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Dobie Gray performs his enduring classic Drift Away on The Old Grey Whistle Test, July 9, 1974. Written by Mentor Williams, the brother of Paul Williams, this song turned out to be a monster hit for Gray, who delivered an unquestionably soulful, uplifting rendition. He could do the same live, as he does here, and on The Midnight Special, below, April 20, 1973. Dobie was hardly a stranger to the inducement of hand-clapping, and he shows his credentials here. Not quite at the standing World Record level, but It Exists. 

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Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers perform their monster hit Why Do Fools Fall In Love live on the Frankie Laine Show in 1956. The 13 year old Lymon simply sizzles and electrifies the Nation with this performance; the prodigy already has a fully formed vocal delivery many talents never attain. His phrasing already is highly developed. Words have a different sound, and even meaning, coming from his mouth. Note the mæstro-ism in his approach: rather than hitting the same nail with the selfsame hammer, he eschews the falsetto moments for a more Joe Williams-esque way forward. It strikes this curator that the wunderkind might well have heard a Williams record, and decided, just for fun, to see if he could take a page from the legendary jazz singer’s book. His stage presence is magnetic yet composed, and, oh, Lymon is a brilliant dancer, too. Other than that, well….but wait! He gives a calm, charming interview (of sorts) with host Laine. I suppose all that’s good enough. In closing, one should mention that, although the electrifying youngster was given credit for composing this song, the erstwhile frontman Herman Santiago, a doddering, decrepit, shambling Methuselean figure at 15 years of age, is the human being most likely to have done so.

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The extraordinary, powerful, and, upon its 1965 release, highly controversial composition Eve of Destruction is performed live by vocalist Barry McGuire on the Hullabaloo show. McGuire, after being introduced by Jerry Lewis, delivers an emotionally charged rendition that made ripples---more like tsunami---across the US. September 20, 1965, the very day after the song hit #1 nationwide, was the day. Composer P.F. Sloan recalls a few fascinating and unlikely (as in, almost credulity-straining...yet not) details: during the studio recording session, “Barry was reading it for the first time off a piece of paper I had written the lyric on! Okay. McGuire's record is released but 'Eve' is the B-side. Somewhere in the Great Midwest of America a DJ played the wrong side by mistake!”. Banned and (very wrongly) denounced as unpatriotic, Eve only became more and more popular, most likely benefiting from all the wild, incorrect accusations and censure. Its creator and performer were not so fortunate, however; Sloan:  “It ruined Barry's career as an artist and in a year I would be driven out of the music business too.”.

The moving studio version audio track (there was one, and only one, recorded), with accompanying warfare and related barbarities. All too often amidst the hysteria, something is lost: the poetry. This is a brilliant--and cleverly worded---song. “You can bury your dead, but don’t leave a trace; Hate your next door neighbor, but don’t forget to say Grace”. A final note, and note well: “To cure an ill you need to know what is sick.” And really finally: “In my youthful zeal I hadn't realized that this would be taken as an attack on The System!” (composer and 19 year old backlash of ______ victim P.F. Sloan).

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Liza Minnelli performs Cabaret, live in 1972. With such an electrifying stage presence, one could get by on that alone, but Ms. Minnelli possesses a staggering mezzo-soprano vocal ability that induces chills. The fact that her mother Judy Garland’s voice comes through at times can be terribly poignant, but also is without a doubt a thing of beauty. Here’s to Liza...and Judy.

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The Sex Pistols, with E.M.I., live January 1978. Featuring, of course, lead vocalist Johnny Rotten (John Lydon), so dubbed by guitarist Steve Jones, as a reference to the then burgeoning Britain Needs Dentists movement. Although this and the subsequent performance came about when the band was coming undone, with disaffection and discontent within the group running rampant, they still possess the capacity to electrify.

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Proggy and brilliant goings-on with the English band Yes, on Roundabout, performed live in December, 1972, at The Rainbow Theater in London. Chock-a-block with baffling time signatures, this number is given a superb treatment by Jon Anderson on lead vocals, Steve Howe (guitar), Rick Wakeman (keyboards), Chris Squire (bass), and drummer Alan White, who had recently replaced the departed (and noted) Bill Bruford.

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Juan Moneo (”El Torta”) gives a stunningly intense performance at Festival XXIV de la Bulería de Jerez, 1991. One of the greatest Flamenco Cantaors, the emotion simply surges from his pores; check out moments such as those at 3:15 and 3:52. As one might expect, there awaits a rather big finish.

The great Pansequito now takes the helm. Everything written above also applies to this man; this amazing, deeply moving performance was witnessed by a very fortunate audience at XV Festival Flamenco Caja Madrid, 2007.

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Jimi Hendrix, with a live, explosive performance of Johnny B. Goode in Berkeley, 1970. Unreal, incendiary rendition by the great man.

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Talk Talk, featuring vocalist/composer Mark Hollis, cast their mesmeric, bewitching spell, live in Montreux, 1986. It’s My Life, co-penned by Hollis and keyboardist/composer Tim Friese-Greene (who was never an “official” member of the band, and only too rarely appeared onstage) (for example, he is not present here), was released in 1984 as the group’s first single off their second album. Quite challenging to resist. 

1985 saw the release Talk Talk’s hit Life’s What You Make It. Performed here live, same locale as above, they create an atmosphere that is difficult to define. Another hypnotic, magical piece of music. Hollis, who departed this world in February 2019, once commented "Before you play two notes, learn how to play one note. And don't play one note unless you've got a reason to play it." Amen.

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Albert Hammond performs his great hit single It Never Rains in Southern California, live on November 9th, 1975. A card-carrying member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame (the Gibraltarian co-penned The Air That I Breathe with Mike Hazlewood, and wrote numerous other well-known numbers), Mr. Hammond really nails the vocal here, with winning variations of cadence and emphasis; great to see/hear a semi-obscure (in the U.S., anyway...) (in the UK he has received the Order of the British Empire) talent, show such mastery.

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The Zombies, featuring vocalist of wonder Colin Blunstone, keyboardist/composer Rod Argent, and noted Bob Wilkins imitator (not really...but, could have been) Chris White, perform She’s Not There in 1965 on Hullaballoo. Argent wrote the song specifically for Blunstone; “I could hear him singing it in my mind” says the organist. Worked out pretty well.

The Zombies circa 2005, in Belgium. Blunstone and Argent have certainly still got it, as they display on their monster 1968 landmark of psychedelic music, Time of the Season. One of the great songs, period, and the vocalist and keyboardist both display their massive talents.

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The Bee Gees, live 1968 in Bern, with the redoubtable Every Christian Lion-Hearted Man Will Show You. Although not in the habit of posting audio-only videos, we include the above gladly; this is a monumentally great performance of one of The Brethren’s finest. Maurice joins in the composing, with Robin & Barry G. Incantational. 

Performed live in 1971, Robin Gibb shows the way forward with the sublime (albeit puppet-mentioning) Holiday. From 1967′s Bee Gees 1st.....their 3rd album. 

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Dan Auerbach, vocalist/guitarist for the famed Black Keys, has a solo project or two going on; here’s a track from 2009′s Keep It Hid. Goin’ Home, a stunning ballad, closes the album, and this concert. Really something; a powerful, commanding, yet gentle performance. Live, 2018.

We’ll close with......Goin’ Home, this time from 2009, year o’ release, also live. Still pretty good! Crowd worked into frenzy. Very great.

Dude with some serious talent.

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A man. A great man; one not in need of your, or any other, Rockin’ Chair. Mr. George Jones.

Country music legend and maestro of Open Defiance, George Jones, still goin’ strong in ‘93. Incidentally, a brief story of his romance with Tammy Wynette: "I felt rage fly all over me. I jumped from my chair, put my hands under the dinner table, and flipped it over. Dishes, utensils, and glasses flew in all directions.  Don's and Tammy's eyes got about as big as the flying dinner plates." Jones professed his love for Wynette on the spot and the couple were married in 1969.

That’s my boy.

Special table flip/yank.

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Ian Anderson performs miracles, seemingly, especially of the eccentric persuasion, with Jethro Tull at Madison Square Garden in 1978. Locomotive Breath...I had thought the 1982 Rockpop performance could not possibly be topped, but...........if you enjoy flute-wielding, crazed hand gestures, and great music...

Another epic performance from Madison Square. This time, Aqualung reaches the same kind of apotheosis as does the above. Over the top.

Going back in time, to 1970, at the Isle of Wight. The Tull perform live an old favorite, We Used To Know. Ian & Co. are younger, hipper, and no less inspired.

Magnifique.

His thaumaturgic, sorcerous antics/rituals/?? are so mindblowing, his sheer ability as a vocalist can be overshadowed, somewhat. But here he is nothing less than a maestro, as well.

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The fine band Rockpile, which featured Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds, perform live in Sweden a Lowe-penned composition and 1976 single, So It Goes. An excellent rendition of this song, which, incidentally, was the first-ever single released by Stiff Records. Your devoted curator was able to unearth the details in re: the specifics-- August 10, 1978, on  the Swedish music show Högtryck. Take that! Anyway, the winning ways of Lowe are in great abundance here. 

Nick Lowe and Rockpile perform an excellent live rendition of So It Goes on The Midnight Special, June 9, 1978, according to my well-nigh fervent research. Lowe sings lead here, and you may notice more than a passing similarity between this and the Swedish festivities above. The versions **are** different, however. The attire...........well, if it ain’t broke.......

The above-featured noted songwriter & performer, a certain Nick Lowe, delivers here a spirited live version of his 1979 hit, Cruel To Be Kind, on the David Letterman show, live in 1983. Very possibly the finest rendition of this impossibly clever and catchy composition I’ve heard/seen. The song was written in 1976 while Lowe was a member of Brinsley Schwarz. The man from Walton-on-Thames seems to be in fine spirits. His winning ways hardly seem to be on the wane.

Oh heck, why not. Rockpile checking in again, not with a live performance, but with an irresistible tune, Teacher, Teacher, and accompanying promo video. A 1980-type situation. There exist other promos for this song, but I favor this by a wide margin. I must say it: the Lads, especially Lowe, are being pretty darn, well, cute. Pure pop wonderment.

Behold the man.

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The mighty and attractive Peter Murphy easily handles his hit single Cuts You Up, live in 1992, on the Dennis Miller Show. Murph’s still got it: the voice, the stage presence/charisma, the camera-finding chops, the weirdo maneuvers; there’s nothing wanting. A riveting performance. At the very end, also, he goes and cocks a snook (via nose-thumbing of a championship level) at ol’ Dennis. Why? Why not. Also, he’s Peter Murphy. P.S. GIF file size did not agree with Tumblr. A link to Peter’s now legendary snook-cocking is included.

Moving back a decade in time, we’ve Peter Murphy performing lead vocals for the hugely influential (though short-lived) Bauhaus. It’s Top o’ The Pops time, 1982, as the group perform Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust. Though the lads stay relatively true to DB’s original, they make it their own nonetheless, in large part due to Murphy’s can’t - remove - eyes - from showmanship and his voice o’ wonder. Nothing against Daniel Ash (guitar), David J (bass), and Kevin Haskins (drums); they obviously were quite talented, going on to form Love & Rockets; Peter Murphy was simply that mesmerizing and magnetic.

Since we’re on a Ziggy kind o’ roll, let us have some Nina Hagen, noted actress, author, and, most famously, vocalist. Ms. Hagen takes Bowie’s composition to previously unknown worlds. Her supremely sui generis vocal stylings, not to mention the stunning voice itself, are electrifying. As a (very) side note, your curator always considered Nina Hagen to be, though of course quite unique (to modify an absolute), a hybrid of sorts, part Lene Lovich, part Diamanda Galas. Lo & Behold, Hagen actually covered Lovich’s huge hit Lucky Number, albeit in German. Everybody knows that already, no doubt, but, most importantly, this **confirmed** (well, sort of) my hypothesis. Ha! Enjoy this amazing performance. 

Fine people, one and all.

A different GIF. We’ll take it.