I was actually just about to pull the trigger and get UA-cam Premium, but I refuse to reward bad behavior! Interrupting a song with an ad?!!! I refuse to give one red cent to a company with that little respect for either its product (music!) or its users.
Totally agree. I say F UA-cam! Then they run those stupid polls that say, “Help UA-cam by answering one question.” Help UA-cam?!? Do what? Target their damn ads better? Give me an effing break! I never answer those questions.
As a drummer I know how very influential Billy Cobham was. His work with the Mahavishnu Orchestra was ground breaking (check out Inner Mounting Flame for instance) and he inspired so many drummers including Dennis Chambers many years later. I have seven of his LP's and have seen him about three times. His first solo LP, Spectrum, is also a game changer.
The great "John McLaughlin", sadly often left out of lists of the greatest guitarists ever, but, make no doubt 'John' was and still is the full shit on an axe!
A guitarist I knew hated McLaughlin, called him a noodler. Unbeknownst to him I put a bootleg Mahavishnu CD on in the car, playing the drum/guitar duet at the beginning of The Noonward Race. For 6 or 7 minutes in that version Billy & John fling fusillades of 32nd notes at each other in what Robert Fripp refers to as 'a calisthenic display of virtuosity.' A couple minutes in, my McLaughlin-hating buddy asked, "DaYUM, who is that?" I broke the news gently.
you prolly dont care but does anyone know of a way to log back into an instagram account?? I stupidly forgot my account password. I appreciate any tips you can give me!
Man o man! It took me this long to realize just how important and soothing Jerry Goodmans violin was acting as counterpoint to all the other instruments! I love, love, love this group! When I first heard Birds of Fire I thought I had taken a musical trip to another planet!
The acid apparently greatly influenced his path into spirituality, but indeed he wasn't high in Mahavishnu Orchestra. He said he wasn't hanging out, didn't chase women either, just meditated and lots of yoga! Although the band split up due to tensions, the diverse personalities probably created some of the intensity and magic in the music anyway, so it is what it is. Great stuff!
One of the most talented, brilliant, kind and caring persons I ever worked with. We had to move his show from a proscenium theater into a bar a few days before his scheduled show. The church, that also leased the theater, refused to allow the stage to be sullied with a Buddhist. RIdiculous. He rolled with it, no fits, complaints, only pure kindness and understanding. Too bad the church folk couldn't have the same disposition!
+Robert Skilton the "church" people must have been worshipping Satan or some other destructive "spirit" ...... tho I think Satan gets a bad rap sometimes
well jimdep1 -- try putting a statue of Buddha or Vishnu inside a church & see what happens!!! (I don't think Muslims practice statue idolatry like the other ones do, so much)
Yeah. Funny how time slips away. Just the visuals were mind blowing. The double neck guitar. The transparent drums. Dual bass tubs. Didn't know what to make of the music at the time. Wot? No singing? If I could go back in time and see any band the original Mahavishnu would be the one.
Cobham and McLaughlin had such an amazing connection that was highlighted in this song. Each time they did this song it was different. I remember picking up a 2 LP set in a discount bin for the "Mar Y Sol" festival in Puerto Rico. It has a blistering rendition of the Noonward Race.
This is so different from the LP version that if he hadn't introduced it, I wouldn't have recognized it until halfway through! I was playing the LP (which I'd converted to MP3) in the lab where I worked one day, and one of the younger techs who'd never heard of MO stopped dead to listen when the guitar solo kicked into high gear. And when he found out that the music had been recorded maybe 40 years earlier, he nearly dropped his pants. They were one of a kind. Rock purists hated them, jazz purists hated them, music lovers revered them. Awesome, awesome band.
People didn't know what to make of them because they were very difficult to categorized and the big rock bands like The Who, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd were afraid to be on the same stage as them because they know who McLaughlin is, and they know they can't compete and they didn't want to risk losing their audience. Remember, John McLaughlin taught Jimmy Page how to play jazz guitar when Page was In high school. he also did some session work on a couple of early Rolling Stones albums he didn't get credited on. He also played with Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce prior to them starting Cream, so Eric Clapton knew who John McLaughlin was. They would routinely blow the headliner act off the stage, so they constantly had to change what bands to bill them with until they reached a level of popularity so they could headline their own concerts. But they did influence a ton of bands and artists. Journey was influenced by MO as Journey was started to create a more accessible "rock" version, hence Journey's first album. Santana was influenced by MO, and Santana did the album and tour with John, Billy and Jan. So that album/tour was kind of mix between Mahavishnu and Santana but they were exploring a different thing than just MO. Dixie Dreggs. They used to be a MO cover band before they got their own songs together to put out albums. Jeff Beck. Blow by Blow and Wired albums were heavily influenced by MO. Return to Forever was influenced by MO. Their first album was more acoustic, but after Inner Mounting Flame and Birds of Fire came out, then Return to Forever went electric as they added Bill Conners and then Al Dimeola. Eleventh House was influenced by MO. The Section which was Jackson Browne's/James Taylor back up band made a few instrumental albums and they opened up for MO a few times. Interesting to note, John McLaughlin wrote and performed on a song on an early James Taylor album and MO played with James Taylor at a couple of concerts. Grateful Dead was also influenced by MO as they did some of their more experimental extended jams. I thinks to some degree they influenced Weather Report, and the interesting point is that Weather Report hired Jaco who originally tried out with the second MO. Also, Weather Report wanted to hire Billy after MO split up. Weather Report hired Narada for a couple of songs and some brief touring after his stint with MO. I'm sure I left some out, but they were VERY influential to a lot of musicians and bands. Jan Hammer was the first to play a minimoog/synth like a guitar, so ANY keyboard player that uses a pitch wheel to get their synth to sound like a guitar, was influenced by Jan Hammer. Drummers? Need I say anything about that? Billy influenced just about every major drummers coming out of both the jazz and rock world. It's not too often when a drummer's solo album hits Gold within a few months after release with essentially no marketing or advertising to speak of. Billy didn't even know it was actually on the market at the time. He just thought it would be a great "calling card" to get other gigs. he didn't have his own touring band until after the record label told him to put a band together and start touring due to lots of record sales. Most guitarists that came after that period were influenced by MO. there's probably a list of at least 20 or more rock, progressive rock and instrumental based guitar players that were coming out in the later 70's and 80's that were influenced by MO. Pretty much most, if not all of them. I'm surprised and not surprised MO hasnn't made it to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for their influences on the Rock industry. but then again, the R&R HOF are kind of dumb shits because they allow rappers in.
Forreal the "intro" for lack of a better word bears no resemblance to the recorded. I was trying to learn the drum parts for the intro and came here to try help myself with some visual learning and I found no aid in my endeavor. Therefore i just learned this one instead lmao.
Looks like they played a rather small venue, which is more intimate, and the guys go more for experimental excursions on their stuff. I've seen them in a "bigger" venue 10000 pp? and they just rocked, even more than on the other video from France, which is on YT. Tight as sloppy never comes. Impressive
At one of John McL's first Shakti concerts in Chicago in the late 70s I had the honor of meeting Jerry Goodman & his son who were in the audience. Dumbfounded & young & stupid as I was, all I could say to him in the lobby during the break was "I AM TALL TREE!" (a song from Jerry's previous band, The Flock). He looked at me bemusedly and stated that I was too young to remember that band. Introductions were made and a small polite conversation ensued. Such a nice guy.
John McLaughlin is really the gentleman of guitarists. An incredibly sympathetic and humble person!! And sorry but Jan Hammer is here really fantastic!!
@Grunge00125 I love Page, one of my favs. As a guitarist myself I can assure you that McLaughlin has a far greater technical mastery of the instrument. It's really not even close. McLaughlin could play anything Page ever played, without a doubt. Page, on the other hand, couldn't play half of what McLaughlin played.... like many of the riffs in this song for example. Page is a phenomenal songwriter indeed. McLaughlin on the other hand is a phenomenal composer. Not knocking Page, elevating John.
James Dickman McLaughlin gave Page lessons in England for a bit. That says it all. Page himself said Mclaughlin was the best guitarist in England prior to John coming to America.
I'm sure if page wanted to be technical he could have as he came from that experimental era. But he loved the hard rock blues and simple acoustic which you can see from his songwriting so whats your point? And could John write like zeppelin music? Lol I hardly think so.
McLaughlin and the band so serious... Then in the back you have the playful Cobham smiling, grinning, spitting our riffs, and having a blast keeping the whole thing together!!!
I watched this as a 14 year old on the BBC. I think it was a Saturday night about 6pm. BBC had two brilliant series called 'Sight and Sound' and 'Rock goes to college'. This was mind blowing for me and in retrospect quite surreal. Fantastic performance. There must have been some enlightened folks working for the BBC for a period of time!
Jimmy Page owes much of his success to John McLaughlin, Jimmy's guitar teacher. John's playing with Al and Paco would have left Jimmy in total astonishment.
I saw them at Philharmonic Hall, Lincoln Center in 1973. I was working my way through college there at the box office, and when the shows started I could take any empty seat in the house. I saw some incredible shows of every genre imaginable!
What I love about McLaughlin,he really listens to everyone around him,for all his brilliant technique,he was always about the ONE sound,where every musicians parts gell together to become one big magical WHOLE,all the great bands do that.Zappa,Genesis early days,Weather Report,Brand X.
OMG at 5 minutes there all looking around at each other and smiling, now given the sketchy Mahavishnu history and line-up changes thats just a magical moment!!
Uuuh Electric 12 string is not that common in Rock/Fusion circles. Especially twin neck, but check out Leo Kottke he is the master on Acoustic 12 string.
@@u.v.s.5583 This level of musicianship is not a standard skill for accomplished musicians. I haven't the faintest idea why anyone would say that, lol.
I got to see these guys in concert (Great opening act) but what really made the concert unbelievable was when Jeff Beck brought John out to play his whole show with him.
I saw them at the Akron Rubber bowl. An unheard of band called the Eagles opened, the second act was a new group who had one album out called Yes and Maha was the headliner.
twice in Columbus in six mouths including the second to last performance they ever did. Mershon Auditorium on the OSU campus. The sound board recording of it lives on. you can find it with a little digging. grew up Beatles, trough Zep, grew appreciate the art and craft of song writing, get educated in comp and arranging, leaned to love do and create vocal harmony, more into real jazz, the greatest improvisors that ever lived, miles, Parker, D izz, lester, woods... the b-bop geniuses. then these guys came along and used eastern improv form and atonal sounds, no respect for common time signatures, jazz chord extensions and arpegges and ROCK instruments and their virtuoso skills and what they did was the zenith of the rock band fromat. Only months before john had been recording with miles as a jazz player pretty much all best jazz recoding writers wanted to play with him. Cobham had become THE drummer real musicians wanted in the studio. laird, hammer, goodman were very very good players but simply put in my more than casual opinion it's easy to call McLaughlin greatest guitar player that ever lived and Billy Cobham the greatest drummer. John was the fastest play ever, to this day, and you might not notice until you find certain lines in solos because fast was never point where as now everybody want a neon sign "see how fast I can pick" . The reason to pick fast was always, and still is btw because he still plays, always about using right hand's speed to shape lines and create emphasis on a fretted instrument. Cobham was an athlete behind the drums. his physical prowess let him move the sticks and hands from one place to anther faster than any I've ever seen to this day. but that quickness isn't the point either, nor is the great power he could use. it's been about the precision and smoothness of the rolls and the quickness of his mind which let him do what I think he loves best, which is fix his attention on another player and play WITH them. He loves the sum being greater than the sum of it's parts and how players in a band can make each other express themselves artistically more directly and perfectly with what ever force it is that comes through them more purely than they ever thought possible. This band had great great players and and the band was better than any player in it. Much has been said about conflicts between McLaughlin and Cobham personally and in a business sense but one the music started they wanted the rush, the fix. Addicted to the energy that poured through them at moments when they played together. I got to talk to Cobham once and then another even though I'm not a drummer I paid to do a drum clinic of his where the first part of the day was just him talking and demonstrating and most importantly trying to de-mystify what he does. Totally down earth humble without a trace of arrogance about him. He said something like "everything I do you can do if you're serious about wanting to and put in the work". It was hard to get him to admit he had any special gifts. (which was good 'cause I admit Billy and John but would show up occasionally in my dreams as kinda godlike figures) Much of his talk was about how to practice make practice smarter. I'll never forget. Someone ask him what he though of McLaughlin's eastern mystic thing about Sri Chimoy with the white suits and how he presented it all. He said everybody buys into something, with John "It's just a higher form of Bullshit." I didn't detect anything hateful about how he said it at all. It seemed funny, it actually brought the house down but I felt like people were laughing at the misdirection humor without laughing at John. I also admit there comes a point when hearing great players I become aware they are experiencing things, feeling emotions, getting to know what it's like to be a conduit to a powerful kind of joy that you and I are never ever going to feel. I feel jealous of that. I try not to let it show.
cobham always made my head spin on "birds of fire", his drumming inspired me as a guitar player as much as any guitar player ever has. wow. thanks for this, awesome to see all of the original lineup in such a together performance.
. We simply must accept our talents to play the best we can & enjoy their talents to play better than everyone else, which they did. I saw them in 73 and the hall needed to call paramedics & a roofer to replace the roof after they blew it off & to re attach everyone's jaws , God they were awesome.. that was Constitution Hall in Washington DC, i was only 17..
remember hearing M.O. when I was about 15yrs old (1977ish) blew my mind.Friends at school thought I was nuts,haha. There will never be another....out of this world.
I had the same experience about 20 later lol bought Inner Mounting Flame at Tower Records London, brought it home and it absolutely blew my mind. Still does.
Saw them three times. Once opening for J. Geils Band, then opening for Marshall Tucker band, then as the headliner. First two times were amazing. The last time, though, tensions in the band were showing on stage, and Goodman & McLaughlin were just trying to play faster & louder than the other, and my ears were still ringing well into the next day. They’re still my favorite all time band; they still sound fresh & powerful almost a half-century (yikes!) later,
I agree with you in the fact that it's clear that John is in a different frequency and i truly believe that's not acid. According to Rick Laird (in a recent interview you can find here on YT) John was into some deep spiritual work which included lots of meditation, celibacy and a strict diet. There's a point during that work that you are filled by a strong wave of peace and consciousness which is kind of a "high" but in a whole different way.I've experienced this once in life,no drug beats it :)
That 12 string leads insane. I’m partial to Mar y sol. That version is unbelievable. They’re always incredible. I’m lucky I saw the original and second edition.
I also did a piece of my own callef Impressions Of India on my first recording.. the Shakti influence has never become silent in my playing..thanks John.
The interplay and communication between these wonderful musicians is a joy to watch and listen to. I have followed McLaughlin and Cobham since the appeared with Miles Davis who told them that they should form their own band which became the Mahavishnu Orchestra. Imo, they are both goats on their instruments.
I WILL NEVER FORGET the first time I saw them at the Mar y Sol Rock Fest in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico in April of 72' ( a double album of that fest was put out for those interested). Most there at the Concert did not know who they were but We should did after. OMG , I was high of course , but they blew everyone listening away. This is the song that was included in the Live album, simply amazing. I saw them later when I moved back to NYC in Central Park. I did see John and his wife give a free acoustic performance before like 150 persons at the San Cristobal Fort in Old San Juan and met him after, one of fondest memories of this Musician. I then saw him perform in NYC at the Town Hall about 30 later with a young group of talented musicians. Great Memories for sure.
Quite by chance whilst on a visit to family in eastern Germany managed to get hold of a ticket to Billy Cobhams Culture Mix gig in the Halle Opera House going back 20+ years ago now.Fantastic evening in the presence of some steller musicians.Having missed Mahavishnu Orch 30 years earlier this was a no brainer.
I gladly remember my first „Crossroads“-Concert, aal great guitarists where playing, Larry Corell, Larry Carlton and Jeff Beck announced J. Mclaughlin, John walked upstairs and all the other guys moved their arms to John like theyprayed to him.
I'm grateful to have seen every mahavisu line up multiple time back then. Good as they all were with billy was the greatest. As loud an intense as they were they always adjusted to the room to have perfect audio. Billy was so great in all his solo endeavors as well.
+Max Millington Is it that, or is it that they don't actually own the rights to the music? There was no issue (that I'm aware of, anyway) releasing "The Lost Trident Sessions";, even though the project was shelved because the band couldn't decide whether the record was finished or not. (JM wanted to bring in a string quartet.) I would hope that after all these years their animosities have cooled off... But yeah, it sure would be great to be able to hear soundboard quality recordings of these concerts.
I did get to see these guys live in Chicago way back in those days. I don't know what a Mahavishnu is, but given their talent, I ignored that. I was impressed by the speed they all played those riffs, and in sync.
violin guy best soloist - 46 years ago! Billy Cobham getting it done, Jan Hammer ... did I mention this is 46 years old? I saw Cobham live in 1976 with G Duke, great show
A very good one for sure,but I prefer the french violonist JL Ponty who also played in the beginning of 70's in the MO.The drummer B Cobham is awesome,he shared a lot of performances with JL Ponty on precious records.
In April 1973 I watched Boomer roll up and down those Fibes toms with Mahavishnu in a movie theater, old 1920s building with double balconies one on top of the other, great acoustics. Saw Jeff Beck at the same place in July accompanied by Carmine Appice & Tim Bogert. Screamin' Lord Sutch sang the first three songs then El Becko motioned toward stage right and the crowd not only didn't see Suck anymore that evening, they didn't hear him. Ten years later I attended a Cobham clinic; when he lit up the double bass I shuffled behind him to study his feet. I was stunned how simple rolling on double bass is, using it as an ostinato against toms and snare. A drummer can complexify it playing all the Swiss rudiments between his or her feet instead, but I think Thomas Lang already has that area roped off.
I was lucky enough to be Working at a record store..snd the rep for mahavishnu gave me a Gibson poster of John in Full profile with the Gibson double neck.That Was in the Birds of Fire days and that photo is the back of the album. Still have it.😊
So good to be reminded that Jan once played real keys/ synth, probing, investigating, pushing like Paul Bley at the same period. Sadly like many great pianists, he degenerated to playing the ironing board and bullshit followed.
Breaking into the middle of a “Song” with an ad break will not force me to subscribe to UA-cam premium. Period!
I was actually just about to pull the trigger and get UA-cam Premium, but I refuse to reward bad behavior! Interrupting a song with an ad?!!! I refuse to give one red cent to a company with that little respect for either its product (music!) or its users.
Totally agree. I say F UA-cam! Then they run those stupid polls that say, “Help UA-cam by answering one question.” Help UA-cam?!? Do what? Target their damn ads better? Give me an effing break! I never answer those questions.
Fook yeaa mane kick em all fricking a cheers 🍻
Disgraceful practice on the part of UA-cam. No respect for the art.
Yup - I wont be harrassed into being a subscriber and their algorrila shouda figured that out
Billy Cobham is one of the finest drummers we've ever heard,he's magnificent,powerful i just needed to say that so we don't forget..
I second that! What a drummer!
Best drummer in all multiverses!
As a drummer I know how very influential Billy Cobham was. His work with the Mahavishnu Orchestra was ground breaking (check out Inner Mounting Flame for instance) and he inspired so many drummers including Dennis Chambers many years later. I have seven of his LP's and have seen him about three times. His first solo LP, Spectrum, is also a game changer.
The Driving force of mahavishnu for sure !!!!
Yes, amazing. In my top 5
John McLaughlin, please live as long as possible!!!
The great "John McLaughlin", sadly often left out of lists of the greatest guitarists ever, but, make no doubt 'John' was and still is the full shit on an axe!
The original fusion guitar “shredder” The pioneer. Ppl that really know, know John is one of the greatest and most influential Guitarists ever.
A guitarist I knew hated McLaughlin, called him a noodler. Unbeknownst to him I put a bootleg Mahavishnu CD on in the car, playing
the drum/guitar duet at the beginning of The Noonward Race. For 6 or 7 minutes in that version Billy & John fling fusillades of 32nd
notes at each other in what Robert Fripp refers to as 'a calisthenic display of virtuosity.' A couple minutes in, my McLaughlin-hating
buddy asked, "DaYUM, who is that?" I broke the news gently.
Who cares about list s
McLaughlin is the full shit on an axe, while most guitar polls are full of shit.
Zappa said he was the best.
The power and delicacy, speed and accuracy of Cobham's playing is hard to fathom. What a band!!
The power of Cobham is incredible.
Always heard of him but now I'm listening. Very talented and tasty drummer
Lefty
you prolly dont care but does anyone know of a way to log back into an instagram account??
I stupidly forgot my account password. I appreciate any tips you can give me!
@Jase Lucian Instablaster ;)
Man o man! It took me this long to realize just how important and soothing Jerry Goodmans violin was acting as counterpoint to all the other instruments! I love, love, love this group! When I first heard Birds of Fire I thought I had taken a musical trip to another planet!
this has nothing to do with drugs, you cannot play at this level on drugs, excellent musicianship and interplay thx for post
By then John Mclaughlin had done a lot of acid.
According to himself.
Yes. But his new method was Meditation. 🕉 .
@@maxinemckenzie6076 As it should be. :)
The acid apparently greatly influenced his path into spirituality, but indeed he wasn't high in Mahavishnu Orchestra. He said he wasn't hanging out, didn't chase women either, just meditated and lots of yoga! Although the band split up due to tensions, the diverse personalities probably created some of the intensity and magic in the music anyway, so it is what it is. Great stuff!
RIP Rick Laird. Such a fantastic player.
Laird recorded with Wes Montgomery too! He was primarily an upright bassist who Mac recruited for MO. All primo players
I had no idea he'd died. RIP Rick Laird indeed. One of the true greats.
When did he die?
How Rick keeps up so accurately is amazing.
One of the most talented, brilliant, kind and caring persons I ever worked with. We had to move his show from a proscenium theater into a bar a few days before his scheduled show. The church, that also leased the theater, refused to allow the stage to be sullied with a Buddhist. RIdiculous. He rolled with it, no fits, complaints, only pure kindness and understanding. Too bad the church folk couldn't have the same disposition!
+Robert Skilton Pretty sure its Tantra, not Buddhism. Funny, though.
+Robert Skilton the "church" people must have been worshipping Satan or some other destructive "spirit" ...... tho I think Satan gets a bad rap sometimes
Interesting. Where was this show and when?
jimdep1 yup
well jimdep1 -- try putting a statue of Buddha or Vishnu inside a church & see what happens!!! (I don't think Muslims practice statue idolatry like the other ones do, so much)
I remember watching this on BBC when I was about 15 years old. It totally blew me away. So much better then the stuff on Top of the Pops back then!
Yeah. Funny how time slips away. Just the visuals were mind blowing. The double neck guitar. The transparent drums. Dual bass tubs. Didn't know what to make of the music at the time. Wot? No singing? If I could go back in time and see any band the original Mahavishnu would be the one.
You won’t hear/see many guitarists who can flat pick a 12-string like that.
No. You don’t hear many guitarists with this level of ingenuity either.
Or even play a 6 stringer like that. What a phenomenon that man.
McLaughlin gently puts on the guitar, quietly talks into the mic, then... TEARS IT UP, with the rest of the band.
Cobham and McLaughlin had such an amazing connection that was highlighted in this song. Each time they did this song it was different. I remember picking up a 2 LP set in a discount bin for the "Mar Y Sol" festival in Puerto Rico. It has a blistering rendition of the Noonward Race.
I here You.Wow.I thought a freight train ran through My ear plugs.
We must've shopped the same store. Cut out album. Also has the Allman Brothers altho Mahavishnu was the standout track.
This is so different from the LP version that if he hadn't introduced it, I wouldn't have recognized it until halfway through! I was playing the LP (which I'd converted to MP3) in the lab where I worked one day, and one of the younger techs who'd never heard of MO stopped dead to listen when the guitar solo kicked into high gear. And when he found out that the music had been recorded maybe 40 years earlier, he nearly dropped his pants. They were one of a kind. Rock purists hated them, jazz purists hated them, music lovers revered them. Awesome, awesome band.
People didn't know what to make of them because they were very difficult to categorized and the big rock bands like The Who, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd were afraid to be on the same stage as them because they know who McLaughlin is, and they know they can't compete and they didn't want to risk losing their audience.
Remember, John McLaughlin taught Jimmy Page how to play jazz guitar when Page was In high school. he also did some session work on a couple of early Rolling Stones albums he didn't get credited on. He also played with Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce prior to them starting Cream, so Eric Clapton knew who John McLaughlin was.
They would routinely blow the headliner act off the stage, so they constantly had to change what bands to bill them with until they reached a level of popularity so they could headline their own concerts.
But they did influence a ton of bands and artists.
Journey was influenced by MO as Journey was started to create a more accessible "rock" version, hence Journey's first album.
Santana was influenced by MO, and Santana did the album and tour with John, Billy and Jan. So that album/tour was kind of mix between Mahavishnu and Santana but they were exploring a different thing than just MO.
Dixie Dreggs. They used to be a MO cover band before they got their own songs together to put out albums.
Jeff Beck. Blow by Blow and Wired albums were heavily influenced by MO.
Return to Forever was influenced by MO. Their first album was more acoustic, but after Inner Mounting Flame and Birds of Fire came out, then Return to Forever went electric as they added Bill Conners and then Al Dimeola.
Eleventh House was influenced by MO.
The Section which was Jackson Browne's/James Taylor back up band made a few instrumental albums and they opened up for MO a few times. Interesting to note, John McLaughlin wrote and performed on a song on an early James Taylor album and MO played with James Taylor at a couple of concerts.
Grateful Dead was also influenced by MO as they did some of their more experimental extended jams.
I thinks to some degree they influenced Weather Report, and the interesting point is that Weather Report hired Jaco who originally tried out with the second MO. Also, Weather Report wanted to hire Billy after MO split up. Weather Report hired Narada for a couple of songs and some brief touring after his stint with MO.
I'm sure I left some out, but they were VERY influential to a lot of musicians and bands.
Jan Hammer was the first to play a minimoog/synth like a guitar, so ANY keyboard player that uses a pitch wheel to get their synth to sound like a guitar, was influenced by Jan Hammer.
Drummers? Need I say anything about that? Billy influenced just about every major drummers coming out of both the jazz and rock world. It's not too often when a drummer's solo album hits Gold within a few months after release with essentially no marketing or advertising to speak of. Billy didn't even know it was actually on the market at the time. He just thought it would be a great "calling card" to get other gigs. he didn't have his own touring band until after the record label told him to put a band together and start touring due to lots of record sales.
Most guitarists that came after that period were influenced by MO. there's probably a list of at least 20 or more rock, progressive rock and instrumental based guitar players that were coming out in the later 70's and 80's that were influenced by MO. Pretty much most, if not all of them.
I'm surprised and not surprised MO hasnn't made it to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for their influences on the Rock industry. but then again, the R&R HOF are kind of dumb shits because they allow rappers in.
Forreal the "intro" for lack of a better word bears no resemblance to the recorded. I was trying to learn the drum parts for the intro and came here to try help myself with some visual learning and I found no aid in my endeavor. Therefore i just learned this one instead lmao.
@@Oneness100 "kinda dumb shits..."?? Don't you mean that they are total f'n morons?
@@juniorjohnson9509 That too.
Looks like they played a rather small venue, which is more intimate, and the guys go more for experimental excursions on their stuff.
I've seen them in a "bigger" venue 10000 pp? and they just rocked, even more than on the other video from France, which is on YT.
Tight as sloppy never comes. Impressive
Happy 80th Birthday maestro!
Top shelf jazz rock fusion.
At one of John McL's first Shakti concerts in Chicago in the late 70s I had the honor of meeting Jerry Goodman & his son who were in the audience. Dumbfounded & young & stupid as I was, all I could say to him in the lobby during the break was "I AM TALL TREE!" (a song from Jerry's previous band, The Flock). He looked at me bemusedly and stated that I was too young to remember that band. Introductions were made and a small polite conversation ensued. Such a nice guy.
Wow! what a memories. I wish there wd be a duo os Jerry and L Shankar! 2 violin Gods 🎻🎻
John McLaughlin is really the gentleman of guitarists. An incredibly sympathetic and humble person!! And sorry but Jan Hammer is here really fantastic!!
This band and Frank Zappa,never ever hear music of this calibre for a long,long time.
Check out Dizzy and Bird...
@@freein2339 Yes,I have alot of them,one of my fav films is Bird,love jazz in quartet or quintet form.
And Jean Luc Ponty went from Frank’s Band to this band. And I never heard FZ say a kind word about John or Mahavishnu !😹🎭
Black Midi's latest kexp set is super high energy and packs in some serious chops! They would be worth checking out for sure :)
Frank could be a real shit about other people. Anyway John's untouchable as a Master Musician. 🕉 .
Rick Laird goes hard. I cant think of a better team player. Selfless and in service to the whole music. And the music absolutely rocks.
Masters ALL .... simply the baddest progressive jazz rock fusion band of alltime !
In my opinion the next greatest Fusion band was weather report.
7:53 This segment was included in an episode of Rock School from the 80's to supplement a short interview with Jan Hamr. Ah, memories!
The man who gave Jimmy Page guitar lessons.
charlesbyrd1957 and harmony lessons to John Paul Jones.
Absolutely sick...no band like this before or since...a one off...astonishing & timeless...
The Mahavishnu Orchestra invented SHRED!
Zappa
@@gavindavis1340Larry Coryell same time as well
@Grunge00125 I love Page, one of my favs. As a guitarist myself I can assure you that McLaughlin has a far greater technical mastery of the instrument. It's really not even close. McLaughlin could play anything Page ever played, without a doubt. Page, on the other hand, couldn't play half of what McLaughlin played.... like many of the riffs in this song for example. Page is a phenomenal songwriter indeed. McLaughlin on the other hand is a phenomenal composer. Not knocking Page, elevating John.
James Dickman McLaughlin gave Page lessons in England for a bit. That says it all. Page himself said Mclaughlin was the best guitarist in England prior to John coming to America.
I'm sure if page wanted to be technical he could have as he came from that experimental era. But he loved the hard rock blues and simple acoustic which you can see from his songwriting so whats your point? And could John write like zeppelin music? Lol I hardly think so.
McLaughlin and the band so serious... Then in the back you have the playful Cobham smiling, grinning, spitting our riffs, and having a blast keeping the whole thing together!!!
I watched this as a 14 year old on the BBC. I think it was a Saturday night about 6pm. BBC had two brilliant series called 'Sight and Sound' and 'Rock goes to college'. This was mind blowing for me and in retrospect quite surreal. Fantastic performance. There must have been some enlightened folks working for the BBC for a period of time!
And sadly not now.
That may have been my introduction to MO too.
Life changing.
Jimmy Page owes much of his success to John McLaughlin, Jimmy's guitar teacher. John's playing with Al and Paco would have left Jimmy in total astonishment.
I saw them at Philharmonic Hall, Lincoln Center in 1973. I was working my way through college there at the box office, and when the shows started I could take any empty seat in the house. I saw some incredible shows of every genre imaginable!
What I love about McLaughlin,he really listens to everyone around him,for all his brilliant technique,he was always about the ONE sound,where every musicians parts gell together to become one big magical WHOLE,all the great bands do that.Zappa,Genesis early days,Weather Report,Brand X.
I saw this as a high school senior. Incredible. John did appear "other worldly" when he spoke. Better that he played. Billy Cobham! Wow!
OMG at 5 minutes there all looking around at each other and smiling, now given the sketchy Mahavishnu history and line-up changes thats just a magical moment!!
Cobham deserves to be in the same conversation with Peart and Bonham when talking about the best of drummers.
I really like Rush and Zeppelin but Cobham's the only one of those three in the running.
He’s so much better than those guys, maybe compare him to Buddy Rich
@@TomGriffin-v5h how about not compare him to anyone. No one touches Rich as a soloist but Buddy couldn't play with these guys either
Bonham and Peart would have been ecstatic to be in the same conversation with Billy Cobham.
I've never heard anyone solo like that on a 12 string. Amazing.
Uuuh Electric 12 string is not that common in Rock/Fusion circles.
Especially twin neck, but check out Leo Kottke he is the master on Acoustic 12 string.
You got to watch your bends on a 12 string
You need to listen to Steve Howe’s playing on Awaken.
Ralph Towner could on the acoustic 12 string. Tremendous player
Really good video quality for the early '70s. Looks like state of the art for it's era.
John McLaughlin is indisputably a god of guitar.
Cobham is unreal, I love how he plays open handed and uses the left hand on the ride.. Just unbelievable.
He's ambidextrous...
This is out of this world brilliant.
INSANE! How can they play THAT FAST TOGETHER LIVE?
+Wayne Danberry practice, practice, practice...
Amazing performance from amazing musicians. I love how this fusion really, REALLY works.
True MAGIC.
Today this is a standard required skill for accomplished musicians, even Dream Theater do this all the time.
The answer is PRACTICE. ..Now, what was the question?
Drugs
@@u.v.s.5583 This level of musicianship is not a standard skill for accomplished musicians. I haven't the faintest idea why anyone would say that, lol.
Jerry Goodman is outstanding
Saw these guys all throughout the 80s. Amazing. Now 2023 awesome
Nothing better than being totally immersed into the performance and then getting an ad for fuxking M&M’s. Just what the artist would have wanted.
It's an egregious defilement from hell. Appalling
The add I got was something about pouring salt into a cabbage lol
@@icecreamforcrowhurst just pour salt in the wounds
I refused Premium for a long time but glad I got it. U toob music is good.
Oh man, yeah I can dig this. My first time hearing it. The drummer is out of sight and its no wonder that Phil Collins admired him so.
Billy Cobham ... not so much a drummer as a force of nature plugged into an artist. Or maybe an artist plugged into a force of nature.
i love how theyre all just laughing bouncing off each other cos they know how absolutely insane this is
I still can't believe it's possible to play like that...
I keep playing them decade after decade - cos nothing better seem to come - in my lifetime or looks like so - thank god we had this in our life times.
this is probably the most hysterical opening I've ever seen. I'll have what he's having. and the music is blistering
The guitar is screaming for mercy!
john mac laughlin....the alpha and omega of the electric guitar
Yeah…but you should hear him on acoustic…
Never forget the night I saw them at Carnegie Hall opening for Chicago way back in 1972....
We broke off a rehearsal with our jazz-rock band to watch this programme in 1972 and were blown away!
Amazing talent. I saw them live and they blew me away. They still do.
I got to see these guys in concert (Great opening act) but what really made the concert unbelievable was when Jeff Beck brought John out to play his whole show with him.
I'm fortunate enough to have seen the maestro several times. Those were the days of my halcyon youth.
by the way the BBC is the greatest gift of England to the world
I was blessed to see them many times in my lifetime.
The 11/16 funk jam really sells it.
Whatever the race was, I think they won it. Holy shit!
Godfather of shred
I saw them at the Akron Rubber bowl. An unheard of band called the Eagles opened, the second act was a new group who had one album out called Yes and Maha was the headliner.
twice
in Columbus in six mouths including the second to last performance they
ever did. Mershon Auditorium on the OSU campus. The sound board
recording of it lives on. you can find it with a little digging. grew up
Beatles, trough Zep, grew appreciate the art and craft of song writing,
get educated in comp and arranging, leaned to love do and create vocal
harmony, more into real jazz, the greatest improvisors that ever lived,
miles, Parker, D izz, lester, woods... the b-bop geniuses. then these
guys came along and used eastern improv form and atonal sounds, no
respect for common time signatures, jazz chord extensions and arpegges
and ROCK instruments and their virtuoso skills and what they did was the
zenith of the rock band fromat. Only months before john had been
recording with miles as a jazz player pretty much all best jazz recoding
writers wanted to play with him. Cobham had become THE drummer real
musicians wanted in the studio. laird, hammer, goodman were very very
good players but simply put in my more than casual opinion it's easy to
call McLaughlin greatest guitar player that ever lived and Billy Cobham
the greatest drummer. John was the fastest play ever, to this day, and
you might not notice until you find certain lines in solos because fast
was never point where as now everybody want a neon sign "see how fast I
can pick" . The reason to pick fast was always, and still is btw because
he still plays, always about using right hand's speed to shape lines
and create emphasis on a fretted instrument. Cobham was an athlete
behind the drums. his physical prowess let him move the sticks and hands
from one place to anther faster than any I've ever seen to this day.
but that quickness isn't the point either, nor is the great power he
could use. it's been about the precision and smoothness of the rolls and
the quickness of his mind which let him do what I think he loves best,
which is fix his attention on another player and play WITH them. He
loves the sum being greater than the sum of it's parts and how players
in a band can make each other express themselves artistically more
directly and perfectly with what ever force it is that comes through
them more purely than they ever thought possible. This band had great
great players and and the band was better than any player in it. Much
has been said about conflicts between McLaughlin and Cobham personally
and in a business sense but one the music started they wanted the rush,
the fix. Addicted to the energy that poured through them at moments when
they played together. I got to talk to Cobham once and then another
even though I'm not a drummer I paid to do a drum clinic of his where
the first part of the day was just him talking and demonstrating and
most importantly trying to de-mystify what he does. Totally down earth
humble without a trace of arrogance about him. He said something like
"everything I do you can do if you're serious about wanting to and put
in the work". It was hard to get him to admit he had any special gifts.
(which was good 'cause I admit Billy and John but would show up
occasionally in my dreams as kinda godlike figures) Much of his talk was
about how to practice make practice smarter. I'll never forget. Someone
ask him what he though of McLaughlin's eastern mystic thing about Sri
Chimoy with the white suits and how he presented it all. He said
everybody buys into something, with John "It's just a higher form of
Bullshit." I didn't detect anything hateful about how he said it at all.
It seemed funny, it actually brought the house down but I felt like
people were laughing at the misdirection humor without laughing at John.
I also admit there comes a point when hearing
great players I become aware they are experiencing things, feeling
emotions, getting to know what it's like to be a conduit to a powerful
kind of joy that you and I are never ever going to feel. I feel jealous
of that. I try not to let it show.
btw.. how can you copy text in here without losing word wrap?
That's a weird lineup!!
That is incredibly interesting. What a time and place to be alive, huh? I hope to see a show half as magical as that sounds in my lifetime.
I saw the same bill at Cobo Arena in Detroit. I still chuckle at the unlikeliness of it.
cobham always made my head spin on "birds of fire", his drumming inspired me as a guitar player as much as any guitar player ever has. wow. thanks for this, awesome to see all of the original lineup in such a together performance.
. We simply must accept our talents to play the best we can & enjoy their talents to play better than everyone else, which they did. I saw them in 73 and the hall needed to call paramedics & a roofer to replace the roof after they blew it off & to re attach everyone's jaws , God they were awesome.. that was Constitution Hall in Washington DC, i was only 17..
remember hearing M.O. when I was about 15yrs old (1977ish) blew my mind.Friends at school thought I was nuts,haha. There will never be another....out of this world.
I had the same experience about 20 later lol bought Inner Mounting Flame at Tower Records London, brought it home and it absolutely blew my mind. Still does.
Saw them three times. Once opening for J. Geils Band, then opening for Marshall Tucker band, then as the headliner. First two times were amazing. The last time, though, tensions in the band were showing on stage, and Goodman & McLaughlin were just trying to play faster & louder than the other, and my ears were still ringing well into the next day. They’re still my favorite all time band; they still sound fresh & powerful almost a half-century (yikes!) later,
Some interesting pairings!
Love that bit of synergy between McLaughlin and Cobham at 2:33
Chris Mawson gods surely
I haven't seen this in decades thanks for posting
I agree with you in the fact that it's clear that John is in a different frequency and i truly believe that's not acid. According to Rick Laird (in a recent interview you can find here on YT) John was into some deep spiritual work which included lots of meditation, celibacy and a strict diet. There's a point during that work that you are filled by a strong wave of peace and consciousness which is kind of a "high" but in a whole different way.I've experienced this once in life,no drug beats it :)
Yes any strict yogic can achieve greatness with Vegan diet meditation and worship of Supreme God!
That 12 string leads insane. I’m partial to Mar y sol. That version is unbelievable. They’re always incredible. I’m lucky I saw the original and second edition.
It's like slowly drinking a pint of Guinness.... not to everyone's taste but once hooked there is no other!
After all these years I finally figured out who he sounds like when he speaks (or at least used to sound like).
Andy Kaufman.
saw them in the majestic theatre in dallas I haven't recovered fully from the exhilaration
Grady Holt I saw that same show. Same result. Some experiences are formative.
I was there then too, and when they opened for the Allmans a year earlier at The Dallas Memorial Auditorium.
I also did a piece of my own callef Impressions
Of India on my first recording.. the Shakti influence has never become silent in my playing..thanks John.
The interplay and communication between these wonderful musicians is a joy to watch and listen to. I have followed McLaughlin and Cobham since the appeared with Miles Davis who told them that they should form their own band which became the Mahavishnu Orchestra. Imo, they are both goats on their instruments.
incomparably great.
I'm still astonished anytime I hear MO - just like the first time....
I WILL NEVER FORGET the first time I saw them at the Mar y Sol Rock Fest in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico in April of 72' ( a double album of that fest was put out for those interested). Most there at the Concert did not know who they were but We should did after. OMG , I was high of course , but they blew everyone listening away. This is the song that was included in the Live album, simply amazing. I saw them later when I moved back to NYC in Central Park. I did see John and his wife give a free acoustic performance before like 150 persons at the San Cristobal Fort in Old San Juan and met him after, one of fondest memories of this Musician. I then saw him perform in NYC at the Town Hall about 30 later with a young group of talented musicians. Great Memories for sure.
I have had that album for a while now, the Mahavishnu track is ridiculous man, wow.... your head must still be spinning!
Oh yea I got that album too,lots of good music.A really unknown album.
I got the album.WOW.the noonward race.not legal for listening.
Quite by chance whilst on a visit to family in eastern Germany managed to get hold of a ticket to Billy Cobhams Culture Mix gig in the Halle Opera House going back 20+ years ago now.Fantastic evening in the presence of some steller musicians.Having missed Mahavishnu Orch 30 years earlier this was a no brainer.
I gladly remember my first „Crossroads“-Concert, aal great guitarists where playing, Larry Corell, Larry Carlton and Jeff Beck announced J. Mclaughlin, John walked upstairs and all the other guys moved their arms to John like theyprayed to him.
no kidding!
Just one of the reasons why John Mc. is one of my all time favorite guitarists.
I'm very glad that the Muses grant us more and better than we deserve, sometimes.
I'm grateful to have seen every mahavisu line up multiple time back then. Good as they all were with billy was the greatest. As loud an intense as they were they always adjusted to the room to have perfect audio. Billy was so great in all his solo endeavors as well.
only came out in 2007 or so when BBC 4 broadcast it. So many folks were waiting thro' their 20's , 30's and 40's having heard of it but never seen it
they did create a lot of excitement back then, up till the mid 70's
they were all absolutely in their prime
Wish these guys could get along and release more of their live concerts
+Max Millington Is it that, or is it that they don't actually own the rights to the music? There was no issue (that I'm aware of, anyway) releasing "The Lost Trident Sessions";, even though the project was shelved because the band couldn't decide whether the record was finished or not. (JM wanted to bring in a string quartet.) I would hope that after all these years their animosities have cooled off... But yeah, it sure would be great to be able to hear soundboard quality recordings of these concerts.
Max Millington Wolfgangs Vault web site has many live recordings for Mp3 download.
I Remember well 07:51 to 08:26 appearing in the BBC programme "Rock School 2" in 1987 about the use of synths as lead instruments.
Yes! Same here. As a drummer that little clip was my intro to both Billy Cobham and fusion. Blew my young mind, and I went in search of more.
I did get to see these guys live in Chicago way back in those days. I don't know what a Mahavishnu is, but given their talent, I ignored that. I was impressed by the speed they all played those riffs, and in sync.
violin guy best soloist - 46 years ago! Billy Cobham getting it done, Jan Hammer ... did I mention this is 46 years old? I saw Cobham live in 1976 with G Duke, great show
A very good one for sure,but I prefer the french violonist JL Ponty who also played in the beginning of 70's in the MO.The drummer B Cobham is awesome,he shared a lot of performances with JL Ponty on precious records.
In April 1973 I watched Boomer roll up and down those Fibes toms with Mahavishnu in a movie theater,
old 1920s building with double balconies one on top of the other, great acoustics. Saw Jeff Beck at the
same place in July accompanied by Carmine Appice & Tim Bogert. Screamin' Lord Sutch sang the first
three songs then El Becko motioned toward stage right and the crowd not only didn't see Suck anymore
that evening, they didn't hear him. Ten years later I attended a Cobham clinic; when he lit up the double
bass I shuffled behind him to study his feet. I was stunned how simple rolling on double bass is, using
it as an ostinato against toms and snare. A drummer can complexify it playing all the Swiss rudiments
between his or her feet instead, but I think Thomas Lang already has that area roped off.
I was lucky enough to be
Working at a record store..snd the rep for mahavishnu gave me a
Gibson poster of John in
Full profile with the Gibson double neck.That
Was in the Birds of Fire days and that photo is the back of the album.
Still have it.😊
This is on my desert island list, for sure.
So good to be reminded that Jan once played real keys/ synth, probing, investigating, pushing like Paul Bley at the same period.
Sadly like many great pianists, he degenerated to playing the ironing board and bullshit followed.
Good times !
Fantastic💯👍🎼🎶🎶🎸🎹🎻🥁
Can't thank you enough for this, but I will try .thank you Ron .
billy cobham's stick control on the snare is unsurpassed as far as I'm concerned
Jerry Goodman used to be in the Flock.
Which was a very good band as well, the Flock, like Chicago on acid
Music from another planet!! I would like to ask as with the movie Shaft: Any questions??
Thanks to sharing!