a hammer,
The night blows cold and rainy,
My love she's like some raven
At my window with a broken wing.

Copyright ©1965; renewed 1993 Special Rider Music
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Video of Elvis Costello's great tune "New Amsterdam"

Film clip: Bob Dylan plays Love Minus Zero/No Limits

I don't know where this rather odd film clip comes from, but it does include Bob Dylan playing one of his masterwork songs. It may even be from the Pennebaker film.



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Video: Johnny Cash sings Nasty Dan to Oscar The Grouch on Sesame Street

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The English Beat perform Best Friend (with lyrics)

The English Beat--who I am once again enthralled with (after just seeing them live again)--perform Best Friend. It's a great song, and the lyrics are worth checking out. Earlier, I always thought this was a love song; it's something entitely, and wryly different...and altogether roundabout love song. One of the things I've always liked about the tune is the chiming Danelectro guitar line...and it chimes here like the bells of heaven.



Best Friend
By Dave Wakeling


I just found out the name of your best friend,
you been talkin' about yourself again,
and no one seems to share your views.
why doesn't everybody listen to you kid?
how come you never really seem to get through, is it you?
talk about yourself again, you.
talk about yourself,
always you, you, you.
talk about yourself again.
she's on a holiday,
she's got her summer frock on.
suck on an ice cream,
it's meltin' in the hot sun.
first date's made you pray for more.
i wanted you, wanted.
everybody knows the score,
i wanted you, wanted.
what are we pretendin' for?
let's talk about ourselves on the floor.
let's talk about yourselves, nothing more i promise.
talk about ourselves again.
i just found out the name of your best friend.
talk, talk, talk about yourself again.
yes i just found out the name of your best friend.
i just found out the name of your best friend,
you been talkin' about yourself again,
and no one seems to share your views.
why doesn't anybody listen to you kid?
how come you never really seem to get through, is it you?
talk about yourself again, you.
talk about yourself,
always you, you, you.
talk about yourself again.
again, again, again, again.
i just found out the name of your best friend,
just found out the name of your best friend,
i just found out the name of your best friend,
i just found out the name of your best friend,
just found out the name of your best friend,
i just found out the name of your best friend,
just found out the name of your best friend,
i just found out the name of your best friend.
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Dave Wakeling and Nat Love perform Save It For Later on Luke Burbank's TBTL

It's kind of cool when your heroes meet.

While Dave Wakeling and the English Beat were in town for an awesome show at The Showbox, they dropped by Seattle's (and now, the world's) Luke Burbank's TBTL (Too Beautiful To Live - KIRO 97.3 FM and 710 AM). They play two songs, including one of their greatest, Save It For Later. I have seen The English Beat twice now, but have never seen Dave without his pink Danelectro. They're playing unplugged.

Check out this video on YouTube (or down below) and download the TBTL podcast with songs and interview at the TBTL website. or at the iTunes podast site.


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Nils Lofgren does a somersault playing a guitar solo with Springsteen's E Street Band

In this awesome video clip, Nils Lofrgen does a somersault while playing a guitar solo with Springsteen's E Street Band on tour this summer.
Now, remember, Nils is of my vintage, a spry 57 years old. Not bad, friendo! During his solo years (1974-) Nils would play guitar while doing flips on a trampoline.

Nils was in Grin in the early 70's, played with Neil Young on two of his most important albums (and at various other times since), and ended up in The E Street Band in 1984 with Bruce Springsteen, taking Little Steven's place, Clarence Clemmons, Patti Scialfa, & Max Weinberg, etc. The Boss , of course broke up E Street in 1989. He brought them back together in 1999 and both Steven Van Zandt and Nils were back in the band, as they are today.


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Nils Lofgren plays Back It Up

This is a YouTube slide-show video a/k/a "slideo" of a great Nils Lofgren tune, Back It Up. Nils Lofgren formed a great power pop band, Grin, in the early 1970's. He also played on some early Neil Young albums, and has been a long-time member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band.


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Music video: Queen performs Bohemian Rhapsody (with lyrics)

I don't know if this is a guilty pleasure or great music. I've always liked it and especially always liked Freddy Mercury's voice. I was thinking about them because they've reformed with a new singer and are on tour at this very moment.



Bohemian Rhapsody
Words and music by Freddie Mercury

Is this the real life-
Is this just fantasy-
Caught in a landslide-
No escape from reality-
Open your eyes
Look up to the skies and see-
Im just a poor boy,i need no sympathy-
Because Im easy come,easy go,
A little high,little low,
Anyway the wind blows,doesnt really matter to me,
To me

Mama,just killed a man,
Put a gun against his head,
Pulled my trigger,now hes dead,
Mama,life had just begun,
But now Ive gone and thrown it all away-
Mama ooo,
Didnt mean to make you cry-
If Im not back again this time tomorrow-
Carry on,carry on,as if nothing really matters-

Too late,my time has come,
Sends shivers down my spine-
Bodys aching all the time,
Goodbye everybody-Ive got to go-
Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth-
Mama ooo- (any way the wind blows)
I dont want to die,
I sometimes wish Id never been born at all-

I see a little silhouetto of a man,
Scaramouche,scaramouche will you do the fandango-
Thunderbolt and lightning-very very frightening me-
Galileo,galileo,
Galileo galileo
Galileo figaro-magnifico-
But Im just a poor boy and nobody loves me-
Hes just a poor boy from a poor family-
Spare him his life from this monstrosity-
Easy come easy go-,will you let me go-
Bismillah! no-,we will not let you go-let him go-
Bismillah! we will not let you go-let him go
Bismillah! we will not let you go-let me go
Will not let you go-let me go
Will not let you go let me go
No,no,no,no,no,no,no-
Mama mia,mama mia,mama mia let me go-
Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me,for me,for me-

So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye-
So you think you can love me and leave me to die-
Oh baby-cant do this to me baby-
Just gotta get out-just gotta get right outta here-

Nothing really matters,
Anyone can see,
Nothing really matters-,nothing really matters to me,

Any way the wind blows....
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Phil Lesh and Friends video: Help On The Way with the always awesome Joan Osborne

Here is a truncated YouTube video of Phil Lesh and Friends performing at the Warfield in San Francisco in 2006. This incarnation of Phil and Friends includes Phil on bass and vocals, John Scofield (!) and Larry Campbell on guitars, Rob Barraco on keyboards, John Molo on drums and Greg Osby on reeds. Oh yeah, and Joan Osborne, one of my favorite singers and a total Deadhead and awesome Dead interpreter.

One of the best Dead shows I've seen featured her on many vocals...this was a post-Jerry incarnations of the band known as The Dead. I saw them at The Gorge with my perennial show buddies Dave Hokit and Dean Ericksen, and Mary Curran, who I believe was pregnant with twins at the moment. Joan Osborne's joy of performing is always palpable and wonderful. I love this woman! And Phil too.



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Video: Crosby Stills and Nash at Woodstock '69 perform Suite: Judy Blue Eyes (with lyrics)

CSN perform the great song by Stephen Stills, Suite: Judy Blue Eyes (aka Judy Collins) at Woodstock in 1969. It was one of their very first public appearances, and as Stephen Stills said "We're scared shitless."




Suite: Judy Blue Eyes
by Stephen Stills, performed by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young At Woodstock, 1969.

It's getting to the point
Where I'm no fun any more
I am sorry
Sometimes it hurts
So badly I must cry out loud
I am lonely

{Refrain}
I am yours
You are mine
You are what you are
You make it hard

Remember what we've said, and done
And felt about each other
Oh, babe, have mercy
Don't let the past remind us
Of what we are not now
I am not dreaming

{Refrain}

Tearing yourself
Away from me now, you are free
And I am crying
This does not mean
I don't love you, I do, that's forever
Yes, and for always

{Refrain}

Something inside
Is telling me that I've got your secret
Are you still listening?
Fear is the lock
And laughter the key to your heart
And I love you

{Refrain}
And you make it hard
And you make it hard
And you make it hard

Friday evening
Sunday in the afternoon
What have you got to lose
Tuesday morning
Please be gone, I'm tired of you
What have you got to lose

Can I tell it like it is Catch me I'm falling
Listen to me baby
It's my heart that's suffering Catch me I'm dying
It's dyin' and that's what I have to lose

I've got an answer
I'm going to fly away
What have I got to lose?
Will you come see me
Thursdays and Saturdays
What have you got to lose

Chestnut brown canary
Ruby throated sparrow
Sing a song, don't be long
Thrill me to the marrow

Voices of the angels
Ring around the moonlight
Asking me, said she so free
How can you catch the sparrow

Lacy lilting lady
Losing love lamenting
Change my life, make it right
Be my lady

Do do do do do, do do do do do do
Do do do do do, do do do do
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Music video: Lola by The Kinks

This is an excellent and faifhtul endition of the song by The Kinks. When this came out, I was in my mid-teens, and it was scandalous and sometimes censored/not played on the radio. It is undoubtedly one of the great Ray Davies/The Kinks songs (and their greatest hit).





Lola
By Ray Davies

I met her in a club down in old soho
Where you drink champagne and it tastes just like cherry-cola [lp version:
Coca-cola]
C-o-l-a cola
She walked up to me and she asked me to dance
I asked her her name and in a dark brown voice she said lola
L-o-l-a lola lo-lo-lo-lo lola

Well Im not the worlds most physical guy
But when she squeezed me tight she nearly broke my spine
Oh my lola lo-lo-lo-lo lola
Well Im not dumb but I cant understand
Why she walked like a woman and talked like a man
Oh my lola lo-lo-lo-lo lola lo-lo-lo-lo lola

Well we drank champagne and danced all night
Under electric candlelight
She picked me up and sat me on her knee
And said dear boy wont you come home with me
Well Im not the worlds most passionate guy
But when I looked in her eyes well I almost fell for my lola
Lo-lo-lo-lo lola lo-lo-lo-lo lola
Lola lo-lo-lo-lo lola lo-lo-lo-lo lola

I pushed her away
I walked to the door
I fell to the floor
I got down on my knees
Then I looked at her and she at me

Well thats the way that I want it to stay
And I always want it to be that way for my lola
Lo-lo-lo-lo lola
Girls will be boys and boys will be girls
Its a mixed up muddled up shook up world except for lola
Lo-lo-lo-lo lola

Well I left home just a week before
And Id never ever kissed a woman before
But lola smiled and took me by the hand
And said dear boy Im gonna make you a man

Well Im not the worlds most masculine man
But I know what I am and Im glad Im a man
And so is lola
Lo-lo-lo-lo lola lo-lo-lo-lo lola
Lola lo-lo-lo-lo lola lo-lo-lo-lo lola
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