I saw them in 95 at the Rock the Rockies concert in Denver. That was the first time I realized that one band played all those great songs. I'd hear them at bars, at parties, on the radio, they would make guest appearances on TV. But, it took seeing them live to connect everything together. They were amazing.
Well said. Pat was such an incredible talent and a damned nice guy who always played for the fans first. The Smithereens all did. Not egotistical. Deserve more appreciation but true fans will never forget Pat or this great band.
UNPLUGGED was the last thing MTV got right. Hope there is a better quality of this. So many great artists showed just how good their songs were by breaking them down. Smithereens....fantastic!!!!
Such great memories watching unplugged back in the day. I wasn't a big fan of the Smithereens music when I was younger, but now I love it so much. I think that I just wasn't exposed to them enough back then in order to gain the appreciation
Thank you for uploading this incredible performance. Amazing not one comment (that I can see) regarding phenomenal bassist, Mike Mesaros. But that's only because the entire band is so great at what they do... Smithereens = fantastic musicians & even better people...a true band! RIP Pat DiNizio
@@whatsforafters7843 Of course. Thank you again as I probably watch / listen to this clip at least once a month & it's always awesome. Very much appreciate it.
I remember taping this off MTV. I know I have the vhs somewhere but thanks so much for posting. It’s a shame you can’t hear Jim Babjak’s guitar in the mix at all.
The voice of my childhood. I remember my dad showing them to me back in '08. Quite literally the first band I listened to. Didnt know dennis diken sang backup!
My favorite song from the Smithereens. RIP to the singer. This presentation was okay, nothing like the music video of course. The girl they had in the video was pretty hot. :)
For some unknown and strange reason, this Unplugged got No media Airplay. Why? They were as good or better than all the more famous Bands that appeared on MTV Unplugged before. Since I never had Cable I never saw this program and missed it. I didn’t hear about it anywhere either. They definitely didn’t get the attention and respect they deserved as one of Americas best bands. Maybe it was the image and they weren’t considered sexy. Dinizio sang better than most and I don’t care if he was losing his hair or not. But MTV was obsessed with image. They wanted sexy front people like Britney Spears or Jon Bon Jovi. If you weren’t photogenic, you were ignored or disregarded. In the seventies,there were plenty of ugly musicians who had big hits. Steely Dan comes to mind and many others. But once the MTV era came along, the homely Musicians were out! You better look and dress like Duran Duran or you got No Airplay. No missing gap teeth or baldness was allowed. Neil Young would not have made it in the Eighties. Eric Clapton did film an Unplugged show though. Why? Because he was handsome. The result is the Smithereens were marginalized and now are practically forgotten. Their excellent music doesn’t deserve that fate. RIP Dinizio-one of the best singers and songwriters of his time! You deserved better!
I've had similar thoughts. I was wondering if anyone else thought about something else, and that is, what was Pat's cause of death? I never could find anything about it. He had posted something on facebook just a day or two before he died, that, looking back at it, sounded like it could have been a good-bye letter to his fans. In the post just prior to his death, he was talking about how much fun he was having playing live and how he was looking forward to future tour dates, but it was almost like he was setting things up to look like he was happy and wouldn't commit suicide, so that people wouldn't think that, but I have always thought that maybe he was tired of suffering and decided to end his own life, and just didn't want anyone to know or suspect that he committed suicide, and maybe he did something that was not easily determined to be suicidal. I'm not trying to be disrespectful in any way, but it has always seemed like the cause of death has always been kept hush hush by everyone around him. Any thoughts by others are appreciated, even if you disagree with me, because I hope that someone will tell me that it was officially a death by natural causes.
@@HumGuitar agreed, his cause of death has been quiet or kept under the lid or maybe he died of natural causes? I don’t know. Maybe a heart attack? Not sure. However he really was not in the best of health toward the end. I just hope Pat has reached the pearly gates. ❤️
Having seen The Smithereens several times and having met Pat and Dennis, I can t believe a guy as kind with his time and really always showed his appreciation of the fans that he is anywhere but Heaven's rock Hall of Fame! Miss you Pat!!!!
![The Smithereens - Blood & Roses plus w/ Graham Parker - Cupid + Workin' on the Chain Gang [1990]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/CGF-VXcZ30Q/mqdefault.jpg)
![The Smithereens - Blood & Roses plus w/ Graham Parker - Cupid + Workin' on the Chain Gang [1990]](/img/tr.png)
Here in 2023...at 70 years. Pat and his band...so damn good.
I saw them in 95 at the Rock the Rockies concert in Denver. That was the first time I realized that one band played all those great songs. I'd hear them at bars, at parties, on the radio, they would make guest appearances on TV. But, it took seeing them live to connect everything together. They were amazing.
God Speed Pat!! No more suffering and no more paralysis. You can play the guitar again for the Angels. RIP Pat DiNizio!
Agreed! Pat was a rock and roll sage for the ages!! I miss his take on rock! Luv U pat - rock on in the heavenly band.
Well said. Pat was such an incredible talent and a damned nice guy who always played for the fans first. The Smithereens all did. Not egotistical. Deserve more appreciation but true fans will never forget Pat or this great band.
To quote another commenter "One of the great American Rock n Roll bands." RIP Pat DiNizio!
UNPLUGGED was the last thing MTV got right. Hope there is a better quality of this. So many great artists showed just how good their songs were by breaking them down. Smithereens....fantastic!!!!
Such great memories watching unplugged back in the day. I wasn't a big fan of the Smithereens music when I was younger, but now I love it so much. I think that I just wasn't exposed to them enough back then in order to gain the appreciation
This unplugged version of A Girl Like You is awesome with bongos...I am 17 years old again. what a great underrated band
Dennis Diken on the bongos...Such a nice guy and such an amazing band...RIP Pat
The best band ever to live!!!! Always remember pat superior lyrics changed my life 4 - eva!!!
I loved this band, R.I.P. Pat. Very underrated as is the lead guitarist!
Damn good vocals!
Thank you for uploading this incredible performance. Amazing not one comment (that I can see) regarding phenomenal bassist, Mike Mesaros. But that's only because the entire band is so great at what they do...
Smithereens = fantastic musicians & even better people...a true band! RIP Pat DiNizio
You're very welcome! Thank you for taking the time to make the post, and share a note of appreciation, for the music, and the clip ;)
@@whatsforafters7843 Of course. Thank you again as I probably watch / listen to this clip at least once a month & it's always awesome. Very much appreciate it.
What a voice, what a band!!! Sing with the angels, Pat. Love ya and miss ya.
Amen
!!!
Always had great respect for those that performed on Unplugged.
and I remember both songs.
Love, Love, Love them! I am so glad I got to see them live. One of Pat's last concerts..
he makes it sound so effortless that i bet many dont get just what incredible singing this is.
I LOVE The Smithereens.
And so you should. Fantastic band.
@@neamworld Yes
Miss you already Pat...Always will...
I remember taping this off MTV. I know I have the vhs somewhere but thanks so much for posting. It’s a shame you can’t hear Jim Babjak’s guitar in the mix at all.
Thanks for all the great music & memories, Pat. So sad you're gone. RIP
Too sad. Incredible musician & even better person. RIP
Sounds so beatnik with bongos & no electric! 👨🏻🎨 Awesome band & songwriters, unplugged or fully plugged in, '80's, 90's, 2020's, ... 🎶💕🎶
Amen
Loved this band
I always assumed they named their album 11 after the Spinal Tap amplifiers that go to 11.
The voice of my childhood. I remember my dad showing them to me back in '08. Quite literally the first band I listened to. Didnt know dennis diken sang backup!
Awesome. Your Dad is The Man...as is Dennis Diken!
I'm so grateful to Kurt Cobain to have introduced me to the sound of the Smithereens. Thank you for the music,, Pat!. 👏👏👏
The Smitheerens recorded way before Nirvarna.
@@johnharrison9685 I know but before Nirvana, the Smithereens and many others bands were anonymous worldwide.
My favorite song from the Smithereens. RIP to the singer. This presentation was okay, nothing like the music video of course. The girl they had in the video was pretty hot. :)
Pat DiNizio
Just to win the love of a girl like you.....and then you were just a memory.
Perhaps the greatest comment of all-time
Legends!
For real!
great band
Wow!
RIP Pat DiNizio
For some unknown and strange reason, this Unplugged got No media Airplay. Why? They were as good or better than all the more famous Bands that appeared on MTV Unplugged before.
Since I never had Cable I never saw this program and missed it. I didn’t hear about it anywhere either. They definitely didn’t get the attention and respect they deserved as one of Americas best bands.
Maybe it was the image and they weren’t considered sexy. Dinizio sang better than most and I don’t care if he was losing his hair or not.
But MTV was obsessed with image. They wanted sexy front people like Britney Spears or Jon Bon Jovi. If you weren’t photogenic, you were ignored or disregarded.
In the seventies,there were plenty of ugly musicians who had big hits. Steely Dan comes to mind and many others. But once the MTV era came along, the homely Musicians were out! You better look and dress like Duran Duran or you got No Airplay.
No missing gap teeth or baldness was allowed. Neil Young would not have made it in the Eighties.
Eric Clapton did film an Unplugged show though. Why? Because he was handsome.
The result is the Smithereens were marginalized and now are practically forgotten.
Their excellent music doesn’t deserve that fate.
RIP Dinizio-one of the best singers and songwriters of his time! You deserved better!
Smithereens did an unplugged!? What, what is this!?
MTV's unplugged series.
Still miss you Pat
pat's hair got significantly better between 87 and 90
Rip
Pat compares favorably to *any* of the other great American songwriters
Great performance but that mix is way off.
Siempre pensé que Nirvana le robaba principalmente a los Pixies, vaya que estaba equivocado.
I dont want to sound weird here but I hope Pats really in heaven and not, you know...
I've had similar thoughts. I was wondering if anyone else thought about something else, and that is, what was Pat's cause of death? I never could find anything about it. He had posted something on facebook just a day or two before he died, that, looking back at it, sounded like it could have been a good-bye letter to his fans. In the post just prior to his death, he was talking about how much fun he was having playing live and how he was looking forward to future tour dates, but it was almost like he was setting things up to look like he was happy and wouldn't commit suicide, so that people wouldn't think that, but I have always thought that maybe he was tired of suffering and decided to end his own life, and just didn't want anyone to know or suspect that he committed suicide, and maybe he did something that was not easily determined to be suicidal. I'm not trying to be disrespectful in any way, but it has always seemed like the cause of death has always been kept hush hush by everyone around him. Any thoughts by others are appreciated, even if you disagree with me, because I hope that someone will tell me that it was officially a death by natural causes.
@@HumGuitar agreed, his cause of death has been quiet or kept under the lid or maybe he died of natural causes? I don’t know. Maybe a heart attack? Not sure. However he really was not in the best of health toward the end. I just hope Pat has reached the pearly gates. ❤️
Having seen The Smithereens several times and having met Pat and Dennis, I can t believe a guy as kind with his time and really always showed his appreciation of the fans that he is anywhere but Heaven's rock Hall of Fame! Miss you Pat!!!!