This Video IS GOLD!!!!! Saw Lee Michaels and Frosty MANY times at the Wollman Skating Rink in NY/Central Park. He was OFF THE SCALE loud. But his AMAZING Talent was always on. Frosty the Perfect Drummerfor Him. An AMAZING Entertainer, Writer , vocalist, Keyboard player, His songs are So enjoyable to listen to PLUS an Amazing innovator as in "SPARE CHANGE" Jack While Ripped off compaltely one of his short songs. off an early album Shameless . You are rightt, his B-#3playing is TOP Notch andhis bass lines with bare feet are better than many bass players. PLUS a NICE guy.... WHERE THE FUCK has this guy been these last 4-5 Decades??? WHY did he leave live performances? i'd mortgage the house for tickets to see him LIVE again... My Kids in their 20's LOVE HIS Music.... LEE COME BACK MAN!!!!!!!!
We finally have some more live footage of Lee to enjoy. Here he is on the Midnight Special playing Fender Rhodes and guitar, accompanied by Keith Knudsen on drums and Joel Christie on bass. ua-cam.com/video/i0lRy71bgGw/v-deo.html
Lee recently launched a daily podcast on UA-cam called Honest Bullsh!t, and in a recent episode (#28) he talked about why he quit the music business and why he's not interested in the past. It's a great series and very funny. Check it out!
The 1969 Seattle Pop Festival featured 10 Years After, The Doors, Led Zeppelin, Chicago, The Youngbloods, Ike and Tina Turner, Chuck Berry, It's a Beautiful Day, The Flying Burrito Bros and a bunch of other great acts. Lee and Frosty closed the three day show....they were an absolute stand out and the decible kings!! Great video and thank you for putting it up
Thank you for sharing that! I believe the Seattle Pop Festival was professionally recorded. If so, it's a shame the tapes have never seen the light of day. It's a shame there is no concert footage on Lee and Frosty. Lee Michaels has a podcast now on which he sometimes talks about music. He told a story last week about this event. He and Frosty were on a plane out of LA. The Doors were also on the plane. Lee and Frosty got off first on the tarmac in Seattle and were accidentally waved over to a helicopter intended for the Doors. They got on an flew to the festival, while the Doors remained stuck at the airport until the helicopter returned to get them.
Wow! Thank you so much for posting this! My mother dated Lee when I was about four years old (after my parents split of course). I remember his house in Mill Valley CA, and his wild cats - was so excited to see the kitty footage here. And Lee is exactly as I remember him. He was so charismatic in such an unassuming way. I am actually writing a movie script about mom's life, and recently started doing a little research on Lee. It's true, there is very little footage of Lee around. This is a gem. P.s.... in my research I discovered that he was the one who opened the first Killer Shrimp Restaurant in Marina Del Rey, CA. I read that his son, Kevin runs it now, and they recently opened a location in New York... so cool. I also found a photo of him in his later years with cropped short hair dyed nuclear orange! I guess you can't undo natural cool... you either have it or you don't.
Thank you for sharing that anecdote! What year was this? You were very young, of course, but do you remember hearing him play music? As far as footage, there is some more, but not much. Aside from the Music Scene clip, which you can find here on UA-cam, Lee performed live on two TV shows: ABC In Concert and Midnight Special, both in 1973. I have the audio for the ABC show, since it was FM simulcast, but have never heard the Midnight Special broadcast. I have not seen the footage from either, but it's most certainly in a vault somewhere. I'm fairly sure he was filmed elsewhere, perhaps the Atlanta Pop Festival in 1970 and other similar venues at which he appeared. I wish you luck in your script writing and if you ever come across some live Lee, keep me in mind!
Thanks! Well, she started dating him around 69/70, in Hollywood. I feel like it was 70/71 when we moved to San Francisco. We were there for about 9 months I guess... when they fell out, we headed north to Seattle for a couple years and then back to L.A. (Venice). I remember she went to see him play somewhere in L.A. a few years later (maybe 73/74?), for some reason I feel like it was The Troubadour but I could be wrong. Anyway, her report was that he had gotten into race car driving and was losing his hearing because of the amplified music. He wasn't interested in talking with her beyond that. My mom and dad were off and on in those years so things didn't end well with mom and Lee, but I remember him very well. And his persona was just as it is on the video footage here.... typical layed back hippie with killer talent. If I find anything else on him I'll post it.... love his music.
Thanks so much. I'm amazed at how cool the internet is. We would never seen this if not for the internet. Thanks for the info and good luck with your research :)
1colorguru that is an awesome story and bet that it was an interesting experience, as those are times that you will never forget. My older siblings where huge Michaels fans, and remember them playing the LPS all the time when I was a kid. My brother saw him in SLC Utah and was close to the speaker and when the organ hit a high note, it blewout his eardrum because it was so loud lol. My favorite tune from him is highty hi but wasn't a big commercial hit, I think it is his best work. Mill Valley is a beautiful area and lived in Monterey during my high school years, so I know what it's like and of course the smoke is excellent in the Emerald Triangle area 🤯
@@dennymcfastlane8530 there are plenty of good versions of Stormy Monday. I think most are guitar-based. I am not saying Lee's version is the best, I am saying it is my personal favorite. It's just two guys and the emphasis is on the organ. The Hammond is one of my favorite instruments and the way Lee plays it on SM is a huge reason why. That is balls-to-the-wall Hammond. My favorite hard rock keyboardist is the late, Jon Lord, of Deep Purple. Again, my favorite.
don't know why he never became a major star with a soulful voice like that...his song "Heighty Hi" had everything it needed to become an everlasting hit.
He had a loud, hard rocking sound with a Hammond Organ and 6 Acoustic 301 stacks along with a hot drummer. He switched to piano and a soft drummer and lost his Rock audiance. End of story.
I witnessed the nightmare gig that probably ended LM'S career -he decided to switch to guitar for his Winterland show (bad move).His roadie,probably new to guitars, somehow disastrously tuned it a whole step too high ,making it unplayable and the songs unsingable, and as he struggled in vain ,louts in the crowd shouted drunkenly "Play your fucking organ,Boo!"Lee mumbled into the mic that he was sorry and couldn't continue.A very sad night.
I saw Lee Michael's and Frosty open up for Led Zeppelin at the Crawford Hall at UCI back in the day and they blew everyone minds ! They so kicked ass !
@@davidwadsworth6292 I was there too. We flew in for the day. About 8.of us.from LA. I have a few photos taken with my old Kodak 110. And it was a fun day...except the long wait for Led Zeppelin. Lee.Michaels was the best part of the show for me though. 🎵🎶🎵🎹😁
Just found this. Outstanding! Love it! First time I heard Lee was in 1970 when I was a senior in high school. Always loved hearing B3s in rocks songs, but Lee took it to a whole other realm. My favorite player of B3s. Yes, there are others that might play more jazz related styles that I enjoy (Joey DeFrancesco, God rest his soul), but Lee did the rock thing the best. And his piano style ain't too shabby either. I, too, look for anything I can find on him, especially in video or film. So underrated!!
Steve wineood played the B3 well. And then Sun Ra did some too. along with every other keyboard ever made probably. He made albums from early 1950s until way past , I think 2005....jazz artist who claimed to be from another planet. Then Joe Zawinal , R &B I think, with the Cannonball Adderly group. And later Weather Report Like maybe jazz rock fusion But, yeah as a rock lead instrument he was the standout. What a voice. I always really dug the sound of the B3 in concerts in the 60s, alot more bands used organ then esp the B3.
I saw Lee and Frosty play in Idaho Falls 1971 . My little brother had tickets to see the Monkeys but they canceled. I was attending Idaho State in Pocatello, my brother called me and said Lee and Frosty we’re doing the show! My brother myself too this day feel so very blessed.☮️✌️ R.I.P. Frosty ☃️ Thank you for the amazing post! P.S. Lee and Frosty played for over two hours! My brother asked me why they NAILED Frosty’s Drums to the floor, I told him you will see 😂 He hammered the drums like no other.☮️✌️
He had an amazing thing going with the Hammond and Frosty and so glad as a Hammond Player I was able to experience and hear Lee Michaels! When that B-3 was pumping out that driving sound it was unforgettable. His selection of notes, had quite the hook.
This video is why UA-cam is like oxygen to real music lovers! Saw him at Second Atlanta Pop Festival in Byron, GA, 1970. Magnificent! He had a true Wall of Sound. I'd love to know more about why Lee disappeared from the music scene...
Thank you for sharing. I have always wondered about his appearance at 2nd Atlanta Pop Festival in 1970. I heard that festival was filmed. That would be some great footage, if it actually exists and someday comes to light. We have no concert footage of Lee playing organ aside from a small clip from the TV show Music Scene. I read mixed reviews of his set at the Atlanta Pop Festival. I heard from some people that it was great and he played a long time; I also read a local magazine review that suggested he was booed off stage after 15 minutes. What do you recall?
@@echinopsritro Lee was certainly not booed off the stage. The first notes of his set were like a atomic bomb of B3 sound, with a large stack of multiple Leslies. My recollection is that he played late, late at night. Festivals in that day often ran off schedule, as some bands played long sets and the logistics of setup for the next act were complicated. Likely, everyone was high as a kite! When we arrived at Byron there was a traffic jam for miles. Before we got out of the car, drug vendors were hawking LSD for a buck or two and enormous bags of weed for $10. The drug vendors had their own arcade called "Acid Alley" which was off to the right of the main stage. Hendrix was smacked out when he played with Band of Gypsys, nodding while playing great. I'm afraid I missed some of Lee's set because I fell asleep on the ground in the middle of 100,000 people. I'd been awake so long, without stimulants, that my body took control and passed out. The Allman Bros were the local house band for the Fest and were magnificent. They played at least four sets on different days, opening and closing the whole affair. John B. Sebastian was a kind of announcer, which sort of became his role back then. I remember well an announcer saying "Here is the greatest musical act in the WORLD!!! …POCO!!!" I was astonished at the hyperbole :) But damn...they played a smoking, red hot, massive energy set nd lived up to the Hype. That's where I let my big curly hair go crazy and didn't cut it for years afterwards :)
One more thought about Lee at Atlanta 2... It was not uncommon back then for drunk and high crowds to boo a great artist before the music even started. I do recall at Byron that many things were booed if they were not Jimi Hendrix :) There was an anticipation for Jimi that saturated everything. And he didn't play until the last full night, I think. So, if Lee or anyone received boos, that's the reason.
I normally busturchops, but this is just pure over the top fantastic. Incredible. Humble. Talented. A musician's musician. I hope your parents know how good you were. I wish you well Lee Michaels. Well done.
I remember around 2002 me and some musicians were working on two songs of mine and the drummer said let's go to this small club in Hollywood and see this band play. So I sat with my back to the wall and this white guy with red? dyed long hair came and sat next to me. I think it was red or some bizarre color. Afterwards the drummer came over and said Hey Joe, did you see Lee Michaels, he was sitting right next to you. Funny cause I loved a few of his songs but I didn't recognize him. He looked like an older hippie.
I saw him at the shrine auditorium in LA in about 1971. The fire marshal kept stopping the show because we all wanted to get up and storm the stage. Finally Lee got pissed and told the fire marshal to fuck off and stormed off. A good sized riot started outside and at least one cop car was toast as my friend and I stood across the street in awe laughing. Would have rather finished the concert but such is such.
We left as we knew the riot squad was on the way. Saw the burning patrol car. My friend who stayed said LAPD broke some hippie heads that night. (Actually , the fire marshall told the audience to stop smoking pot as the Shrine is a no-smoking venue, and they didn't. )
Thanks for your comment. Do you recall what venues you saw him at and in what years? Do you remember who he was playing with> Did you see him in his early configuration with a full band? And, yes, as per your other comment, there is a short 20 minute excerpt from a concert at the Fillmore West on the Wolfgang's Vault site.
Fantastic post, what a performer. Saw him ‘71 or ‘72, right up there with the best concerts this ole rocker has seen. His and his B3’s screams are in my soul. It's so good to see more of his music on YT.
How couldn't you love this guy? I always got a great vibe form his big hit, but that's all I can remember by Lee. It's nice to hear some other tunes by the man and his Hammond.
What a treat to watch this! I'm still amazed that more Lee Michaels footage has not come to see the light of day. Too bad they don't open up the entire Midnight Special archive.
@16:22, Lee had been married to Mary Hughes (the woman seated next to him) for only 3 years at the time of this film footage. Mary loved big cats, and her and Lee raised 14 cheetahs and 2 tigers in Mill Valley, CA. Lee and Mary were together for 18 years before they divorced in the 1980s. Fast forward to 2006, Mary was included in a Vanity Fair photoshoot for an update from some of the 1960s beach bunnies and surfers. She sadly died from cancer the following year. Lee is still with us in CA, but his days of manning a screaming Hammond organ with a wall of Leslie speakers and Acoustic bass amps are long gone. But for those who saw him live, and the rest of us who have only heard his music, the memories will remain as long as the music remains.
Thank you so much, as a graduate of '71 music of that times will come into my mind and bring back memories and then of course I go searching. It was sooooo good to find this live performance. It was really different when we saw Lee Michaels on TV just him and a drummer. There was something special but we didn't always realize it at the time. 50 years later we still remember.
Fantastic drummer here...but, he's not the ferocious poundin while swingin beast that FROSTY was. Super appreciative of you uploading this awesome footage nonetheless! The candid moments of Lee and his cats is wonderful...and, Lee's voice and his playing are just spectacular here. Listening to him commenting on the new drummer/different drumming style & how he feels about his own changes without organ and, him sounding less brutal and more precision than with Frosty...that sounds like the record label getting up his ass to get a "more mainstream/radio friendly" sound = ANOTHER HIT Stupid record companies
He bought Prune Music in Mill Valley from my long time friend. I was working at a recording studio and would sell him used tapes for cheap. He was always very nice.
Welllllll......back in 1969-70 my friend and I used play Lee Michael’s music I was the drummer, Steve was a great Hammond B3 player. My favorite was his rendition of Stormy Monday, hard to sing and play to that one.
Thank you - one of the true innovators from the sixties. His albums Lee Michaels, Barrel and Fifth are my favourites. No need to lament his lack of fame as he was very successful at the time. There is another live recording on Concert Vault.
I don't know if any of you agree, but for a short time back around 1999 or 2000, a kid named Johnny Lang made a splash with a hit he wrote: "Rack em Up". You could almost swear that Lee Michaels was singing that song. Anyway, I was about 15 (1971), when Lee Michaels' song "Do you know what I mean" came out. I loved that song and at that point in time, I'd been teaching myself the drums for about 6 or 7 years. I was listening to a lot of styles but I always liked Lee Michaels style and voice combination. Then when I heard "Rack em Up" years later, I didn't hear the writer/musician's name announced but I thought, "that sounds just like Lee Michaels!, Could it be?!" I knew that it couldn't be him but then, I never did know what happened to him after his short run on the hits list. Of course, I found out that the Rack em up song was by Johnny Lang soon enough. When I happened to mention that Lang sounded almost exactly like Michaels, people of my age would look at me and say who was "Lee Michaels?" As soon as I said that he did the song "Do you know what I mean", their face would always would brighten up and then say something like "... Ohhh! Yea, I remember that song! It was a great hit!" FWIW, Rich been
I agree. Johnny Lang had to quit music because of the strain on his vocals. The last I’d read, it was quitting for good. Let’s hope it is only for a matter of years. Yes, both have fantastic voices and song writing and execution skills. Yowsah!!! They rock!
Thank you so very much for this wonderful gift. Lee is a true artist. For him to change his life and not do music as much just shows me how much of a true artist he is. His music hits me hard. I can safely say he is a great musical artist. Thank you for so much music that means so much to a lot of us out here. :)
Amazing..I had been looking for years on Lee Michael footage, Music Scene was it..thank you very much. I recall seeing the marquee "Lee Michaels" at the Ritz Theater in Staten Island NY 71 (just checked he played there twice), apparently his double LP Live was recorded there. damn wished I could have gone but at 12 no dice, this will suffice
I worked at the Ritz, we had Lee in October of 1971 with Dust with Richie Wise (producer), Kenny Aronoff (Bob Dylan etc. and Mark Bell (The Ramones) and in May of '72 with Jo Jo Gunne (Jay and Mark from Spirit), when Lee's double live album was recorded...A little something about Lee's live album that most people don't know...Joe Cocker's Mad Dogs and Englishmen (a double LP) was a big hit for A&M in 1970 as was Humble Pie's Rockin' The Fillmore released in '71 (another A&M double album)....Lee's was A&M's next double live album release, unfortunately it didn't get the proper promotion. Lee as you well know was an incredible singer and keyboard player and a great guy....It's sad more people are not familiar with him!
@@madshadows830 ahh..you're so lucky to have worked there. I recall seeing the marquee showing Alice Cooper as well likely around the same time frame. Bought the Dust LP's in the mid 70s, both. Certainly recall the Pie Live in '71 live in NYC..thanks.
@@revup67 Yes we had Alice Cooper at the Ritz in March of ’72 (I forget the date). Humble Pie and King Crimson was on December 6th 1971, Humble Pie (Steve Marriott was brilliant) and King Crimson and Emerson, Lake & Palmer (and others) rehearsed at the Ritz prior to their US tours.
Best concert, Lee Michaels and Frosty, Buddy Miles Express, Steve Miller, playing at Point Loma, San Diego. Frosty playing without sticks, after each band played they all came back out and jammed. Sitting on the floor of a basketball gym smoking the Mexican weed.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful memory! Sounds like an amazing concert. It's a shame we do not have more live recordings from Lee Michaels's early days with Frosty. The search continues...
Thanks, partner! Here's to hoping we uncover some more in the New Year. I know Lee Michaels appeared on the TV shows Midnight Special and ABC In Concert, so that footage must be in some vault, somewhere! Anyone have the key?
Where's this footage been hiding? No organ, Keith Knudsen on drums, not the mighty Frosty, but the music still kicked. Barrel was a cornerstone album for me back in the day … Those cats look dangerous!
he was top o the world in Dago, very generous, played every summer concert at starlight bowl, free gig, as well as international/national tours, bless lee n frosty
Yes thanks for the post. I just listened to "5th" lastnight - this guy is an incredible blues, and rock and roll man! My gosh, his "Can I Get A Witness" can't be beat!
I remember seeing LEE several times with Frosty and his Hammond C-3 and B-3 They always blew the walls out. He then sold out the Forum and decided to play piano and a drummer who was NOT Frosty. Almost caused a riot. People were yelling where's your organ, and where's Frosty. It didn't go over well. The audience cheering was dubbed in. He also went a little nuts. A shame too as he was one of my all time favorite rock artists.
I saw Lee Michaels probably 4-5 times with his organ and Frosty. The last time that I saw him (this is all back in the early 70s) he played at the Shrine Auditorium in LA. It has been rumored that he was having extreme hearing damage from the loud music, primarily the organ. He mentioned it to the audience that night and set out to begin his concert on piano. It's just not the same. I felt bad for him but most of the audience seemed to be unsympathetic. They boo'd and yelled and ultimately walked off stage and he concert was over practically before it began. The crowd got worse and proceeded to trash the Shrine(which is a beautiful theater). Riots cops were called and the disruption spilled into the streets. Terrible night. As far as Frosty, to be honest with everything that happened I don't even remember if he was the drummer that night.
❤ . . . wishing for more Lee Michaels stuff on UA-cam, I've heard of him in the late 60s when I was in hiskul but it was very very limited because radio was the only one around, thanx there's UA-cam now and his works have gone viral. . . . Benjie from the Philippines. 👌👍👍
We finally have some more live footage of Lee to enjoy. Here he is on the Midnight Special playing Fender Rhodes and guitar, accompanied by Keith Knudsen on drums and Joel Christie on bass. ua-cam.com/video/i0lRy71bgGw/v-deo.html
Happy Birthday Lee Michaels born on November 24, 1945. He is an American rock musician who sings and accompanies himself on organ, piano, or guitar. He is best known for his powerful soulful voice and his energetic virtuosity on the Hammond organ, peaking in 1971 with his Top 10 pop hit single, "Do You Know What I Mean". - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Michaels
In ‘72 he came out with Space and First Takes. Great album with no Frosty but had Drake Levin playing guitar. Drake (from Paul Revere and the Raiders) did some funky playing on First Names.
He recorded some tracks with Hendrix and the Experience in October 1968. If I recall Buddy Miles was there as well. He recorded an unreleased album with Noel Redding in 1970. I had also read somewhere Noel Redding saying that he wanted to start a group with Lee in the mid-1970s, but Lee was more interested in playing the guitar---which he was quite amateurish on---and not the organ as Noel had wanted. As a result, that went nowhere.
Many years ago, I was so impressed with Lee Michael's version of Stormy Monday blues, I bought a later record featuring his guitar playing. One listen was enough. That said, his Organ playing was soulful and quite enjoyable.
Ditto on Heighty Hi.Saw him at Peace Bridge Exhibition Center- Buffalo,NY I think in 71 0r 72. Then NYC Carnegie Hall in 73. (recorded as his live double album) Then years after (maybe '80 or '81)I saw him in a small club in Palo Alto, CA. The volume was ear splitting; had to leave or lose my hearing completely. Barrel was a good album. as was "Lee Michaels" (had Heighty Hi & War)😁😁
I saw him on TV on The Virginia Graham Show in summer 1971. I was home from school that summer flipping channels and there was Lee Michaels and Frosty... Wow! That show was marketed to housewives and aired in the middle of the day, not something I normally would've seen. I can't find any video of it... but it was really great! I was twelve years old in 1970 when I bought the Barrel album because the cover looked so cool. I learned to play drums along to it. DYKWIM was all over the radio in May 1971 and I just had to get the 5th. Thanks for the video! I enjoyed reading all the comments.
Thank you for your comment! I'm familiar with the Virginia Graham Show, but did not know that Lee Michaels appeared on it. Very odd indeed! That does not come up in the A&M files on his TV appearances. Do you remember if he performed live on the show? I know that he and Frosty parted ways in late summer 1970, so if you saw him in the summer of 1971 it would've been with Keith Knudsen, as you see on this TV show. Unfortunately, this Virginia Graham Show is very poorly indexed on IMDb database, so his performance is likely buried in some archive.
@@echinopsritro You must be right, I'm not sure about Frosty now. I would've recognized him from the Barrel album photos and would've distinguished him from Knudsen. Lee probably performed sans drummer. I don't think it was a taped performance. I remember Lee getting up off of the couch and walking to a piano on stage. The songs were "Uummmm My Lady" and "What Now America". Two songs that didn't really need drums. It looks like the show was a very tight budget, minimalist production and probably didn't pay guests very much. No budget for a drummer maybe. For the summer of 1971 I would've expected "Do You Know What I Mean", but he was definitely playing a piano not an organ. I've searched for the show for many years and came to the conclusion that even if video of that episode was out there, it would be of very poor quality anyway, based on the few episodes of her show that I have found online. Thanks!
Lee had a great tribal raw energy crowds loved! I love thinking if he persisted how this would morph in 3-6 years. Bass & Lead guitar could broaden the scale of listenability.
Saw him with Frosty at Fillmore East and later I did some work with Johny Barbata who was good friends with him when they were in the Sentinels and I tried to get Johny to call him so I could talk to him...but no dice.
You know what sucks that this guy was hot looking back in the day 🤤😍🥰 now he's an old man now , and owns a chain of restaurants in Southern California but still good looking for his age 😊❤❤
Lee's derision toward the Hammond organ with its huge volume and power ("the king of instruments") is completely contradicted by his next statement about how great large-audience performances used to be. Which sets us up for his limp-dick piano version of "Do You Know What I Mean." Where u playing now, Lee? The chitlin' circuit?
Saw him & Bartholomew killing it at the Heavy Organ thing ... Went to see him again a year later ~ He was on this Piano nonsense & bum-f✴cked Everybody right out 😟
If you waited a couple of years after that he'd have come on stage with a guitar and no keyboards. Talk about disappointment. Hey, you gotta hand it to the guy for having the balls to try new things. Better that than the mass produced wanna be cookie cutter divas.
@@jamro217 NO - Don't confuse "balls" with ego & personal arrogance . Lee Micheals is Master of the "Heavy Organ" , yet his piano playing is pretentious . The world doesn't need ANOTHER guitar player ... and a Mediocre one at that 👎
@@lazyrrr2411 What I meant was that rather than have some canned music to lip synch over, at least he has the courage to play his own music. Maybe the choice to switch from the organ to piano to guitar isn't a popular one, but like Linda Ronstadt who released a record of folk songs in Spanish after forays into jazz with Nelson Riddle, Lee answers to his own musical direction regardless of the outcome.
Thank you for your comment. I was wondering if you might remember more about that concert, because the first time Lee Michaels played in NYC that I'm aware of was New Year's Eve 1968 into 1969 at The Scene on West 46th St. Do you recall the venue or anything else about the show?
@@echinopsritro At the time I did not know who he even was but was told by my friends his hearing was bad from the organ playing so he switched to the piano and that was the first time I ever heard a piano sound that good and by the end of 67 I was in Haight Ashbury so my time may have been off by two years when i saw MICHAELS also saw Clapton twice in one week end.Now from the booze and acid my time fades.
@@johnblecker4206 I hear you when it comes to recall.. very hard to remember after all these years, but what you write makes sense. If you were in Haight Ashbury, then you may have heard him as early as '65. He starts showing up on posters for the Avalon, Fillmore, and places like that in '66. My understanding is that he had a full band at that time and then beginning in '68 performed with organ and drums. In late '70 he switched mainly to piano. I have been told by people who know him that his hearing is excellent. He explains a bit in this video why he switched to piano. I think a lot has to do with the organ frequently breaking down on him.
@@echinopsritro In S.F.67 we went to War rally concert and were many unknown bands played but I was sick in the parking lot and missed much. I went back to Ca. in 70 saw Procol Harum at Fillmore they came back on 3 times and played till after 4am. I saw Cream twice Fri nyc and sat at action house in long island I also got to Woodstock.
Where is the Auditorium on King Street? Is that the name of the venue? We know from an audio tape that some of this may have been filmed on June 18, 1971 at the Swing Auditorium in San Bernardino. On that tape, Lee mentions the cameras numerous times in between songs (complaining mostly about the lights), but the performances here do not match up with that tape, so it was likely filmed at another venue, too. The only clue to this location is at the very end, where it pans to the audience and you can see the whole space. I don't know the venue to know if what we see here is in fact the Swing Auditorium.
@@echinopsritro My mistake. I just saw the title "Lee Michaels Live in Hawaii" and thought it was the one I was at. The year is about right but I'm sure it another concert on the mainland. the Auditorium is no longer there BTW. Lee was one of my favs back in the day.
Manifesto released both Columbia LPs on CD/mp3 a few years ago. So, his entire catalog---aside from the 1981 title, "Absolute Lee," which he released on his own label (Squish)---is available on CD. The biggest shame with the Manifesto box is that it did not include a single rarity: no outtakes, no live tracks... nothing new at all, which was a real let down for us longtime fans.
He's a great piano and also organ player. He has such a great voice for rhythm and blues, doesn't he folks ? Lee Michaels is incredible.
He also has a podcast on youtube
Still love his music. I am 69 this yr.and darn he was a fox too. I want my baby back.
@@melissaward6311 you should watch his podcasts on youtube
He was before Elton John, Elton obviously studied Lee!.
@@harolddottin10 Lee met Elton at a gig, and John told him he loved his songs. This told was on his podcast.
This Video IS GOLD!!!!! Saw Lee Michaels and Frosty MANY times at the Wollman Skating Rink in NY/Central Park. He was OFF THE SCALE loud. But his AMAZING Talent was always on. Frosty the Perfect Drummerfor Him. An AMAZING Entertainer, Writer , vocalist, Keyboard player, His songs are So enjoyable to listen to PLUS an Amazing innovator as in "SPARE CHANGE" Jack While Ripped off compaltely one of his short songs. off an early album Shameless . You are rightt, his B-#3playing is TOP Notch andhis bass lines with bare feet are better than many bass players. PLUS a NICE guy....
WHERE THE FUCK has this guy been these last 4-5 Decades??? WHY did he leave live performances? i'd mortgage the house for tickets to see him LIVE again... My Kids in their 20's LOVE HIS Music.... LEE COME BACK MAN!!!!!!!!
We finally have some more live footage of Lee to enjoy. Here he is on the Midnight Special playing Fender Rhodes and guitar, accompanied by Keith Knudsen on drums and Joel Christie on bass. ua-cam.com/video/i0lRy71bgGw/v-deo.html
Lee recently launched a daily podcast on UA-cam called Honest Bullsh!t, and in a recent episode (#28) he talked about why he quit the music business and why he's not interested in the past. It's a great series and very funny. Check it out!
One of the most underrated artists.
He was such a great singer , very underrated,
The 1969 Seattle Pop Festival featured 10 Years After, The Doors, Led Zeppelin, Chicago, The Youngbloods, Ike and Tina Turner, Chuck Berry, It's a Beautiful Day, The Flying Burrito Bros and a bunch of other great acts. Lee and Frosty closed the three day show....they were an absolute stand out and the decible kings!!
Great video and thank you for putting it up
Thank you for sharing that! I believe the Seattle Pop Festival was professionally recorded. If so, it's a shame the tapes have never seen the light of day. It's a shame there is no concert footage on Lee and Frosty. Lee Michaels has a podcast now on which he sometimes talks about music. He told a story last week about this event. He and Frosty were on a plane out of LA. The Doors were also on the plane. Lee and Frosty got off first on the tarmac in Seattle and were accidentally waved over to a helicopter intended for the Doors. They got on an flew to the festival, while the Doors remained stuck at the airport until the helicopter returned to get them.
Wow! Thank you so much for posting this! My mother dated Lee when I was about four years old (after my parents split of course). I remember his house in Mill Valley CA, and his wild cats - was so excited to see the kitty footage here. And Lee is exactly as I remember him. He was so charismatic in such an unassuming way. I am actually writing a movie script about mom's life, and recently started doing a little research on Lee. It's true, there is very little footage of Lee around. This is a gem. P.s.... in my research I discovered that he was the one who opened the first Killer Shrimp Restaurant in Marina Del Rey, CA. I read that his son, Kevin runs it now, and they recently opened a location in New York... so cool. I also found a photo of him in his later years with cropped short hair dyed nuclear orange! I guess you can't undo natural cool... you either have it or you don't.
Thank you for sharing that anecdote! What year was this? You were very young, of course, but do you remember hearing him play music? As far as footage, there is some more, but not much. Aside from the Music Scene clip, which you can find here on UA-cam, Lee performed live on two TV shows: ABC In Concert and Midnight Special, both in 1973. I have the audio for the ABC show, since it was FM simulcast, but have never heard the Midnight Special broadcast. I have not seen the footage from either, but it's most certainly in a vault somewhere. I'm fairly sure he was filmed elsewhere, perhaps the Atlanta Pop Festival in 1970 and other similar venues at which he appeared. I wish you luck in your script writing and if you ever come across some live Lee, keep me in mind!
Thanks! Well, she started dating him around 69/70, in Hollywood. I feel like it was 70/71 when we moved to San Francisco. We were there for about 9 months I guess... when they fell out, we headed north to Seattle for a couple years and then back to L.A. (Venice). I remember she went to see him play somewhere in L.A. a few years later (maybe 73/74?), for some reason I feel like it was The Troubadour but I could be wrong. Anyway, her report was that he had gotten into race car driving and was losing his hearing because of the amplified music. He wasn't interested in talking with her beyond that. My mom and dad were off and on in those years so things didn't end well with mom and Lee, but I remember him very well. And his persona was just as it is on the video footage here.... typical layed back hippie with killer talent. If I find anything else on him I'll post it.... love his music.
Thanks so much. I'm amazed at how cool the internet is. We would never seen this if not for the internet. Thanks for the info and good luck with your research :)
1colorguru that is an awesome story and bet that it was an interesting experience, as those are times that you will never forget. My older siblings where huge Michaels fans, and remember them playing the LPS all the time when I was a kid. My brother saw him in SLC Utah and was close to the speaker and when the organ hit a high note, it blewout his eardrum because it was so loud lol. My favorite tune from him is highty hi but wasn't a big commercial hit, I think it is his best work. Mill Valley is a beautiful area and lived in Monterey during my high school years, so I know what it's like and of course the smoke is excellent in the Emerald Triangle area 🤯
@@independent2368 Heighty-Hi did well in NYC area, I was 12 when that hit the airwaves. Speaking of High, the later track High Wind is top notch
Lee Michaels music just makes a person feel good.
Very underappreciated, talented singer and funky musician!! I love it! Was introduced to him in 1969!!!
I have yet to hear a better version of Stormy Monday than the one Lee and Frosty recorded on the Lee Michaels album
@nelsono4315: What about Mountain's Version & the Allman Brothers take? Lee & Frosty nail it tho'.
@@dennymcfastlane8530 there are plenty of good versions of Stormy Monday. I think most are guitar-based. I am not saying Lee's version is the best, I am saying it is my personal favorite. It's just two guys and the emphasis is on the organ. The Hammond is one of my favorite instruments and the way Lee plays it on SM is a huge reason why. That is balls-to-the-wall Hammond. My favorite hard rock keyboardist is the late, Jon Lord, of Deep Purple. Again, my favorite.
I agree, my favorite as well
don't know why he never became a major star with a soulful voice like that...his song "Heighty Hi" had everything it needed to become an everlasting hit.
He had a loud, hard rocking sound with a Hammond Organ and 6 Acoustic 301 stacks along with a hot drummer. He switched to piano and a soft drummer and lost his Rock audiance. End of story.
@@quazwasd4062 Oh shit, I didn't know that.
@@johnsondon277 he may have lost his rock audience but that's when he got his biggest hit "Do You Know What I Mean". Coincidence? I think not.
I witnessed the nightmare gig that probably ended LM'S career -he decided to switch to guitar for his Winterland show (bad move).His roadie,probably new to guitars, somehow disastrously tuned it a whole step too high ,making it unplayable and the songs unsingable, and as he struggled in vain ,louts in the crowd shouted drunkenly "Play your fucking organ,Boo!"Lee mumbled into the mic that he was sorry and couldn't continue.A very sad night.
@@garyyarago2096 that really does sound awful but Michaels has an amazing musical gift and should be using it.
I saw Lee Michael's and Frosty open up for Led Zeppelin at the Crawford Hall at UCI back in the day and they blew everyone minds ! They so kicked ass !
Thadmotor1044 I saw them open for Zep too.. San Francisco. 1973... they were amazing
@@davidwadsworth6292 I was there too. We flew in for the day. About 8.of us.from LA. I have a few photos taken with my old Kodak 110. And it was a fun day...except the long wait for Led Zeppelin. Lee.Michaels was the best part of the show for me though. 🎵🎶🎵🎹😁
@@davidwadsworth6292 they were two , and WOW!
Just found this. Outstanding! Love it! First time I heard Lee was in 1970 when I was a senior in high school. Always loved hearing B3s in rocks songs, but Lee took it to a whole other realm. My favorite player of B3s. Yes, there are others that might play more jazz related styles that I enjoy (Joey DeFrancesco, God rest his soul), but Lee did the rock thing the best. And his piano style ain't too shabby either. I, too, look for anything I can find on him, especially in video or film. So underrated!!
Best B3 player of all time! Great voice, great range, like Rory gallagher, didn't get the fame he should have, TALENT!
Agree with you 100% !!!
Steve wineood played the B3 well.
And then Sun Ra did some too. along with every other keyboard ever made probably.
He made albums from early 1950s until way past , I think 2005....jazz artist who claimed to be from another planet.
Then Joe Zawinal , R &B I think, with the Cannonball Adderly group. And later Weather Report
Like maybe jazz rock fusion
But, yeah as a rock lead instrument he was the standout.
What a voice.
I always really dug the sound of the B3 in concerts in the 60s, alot more bands used organ then esp the B3.
I saw Lee and Frosty play in Idaho Falls 1971 .
My little brother had tickets to see the Monkeys
but they canceled. I was attending Idaho State in
Pocatello, my brother called me and said Lee and
Frosty we’re doing the show! My brother myself
too this day feel so very blessed.☮️✌️
R.I.P. Frosty ☃️
Thank you for the amazing post!
P.S. Lee and Frosty played for over two hours!
My brother asked me why they NAILED Frosty’s
Drums to the floor, I told him you will see 😂
He hammered the drums like no other.☮️✌️
Wow. Did not know that! Thanks from Betty C. (Barry’s g.f. for his last 4yrs.). 🌹
He had an amazing thing going with the Hammond and Frosty and so glad as a Hammond Player I was able to experience and hear Lee Michaels! When that B-3 was pumping out that driving sound it was unforgettable. His selection of notes, had quite the hook.
This video is why UA-cam is like oxygen to real music lovers! Saw him at Second Atlanta Pop Festival in Byron, GA, 1970. Magnificent! He had a true Wall of Sound. I'd love to know more about why Lee disappeared from the music scene...
Thank you for sharing. I have always wondered about his appearance at 2nd Atlanta Pop Festival in 1970. I heard that festival was filmed. That would be some great footage, if it actually exists and someday comes to light. We have no concert footage of Lee playing organ aside from a small clip from the TV show Music Scene. I read mixed reviews of his set at the Atlanta Pop Festival. I heard from some people that it was great and he played a long time; I also read a local magazine review that suggested he was booed off stage after 15 minutes. What do you recall?
@@echinopsritro Lee was certainly not booed off the stage. The first notes of his set were like a atomic bomb of B3 sound, with a large stack of multiple Leslies. My recollection is that he played late, late at night. Festivals in that day often ran off schedule, as some bands played long sets and the logistics of setup for the next act were complicated. Likely, everyone was high as a kite!
When we arrived at Byron there was a traffic jam for miles. Before we got out of the car, drug vendors were hawking LSD for a buck or two and enormous bags of weed for $10. The drug vendors had their own arcade called "Acid Alley" which was off to the right of the main stage. Hendrix was smacked out when he played with Band of Gypsys, nodding while playing great.
I'm afraid I missed some of Lee's set because I fell asleep on the ground in the middle of 100,000 people. I'd been awake so long, without stimulants, that my body took control and passed out.
The Allman Bros were the local house band for the Fest and were magnificent. They played at least four sets on different days, opening and closing the whole affair.
John B. Sebastian was a kind of announcer, which sort of became his role back then.
I remember well an announcer saying "Here is the greatest musical act in the WORLD!!! …POCO!!!" I was astonished at the hyperbole :) But damn...they played a smoking, red hot, massive energy set nd lived up to the Hype.
That's where I let my big curly hair go crazy and didn't cut it for years afterwards :)
One more thought about Lee at Atlanta 2...
It was not uncommon back then for drunk and high crowds to boo a great artist before the music even started. I do recall at Byron that many things were booed if they were not Jimi Hendrix :) There was an anticipation for Jimi that saturated everything. And he didn't play until the last full night, I think.
So, if Lee or anyone received boos, that's the reason.
Happy 76th Birthday Lee.✌️💖💋🎊🎂🎉
I normally busturchops, but this is just pure over the top fantastic. Incredible. Humble. Talented. A musician's musician. I hope your parents know how good you were. I wish you well Lee Michaels. Well done.
This is gold. Love Lee Michaels. Hope he's well.
This guy was very talented!
I always liked Do you know what I Mean? That song is a Hit!
🎸😎👏🏻
lee ! my favorite musician from japan ✌️👍‼️
Fantastic. Never saw this. Really talented.
What a priceless artefact this is!
FAB FUNKY Soulful Lee Michaels & Band! WowPow THANK YOU MUCH! STILL a Big Fave!
I remember around 2002 me and some musicians were working on two songs of mine and the drummer said let's go to this small club in Hollywood and see this band play. So I sat with my back to the wall and this white guy with red? dyed long hair came and sat next to me. I think it was red or some bizarre color. Afterwards the drummer came over and said Hey Joe, did you see Lee Michaels, he was sitting right next to you. Funny cause I loved a few of his songs but I didn't recognize him. He looked like an older hippie.
YEAH THE HIPPIES GOT OLDER
a very very rare footage of Lee Michaels! I was in high school in '68 '69 '70 when I heard his songs on the radio. . . Benjie/Philippines.
I saw him at the shrine auditorium in LA in about 1971. The fire marshal kept stopping the show because we all wanted to get up and storm the stage. Finally Lee got pissed and told the fire marshal to fuck off and stormed off. A good sized riot started outside and at least one cop car was toast as my friend and I stood across the street in awe laughing. Would have rather finished the concert but such is such.
We left as we knew the riot squad was on the way. Saw the burning patrol car. My friend who stayed said LAPD broke some hippie heads that night. (Actually , the fire marshall told the audience to stop smoking pot as the Shrine is a no-smoking venue, and they didn't. )
Age 14, 15 and 16 I was seeing him in concert in LA area. LOVED him!
Thanks for your comment. Do you recall what venues you saw him at and in what years? Do you remember who he was playing with> Did you see him in his early configuration with a full band?
And, yes, as per your other comment, there is a short 20 minute excerpt from a concert at the Fillmore West on the Wolfgang's Vault site.
Fantastic post, what a performer. Saw him ‘71 or ‘72, right up there with the best concerts this ole rocker has seen. His and his B3’s screams are in my soul. It's so good to see more of his music on YT.
How couldn't you love this guy? I always got a great vibe form his big hit, but that's all I can remember by Lee. It's nice to hear some other tunes by the man and his Hammond.
I've always liked Lee Michaels from the first time I saw him. Thanks for the reminder of his live performance !
What a treat to watch this! I'm still amazed that more Lee Michaels footage has not come to see the light of day. Too bad they don't open up the entire Midnight Special archive.
The Midnight Special episode with Lee is finally here.
ua-cam.com/video/i0lRy71bgGw/v-deo.html
@16:22, Lee had been married to Mary Hughes (the woman seated next to him) for only 3 years at the time of this film footage. Mary loved big cats, and her and Lee raised 14 cheetahs and 2 tigers in Mill Valley, CA. Lee and Mary were together for 18 years before they divorced in the 1980s.
Fast forward to 2006, Mary was included in a Vanity Fair photoshoot for an update from some of the 1960s beach bunnies and surfers.
She sadly died from cancer the following year.
Lee is still with us in CA, but his days of manning a screaming Hammond organ with a wall of Leslie speakers and Acoustic bass amps are long gone. But for those who saw him live, and the rest of us who have only heard his music, the memories will remain as long as the music remains.
Thank you so much, as a graduate of '71 music of that times will come into my mind and bring back memories and then of course I go searching. It was sooooo good to find this live performance. It was really different when we saw Lee Michaels on TV just him and a drummer. There was something special but we didn't always realize it at the time. 50 years later we still remember.
Great footage. Saw him with Frosty on the drums at the Fillmore West in 1970. Great concert! Does anyone have the lyrics to “Who Could Want More?”
Great to (finally!) see some real concert footage/interview with Lee Michaels. Always enjoyed his music. “Recital” was the one I used to play a lot.
Lee rocks - loved his Hammond organ - he introduced me to so many great songs - Storm Monday, Rock me Baby, Can I get a witness - good stuff
Fantastic drummer here...but, he's not the ferocious poundin while swingin beast that FROSTY was. Super appreciative of you uploading this awesome footage nonetheless!
The candid moments of Lee and his cats is wonderful...and, Lee's voice and his playing are just spectacular here.
Listening to him commenting on the new drummer/different drumming style & how he feels about his own changes without organ and, him sounding less brutal and more precision than with Frosty...that sounds like the record label getting up his ass to get a "more mainstream/radio friendly" sound = ANOTHER HIT
Stupid record companies
He bought Prune Music in Mill Valley from my long time friend. I was working at a recording studio and would sell him used tapes for cheap. He was always very nice.
Unreal. Love me a bit of Lee Michaels. To see this footage has made my day/week/month.
Thank you for the rare musical treat.
Have heard his great music on the syndicated Blues Deluxe radio show. Other than that, radio seems to have forgotten this immense talent!
powerful force in rock , great live , the girls did love it when Lee wailed , I saw him open for Led Zeppelin at uci , and he kicked ass
Welllllll......back in 1969-70 my friend and I used play Lee Michael’s music I was the drummer, Steve was a great Hammond B3 player. My favorite was his rendition of Stormy Monday, hard to sing and play to that one.
Lee Micahels version of Stormy Monday is the Best version of all time...he wails!!!
So great to see live footage of Lee. Sadly, never had a chance to see him.
He's amazing.
Thank you - one of the true innovators from the sixties. His albums Lee Michaels, Barrel and Fifth are my favourites. No need to lament his lack of fame as he was very successful at the time. There is another live recording on Concert Vault.
I don't know if any of you agree, but for a short time back around 1999 or 2000, a kid named Johnny Lang made a splash with a hit he wrote: "Rack em Up". You could almost swear that Lee Michaels was singing that song. Anyway, I was about 15 (1971), when Lee Michaels' song "Do you know what I mean" came out. I loved that song and at that point in time, I'd been teaching myself the drums for about 6 or 7 years.
I was listening to a lot of styles but I always liked Lee Michaels style and voice combination. Then when I heard "Rack em Up" years later, I didn't hear the writer/musician's name announced but I thought, "that sounds just like Lee Michaels!, Could it be?!" I knew that it couldn't be him but then, I never did know what happened to him after his short run on the hits list.
Of course, I found out that the Rack em up song was by Johnny Lang soon enough. When I happened to mention that Lang sounded almost exactly like Michaels, people of my age would look at me and say who was "Lee Michaels?" As soon as I said that he did the song "Do you know what I mean", their face would always would brighten up and then say something like "... Ohhh! Yea, I remember that song! It was a great hit!"
FWIW,
Rich
been
I agree. Johnny Lang had to quit music because of the strain on his vocals. The last I’d read, it was quitting for good. Let’s hope it is only for a matter of years.
Yes, both have fantastic voices and song writing and execution skills. Yowsah!!! They rock!
Thank you so very much for this wonderful gift. Lee is a true artist. For him to change his life and not do music as much just shows me how much of a true artist he is. His music hits me hard. I can safely say he is a great musical artist. Thank you for so much music that means so much to a lot of us out here. :)
Incredible voice on Lee. Can never be replicated. Keith was great on drums too early on. Salute!
Glad you enjoyed it. Some more rare footage of Lee was released this past week. Please enjoy it here: ua-cam.com/video/i0lRy71bgGw/v-deo.html
Out a site ! Brings back some great memories from Fillmore and Winterland, Thank you :)
I 5thnk he was ahead of his time with his writing. His talent was overlooked, what a shame. Loved his music.❤
This cat has some serious raw soul going on . Lee can wail big time
Love this rare footage... Hidden Gem... Do You Know What I Mean?
Amazing..I had been looking for years on Lee Michael footage, Music Scene was it..thank you very much. I recall seeing the marquee "Lee Michaels" at the Ritz Theater in Staten Island NY 71 (just checked he played there twice), apparently his double LP Live was recorded there. damn wished I could have gone but at 12 no dice, this will suffice
I worked at the Ritz, we had Lee in October of 1971 with Dust with Richie Wise (producer), Kenny Aronoff (Bob Dylan etc. and Mark Bell (The Ramones) and in May of '72 with Jo Jo Gunne (Jay and Mark from Spirit), when Lee's double live album was recorded...A little something about Lee's live album that most people don't know...Joe Cocker's Mad Dogs and Englishmen (a double LP) was a big hit for A&M in 1970 as was Humble Pie's Rockin' The Fillmore released in '71 (another A&M double album)....Lee's was A&M's next double live album release, unfortunately it didn't get the proper promotion. Lee as you well know was an incredible singer and keyboard player and a great guy....It's sad more people are not familiar with him!
@@madshadows830 ahh..you're so lucky to have worked there. I recall seeing the marquee showing Alice Cooper as well likely around the same time frame. Bought the Dust LP's in the mid 70s, both. Certainly recall the Pie Live in '71 live in NYC..thanks.
@@revup67 Yes we had Alice Cooper at the Ritz in March of ’72 (I forget the date). Humble Pie and King Crimson was on December 6th 1971, Humble Pie (Steve Marriott was brilliant) and King Crimson and Emerson, Lake & Palmer (and others) rehearsed at the Ritz prior to their US tours.
Best concert, Lee Michaels and Frosty, Buddy Miles Express, Steve Miller, playing at Point Loma, San Diego. Frosty playing without sticks, after each band played they all came back out and jammed. Sitting on the floor of a basketball gym smoking the Mexican weed.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful memory! Sounds like an amazing concert. It's a shame we do not have more live recordings from Lee Michaels's early days with Frosty. The search continues...
First time seeing Lee talking not just playing, love me some Lee, more people should know
I had the great oppertunity to see him&Frosty at the college in Ventura in the summer of '69!The show was fantastic!!!
Thank You so Much for posting this. It's hard to believe how little footage exists of Lee. Your efforts here are Greatly Appreciated!
Thanks, partner! Here's to hoping we uncover some more in the New Year. I know Lee Michaels appeared on the TV shows Midnight Special and ABC In Concert, so that footage must be in some vault, somewhere! Anyone have the key?
I never knew there was any video of Lee playing live except for that vid of No Part of It
troutvoice Good show mate...
The piano just does it for me Fuckin love me some lee Michaels
Where's this footage been hiding? No organ, Keith Knudsen on drums, not the mighty Frosty, but the music still kicked. Barrel was a cornerstone album for me back in the day … Those cats look dangerous!
he was top o the world in Dago, very generous, played every summer concert at starlight bowl, free gig, as well as international/national tours, bless lee n frosty
🥀Powerful Songs and video I love to watch them and your bio🥀☝️
Yes thanks for the post. I just listened to "5th" lastnight - this guy is an incredible blues, and rock and roll man! My gosh, his "Can I Get A Witness" can't be beat!
I remember seeing LEE several times with Frosty and his Hammond C-3 and B-3 They always blew the walls out. He then sold out the Forum and decided to play piano and a drummer who was NOT Frosty. Almost caused a riot. People were yelling where's your organ, and where's Frosty.
It didn't go over well. The audience cheering was dubbed in.
He also went a little nuts.
A shame too as he was one of my all time favorite rock artists.
I saw Lee Michaels probably 4-5 times with his organ and Frosty. The last time that I saw him (this is all back in the early 70s) he played at the Shrine Auditorium in LA. It has been rumored that he was having extreme hearing damage from the loud music, primarily the organ. He mentioned it to the audience that night and set out to begin his concert on piano. It's just not the same. I felt bad for him but most of the audience seemed to be unsympathetic. They boo'd and yelled and ultimately walked off stage and he concert was over practically before it began. The crowd got worse and proceeded to trash the Shrine(which is a beautiful theater). Riots cops were called and the disruption spilled into the streets. Terrible night. As far as Frosty, to be honest with everything that happened I don't even remember if he was the drummer that night.
🥀Amazing Songs thanks for posting this video it's priceless🥀🤘
❤ . . . wishing for more Lee Michaels stuff on UA-cam, I've heard of him in the late 60s when I was in hiskul but it was very very limited because radio was the only one around, thanx there's UA-cam now and his works have gone viral. . . . Benjie from the Philippines. 👌👍👍
We finally have some more live footage of Lee to enjoy. Here he is on the Midnight Special playing Fender Rhodes and guitar, accompanied by Keith Knudsen on drums and Joel Christie on bass. ua-cam.com/video/i0lRy71bgGw/v-deo.html
Wow, how cool 😎...just love Lee Michaels.
Wow. This is EXCELLENT.
Happy Birthday Lee Michaels born on November 24, 1945. He is an American rock musician who sings and accompanies himself on organ, piano, or guitar. He is best known for his powerful soulful voice and his energetic virtuosity on the Hammond organ, peaking in 1971 with his Top 10 pop hit single, "Do You Know What I Mean". - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Michaels
The last time I saw this was on NET (now PBS) in 1971. Cool.
Lee Michaels really contributed to the anti-war effort
That's some sexy sounding pipes there. A voice made for blues/rock. Love Lee Michaels ❤😊 minus the bob cats😂😂
A friend of mine saw LEE AND FROSTY IN THE EARLY AND HE SAID THAT LEAVES AS WERE SO CRANKED THAT HIS EARS WERE BLEEDING
What a great rairity .. Thank You!.. :)
This is a gift tonight. Loving it.
I'm glad you are enjoying it. More live footage exists from TV shows. I hope we can one day track it down and share it here.
When I went he passed out on the piano.
unquestionably a child of the 60’s.
In ‘72 he came out with Space and First Takes. Great album with no Frosty but had Drake Levin playing guitar. Drake (from Paul Revere and the Raiders) did some funky playing on First Names.
Not to forget, Lee collaborated with Hendrix post Experience.
He recorded some tracks with Hendrix and the Experience in October 1968. If I recall Buddy Miles was there as well. He recorded an unreleased album with Noel Redding in 1970. I had also read somewhere Noel Redding saying that he wanted to start a group with Lee in the mid-1970s, but Lee was more interested in playing the guitar---which he was quite amateurish on---and not the organ as Noel had wanted. As a result, that went nowhere.
Many years ago, I was so impressed with Lee Michael's version of Stormy Monday blues, I bought a later record featuring his guitar playing. One listen was enough. That said, his Organ playing was soulful and quite enjoyable.
Ditto on Heighty Hi.Saw him at Peace Bridge Exhibition Center- Buffalo,NY I think in 71 0r 72. Then NYC Carnegie Hall in 73. (recorded as his live double album) Then years after (maybe '80 or '81)I saw him in a small club in Palo Alto, CA. The volume was ear splitting; had to leave or lose my hearing completely. Barrel was a good album. as was "Lee Michaels" (had Heighty Hi & War)😁😁
Wow-This is Awesome
I saw him on TV on The Virginia Graham Show in summer 1971. I was home from school that summer flipping channels and there was Lee Michaels and Frosty... Wow! That show was marketed to housewives and aired in the middle of the day, not something I normally would've seen. I can't find any video of it... but it was really great!
I was twelve years old in 1970 when I bought the Barrel album because the cover looked so cool. I learned to play drums along to it. DYKWIM was all over the radio in May 1971 and I just had to get the 5th.
Thanks for the video! I enjoyed reading all the comments.
Thank you for your comment! I'm familiar with the Virginia Graham Show, but did not know that Lee Michaels appeared on it. Very odd indeed! That does not come up in the A&M files on his TV appearances. Do you remember if he performed live on the show? I know that he and Frosty parted ways in late summer 1970, so if you saw him in the summer of 1971 it would've been with Keith Knudsen, as you see on this TV show. Unfortunately, this Virginia Graham Show is very poorly indexed on IMDb database, so his performance is likely buried in some archive.
@@echinopsritro You must be right, I'm not sure about Frosty now. I would've recognized him from the Barrel album photos and would've distinguished him from Knudsen. Lee probably performed sans drummer.
I don't think it was a taped performance. I remember Lee getting up off of the couch and walking to a piano on stage. The songs were "Uummmm My Lady" and "What Now America". Two songs that didn't really need drums. It looks like the show was a very tight budget, minimalist production and probably didn't pay guests very much. No budget for a drummer maybe.
For the summer of 1971 I would've expected "Do You Know What I Mean", but he was definitely playing a piano not an organ.
I've searched for the show for many years and came to the conclusion that even if video of that episode was out there, it would be of very poor quality anyway, based on the few episodes of her show that I have found online. Thanks!
Lee had a great tribal raw energy crowds loved! I love thinking if he persisted how this would morph in 3-6 years. Bass & Lead guitar could broaden the scale of listenability.
Saw him with Frosty at Fillmore East and later I did some work with Johny Barbata who was good friends with him when they were in the Sentinels and I tried to get Johny to call him so I could talk to him...but no dice.
Do you know what I mean has always been one of my favorites
I wish he'd come out of retirement and do a few concerts!
8:45 starts live Do You Know What I mean - standard Michaels on keyboard accompanied by Frosty on drums
You know what sucks that this guy was hot looking back in the day 🤤😍🥰 now he's an old man now , and owns a chain of restaurants in Southern California but still good looking for his age 😊❤❤
Lee's derision toward the Hammond organ with its huge volume and power ("the king of instruments") is completely contradicted by his next statement about how great large-audience performances used to be. Which sets us up for his limp-dick piano version of "Do You Know What I Mean."
Where u playing now, Lee? The chitlin' circuit?
Lee has a UA-cam podcast!!! FUN!!!
happy music!!!
Probably the most talented guy I’ve seen besides McCartney
Saw him & Bartholomew killing it at the Heavy Organ thing ... Went to see him again a year later ~ He was on this Piano nonsense & bum-f✴cked Everybody right out 😟
If you waited a couple of years after that he'd have come on stage with a guitar and no keyboards. Talk about disappointment. Hey, you gotta hand it to the guy for having the balls to try new things. Better that than the mass produced wanna be cookie cutter divas.
@@jamro217 NO - Don't confuse "balls" with ego & personal arrogance . Lee Micheals is Master of the "Heavy Organ" , yet his piano playing is pretentious . The world doesn't need ANOTHER guitar player ... and a Mediocre one at that 👎
@@lazyrrr2411
What I meant was that rather than have some canned music to lip synch over, at least he has the courage to play his own music. Maybe the choice to switch from the organ to piano to guitar isn't a popular one, but like Linda Ronstadt who released a record of folk songs in Spanish after forays into jazz with Nelson Riddle, Lee answers to his own musical direction regardless of the outcome.
The first great piano player I saw was Lee Michaels in 66 or 68 in NYC.
Thank you for your comment. I was wondering if you might remember more about that concert, because the first time Lee Michaels played in NYC that I'm aware of was New Year's Eve 1968 into 1969 at The Scene on West 46th St. Do you recall the venue or anything else about the show?
@@echinopsritro At the time I did not know who he even was but was told by my friends his hearing was bad from the organ playing so he switched to the piano and that was the first time I ever heard a piano sound that good and by the end of 67 I was in Haight Ashbury so my time may have been off by two years when i saw MICHAELS also saw Clapton twice in one week end.Now from the booze and acid my time fades.
@@johnblecker4206 I hear you when it comes to recall.. very hard to remember after all these years, but what you write makes sense. If you were in Haight Ashbury, then you may have heard him as early as '65. He starts showing up on posters for the Avalon, Fillmore, and places like that in '66. My understanding is that he had a full band at that time and then beginning in '68 performed with organ and drums. In late '70 he switched mainly to piano. I have been told by people who know him that his hearing is excellent. He explains a bit in this video why he switched to piano. I think a lot has to do with the organ frequently breaking down on him.
@@echinopsritro In S.F.67 we went to War rally concert and were many unknown bands played but I was sick in the parking lot and missed much. I went back to Ca. in 70 saw Procol Harum at Fillmore they came back on 3 times and played till after 4am.
I saw Cream twice Fri nyc and sat at action house in long island I also got to Woodstock.
If I remember right this was at the Auditorium on King street but I don't remember the cameras being there
Where is the Auditorium on King Street? Is that the name of the venue?
We know from an audio tape that some of this may have been filmed on June 18, 1971 at the Swing Auditorium in San Bernardino. On that tape, Lee mentions the cameras numerous times in between songs (complaining mostly about the lights), but the performances here do not match up with that tape, so it was likely filmed at another venue, too. The only clue to this location is at the very end, where it pans to the audience and you can see the whole space. I don't know the venue to know if what we see here is in fact the Swing Auditorium.
@@echinopsritro My mistake. I just saw the title "Lee Michaels Live in Hawaii" and thought it was the one I was at. The year is about right but I'm sure it another concert on the mainland. the Auditorium is no longer there BTW. Lee was one of my favs back in the day.
I saw him in 1969 opening for Jimi Hendrix and then in 1973 opening for Led Zeppelin
Love
i have the manifesto box. I'm on the look out for his Columbia lps.
Manifesto released both Columbia LPs on CD/mp3 a few years ago. So, his entire catalog---aside from the 1981 title, "Absolute Lee," which he released on his own label (Squish)---is available on CD. The biggest shame with the Manifesto box is that it did not include a single rarity: no outtakes, no live tracks... nothing new at all, which was a real let down for us longtime fans.
Что в дальнейшем произошло с этим парнем, что о нем известно? Очень интересный исполнитель!