Jefferson Airplane - White Rabbit

This is a live performance by psychedelia/acid rock band Jefferson Airplane playing their perhaps most known song "White Rabbit" live at the infamous Woodstock Festival in 1969.
The song was originally released in 1967 on the album "Surrealistic Pillow". The song was released as a single and it reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was written by Grace Slick who brought the song to the group when she joined the group in 1966. The song's lyrics are allusive towards the classic tale "Alice in Wonderland", but these allusions are believed to have a second meaning that is the effects of hallucinogenic drugs such as LSD. The song is set to a rising crescendo which gives the song a bit of a Spanish feel. It's a great song, and it was one of the first songs to sneak drug references past censors and it's simply a classic.

Enjoy ; )

Jimi Hendrix - Hey Joe

This is a live performance by guitar legend Jimi Hendrix playing his version of the classic song "Hey Joe". The song is from the 1960s and it became a rock standard. The original authorship of the song isn't certain, but the earliest known commercial recording of the song was done by The Leaves in 1965. The most famous version however was Jimi Hendrix's recording from 1966.
The song tells the story of a man who is on the run after shooting his wife. He is planning to go to Mexico on a hideout.
It's a great performance by Hendrix. What I really love about this is the pace of the song, it's quite slow allowing for some awesome soulful soloing by Hendrix.

Above is a version from 2007 featuring former members of Hendrix's band. It features Billy Cox and Mitch Mitchell from Hendrix's former band, Steve Winwood on Hammond B3 organ, and Slash on guitar. It's a good version, I especially like Winwood's singing and playing on this. Slash is all right too, but of course no match to Hendrix.
Hendrix really pulls all of the stops on this performance, first playing with his teeth, and then playing the second solo behind his head. It's showmanship, but the crazy thing is that it sounds just as good as if he'd picked it out traditionally. Only Hendrix could pull something like that off and that's why he's a legend.
Being a rock classic and standard, the song has been recorded countless times. It has been recorded by: Cher, Wilson Pickett, Deep Purple,Roy Buchanan, Patti Smith, Seal, Type O Negative, Eddie Murphy, and Robert Plant. It that is only a snippet of the people and artists who have done this song.
I love the Hendrix version of this. And this is a great performance by him, just pouring his soul out through his guitar, truly a legend!

Enjoy ; )

Richie Havens - "Tupelo Honey" & "Just Like a Woman"

This is a live performance by folk icon Richie Havens. In this performance he plays two songs, first he plays the classic Van Morrison song "Tupelo Honey", and then he switches into "Just Like a Woman" originally written and performed by Bob Dylan. Both covers are great.
Richie is a folk icon. He is known for his unique approach to playing the guitar. He uses open tunings very percussively through his strumming. He was also the guy who opened the original famed Woodstock Festival.
The first song "Tupelo Honey" was originally written and performed by Van Morrison. It was from the album also titled "Tupelo Honey" which was released in 1971. The song was released as a single in 1972.
"Just Like a Woman" is a Bob Dylan song. It was first released on Dylan's 1966 album "Blonde on Blonde". I really love Haven's take on this song and I highly recommend checking out his performance from Dylan's 30th Anniversary Concert because it's amazing.
Richie Havens is a unique artist with his own flair and sound and that's what I enjoy so much about him. It's folk at it's best.

Enjoy ; )

Beck - "Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat"

This is a piece of bootleg footage from a Beck concert. Beck and his band is covering Bob Dylan's song "Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat". The performance is from 2008 and the video and audio is pretty good considering the fact that it's a bootleg recording.
The song was originally released on Dylan's 1966 album "Blonde on Blonde. The song features a surreal set of playful lyrics set to a typical electric blues chord progression.
The song is about a woman who wears a leopard skin pill box hat, funny enough. It's an ironic tone and the song sort of mocks the woman. A pill box hat was a popular hat worn by women in the 60's. (Picture below)

The influences on the song was a Lightnin' Hopkins song titled "Automobile Blues". It's a different and new set of lyrics by Dylan, but the rhythm and flow of it sounds similar to the Lightnin' Hopkins song.
It's a great little blues number. I also recommend checking out John Mellencamp's version of this song from Dylan's 30th Anniversary celebration concert. It's a great song and Beck does a great job with it as well.

Enjoy ; )

Ike & Tina Turner - "River Deep - Mountain High"

This is a live performance from the 60's and 70's rock 'n' roll duo Ike & Tina Turner. They play their classic song "River Deep - Mountain High". The performance is from 1971. The song was released as a single in 1966. It flopped in USA, but did very well in the European market peaking at #3 in The UK. It was written by Phil Spector, Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich. It was produced by Phil Spector after his "wall of sound" technique which gave the single a unique and grand sound. Spector has quoted this as his best work as a producer.
It has since become one of Tina's signature songs in her solo career. It has also been covered by a large number of artists, including: Bob Seger, The Shadows, The Supremes, Neil Diamond and Céline Dion. It has also been used in countless music talent shows such as "Idol" and other programmes of that genre.
It's a great song. The performance is okay, but nothing special. I actually think that some of the versions Tina has done in her solo career have been much better. So my advice is: Track down some of those versions instead.

But yeah, enjoy none the less ; )

Bert Jansch – Blackwaterside

This is a live performance by finger style guitar legend Bert Jansch playing his version of the classic folk song “Blackwaterside”.
The song is also known under the title “Down by Blackwaterside”. It is a folk song in the traditional sense that it has no known author. Though the origin of the song probably comes from somewhere near the river Blackwater in Northern Ireland.
Jansch recorded a studio version of this song in 1966 on his album “Jack Orion”. He also came up with the “chord free” or at least not so chord reliant version of doing folk songs. Most people who were doing folk music in the 60’s would cover them in very simple 3 chord structures. But Jansch and Anne Briggs were always working on new and more complex ways of accompanying the old traditional folk songs. Jansch actually learned the song from Briggs who recorded it first.
Jansch also played a version of this song at the 2010 Crossroads Festival. I highly recommend that people check out that version. The playing is sublime, but more important Jansch’s voice has aged which really fits the song.
But this is a really good performance of an amazing composition of a classic folk song.

Enjoy ;-)

Thelonius Monk - Blue Monk

This is a live performance by jazz legend and jazz composer Thelonius Monk playing his classic jazz standard "Blue Monk". The performance was shot in Norway in 1966. The musicians joining Monk are: Charlie Rouse on tenor saxophone, Larry Gales on bass and Ben Riley on drums.
As mentioned earlier "Blue Monk" is an instrumental jazz standard composed by Thelonius Monk. It is a B♭ blues based on the jazz tune "Pastel Blue".
Thelonius Monk is considered one of the great contributors of American music and he has written several jazz standards, "Blue Monk" included. He was known for his very distinctive and unique approach to the piano, for his clothing style and for standing up in the middle of songs and taking breaks to then return to the piano. He also does this in this performance. In fact all musicians but the drummer do this and then at the end they all join in again.
It's a great performance and you can really tell that the musicians are in sync with each other and leave space and respect to one another. This is a great laid back performance of a great jazz standard.

Enjoy ;-)

Solomon Burke - Everybody Needs Somebody to Love

This is a live performance by soul musician Solomon Burke from the British TV-show "Top of the Pops". Solomon Burke was born in 1940 and died in 2010. He was known as King Solomon, The King of Rock 'n' Soul and the Bishop of Soul. This song is perhaps is most well known and is considered his signature song.
The song was written by Solomon, Bert Berns and Jerry Wexler. The song was originally recorded by Solomon in 1964. In 1966 Wilson Pickett recorded a version of the song that did better in the charts than Solomon's original version. The song also gained fame through the version done by The Rolling Stones. The song was also featured in the film "Blues Brothers".
At the 2011 Grammys Mick Jagger performed the song as a tribute to Solomon. Since the song had once been recorded by The Stones it was fitting and Jagger did a very well job of it. (Embeded below) though it'll probably removed soon. Grammy clips don't stay on youtube for very long.

It's a very good song that shows that blues can be upbeat, uplifting, happy and even have a pop feel to them. But most of all there's a gospel feel to it as well. A very good song.

Enjoy ; )

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 ; )

Cream - Spoonful

This is a live version by the British blues rock/psychedelic band Cream performing a version of the classic Willie Dixon song "Spoonful".
"Spoonful" is a blues standard composed by Willie Dixon. It was first recorded by Howlin' Wolf in 1960. It was loosely based on "A Spoonful Blues" by Charley Patton from 1929.
The first version of this song recorded by Cream was recorded for their 1966 debut album "Fresh Cream". It was only released on the UK version of this album and the American crowd got it through a released LP single.
The song was very often part of Cream's live set and since the 1966 recording it developed from blues rock to a starting point for extensive improvised soloing inspired by the San Francisco music scene of the 1960's. One version of the song from Cream's "Wheels of Fire" album is about seventeen minutes long. This version is about 8 minutes long, so there's soloing, but not as much as on a lot of their other recordings.
This is a great blues song, and I really love the original idea of doing acid rock and psychedelia on a classic blues standard, gotta digg that!

Enjoy ; )

Muddy Waters - You Can't Lose What You Ain't Never Had

This is a live performance by Muddy Waters from 1966. Him and his excellent swinging band play the Muddy Waters single "You Can't Lose What You Ain't Never Had". The song was released as a single in 1964 and is one of the last known singles Muddy did. Muddy was extremely productive and has released approximately 60 singles throughout his career.
The song was originally never released on an album, but it was recorded during a subsequent session for the Chess company album "Folks Singer" released in 1963. Today the songs from the subsequent sessions are included on reissues of the album. The album (without the added bonus tracks) is an acoustic album.
I really love this performance, the band really just has a groove unlike any band today. Plus we get some wicked slide guitar from Muddy himself, he really plays with feeling, and he's a natural at slide. A great performance of a true classic Waters song.

Enjoy ; )

George Harrison ft. Eric Clapton - Taxman (SRV)

This is a live performance from George Harrison, joining him on stage is his good friend Eric Clapton. Clapton is very respectful and doesn't steal the show, he respectfully stays in the background and plays the lead part when needed.
The song Taxman was released by The Beatles on their 1966 album Revolver, it is the opening track on the album. The song is written by George and it is about the high progressive tax the British government was taking at this time. It was basically written after Harrison found out how much of his income was being taken by "the taxman". On the record version the solo and guitar parts are played by Paul McCartney, he also plays the bass on the track.
Click here for a sample from the album version of the song. (Taken from Wikipedia.)
This live version is really good, and Clapton does a really good job. However I've always more leaned towards Stevie Ray Vaughan's interpretation of the song. It is very different from the original, and it doesn't even have the same key-centre. The original version by Harrison is in G, and SRV's version is in B♯. I think it just sounds better and is played with more attitude (and also in a humorous way). The original version has that 60's mercy beat sound, and SRV's version is more bluesy and done in a Texas style which is more my flavour. SRV never got to perform it live, and it has only been released on his 1995 Greatest Hits album (as the only never before released track). Both versions are excellent, I just prefer Stevie's which is embeded beneath.


Enjoy both versions!! ;-)

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 ; )