How bout. Showcasing the guy they called the other Jimi Hendrix. Eddie Hazel P-Funk Dont get much funkier. Get Funkified Pilgrims! ua-cam.com/video/3XzKKcC7kek/v-deo.html
I was born in 1947 and my musical ear was probably just beginning to perk up by the time this tune hit the radio waves. Consequently, whenever I hear this one I feel that I'm 4 years old again and if I close my eyes I can see that the chairs and table are too high for me to reach. "How High the Furniture"! 😊 I cannot overstate the emotion I get from this tune, Daddy-o! Thanks for the lesson and the demonstration that those rifts can actually be played by other mortals than Mr. Paul.
I was 16 when this musical storm hit the airwaves. Blew our minds. The host mentioned about hearing jazz influences in Les' solos. Before Les became a pop legend he was a Jass guitarist. It was called the Les Paul Trio going back to the 40's. These recordings still give me goosebumps today.
It does make a difference when you move your left hand - you get tonal variation, which is subtle but adds variety to an otherwise very static rhythm. Thank you for a fantastic breakdown... it makes it possible to learn this wonderful piece of music.
Thanks for sharing Les's music. I've spent a lot of time with this recording. Obviously he's miming to the recording here. Keep in mind he recorded this on the Epiphone Zephr with no cutaway. He tuned the guitar up a whole step so he could access the higher notes. This is why you see him playing in G on the video but it sounds in A. It's also why those hammer on pull off licks don't work in G at that tempo. He's pulling off to the open E string which now sounds as an F#. Les changed his tuning quite a bit on the records. And he never used a Les Paul on any of these early recordings. It's all the Epiphone.
I looked up "Les Paul guitar lesson" and had to scroll through quite a bit of guitar model reviews before getting to this. This is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!
you really picked up on all the things in this song that I find so compelling- and you nailed it in how much fun he's having. Amazing song and your breakdown of it was just fantastic!
We are blessed to have them on tape so we know it happened. Incredibly, there are probably younger guitar players today that have never seen Les and Mary, or know how much what we have today depended on his wizardry and innovation of his magic box. He was an amazing man. And he will always be "The Man" Thanks for bringing him up! Mary was a great guitar player too ;o)
I read that Les Paul's strumming arm (including the elbow) was shattered in a car accident, and in order to save it from amputation, the doctors rebuilt it with a plate that permanently fixed his elbow at a 90 degree angle, allowing him to continue playing guitar. I wonder if his strumming moving so far up the neck is a result of the lack of mobility in his elbow rather than showmanship.
I think there’s an element of both; Les knew how to play to an audience and what looked good on camera, but I do think the lack of mobility could have played a role too.
I remember reading that story on back of a record album. Luckily the doctor knew who he was, got a guitar and measured it up before they made his arm have permanent bend.
In addition to the technical complexity, this rendition of this song is especially timeless! I think you could play this song anywhere, and people would enjoy it.
Can’t believe it’s 1951 and multitrack. Amazing early example. I saw Les Paul video first time and despite his great playing skills he has clearly his own technique developed. Probably partly invented for what he wanted to play. He was way more advanced I expected and ahead of his times. Her voice was really good, control and timing perfect. Hard to do with him playing crazy stuff and almost making music jokes on guitar, a bit like Victor Borge. Unique, thank you for sharing!
Something to be aware of in case you didn't pick up on it. The song is in A but his positions on the neck are key of G. Les tuned up a whole step so he could reach the higher frets such as on the intro (this song was NOT recorded on a Gibson Les Paul with a cutaway!). He's miming the original recording essentially the same as he played it. Those pull-offs you talk about around 4:00 where he moves up and down the neck are not for show... this is completely functional! Since the guitar is tuned up a whole step, the high open strings is F# (not E) -- the ninth of the E7 chord -- and if you slow it down and listen closely you will hear that "low" F# in the run as he pulls off from the 5th fret and transitions to the 10th and back. So he's not reaching across strings as you are to make those pull-offs. He's just playing the first part of the phrase on one string, pulling off and playing the second part of the phrase on the 2nd string at the 10th, hitting the open F# again and jumping back to the 5th fret.
Thanks! I noticed the notes were much higher pitched on the lower frets than how it would be actually played in standard. Very interesting and educational.
When Les Paul & Mary Ford came out with a new song you automatically loved it. They were like aliens from another planet in their music technology expertise and presents.
Thanks for being one of the only guys on UA-cam to touch on his actual style and chops. Les Paul is the fucking man, a like the Nikola Tesla of music. Either invented or envisioned (even the looper pedal) so many things used in music production today. In my regards, he is just as important in modern music as any of the biggest acts you could think of. He did it first, baby. Ahead of his time
On top of everything else, the quality of the actual recording is astonishing for its time. I often include it in playlists with modern music, and it matches or even works better than more recent releases.
Multitrack sound-on-sound recording. In 1951. In 1951 the recording standard was mono. The whole band played live in the room, a live performance, usually with one or maybe two microphones, and how loud you were on the recording depended on how close you were to that mic. Meanwhile, Les and Mary are doing this. Phenomenal.
Great video GP! Les Paul was truly an amazing guitarist & way ahead of his time. Gotta love this quote: "A guitar is something you can hold and love and it's never going to bug you..." Les Paul 👍😉🎸
I heard this song first in the 1980s and by chance got to record it on a tape cassette. It fascinated me at once but of course I couldn't figure out how it was played. Also loved the version Jeff Beck and Imelda May did a few years ago. Thanks for breaking it down. I love your videos and your passion for music. They always cheer me up. Keep up your great work!
One of the reasons Les likes what we call nowadays his “fretless wonders”. Really low fret height and light strings gave him with his flawless techniques speed and clean tone with those early P 90’s. Les wasn’t just a genius inventor but an extremely accomplished player. Good stuff!
now you solved the problem that kept me up at night listening to this song again and again, the solo has always been very difficult for me to understand thanks for doing this
The lick you play at 5:20 is very reminiscent of backgrounds Benny Goodman, Charlie Christian, and Lionel Hampton would play together. Specifically it sounds a lot like the background riff Benny used on "My Guy's Come Back" from 1945.
As usual great fun video with your helpful insights into technique. Les Paul was before my time but I can see his influence on rock and roll. And his guitar design collaboration was epic to the sound of generations to come. I heard that he had a terrible arm injury at one point and asked the doctors to set his arm in a position that would allow him to keep on playing guitar. Wow that's dedication to what you love. And thank you for your dedication to delivering your viewers great videos. G P you rock !
What a great video. I have seen this video of Les and Mary many times and your assessment of Les's playing is spot on. The guitar in this video is most likely Les's #One (that's what he called it) a heavily modified proto-type gold-top. I saw this guitar about five years ago before it was restored by Tom Doyle, Les's long time guitar tech. It was sold recently in a Christie's auction for $930,00. To most musicians a Les Paul is a famous Gibson guitar but videos like this remind us just how awesome his playing skills were. Thanks.
I'm sooo glad you covered this genius! His "block" guitar is on display at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. Who knows where music would be today without the playing....and engineering of Les Paul!
Good morning from Greece, such a nice video!!!! Very nice song an amagalm of past and future styles: country, jazz, bluegrass, gypsy swing, rock n' roll...... You can clearly hear past and future guitarists in his play.
I just love Les Paul. Guitarist phenom and genius inventor. Mary Ford wasn't just a great singer. She could play guitar like you wouldn't believe also.
Thank you thank you thank you! I've been waiting for someone to cover 3 specific Les Paul tunes and this is one. Btw those songs are Josephine, Whispering, and How high the moon. Those other two tunes are instrumentals, with my favorite being Josephine. I know this video is a few years old as of this writing, but if you take requests could you possibly consider covering Josephine? Thanks again!
A few years ago I worked out Les Paul's solo for "It's Been a Long Long Time," which is easier than "How High the Moon" and absolutely beautiful. That song went to #1 with Bing Crosby on vocals. Les Paul is my all-time favorite electric guitarist. He also invented a lot of equipment still used today.
Love all your videos GP. I’ve learned a ton from you! Keep them coming. But good thing Les passed or he would have scolded you for playing a tribute to him on a Strat.
Keep up the great work. For more info about Les Paul, Leo fender, Mary Ford, Paul bigsby and other guitar pioneers, look for The Birth of Loud. It’s really informative and shows the roots of the electric guitar.
Actually I always thought he was even better than Chet Atkins, and that's saying something. You know, Mary Ford,also, was quite a guitarist, but she let Les shine there
#1 of all time. Guessing not many will argue that. I admit that I don't know much about Les Paul's history...yet. My dad always played Les and Chet Atkins music when I was quite young. Pretty sure there's more going on here than fret-board and microphone...lol The chemistry is amazing !!!
For such an influential guitarist, there is a real lack of material like this. Les Paul was the definition of versatile and a really _creative_ player. Thanks so much for this analysis. A sequel would be fantastic.
I love it when you say this is difficult. For us mere mortals, that means we should learn to play a different instrument or take up gardening or knitting, perhaps.
Les Paul was an early Jimi Hendrix. Not only did he leverage technology in amazing ways, he also was a very imaginative guitarist. Also notiice when he adding embellishments throughout the song, it's when Mary is singing long notes or not at all, he doesn't step on her vocals. And of course there's her multitracked harmonies too!
Les Paul - in addition to inventing the electric guitar - also invented the "Les Paul Paulverizer" which is what you hear providing 'multi-track'. Absolutely phenomenal guitarist, performer, inventor, and innovator. His wife - Mary Ford - was a great singer and performer. As a duo, they were unstoppable!!!
Another incredible aspect of this and other Les Paul records of this era is that this isn't multitrack like we have now. This was what Les called "sound on sound", a destructive process of recording a part, playing it back while adding a new part, which in turn erases the original take. Keep in mind, we're talking mono tape machines. Hell, tape itself was new. No one had even heard of it in America until after WWII.
It was not multi track on the early “New Sound” recordings, How High the Moon included. It was sound on sound. Once a new layer was added, the old layer was gone and they couldn’t go back. That in itself made it even more remarkable.
The Carpenters, Richard and Karen, definitely did. Richard talks about Les Paul & his wife, Mary Ford's influences on their music in most interviews. Les & Mary are the main reason why Richard layered his and Karen's vocals so much for all of their songs. There are basically no backup singers on most all of their albums or hit singles but only on the Christmas albums & sporadically on some of their later albums for a few songs. This video shows perfectly what toddler Richard was listening to and what he ultimately figured out on how to layer his and little sister, Karen's vocals. Love it! It's one of the things that made CARPENTERS rather unique in the 1970s, just two voices creating all of that harmony. Their very first album (Offering/Ticket To Ride) pays a form of homage to Les Paul & Mary Ford's multiple layered voices with the opening & closing of that album. The sound is amazing, like a full choir, yet it's just their two voices harmonizing with themselves. "Invocation" & "Benediction".
In 1970s I knew a young kid ( 15- 16 years old ) that could play like Les Paul. He had a real Les Paul guitar ( heavy, mahogany ) and his dad had a Gretch like Chet Atkins and he played like Chet. That kid could play anything Les could play, he could play that part you said " what the hell was that ". One night while his dad was helping me try to get some part in something we were jamming, i watched him playing Les Paul licks in his sleep. His head was bobbing ( he was tired ) and his hands were picking. I had an old 78 record of Carioca and I gave it to him. He could play all the guitar on it in real time. So, I have no trouble believing Les Paul really playing the stuff on his records. ( except maybe the stuff that was sped up really fast ) ' How HighThe Moon ' is real time overdub. When Van Halen hit the scene he learned the whole album in about 2 days. One of my favorites was watching him do Eddie Van Halens ultimate whammy bar without having one on his Les Paul.
I saw Les play live only once....at McCabe's Guitar Shop in Santa Monica after he came out of retirement. I don't remember much about it other than How High the Moon and him signing autographs after the show. While I never cared for his speeded up songs like Lover this particular tune he arranged just perfectly with all those incredible licks and fills.
AND, he was doing all that with a fused right elbow. In 1948, he was in a car accident which crushed his arm, and the choices at the time were amputation or fusing the elbow ... which he asked to be done at a right angle so he could continue to play guitar. And for those curious about the vocalist, Mary Ford was a notable singer in her own right, and was married to Les Paul. She was his musical collaborator, l;lead vocalist, and business partner,.
Not multitracking around this era. It was actually SOUND ON SOUND!! He used two mono tape machines and added layer upon layer by playing along with the previous take. Which makes it even more skilful!! Both Les and Mary were pioneers.
Read Deke Dickerson’s book about Merle Travis, who used sound on sound recordings before Les. Les claimed credit for it all his life but it was Merle. Also I think those fast runs use the open E, remember Les also varied his recording speed. Not to take away from his creativity, ability and awesome talent, but credit where it’s due…
The multi track recording he did was sound on sound. He recorded one part and played the subsequent parts on top of the previous recording. Very tedious, and if you screwed up, you had to start over from the beginning. Every hit they had was recorded that way. Later he develop a mechanically sync'd 8 track tape machine that made it easier. The industry ran with it.
Actually.. His multi tracking..he called sound on sound....he started with the bass and rhythm......and added each part on top of the previous recording( if some one goofed...it all had to be started from the beginning)... then his guitar parts..then Mary's harmonies...then Mary's vocals at the end...all this on one track tape!!.... He was amazing and always ahead of his time.......he also developed spring reverb!!
Initially, using only 1 machine, Les placed a 2nd head in the signal path so he could "read before write" (pre-read) the existing audio before recording the new elements. This was a "destructive" process. He later moved to two machines and did non-destructive layering by bouncing from one machine to the next. In conjunction with the engineers at Ampex Les did invent "sound on sound" recording. Later he was also instrumental in the development of "multi-track" recording as well. This particular clip is from a TV show hosted by Alister Cooke where Les and Mary demonstrate the "sound on sound" process. For all of his vast musicall talents Les was equally an electronics genius. I saw him play live at "Fat Tuesdays" in NTC in October, 1990 and he was still doing the 2 string "all over the neck" riffs he played on this clip.
Les was ahead of his time with his echo great vid of him with tommy emmanuel on you tube he looks like he like he loves Tommy's playing who wouldn't rip les
Finnaly I found this to know what LP does in this video, because he has crazy moves and I wanna dig those and not these other boring standard versions.
it is not the guitar, it is the player who does create the sound with the help of pick, strings, and amp. I once selected a couple of UA-cam videos for a guitarist who claimed he could hear what guitar was played. I asked him to not watch the videos but just listen to them when somebody else hits play. He didn't even recognize the type of guitar -- brand and model are out of question anyway. -- I found it, that was over eight years ago. 🙂 ... Take this one for expample ua-cam.com/video/NK_VPjuO--k/v-deo.html Have somebody else start that video at about 6:00 and listen to the guitar and take your guess. Or Erroll Garner's Misty on different guitars: ua-cam.com/video/NFuvEWixzAQ/v-deo.html ua-cam.com/video/Y8uUSp-P2nk/v-deo.html ua-cam.com/video/gZo8vDbqJAc/v-deo.html ua-cam.com/video/k-dCXGp4lCU/v-deo.html ua-cam.com/video/_cJnHbQ1ljw/v-deo.html ua-cam.com/video/FM80dJRVHRI/v-deo.html ...
Enjoy this video with Extra Resources: ➤ bit.ly/3reyEXn
How bout. Showcasing the guy they called the other Jimi Hendrix.
Eddie Hazel P-Funk
Dont get much funkier.
Get Funkified Pilgrims!
ua-cam.com/video/3XzKKcC7kek/v-deo.html
Les Paul was shredding 30 years before the metal virtuosos started appearing in the 80s. Truly ahead of his time!
Totally agree man 🤘🎸
Happy shredding
He was a genius
Jimmy Page looked up him a lot
Roy Clark and Les Paul sohuld be having a chat about that.
I feel like the world needs 100 more of these Les Paul break down videos. Awesome work GP
I was born in 1947 and my musical ear was probably just beginning to perk up by the time this tune hit the radio waves. Consequently, whenever I hear this one I feel that I'm 4 years old again and if I close my eyes I can see that the chairs and table are too high for me to reach. "How High the Furniture"! 😊 I cannot overstate the emotion I get from this tune, Daddy-o! Thanks for the lesson and the demonstration that those rifts can actually be played by other mortals than Mr. Paul.
This guy Les Paul is a good guitarist - they should name a guitar after him!
That is good 😂
The woman Mary is just as good as him too!
good idea
THEY DID )))
This joke is really overplayed.
Like when you said "In both cases RESPECT!" Love how you talk with a passion in all your videos...Keep up the good work and the great vids!
I was 16 when this musical storm hit the airwaves. Blew our minds. The host mentioned about hearing jazz influences in Les' solos. Before Les became a pop legend he was a Jass guitarist. It was called the Les Paul Trio going back to the 40's. These recordings still give me goosebumps today.
It does make a difference when you move your left hand - you get tonal variation, which is subtle but adds variety to an otherwise very static rhythm. Thank you for a fantastic breakdown... it makes it possible to learn this wonderful piece of music.
Thanks for sharing Les's music. I've spent a lot of time with this recording. Obviously he's miming to the recording here. Keep in mind he recorded this on the Epiphone Zephr with no cutaway. He tuned the guitar up a whole step so he could access the higher notes. This is why you see him playing in G on the video but it sounds in A. It's also why those hammer on pull off licks don't work in G at that tempo. He's pulling off to the open E string which now sounds as an F#. Les changed his tuning quite a bit on the records. And he never used a Les Paul on any of these early recordings. It's all the Epiphone.
This is a very important information, thanks a Lot.
I looked up "Les Paul guitar lesson" and had to scroll through quite a bit of guitar model reviews before getting to this. This is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!
you really picked up on all the things in this song that I find so compelling- and you nailed it in how much fun he's having. Amazing song and your breakdown of it was just fantastic!
We are blessed to have them on tape so we know it happened. Incredibly, there are probably younger guitar players today that have never seen Les and Mary, or know how much what we have today depended on his wizardry and innovation of his magic box. He was an amazing man. And he will always be "The Man" Thanks for bringing him up! Mary was a great guitar player too ;o)
I read that Les Paul's strumming arm (including the elbow) was shattered in a car accident, and in order to save it from amputation, the doctors rebuilt it with a plate that permanently fixed his elbow at a 90 degree angle, allowing him to continue playing guitar. I wonder if his strumming moving so far up the neck is a result of the lack of mobility in his elbow rather than showmanship.
I think there’s an element of both; Les knew how to play to an audience and what looked good on camera, but I do think the lack of mobility could have played a role too.
True story. And that’s why Les always reached out his left hand when shaking hands with people.
Good point.
I remember reading that story on back of a record album. Luckily the doctor knew who he was, got a guitar and measured it up before they made his arm have permanent bend.
I think this recording is from before the accident.
In addition to the technical complexity, this rendition of this song is especially timeless! I think you could play this song anywhere, and people would enjoy it.
Big shout out to Mary Ford who often gave Les a run for his money when they played together.
Yeah especially when they did the echo thing, him improvising and she looks at his fingers and plays the same with a delay. The chemistry is awsome.
A wonderful and fascinating break down of Les Paul's guitar work on How High The Moon. Inspirational.
Can’t believe it’s 1951 and multitrack. Amazing early example. I saw Les Paul video first time and despite his great playing skills he has clearly his own technique developed. Probably partly invented for what he wanted to play. He was way more advanced I expected and ahead of his times.
Her voice was really good, control and timing perfect. Hard to do with him playing crazy stuff and almost making music jokes on guitar, a bit like Victor Borge.
Unique, thank you for sharing!
Something to be aware of in case you didn't pick up on it. The song is in A but his positions on the neck are key of G. Les tuned up a whole step so he could reach the higher frets such as on the intro (this song was NOT recorded on a Gibson Les Paul with a cutaway!). He's miming the original recording essentially the same as he played it. Those pull-offs you talk about around 4:00 where he moves up and down the neck are not for show... this is completely functional! Since the guitar is tuned up a whole step, the high open strings is F# (not E) -- the ninth of the E7 chord -- and if you slow it down and listen closely you will hear that "low" F# in the run as he pulls off from the 5th fret and transitions to the 10th and back. So he's not reaching across strings as you are to make those pull-offs. He's just playing the first part of the phrase on one string, pulling off and playing the second part of the phrase on the 2nd string at the 10th, hitting the open F# again and jumping back to the 5th fret.
Thanks! I noticed the notes were much higher pitched on the lower frets than how it would be actually played in standard. Very interesting and educational.
I love your taste on the classic musical guitars
Thank you for this! You seem to be one of the only ones to do a break down of Les’s smokin chops
When Les Paul & Mary Ford came out with a new song you automatically loved it. They were like aliens from another planet in their music technology expertise and presents.
Thanks for being one of the only guys on UA-cam to touch on his actual style and chops. Les Paul is the fucking man, a like the Nikola Tesla of music. Either invented or envisioned (even the looper pedal) so many things used in music production today. In my regards, he is just as important in modern music as any of the biggest acts you could think of. He did it first, baby. Ahead of his time
On top of everything else, the quality of the actual recording is astonishing for its time. I often include it in playlists with modern music, and it matches or even works better than more recent releases.
Multitrack sound-on-sound recording. In 1951. In 1951 the recording standard was mono. The whole band played live in the room, a live performance, usually with one or maybe two microphones, and how loud you were on the recording depended on how close you were to that mic. Meanwhile, Les and Mary are doing this. Phenomenal.
LP must be turning in his grave seeing you playing along on a Strat!!
I don't live by should or shouldn't
Respect for his playing AND your figuring it all out and showing it. You never cease to Amaze! Stay Well Most Groovy One.
1951, nearly 70 years ago! Incredible pioneer recording. There is a reason Les Paul is so respected. Great video Pilgrim. I enjoyed it, thank you.
Yes, thanks for the history lesson about the evolution of multi-tracking and Les Paul and Mary Ford. And the great playing. Respect for your respect.
Great video GP! Les Paul was truly an amazing guitarist & way ahead of his time. Gotta love this quote: "A guitar is something you can hold and love and it's never going to bug you..." Les Paul 👍😉🎸
Excellent, excellent lesson. Wonderfully done. Great ear and attention to detail, and passion/appreciation.
I heard this song first in the 1980s and by chance got to record it on a tape cassette. It fascinated me at once but of course I couldn't figure out how it was played. Also loved the version Jeff Beck and Imelda May did a few years ago. Thanks for breaking it down. I love your videos and your passion for music. They always cheer me up. Keep up your great work!
Jeff Beck could play anything. As I recall, he played this song without a pick.
One of the reasons Les likes what we call nowadays his “fretless wonders”. Really low fret height and light strings gave him with his flawless techniques speed and clean tone with those early P 90’s. Les wasn’t just a genius inventor but an extremely accomplished player. Good stuff!
now you solved the problem that kept me up at night listening to this song again and again, the solo has always been very difficult for me to understand thanks for doing this
The lick you play at 5:20 is very reminiscent of backgrounds Benny Goodman, Charlie Christian, and Lionel Hampton would play together. Specifically it sounds a lot like the background riff Benny used on "My Guy's Come Back" from 1945.
As usual great fun video with your helpful insights into technique. Les Paul was before my time but I can see his influence on rock and roll. And his guitar design collaboration was epic to the sound of generations to come. I heard that he had a terrible arm injury at one point and asked the doctors to set his arm in a position that would allow him to keep on playing guitar. Wow that's dedication to what you love. And thank you for your dedication to delivering your viewers great videos. G P you rock !
What a great video. I have seen this video of Les and Mary many times and your assessment of Les's playing is spot on. The guitar in this video is most likely Les's #One (that's what he called it) a heavily modified proto-type gold-top. I saw this guitar about five years ago before it was restored by Tom Doyle, Les's long time guitar tech. It was sold recently in a Christie's auction for $930,00. To most musicians a Les Paul is a famous Gibson guitar but videos like this remind us just how awesome his playing skills were. Thanks.
I'm sooo glad you covered this genius! His "block" guitar is on display at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. Who knows where music would be today without the playing....and engineering of Les Paul!
Awesome tribute and great job! Truly enjoyed every bit of that video thank you.
Les shreds with clean tones
Excellent presentation and guitar playing!
Good morning from Greece, such a nice video!!!! Very nice song an amagalm of past and future styles: country, jazz, bluegrass, gypsy swing, rock n' roll......
You can clearly hear past and future guitarists in his play.
I'm happy i stumbled over your channel!
Great video. Thank you.
Happy New Year and best wishes from Bavaria Germany 🇩🇪
Les Paul was a genius not only as guitarist but as innovative creator of machines and sounds effects.
I just love Les Paul. Guitarist phenom and genius inventor. Mary Ford wasn't just a great singer. She could play guitar like you wouldn't believe also.
Let's be honest, she would have had a phenomenal teacher.
He was genius! Ahead of ANY time!!! Thank you for this!
Thank you thank you thank you! I've been waiting for someone to cover 3 specific Les Paul tunes and this is one. Btw those songs are Josephine, Whispering, and How high the moon. Those other two tunes are instrumentals, with my favorite being Josephine. I know this video is a few years old as of this writing, but if you take requests could you possibly consider covering Josephine? Thanks again!
A few years ago I worked out Les Paul's solo for "It's Been a Long Long Time," which is easier than "How High the Moon" and absolutely beautiful. That song went to #1 with Bing Crosby on vocals. Les Paul is my all-time favorite electric guitarist. He also invented a lot of equipment still used today.
Love all your videos GP. I’ve learned a ton from you! Keep them coming. But good thing Les passed or he would have scolded you for playing a tribute to him on a Strat.
Keep up the great work.
For more info about Les Paul, Leo fender, Mary Ford, Paul bigsby and other guitar pioneers, look for The Birth of Loud. It’s really informative and shows the roots of the electric guitar.
It should be noted that all this music is in imitation of trains. Great job, Thom!!!!
Actually I always thought he was even better than Chet Atkins, and that's saying something. You know, Mary Ford,also, was quite a guitarist, but she let Les shine there
You got it down!
Thanks for showing respect to one of the masters.
Good job.
72 years ago ! even before Bill hailey ! and Mary was a beautiful singer so many great songs together.
Not technically multitracking, but sound on sound. There's no redoing a single track but going back and doing the whole recording over again.
#1 of all time. Guessing not many will argue that.
I admit that I don't know much about Les Paul's history...yet.
My dad always played Les and Chet Atkins music when I was quite young.
Pretty sure there's more going on here than fret-board and microphone...lol
The chemistry is amazing !!!
For such an influential guitarist, there is a real lack of material like this. Les Paul was the definition of versatile and a really _creative_ player. Thanks so much for this analysis. A sequel would be fantastic.
You sir,. Are the best!. Thank you.
Hi man you’re the best on youtube. Maybe can you do something about Carl Perkins And those rockabilly guys, you know?
I love it when you say this is difficult. For us mere mortals, that means we should learn to play a different instrument or take up gardening or knitting, perhaps.
A superb video.
Your presentational style is very absorbing and entertaining. Your analysis is acute. Thanks.
This song is 3 years older than the stratocaster!
Les Paul was an early Jimi Hendrix. Not only did he leverage technology in amazing ways, he also was a very imaginative guitarist. Also notiice when he adding embellishments throughout the song, it's when Mary is singing long notes or not at all, he doesn't step on her vocals. And of course there's her multitracked harmonies too!
No, Jimmy Hendricks was a late Les Paul
Les Paul, Guitar, Nintendo , Zelda and Mario, Instant Like! great video man!
also Les Paul is such an underrated Guitar player, so ahead of his time really
I've been trying to get that intro right for past 30 years, thanks finally
The style of jazz influencing is 'hot jazz'. Cool breakdown!
always loved this ,, tried playing Emylou Harris , Albert lee ,version but just couldn't work it out ,, thanks Thom ,,
Les Paul - in addition to inventing the electric guitar - also invented the "Les Paul Paulverizer" which is what you hear providing 'multi-track'.
Absolutely phenomenal guitarist, performer, inventor, and innovator. His wife - Mary Ford - was a great singer and performer. As a duo, they were unstoppable!!!
Another incredible aspect of this and other Les Paul records of this era is that this isn't multitrack like we have now. This was what Les called "sound on sound", a destructive process of recording a part, playing it back while adding a new part, which in turn erases the original take. Keep in mind, we're talking mono tape machines. Hell, tape itself was new. No one had even heard of it in America until after WWII.
And what about the vocals? They’re clearly multi-tracked too in like a thousand layers!!!! I’m sure the Beatles took notice ;)
that's right!
It was not multi track on the early “New Sound” recordings, How High the Moon included. It was sound on sound. Once a new layer was added, the old layer was gone and they couldn’t go back. That in itself made it even more remarkable.
Sounds like a harmonizer with reverb
ahhhh...ahhhhhh...ahhhhh...AHHHHH...AHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhh....
Honestly that may be the best part of the entire song.
The Carpenters, Richard and Karen, definitely did. Richard talks about Les Paul & his wife, Mary Ford's influences on their music in most interviews. Les & Mary are the main reason why Richard layered his and Karen's vocals so much for all of their songs. There are basically no backup singers on most all of their albums or hit singles but only on the Christmas albums & sporadically on some of their later albums for a few songs. This video shows perfectly what toddler Richard was listening to and what he ultimately figured out on how to layer his and little sister, Karen's vocals. Love it! It's one of the things that made CARPENTERS rather unique in the 1970s, just two voices creating all of that harmony. Their very first album (Offering/Ticket To Ride) pays a form of homage to Les Paul & Mary Ford's multiple layered voices with the opening & closing of that album. The sound is amazing, like a full choir, yet it's just their two voices harmonizing with themselves. "Invocation" & "Benediction".
In 1970s I knew a young kid ( 15- 16 years old ) that could play like Les Paul.
He had a real Les Paul guitar ( heavy, mahogany ) and his dad had a Gretch like Chet Atkins and he played like Chet.
That kid could play anything Les could play, he could play that part you said
" what the hell was that ".
One night while his dad was helping me try to get some part in something we were jamming, i watched him playing Les
Paul licks in his sleep. His head was bobbing ( he was tired ) and his hands were picking. I had an old 78 record of Carioca and I gave it to him. He could play all the guitar on it in real time.
So, I have no trouble believing Les Paul really playing the stuff on his records.
( except maybe the stuff that was sped up really fast )
' How HighThe Moon ' is real time overdub.
When Van Halen hit the scene he learned the whole album in about 2 days.
One of my favorites was watching him do Eddie Van Halens ultimate whammy bar without having one on his Les Paul.
You almost nailed it! Sounds great. Anyone who can play Les Paul decently, well - you deserve more than a medal...
I saw Les play live only once....at McCabe's Guitar Shop in Santa Monica after he came out of retirement. I don't remember much about it other than How High the Moon and him signing autographs after the show. While I never cared for his speeded up songs like Lover this particular tune he arranged just perfectly with all those incredible licks and fills.
AND, he was doing all that with a fused right elbow. In 1948, he was in a car accident which crushed his arm, and the choices at the time were amputation or fusing the elbow ... which he asked to be done at a right angle so he could continue to play guitar. And for those curious about the vocalist, Mary Ford was a notable singer in her own right, and was married to Les Paul. She was his musical collaborator, l;lead vocalist, and business partner,.
I give like before watching. Thanks for quality content
For years and years I never knew there was a guy named Les Paul...lol
Double guitar harmony ,long before iron maiden ,such a genius 🤘🎸🎸
pretty sweet tone and nice playin, congratss
Not multitracking around this era. It was actually SOUND ON SOUND!! He used two mono tape machines and added layer upon layer by playing along with the previous take. Which makes it even more skilful!! Both Les and Mary were pioneers.
That chord intro is brutal on that short scale.
I happy that someone is bringing Les Paul and they’re not taking about a guitar!
✌️😎🎸🎶🎵🎶
Les is probably my favorite guitarist.
Read Deke Dickerson’s book about Merle Travis, who used sound on sound recordings before Les. Les claimed credit for it all his life but it was Merle. Also I think those fast runs use the open E, remember Les also varied his recording speed. Not to take away from his creativity, ability and awesome talent, but credit where it’s due…
The multi track recording he did was sound on sound. He recorded one part and played the subsequent parts on top of the previous recording. Very tedious, and if you screwed up, you had to start over from the beginning. Every hit they had was recorded that way. Later he develop a mechanically sync'd 8 track tape machine that made it easier. The industry ran with it.
Mary Ford was no joke either. Watch her play rhythm guitar on other videos...they are both out of this world.
I think a video about Roy Buchanan could be very interesting!
Try it while wearing a suit coat. Haha
You are so musical!
Great video pilgrim! Have you seen Jeff Beck cover this? They play it even faster!
Excellent point about having fun. That's why they say "play" music.
Actually.. His multi tracking..he called sound on sound....he started with the bass and rhythm......and added each part on top of the previous recording( if some one goofed...it all had to be started from the beginning)... then his guitar parts..then Mary's harmonies...then Mary's vocals at the end...all this on one track tape!!.... He was amazing and always ahead of his time.......he also developed spring reverb!!
Initially, using only 1 machine, Les placed a 2nd head in the signal path so he could "read before write" (pre-read) the existing audio before recording the new elements. This was a "destructive" process. He later moved to two machines and did non-destructive layering by bouncing from one machine to the next. In conjunction with the engineers at Ampex Les did invent "sound on sound" recording. Later he was also instrumental in the development of "multi-track" recording as well. This particular clip is from a TV show hosted by Alister Cooke where Les and Mary demonstrate the "sound on sound" process. For all of his vast musicall talents Les was equally an electronics genius. I saw him play live at "Fat Tuesdays" in NTC in October, 1990 and he was still doing the 2 string "all over the neck" riffs he played on this clip.
So as awesome as he was, he was also a multi tracking trickster
Les was ahead of his time with his echo great vid of him with tommy emmanuel on you tube he looks like he like he loves Tommy's playing who wouldn't rip les
Les Paul was absolutely brilliant and Mary Ford had the voice of an angel
An essential guitar album is Chester and Lester, which is basically Chet Atkins and Les Paul jamming and having fun.
Great video I've been a real fan of les paul for 60 years and at last I know how he did it thankyou thankyou thankyou.
Finnaly I found this to know what LP does in this video, because he has crazy moves and I wanna dig those and not these other boring standard versions.
Wonderfully happy true mastery thanks for sharing
That really made me smile Les Paul was eons ahead of his time
There is a great version of Jeff beck doing this tune!!
Title: Les Paul
Thumbnail: Strat
haha, yes indeed :)
@Wenander He sometimes plays an acoustic. But I've only seen two guitars on this channel.
it is not the guitar, it is the player who does create the sound with the help of pick, strings, and amp. I once selected a couple of UA-cam videos for a guitarist who claimed he could hear what guitar was played. I asked him to not watch the videos but just listen to them when somebody else hits play. He didn't even recognize the type of guitar -- brand and model are out of question anyway. -- I found it, that was over eight years ago. 🙂
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Take this one for expample ua-cam.com/video/NK_VPjuO--k/v-deo.html
Have somebody else start that video at about 6:00 and listen to the guitar and take your guess.
Or Erroll Garner's Misty on different guitars:
ua-cam.com/video/NFuvEWixzAQ/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/Y8uUSp-P2nk/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/gZo8vDbqJAc/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/k-dCXGp4lCU/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/_cJnHbQ1ljw/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/FM80dJRVHRI/v-deo.html
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