Invaluable piece of footage here! Mike Bloomfield's importance to electric guitar is criminally missed. He's correct about the Les Paul. I have an Ebony "Black Beauty" 78 Deluxe Les Paul. The Sound and feel of it cannot be duplicated. We need you back Mikey!!!
@@priesty4783 I have... After 4 decades of playing just about any guitar, bass etc.. It still cannot be duplicated. The only one that would top it for me is the 52 Gold Top. Thanks.
Never seen this before, of course I hadn't seen the Les Paul bio/doc. Just to see Michael talking and in the flesh is such a super treat. And, yes, he does "play" a little bit...just fooling around and teasing us. Just the brief seconds, he's brilliant.
I quit playing trombone in my high school band in 67 because Mike Bloomfield was playing with Paul Butterfield about 10 miles from where I was supposed to be marching around a football field at half time. A little over a year later I sold the trombone and bought a brand new 68 gold top Les Paul.
Well, I saw Mike in December of 1977 in Boulder Colorado at the old Tulagis bar on the Hill. $8 ticket...i sat down in the back...was crowd of maybe 60 people...no more...they had already started. I was a HUGE fan....anyway I could not see Mike...then I noticed two feet sticking out from behind the drum kit to the right of the stage. Someone was lying down at the back of the small stage ! It was Mike lying on his back playing guitar.. a Les Paul...they played a number of forgettable blues numbers. At the end of the show the crowd left quickly as did the band members....it was just me and Mike...he walked right by me and we looked at each other...but I could not find any words to say! Neither did he. Makes me sad now to have been so silent. One of my many regrets. I didn't know he had a drug problem. He is gone, and I am still hear....he was a great great guitar player.
@@michaelcelani8325 Changing the subject here, are you related to Sharon Celani, the long time backup singer for Stevie Nicks? Just wondering. Thanks. I'm a fan and a huge Bloomfield fan as well. Also, there are several photos of Mike Bloomfield laying on his back, playing his Les Paul. Guess he was in his "comfort zone" there. You are very lucky to have gotten that close to a legend. Don't feel bad about not speaking to Mike. What CAN you say other than "Hi" or "Nice playing, man". Been in the same situation with some of my musical heroes. Just in awe and speechless, I reckon.
Mike Bloomfield was outstanding on the Electric Flag album he really influenced me on playing guitar. also the Super Session album R.I .P Mike. Bloomfield
I read somewhere that the fretless wonders were really not a wanted guitars in those days.. the mid pickup was badly out of phase, and the frets sucked.. I might be wrong
@John Hulsker You are not saying anything about addiction and recovery. What ARE you saying? You are saying, “A lotta speed freaks in those days.” You say the words “a lot of” in a sloppy way. Drug use ruins the English language in the United States.
@@michaelohara5861 i kinda always thought mike was on one side of the record and stephen on the other side, does that sound right? i have the cd and the original record is somewhere in my collection of stuff. it's one record i can't part with.
@@steveperry1344 That's right - Mike Bloomfield did one side with his amazing version of "Stop" as the standout track. For whatever reason he wasn't around for the whole session so Stills filled in and completed the second side of the album
Amazing, amazing musician. This is unbelievable..... what a great video clip to make available to the rest of us aspiring guitarist! 👍🏽..... what most people don’t know is that he was adamant that the Tele was THE “holy grail”. Once you’ve mastered the Telecaster, you then have the solid foundation to make your choice of guitar//amp configurations that define “your signature sound”. He most admired those who stayed with the Tele..... but he was the most open-minded to those who went in different directions. He set the standard - no doubt.
For young rock guitarists, Mike opened up the concept taking real solos, & of using exotic scales, inventing the 'jam band' concept, (most notably the Grateful Dead, who were a very different band before they heard 'EastWest'). The PBBB at one point seemed to have as many imitators playing clubs as the Beatles or Stones. He strongly promoted the older blues musicians who influenced him, reinvigorating careers for BB King & many others, in the larger rock venues. The 'Electric Flag' preceded the rock horn sections of Chicago & BST. In spite of inspiring many of today's great players, his 'thinking-ahead' phrasing has never been completely successfully duplicated.
In England, Clapton wanted a Guitar like Freddie Kings. He couldn't find a goldtop so got burst .Live shows and the Beano album with Mayall and the rest is history. Stay safe God bless, Rock on.
So nice to see a healthy mike..... the best players in the world....Honor Bloomfield.... see you on the other side brother............ I better listen to Mary Anne
Fender tried making a guitar for jazz players and it didn’t take, but became a pretty popular guitar to this day among the indie crowd. Gibson tried making a guitar for jazz players and it didn’t take and ended up being a rock icon. The moral of the story is try designing an instrument for jazz players! It won’t take with them, but it will get popular!
@@nelsonlugo45 Jaguar's a short-scale, 24". Teles, Strats, & Jazzmasters are 25.5". 24" doesn't sound as good as 25.5". If you bend a string on a Jaguar, it pops off the bridge, not good for blues.
@@Knight14649 Byrdland's a short-scale, 23.5", 3/4-depth jazz guitar, designed by Billy Byrd & Hank Garland . I don't know if they had small hands, but that'd be an incentive. Usually rock players don't use guitars like this because they feed back, but Ted Nugent used feedback effectively w/a Byrdland. I've seen more jazz players use Teles than Byrdlands or 335/345/355's.
I wish someone would give me a Les Paul haha. Used to have one, traded a Strat for it but had to sell it. Playing on a strat now modded all to hell, humbuckers aftermarket fat Gibson scale neck, a monstrosity of wires under the guard. I love listening to his enthusiasm talking about his guitar as if he were talking about how he first met his wife or something.
@ Edinburgh. And I’ve had to explain, and demonstrate that fact over and over here in Boston, Ma. I’ve turned many people on to Bloomfield’s genius. But your regular joe on the street has no f’n idea about PBBB or Elvin or Michael. It’s odd.
I am very soon going to buy one of these 60´s Les Paul reissue. I already play on a American special Tele, but I think the Les Paul with its very own and different dark bluesy sound will be a perfect match/combination for me. Inspiring to see Bloomfield discussing how he discovered this guitar. Thanks for loading.
I recall some years ago in an interview, Michael Bloomfield describing himself sitting in with Jimi Hendrix. Michael said that when Hendrix played, he was completely blown away. The way that he described Hendrix was beyond anything he had ever heard. At the time Hendrix was that good. Unfortunately, the drugs and alcohol along with political and money pressures affected him. Music is after all an emotional communication as well as a means of painting an artistic picture. Michael comes across as a fun loving good guy....
The perfect guitar for the perfect player... Mike's playing on Butterfield band live is as good as anything that came out of Britain's blues invasion. RIP MIKE.
Saw Mike play with Paul Butterfield in 1966.He was so good, I gave up playing for weeks as I felt so clumsy.He was like lightning and he was the best I've ever seen. The Paul Butterfield Blues Band were superb,Pauĺ was a brilliant harp player.
Oh Yeah ! Butterfield on harmonica was just....Dynamic ! Just great...self confident...and that fat sound he got was perfect ...and unique. They had a special energy that is SO rare.
❤In 1980-‘81,I got to jam with an early incarnation of The Shaboo All Stars;✨ being a HUGE Bloomfield fan,I was blown away when Lefty introduced Harvey Brooks on bass!. I was supposed to learn some tunes,but just wanted to play Bloomers licks for Harvey&hear some stories!Michael had this signature ascending Hungarian Major line that was unlike anything Clapton,Hendrix or anyone else was playing over V7 chords. We played “Texas”, and I made sure to rip it for Harvey! Memory of a lifetime! Michael was a genius;his playing is timeless ❤😊
I can’t stress enough how happy it makes me to see so many Bloomfield fans!! He is my biggest influence as a guitarist along with Peter Green and Roy Buchanan. I try my hardest day in and day out to keep their legacies alive and well while trying to remain original in the process. I’ll never forget hearing East West when I was 18 (24 now) and being totally mind blown. It really opened up a new world for me and showed me just how far improvisation could go. It taught me all about the Phrygian mode, Eastern melodies, and really helped me expand my playing out of the basic pentatonic and blues boxes. Not that there’s anything wrong with those of course, especially if you use them the right way and creatively. I find it very inspiring that a straight up blues cat like Michael really branched out into that territory. Work Song and His Holy Modal Majesty are my other favorite tracks that showcase that side of his playing. From what I understand East West was the first track that showcased psychedelic jamming that bands like the Dead, Allman Bros, Cream, and basically every band from San Fran at that time would later be known for. Thanks for all the inspiration Mike, may you Rest In Peace.
Love the passion. I can definitely relate to what ur saying. I myself started listening at the same age, now 25. All I can tell is that Bloomfield had a huge impact on my playing. He had dynamics as no other, check his west-side album tho
zganja wut For sure, up until that point I’d been playing for 4 years and only had heard blues based playing. I’d never heard anything like that before it was life changing to say that least. Is that the Fillmore Show with Nick Gravenites?, the one with Blues on the Westside? If so that’s hands down my absolute favorite Bloomfield recording, every song on that album is scorching. I think Michaels best work was done live which is the case for a lot players and bands from that time. I really wish there was more high quality live albums by him. If you can find it there’s a great bootleg of him with Butterfield from 66 that’s absolutely amazing. There’s some decent live recordings of East West on UA-cam too. It’s such a shame he couldn’t conquer his addictions and take better care of himself.
He's the best!! I got to meet him in Cotati CA back in the 70s He walked in to a small bar asked if he could play the piano then proceeded to sit and serenade us for about an HR. He allowed me to take a pic.. I was totally gassed!! 🎹🎶😎
MIKE WAS A DOPE ADDICT....fuck you asshole, there are hundreds of guitar players in Chicago that play better than you now!! Dime a dozen. Hope you're proud of yourself. You blew it. What a waste. Dope head. I don't care if you were a star, so what? fucking idiot,
Disagree. He didn't leave enough examples on tape for me to rate him near the top. Work Song East West hint at his great potential. But lots of live cuts were not so great. Wish he had character enough to avoid addiction and to have developed to his highest level.
buffalobilly I have never understood people who write a great musician off because of drug use. So many of the greats used, many of them died from it. It’s a real shame. We all love them anyway and can learn from them. But to have hate in your heart because of it is just wrong.
From Google: “Michael Bloomfield's 1959 Les Paul Standard, also known as the Burst, has been missing since he abandoned it at a Vancouver nightclub in 1974.” I think I need to make a trip up to Canada. 😂
Good lord.. I wish this interview went on for hours and hours and ended with a jam session with some of the electric flag. Or at least the complete interview
He should have given credit to John Sebastian. It was his sunburst that Michael saw when he was still playing his Tele. Sebastian hung out with the Butterfield Band when they first came to NYC to make their first album. It was shortly after that Michael traded his Tele to Nuse in the International Submarine Band for his Les Paul.
There's a video on YT of John Sebastian playing the Les Paul you're talking about. It's from Hullabaloo 1965. They're doing "You Didn't Have To be So Nice." It's in B & W but you can tell it's a sunburst Les Paul.
Michael doesn't mention that it was John Sebastian's Les Paul burst that made him trade his Telecaster to John Neuse for his Les Paul. Sebastian was hanging out in NYC with the Paul Butterfield Band when they made their first album (which didn't come out until decades later).
Sebastion's burst-LPS was the 1st I ever saw. It was so cool, I thought it was custom-made. Musicians began treating them like antiques , even tho they were only 6yrs old, because Gibson only made SGs in the early'60s, & the average music store didn't have any LPs.
@@davidlarue3597 that's not true man. It's just a theory. A game theory Het was just found dead in his car with both doors locked and all his guitars at home were stolen. It was possible a murder man. But it's a mistory to this day. Nobody knows
@@charlesancer6101 I saw him at the Club Zayante in the Santa Cruz mountains in the early 70s and he was in bad shape - almost too stoned to play - in any case - He was a genius but dead is dead ~
@@davidlarue3597 yea man he really wasn't a rockstar😂 there are those people who just play for themselves alone. I have a super super rare home recording of bloomfield if your interested? ❤❤😂
Everything I've heard him say- everything I've heard him play, no matter how complex- resolves itself into one basic observation: Bloomfield was an innocent guy.
Mike played a Telecaster w/PBBB. He offered my friend 2 guitars, (possibly his Tele & Fretless Wonder), plus cash, for his 1959LP Standard, (like this one) but my friend liked his '59 too much to part w/it. Mike played the'59 w/the Flag, & on Super Session.
He kick started the desire for a 58-60 Les Paul Burst. Gibson stopped making them at the end of 1960 because they were a sales failure. After Bloomfield weilded one successfully Clapton Beck Page, Green and many others also got one and Gibson re release them in 1968.
I've always loved the cherry Sunburnt Les Paul. It was delicious like cherry candy. I got my first LP in 1971 triple Humbuckers Custom Black Beauty LP. I still have it today. I would trade it for nothing. My dad got it for me I'm know in my midish 60s . this LP went through the mill..with a few mods it's by far my far .
To think.. this almost the only video or film clip of Michael live.. Of all the music he made and of all the things he said, all that remains to the fans is this.. It’s a shame that there is nothing left of his legacy on film…
So funny. I was 15 in 1969 and rather stupid. A friend- much wiser- who subsequently opened a well known guitar shop had. A 59 burst and ? 56 gold top. Eagerly and proudly showed them to me. I said- to heavy- will stick with my p90 SG. Learned- always listen to wiser people and assume you are dumb as a pebble. Lovely clip.
He and Al Looper played UMass/Amherst in Spring 1971 outside. Quite a memorable day. Like wow man, we listened to the Charles Manson pretrial motions,L.A. Woman by the Doors, prepared for Mayday 1971 in D.C.. Trust fund Jews made bombs at Project 10 in PowerPoint Dorm in SW. Whitey Bulger busted the Pufton Village Four for Hashish sales (no payoffs), Layla, Cat Stevens,etc...
UM BS check out C# Blues by Jimi on one of the later release albums... just insane... and yes I have Super Session etc and Love Michael but Jimi... over the top.
@@fu6223 Super Session is probably the most well known album featuring Bloomfield . It is an album conceived by Al Kooper and featuring the work of guitarists Mike Bloomfield, Stephen Stills and bassist Harvey Brooks, released on Columbia Records in 1968. Bloomfield and Stills do not play together on the album, with tracks including Bloomfield on side one, and those including Stills on side two. It peaked at number 12 on the Billboard 200, and has been certified a gold record by the RIAA.
![Paul Butterfield & Mike Bloomfield • “Last Night” • 1971 [Reelin' In The Years Archive]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/inmoebJhEzs/mqdefault.jpg)
Invaluable piece of footage here!
Mike Bloomfield's importance to electric guitar is criminally missed.
He's correct about the Les Paul. I have an Ebony "Black Beauty" 78 Deluxe Les Paul.
The Sound and feel of it cannot be duplicated.
We need you back Mikey!!!
I think you need to try some of the new Custom Shop Les Pauls. I challenge you to tell the difference between a good one of those and yours.
@@priesty4783 I have... After 4 decades of playing just about any guitar, bass etc.. It still cannot be duplicated. The only one that would top it for me is the 52 Gold Top. Thanks.
@@GordiansKnotHere I'm happy for you, bro.. keep it safe
@@priesty4783 LOL, good.
The only downside to this clip is that it is not long enough.
😨
And he isn't playing at all ...
Never seen this before, of course I hadn't seen the Les Paul bio/doc. Just to see Michael talking and in the flesh is such a super treat. And, yes, he does "play" a little bit...just fooling around and teasing us. Just the brief seconds, he's brilliant.
Loves his guitar so much that he can hardly get words out fast enough ❤️☄️
Yeah, that's the ticket!
I quit playing trombone in my high school band in 67 because Mike Bloomfield was playing with Paul Butterfield about 10 miles from where I was supposed to be marching around a football field at half time. A little over a year later I sold the trombone and bought a brand new 68 gold top Les Paul.
Damn! You still have it?
That was the first year since 1960 that they were produced, much better than the LP Deluxe that came out in 1970 and worth much more, good move!
I sold my Olds trombone in 1971 which I played through 7-12 grade in orchestra and the band from 1959 - 1964 after getting a white telecaster in 1971.
He and Elvin were so great together. East West blew me away! And the Work Song was incredible.
PBBB's reunion@the"First Family Dog Reunion",'78: I heard Mike tell Paul: "That asshole's the reason I quit.", about Bishop, who was an ass that day.
East West was the best LP l bought in '66.
@@nathansaenz6599 John Fogerty said Creedence's first album had an ear to _East/West._
Great interview from one of the most influential guitar players in the mid-60's
Wow, what a cool dude with a great passion for his art. Such a shame he’s not still with us. RIP Mike
Wow, never heard him speak before seeing this clip. thanks.
🤢
Some more Bloomfield talk - ua-cam.com/video/HIrx3M5aLL0/v-deo.html
Well, I saw Mike in December of 1977 in Boulder Colorado at the old Tulagis bar on the Hill. $8 ticket...i sat down in the back...was crowd of maybe 60 people...no more...they had already started. I was a HUGE fan....anyway I could not see Mike...then I noticed two feet sticking out from behind the drum kit to the right of the stage. Someone was lying down at the back of the small stage ! It was Mike lying on his back playing guitar.. a Les Paul...they played a number of forgettable blues numbers. At the end of the show the crowd left quickly as did the band members....it was just me and Mike...he walked right by me and we looked at each other...but I could not find any words to say! Neither did he. Makes me sad now to have been so silent. One of my many regrets. I didn't know he had a drug problem. He is gone, and I am still hear....he was a great great guitar player.
He speaks on a lot of his albums, especially the live ones and If You Love These Blues.
@@michaelcelani8325 Changing the subject here, are you related to Sharon Celani, the long time backup singer for Stevie Nicks? Just wondering. Thanks. I'm a fan and a huge Bloomfield fan as well. Also, there are several photos of Mike Bloomfield laying on his back, playing his Les Paul. Guess he was in his "comfort zone" there. You are very lucky to have gotten that close to a legend. Don't feel bad about not speaking to Mike. What CAN you say other than "Hi" or "Nice playing, man". Been in the same situation with some of my musical heroes. Just in awe and speechless, I reckon.
Mike Bloomfield was outstanding on the Electric Flag album he really influenced me on playing guitar. also the Super Session album R.I .P Mike. Bloomfield
Mike Bloomfield was such a great player. I bow in his direction three times a day.
HE MARRIED THE DEVIL HERSELF AND SHE USED HEROIN TO MURDER HIM !!! THEY JACKED OFF FOR SATAN!!! STILL ARE!!!
@@steveburchfield5576 what the hell are you blabbering about.
🥂
His guitar teacher gave him a LP... Musta seen some potential in him
Or maybe he was a fruiter.
@@franz909
I owned an LP by the Ventures " Learn to play guitar" ... Maybe it's the same.
I read somewhere that the fretless wonders were really not a wanted guitars in those days.. the mid pickup was badly out of phase, and the frets sucked.. I might be wrong
@@hammer5156 The original LP Custom had 2 single coil pickups.
I also liked him with his Telecaster playing with Dylan on the Newport Festival ( Maggies Farm, Like a rolling stone).
@Halli Day I always associate him more with the Tele.
@Halli Day I don't. He didn't either, hence his change to the Les Paul.
Not just an amazing player but well spoken too
I sure wish the entire clip was available. Cool to hear him talk about the guitar.
A lotta speedfreaks in those days,
@John Hulsker You are not saying anything about addiction and recovery. What ARE you saying? You are saying, “A lotta speed freaks in those days.” You say the words “a lot of” in a sloppy way. Drug use ruins the English language in the United States.
@@kathrynfauble9053 People use amphetamines
@@johnhulsker9123 a lotta dumb useless fucks in these days (you)
This guy was an incredible blues guitarist. His record with Al Kooper and Stephen Stills is still on of the best all time blues albums.
definitely.
You do know he didn't show for the session that day so Al Kooper called Stephen they didn't play together.
Michael ohara Yep I knew, still an incredible album and for Stills I think his greatest.
@@michaelohara5861 i kinda always thought mike was on one side of the record and stephen on the other side, does that sound right? i have the cd and the original record is somewhere in my collection of stuff. it's one record i can't part with.
@@steveperry1344 That's right - Mike Bloomfield did one side with his amazing version of "Stop" as the standout track. For whatever reason he wasn't around for the whole session so Stills filled in and completed the second side of the album
Wish there were more footage of Bloomfield like this out there…
Always watch this and keep hoping magically there will be additional footage...
Agreed!
Amazing, amazing musician. This is unbelievable..... what a great video clip to make available to the rest of us aspiring guitarist! 👍🏽..... what most people don’t know is that he was adamant that the Tele was THE “holy grail”. Once you’ve mastered the Telecaster, you then have the solid foundation to make your choice of guitar//amp configurations that define “your signature sound”. He most admired those who stayed with the Tele..... but he was the most open-minded to those who went in different directions. He set the standard - no doubt.
For young rock guitarists, Mike opened up the concept taking real solos, & of using exotic scales, inventing the 'jam band' concept, (most notably the Grateful Dead, who were a very different band before they heard 'EastWest'). The PBBB at one point seemed to have as many imitators playing clubs as the Beatles or Stones. He strongly promoted the older blues musicians who influenced him, reinvigorating careers for BB King & many others, in the larger rock venues. The 'Electric Flag' preceded the rock horn sections of Chicago & BST. In spite of inspiring many of today's great players, his 'thinking-ahead' phrasing has never been completely successfully duplicated.
Amen. You are speaking truth.
How cool to hear and see him talking about the Les Paul!!
In England, Clapton wanted a Guitar like Freddie Kings. He couldn't find a goldtop so got burst .Live shows and the Beano album with Mayall and the rest is history. Stay safe God bless, Rock on.
John Hearn Exactly!
So nice to see a healthy mike..... the best players in the world....Honor Bloomfield.... see you on the other side brother............ I better listen to Mary Anne
Fender tried making a guitar for jazz players and it didn’t take, but became a pretty popular guitar to this day among the indie crowd. Gibson tried making a guitar for jazz players and it didn’t take and ended up being a rock icon. The moral of the story is try designing an instrument for jazz players! It won’t take with them, but it will get popular!
The gibson byrdland, the es 355, the several others in that class. The fender jazz master…
Fender Jaguar
@@nelsonlugo45 Jaguar's a short-scale, 24". Teles, Strats, & Jazzmasters are 25.5". 24" doesn't sound as good as 25.5". If you bend a string on a Jaguar, it pops off the bridge, not good for blues.
There have been a few old-school jazz guitarists who used telecasters.
@@Knight14649 Byrdland's a short-scale, 23.5", 3/4-depth jazz guitar, designed by Billy Byrd & Hank Garland . I don't know if they had small hands, but that'd be an incentive. Usually rock players don't use guitars like this because they feed back, but Ted Nugent used feedback effectively w/a Byrdland. I've seen more jazz players use Teles than Byrdlands or 335/345/355's.
Every day guy with a pile of talent .Greatness
In his prime he was the best my all time favorite wish he was still here
This made me happy. Him talking about the process of realizing that the les Paul is great is crazy to me cause it’s a given to all of us these days
I wish someone would give me a Les Paul haha.
Used to have one, traded a Strat for it but had to sell it. Playing on a strat now modded all to hell, humbuckers aftermarket fat Gibson scale neck, a monstrosity of wires under the guard. I love listening to his enthusiasm talking about his guitar as if he were talking about how he first met his wife or something.
You can tell Bloomfield just adores playing guitar. Gleeful as a kid.
But gritty and raw in his blues
One of the greatest! RIP Mike
cool post, he was my favorite. Copied him as much as I could.
One of the greatest blues guitarists ever graced the rock scene!
@ Edinburgh. And I’ve had to explain, and demonstrate that fact over and over here in Boston, Ma. I’ve turned many people on to Bloomfield’s genius. But your regular joe on the street has no f’n idea about PBBB or Elvin or Michael. It’s odd.
I am very soon going to buy one of these 60´s Les Paul reissue. I already play on a American special Tele, but I think the Les Paul with its very own and different dark bluesy sound will be a perfect match/combination for me. Inspiring to see Bloomfield discussing how he discovered this guitar. Thanks for loading.
Wise move 👌 a Tele & a LesPaul and you've got it ALL ❕
Just play any guitar.
I recall some years ago in an interview, Michael Bloomfield describing himself sitting in with Jimi Hendrix. Michael said that when Hendrix played, he was completely blown away. The way that he described Hendrix was beyond anything he had ever heard. At the time Hendrix was that good. Unfortunately, the drugs and alcohol along with political and money pressures affected him. Music is after all an emotional communication as well as a means of painting an artistic picture. Michael comes across as a fun loving good guy....
So much important history in this video clip. I'm glad I found it.
So great to see the exuberance and love of his guitar and music. So sad to think drugs took him way too soon.
The perfect guitar for the perfect player... Mike's playing on Butterfield band live is as good as anything that came out of Britain's blues invasion. RIP MIKE.
Bloomfield and Clapton. Both found their true voice on Gibsons.
I love EC on LPs, but 99% of his playing's on Strats..
I would love to see all of this video! Thank you for sharing what you have!
Saw Mike play with Paul Butterfield in 1966.He was so good, I gave up playing for weeks as I felt so clumsy.He was like lightning and he was the best I've ever seen. The Paul Butterfield Blues Band were superb,Pauĺ was a brilliant harp player.
mi scappa da pisciare
Oh Yeah ! Butterfield on harmonica was just....Dynamic ! Just great...self confident...and that fat sound he got was perfect ...and unique. They had a special energy that is SO rare.
@@gg-ok4zc Go and have one then !
@@michaelscales5996 💩
You're lucky.Mike left the PBBBB February,'67.
❤In 1980-‘81,I got to jam with an early incarnation of The Shaboo All Stars;✨ being a HUGE Bloomfield fan,I was blown away when Lefty introduced Harvey Brooks on bass!. I was supposed to learn some tunes,but just wanted to play Bloomers licks for Harvey&hear some stories!Michael had this signature ascending Hungarian Major line that was unlike anything Clapton,Hendrix or anyone else was playing over V7 chords. We played “Texas”, and I made sure to rip it for Harvey! Memory of a lifetime! Michael was a genius;his playing is timeless ❤😊
I saw this guy play live, up close. I remember him as being rather intense and focused.
after all those years and those videos watching; I finally got myself a LP R9.. best guitar I've ever played
Far out! Dude was just so down to earth. How very cool.
I can’t stress enough how happy it makes me to see so many Bloomfield fans!! He is my biggest influence as a guitarist along with Peter Green and Roy Buchanan. I try my hardest day in and day out to keep their legacies alive and well while trying to remain original in the process. I’ll never forget hearing East West when I was 18 (24 now) and being totally mind blown. It really opened up a new world for me and showed me just how far improvisation could go. It taught me all about the Phrygian mode, Eastern melodies, and really helped me expand my playing out of the basic pentatonic and blues boxes. Not that there’s anything wrong with those of course, especially if you use them the right way and creatively. I find it very inspiring that a straight up blues cat like Michael really branched out into that territory. Work Song and His Holy Modal Majesty are my other favorite tracks that showcase that side of his playing. From what I understand East West was the first track that showcased psychedelic jamming that bands like the Dead, Allman Bros, Cream, and basically every band from San Fran at that time would later be known for. Thanks for all the inspiration Mike, may you Rest In Peace.
Love the passion. I can definitely relate to what ur saying. I myself started listening at the same age, now 25. All I can tell is that Bloomfield had a huge impact on my playing. He had dynamics as no other, check his west-side album tho
Elvin Bishop also shined on East-West. Like you, loved that album when I discovered it in my youth.
zganja wut For sure, up until that point I’d been playing for 4 years and only had heard blues based playing. I’d never heard anything like that before it was life changing to say that least. Is that the Fillmore Show with Nick Gravenites?, the one with Blues on the Westside? If so that’s hands down my absolute favorite Bloomfield recording, every song on that album is scorching. I think Michaels best work was done live which is the case for a lot players and bands from that time. I really wish there was more high quality live albums by him. If you can find it there’s a great bootleg of him with Butterfield from 66 that’s absolutely amazing. There’s some decent live recordings of East West on UA-cam too. It’s such a shame he couldn’t conquer his addictions and take better care of himself.
I got see Roy in '81. I have the bands autographs. He signed it "Hey Joe, Luv Roy Buchanan". It was a fantastic era to grow up being a guitar fan.
@@rhmayer1 Elvin is my neighbor. He still plays at the annual 4th of July party.
Seemed like such a cool mellow dude.
I'd love to see this whole thing.
Damn! Wish there was more of this interview to watch. Thanks for what you posted. :)
Like he was just getting warmed up.Love you Mike What a guy!Always so enthused about guitarz!Childlike Wonder from a Master
He should be in the R&R hall of fame for sure
He's the best!! I got to meet him in Cotati CA back in the 70s
He walked in to a small bar asked if he could play the piano then proceeded to sit and serenade us for about an HR. He allowed me to take a pic.. I was totally gassed!! 🎹🎶😎
Oh Carol, you're but a fool, you forgot to attach that pic to your post, which is a rule....
@@DrAgan_tortojed I have one but I don't see an option to post it
"INN OF THE BEGINNING " in Cotati, I saw Mose Allison there.
Mike in his prime (mid to late 60's) could cut anybody any day of the week. Ask Dylan.
buffalobilly he is definitely
MIKE WAS A DOPE ADDICT....fuck you asshole, there are hundreds of guitar players in Chicago that play better than you now!! Dime a dozen. Hope you're proud of yourself. You blew it. What a waste. Dope head. I don't care if you were a star, so what? fucking idiot,
Disagree. He didn't leave enough examples on tape for me to rate him near the top. Work Song East West hint at his great potential. But lots of live cuts were not so great. Wish he had character enough to avoid addiction and to have developed to his highest level.
@@BryceDAnderson1952 the man is dead. Please have some respect.
R.I.P. mike Bloomfield
buffalobilly I have never understood people who write a great musician off because of drug use. So many of the greats used, many of them died from it. It’s a real shame. We all love them anyway and can learn from them. But to have hate in your heart because of it is just wrong.
Master of blues phrasing
Gem of a video. Thanks for this!
You can immediately hear the unique tonal qualities of the Burst. Where is it now?
From Google: “Michael Bloomfield's 1959 Les Paul Standard, also known as the Burst, has been missing since he abandoned it at a Vancouver nightclub in 1974.”
I think I need to make a trip up to Canada. 😂
Very well spoken
Good lord..
I wish this interview went on for hours and hours and ended with a jam session with some of the electric flag.
Or at least the complete interview
An under appreciated Legend!! R.I.P.
He should have given credit to John Sebastian. It was his sunburst that Michael saw when he was still playing his Tele. Sebastian hung out with the Butterfield Band when they first came to NYC to make their first album. It was shortly after that Michael traded his Tele to Nuse in the International Submarine Band for his Les Paul.
There's a video on YT of John Sebastian playing the Les Paul you're talking about. It's from Hullabaloo 1965. They're doing "You Didn't Have To be So Nice." It's in B & W but you can tell it's a sunburst Les Paul.
Michael doesn't mention that it was John Sebastian's Les Paul burst that made him trade his Telecaster to John Neuse for his Les Paul. Sebastian was hanging out in NYC with the Paul Butterfield Band when they made their first album (which didn't come out until decades later).
Sebastion's burst-LPS was the 1st I ever saw. It was so cool, I thought it was custom-made. Musicians began treating them like antiques , even tho they were only 6yrs old, because Gibson only made SGs in the early'60s, & the average music store didn't have any LPs.
I think a lot of people forget that Andy Summers (The Police) was an early adopter of ‘The Burst’ too!
Spoken like a true "Mensch", Michael! He still lives today.
RIP
He died at 37 of an overdose in 1981
@@davidlarue3597 that's not true man. It's just a theory. A game theory
Het was just found dead in his car with both doors locked and all his guitars at home were stolen. It was possible a murder man. But it's a mistory to this day. Nobody knows
@@charlesancer6101 I saw him at the Club Zayante in the Santa Cruz mountains in the early 70s and he was in bad shape - almost too stoned to play - in any case - He was a genius but dead is dead ~
@@davidlarue3597 yea man he really wasn't a rockstar😂 there are those people who just play for themselves alone. I have a super super rare home recording of bloomfield if your interested? ❤❤😂
Jeff Beck stopped using his Le Pauls. He said they were too easy to play, too easy to make sound good, so they made him lazy.
What a bs jeff said
i regardless of what beck said i still like them
@@fender.munoz7 Indeed, he liked them too.
@@aleksik4028 Do you not believe he said it, or not believe he meant it? (Keep in mind that Bloomfield ended up playing a strat.)
Wish it was longer
Ahhhhh this is so cool, I want more!
When the rest of the world was giving Clapton acclaim, it took a while for us Chicago boys to give him a break. We preferred Mike.
Amazing guitar for an amazing player.
Nunca te olvidaremos Michael
Great player. Tragic story.😢
Dude could talk the leg off a chair.
But then the chair becomes useless.
Illicit substances?
Big brain.
SUPER SESSION - Yeah, Bay-Bee !!!!
he was right back then and it is still the best rock and roll guitar ever made. I own 3 of them.
Incredible
Love you Bloomers❤️
Is this his? The one with the wrong tone knob? His family owned Royal Bloomfield Restaurant Equipment here in Chicago.
Uncle Larry Sent Me here....so glad.
Wish we could see the rest of this great clip!
He is sorely missed.
Everything I've heard him say- everything I've heard him play, no matter how complex- resolves itself into one basic observation: Bloomfield was an innocent guy.
A shame to have lost him, like so many others.
RIP
Mike played a Telecaster w/PBBB. He offered my friend 2 guitars, (possibly his Tele & Fretless Wonder), plus cash, for his 1959LP Standard, (like this one) but my friend liked his '59 too much to part w/it. Mike played the'59 w/the Flag, & on Super Session.
Mr. Bloomfield, according to players at that time, and dealers like George Gruhn, was THE man who kick started the vintage guitar boom.
He kick started the desire for a 58-60 Les Paul Burst. Gibson stopped making them at the end of 1960 because they were a sales failure. After Bloomfield weilded one successfully Clapton Beck Page, Green and many others also got one and Gibson re release them in 1968.
Clapton is the main reason by far. Beck, Page, Kossoff, and Peter Green all grabbed Les Pauls after Eric joined the Bluesbreakers.
@@kanga-blue they were trading for $3-400. in the mid 60's! Coulda ,woulda, shoulda!
Good video............. thanks!!
I like the photos featured in the trailer for Sweet Blues of him with the Duo Sonic.
much loved...much missed
That was GREAt but wish it was a longer interview !
Fascinated. How did you get this clip? Is there any more ? would LOVE to see!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
😱
I've always loved the cherry Sunburnt Les Paul. It was delicious like cherry candy. I got my first LP in 1971 triple Humbuckers Custom Black Beauty LP. I still have it today.
I would trade it for nothing. My dad got it for me I'm know in my midish 60s . this LP went through the mill..with a few mods it's by far my far .
Michael Bloomfield
In a 1979 interview.
Even though the quality of the tape is not ideal.When he plays the guitar you can hear that particular guitar had such a great tone!
Mike left this guitar at a club, & never went back to find it. It was still missing last time I checked. At this point, it's a million$ ax.
To think.. this almost the only video or film clip of Michael live..
Of all the music he made and of all the things he said, all that remains to the fans is this..
It’s a shame that there is nothing left of his legacy on film…
Bloomfield with a Les Paul plugged into a breathing reverb model Fender was a glorious thing.
That particular Burst in his hands had so much life and through a cranked Twin Reverb it was THE standard for electric blues tone, period!
Way too short. What a legend
He looked, talked healthy, jeez those fookin drugs,why,why,why,wasted years,now Johnny, now Van,damn sure no wasted years no more
🤣 Little did Mike know at that time he's holding and owned a million dollar guitar!!!😁
So funny. I was 15 in 1969 and rather stupid. A friend- much wiser- who subsequently opened a well known guitar shop had. A 59 burst and ? 56 gold top. Eagerly and proudly showed them to me. I said- to heavy- will stick with my p90 SG. Learned- always listen to wiser people and assume you are dumb as a pebble. Lovely clip.
He and Al Looper played UMass/Amherst in Spring 1971 outside. Quite a memorable day. Like wow man, we listened to the Charles Manson pretrial motions,L.A. Woman by the Doors, prepared for Mayday 1971 in D.C.. Trust fund Jews made bombs at Project 10 in PowerPoint Dorm in SW. Whitey Bulger busted the Pufton Village Four for Hashish sales (no payoffs), Layla, Cat Stevens,etc...
What an amazing "Blues Player"................Just straight up guitar player!!!!!
MIke Bloomfiled was the absolute apex of blues guitar mastery. No one and not even Jimi could play them better.
UM BS check out C# Blues by Jimi on one of the later release albums... just insane... and yes I have Super Session etc and Love Michael but Jimi... over the top.
I'd put him up against Green and Koss any day of the week .
@@fu6223 Super Session is probably the most well known album featuring Bloomfield . It is an album conceived by Al Kooper and featuring the work of guitarists Mike Bloomfield, Stephen Stills and bassist Harvey Brooks, released on Columbia Records in 1968. Bloomfield and Stills do not play together on the album, with tracks including Bloomfield on side one, and those including Stills on side two. It peaked at number 12 on the Billboard 200, and has been certified a gold record by the RIAA.
@@fu6223 and no as if I could send you an illegal copy and go to jail just to make you happy?
Cruisin For A Bruisin must have been his best album since Highway 61 Revisited.
Where is the rest?
rip mike bloomfield & long live elvin bishop bro!!
GREAT !👍👍👍