Certainly before Helter Skelter so that myth can be put to rest. I've always laughed at the Helter Skelter as first heavy metal song as there were many heavy rock songs in the late 60s, just most people don't know about them.
Heavy heavy heavy... but between all the heavy metal, we can hear the lyrics, voices, words very clearly. This is the KEY to great rock --- to hear the words clearly. !!!
THAT being said, you gotta' wonder if Metallica, Slayer, let alone, Priest, Maiden, Sabbath, Alice Cooper, or even Iron Butterfly, are even AWARE of the impact/contribution of Blue Cheer.
AngelofAnguish Sabbath and the other guys old guys, absolutely! But a lot of bands seem too insecure to openly acknowledge any peers as influences. Rush, guys who were always comfortable and confident in themselves to acknowledge their peer influences, always mentioned Blue Cheer as a big early influence.
@@AngelofAnguish This is a good observation,indeed. Hence let's take Blue Cheer music as a chronological fact at least,for they were ahead of their times.
@Tom Cass The song "Some Velvet Morning" has a heavy metal vibration but when it comes to attitude, Vanilla Fudge was more a late psychedelic band, IMO. Anyways, we're talking of great bands. :)
I was a teenager back then and it was a great time to be alive Blue Cheer on the radio along with Vanilla Fudge, Cream, Hendrix, Who. Stones and Beatles of course. Doing my algebra homework while tapping out time with my pencil on my book. Always had my radio cranked up.
Their music wasn’t just ahead of the time, their hair was too! By 1968 not many musicians/hippies had hair that long, due to the fact that it takes awhile to grow that long. They must’ve started growing it in 1965 or so before the psych scene really hit.
Drew Whitney - their music wasn't ahead of the time, it was Loud. They were famous for recording in Boston Harbor (like outside) because of their volume. Lots of people had long hair then. This was, of course, an Eddie Cochran cover. Not exactly groundbreaking. Now Hendrix, on the other hand, was revolutionary. His music was extraordinary and had a Far greater impact. He even 'invented' a chord that no one in rock had used, the 7/#9. Many even called it the Hendrix chord.
I was in the Republic of the Philippines in 1968 and the Tet Offensive had just erupted in Vietnam. The Air Evac planes were pouring in to Clark AFB almost non-stop and it was a mixture of panic, chaos and excitement. Summertime Blues it was and AFRTS was playing it loud. What a Time!!!!
I was 12 in '69 and my folks moved from one side of my small town to the other. For 2 months, my sister and I rode to school in a cab. The driver always had the radio on and this tune, Born to be Wild, Leader of the Pack, Crimson & Clover; played every morning.
Paul Whaley is one of my favourite drummers of all time. The clear example that Rock and Roll it's feeling!!! A simple Drumkit turns into a big set with the right hands!! MASTER!!!
Had to record on a pier Warehouse. Seriously loud, they had a song that was a hit, on their first Album. Oh well, 60's, the beginning of the end. CIA behind the music and drug culture. Musicians with parents in the defense or intelligence community. Zappa Crosby Morrison, Jim Morrison's father was the Captain of the ship that was used as a false Flag event to start the vietnam war. Gulf of Tonkin Cass Look up history of Laurel Canyon, and secret military base there. Nothing is as it seems.
I saw these guys a million years ago. They opened for Jeff Beck with Rod Steward and the Doors at the shrine auditorium in Los Angeles. They were the loudest band that I’ve ever heard.
I caught BLUE CHEER at the NEWPORT POP festival summer 68. They opened and blew our minds man! When their set ended they sacrificed their instruments by trashing them in a mind numbing wash of feed back! I promptly bought their first album and trashed it with a 1000 spins! I miss those days...☮
As much as I love Black Sabbath and say loud and proud that they are the definitive Heavy Metal band, I've got to say that it was THESE guys who invented Heavy Metal.
I saw them at my High School way back around 69 or so. Each one had hair down to their lower back. Bass and Guitar player had 3 double stack Marshalls each. I'm not sure if there was a fan behind them or it was how loud the amps were but it was blowing their hair for the whole concert. LOL. Love them.
If you all read the notes on the recording, they had to be recorded on the piers in New York cause they were so load a studio couldn’t handle the sound level. Even the tv show Steve Allen had them and he asked the lead guitarist about what the effect pedal that he used “…and what does it do?…”, one great response”….it makes it louder!”
I remember my older brother had this album and many more. He said you can listen to them BUT DON'T scratch em. And there was something about that Blue Cheer album cover that was cool as HELL 😮
This was super heavy at the time, as was was Sunshine of Your Love & SWLABR by Cream. But Jimi's music was more unusual to me. Purple Haze & Foxy Lady weren't just heavy; what he was doing with his guitars sounded so strange as to sound almost unmusical at the time. I had never heard guitar used that way before. Feedback, sustain, string bending, whammy bar, pedal effects & other things I couldn't possibly imagine. Sometimes, his guitar sounded like a percussion instrument. I really had no idea what he was doing. I wonder how man others did unless they were guitar players who actually saw him play. That's just 2 cents from an old non-musician. Still, STB was one of the most radical records of the time.
i would think that these guys would be able to say that was me when I had hair, awesome drummer, pre cursor to a muppet stick dude, animal, solid musos from my era, great upload, btw, that is rock, the acid was extra hehehe, trippen
I used to play Blue chair everyday every night at with dumbs on drums and now I still remember in this video is so astoundingly beautiful and thank you for doing it thank you for all of it take care I love it
Remember wjen Rush covered thi song on their 'Feedback' album of 60's songs cover's, they emulated the Blue Cheer cover, instead of the Who's version (which was more 70's anyway. ) My respect for Rush went up 10 fold . A lot of bands owe a karmic debt to Blue Cheer.
"A lot of bands owe a karmic debt to Blue Cheer"..... my compliments!! no other words could sum up the greatness of BC in a better way like you've done... 😉😉🎸🎸👍👍
There was a batch of LSD either named after them or they named their band after the batch of acid. Some millionaires son was the chemist behind some of the production and distribution of acid in the hippie community at the time. I think his name was Oswald Stanley, Jr. I could be incorrect but if somebody knows then let us know more as it's fascinating history of the the 60's hippie generation and the counter-culture era
The drummer is phenomenal. How come he's not well known or a household name? His hair is even longer than mine was . Must've taken 4-5 years to get it that long in '68. He was ahead of the curve to have your hair that long in '68.
1967-1968 THE BEGINNING, Blue Cheer, THAT summer of 68 changed the course of music. FOR THOSE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE WITNESSED THIS ERA, LIVED THIS ERA, KNEW THIS ERA, ONLY YOU WILL grasp what is said here. TO YOU 289 THUMBS DOWN, I guess that is YOUR era, for you have NO GRASP of what this TIME WAS ALL ABOUT.
You're watching the Birth of Heavy Metal. Just as Buddy Holly inspired the British Invasion, Modern Country Rock, and beyond - Eddie Cochran's classic influenced Hard Rock, Heavy Metal & Grunge. It just took a great song everyone wanted to play.
SIDE BAR: Bravo to the Studio Engineer. For tackling a previously unheard EXPLOSIVE sound that came close to pushing the needle into the Red - he did a perfect job of mastering the song for Maximum Effect!
Arguably the first heavy metal song. Heavy in 1968 and still heavy in 2023!
Certainly before Helter Skelter so that myth can be put to rest. I've always laughed at the Helter Skelter as first heavy metal song as there were many heavy rock songs in the late 60s, just most people don't know about them.
No, I think "Born to Be Wild" holds that distinction.
@@johnpendarvis7885 I can see that too.
It's def more metal than the later versions.
Not is heavy metal. Psicodelic Rock
This is more than Heavy Blues and Hard Rock, this is Metal as Fuck.
Doom metal before Sabbath
Early Cousin It Metal
Exactly.
no, it's a heavy proto grunge. you don't know what heavy metal means go listen to sabbath
@@dextervortexsungte5348 YOU KNOW WHAT EIGHT THOUGHTS YOUR JUST JEALOUS AND YOUR HATER.
Animal on the drums ladies and gentlemen!
Cousin It
LOL🤣🤣🤣
They all look like dogs
Keith Moon is the real animal on drums lol
Yep 👹👏
This band and this song just popped in my mind so I just had to play the video ! Still top shelf after 55 years !
Heavy heavy heavy... but between all the heavy metal, we can hear the lyrics, voices, words very clearly. This is the KEY to great rock --- to hear the words clearly. !!!
Cousin It on drums.....damn I miss those days. R.I.P. Dickie Peterson.
And Paul Whaley.
ahahah my hair is down to my ass and i play drums and thats one of my nicknames
He worked his butt off on those drums here and did a fantastic job.
LOL I was gonna make the same comment on cuz. A buddy of mine had this album in high school. Blasted this many,many times. Great lost band.
When ever I see this track the drummer reminds me of Red Dwarf, the drummer was Dobbin who joined the police force.
Ground zero of hard rock and heavy metal.
THAT being said, you gotta' wonder if Metallica, Slayer, let alone, Priest, Maiden, Sabbath, Alice Cooper, or even Iron Butterfly, are even AWARE of the impact/contribution of Blue Cheer.
AngelofAnguish Sabbath and the other guys old guys, absolutely! But a lot of bands seem too insecure to openly acknowledge any peers as influences.
Rush, guys who were always comfortable and confident in themselves to acknowledge their peer influences, always mentioned Blue Cheer as a big early influence.
@@AngelofAnguish This is a good observation,indeed. Hence let's take Blue Cheer music as a chronological fact at least,for they were ahead of their times.
@Tom Cass The song "Some Velvet Morning" has a heavy metal vibration but when it comes to attitude, Vanilla Fudge was more a late psychedelic band, IMO. Anyways, we're talking of great bands. :)
Deep Purple were already established by 1968
This is like the best blues, punk, funk and metal all in one. Love it
I was a teenager back then and it was a great time to be alive Blue Cheer on the radio along with Vanilla Fudge, Cream, Hendrix, Who. Stones and Beatles of course. Doing my algebra homework while tapping out time with my pencil on my book. Always had my radio cranked up.
Eddie Cochran, lost at age 21, kept alive with classic covers by these guys, Zeppelin, The Who, and others.
Their music wasn’t just ahead of the time, their hair was too! By 1968 not many musicians/hippies had hair that long, due to the fact that it takes awhile to grow that long. They must’ve started growing it in 1965 or so before the psych scene really hit.
was thinking the same thing
Out of the car long hair💣👽💩
Drew Whitney - their music wasn't ahead of the time, it was Loud. They were famous for recording in Boston Harbor (like outside) because of their volume. Lots of people had long hair then.
This was, of course, an Eddie Cochran cover. Not exactly groundbreaking.
Now Hendrix, on the other hand, was revolutionary. His music was extraordinary and had a Far greater impact. He even 'invented' a chord that no one in rock had used, the 7/#9. Many even called it the Hendrix chord.
in 1964 they were selling Beatles wigs.
K Vogel - I was around then and never heard of Beatles wigs. Who would even wear one?
Not sure what your comment even means.
I was in the Republic of the Philippines in 1968 and the Tet Offensive had just erupted in Vietnam. The Air Evac planes were pouring in to Clark AFB almost non-stop and it was a mixture of panic, chaos and excitement. Summertime Blues it was and AFRTS was playing it loud. What a Time!!!!
I was 12 in '69 and my folks moved from one side of my small town to the other. For 2 months, my sister and I rode to school in a cab. The driver always had the radio on and this tune, Born to be Wild, Leader of the Pack, Crimson & Clover; played every morning.
Thanks for sharing 👍
that's interesting man---sad how much has changed for the worse eh?
seen them in 1968 my ears are still ringing
Paul Whaley is one of my favourite drummers of all time.
The clear example that Rock and Roll it's feeling!!!
A simple Drumkit turns into a big set with the right hands!!
MASTER!!!
Summertime Blues is still felt this 2024!
I love the way the drummer & guitarist hair fall in their face
this is so adorable ❤🥰
At one time, considered the loudest rock band, EVER!
then ted nugent and the Who came along
Then there were Deep Purple, Budgie and Motorhead.
Good Lord, This Is RIGHTEOUS
Imagine having a rock band in the 60s and 50 years later, thousands of young people finding your music thats wicked
They found it but they are not paying for it.
Yup. I was born in 95
by thousands u mean MILLIONS
It wasn’t there’s tho , Eddie Cochran wrote it
yes i was born in 2007
Nobody can say they lived in 68 unless they knew this song😂😂😂❤️
This, Purple Haze, and Sunshine Of Your Love reinvented rock guitar sound.
DAMM STRAIGHT
Don Juan,
Totally agree with you. It’s my favorite also
I remember first time I heard this song 1968..driving 63 Corvair..
Philly Pa.
@Ross Smith That was hit here in New Zealand.
I was a teen when this came out was so awesome 70 years now and still head bang to it
Me too brother.
I was 16..
I'm going on 70 now
The lead guitar sounds like that one in Iron Butterfly. Long life music! Greetings from Warsaw Poland. Thanks for publicating
A classic that helped to pave the way for Metal. I still listen to this great stuff.
Saw this on mtv closet classics way back , love these guys , vincibus eruptus! Paul Whaley on drums is quite a sight
Amazing 1968 drum fill!!!!!
and thus metal was born. Hail Blue Cheer!
Proto-metal
These guys were on the cutting edge of rock. Big, bold, blue sound!
When it came out, first time I'd heard whatever kind of hard rock this is. The distortion I guess.
I loved it. Totally unheard before.
This song was a big hit on the AM radio in early 1968. Big on the pop charts, went to number 1
Saw them at Whiskey-a-GoGo...1968...I'm 18, in front of the stage....I am today 50% deaf.....
The loudest concert that I've ever heard at the Fillmore in SF
They were in Guiness for a while as the loudest.
God I envy you!!
Had to record on a pier Warehouse.
Seriously loud, they had a song that was a hit, on their first Album.
Oh well, 60's, the beginning of the end.
CIA behind the music and drug culture.
Musicians with parents in the defense or intelligence community.
Zappa
Crosby
Morrison, Jim Morrison's father was the Captain of the ship that was used as a false Flag event to start the vietnam war.
Gulf of Tonkin
Cass
Look up history of Laurel Canyon, and secret military base there.
Nothing is as it seems.
Always saying Blue Cheer and Stevie Ray are the loudest shows I've ever heard
Yes, it was but the hearing loss was worth it!
woooow that drum survived to the end of the song.. infinite love to Blue Cheer!
I saw these guys a million years ago. They opened for Jeff Beck with Rod Steward and the Doors at the shrine auditorium in Los Angeles. They were the loudest band that I’ve ever heard.
I caught BLUE CHEER at the NEWPORT POP festival summer 68. They opened and blew our minds man! When their set ended they sacrificed their instruments by trashing them in a mind numbing wash of feed back! I promptly bought their first album and trashed it with a 1000 spins! I miss those days...☮
Bands don't trash instruments now gear is too expensive
How am I an almost 46-year old metalhead who has never heard of this band?
I'm nearly 52 and my 82 Yr old dad just educated me, that was wicked@🤘🏼
As much as I love Black Sabbath and say loud and proud that they are the definitive Heavy Metal band, I've got to say that it was THESE guys who invented Heavy Metal.
I bet tony was inspired
I saw them at my High School way back around 69 or so. Each one had hair down to their lower back. Bass and Guitar player had 3 double stack Marshalls each. I'm not sure if there was a fan behind them or it was how loud the amps were but it was blowing their hair for the whole concert. LOL. Love them.
Saw them at the coleseum in Phoenix this was on when we walked in. 🎉🎉🎉It was extremely loud and filled the air and your head full up. 😵💫
この時代ってドラムが本当にかっこいい！あとライブを前提とした曲が本当に心地いい！やっぱ夏はこの曲だな。
Where would Rock have been without this incredible band?
Randy Holden on guitar. A GOD ! Would love to have heard what they would've done had he stayed.
Pilot 66 I lost my summertime blues when I got my first 70 roadrunner music is awesome
If you all read the notes on the recording, they had to be recorded on the piers in New York cause they were so load a studio couldn’t handle the sound level.
Even the tv show Steve Allen had them and he asked the lead guitarist about what the effect pedal that he used “…and what does it do?…”, one great response”….it makes it louder!”
It’s crazy seeing this knowing it was in 1968
68 год это мир был на пике чудес и путешествий новых звуков.
I remember my older brother had this album and many more. He said you can listen to them BUT DON'T scratch em. And there was something about that Blue Cheer album cover that was cool as HELL 😮
A friend had a Blue Cheer Album in 1971, it was played at least once every Friday night. Went real good with beer LOL.
This is one of my greatest top 25 songs of all time!!!
The most radical song on commercial radio at the time without a doubt! Made Hendrix sound tame!
So radical, loud and disturbing that after a while they were banned from the Fillmore West stage!!
This was super heavy at the time, as was was Sunshine of Your Love & SWLABR by Cream. But Jimi's music was more unusual to me. Purple Haze & Foxy Lady weren't just heavy; what he was doing with his guitars sounded so strange as to sound almost unmusical at the time. I had never heard guitar used that way before. Feedback, sustain, string bending, whammy bar, pedal effects & other things I couldn't possibly imagine. Sometimes, his guitar sounded like a percussion instrument. I really had no idea what he was doing. I wonder how man others did unless they were guitar players who actually saw him play. That's just 2 cents from an old non-musician. Still, STB was one of the most radical records of the time.
i would think that these guys would be able to say that was me when I had hair, awesome drummer, pre cursor to a muppet stick dude, animal, solid musos from my era, great upload, btw, that is rock, the acid was extra hehehe, trippen
I used to play Blue chair everyday every night at with dumbs on drums and now I still remember in this video is so astoundingly beautiful and thank you for doing it thank you for all of it take care I love it
Remember wjen Rush covered thi song on their 'Feedback' album of 60's songs cover's, they emulated the Blue Cheer cover, instead of the Who's version (which was more 70's anyway. ) My respect for Rush went up 10 fold . A lot of bands owe a karmic debt to Blue Cheer.
"A lot of bands owe a karmic debt to Blue Cheer"..... my compliments!! no other words could sum up the greatness of BC in a better way like you've done... 😉😉🎸🎸👍👍
The Who's version wasn't 70s; it was 50s punk.
Never heard about these dudes me being way too young, but Josh Scogin of '68 made a cover of this track and now I'm in love!
Wow! Cant believe these guys covered an Alan Jackson song! Awesome!
If my head explodes it's your fault.
Underrated psych band.. They was just ahead of their time
Ripping good song to let the night parties at the cottage enjoy an adrenaline rush. Still praying for another Summer of Love 💕
60's heavy metal 🤘🤟
INÍCIO DO *HEAVY METAL* 🇧🇷
Imma listen to some more of their stuff❤❤❤❤
A friend told me, when he a attended a Blue Cheer concert, the drummer threw his drum sticks in the audience and one hit straight his head.
Cousin Itt on drums! Definitely heavy metal before there was such a thing! Awesome sh*t!
The fathers of heavy metal.
Recorded at the end of 1967 hit the charts early 1968. First heavy metal record.
Love the floating head and hands playing the drums
best name for a rock band ever
Somewhere, Eddie Cochran has to be proudly approving what Blue Cheer did with his tune...
There was a batch of LSD either named after them or they named their band after the batch of acid. Some millionaires son was the chemist behind some of the production and distribution of acid in the hippie community at the time. I think his name was Oswald Stanley, Jr. I could be incorrect but if somebody knows then let us know more as it's fascinating history of the the 60's hippie generation and the counter-culture era
The best version of this song ever. Very current for the times! I was 14. Great guitar work!
There was a mystery around this band...at least to me. The loudest band in the world? That alone is music to any young teen like myself!
Hype
I never knew the Alan Jackson version of this was a cover. This just blew my fucking mind.
I was 14 when I saw that show of "Beat Club" and I almost freaked out about that band and that song!
50% music 50% hair
the best songs i ever hear...pioneers of heavy metal
Everyone should have hair like that durning this pandemic. Not sitting in a barbershop is one less way we can spread the Covid19
Already do for a few years now
Yup~ sadly, even Covid-19 can't make hair grow on a bald spot…
Communist China China
Leaving America is good to stop it also I heard.
Just stop doing everything. Live in a bubble.... Fuck no!!!
The drummer gives cousin IT from the Adams family a run for his money
Must be the first taste of heavy metal (or rock) the world would witness,in my day..this was heavy [Iron Butterfly came next] 🧩
Mountain ruvidi e aspri a Woodstock
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a weirder introduction. The announcer!....🤪 And the drummer has the longest hair I’ve ever seen on anyone from 1968.
The announcer: Dave Lee Travis, got done for 'inappropriate behaviour', with minors. Another BBC nonce.
liam o'connor Mmm, that’s a shame. Did seem like an ‘unstable’ dude.
The drummer is phenomenal. How come he's not well known or a household name?
His hair is even longer than mine was . Must've taken 4-5 years to get it that long in '68. He was ahead of the curve to have your hair that long in '68.
I remember buying this album in the store as a kid. After that I didn't need "NO DOCTOR!!🎸🫠🙃
1967-1968 THE BEGINNING, Blue Cheer, THAT summer of 68 changed the course of music. FOR THOSE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE WITNESSED THIS ERA, LIVED THIS ERA, KNEW THIS ERA, ONLY YOU WILL grasp what is said here. TO YOU 289 THUMBS DOWN, I guess that is YOUR era, for you have NO GRASP of what this TIME WAS ALL ABOUT.
I wonder what could’ve happened if Paul Anka had been able to appear on Beat Club…
Interestingly trippy baby!
Grooooooovy! Real stormin' man!
This song Is all...Heavy, blues, souls, trash, Doom, pre-death, metal ...
Thrash*
That drummer man, good god
Brilliant version.
i always love how these guys ended playing the same show a full 2 years before black sabbath did and they basically played the same genre
Holy cow. What a jam. I remember this. So cool
Damn Hippies-----love it!!!!!!!!
Love this band
Los verdaderos padres del metal
More like grandparents. Sabbath are the real parents.
AWESOME
Animal from Doctor Teeth's first band. MY DRUM! MY DRUM!
classic!!
That whole metal vibe can be found in many places pre sabbath
Kann man auch noch heute hören! Im Gegensatz zu vielem anderen Mist!
In 1968 its was claimed that this was the "Loudest Band In The World". All Hail Blue Cheer
They were so nice n mellow...
The start of heavy metal.
If it weren't for Blue Cheer there be no hard rock or heavy metal
The Genesis of Heavy Metal
You're watching the Birth of Heavy Metal. Just as Buddy Holly inspired the British Invasion, Modern Country Rock, and beyond - Eddie Cochran's classic influenced Hard Rock, Heavy Metal & Grunge. It just took a great song everyone wanted to play.
SIDE BAR: Bravo to the Studio Engineer. For tackling a previously unheard EXPLOSIVE sound that came close to pushing the needle into the Red - he did a perfect job of mastering the song for Maximum Effect!
Went to a Blue Cheer concert at the Santa Monica Civic in 1967. I was tripping on supposedly Blue Cheer lsd.