John Lee Hooker with Ry Cooder - Crawling King Snake

This is a live performance by John Lee Hooker playing his classic song "Crawling King Snake" live. On stage he is joined by guitarist Ry Cooder who's sitting in on this tune.
The song was originally written and recorded by John Lee Hooker. It is one of his many famous songs and it has also been covered by many different artists. One of them being The Doors who recorded a version of the song and released it in 1971. The song has also been done by: George Thorogood, Etta James, John P. Hammond, and Buddy Guy to name a few. (I've embeded Buddy Guy's version beneath, he plays it acoustic and with a lot of conviction and atmosphere, a solo acoustic recording, like the old blues players would have done it.)

It's a great and classic blues song, and Hooker plays it his way which is the right way. Cooder doesn't show off much in this, but then again when you're with the greats you hold back a bit. Both performances of this great blues song are great.

Enjoy ; )

Billy Preston - Outa-Space

This is a live performance by famous keyboard and Hammond B3 organ player Billy Preston playing his instrumental hit "Outa-Space" live. I think the performance is from 1981 (judging from the neon sign in the background of the stage).
Billy Preston was an American rhythm and blues musician from Austin, Texas, mostly raised in Los Angeles. Besides having a successful solo career, he has also played with a long list of well respected artists, such as: The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Band,Ray Charles, Joe Cocker, George Harrison (solo career), Elton John, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Johnny Cash, Neil Diamond, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Norah Jones, and Eric Clapton. Only mentioning a few.
"Outa-Space" is an instrumental performance by Preston and his band. It originally appeared on his 1971 debut album "I Wrote a Simple Song". The song was originally issued as a B-side. Preston wanted it released as a single, but the record company wanted it released as a B-side to the song "I Wrote a Simple Song". It weren't long though before radio DJs started flipping the single, and "Outa-Space" was a hit.
The song's distinctive sound comes from Preston running the sound of a Clavinet through a wah wah pedal. A Clavinet is essentially an amplified clavichord which is an instrument that dates back to late Medieval times. Explained in simple terms of course.
It's a great song, and the performance really shows Preston as a natural performer. He's dancing and getting the crowd involved, truly a great musician and performer.

Enjoy ; )

The Rolling Stones with Eric Clapton - Little Red Rooster

This is a live performance by The Rolling Stones playing the classic blues song "Little Red Rooster" joined on stage by Eric Clapton delivering one hell of a blues solo.
The song was originally recorded by Howlin' Wolf in 1961 under the song title "The Red Rooster". The song is credited to blues arranger and song writer Willie Dixon who was inspired by earlier blues songs.
The song has been recorded countless times by various artists. Most famous probably The Rolling Stones' version released in 1964. They did the recording at Chess Studios in Chicago where many of their heroes had recorded songs. The song reached #1 on the UK Singles Chart and it is the only blues song to ever top the British pop charts, preiod!
Howlin' Wolf recorded this song with several rock figures on his 1971 album "The London Howlin' Wolf Sessions". Eric Clapton, Charlie Watts, Steve Winwood, and Bill Wyman played on this recording and Wolf can actually be heard instructing the band on the chord and time changes of the song at the beginning of the recording.
It's a great song and when you have Clapton and The Rolling Stones on stage together, then I believe that you can't really ask for more!

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 ; )

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 ; )

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 ; )

Led Zeppelin - Black Dog

This is a live performance by British rock band Led Zeppelin playing the song "Black Dog" released in 1971. This performance is from 1975.
The song appears on Led Zeppelin's 1971 album "Led Zeppelin IV". The main riff of the song is attributed to bassist John Paul Jones who wrote it with the intention of doing a song people couldn't groove and dance to. He thought that with the complex rhythm changes and progressive riff that this would be accomplished. The song is named after a nameless black Labrador retriever who wandered around the studio at the time of recording. The lyrics are completely unrelated to the dog. Robert Plant did the vocals in two takes.
It's a great song and one of many instantly recognizable Zeppelin tracks. They had something with their riffs and rhythm that just made them unique and gave them a sound like no other band.
Truly a great song and performance.

Enjoy ; )

The Who - Baba O'Riley

This is a live performance by British rock band "The Who" playing the song "Baba O'Riley". The song was written by Pete Townshend and released in 1971. The song is known for it's use of early electronic experimentation done by Townshend and for it's crashing chorus of F-C-B♭ power chords. This has made the song very popular at concerts and also a favourite on classic rock radio stations.
The song was released as a single in many European countries, but in the US and the UK it was only released as part of the album "Who's Next". On the original recording there is a violin solo as the song goes into the Irish folk style beat at the end. At most live concerts, this clip included, this is replaced by a harmonica piece played by Roger Daltrey.
The song has been ranked as the 340th Greatest Song of All Time. A remixed version of the song is also used as the theme for the TV-show CSI:NY. In fact: Every CSI show uses a Who song as their intro.
For me what also stands out on this song, and on every Who song ever recorded is the bass playing of John Entwistle. He is definitely one of the greatest bass players ever, and was one of the first who was able to really show off on the instrument, and not just be backing for the group. Below is a clip. It is the same clip as the one above, but with the isolated bass track. It's for geeks, but mind boggling to listen to.

In fact Entwistle's bass playing is what made it possible for the group to be a trio with a singer. He filled in in just the right places to make the band's sound not sound no smaller than any other band. It's like Noel Gallagher said: "They're all playing lead, aren't they, all of them", and he's right. That's the sound of The Who: a trio where everyone is playing lead. Quite impressive.

Isaac Hayes - Theme from Shaft

This is a live performance from 1973 of Isaac Hayes performing the Theme from Shaft. The song was originally recorded in 1971 as the theme for the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film "Shaft". The song was shortened from the version in the film and was released as a single. It reached no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in America. The following year the song won an Oscar for the best original song. This also made Hayes the first Afro-American to win an Academy Award in a non-acting category.
The song has been featured in many TV-shows and films since and was also re-recorded for the 2000 remake of the film, it wasn't changed, just re-recorded.
It's a very traditional and good funk song. It has a lot of wah-wah on the guitar and I think it sounds amazing, and Hayes has a voice unlike anyone. It's so low-registered, and I love it. It's a great song, but also a historic song in recent Afro-American historic events. A great song.

Enjoy ; )

Jethro Tull - Aqualung

This is a performance by English progressive rock band Jethro Tull. They play their song "Aqualung", a weird art rock/hard rock song about an old nasty man, to sum it up short. (Listen to the song, the lyrics are pretty well spoken, and easy to understand). The song is from the album also titled "Aqualung" released in 1971.
It is a weird composition, starting off with a really hard and heavy riff. It is inspired by Beethoven and his 5th symphony, which is somewhat similar to this.
It's a great performance, and everyone really delivers solid. Very enjoyable.

Enjoy ; )

Rory Gallagher - Laundromat

This is a live performance from Irish blues guitarist Rory Gallagher. The performance is from '71, and Rory plays the song "Laundromat" from his debut solo album released in 1971.
It's a great simple blues shuffle song, with a lot of amazing lead licks by Gallagher. The tempo and speed of the song also kinda makes it sound a little like a ZZ Top song, not completely similar, the riff does resemble ZZ Top's "La Grange" a little bit.
It has a great groove and it's a great performance.

Enjoy ; )

Keith Richards - Dead Flowers

This is a solo performance from Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards. He performs the classic Stones song "Dead Flowers" at what looks like some country award show or something, sorry haven't looked more into it.
The song "Dead Flowers" appeared on The Rolling Stones album "Sticky Fingers" from 1971. The song was written by Keith Richards and Mick Jagger and it's about the time that the Stones start experimenting with a country influence. They have said in interviews that they love country for it's stories and nice melodies. This song has a story, but a darker subject matter than your average country tune, it's about heroin use and the loosing one's love and being angry. However it's somehow uplifting, if you look purely to the musical side of things, it's up beat, it doesn't have a sad melody, but the lyrics are very dark.
They have experimented with country through out their career surpassing the 1970's, and have also done songs like "Far Away Eyes" that's probably the most country inspired song of them all.
Mick has said in an interview that he feels that the country songs are a little odd for his voice. He feels that he is a blues singer, and therefore feels that the country material suits Keith's voice better. So this is just that, Keith Richards singing this delightfully odd country inspired song. A lovely 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