Seriously -- that's an absolutely breahthtaking performance.
The song itself, of course, is one of the greatest contributions to American popular music in all of the second half of the 20th century. Sorry if you're too cynical and punk rock to get it, but it's nonethelss true.
And yeah. yeah, I know, that off-stage Furay's politics are a little, shall we say, problematic.
But sorry -- if you were prominently a fixture on the three genius Buffalo Springfield albums, and then responsible for the above, I'm willing to give you a pass despite whoever you're voting for.
BTW, as great as the above is, it is NOT my favorite visualization of "Walking in Memphis" not involving the composer.
This sequence -- from my favorite expisode of The X-Files -- is.
Hey -- I'm a little weird. So sue me.
[h/t Jai Guru Dave]
9 comments:
Richie has a great voice - but yeah got to ignore his politics and preaching.
Have a bunch of his solo stuff (post Christian-only phase).
I've seen Marc Cohn in concert - talented guy.
Some a*hole shouted at him do "Freebird" so he launched into a several minute piano version of it and said because of the a*hole that's all we are going to hear for the rest of the show (kidding) but it was hilarious.
I noticed the change in the lyrics in Furay's performance - in response to the question "are you a Christian child?" Marc Cohn's original was "I am tonight".
As children my brothers and I went to mainstream Protestant Sunday School - now we have gone our separate ways, influenced by our marital partners. My older brother denies evolution and won't be too surprised if Jesus returns and announces the End of Days anytime now, while my younger brother avoids religion altogether. I take the middle way - I attend Catholic Mass with my spouse, and we used to be in the parish choir together, but I never converted, and think of myself as still a Unitarian [who reads Buddhist books]. If you consider the underpinning of the various religions as ethical principles about how to respect and maybe even care for each other, you can find a lot of common ground. May the Force be with us all.
And I did not know this about Cohn. Pretty amazing.
On August 7, 2005, Cohn was shot in the head during an attempted carjacking in Denver, Colorado,[34][35][36] while on a concert tour with Suzanne Vega.[37] The bullet "barely missed Cohn's eye and lodged near his skull." Cohn survived and was hospitalized for observation, but was released after eight hours. According to Cohn, "Doctors told me I was the luckiest unlucky guy they had met in a long, long time."[23] A police spokesperson surmised that the car's windshield may have significantly impeded the bullet's force, and added: "Frankly, I can't tell you how he survived."[37] The shooter was sentenced to 36 years in prison
Why does Richie Furay's Christian conversion piss some of us off so much?
Could it be the Buffalo Springfield connection? The fact that it always is in our face?
Why exactly did he convert in the first place? Drugs? Bad marriages? Financial problems? All of the above?
I'm not being my usual sarcastic self, I'm really curious, Dylan is supposedly still very religious but it's not shoved in our face constantly.
Captain Al
From what I understand from a woman who grew up with him as a child and teen (family friend).he was a pretty laid back, not a partaker of. the R/R lifestyle -'brought up in a Quaker Community
rob
No mistaking that voice
Thanks Sonny for recognizing that talent.
rob
Nice rendition by Richie. His voice seems to have picked up some grit with age. The back-up singers are excellent. Post-production obviously enhanced the performance.
Went to see Poco on their 1990 reunion tour. Bought tickets for two shows but only went to one. I was expecting Richie to be in the band since he was on the mediocre reunion album.
A Poco reunion concert without Richie didn't make much sense to me. I saw the band when they soundchecked and talked to Randy Meisner. He said Richie quit the tour because they wouldn't drop "Your Mama Don't Dance" from the setlist. He said Furay found the song too suggestive and offensive. What? "Your Mama Don't Dance?" Really.
I never knock anyone for their beliefs, but a stick in the mud is a stick in the mud. I think he's lightened up since then. At least I hope so.
I still remember when he got busted for grass in Topanga with Neil, Jim Messina and Eric Clapton. I think Rory Flynn and a couple of underage girls were there too : ).
BTW, Randy Meisner was a super nice guy, God rest his soul. Sandy and me used to see him at Little Al's in Westwood when he was in the Poor. Innocent times in the psychedelic maelstrom.
VR
Richie’s voice is in remarkably good form here, given his age. I absolutely loved his contributions to The Buffalo Springfield and saw him in the Messina/Schmidt version of Poco…a unique and lively voice with immaculate pitch.
I believe the singers in the video are Handsome Harry Stinson and Connie Smith as well as Tom Bukovac playing acoustic guitar.
JD Goldberg-
You mean THE Connie Smith!?
VR
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