Albert King & The Bluesbreakers - Why Are You So Mean To Me

This is a live performance by blues legend Albert King and John Mayall's Bluesbreakers playing the song "Why Are You So Mean To Me".
The song was originally released as a single in 1959 on the Bobbin label. It is not one of King's most famous songs, but I really like it.
Also the version with the Bluesbreakers is really good. John Mayall's piano and especially his blues harp skills really adds another layer to this great song. This incarnation of The Bluesbreakers featured former Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor who does a really good solo on this playing a Stratocaster.
What really impressed me about this though was King's playing at the end of the song. He really plays a lot faster than I've ever heard him play while still keeping the soul alive in his playing. Truly a great performance from all parts. A great performance.

Enjoy ;-)

The Rolling Stones - Wild Horses

This is a studio session recorded by The Rolling Stones. In this part of the session they play their classic song "Wild Horses".
The song "Wild Horses" was released on their 1971 album "Sticky Fingers". The song is written by Keith Richards and Mick Jagger. Keith Richards wrote the melody and came up with the phrase "Wild Horses". A session pianist was hired for the original recording that also featured Mick Jagger and Mick Taylor on acoustic guitars. Richards played an electric guitar in Nashville tuning.
This video is from the recording session of the album "Stripped" from 1995. On this version Jagger, Richards, Wood and Watts are joined by some other musicians and record an acoustic version of this song. This version is the only version of the song that's been released as a single. It was released as a single in 1996.
Besides being a hit for The Stones it also over time became a popular song for other artists to cover. It's been covered by artists like: Leon Russel, Elvis Costello, Neil Young, Guns N' Roses, Stone Sour and Sheryl Crow, to only name a few of the prominent artists who have covered this song.
I really love this song and especially in this version. The song really fits the acoustic setting. And when Richards and Jagger sing the chorus together it's just so beautiful. It shows the natural sorrow in Richard's voice and just how good his voice is and how well it country music.

Enjoy ; )

John Mayall, Chris Barber & Eric Clapton - Please Mr Lofton

This is a live performance by John Mayall, Chris Barber and Eric Clapton. The concert footage is from the DVD "70th Birthday Concert" from 2003 where Mayall celebrated his 70th Birthday with a concert featuring his own band The Bluesbreakers and a couple of carefully selected guest stars. Two of these were Clapton and Barber, but Mick Taylor was also featured on some of the tracks.
This part of the performance is the part where they've taken it down to a smaller scale. It's just Mayall, Clapton and Barber on stage and the rest of The Bluesbreakers have left the stage.
This DVD is a must have for all blues fans. It's a really good set-list with a lot of up-beat blues songs that'll lighten up your day for sure. Also it was a historic event since it was more than 40 years since Clapton and Mayall had been performing together, a reunion of those two is definitely worth buying for alone, but also you get Mick Taylor, Chris Barber and the rest of The Bluesbreakers on top of all of that. As said, a must see for all blues fans.

Enjoy ; )

Rolling Stones ft. Christina Aguilera

This is a performance by British rock 'n' roll band The Rolling Stones featuring Christina Aguilera. They play the classic Rolling Stones song "Live with Me" from their 1969 record "Let It Bleed". It isn't the most famous song be The Stones, but it is considered an important song amongst fans. It was one of the first recordings where guitarist Mick Taylor contributed. It is the first song where Keith Richards is credited for playing bass (he only played bass on the original recording, and sticks to playing guitar in the performance clip above). This original recording was also the first song to feature sax player Bobby Keys.
The performance in the clip above is from Martin Scorcesse's concert film "Shine a Light" from 2008. It's a really good film, and it hosts some really good and solid performances from the band, and is excellently shot.

Previous posts from the film "Shine a Light"
Brown Sugar
You Got The Silver
Champagne And Reefer (ft. Buddy Guy)

Enjoy ; )