Edgar Winter and his late brother Johnny (who had his own band) are both albino, and as a result it wasn't really safe for them to go out and play in the sun as kids, so instead they stayed inside and practiced music. I think the results speak for themselves.
It is fun for a 63-year old to see you two discovering the best of the music I grew up with. My generation was blessed with a mass of fantastic live performances and studio albums by real musicians. This show, 'The Old Grey Whistle Test' was the great BBC live music show and precursor to Jools Holland's 'Later'. Bob Marley and the Wailers were on it right back in the day.
Does anyone else find it adorable when Amber throws her hands up in excitement? Haha. I've noticed she's done it in several videos, and it always...makes me smile! 😄
She is so much fun. And genuinely moved by the music. It's also very refreshing to see a young person react with such empathy to intense and difficult lyrics.
No, this version was not a #1 hit. This was not the single I purchased in 1973. This was just a prolonged exercise of making noises and not music. The album version is annoying, but not even close to this mess. Poor Jay & Amber really need a guide to help them select the correct videos.
I just saw an interview with Edgar and he said they didn't even mean to record it. So they cut it up and released on side B of one of his singles. Some DJ accidently played the wrong side and it became a hit. Wiki: The song topped the US Billboard Hot 100 chart for one week in May 1973. Frankenstein sold over one million copies.
Edgar Winter is like a musical mad scientist; he had to stay home most of his childhood days due to his albino skin, so he (and his brother) just became the best musician(s) they possibly could be. The versatility alone is insane. That and the ability to come up with these mad mixes. Just outstanding.
One of Edgar's best performances and one he plays with his brother Johnny is their live video of the song 'Tobacco Road'. Edgar's voice will shock you completely!!!!!!
If you liked this, you have to see Edgar and Johnny perform “Tobacco Road” LIVE - Edgar does amazing vocals, and Johnny is considered, one of, if not the greatest guitarist there ever was.
Amber, I think the word you were searching for to describe the sound of 70s instruments is "analog". Even for purely electric instruments like the synthesizer the sounds were made by manipulating electrical waveforms, not bits, and it just sounds different. BTW, when the studio version of Frankenstein was released, critics said it couldn't be played live. Edgar said, "hold my beer".
One of the greatest instrumentals in rock music history. Edgar Winter was a multi talented musician and this video shows off those talents in so many ways.
Just sayin' , my generation was blessed to grow up during this decade. The music was (for the most part) innovative, boundary stretching, and made with the most incredible talent. This song brings back so many cool memories. It's fun seeing this live version, but the studio version is mesmerizing. And Amber, your smile when he broke out the sax was so much fun. Thanks.
@@maryreilly5092 So true! And we not only appreciated it but as you said, expected it. My dad was a huge music fan, so he just passed that on to us, from Aretha to James Brown, and this song here. What a glorious time in music.
The instrumentation in Frankenstein is infused together like Frankenstein's monster. I think it was Edgar Winter who was the first to strap a keyboard like a guitar into a keytar. If I recall due to Edgar and his brother Johnny both being albinos, the condition caused several vision defects and very high sensitivity to light and sun exposure. While their young school age friends were playing outdoors the brother's albinism forced them to stay indoors. So their focus became playing and experimenting with an assortment of musical instruments
There's a similar, but much more serious (also very rare) condition known as "XP" (for "Xeroderma Pigmentosum"). It's included in the plot of the haunted house thriller, 2001's "The Others", though it's never actually mentioned by name. Upon seeing the film originally, I assumed it had been invented for the story. The Collector's Edition DVD set, however, features a mini-doc about the condition. Some people don't have "fun in the sun".
The Winter brothers were from Beaumont, Texas. They started performing at a young age, and were on a children’s program; where I first saw them. Needless to say, I was a kid at this time. Later on in the late 60’s, they were preforming in and around Houston, Texas. Amazing and gifted musicians. Johnny is no longer with us, but Edgar is still bring it. I’m so glad I grew up with all this great music…
Now that you've found Edgar you need to react to Tobacco Road which is a classic Blues song. Both he and his brother Johnny perform this one but change the song up a little so that it's more rock than blues. Definitely do the live version. As well as hearing Edgar with all his instruments you'll also hear him sing. What a voice! Unusual is an understatement.
The Edgar Winter Group also had some more accessible, straight-forward rock songs like Free Ride and Hangin' Around, both sung by the bass player, Dan Hartman. Guitarist Rick Derringer had an awesome solo single called "Rock and Roll, Hootchie Koo."
Not really. There may have been different musical pieces, but the name came from the editing process where they had to cut and splice the tapes together from longer versions of the song, not from the writing process.
Unexpected tears on this one. My husband, a drummer, passed away 2yrs ago. Last concert we went to was Edgar Winters, he played Frankenstein last and jammed out for 20 minutes or more. Hubby was thrilled!
That was Rick Derringer?. I had no idea. Before my time. First time seeing this video. However, my father had and listened to so many records of both Edgar's and Johnny Winter over the years. He saw them both in concert so many times.
@@PeterAare look up a pic of rick derringer and one of ronnie montrose and you will see that in this particular video it is derringer. Montrose was in Edgar's band but not in this video.
@@jamesdinnan4726 OH, O.K. I knew Ronnie Montrose was in Edgar's band, but I guess I should have checked it out. BTW, Derringer now plays jazz guitar in the Tampa Bay area where I live.
me too ! i'm a black man and this is the tune that made me a rock fan as well as soul ; i am also a drummer so you know i spellbound on that level . i was nine years old when this song first came out and it never gets old
The "box" is the synthesizer that he was playing with the keyboard. Back then you had to move all the dials and switches to shape a single new sound that you wanted to create. Now you can have thousands of different preprogrammed sounds at the press of a button. He played a single note then played the filter knobs to reshape the sound in a rhythmic way. Look up Moog synthesizer for info.
I had a quadraphonic sound system back in the day and I had the album in quad. It would absolutely blow you away listening to Frankenstein. The sounds would surround you then come from the front, then the rear, then the corners. It was amazing!!! I did have the good fortune of seeing him do this live, what a tremendous concert!!
I’m 60 years old, have loved that song for years. This was the first time I’ve seen that live version and my reaction was the same as y’all’s ….jaw dropping! That was BAD ASS!
I too have not heard the live version. When I was in high school and I would go to the dances and this song would come on ( a different version) when it got to the drum solos every one that was dancing would stop because they didn’t know how to dance to that part. I too am 60 and was in high school from September 1975 to June 1979.
Edgar is still alive. He just released a tribute album to his late brother, Johnny Winter, a blues artist who died in 2014, the album is "Brother Johnny" and features many great guitarists. Another song from this album (They Only Come Out at Night) is the song "Free Ride" with the great guitar riff from Rick Derringer (also still alive).
I think Ronnie Montrose played on Free Ride... actually I think he did all the guitars on that album, including the studio verion of Frankenstien. Rick played on Edgar's next album... can't remember the name off my head, the one with Easy Street and Some Kinda Animal etc... and of course Rick did the great EWG live album. Thanks for the info on the "Brother Johnny" album. I didn't know about that.
I saw a lie clip of this lineup playing Free Ride and Dan Hartman had a double neck guitar/bass with a guitar and bass neck and HE played the Free Ride intro riff. Whenever those bass hits happened, Edgar reached over and hammered on that note on the bass neck. It was slick as heck.
Brother Johnny is a great album. I love it. I think Derringer produced They Only Come Out at Night. There is only a little photo of him on the back cover of the album if I remember correctly. The late, great Ronnie Montrose was on the guitar for the album. I was surprised Rick Derringer was not on the Brother Johnny tribute album as he played with Johnny on the Johnny Winter And studio and live albums and also a couple others as well.
I just saw Edgar Winter perform with Ringo Starr's All-Star Band a couple weeks ago. He did do Frankenstein, and they explained that he actually invented the guitar-style keyboard with the strap, so he could play straight to the audience and run around and have fun with it! It was amazing. And yes, he was playing multiple instruments throughout the concert, including Ringo/Beatles music and the music of the other guest musicians (Toto, Avg. White Band, Men at Work). AMAZINGGG!!!
I was on staff at the Academy of Music in NYC. Same time I was a keyboardist and singer with a working band. Edgar brought Whitetrash to do two shows at the Academy and some of it ended up on the Whitetrash Roadwork double album. I realized during those two shows that I was in the presence of a kind of talent that I would never rise to. Nobody ever had that effect on me. But Edgar did.
Great reaction, you should also check out the song, Johnny Winter, Edgar Winter - Tobacco Road (Live) 9:20. Edgar Winter was the first and maybe the only person to remove the legs from a keyboard and attach a guitar strap to it.
Edgar Winter and his brother are probably two of the most talented musicians to ever walk the earth! Not only could Edgar simply play all those instruments he was INSANELY good on each and every one!! Btw, that weird synthesizer he was playing is the ARP 2600. Remember, this was the early 70s. Space race was going strong and electronics were infiltrating into everyday life and people were finding new ways to use electronics in music. Edgar was also the first to throw a keyboard around his neck.
I was very young (about 17) and, for some reason I can’t remember, found myself backstage at an Edgar Winter concert. Edgar walked right by me on his way to the stage. He was the most frail person I’ve ever seen. He was supported by two guys who each held on to one of his arms. It really looked like he could barely walk. And then he went on stage and played a dynamite concert, with boundless energy. You guys haven’t even heard him sing yet. He will blow you away all over again. Check out Edgar and Johnny Winter, Tobacco Road Live.
The bass player in this band (Dan Hartman) is known for the disco song "Instant Replay" and the early 1980s hit "I Can Dream About You". He also produced "Living In America" by James Brown.
I just commented that who would have thought that Dan Hartman would go on to write and perform one of the biggest disco dance floor anthems, “Relight My Fire/Vertigo”, featuring the great Loleatta Holloway! 🔥
Jay & Amber: When your subscribers recommend a song or a performance en masse, you've got to take note and jump on it, because it's usually something REALLY special that we wish to share with you. Trust your elders. They've seen a lot and are much wiser (and cooler) than you think! Love you guys!
@@richardhillebrand5353 I was listening to The Tower when I got hit with the inspiration particle (thank you Terry Pratchett!) that lead to me writing a 4 volume book of poems! :)
He's programmed the controller with pitch bend (the wheel he turns) and portamento (when he switches between two notes quickly). The keyboard is controlling his ARP 2600 behind them. It's a really complicated set up for the 70's. Nowadays MIDI and virtual instruments can do anything, but back then you had to make it yourself by hand. There were no shortcuts.
Edgar is one of the pioneers of playing synthesizer. To be technical, when he's playing against the bicycle horn, he's sweeping the center frequency of the high pass filter on the synth. The keyboard he was playing was connected to the big box behind him, and the keys just generated the notes the synth made.
Exactly, there were Moogs and ARPs back then. And the Moog was a built-in unit with the keyboards being a part of the control unit itself. But the ARP-2600 had a separate keyboard, a remote keyboard that was attached to the brain or the guts of the instrument with an umbilical-type cable. Absolutely genius. I think this was their only instrumental.
@@swinglow33 You're thinking of a Minimoog, probably, but there were huge Moog units that were made up of components six feet high with a separate keyboard, like the Moog Modular system Keith Emerson had.
“White-haired dude!” 😂 😂 😂. That’s Edgar Winters, Jay! I love watching you guys, especially when you’ve had your minds blown, like this! I’m sure you’ve already been told this, but not only are Johnny and Edgar brothers, but they’re both musical geniuses! As an additional bit of trivia, they’re also both albinos. You see Edgar in the middle, playing the “synthesizer-keyboard” like a guitar, then he played the saxophone, and then the drums. He, and his brother, are both multi-talented with instruments!
They put this out on a Quadrophonic Album and 4-channel cassette. Listening to it with two speakers in front and 2 behind you the music, especially the drum solos would right around you. Amazing!
Technically the "keyboard" is actually a synthesizer with a keyboard. It can produce a multitude of sounds and effects. The other effect was also a synth but without the keys but with buttons dials and sliders . And the snares are called timbales.
Their live version of "Tobacco Road" is excellent. All of their music is excellent a pair of albino kids from south Texas who stayed in and practiced music. Their main outlet, from my understanding, was jamming in gospel churches and they are very innovative in their music. He was the first to play the keyboard and mix the synthesizers in with it.
Jay and Amber, Your mission today has been completed -- you made me smile. I had a rough time earlier today and felt extremely low.. But your reaction to this instrumental classic brought a lot of joy. Bless you for shining a bright light to cut through the darkness.
This the "studio version"....before editing. They performed live. If you listen closely (for those of us who have listened to it forever), you can tell where most pieces were connected or spliced into. The song was s'posed to be called "Two Drum Song". When they started editing and splicing, drummer said it looked like Frankenstein. VOILA!! Now you have a radio friendly song.
@@ffjsb I had the album and the quadraphonic 8-track. The quad separated the songs into four distinct parts.The reason it's called Frankenstein is because of all the splicing and editing.
@@josecastellanos5187 They must have had a different version on the 8 track because the extended version was nothing like this version. Even the radio edit is different, a much fuller sound.
One of greatest hits ever recorded and not one word was spoken in the whole song.. Edgar was the first ever to use the mobile keyboard. He was a classical pianist since he was a kid and as an adult was burned out on performing at a stationary keyboard and thought hit would be much nicer to be able to move around on stage while performing and still be able to play the ivories, so he put a shoulder strap on the keyboard and played it while moving around on stage as seen here.. And yes, Edgar can play many instruments! He is a musical genius.. From Keyboard to sax to drums all within 5 min of the start of the song... LOL
I've seen him perform this several times while touring as a member of Ringo Starr's All Starr Band. Brings down the house every time. Technology has changed. Everything he does with the console he now does right on the keyboard. That's Rick Derringer on the guitar, formerly of The McCoys who had a hit in the 60s called "Hang on Sloopy". Derringer also had a solo hit called "Rock and Roll Hoochy Koo" and wrote many of the WWE's entrance themes, including Hulk Hogan's "Real American". The bass player is the late Dan Hartman, who went on to produce many other performers and had a hit in the early 80s called "I Can Dream About You". The drummer is the late Chuck Ruff. Edgar also had a hit with "Free Ride".
Speaking of Hang on Sloopy, I recently saw a video where they had tracked down the young girl.....a GrandMother now......and did an interview with her. She never really knew she was so popular but OMG, she was....and still is......a beautiful woman. Even has a channel on utube.
ROB SQUAD I GOT TO TELL YOU, I'VE BEEN WATCHING YOU GUYS PRETTY MUCH FROM THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE CHANNEL AND I AM SO ENTERTAINED BY YOUR REACTION TO THIS SONG!!! THIS SONG GOT A TON OF RADIO PLAY BACK IN THE SEVENTIES BUT SEEING THE WAY YOU GUYS REACTED TO IT HEARING IT THE FIRST TIME IS SO AMAZINGLY PRICELESS THAT I AM FLABBERGASTED! 😁😁👍👍❤️❤️
I was 7 in 1973 and idolized my big brother. He brings me into his room and says, 'You gotta hear this!' And played it. It immediately went into The Pantheon of All-Time Rock and Roll, and is a MUST to fully understand the Lexicon of Rock Music... Very nicely reviewed...we felt the same back then, but back then it was a LOT more prevalent, this music was everywhere...
I remember when this first came out and bought "They only come out at Night" on LP and the cut was shorter. But everyone said oh, it's just a bunch of studio tricks and overdubs... No way they can do that live. Edgar said "Hey, hold my drumsticks...gonna need them in a few!"
The "Grey Box" that Edgar was playing around with, is called an ARP 2600 semi modular Synthesizer. He had the keyboard plugged into it. The explosions he made, was him using either "white noise" or possibly "pink noise". The other sounds he was making , was him playing around with the 2600s "filter section". Very easy to do, but sounded cool at the time. The reason the song was called Frankenstein was, because it was pieced together from a lot of different takes of them just jamming around ( just like Frankenstein was pieced together from different body parts).
I have always imagined it as them bringing Frankenstein to Life. There is a wild cover that was played on CHOM FM in Montreal back in the 90', late late night - I reached out to them and they looked but could not find....if someone can....its mind-blowing.
Had the great pleasure of seeing Johnny and Edgar in the late 70's as a teen . Wow they were on the same bill as Heart, Grand Funk and a number of other bands. We were so spoiled as teens in that era to hear and see so much great innovated music.
Saw them (Edgar Winter Group but not Johnny) in Greensboro, NC right after Free Ride came out. My ears were still ringing a month later, and that’s not an exaggeration. I really had begun to think I had permanent damage.
@@a.n.7863 I got to see Edgar Winter Group in the midseventies. It was an amazing concert. During Frankenstein, when Edgar played the synth part, they had blue lights, and fog. He was playing on the floor of the stage, he looked like a zombie rising out of the grave.
Please check out the live version of “Tobacco Road” …you will be able to see both of the Winter brothers…Edgar on keyboards, etc and Johnny on blues guitar!!! Well worth the trip!!!
Just listened to your recommendation for the first time, I'm speechless!! This man can **sing** too, it's amazing, my jaw hit the floor several times! That was a trip indeed, before I only knew Frankenstein from Edgar Winter, but Tobacco Road is next level in a whole different way! Thank you so much for that recommendation! 💚
I saw Edgar Winter in June 2023. He was a participant in Ring Starr’s All Star Band and was every bit as mind blowing as the video you just played. When we left the concert he was what we talked about. I felt sad because I am of his generation ( we are very close in age) and my sadness came from the fact that I missed years of his genius. My choice of music at that time did not include him. I have since tried to make up for it. Thank you, for your reaction was my reaction 2 months ago.
He sings too! This was the beginning of the age of synthesizers in rock music. Pink Floyd was using them around this same time when recording The Dark Side of the Moon. This song was a huge hit when it came out. Their other big hit was "Free Ride". Great band💯👍
Synths were cutting edge tech at the time and there was lots of experimentation going on. Edgar was one of the pioneers blazing musical paths that hadn't even been imagined before.
Fun Fact: Edgar Winter thought that when you watch a band play, you can see the guitarist play, you can see the drummer drum, but you can never really see the keyboardist playing the keys, so he attached a strap to a keyboard and wore it like a guitar so people could see what he was doing on the keyboard. Bonus factoid: This song is called "Frankenstein" because the song was basically a jam session they did where they threw a little bit of this, a little bit of that, some funk, some blues, some rock, a mish-mosh of a bunch of styles and instruments. One of the band members (or someone in the crew) suggested they call the song "Frankenstein" because of it being a coming together of different parts, like the Frankenstein's creation 'the monster'.
"The Box" was the actual instrument connected to the keyboard. Specifically it was an ARP 2600P..... the "P" standing for portable. Just let that sink in for a moment. Just a few years before this song such instruments would have been installed into a building. This was the very leading edge of electronic music in the early 70's.
The other models of ARP2600 were not as bad as the Moog Modulars, but definitely less portable than the "P." The truly portable one, however, was the ARP Odyssey; even easier to carry than the Minimoog.
@@MrDryqula Not the model#, the COMPANY name-ARP, because of Mr. P. They also had ARP string ensemble synthesizers (like the one Rick Wright played) at the beginning of "Shine on you crazy diamond" that sound like violins in an orchestra.
Amber absolutely nailed it! "It's the seventies!" Also, Edgar Winter plays an incredibly moving sax part on Todd Rundgren's "Fair Warning" from his Initiation album
So glad this show covers so much of what I grew up with, listened to and n most cases saw these people in concert. Even into the disco era, techno pop( mainly English) and old classics because I love old black and white movies since my 20's..almost 50 yrs. Thank you guys for such an uplifting show during these these sometimes depressing times. Jonny and Edgar Wnter were both albinos....
he song's title, coined by the band's drummer Chuck Ruff, derives from the fact that the original recording of the song was much longer than the final version, as the band would often deviate from the arrangement into less structured jams. The track required numerous edits to shorten it. The end result was spliced together from many sections of recording. Winter frequently refers to the appropriateness of the name also in relation to its "monster-like, alumbering beat". (One riff was first used by Winter in the song "Hung Up", on his jazz-oriented first album Entrance. He later tried a variation on it, "Martians" on the 1981 Standing on Rock album.) Winter played many of the instruments on the track, including keyboards, alto saxophone and timbales. As the release's only instrumental cut, the song was not initially intended to be on the album, and was only included on a whim as a last-minute addition. It was originally released as the B-side to "Hangin' Around", but the two were soon reversed by the label when disc jockeys nationwide in the United States, as well as in Canada, were inundated with phone calls and realized this was the hit. The song features a "double" drum solo, with Ruff on drums and Winter on percussion. In fact, the working title of the song was "The Double Drum Song".[6] The single was one of the few No. 1 chart records to include an extended passage featuring the ARP 2600 synthesizer. The group performed the song, with Rick Derringer on guitar, on The Old Grey Whistle Test in 1973. The song was actually performed three years previously when Edgar was playing with his older brother Johnny Winter at the Royal Albert Hall in 1970. This rare recording was released in 2004 as one of several live bonus tracks included in the two-disc Legacy Edition CD of Johnny Winter's Second Winter. Rolling Stone listed it number 7 on their top 25 best rock instrumentals.[8] Sections of the track were edited and sequenced into idents and jingles for Alan Freeman's Top 40 and Saturday Rock Show on UK's BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 2 for many years, often followed with Freeman's trademark opening line "Greetings Pop Pickers..." In live performances of the song, Edgar Winter further pioneered the advancement of the synthesizer as a lead instrument by becoming the first person ever to strap a keyboard instrument around his neck, giving him the on-stage mobility and audience interaction of guitar players. The song is described as a hard rock and progressive rock instrumental, and an example of art rock by non-art rock bands. In 1983, Winter released a beat-heavy, more-synthesizer-heavy reworking of the song; its contemporaneous video, an homage with Winter appearing as Dr. Frankenstein, was added to MTV's playlist in November of that year. The song topped the US Billboard Hot 100 chart for one week in May 1973, being replaced by Paul McCartney's "My Love". It sold over one million copies. In Canada it fared equally well, reaching number 1 on the RPM 100 Top Singles Chart the following month. That same month the song peaked at number 18 in the UK Singles Chart. The following month, the song peaked at number 10 in Mexico. The song also peaked at number 39 in West Germany, remaining on the chart for one week. The single was certified gold June 19, 1973, by the RIAA.
The guitarist in white is Rick Derringer, an absolute monster on his own! This whole group was as bad-ass as they come! There albums are all great, and their live concerts were simply mind-blowing! We all knew that this would leave you speachless! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Rick Derringer is primarily known for two songs, Rock & Roll Hoochie Koo in 1973, and, as lead singer of the McCoys, Hang On Sloopy. Besides that he's a first rate guitarist who's worked with everyone from Steely Dan to Cyndi Lauper, and he even appeared on Alice Cooper's Killer album!!
This was on a BBC show called the old grey whistle test which was shown once a week about 11PMish if my old memory serves me right. There was no audience but they always showcased the musicians who were more underground and progressive than the normal pop chart stuff. I was a kid at the time but I could play several different instruments even then, so my mum always let me stay up to watch it. Incredibly inspiring to a budding musician. I must have been about 9 - 10 years old when my mate who was the guitarist in my band knocked on my door holding a 7 inch single and said "you've got to listen to this". We put it on the radiogram and with our 70s long hair flailing about we headbanged to this over and over again. God, music was great back then. You can keep ya rap and hip-hop and computer generated shite. This is music! ✌️♥️🇬🇧
I've seen them live five times. This song was different every time, 9 minutes was the shortest, 25 minutes was the longest. And Edgar does play guitar, but his older brother Johnny Winter is one of the best blues-rock guitarists to come from Texas.
That's some serious musicianship! For a band to go that long - with all the music MEMORIZED- including the drums call & answer, you can't really improvise much. Edgar had all that creativity as well as the musical versatility to play multiple instruments! As Amber said, "Mindblowing!" Great reaction! 🤍👍👍👍
Great reaction to one of the most amazing rock/jazz improvs ever. I love how Amber's just rockin' out and Jay's just sitting there with a completely understandable "Wut?" look on his face. 😀 When I was a teen and Prince was rising high I was amazed at his multi-instrumental capabilities, and a friend of mine's oldest brother, who I think was 30 when I was 15, told me "Edgar Winter did it first." 😀He took the time to explain to me that this albino kid and his brother (Johnny Winter) had done nothing but childhood except music and had become legendary for their skills, though not famous like others did. I'd heard this song before, but until I watched it now I never fully understood the energy and multidimenionalism that Edgar had to his performances. It's easy to mix together recordings like this in a multi-track studio, but this was done LIVE. And I must say that all four of them were great, even though Edgar was absolutely the one to watch here. So, wherever he may be in this world or beyond, I must tell my old friend's oldest brother something: Robert, NOW I get EXACTLY what you were telling me almost forty years ago! 😀
Now it is time to unleash the FULL power of Edgar and his brother Johnny playing Tobacco Road live. You won't be the same. Edgar sings in it and is a masterpiece
When we first heard their record, we said "What the hell was that"! Then we saw them perform and we understood the limits of his pushing the creative boundaries of musical improvisation. They were a great foursome of talent that played very close-knitted together. Multi-talented Edgar was a creative genius, using feedback as distortion through the processors to make weird sounds. Love that you both were momentarily speechless!!! Now that was a Kodak moment!
This song makes me miss my equipment that I had in the 70's. I had this album on Quadraphonic (4 independent Channels) reel to reel and the drums and the synth just continually circled the room. it just made your head spin.
Edgar and his brother Johnny are both musical geniuses and have separate bands. Occasionally they will tour together. Between the two I seriously doubt if there is an instrument they can't play. I played bass for 'White Witch'. We opened for them for their '72 tour. They made me want to take lessons from them. You would not believe the things they did like play each other's instruments while it was being played.
One of my all-time favorite pieces of music! And on another note: Amber, you always look amazing with your hair pulled back! And both of you were adorable in your reactions to this music. The "live" version is great for seeing how it is done, but the studio version is also amazing for it's complex perfection. Do go back and listen to it when you have the chance.
His brother Johnny pretty much had the Guitar covered, so Edgar learned to play everything else. Check out their version of "Tobacco Road", Edgar's Gospel licks are amazing.
Johnny was awesome. He “dated” Janis Joplin for a while, and played a concert with her in 1969 at MSG. There are some audio clips of the show online. Worth a listen if you are at all into the blues.
Yeah, that drum duet was amazing. Those were actually tom toms that Edgar was playing. They can be tuned into melodic intervals, so he could do those could riffs.
I saw him in '87, and he was amazing! Edgar is so talented, more talent in one finger then most have in their whole body! "They Only Come Out at Night" is a must have. You may recognize other songs from this album!
Edgar was amazing. I got to produce 40-50 shows with him and Leon Russel back in the 80's and Edgar would blow you away every night with his talent and songs.
Seeing your reaction to this reminds me of the first time I heard Frankenstein- my mind was completely blown by the sonic assault I was subjected to. Edgar and his legendary brother Johnny Winter crafted some of the absolute greatest music of their time. Johnny played a searing set at Woodstock, Edgar Winter Group did this masterpiece as well as "Free Ride", Johnny Winter And Live is still my #1 live album ever, and the two of them collaborated to produce Tobacco Road- sonic nirvana. I could go on for days praising the musical genius of the Winter Brothers- Rest in Peace Johnny, you are sorely missed.
One of the things I love most about music are the backstories; who would have thought that DAN HARTMAN, playing bass guitar here, would go on to write and perform one of the BIGGEST DISCO ANTHEMS, “Relight My Fire/Vertigo” ❤️🔥🪩
I've been waiting for y'all to get to this one. You definitely made the right move doing the live version first. Now you need to go back and listen to the studio version sometime - with headphones, so you can get the total effect of the drum battle panning completely around your head.
I saw both Edgar and his brother Johnny at a music fest when I was about nine years old. Been a major fan ever since. It was a part of my cooler than cool kid cred when talking about music and fave bands and gained me a lot of respect from some very cool music savvy adults. Edgar plays sax on Tina Turners video of "The Best". He's still rockin too, just released a new album!
I have been going through your reactions and saw this next. Frankenstein was a major hit on the radio when I was growing up. Of course it was a shorter condensed version of this. Edgar Winter and his brother Johnny were geniuses. I am so blessed to have grown up in the 60s - 80s where (for me) the music was played by the absolute best and most talented bands that will ever be. None of the nonsense that is played now. I am glad that people of this generation are open to hearing this music and realize that this was music at its best with no computer generated anything. Just pure talent.
I love how the funk hits everyone that listens to this song in he face about 3 seconds in…. 😁. I was about 10 when this came out and I had the exact same reaction…. Great video…✌🏼
Edgar Winter, the white haired guy, is known for playing keyboards, guitar, saxophone, and percussion, as well as singing. He can do it all. He had a brother named Johnny Winter who was a blues rock guitarist and singer.
I remember being 9 years old when this song hit the airways. About 5 or six of us were in our friend's front yard with the stereo speakers pointed outside, when this song came on and we proceeded to hardcore air jam to this song. Great memory of an awesome tune. It was like nothing any of us had heard before and it left us wanting more. Peace!
his remote keyboard was wired to the big box, an ARP 2600 synthesizer, which is the actual musical instrument. When he was wiggling those knobs and sliders, he was sculpting and reshaping the sounds, That is the heart of what people playing synths do. It's like having a box of hundreds of sound crayons you can mix and match. Edgar makes it ROCK. Seeing him next month with Ringo, 7th row, I can't believe it.
Edgar Holland Winter (born December 28, 1946) is an American musician. He is a multi-instrumentalist, playing keyboards, guitar, saxophone, and percussion, as well as singing. His success peaked in the 1970s with his band the Edgar Winter Group and their popular songs "Frankenstein" and "Free Ride". He is the brother of late blues singer and guitarist Johnny Winter.
Listen to his brother. Johnny. "Be careful with a Fool". These two brothers (Edgar and Johnny) are MASTER musicians and if you go down that rabbit hole, your mind will be absolutely blown by their skill and creativity. They also often teamed up with Rick Derringer, who is one of the greatest guitarists of all time, but then again, so is Johnny Winter. Congratulations. You have graduated into the absolute upper realm of musical genius. This isn't verified by record sales. This is verified by the genuine music appreciators of the time. These brothers are what the people who owned 600+ record albums carefully listened to and discussed with great discernment.
Thanks for pointing out that, despite being geniuses and pioneers, the Winter brothers did not belong to the elite of bands that created great music 🎶 n the 70s. Why? Simply because there were too many great musicians and not all could be on the spot at the same time. What is important to me is that they played their own music and had fun while doing it. They didn't use prefabricated recipes to win awards. Music was their life. They were so good that new generations cannot believe they are listening to music recorded about 50 years ago. That kind of music will never grow old. Long live rock! 🤘🏼❤
This live version is totally amazing! They are all so talented it's mind blowing! And the keyboard he's playing is a synthesizer, which is how he gets all those sounds out of it. You must react to Johnny and Edgar Winter playing Tobacco Road live. Another totally mind blowing performance! Love your reaction to this! ✌❤
Edgar Winter and his late brother Johnny (who had his own band) are both albino, and as a result it wasn't really safe for them to go out and play in the sun as kids, so instead they stayed inside and practiced music.
I think the results speak for themselves.
Hence, the name of the album was "They Only Come Out At Night".
Thanks @TheLastGarou! I've heard that before as well, so thanks for providing that info!
Especially having been raised in Texas
@@DavidB-2268 was once an answer on jeopardy the only two albino rock star brothers
Yeah, they suck
Edgar Winter walked into a music store, looked around and said, I'll have one of each. Then he mastered all of them.
Reverend!!
🍄🌲🍄✨💥🌈
It is fun for a 63-year old to see you two discovering the best of the music I grew up with. My generation was blessed with a mass of fantastic live performances and studio albums by real musicians. This show, 'The Old Grey Whistle Test' was the great BBC live music show and precursor to Jools Holland's 'Later'. Bob Marley and the Wailers were on it right back in the day.
Oh yes! Can't forget that this would've been shown live and in realtime on British TV! The 1st Take was THE Take!
As a fellow 63 year old.....you said it !
this is exactly what i was thinking watching them soaking this in...
Yes Yes Yes,
I'm 76 and agree! Those were the days my friend.👏👏👍👍
His late brother, Johnny Winter is one of the greatest blues guitarist eva!
Yes! I was front and center
Absolutely! Saw him several times back in the 70's. Awesome!!
For sure.
For me Johnny is Still Alive and Well
@@jonathansmith3742 wore out the grooves on that alb!
Does anyone else find it adorable when Amber throws her hands up in excitement? Haha. I've noticed she's done it in several videos, and it always...makes me smile! 😄
Yep
She is so much fun. And genuinely moved by the music. It's also very refreshing to see a young person react with such empathy to intense and difficult lyrics.
@@lorioday8528 definitely! It’s like living that initial reaction we all had back in the day all over again!
@@lorioday8528 I absolutely agree. Both Jay and Amber have infectious personalities! 😊
Absolutely!!!
Without a vocal word sung...this was a number one hit in the USA!! This tune was that good!!
No, this version was not a #1 hit. This was not the single I purchased in 1973. This was just a prolonged exercise of making noises and not music. The album version is annoying, but not even close to this mess. Poor Jay & Amber really need a guide to help them select the correct videos.
I just saw an interview with Edgar and he said they didn't even mean to record it. So they cut it up and released on side B of one of his singles. Some DJ accidently played the wrong side and it became a hit.
Wiki: The song topped the US Billboard Hot 100 chart for one week in May 1973. Frankenstein sold over one million copies.
@@shyman99oh piss off hater go back to your crappy 3 minute pop songs you stupid bitch
@@shyman99 if you hate the album version AND the live version so much, why are you even here?
@@t.c.bramblett617 - Because I don't have telepathic powers to know what is being played until I arrive and hear for myself. 🙄
Edgar Winter is like a musical mad scientist; he had to stay home most of his childhood days due to his albino skin, so he (and his brother) just became the best musician(s) they possibly could be. The versatility alone is insane. That and the ability to come up with these mad mixes. Just outstanding.
One of Edgar's best performances and one he plays with his brother Johnny is their live video of the song 'Tobacco Road'. Edgar's voice will shock you completely!!!!!!
Yes! React to Tobacco Road! One of my favorites.
Live version of Tobacco Road! You also need to check out Brother Johnny Winters by himself
Love that song but haven’t heard his version thank you !😀
1000% yes!!!
My thoughts exactly 💯
I’m a 70 year old woman who absolutely loves you guys, and watching you enjoy the music I enjoyed growing up. ❤️
Edgar and Johnny Winter, two genius brothers who made great music.
If you liked this, you have to see Edgar and Johnny perform “Tobacco Road” LIVE -
Edgar does amazing vocals, and Johnny is considered, one of, if not the greatest guitarist there ever was.
Interesting that both brothers were albino
Amber, I think the word you were searching for to describe the sound of 70s instruments is "analog". Even for purely electric instruments like the synthesizer the sounds were made by manipulating electrical waveforms, not bits, and it just sounds different. BTW, when the studio version of Frankenstein was released, critics said it couldn't be played live. Edgar said, "hold my beer".
Love that, hold my beer! Right, tell him there's something that can't be done.😂
One of the greatest instrumentals in rock music history. Edgar Winter was a multi talented musician and this video shows off those talents in so many ways.
Just sayin' , my generation was blessed to grow up during this decade. The music was (for the most part) innovative, boundary stretching, and made with the most incredible talent. This song brings back so many cool memories. It's fun seeing this live version, but the studio version is mesmerizing. And Amber, your smile when he broke out the sax was so much fun. Thanks.
She got that Ray Charles thing going there lol
I totally agree...Read my comment. I wrote it before reading yours. Thumbs up.
Yes, we were very spoiled back then. We were so accustomed to Great Music during that time that we sort of expected it!
@@maryreilly5092 So true! And we not only appreciated it but as you said, expected it. My dad was a huge music fan, so he just passed that on to us, from Aretha to James Brown, and this song here. What a glorious time in music.
@@shortblockflexinit5219 100% Thank you! Have a great day.
The instrumentation in Frankenstein is infused together like Frankenstein's monster. I think it was Edgar Winter who was the first to strap a keyboard like a guitar into a keytar. If I recall due to Edgar and his brother Johnny both being albinos, the condition caused several vision defects and very high sensitivity to light and sun exposure. While their young school age friends were playing outdoors the brother's albinism forced them to stay indoors. So their focus became playing and experimenting with an assortment of musical instruments
Thank you for background information. Much appreciated.
There's a similar, but much more serious
(also very rare) condition known as "XP"
(for "Xeroderma Pigmentosum").
It's included in the plot
of the haunted house thriller,
2001's "The Others", though it's never
actually mentioned by name.
Upon seeing the film originally,
I assumed it had been
invented for the story.
The Collector's Edition DVD set, however,
features a mini-doc about the condition.
Some people don't have "fun in the sun".
You are 100% correct on this
DIE YOU CHALK-FACED GOONS!
I do believe Gary Wright was right there with the keyboard. Watch Love Is Alive.
The Winter brothers were from Beaumont, Texas. They started performing at a young age, and were on a children’s program; where I first saw them. Needless to say, I was a kid at this time. Later on in the late 60’s, they were preforming in and around Houston, Texas. Amazing and gifted musicians. Johnny is no longer with us, but Edgar is still bring it. I’m so glad I grew up with all this great music…
Now that you've found Edgar you need to react to Tobacco Road which is a classic Blues song. Both he and his brother Johnny perform this one but change the song up a little so that it's more rock than blues. Definitely do the live version. As well as hearing Edgar with all his instruments you'll also hear him sing. What a voice! Unusual is an understatement.
An absolute must!!!!
I third this...
I've been telling them that for months now I really think they would love the scat he does in it
I think they are ready for that now. Can’t wait to see them react to it.
The Edgar Winter Group also had some more accessible, straight-forward rock songs like Free Ride and Hangin' Around, both sung by the bass player, Dan Hartman. Guitarist Rick Derringer had an awesome solo single called "Rock and Roll, Hootchie Koo."
Prior to this Rick Derringer played in a band called the McCoys. They were resposible for the hit song Hang On Sloopy!
And Dan Hartman had a great hit in the 80s called "I Can Dream About You". RIP Dan!
Never saw Winter in concert - but did catch Rick Derringer at an outdoor festival in Dayton Ohio, right across from the Air Force Museum in 1976.
@@VidiotSavante I had no idea that Dan Hartman was in the Edgar Winter Group...
Was Ronnie Montrose also a part of this song at some point? Speaking of that, wait till Jay and Amber get around to playing Montrose.
This song is called Frankenstein because it's made up of several different musical pieces/ideas that were composed separately
The name came from the drummer during the editing process.
Beat me to it lol
Plus it had the sound of the creation of the monster... jam that is.
You think you know music, till you see the Winters bros
Not really. There may have been different musical pieces, but the name came from the editing process where they had to cut and splice the tapes together from longer versions of the song, not from the writing process.
Unexpected tears on this one. My husband, a drummer, passed away 2yrs ago. Last concert we went to was Edgar Winters, he played Frankenstein last and jammed out for 20 minutes or more. Hubby was thrilled!
My condolences for you. It's a hard time for you. I hope you have people surrounding you that love you.
That's a great memory to have. Sorry for your loss, may your grief be short, but your memories long, my friend...
My condolences to you and your family.
Seen them live at a local summer fest
I am so sorry for your loss
Love when Edgar and Rick Derringer are playing note for note together. Rick is a monster in his own right.
That was Rick Derringer?.
I had no idea.
Before my time.
First time seeing this video.
However, my father had and listened to so many records of both Edgar's and Johnny Winter over the years.
He saw them both in concert so many times.
No, it's NOT RickDerringer, it'sRonnie Montrose.
@@PeterAare look up a pic of rick derringer and one of ronnie montrose and you will see that in this particular video it is derringer. Montrose was in Edgar's band but not in this video.
@@jamesdinnan4726 OH, O.K. I knew Ronnie Montrose was in Edgar's band, but I guess I should have checked it out. BTW, Derringer now plays jazz guitar in the Tampa Bay area where I live.
Genius. The less "out there" studio version was actually a big hit on the radio when I was a kid (1973).
Yeah that’s the version I remember it wasn’t so freaky like this one which I have never heard
me too ! i'm a black man and this is the tune that made me a rock fan as well as soul ; i am also a drummer so you know i spellbound on that level . i was nine years old when this song first came out and it never gets old
The "box" is the synthesizer that he was playing with the keyboard. Back then you had to move all the dials and switches to shape a single new sound that you wanted to create. Now you can have thousands of different preprogrammed sounds at the press of a button. He played a single note then played the filter knobs to reshape the sound in a rhythmic way. Look up Moog synthesizer for info.
I had a quadraphonic sound system back in the day and I had the album in quad. It would absolutely blow you away listening to Frankenstein. The sounds would surround you then come from the front, then the rear, then the corners. It was amazing!!! I did have the good fortune of seeing him do this live, what a tremendous concert!!
I’m 60 years old, have loved that song for years. This was the first time I’ve seen that live version and my reaction was the same as y’all’s ….jaw dropping! That was BAD ASS!
I too have not heard the live version. When I was in high school and I would go to the dances and this song would come on ( a different version) when it got to the drum solos every one that was dancing would stop because they didn’t know how to dance to that part. I too am 60 and was in high school from September 1975 to June 1979.
63 and never seen the live version also.😎
Holy crap this version was a jam!
Edgar is still alive. He just released a tribute album to his late brother, Johnny Winter, a blues artist who died in 2014, the album is "Brother Johnny" and features many great guitarists. Another song from this album (They Only Come Out at Night) is the song "Free Ride" with the great guitar riff from Rick Derringer (also still alive).
I think Ronnie Montrose played on Free Ride... actually I think he did all the guitars on that album, including the studio verion of Frankenstien. Rick played on Edgar's next album... can't remember the name off my head, the one with Easy Street and Some Kinda Animal etc... and of course Rick did the great EWG live album. Thanks for the info on the "Brother Johnny" album. I didn't know about that.
I saw a lie clip of this lineup playing Free Ride and Dan Hartman had a double neck guitar/bass with a guitar and bass neck and HE played the Free Ride intro riff. Whenever those bass hits happened, Edgar reached over and hammered on that note on the bass neck. It was slick as heck.
@@IYAMNI Shock Treatment! Another great Edgar Winter Group Album. I saw them Live on The Shock Treatment Tour.
Brother Johnny is a great album. I love it. I think Derringer produced They Only Come Out at Night. There is only a little photo of him on the back cover of the album if I remember correctly. The late, great Ronnie Montrose was on the guitar for the album. I was surprised Rick Derringer was not on the Brother Johnny tribute album as he played with Johnny on the Johnny Winter And studio and live albums and also a couple others as well.
@@markhaus2830 Yes, that was it. Great album.
I just saw Edgar Winter perform with Ringo Starr's All-Star Band a couple weeks ago. He did do Frankenstein, and they explained that he actually invented the guitar-style keyboard with the strap, so he could play straight to the audience and run around and have fun with it! It was amazing. And yes, he was playing multiple instruments throughout the concert, including Ringo/Beatles music and the music of the other guest musicians (Toto, Avg. White Band, Men at Work). AMAZINGGG!!!
I was on staff at the Academy of Music in NYC. Same time I was a keyboardist and singer with a working band. Edgar brought Whitetrash to do two shows at the Academy and some of it ended up on the Whitetrash Roadwork double album.
I realized during those two shows that I was in the presence of a kind of talent that I would never rise to. Nobody ever had that effect on me. But Edgar did.
How absolutely wonderful!
I was at the early show .. humble pie was the headliner and Johnny winter showed up at the late show .. I think December 1971 ..
@@salmuscles They should react to Humble Pie’s “I Don’t Need No Doctor”, live at the Filmore ❤️
@@salmuscles I saw them together but it was at the Fillmore East…
@@vrvaughn That must have been a great show!!!
Great reaction, you should also check out the song, Johnny Winter, Edgar Winter - Tobacco Road (Live) 9:20. Edgar Winter was the first and maybe the only person to remove the legs from a keyboard and attach a guitar strap to it.
To the best of my knowledge, Edgar Winter invented wearing the "Keytar" around his neck.
Edgar Winter and his brother are probably two of the most talented musicians to ever walk the earth! Not only could Edgar simply play all those instruments he was INSANELY good on each and every one!! Btw, that weird synthesizer he was playing is the ARP 2600. Remember, this was the early 70s. Space race was going strong and electronics were infiltrating into everyday life and people were finding new ways to use electronics in music. Edgar was also the first to throw a keyboard around his neck.
And they grew up in the same county as Janis Joplin.
Agree
It's a toss-up between Edgar and Johnny and Greg and Duane.
I was very young (about 17) and, for some reason I can’t remember, found myself backstage at an Edgar Winter concert. Edgar walked right by me on his way to the stage. He was the most frail person I’ve ever seen. He was supported by two guys who each held on to one of his arms. It really looked like he could barely walk. And then he went on stage and played a dynamite concert, with boundless energy. You guys haven’t even heard him sing yet. He will blow you away all over again. Check out Edgar and Johnny Winter, Tobacco Road Live.
They are definitely one of a kind
The bass player in this band (Dan Hartman) is known for the disco song "Instant Replay" and the early 1980s hit "I Can Dream About You". He also produced "Living In America" by James Brown.
The drummer, Chuck Ruff, was also known for playing in the Sammy Hagar band.
I just commented that who would have thought that Dan Hartman would go on to write and perform one of the biggest disco dance floor anthems, “Relight My Fire/Vertigo”, featuring the great Loleatta Holloway! 🔥
@@jacqueline4514 Bassist's got a feel for disco. I learned to dance by letting the bass move me.
@@vansongs Absolutely! Bass and drums😊.
Oh wow!
Jay & Amber: When your subscribers recommend a song or a performance en masse, you've got to take note and jump on it, because it's usually something REALLY special that we wish to share with you. Trust your elders. They've seen a lot and are much wiser (and cooler) than you think! Love you guys!
Speaking of this I suggest Angel ( LIVE) Song The Tower pure Classic rock you will love!
They HAVE to hit up Peter Frampton’s Do You Feel Like We Do LIVE!!!!! it’s just incredible! Unless if they’ve seen it already!!!
@@David_Theisen I'm thinking they did!
My bad was Baby I love your way over 8 months ago!
@@richardhillebrand5353 I was listening to The Tower when I got hit with the inspiration particle (thank you Terry Pratchett!) that lead to me writing a 4 volume book of poems! :)
He's programmed the controller with pitch bend (the wheel he turns) and portamento (when he switches between two notes quickly). The keyboard is controlling his ARP 2600 behind them. It's a really complicated set up for the 70's. Nowadays MIDI and virtual instruments can do anything, but back then you had to make it yourself by hand. There were no shortcuts.
Edgar and his brother....Johnny are "ALBINO" and two of the most talented humans on the planet....
Edgar is one of the pioneers of playing synthesizer. To be technical, when he's playing against the bicycle horn, he's sweeping the center frequency of the high pass filter on the synth. The keyboard he was playing was connected to the big box behind him, and the keys just generated the notes the synth made.
There were a lot of people experimenting with the MOOG synthesizer back then.
Exactly, there were Moogs and ARPs back then. And the Moog was a built-in unit with the keyboards being a part of the control unit itself. But the ARP-2600 had a separate keyboard, a remote keyboard that was attached to the brain or the guts of the instrument with an umbilical-type cable. Absolutely genius. I think this was their only instrumental.
@@swinglow33 You're thinking of a Minimoog, probably, but there were huge Moog units that were made up of components six feet high with a separate keyboard, like the Moog Modular system Keith Emerson had.
“White-haired dude!” 😂 😂 😂. That’s Edgar Winters, Jay! I love watching you guys, especially when you’ve had your minds blown, like this! I’m sure you’ve already been told this, but not only are Johnny and Edgar brothers, but they’re both musical geniuses! As an additional bit of trivia, they’re also both albinos. You see Edgar in the middle, playing the “synthesizer-keyboard” like a guitar, then he played the saxophone, and then the drums. He, and his brother, are both multi-talented with instruments!
No, it is Edgar Winter
They put this out on a Quadrophonic Album and 4-channel cassette. Listening to it with two speakers in front and 2 behind you the music, especially the drum solos would right around you. Amazing!
Technically the "keyboard" is actually a synthesizer with a keyboard. It can produce a multitude of sounds and effects. The other effect was also a synth but without the keys but with buttons dials and sliders . And the snares are called timbales.
timbales? or carnitas? aren't they the same thing?
@@dunhill1 probably has a few more names depending on where you're from. I've also heard them called pallas
Aka the keytar
Their live version of "Tobacco Road" is excellent. All of their music is excellent a pair of albino kids from south Texas who stayed in and practiced music. Their main outlet, from my understanding, was jamming in gospel churches and they are very innovative in their music. He was the first to play the keyboard and mix the synthesizers in with it.
Outrageous band and Edgar Winter totally mesmerising instrumentalist. Mad but all brilliant music still kept a beat going on. Just Wooooooow!!
Jay and Amber,
Your mission today has been completed -- you made me smile. I had a rough time earlier today and felt extremely low.. But your reaction to this instrumental classic brought a lot of joy. Bless you for shining a bright light to cut through the darkness.
What's amazing about this is that this is an actual live performance, the studio version is mind blowing. This sound was just so new when it came out.
This the "studio version"....before editing. They performed live. If you listen closely (for those of us who have listened to it forever), you can tell where most pieces were connected or spliced into. The song was s'posed to be called "Two Drum Song". When they started editing and splicing, drummer said it looked like Frankenstein. VOILA!! Now you have a radio friendly song.
@@josecastellanos5187 No. Just NO. The synthesizer part is NOTHING like this.
@@ffjsb I had the album and the quadraphonic 8-track. The quad separated the songs into four distinct parts.The reason it's called Frankenstein is because of all the splicing and editing.
@@josecastellanos5187 They must have had a different version on the 8 track because the extended version was nothing like this version. Even the radio edit is different, a much fuller sound.
One of greatest hits ever recorded and not one word was spoken in the whole song.. Edgar was the first ever to use the mobile keyboard. He was a classical pianist since he was a kid and as an adult was burned out on performing at a stationary keyboard and thought hit would be much nicer to be able to move around on stage while performing and still be able to play the ivories, so he put a shoulder strap on the keyboard and played it while moving around on stage as seen here.. And yes, Edgar can play many instruments! He is a musical genius.. From Keyboard to sax to drums all within 5 min of the start of the song... LOL
I've seen him perform this several times while touring as a member of Ringo Starr's All Starr Band. Brings down the house every time. Technology has changed. Everything he does with the console he now does right on the keyboard. That's Rick Derringer on the guitar, formerly of The McCoys who had a hit in the 60s called "Hang on Sloopy". Derringer also had a solo hit called "Rock and Roll Hoochy Koo" and wrote many of the WWE's entrance themes, including Hulk Hogan's "Real American". The bass player is the late Dan Hartman, who went on to produce many other performers and had a hit in the early 80s called "I Can Dream About You". The drummer is the late Chuck Ruff.
Edgar also had a hit with "Free Ride".
Speaking of Hang on Sloopy, I recently saw a video where they had tracked down the young girl.....a GrandMother now......and did an interview with her. She never really knew she was so popular but OMG, she was....and still is......a beautiful woman. Even has a channel on utube.
“They Only Come Out at Night”, is a solid album all the way though! A must have for any rock collector.
@@alphagt62 🎶🎶 Well...we all had a REAL good tiiiimmme.
ROB SQUAD I GOT TO TELL YOU, I'VE BEEN WATCHING YOU GUYS PRETTY MUCH FROM THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE CHANNEL AND I AM SO ENTERTAINED BY YOUR REACTION TO THIS SONG!!! THIS SONG GOT A TON OF RADIO PLAY BACK IN THE SEVENTIES BUT SEEING THE WAY YOU GUYS REACTED TO IT HEARING IT THE FIRST TIME IS SO AMAZINGLY PRICELESS THAT I AM FLABBERGASTED!
😁😁👍👍❤️❤️
I was 7 in 1973 and idolized my big brother. He brings me into his room and says, 'You gotta hear this!' And played it. It immediately went into The Pantheon of All-Time Rock and Roll, and is a MUST to fully understand the Lexicon of Rock Music... Very nicely reviewed...we felt the same back then, but back then it was a LOT more prevalent, this music was everywhere...
I remember when this first came out and bought "They only come out at Night" on LP and the cut was shorter. But everyone said oh, it's just a bunch of studio tricks and overdubs... No way they can do that live. Edgar said "Hey, hold my drumsticks...gonna need them in a few!"
The single release was even shorter,
but it went to No. 1 on the U.S. pop charts.
This was the same time radio stations said Bohemian Rhapsody was too long for radio
The "Grey Box" that Edgar was playing around with, is called an ARP 2600 semi modular Synthesizer. He had the keyboard plugged into it. The explosions he made, was him using either "white noise" or possibly "pink noise". The other sounds he was making , was him playing around with the 2600s "filter section". Very easy to do, but sounded cool at the time. The reason the song was called Frankenstein was, because it was pieced together from a lot of different takes of them just jamming around ( just like Frankenstein was pieced together from different body parts).
Dude! Great post. Nicely written!
@@smithbros1000Thank you.!!!
I have always imagined it as them bringing Frankenstein to Life. There is a wild cover that was played on CHOM FM in Montreal back in the 90', late late night - I reached out to them and they looked but could not find....if someone can....its mind-blowing.
Don't feel bad. The 1st time we heard this in the 70s we were just as blown away.
Had the great pleasure of seeing Johnny and Edgar in the late 70's as a teen . Wow they were on the same bill as Heart, Grand Funk and a number of other bands. We were so spoiled as teens in that era to hear and see so much great innovated music.
Saw them (Edgar Winter Group but not Johnny) in Greensboro, NC right after Free Ride came out. My ears were still ringing a month later, and that’s not an exaggeration. I really had begun to think I had permanent damage.
@@a.n.7863 I got to see Edgar Winter Group in the midseventies. It was an amazing concert. During Frankenstein, when Edgar played the synth part, they had blue lights, and fog. He was playing on the floor of the stage, he looked like a zombie rising out of the grave.
Please check out the live version of “Tobacco Road” …you will be able to see both of the Winter brothers…Edgar on keyboards, etc and Johnny on blues guitar!!! Well worth the trip!!!
Yes !!!
This is a must see
Just listened to your recommendation for the first time, I'm speechless!! This man can **sing** too, it's amazing, my jaw hit the floor several times! That was a trip indeed, before I only knew Frankenstein from Edgar Winter, but Tobacco Road is next level in a whole different way! Thank you so much for that recommendation! 💚
I saw Edgar Winter in June 2023. He was a participant in Ring Starr’s All Star Band and was every bit as mind blowing as the video you just played. When we left the concert he was what we talked about. I felt sad because I am of his generation ( we are very close in age) and my sadness came from the fact that I missed years of his genius. My choice of music at that time did not include him. I have since tried to make up for it.
Thank you, for your reaction was my reaction 2 months ago.
He sings too! This was the beginning of the age of synthesizers in rock music. Pink Floyd was using them around this same time when recording The Dark Side of the Moon. This song was a huge hit when it came out. Their other big hit was "Free Ride". Great band💯👍
Synths were cutting edge tech at the time and there was lots of experimentation going on.
Edgar was one of the pioneers blazing musical paths that hadn't even been imagined before.
He plays every instrument on that stage...enjoy his genius 😎👍❤️
Fun Fact: Edgar Winter thought that when you watch a band play, you can see the guitarist play, you can see the drummer drum, but you can never really see the keyboardist playing the keys, so he attached a strap to a keyboard and wore it like a guitar so people could see what he was doing on the keyboard. Bonus factoid: This song is called "Frankenstein" because the song was basically a jam session they did where they threw a little bit of this, a little bit of that, some funk, some blues, some rock, a mish-mosh of a bunch of styles and instruments. One of the band members (or someone in the crew) suggested they call the song "Frankenstein" because of it being a coming together of different parts, like the Frankenstein's creation 'the monster'.
"The Box" was the actual instrument connected to the keyboard. Specifically it was an ARP 2600P..... the "P" standing for portable. Just let that sink in for a moment. Just a few years before this song such instruments would have been installed into a building. This was the very leading edge of electronic music in the early 70's.
ARP: Alan Robert Pearl, co-founder of the ARP synthesizer company.
@@gregrambo606 *Pearlman. I thought this too at first, but there's actually a 2600"P" model, which is built like a suitcase to be more portable.
The other models of ARP2600 were not as bad as the Moog Modulars, but definitely less portable than the "P." The truly portable one, however, was the ARP Odyssey; even easier to carry than the Minimoog.
@@MrDryqula
Not the model#, the COMPANY name-ARP, because of Mr. P. They also had ARP string ensemble synthesizers (like the one Rick Wright played) at the beginning of "Shine on you crazy diamond" that sound like violins in an orchestra.
Amber absolutely nailed it! "It's the seventies!" Also, Edgar Winter plays an incredibly moving sax part on Todd Rundgren's "Fair Warning" from his Initiation album
So glad this show covers so much of what I grew up with, listened to and n most cases saw these people in concert. Even into the disco era, techno pop( mainly English) and old classics because I love old black and white movies since my 20's..almost 50 yrs. Thank you guys for such an uplifting show during these these sometimes depressing times. Jonny and Edgar Wnter were both albinos....
he song's title, coined by the band's drummer Chuck Ruff, derives from the fact that the original recording of the song was much longer than the final version, as the band would often deviate from the arrangement into less structured jams. The track required numerous edits to shorten it. The end result was spliced together from many sections of recording. Winter frequently refers to the appropriateness of the name also in relation to its "monster-like, alumbering beat". (One riff was first used by Winter in the song "Hung Up", on his jazz-oriented first album Entrance. He later tried a variation on it, "Martians" on the 1981 Standing on Rock album.)
Winter played many of the instruments on the track, including keyboards, alto saxophone and timbales. As the release's only instrumental cut, the song was not initially intended to be on the album, and was only included on a whim as a last-minute addition. It was originally released as the B-side to "Hangin' Around", but the two were soon reversed by the label when disc jockeys nationwide in the United States, as well as in Canada, were inundated with phone calls and realized this was the hit. The song features a "double" drum solo, with Ruff on drums and Winter on percussion. In fact, the working title of the song was "The Double Drum Song".[6] The single was one of the few No. 1 chart records to include an extended passage featuring the ARP 2600 synthesizer. The group performed the song, with Rick Derringer on guitar, on The Old Grey Whistle Test in 1973.
The song was actually performed three years previously when Edgar was playing with his older brother Johnny Winter at the Royal Albert Hall in 1970. This rare recording was released in 2004 as one of several live bonus tracks included in the two-disc Legacy Edition CD of Johnny Winter's Second Winter.
Rolling Stone listed it number 7 on their top 25 best rock instrumentals.[8] Sections of the track were edited and sequenced into idents and jingles for Alan Freeman's Top 40 and Saturday Rock Show on UK's BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 2 for many years, often followed with Freeman's trademark opening line "Greetings Pop Pickers..."
In live performances of the song, Edgar Winter further pioneered the advancement of the synthesizer as a lead instrument by becoming the first person ever to strap a keyboard instrument around his neck, giving him the on-stage mobility and audience interaction of guitar players.
The song is described as a hard rock and progressive rock instrumental, and an example of art rock by non-art rock bands.
In 1983, Winter released a beat-heavy, more-synthesizer-heavy reworking of the song; its contemporaneous video, an homage with Winter appearing as Dr. Frankenstein, was added to MTV's playlist in November of that year.
The song topped the US Billboard Hot 100 chart for one week in May 1973, being replaced by Paul McCartney's "My Love". It sold over one million copies. In Canada it fared equally well, reaching number 1 on the RPM 100 Top Singles Chart the following month. That same month the song peaked at number 18 in the UK Singles Chart. The following month, the song peaked at number 10 in Mexico. The song also peaked at number 39 in West Germany, remaining on the chart for one week. The single was certified gold June 19, 1973, by the RIAA.
"Wha-a-at is going on . . ."
"It's the 70's."
BWAHAHAHAHA!!!! Loved that! I've never heard this song before so was reacting right along with you two.
The guitarist in white is Rick Derringer, an absolute monster on his own! This whole group was as bad-ass as they come!
There albums are all great, and their live concerts were simply mind-blowing!
We all knew that this would leave you speachless! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I thought Rick Derringer was in there! Thank you for the confirmation!
and the drummer is another monster, the late great Chuck Ruff.
Rick Derringer is primarily known for two songs, Rock & Roll Hoochie Koo in 1973, and, as lead singer of the McCoys, Hang On Sloopy. Besides that he's a first rate guitarist who's worked with everyone from Steely Dan to Cyndi Lauper, and he even appeared on Alice Cooper's Killer album!!
@@dennisloveland498 Isn't Derringer also the guitar genius behind Meatloaf?
@@imsirius2 no. Tod Rungeron
Gotta listen to their Free Ride after this.
This was on a BBC show called the old grey whistle test which was shown once a week about 11PMish if my old memory serves me right. There was no audience but they always showcased the musicians who were more underground and progressive than the normal pop chart stuff. I was a kid at the time but I could play several different instruments even then, so my mum always let me stay up to watch it. Incredibly inspiring to a budding musician. I must have been about 9 - 10 years old when my mate who was the guitarist in my band knocked on my door holding a 7 inch single and said "you've got to listen to this". We put it on the radiogram and with our 70s long hair flailing about we headbanged to this over and over again. God, music was great back then. You can keep ya rap and hip-hop and computer generated shite. This is music! ✌️♥️🇬🇧
I've seen them live five times. This song was different every time, 9 minutes was the shortest, 25 minutes was the longest. And Edgar does play guitar, but his older brother Johnny Winter is one of the best blues-rock guitarists to come from Texas.
That's some serious musicianship! For a band to go that long - with all the music MEMORIZED- including the drums call & answer, you can't really improvise much. Edgar had all that creativity as well as the musical versatility to play multiple instruments! As Amber said, "Mindblowing!" Great reaction! 🤍👍👍👍
Great reaction to one of the most amazing rock/jazz improvs ever. I love how Amber's just rockin' out and Jay's just sitting there with a completely understandable "Wut?" look on his face. 😀
When I was a teen and Prince was rising high I was amazed at his multi-instrumental capabilities, and a friend of mine's oldest brother, who I think was 30 when I was 15, told me "Edgar Winter did it first." 😀He took the time to explain to me that this albino kid and his brother (Johnny Winter) had done nothing but childhood except music and had become legendary for their skills, though not famous like others did. I'd heard this song before, but until I watched it now I never fully understood the energy and multidimenionalism that Edgar had to his performances. It's easy to mix together recordings like this in a multi-track studio, but this was done LIVE. And I must say that all four of them were great, even though Edgar was absolutely the one to watch here.
So, wherever he may be in this world or beyond, I must tell my old friend's oldest brother something: Robert, NOW I get EXACTLY what you were telling me almost forty years ago! 😀
Now it is time to unleash the FULL power of Edgar and his brother Johnny playing Tobacco Road live. You won't be the same. Edgar sings in it and is a masterpiece
If you're a white boy and want to sing the blues, that's your baseline. Good luck...
I was going to say exactly that. Like Al Jolson said... "Wait a minute, wait a minute. You ain't se nothin' yet!"
Still waiting for Edgar and Johnny!…lol “Tobacco Road” live is like nothing you’ve heard yet!!
@@johnv61 Dude, if you saw them back then, you're music history...
@@petecartwright5211 Sadly no, was only 12 in 73’ and never did see them live, my loss!
When we first heard their record, we said "What the hell was that"! Then we saw them perform and we understood the limits of his pushing the creative boundaries of musical improvisation. They were a great foursome of talent that played very close-knitted together. Multi-talented Edgar was a creative genius, using feedback as distortion through the processors to make weird sounds. Love that you both were momentarily speechless!!! Now that was a Kodak moment!
So glad to see young people discovering our amazing music from to '70s.
Amein🎉
I loved this album! It's called, "They Only Come Out At Night." From it, also give a listen to "Free Ride" and "Hangin' Around."
One of my favorite albums, sadly not my mom's so i could not play it as loudly as it deserved
@@SuperDrLisa right? In my room with the little stereo turntable turned up to 10. Great times and a great album.
@@SuperDrLisa You know what they say: If it's too loud, you're too old. haha. I'm 59. It's never too loud. :)
This song makes me miss my equipment that I had in the 70's. I had this album on Quadraphonic (4 independent Channels) reel to reel and the drums and the synth just continually circled the room. it just made your head spin.
I delivered to Sanyo in the 70’s & got all my stereo stuff from them including a bitching Quad !
This song, demoed in Quad, at my local HI-FI store, made me switch to Quad. Too bad no other recording could match the excitement of it.
Edgar and his brother Johnny are both musical geniuses and have separate bands. Occasionally they will tour together. Between the two I seriously doubt if there is an instrument they can't play. I played bass for 'White Witch'. We opened for them for their '72 tour. They made me want to take lessons from them. You would not believe the things they did like play each other's instruments while it was being played.
Edgar Winter was an example of the true definition of a Virtuoso !!! He could play anything he touched, and sometimes, just for fun.
Welcome to the world of Edgar Winter, one of the most multi-talented musicians to walk the planet.
Yes totally. The only other musicians that have blown me away with multi talent are Prince and Harry Connick Jr
I remember seeing him live in the early 70s. Great concert. They palyed with Small Faces (which included Rod Stewart), and Humble Pie
One of my all-time favorite pieces of music! And on another note: Amber, you always look amazing with your hair pulled back! And both of you were adorable in your reactions to this music. The "live" version is great for seeing how it is done, but the studio version is also amazing for it's complex perfection. Do go back and listen to it when you have the chance.
Your reaction is exactly like every person who ever listened to Frankenstein for the first time time. Glad you liked it!!
When I was a kid back in the early 70s, my brothers & I considered this to be the single greatest piece of music ever composed.
His brother Johnny pretty much had the Guitar covered, so Edgar learned to play everything else. Check out their version of "Tobacco Road", Edgar's Gospel licks are amazing.
Johnny was awesome. He “dated” Janis Joplin for a while, and played a concert with her in 1969 at MSG. There are some audio clips of the show online. Worth a listen if you are at all into the blues.
Hell yes!!!
The music of this era cannot be duplicated because of its genuine character and existence.
Yeah, that drum duet was amazing. Those were actually tom toms that Edgar was playing. They can be tuned into melodic intervals, so he could do those could riffs.
I saw him in '87, and he was amazing! Edgar is so talented, more talent in one finger then most have in their whole body! "They Only Come Out at Night" is a must have. You may recognize other songs from this album!
Edgar was amazing. I got to produce 40-50 shows with him and Leon Russel back in the 80's and Edgar would blow you away every night with his talent and songs.
Seeing your reaction to this reminds me of the first time I heard Frankenstein- my mind was completely blown by the sonic assault I was subjected to. Edgar and his legendary brother Johnny Winter crafted some of the absolute greatest music of their time. Johnny played a searing set at Woodstock, Edgar Winter Group did this masterpiece as well as "Free Ride", Johnny Winter And Live is still my #1 live album ever, and the two of them collaborated to produce Tobacco Road- sonic nirvana. I could go on for days praising the musical genius of the Winter Brothers- Rest in Peace Johnny, you are sorely missed.
One of the things I love most about music are the backstories; who would have thought that DAN HARTMAN, playing bass guitar here, would go on to write and perform one of the BIGGEST DISCO ANTHEMS, “Relight My Fire/Vertigo” ❤️🔥🪩
That keyboard part after the drum solo STILL gives me goosebumps 43 yrs later
I've been waiting for y'all to get to this one. You definitely made the right move doing the live version first. Now you need to go back and listen to the studio version sometime - with headphones, so you can get the total effect of the drum battle panning completely around your head.
I saw both Edgar and his brother Johnny at a music fest when I was about nine years old. Been a major fan ever since. It was a part of my cooler than cool kid cred when talking about music and fave bands and gained me a lot of respect from some very cool music savvy adults. Edgar plays sax on Tina Turners video of "The Best". He's still rockin too, just released a new album!
I have been going through your reactions and saw this next. Frankenstein was a major hit on the radio when I was growing up. Of course it was a shorter condensed version of this. Edgar Winter and his brother Johnny were geniuses. I am so blessed to have grown up in the 60s - 80s where (for me) the music was played by the absolute best and most talented bands that will ever be. None of the nonsense that is played now. I am glad that people of this generation are open to hearing this music and realize that this was music at its best with no computer generated anything. Just pure talent.
I love how the funk hits everyone that listens to this song in he face about 3 seconds in…. 😁. I was about 10 when this came out and I had the exact same reaction…. Great video…✌🏼
Edgar Winter, the white haired guy, is known for playing keyboards, guitar, saxophone, and percussion, as well as singing. He can do it all. He had a brother named Johnny Winter who was a blues rock guitarist and singer.
don't forget the bass. He can also rip on a bass just as he can a guitar. You name the instrument, Edgar can play it.
The look on your faces during the drum solo was completely priceless! You two are awesome!
I remember being 9 years old when this song hit the airways. About 5 or six of us were in our friend's front yard with the stereo speakers pointed outside, when this song came on and we proceeded to hardcore air jam to this song. Great memory of an awesome tune. It was like nothing any of us had heard before and it left us wanting more. Peace!
his remote keyboard was wired to the big box, an ARP 2600 synthesizer, which is the actual musical instrument. When he was wiggling those knobs and sliders, he was sculpting and reshaping the sounds, That is the heart of what people playing synths do. It's like having a box of hundreds of sound crayons you can mix and match. Edgar makes it ROCK. Seeing him next month with Ringo, 7th row, I can't believe it.
so its not a mini moog?
Were you at the State Theater in Easton by any chance! ???😉
Ahh. I thought it was a moog but I must be mistaken.
Well said
@@KrisChanteuse I was at the state theater in Easton, Pa (lived in Poconos)
Edgar Holland Winter (born December 28, 1946) is an American musician. He is a multi-instrumentalist, playing keyboards, guitar, saxophone, and percussion, as well as singing. His success peaked in the 1970s with his band the Edgar Winter Group and their popular songs "Frankenstein" and "Free Ride". He is the brother of late blues singer and guitarist Johnny Winter.
Listen to his brother. Johnny. "Be careful with a Fool". These two brothers (Edgar and Johnny) are MASTER musicians and if you go down that rabbit hole, your mind will be absolutely blown by their skill and creativity. They also often teamed up with Rick Derringer, who is one of the greatest guitarists of all time, but then again, so is Johnny Winter.
Congratulations. You have graduated into the absolute upper realm of musical genius. This isn't verified by record sales. This is verified by the genuine music appreciators of the time. These brothers are what the people who owned 600+ record albums carefully listened to and discussed with great discernment.
Thanks for pointing out that, despite being geniuses and pioneers, the Winter brothers did not belong to the elite of bands that created great music 🎶 n the 70s. Why? Simply because there were too many great musicians and not all could be on the spot at the same time. What is important to me is that they played their own music and had fun while doing it. They didn't use prefabricated recipes to win awards. Music was their life. They were so good that new generations cannot believe they are listening to music recorded about 50 years ago. That kind of music will never grow old. Long live rock! 🤘🏼❤
This live version is totally amazing! They are all so talented it's mind blowing! And the keyboard he's playing is a synthesizer, which is how he gets all those sounds out of it. You must react to Johnny and Edgar Winter playing Tobacco Road live. Another totally mind blowing performance! Love your reaction to this! ✌❤