And from 1966, and the influential Elektra Records compilation What's Shakin'?, here's Al Kooper (backed by the rhythm section of the then Kooper-less Blues Project) with a slightly re-titled and extremely cool sort of soul/jazz version.
And finally, from 1967, here's the then at the height of their powers full blown Blues Project and the thoroughly psychedelicized version of the song from Projections.
All three of these are memorable, of course, but I should mention that I've spent countless hours over the years attempting to reproduce Kooper's piano part from the '66 version, with fair results; get me drunk in the vicinity of an upright sometime and I'll have a go at it for you. As for the Blues Project remake, I saw those guys for the first time in mid '66 at the legendary Cafe au Go-Go, at a time when they used to open with "I Can't Keep From Cryin' Sometime," as it was now called. And swear to god, it sounded EXACTLY like it does in the clip, except much, much louder; when they hit that rave-up section in the middle, it was without question the most astounding thing my teenage ears had ever beheard.
12 comments:
(I love all your "Compare and Contrast"s!) Guess I'll always prefer the "Can't Keep from Cryin'" from the Projections album to What's Shakin' (I heard them play this live, too. And young as I was, I realized that someone needed to take that noisy little keyboard thing away from Al Kooper before he did some real damage). Here's a Dutch study that shows that people will almost always prefer the first version of a song they hear to any subsequent interpretations. Human nature!
Kooper - the tie that binds Dylan to the Banana Splits.
From his Wikipedia entry:
He was also the musical force behind many of the children series "Banana Splits" pop tunes, including "You're the Lovin' End."
get me drunk in the vicinity of an upright sometime and I'll have a go at it for you.
I had a girlfriend tell me that once. . . .
I actually have the Banana Splits album on my iPod.
Seriously.
What a great Blind Willie song. For all you acoustic guitar nerds out there, you should check out Martin Simpson's version: tone to die for.
Ditto for the Banana Splits. I was turned on to it here. 8)
Trey
As far as that "first version" thing goes, I first heard this on the Project's Live at Town Hall album, so that will always be THE version for me.
A classic, in any case.
I saw the Blues Project at one of those Saturday afternoon Murray the K's shows at some place on Second Avenue in, like, '66 or '67.
Also on that afternoon's bill: Wilson Pickett, Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels, the Vagrants, Cream & the Who (who wrecked their equipment).
No.
Shit.
All for five bucks.
The teenaged Buddy Miles was the drummer in Pickett's band at that show.
Tierra Madre Horse Sanctuary said...
I saw the Blues Project at one of those Saturday afternoon Murray the K's shows at some place on Second Avenue in, like, '66 or '67.
Also on that afternoon's bill: Wilson Pickett, Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels, the Vagrants, Cream & the Who (who wrecked their equipment).
No.
Shit.
All for five bucks.
WOW!!!
I would love to see that as a Listomania topic someday
Greatest Value Concert You Ever Attended (I'd love to see somebody try to top Tierra Madre's - I sure couldn't do it and I'm not sure I belive it can be done)
That Murray the K show was my first concert..12 yrs old, April '67...a changed boy after that day..I knew all those that played by their records and radio, but had never expirianced the sonic overdrive of Marshall stacks live!
I remember being truly astonished at the amount of sound that 3 guys could make..and Pickett was wicked!
I believe there's another personal connection the Blues Project and your old skinny tie band, but we'll leave that for another time.
AP
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