The Rolling Stones - Paint It, Black

This is a live performance by the British rock band The Rolling Stones performing their iconic song "Paint It, Black".
The song was released in 1966 as a single from their album "Aftermath". The title was originally "Paint It Black" without the comma and according to an interview with Keith Richards the comma was added by the record company. The song was written by Keith Richards and Mick Jagger, but the main riff and the Indian feel can be attributed to guitarist Brian Jones. The single reached no. 1 positions in both US and UK charts. It was named the 174th best song ever by Rolling Stone Magazine and the first no. 1 single to feature a sitar.
It has become one of The Rolling Stones most iconic songs and has been covered by a long list of people, including: Deep Purple, U2, Vanessa Carlton, R.E.M ,Rush and many more.
It's a great song, though the lyrics are a little weird. Keith Richards has stated in interviews that he doesn't really know what they exactly mean.
It's a great song and part of the band's live repertoire. A great song and a great performance.

Enjoy ; )

Muddy Waters - Got My Mojo Working

This is a performance by Muddy Waters and his blues band. The performance is from 1966 and they perform the classic song "Got My Mojo Working", an upbeat blues song.
The song was written in 1956 and popularized by Muddy Waters in 1957. Muddy Water's rendition of the song was ranked as #359 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
It's a traditional example of what a good blues group could do back in the 60's. They groove on each other, and the blues harp on this song is just excellent, plus Water's voice which makes this an all over excellent performance.

Enjoy ; )

The Doors - Light My Fire

This is a performance from of the classic song "Light My Fire", it's probably one of The Doors' most famous tracks, and everyone knows it. It was recorded in 1966 and released as a single in 1967, it was the band's debut record, and it did pretty well.
The song did very well and got a lot of radio play. The radio version was severely cut down, so that it was just under three minutes with almost all of the instrumental breaks cut.
A famous story about the song is the infamous Ed Sullivan appearance which is also a story every one knows. The band was set to perform and the producers asked the band to change the lyrics so it didn't say "girl, we couldn't get much higher". Advertisers had a problem with the somewhat obvious undertones about substance abuse. The band agreed and rehearsed the song with altered lyrics. But, when they did the live performance they kept the original lyrics. Ed was very upset and didn't shake hands with the band when they left the stage and the band also lost a seven episode deal due to the incident.
The song also ranked no. 35 on Rolling Stone Magazine's list of 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, a great song.

A great song, and performance, enjoy ; )

The Rolling Stones - Brown Sugar

This live performance is from the Martin Scorsese film "Shine a Light", a concert film by the Rolling Stones featuring some interviews and stuff, but for the most part a brilliantly directed concert film.
I have posted clips from this particular film previously. It's a great film and a good introduction to The Stones if you're new to them. It brilliantly captures their energy and performance on stage.
So if you don't already have this, go buy it!
The song "Brown Sugar" was released in 1971 on the album "Sticky Fingers". It's the opening track, and it has that hard rock bluesy riff and a musical breakdown where Bobby Keys can play a fantastic Saxophone part, just great. The song has that middle period Stones sound that is rock oriented, but still bluesy and with the bigger set-up of using a horn section. It's just a great song.
The song "Brown Sugar" was also ranked as no. 490 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest songs of all time. And it definitely is a great song, no doubt about that.

Enjoy ; )

Previous posts from Shine a Light:
Champagne And Reefer - Buddy Guy ft. Rolling Stones 
You Got The Silver - Keith Richards

Howlin' Wolf - How Many More Years

This is a great performance by blues legend Howlin' Wolf, he was a guitarist, a harp player and last but not least a fantastic singer. He had a growly voice that fit the blues very well. He was also known for his performances and his physical appearance during these performances. Like in this one where he flashes a dollar bill as he sings that the money is gone with a unique facial expression.
He's fantastic, on this track he plays the harmonica, it's pretty basic, but soulful and fantastic.
The performance is from 1951 which was still in the beginning stages of his career. He was however though one of the few blues artists to be successful from the early stages of his career, and he didn't struggle as much as some of his peers. Don't get me wrong, he still came from a poor background, but was able to leave it pretty early in his career.
He was also ranked no. 51 on Rolling Stone Magazine's list of the 100 greatest artists of all time. Almost in the top half that's pretty damn good.

Enjoy ; )

Ray Charles - What'd I Say

This is a performance from Ray Charles. It's live at the Olympia theatre in Paris. The band is the Ray Charles trio, the smaller ans amble Ray played with towards the end of his career. It's a great song and a great performance, and Ray is as full of life and energy as he always was during his shows.
The song "What'd I Say" was improvised one night in 1958. Ray was hired to play a set, but they ran out of songs. Ray and his band improvised the tune and interacted with the audience. It was such a success Ray decided to record the song as a single, the single was released in 1959.
It has certainly become a classic song, and it ranked no. 10 on Rolling Stone Magazine's list of 500 greatest songs of all time.
It's a great song, and it has been covered by several high profile rock 'n' roll artists including; Elvis Presley, Eric Clapton, The Thunderbirds feat. SRV , Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash.

A great song, and a great performance, enjoy ; )