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 ; )

Oingo Boingo - Hey!

This is a live performance from rock band and avant garde group Oingo Boingo performing the song "Hey!" from their 1994 album "Boingo". The performance is also from '94 on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
Boingo is the last studio-album to be released from the group as Danny Elfman, the lead singer, decided to focus his career on scoring film. He also quit music due to beginning hearing impairment. The sound on this album was different as the horn section and the keyboards were much less featured than on releases prior to this one. The tracks on this CD are also very long and this song has also been shortened for the Leno performance. The outro that is played at the end is repeated several times on the studio recording both in the beginning of the track and the end of the track, it's the "please mother, don't be angry with me"-part.
At this point the band has also shortened their name. Now it was just Boingo. It was sort of a thing they did. They started out as The Mystic Knights of The Oingo Boingo, shortened it to Oingo Boingo and at this point it was down to Boingo.
It's a very good live performance, and the song has a pop-feel to it while still being strange and bizarre enough to be Oingo Boingo.

Enjoy ; )

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Give It Away

This is the music video to the 1991 RHCP single "Give It Away" from their "Blood Suger Sex Magik" album. The music for the song is attributed to guitarist John Frusciante and bassist Flea. They came up with it during a jam session prior to the recording of the song. The lyrics were written by Anthony Kiedis. The single did very well on various charts and it also became the band's first UK no. 1 hit. The following single "Under the Bridge" became an even bigger success. The song also went on to win a Grammy in 1992 for Best Hard Rock Performance With Vocals.
The song is a 4/4 time composition and the sound of it is very distinctive. This has a lot to do with producer Rick Rubin who sought after a 60's vibe on the sound of the record. He didn't want a "big sound" and a wall of guitar. He just wanted a dry sound of three instruments with very little effects added. A what you hear is what you get sort of attitude. Flea's complex bass-line is also characteristic for the song and it really shows Flea's virtuosity on the fretboard.
It's a very good song and I really love the funky sound and the way Rubin produced it. A good song that just sounds amazing.

Enjoy ; )

Jeff Beck & Imelda May - How High the Moon

This is a live performance by Jeff Beck and vocalist Imelda May from the recently released concert film "Rock 'n' Roll Party". The film honours recently deceased guitarist Les Paul, features many different guest artists, a lot of classic rock 'n' roll tracks and is also available as a CD.
Jeff Beck is joined on stage be Imelda May an Irish vocalist who sings this style of music to perfection. It is very obvious that she is trying to imitate Mary Ford's clean vocals from the original recording with Les Paul, and she does an amazing job and is a very talented singer. She earlier collaborated with Beck on his 2010 Emotion & Commotion album where she sings on "Lilac Wine" and does an amazing job.
The song "How High the Moon" is a jazz standard and it was first featured in 1940 in the Broadway revue "Two for the Show". The best known recording of the song is the one done by Les Paul and Mary Ford. (Embeded below)

This version was recorded in 1951 and it was an unexpected hit doing well on the Billboard chart at no. 1 for several weeks.
It's a very good song and a very good performance by Beck paying tribute to a great player and a great inventor.

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.

Paul McCartney - Helter Skelter

This is a live performance by former Beatles member Paul McCartney playing the classic song "Helter Skelter". The song originally appeared on the band's self-titled 1968 album that has since been known as "The White Album".
The song is credited to Lennon/McCartney, though Lennon has said in interviews that he feels that the song is more McCartney's song. (Though his quote was a little unclear)

"That's Paul completely ... It has nothing to do with anything, and least of all to do with me."

John Lennon 1980
McCartney has said in interviews that he wrote the song with the intention of being very loud and having a lot of tape echo on it. He wanted it to be loud, gritty and raw. It has also, by many, been called one of the first metal songs ever. It has those power chords and that raw fast energy that would later evolve and turn into metal. McCartney has also used this song to showcase and point of that he does not only do ballads, but harder rock as well.
The song occasionally appears in McCartney's live set. A live version of the song from the "Good Evening New York City" was nominated for a Grammy in 2011 in the "Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance". McCartney won the Grammy.
The song has also been covered by a large number of artists, both live and in the studio, acts including: Aerosmith, Mötley Crüe, U2, Oasis, White Zombie, Bon Jovi and Soundgarden.
So a very influential song for a lot of contemporary artists.

Enjoy ; )

Chuck Berry - Reelin' And Rockin

This is a live performance from the source of rock 'n' roll: Chuck Berry playing the song "Reelin' And Rockin". The performance is from 1972 in London and it was released on the album "The London Chuck Berry Sessions". The first side was recorded in the studio and the second side was recorded live. The footage is from this recording.
I really think this is an awesome live performance. Berry is very energetic and his playing is that classic Berry style done very well. Dave Kafinetti also delivers a very good piano solo on the track. A very good performance and song, Berry doing stage moves and having that humorous look in his eye. A very good performance.

Enjoy ; )