Friday, October 2, 2009

Howlin' Wolf unseen footage....

I noticed there's some new Howlin' Wolf clips up on Youtube that I don't think are in the documentary, these things have a tendency to disappear fast (like the Bo Diddley and Rosco Gordon clips I posted a couple of weeks ago, both have been pulled, btw I forgot to thank Dave The Spazz for the tip on the Bo clip) so don't wait. Here they are: I never saw this one before, from U.K. TV circa mid-1960's, the Howlin' Wolf w/Hubert Sumlin and Willie Dixon. from the same show another one I've never seen, maybe the only footage of the Wolf in color, this was shot near the end of his life, notice the bandage on his right arm, probably from his kidney dialysis....
Also, Wolf fans should check out the Mojo Repair Shop, pronto. And while I'm at it, there's some great Stones rehearsal footage up on Never Get Out Of The Boat.

17 comments:

Timmy said...

Wolf was the best Blues man in my heart & these 2 B&W vid's are excellent. Sound & picture quality are superb. Thanx!

Anonymous said...

Who is that Saxman in the colour clip. Damn thats some good playin.

frenchie25 said...

Did it ever dawn on you or any of your readers that the reason "these things have a tendency to disappear fast like the Bo Diddley clip" because they are infringing on -- in this case -- Howlin' Wolf's copyright interest in the footage?

By posting this kind of "unseen" footage -- by Wolf, Bo Diddley, you continue to exploit some of the most ripped-off musicians in the history of popular music.

You guys think it's cool? It's not. You do not honor these great musicians and founding fathers of modern rock and blues by continuing to ensure they don't get paid for their work. Nice job.

scott said...

I was lucky enough to see Wolf at the Cafe Au Go-Go in about 1968 or 9, and it was unforgettable. the size and ferocity of his voice and presence was completely offset by the obvious sweetness of the man and his gratitude for being able to play in front of an ecstatic & almost worshipful (well, maybe that was just me) audience of mostly rock'n'roll hippie freaks.

somehow, even when i was just 10 yrs old, i was curious enough to explore the writers of all those great songs listed on the back of that 1st Stones LP. what made a 10 yr. old white Jewish kind from the Bronx fall in love with these old black musicians is a blessing in my life that is at once mysterious and fortuitous, and that 45 years later i love these guys more than ever.

i am sorry for the bad luck and bad business practices these geniuses had/have to deal with but their songs, & they themselves, are a magnet to me, and despite Frenchie having a point, well here i am anyway, and to you Mr Hound, my old pal, i am ever grateful for these, as well as the Bo clips, the Nuggets clips, and all the rest i can't stop watching.

Anonymous said...

scott: then why not drop a check in the mail to the estates of howlin' wolf and bo diddley and put your money where your heart is. these men left no great fortunes to their families -- just some memories from gigs and influence on past and current musicians -- none of which translates to cash, as well as reordings on audio and video tape -- some of which are popping up here in violation of copyright law. You are taking food out of the mouths of your "so called heroes." Why don't you be a hero yourself and put your money where your mouth is. Or would you rather continue Leonard Chess's legacy?

scott said...

well, because i am broker than them, being among the many who went broke over medical costs despite having health insurance....not that it's really any of your self-righteous fuckin' business, but i was forced into bankruptcy last year and am struggling every month with the basic costs of living...but hey, thanx for the suggestion....why don't you send a check for me and tell 'em i said thanx for the music,

scott said...

just to add to my last one: first of all, no one is making any money on these posts. no one is profiting, no one is taking food out of anyone's mouth...goddamn, lighten the fuck up. should we assume that you A) did not view these clips?, or B) you viewed them and ran your ass out to the mailbox and dropped a check in the mail to Wolf's estate? my guess is you viewed them and have not put your money anywhere except to invest in yet another package of Twinkies. people like you make me sick, with your fake self-righteousness. are you a spy for these bluesmen? what are you doing here yourself? youtube is hardly a problem for these guys, so pick your fights carefully, and be careful who you take on "Anonymous" (code for pussy who lives in Mommy & Daddy's basement). get a job or better yet, get a date. there are real battles to be fought out there. i have seen my own stuff on youtube dozens of times, infringing my copyright, and i am glad that people give a shit enough to view it. if it wasn't there i wouldn't be making any money off of it anyway. same for Howlin' Wolf. why don't you get a license and try selling it. it would probably be bought by all the folks who are enjoying now for free

frenchie25 said...

Scott;
#1. Anonymous is right
#2. Ever hear of Google Alerts?
#3. No one will take you seriously if you rant
#4. Take your meds

scott said...

Hey Frenchie _- you are so right, i shouldn't rant, and i do apologize for the tone, but i guess that self-righteous hypocrisy has always been a sore point with me. the truth is i really appreciate your generous donation to the Wolf estate for your viewing of these clips. i shall now double up on my meds. thanx for the reminder

Daddy-o Dilly said...

Howlin' Wolf in COLOR!!! mmmmmmBOY!, as Wolf used to say.

I believe the sax player here is Abb Locke, who for years after Wolf passed on, played shows sometimes in nearby Kansas City.

I started going to blues concerts right about this time. Between Kansas City and Lawrence, KS, there were several clubs and theatres that brought in blues stars often, from Chicago and all over. I never saw Wolf, Jimmy Reed, Big Joe Turner, Big Walter Horton, Clifton Chenier, or most of all, Hound Dog Taylor. I really wanted to see all these guys but they passed on before I got the chance.

I did see Muddy three times, Willie Dixon, Koko Taylor, Son Seals, Albert Collins, BB, Albert, and Freddie, among others.

Dr Feelgooder said...

Allah bless you, Mr Hound Dog. Keep up the good work.

Mr Frenchie: Yes, ranting is boring - even when justified. However, it is infinitely preferable to knee-jerk, ill-informed & smug hypocrisy. Lighten up - the Wolf did not die because of our sins. Not even because of the Chess brothers' sins.
Meanwhile I'm going to chase up the local TV stations who played my band's video in the 80's - they must owe me at least $3.75, not counting song writing royalties. Bastards. About time they stopped exploiting us Slavic blues singers too.

jneilnyc said...

Does anyone really think that Howlin' Wolf's "estate" sees a penny from these videos regardless of whether his fans can see them on the web or not? If anyone is would be gettin copyright bucks from them it's probably Chess, and so it's probably best considered karma.

As for the Bo stuff, Chess has been sitting on the Legend Of Bo Diddley footage for almost 45 years. I know a lot of people like me who would have paid to see it or own a copy, but that was never an option. Bo never had a chance to see a penny in royalties for that stuff because it was never released, but that's no excuse for letting it go forgotten and unseen. It's his music, but it's our culture, we have a stake in this too.

Same goes for the TNT Show footage. I don't know whose lawyers are holding that one off the market, but you haven't been able to buy a legit copy for years (if ever). It's one thing to get rightful compensation for this stuff, but it's another thing to sit on it until the artists (and a generation of fans) are no longer around to care.

jneilnyc said...

BTW, the first two Wolf clips are from this DVD, go out and buy it and make everyone happy (yourself especially):
http://www.amazon.com/American-Folk-Blues-Festival-British-1963-1966/dp/B000OPP7LS/

The Hound said...

"BTW, the first two Wolf clips are from this DVD, go out and buy it and make everyone happy (yourself especially):
http://www.amazon.com/American-Folk-Blues-Festival-British-1963-1966/dp/B000OPP7LS/"

Turns out I already bought it and hadn't had time to play it yet. My feeling is this stuff is just advertising for the artist, I've bought every record and video the Wolf (who I know for a fact died a millionaire, how many reading this can say the same?). I've bought every Bo, Muddy, etc. 45, LP, 78, video, dvd, photo and whatnot that's ever crossed my path. When it comes down to fighting over the rights, only the lawyers get rich.

jneilnyc said...

(Ah, my comment was directed to anyone who was interest enough in Wolf to be reading this thread...)

Not only are pages like this advertising for the Products out there, it also serves to show the rights owners that there is public interest and demand for this old stuff that *isn't* in print at the moment. If that encourages them to make more of this old footage available, that's great for all concerned.

garage 66 & mojo repair shop said...

These are links from you tube,and as far as I know are okay to link to blog pages. All he's trying to do is let you know there's things out there you can and should buy.

I know it's hard to understand this,but maybe the internet is the new radio of today. So,all this is,is music for you so you can go out and buy it,if you love it.
What could be better,to sample things? I don't even want to add up how much dough I've spent on music,I coulda bought a house in the Hamptons,perhaps.
Don't get me started.
I also have got every book,DVD,video,album,CD of Howlin' Wolf too. Plus add in some bootlegs! And I got an interview with Hubert Sumlin,you geeks!
And he thinks it's fucking cool that this music is online! He worries no one will remember him!

Anonymous said...

The only one who (still) makes money of the work of these artists is the record industry -- the only one with an interest in getting paid per view is the industry. Sorry, but before anyone starts chastising people for watching such footage and not paying to do so, check with the industry first and see if they have paid the artists. Go and ask YouTube who is asking for more royalties to put in their very own pockets -- Who knows the answer? Exactly! The industry is taking the clips of YouTube because YouTube don't pay THEM enough ...

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