I saw Les and Mary on the Ed Sullivan Show just before Christmas, 1960. I started nagging my parents to let me take guitar lessons. Six months later in June 1961 I had my first guitar lesson on my 9th birthday. Since that time I joined my first band, played my first gig in 1965, played professionally for ten years starting in 1966, went on to major in music in college and taught for over 25 years. I'm now 68 and I still play. Not as much as I used to, but I still pick it up a few times a week. All thanks to Les, Mary and two of the greatest parents ever.
Inspiring little story. I have played for roughly ten years and am now in the middle of jazz studies, anyone near me has no choice but to learn music theory cause it's pretty much all I talk about, so I'm unintentionally becoming a teacher now.
@@offgridas I know exactly what you're talking about. When I learned theory it opened a whole new world for me and I just had to talk about it. I drove people nuts. The thing that got me teaching was I ran into my guitar teacher and he told me I should try teaching because he thought I'd be good. That was all the encouragement I needed.
Actually Les came up with an onboard tape delay looping 'pedal' - called it the Paulverizer. On stage looping to create tracks to play along with, is now a main stream thang, 70 years later.
She knew how to smile, harmonize, and play a mean electric guitar, all at once. Incredible singing, and so natural. Marvellous woman, and very talented
@@scottbaxendale323 I wouldn't say the same, but yes there is still forms of gender inequality or whatever term you may use, today. In the 50s however she never would have gotten taken seriously as a musician if Les wasn't by her side.... there's plenty of badass great quality female musicians today. In the 50s, that wasn't really the case.
@@scottbaxendale323 I wouldn't say we hold the same negative idea or opinion of women now as we did 70 years ago, it's changed, but obviously we still need to improve on things. It hasn't gone away tho, you are correct on that.
On July 07, 1924, Mary Ford was born, an American vocalist and guitarist, known for her musical partnership with her then-husband Les Paul. Between 1950 and 1954, the duo had 16 Top 10 hits. By 1951 they had sold six million records. Ford and Paul were awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 1541 Vine Street in Hollywood. In 1978, they were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Ford succumbed to complications from alcohol abuse in 1977. After eight weeks in a diabetic coma, she died in Arcadia, California, aged 53.
Yes I know Mary was talented and already playing on shows but we really don't know what happened in her daily life what caused her to drink... I have to say that I really liked Mary. I have in mint condition Les and Mary Ford's album sitting right here
Damn straight. Could be the greatest electric guitar pickup of all. I'll take a LP with P-90s over one with PAFs any day. Nothing against PAFs at all, but the '90s just sound... alive or something..
It just hit me....I don't think any musicians today can put on a show like this. The sensibilities of their era have changed. This kind of humour just doesn't exist anymore. How bittersweet.
Les......the ORIGINAL SHREDDER!!! Shame on me, I keep forgetting that Mary KILLS IT on Guitar! What a GREAT Team those two. They were before my time, but that's a Testament to their GREATNESS. 🎸💚
That is NOT true. The president of Gibson - Ted McCarty presented the guitar to Les, and asked him to endorse. Many guitar historians will back up this story, but they don't back up Les.
When you have 2 people improvising and one has to follow the other and match what they just did, it's a LOT harder to be the one following. Mary killed it here!
@@rose.i I don't think so, when I rehearse in general, I find licks and such. Once I have a collection I like, I use them in my performances, while still improvised, but with a plan of what I could play when.
@@vinnothelizard It's not SUPPOSED to be "good guitar playing". It was strictly a comedy bit, mostly ad-libbed, topped off beautifully when Les broke a string. They were screwing around having fun.. Too bad you apparently think "guitar heroes" should only play skillful, quality music and never just be silly. Which means it's not "shit". It means you're a close-minded, "serious guitarist" who didn't get it. I can tell just by your comment that I'd never want to be in a band with you; and if you're in one at all it probably has a high turnover rate because of your control issues. Better make sure the pizza delivery sign doesn't fall off your car....😛
Something to consider... Les Paul is the only person to be inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame AND the Inventors Hall of Fame. Personally I think Leo Fender deserves to be the second...
Erik Jensen Same with Ted McCarty. But I don’t think anyone would argue that they both didn’t make a massive contribution to rock and roll (and music in general): just think how much different the music scene would have been with no Strats, Teles, Les Pauls or ES-335s. And I’d suggest that the invention of those models and the early years development of the electric guitar in general is a good argument for both of them getting into the inventor’s call of fame. By the way... Leo Fender is already in the rock and roll hall of fame. There are plenty of non performers in the HoF and Leo is one of them.
One of the greatest performances I have ever seen! What an absolutely marvellous routine. If only we had more of this around today. Nothing but two people with immense talent and two guitars. Mary's voice, talent and beauty is so perfectly matched by the INCREDIBLE skills and musicianship of Les. Their skills as entertainers is so awesome. They could have came out and just played the song, but instead turn it into the perfect showcase of music and humour in the most wholesome way possible. What a wonderful legacy to have left the world. Thank you so much, Les and Mary.
blackmore4 I tune to the keyboard, a Rhodes if possible. I use a tuner to get it close, then I do small tweaks with the keys. I check single notes, and also double stops and chords.
Mary Ford is the most underrated singer of all time. Mary played the guitar just well as Les. If it was Not for Mary Les would be a complete unknown now. Mary Ford should have gone down in history as the greatest singer of all time. So very sad all Mary Ford as ever had was a life of playing second fiddle to Les Paul. She never got the respect that she deserves. People bought Les Paul and Mary Ford records to hear Mary's beautiful voice singing. Les Paul would never have the money to develop the electric guitar and multitrack recording if were not for Mary, which will be several million dollars in today's money. it's high time Mary gets the respect that she deserves.
@@josedealva4205 Humbucking pickups hadn't been introduced yet, AFAIK. In addition, Les always searched for that cleaner tone, and a Marshall JCM 800 set on full blast is an altogether different beast than that particular goal.
Great combination of humor and genuine skill. Also took some pretty big balls of Les, considering most of the source of the humor was him being handed his ass to him by Mary; he was known as one of the premier guitar players of his day and he gave her a platform to really show her chops. Sad that she died the way she did.
MrFredstt In case you didn’t look it up, from Wikipedia: Ford succumbed to complications of alcohol abuse in 1977. After eight weeks in a diabetic coma, she died in Arcadia, California, at the age of 53. She is buried at Forest Lawn-Covina Hills in Covina, California. Although her year of birth has been variously reported as either 1924, 1925, or 1928, the year 1924 is engraved on her tombstone,[30] along with "Vaya con Dios", the name of one of her most popular songs.
@@macmuggo5459 I was relying on you to tell us. Yup, a drunken death is about the WORST thing I've ever seen. Don't quit alone. DT's are no joke. You can die from withdrawal, and I think only Benzos (Xanax and Valium are in than family) and booze can kill you during withdrawl.
Mary Ford was a lovely woman and a good guitar player that never got her proper due. She was always in the shadow of Les Paul and he used her as his muse. He treated her as the dumb sidekick. She turned to Alcohol and she succumbed to an early dearth at the age of 53. She deserved better than what she got. Rest in peace dear Mary.
@@granpastreetz Yes, big BS. Instead of questioning the "BS" assertion, why not question the "She deserved better than what she got"? Someone who never showed much brain or dedication, a school dropout, someone who was lucky to meet Les Paul since it boosted her career. While driving, she almost killed him in a car accident, injuring his arm severely for life, interrupting his guitar play for more than a year. Still, together, they enjoyed huge success. After the success was gone, like so many weak minded persons she was unable to accept reality and drank. She even got divorced, remarried, got other opportunities in the music business, but never achieved much. Died an alcoholic. Maybe she got more than she deserved.
Les Paul had a lot of talent, pioneer, incredible contribution to guitar, but not one of my favorites. Not even in the top 50. Yeah , I have a Les Paul. I just don’t think his playing has much feeling in it. And from what I’ve seen of him on RUclips, he’s kind of a dick.
Back in the 1950s they had all those big beautiful cars big beautiful Cadillacs with V-8 engines gasoline was $.25 a gallon it must’ve been fun of all they didn’t have the computers back then but we could build those big beautiful cars again. It’s thanks to all the politically correct retards that we can’t do it you know we could build a big beautiful cars we could build a big beautiful Les Pauls again it would be awesome let’s make America great again🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸💰💰💰💰💰💰
Well, thank you so much for completely finishing that song. If there anything that I hate, it for a song to not ending and leaves me hanging somewhere up there and holding my breath until the song has ended. My young granddaughter plays violin with her school band. They had gone to play for different schools and places to play Christmas carols. They were playing one and it was being recorded and the video shut off just before the last note had been played. I don’t know how many times I watched that video and hoping that last note would be played. Of course, I KNOW that it won’t so why do I keep on doing it? I guess I’m like that old man who’s watching a movie about a lady is about to take all of her clothes off when a freight train passes by and obscures his view of it. When someone asks him why he just keeps watching it over and over again, he just says, “I just keep hoping that someday, that train will be running late. 🚂🚂🚂😂😂😂
As a little kid I listened to a 78rpm record of "Mockingbird Hill" over and over. It would help later in life when I taught myself to play electric guitar in the mid'60's and was in several bands from high school through college. Great inspiration.
My dad , a guitarist as well, once told me yrs ago that Mary was no slouch herself as a guitarist...thus must very where he saw her play...I love her tone of her Les Paul...listen closely to it...oh and her real name was Coleen Sommers...
That 'chick' was his wife, Mary Ford. Check out some of their other videos, she was a certified badass player in her own right. she could play some ripping rhythm guitar while singing and not even look down at her fingers. She truly got overshadowed by him. I started playing because of them, two years before the Beatles. I was nine years old. I'm sixty seven now, and I still play.
@@TestingMonkeyStudios I used them as a reference because everyone knows who they were. And you have to admit they totally changed the way popular music was thought of. A lot of people took up guitar because of the Beatles, but I was ahead of them. I got in my first band in '65 and I was already ahead of most because I started when I did. I got in my second band in '67 and played all over. During those years I had a chance to open for some people who went on to be big names themselves, like Bob Seger, and Ted Nugent, but it all started with Les and Mary. I went on to study theory, composition and arranging and taught for over thirty years.
@@tommyhatcher3399 I'm not to modern. I wish I was. I was born in the middle of the last century. My heart was warmed by them years ago. I just wish she got more credit for her? talent, and ability. Thanks for the "compliment" about modern though.
I had the great privilege to see Les live at the Iridium in NYC, back in 1998. At that time, he was 83, but he still burned up that fretboard in a way that put most players to shame! And he autographed my CD too! :-) RIP to the Master!
2 other famous people who were very grounded and good people were Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontaine. They were both actors who had a famous home in the Town of Genesee, Wisconsin called 10 Chimneys. It still exists and they give tours. I went when I was little. Alfred and Lynn were stage and cinematic actors
THANK YOU to everyone who has commented here. Yes, Mary had the voice of an angel and was a fine guitarist in her own right. Mary had an ability to arrange very complex vocal lines and harmonies. In that regard she was like a female Brian Wilson.
People rightfully praise Les for his many contributions to music, but Mary was a big part of their duo. Without Mary, I doubt Les would have gone as far as a musician. When she left the group, he could never find anyone to replace her. That says it all! 👍💖🎸😎
There is no place like home and my wife and I finally got our own home! Thanks for your song Les and Mary. As it reminds us to be thankful and grateful for the things we do have.
WildVideoNYC. Sure they do. It’s the people you don’t know. Would be a whole lot better if we weren’t being poisoned by social media. We only see what is prevalent to the minds of these guys that run it! There is good and there is god in this world we just have to close ourselves from the bullSHIT, and focus on what is GOOD. Americans have deviated from the simple mindedness that once was back then. God wants us to be SIMPLE. DO WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY AND WE WILL LIVE GREAT LIVES. America needs to rid the atheism and go back to our roots of living an ego-less life.
Mary Ford could play the guitar just as well as Les Paul she was a very very good guitar player along with being a very very good singer just imagine play in those 1950s Les Paul custom‘s must’ve been a lot of fun💰💰💰💰💰
wanda James Sorry about that I knew they weren’t was Paul customs but here’s a fact my grandfather bought a Les Paul custom way back in 1954 he paid $375 for and we still have the guitar along with the hangtags the bill of receipt in the original case
This is so delightful. I only in recent years learned that Mary could play. I as a youth, always loved her vocals on the classic Les Paul and Mary Ford singles........... But never knew that she was quite so wonderful a performer.
Les Paul was a genius...!! I remember an interview with Keith Richards....who said the same thing. Les Paul invented almost all of the effects still used today in a studio today...delay...reverb....distortion....echo...multitrack......the list goes on and on.
Well... when you perform, you're performing to people, people who are there to hear the music not the jokes nor the laughs. I get what you mean but it doesn't apply to all cases. Of course slash enjoys playing but he won't necessarily crack up jokes in the middle of a solo. Here it's just Les and his wife having fun, that's the main focus of the show I guess. I have gone on for too long and probably waisted like 30 seconds of your life.
@@travosk8668 that was all part of the show in those days kid. It wasn't just about playing songs having a personal rapport with your audience was a big part of the Les Paul and Mary Ford experience.
Look at those techniques!! Incredible, They created Whole vocabulary for future guitarists. This is so much ahead of it's time that we had to wait more than 10 years to see a man who used them in a proper way and it was Hendrix.
Two of a kind. Kudos to both of them! Mary Ford is a pioneer, trailblazer and Les Paul the great guitarist and innovations to music is historically important to music. Timeless video!
Ok, that was SPECIAL as heck. I loved it! Wow, times have changed, back then it was so pure, and real, ton a talent, humor, and easy going stage acts. But we live on an entirely different planet. I must say she is a jem, and so he he of course...
Aside from being an incredible guitar player, an innovator, and an inventor, he is such a tremendous entertainer. And Mary Ford is just as amazing on guitar, vocals, and entertaining as well. What a great routine they put together, so musical, so entertaining. I can watch this over and over again and not enjoy it with a smile on my face. And as a guitarist, how can I not love those early 50's Gold Tops! I have had many Les Paul's pass through my hands over the years, and most recently acquired a '68 Gold Top with P-90's (looks like what they're playing, but newer by about 15 or 16 years). Lots of guitars out there, so many great ones, need to have them all. But if I could only own one electric guitar, it would be a Les Paul. Thank you Les Paul and the Gibson guitar company. And I do have and love Fenders as well, so thank you Leo as well. But Les Paul's are it for me!
Both a very good Guitaristas, it's amazing to see how they completed each other with their guitar playing. Simply incredible to see them play of each other and laugh at how well Mary easily repeated Les guitar playing.
Here's yet another reason why I miss variety shows. You'd see fun stuff like this, talented people of all walks of entertainment gettin loose and just having a blast, and you'd see great collabs all the time. Les and Mary were just chef's kiss.
gray mccavish Mary was a charmer of the highest order. Hers' is a genuine laugh, not a performer's affectation. Les was the eternal ham so when Mr. Showman broke a string, Mary had no choice but to laugh at his misfortune.
What an awesome performance. So raw and honest. Both such talented entertainers. You can really tell that they were so in love. And they were together till the end. A great example for today's fickle relationships. Thanks to whoever posted.
Ritchie Blackmore often cites Les Paul as a big influence. its all here the little melodies outside the song structure, playing bum notes on purpose etc. Great showmanship!
Two of the greats I don't know how anybody could put a negative post for anything they do. Without them we would have no Les Paul guitar we would have no rock and roll they are our history people! And I love those Goldtop 50s style guitars they are just phenomenal!
There are some great musicians after them, but it would be funny watching Eric Johnson or Eddie Van halen t a rock concert playing acoustic through the whole show.
Rickenbacker's "frying pan" may have been the first commercially produced solid body electric guitar but... As a teenager Les stuck the gramophone stylus on his guitar and it was weak, but it worked. Les was far ahead of the curve like when he INVENTED multi track recording by installing a second recording head on his reel to reel tape recorder.
So many guitar lessons in one song. Brilliant duo leap years ahead of themselves. So many people think they invented all these different technics and here is proof. Its ovee 60 years old......
The broken guitar string is GOLD!....I remember as a kid, in the mid 50's, waiting and hoping that my folks would let me stay up late enough to watch Les Paul and Mary Ford whenever they were on TV!.....I'm sure it was real late at night,...like...7:00 pm!....It was always a treat!....Just sayin'!
That’s the first time I have encountered with the duo and all I can say is that Mary Ford is criminally underrated! How the hell I didn’t know about her before 🙀
I saw Les and Mary on the Ed Sullivan Show just before Christmas, 1960. I started nagging my parents to let me take guitar lessons. Six months later in June 1961 I had my first guitar lesson on my 9th birthday. Since that time I joined my first band, played my first gig in 1965, played professionally for ten years starting in 1966, went on to major in music in college and taught for over 25 years. I'm now 68 and I still play. Not as much as I used to, but I still pick it up a few times a week. All thanks to Les, Mary and two of the greatest parents ever.
Thank you for telling this short but sweet and inspiring story!
Lovely story
Inspiring little story. I have played for roughly ten years and am now in the middle of jazz studies, anyone near me has no choice but to learn music theory cause it's pretty much all I talk about, so I'm unintentionally becoming a teacher now.
cool man
@@offgridas I know exactly what you're talking about. When I learned theory it opened a whole new world for me and I just had to talk about it. I drove people nuts. The thing that got me teaching was I ran into my guitar teacher and he told me I should try teaching because he thought I'd be good. That was all the encouragement I needed.
The first Delay Pedal was
*MARY FORD*
I was going to comment the same shit lol
Stolen comment
Made my day
Actually Les came up with an onboard tape delay looping 'pedal' - called it the Paulverizer.
On stage looping to create tracks to play along with, is now a main stream thang, 70 years later.
That's funny
She knew how to smile, harmonize, and play a mean electric guitar, all at once. Incredible singing, and so natural. Marvellous woman, and very talented
yeah and Les wouldnt let her cut his ass!😆
you forgot comedic presence...so i covered it for ya...
Yeah, I hear Les made some name for himself too
@@ericdpeerik3928 fake news
And when Les was asked why he dropped her he said... "Because she got fat ."
Mary wanted more but she settled for Les.
Oh, that was totally unnecessary! A good one never the less
Just absolutely funny.
Traveled to New York to see Les when he was 89...a real treat, thanks to two wonderful Jeff Beck fans.
@Greg Gregory There's something wrong with you. Get help.
@@jefflindeman no just report them.
A pun
So that's him. The guy that make me lose thousands of dollars...
He's beautiful.
Sky Soul you can’t say loose man
He made me lose thousands too but I got a great guitar out of the deal which I still have to this day.
He made me make thousands. I deal in used Les Pauls.
His guitars are more beautiful
Just get and Epiphone les Paul 😂
Mary never got enough credit for being a total badass guitar player herself!
True. Women never got enough credit in the fifties though
@@cooperhamilton6141 Not just in the 50’s, it’s the same today.
@@scottbaxendale323 I wouldn't say the same, but yes there is still forms of gender inequality or whatever term you may use, today. In the 50s however she never would have gotten taken seriously as a musician if Les wasn't by her side.... there's plenty of badass great quality female musicians today. In the 50s, that wasn't really the case.
@@scottbaxendale323 I wouldn't say we hold the same negative idea or opinion of women now as we did 70 years ago, it's changed, but obviously we still need to improve on things. It hasn't gone away tho, you are correct on that.
@@cooperhamilton6141 what inequalities do woman have to men about and what other laws do we need to pass for womans favor this month?
Mary was an amazing guitarist, she never really got the respect she deserved.........
and she was good looking too!
@@588158 She was gorgeous !
Yes totally underrated as she was well known as a singer
Was wondering why Gibson never made a Mary Ford tribute model, leaving all that history in the table.
Never mind the $$$
And she had the voice to match.
On July 07, 1924, Mary Ford was born, an American vocalist and guitarist, known for her musical partnership with her then-husband Les Paul. Between 1950 and 1954, the duo had 16 Top 10 hits. By 1951 they had sold six million records.
Ford and Paul were awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 1541 Vine Street in Hollywood.
In 1978, they were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Ford succumbed to complications from alcohol abuse in 1977. After eight weeks in a diabetic coma, she died in Arcadia, California, aged 53.
Did they have a family? Any children of their own?
Yes I know Mary was talented and already playing on shows but we really don't know what happened in her daily life what caused her to drink... I have to say that I really liked Mary. I have in mint condition Les and Mary Ford's album sitting right here
53 was way too young to have lost to the bottle. sad to lose a talent at such a young age.
@@fordsrestorations970there info out there about alcoholic woman who were sexually abused in their young years
Crazy how it’s been like 70 years and those P-90’s are still THE shit.
The wonderful thing about the P-90 is they've hardly changed. Near enough all of them have that crispness. So versatile.
@@TheMusicfan189 I’ve got an Epiphone with p-90’s in it that sounds about as good as a Gibson.
@@artmpowers My Gibson LP Junior rocks, I can’t wait to see how beat up it gets in the next 10 years or so. The P-90 is something else man.
@@TheMusicfan189 lol I’m waiting on mine to get “beat up” also. Something awesome about that “rock n roll” patina.
Damn straight. Could be the greatest electric guitar pickup of all. I'll take a LP with P-90s over one with PAFs any day. Nothing against PAFs at all, but the '90s just sound... alive or something..
Good clean talented humor that puts a smile on your face. I miss the old days. God bless Les and Mary.
MorbidManMusic why be negative on others belief, go fuck yourself
duster71, is that a biblical proverb?
shotput8 why yes it is its from from the old testament called dont be a douchebag
GOD BLESS Les Paul & Mary Ford. May the peace of Christ be with you.
@MorbidManMusic I'm not even religious but that's an unnecesary comment.
The fact that she can do whatever he does is absolutely amazing.
Yes and backwards in high heels!
Why is it amazing that a female can do the same thing as a male to you?
It just hit me....I don't think any musicians today can put on a show like this. The sensibilities of their era have changed. This kind of humour just doesn't exist anymore. How bittersweet.
YOU laughed, didnt you?
I’m surprised no one has called a delay pedal Mary ford yet, I did say yet
Mary Ford's Loop Station
Getúlio Prates that would be a good one too
@Johnny Rocker, like the drink this the 40's and she was married to a man im pretty sure its a she
@Johnny Rocker, like the drink I think we found the blackpill
That's the funniest thing iv ever read
There's something just so heartwarming about this
Two very great friends competing with each other on stage
I think I need to watch this on my bad days. I have a hard time watching this without smiling.
I better time
Yip, just can't stop smiling watching this.
i want to like this comment...but 420 so i wont ruin it. agreed. just two people who love each other playing music having fun. its what its all about.
Mary was an amazing guitarist and unrivaled as a singer. They were the greatest, most innovative performing couple in American history.
Guess you guys weren't ready for that...
But your kids are gonna love it
lol....Looks like they were ready for it all along. The 50's kids were way more experimental than today's generation.
@@jaycampbell6402 that's why I'm special XD
@@jaycampbell6402 bruh...
Lol!
Jay Campbell looks like you haven’t heard of John Dwyer or King Gizzard or Black Midi or Lightning Bolt or Death Grips or Flying Lotus or
What a great couple. It's great to see them playing together and having fun.
" Les Paul , He's the reason we all don't have real jobs. " Joe Walsh
the sounds exactly like something Joe Walsh would say lol
One of the few things Joe's ever said that rings true. It's a good thing he can play guitar or he'd be a warehouse worker.
Well, Les was ONE of the reasons, but yeah.
Joe is autistic, so am I, he and I have the same birthday and both create and sell stuff, that's still work.@@clarkhull7546
Legendary Les Paul, Legendary Joe✨✨✨
Les......the ORIGINAL SHREDDER!!! Shame on me, I keep forgetting that Mary KILLS IT on Guitar! What a GREAT Team those two. They were before my time, but that's a Testament to their GREATNESS. 🎸💚
Makes me think of that line about Ginger Rogers, she did everything Fred Astaire did, except backwards and in high heels
Yes! Brilliant allusion to the Ginger and Fred line!
Mary played a mean guitar when women in general didn't play guitar - she was very special back then.
Sister Rosetta Tharp. Roy Clark is better than Les
I had no idea that she could play like that. She really could keep up with him. At least until his string snapped... So cute.
your certified badass when you're holding your own guitar named after you
... and you invented it by yourself ...
Not correct. Les did not invent the Les Paul, or even the electric guitar. But he took credit for it!
Chris Pile he didnt inveted the electric guitar, noone said that. he did invented the les paul
That is NOT true. The president of Gibson - Ted McCarty presented the guitar to Les, and asked him to endorse. Many guitar historians will back up this story, but they don't back up Les.
lance montgomery Chesterfield and down right royalty when every second guitarist is playing a guitar with your name on it.
When you have 2 people improvising and one has to follow the other and match what they just did, it's a LOT harder to be the one following. Mary killed it here!
When you see someone improvising at a concert or tv, that improvisation is usually very well rehearsed.
@@cchavezjr7 bru what?
@@rose.i That's too difficult for you to understand?
@@cchavezjr7 no youre just full of shit
@@rose.i I don't think so, when I rehearse in general, I find licks and such. Once I have a collection I like, I use them in my performances, while still improvised, but with a plan of what I could play when.
Mary quietly upstaging Les. Got to love these two spectacular guitarists.
By the end of the song, she had a six string guitar and he had a five string guitar.
DREADFUL guitar playing... not FUNNY at all.. pure shit
The Wizard of Waukesha! And Les ain't bad, either! 😉
@@vinnothelizard You should be named the PUKE.
@@vinnothelizard It's not SUPPOSED to be "good guitar playing". It was strictly a comedy bit, mostly ad-libbed, topped off beautifully when Les broke a string. They were screwing around having fun.. Too bad you apparently think "guitar heroes" should only play skillful, quality music and never just be silly. Which means it's not "shit". It means you're a close-minded, "serious guitarist" who didn't get it. I can tell just by your comment that I'd never want to be in a band with you; and if you're in one at all it probably has a high turnover rate because of your control issues. Better make sure the pizza delivery sign doesn't fall off your car....😛
Something to consider...
Les Paul is the only person to be inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame AND the Inventors Hall of Fame. Personally I think Leo Fender deserves to be the second...
LesPaulDisciple And Ted McCarty the third. 😃
Heard that
But Leo Fender couldn't play a single note. That's why he worked with George Fullerton.
Erik Jensen Same with Ted McCarty. But I don’t think anyone would argue that they both didn’t make a massive contribution to rock and roll (and music in general): just think how much different the music scene would have been with no Strats, Teles, Les Pauls or ES-335s.
And I’d suggest that the invention of those models and the early years development of the electric guitar in general is a good argument for both of them getting into the inventor’s call of fame.
By the way... Leo Fender is already in the rock and roll hall of fame. There are plenty of non performers in the HoF and Leo is one of them.
Because multitrack baby!
Rarely have I seen two people more in tune (forgive the pun) with each other. Magnificent.
Mary Ford was an absolute BABE!
RL R SHWING!
Agree
And a lady, they are rare.
How refreshing! Sweet, funny, lovely talent without any vulgarity! Bring it back!
There's a lot out there. Time to widen your scope....
Agree.
Peniston
It's called genious entertainment
@@SimonFerocius Indeed! 😊
One of the greatest performances I have ever seen! What an absolutely marvellous routine. If only we had more of this around today. Nothing but two people with immense talent and two guitars. Mary's voice, talent and beauty is so perfectly matched by the INCREDIBLE skills and musicianship of Les. Their skills as entertainers is so awesome. They could have came out and just played the song, but instead turn it into the perfect showcase of music and humour in the most wholesome way possible.
What a wonderful legacy to have left the world. Thank you so much, Les and Mary.
This is the best ad for a guitar I've ever seen in my life....
Yes. I'm so convinced to buy a mary Ford delay pedal lol
lmao even les paul himself had to tune the G string at the beggining
:D exactly
Typically Gibson!
So true.
Haha. But actually... I don't think that the electric guitar exists yet! At least not one that's EVER in tune.
blackmore4 I tune to the keyboard, a Rhodes if possible. I use a tuner to get it close, then I do small tweaks with the keys. I check single notes, and also double stops and chords.
Mary Ford is the most underrated singer of all time. Mary played the guitar just well as Les. If it was Not for Mary Les would be a complete unknown now. Mary Ford should have gone down in history as the greatest singer of all time. So very sad all Mary Ford as ever had was a life of playing second fiddle to Les Paul. She never got the respect that she deserves. People bought Les Paul and Mary Ford records to hear Mary's beautiful voice singing. Les Paul would never have the money to develop the electric guitar and multitrack recording if were not for Mary, which will be several million dollars in today's money. it's high time Mary gets the respect that she deserves.
You just gave it to her,(the respect). Thanks
1950's early shreading.
the pickups sound very weird they dont break up as much as when slash plays, for example
Shredding tapping and hammering
And so beautifully done by a man and a woman ❤️
@@josedealva4205 Humbucking pickups hadn't been introduced yet, AFAIK. In addition, Les always searched for that cleaner tone, and a Marshall JCM 800 set on full blast is an altogether different beast than that particular goal.
@@eddievhfan1984 I was about to say that lol
Great combination of humor and genuine skill.
Also took some pretty big balls of Les, considering most of the source of the humor was him being handed his ass to him by Mary; he was known as one of the premier guitar players of his day and he gave her a platform to really show her chops.
Sad that she died the way she did.
How’d she die?
MrFredstt
In case you didn’t look it up, from Wikipedia:
Ford succumbed to complications of alcohol abuse in 1977. After eight weeks in a diabetic coma, she died in Arcadia, California, at the age of 53. She is buried at Forest Lawn-Covina Hills in Covina, California. Although her year of birth has been variously reported as either 1924, 1925, or 1928, the year 1924 is engraved on her tombstone,[30] along with "Vaya con Dios", the name of one of her most popular songs.
@@macmuggo5459 Wow! Thanks!!
Mac, thankyou I didn't know that. Best wishes 🎸🎶👍
@@macmuggo5459 I was relying on you to tell us.
Yup, a drunken death is about the WORST thing I've ever seen. Don't quit alone. DT's are no joke. You can die from withdrawal, and I think only Benzos (Xanax and Valium are in than family) and booze can kill you during withdrawl.
Mary Ford was a lovely woman and a good guitar player that never got her proper due. She was always in the shadow of Les Paul and he used her as his muse. He treated her as the dumb sidekick. She turned to Alcohol and she succumbed to an early dearth at the age of 53. She deserved better than what she got. Rest in peace dear Mary.
BS
@@gm-zz8so What makes you say BS? Farts should be waved in your general direction.
@@granpastreetz Yes, big BS. Instead of questioning the "BS" assertion, why not question the "She deserved better than what she got"? Someone who never showed much brain or dedication, a school dropout, someone who was lucky to meet Les Paul since it boosted her career. While driving, she almost killed him in a car accident, injuring his arm severely for life, interrupting his guitar play for more than a year. Still, together, they enjoyed huge success. After the success was gone, like so many weak minded persons she was unable to accept reality and drank. She even got divorced, remarried, got other opportunities in the music business, but never achieved much. Died an alcoholic. Maybe she got more than she deserved.
That was the way of life for women in that era
Les Paul had a lot of talent, pioneer, incredible contribution to guitar, but not one of my favorites. Not even in the top 50. Yeah , I have a Les Paul. I just don’t think his playing has much feeling in it.
And from what I’ve seen of him on RUclips, he’s kind of a dick.
Doc we need to get back to 1955
MAGA !
I like being in color!
it'd be great, but I don't think their were any roads.
Back in the 1950s they had all those big beautiful cars big beautiful Cadillacs with V-8 engines gasoline was $.25 a gallon it must’ve been fun of all they didn’t have the computers back then but we could build those big beautiful cars again. It’s thanks to all the politically correct retards that we can’t do it you know we could build a big beautiful cars we could build a big beautiful Les Pauls again it would be awesome let’s make America great again🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸💰💰💰💰💰💰
'wah wah political correctness terk mah jerb'. Grow up snowflake, it's 2019.
Still two of the most talented people ever. Loved their music as a kid. I’m now 71. Still love it.
Me too, I'm just a week away from my 71st birthday! Posted March 24, 2020
Thank you les for my 1958 les Paul best guitar ever!!!!
A reminder that Mary was a helluva guitarist in her own right. Great stuff.
All of this is out of control. Nothing else like it. Real guitar. BOSS
Well, thank you so much for completely finishing that song. If there anything that I hate, it for a song to not ending and leaves me hanging somewhere up there and holding my breath until the song has ended. My young granddaughter plays violin with her school band. They had gone to play for different schools and places to play Christmas carols. They were playing one and it was being recorded and the video shut off just before the last note had been played. I don’t know how many times I watched that video and hoping that last note would be played. Of course, I KNOW that it won’t so why do I keep on doing it? I guess I’m like that old man who’s watching a movie about a lady is about to take all of her clothes off when a freight train passes by and obscures his view of it. When someone asks him why he just keeps watching it over and over again, he just says, “I just keep hoping that someday, that train will be running late. 🚂🚂🚂😂😂😂
Little did they realize what lay ahead for that guitar! God bless Les!
Bankcrupcy
Kei n Rai too soon
God bless Les and Leo...
As a little kid I listened to a 78rpm record of "Mockingbird Hill" over and over. It would help later in life when I taught myself to play electric guitar in the mid'60's and was in several bands from high school through college. Great inspiration.
awesome - they are playing with their guitar while delivering perfect vocals and flawless guitar playing
I hope one day to find a Mary Ford for the Les Paul in my heart.
You definitely will :p
This is almost avant- grade. A standard country song absolutely buggered with discordances. And on broadcast tv.
You might give some old Spike Jones records a try. Spike and his band did the same kind of crazy versions of hits of the day.
With real humor..so good natured
My dad , a guitarist as well, once told me yrs ago that Mary was no slouch herself as a guitarist...thus must very where he saw her play...I love her tone of her Les Paul...listen closely to it...oh and her real name was Coleen Sommers...
It's like Yes or King Crimson playing country.
Can’t believe this guy named himself after the guitar. ( :
yeah, i wouldn't name myself Fender Stratocaster tho
but if so, that would be kinda weird but kinda cool
You can't play such sob stuff on a Gibson Les Paul
I know the unmitigated gall, the audacity! LOL
Too funny. Good one
The other way around mate
a chic that plays guitar and sings on that level.........heaven he was a very lucky guy
That 'chick' was his wife, Mary Ford. Check out some of their other videos, she was a certified badass player in her own right. she could play some ripping rhythm guitar while singing and not even look down at her fingers. She truly got overshadowed by him. I started playing because of them, two years before the Beatles. I was nine years old. I'm sixty seven now, and I still play.
@@jimvandemoter6961 I love how you use the Beatles as a bench mark point in history.
@@TestingMonkeyStudios I used them as a reference because everyone knows who they were. And you have to admit they totally changed the way popular music was thought of. A lot of people took up guitar because of the Beatles, but I was ahead of them. I got in my first band in '65 and I was already ahead of most because I started when I did. I got in my second band in '67 and played all over. During those years I had a chance to open for some people who went on to be big names themselves, like Bob Seger, and Ted Nugent, but it all started with Les and Mary. I went on to study theory, composition and arranging and taught for over thirty years.
Damn. If only Mary got her due. I can name very few guitarists that can go lick for lick with Les.
@@williamsipes5744 How true.
Wow, Mary tuned her guitar by looking him in the eyes, classy girl!
Hanging on to my LPCustom forever cause it's pure love.
So sad how we all know Les' ability, but completely pass over Mary's talent, and ability. She's incredible!
Literally... Nobody. To be precise people aren't speaking bad of Mary or good of Les, like if they're mentioning something is Mary ability nor Les.
This video is heart-warming. You're too modern to have your heart warmed.
@@tommyhatcher3399 I'm not to modern. I wish I was. I was born in the middle of the last century. My heart was warmed by them years ago. I just wish she got more credit for her? talent, and ability. Thanks for the "compliment" about modern though.
Not only could Mary follow Les - she could do it as well, _and_ get better tone on her guitar. Do any recordings exist of Mary playing solo?
and now a word from the; glass half full guy....person and they omitted their pronouns
I had the great privilege to see Les live at the Iridium in NYC, back in 1998. At that time, he was 83, but he still burned up that fretboard in a way that put most players to shame! And he autographed my CD too! :-)
RIP to the Master!
Very cool!!
This was seriously heartwarming and entertaining thank you for sharing
It really was! Wasn't it?🙂
These are the classiest, most relatable people to have ever been famous. These are the people you want at your cookout.
2 other famous people who were very grounded and good people were Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontaine. They were both actors who had a famous home in the Town of Genesee, Wisconsin called 10 Chimneys. It still exists and they give tours. I went when I was little. Alfred and Lynn were stage and cinematic actors
They were so good together.. it broke his heart when mary died.less is legendary forever!
Is this the cutest and most wholesome live performance ever?
That was s great time things are so screwed today
I always knew Mary had a sultry, gorgeous voice, but I never knew she could throw down with Les on guitar too!
THANK YOU to everyone who has commented here.
Yes, Mary had the voice of an angel and was a fine guitarist in her own right.
Mary had an ability to arrange very complex vocal lines and harmonies. In that regard she was like a female Brian Wilson.
Try again. Wilson was a male Mary Ford. She was first.
@@guessundheit6494 , Mary Ford did not achieve what Brian Wilson did, not even close. But she was very talented.
I believe this whole video is about anything you can do she can do as well so it's an ode to Mary and All her talents
People rightfully praise Les for his many contributions to music, but Mary was a big part of their duo. Without Mary, I doubt Les would have gone as far as a musician. When she left the group, he could never find anyone to replace her. That says it all! 👍💖🎸😎
To be fair, they sunk together, and then she left him. She tried musical success after that but never succeeded.
@@zeze4050 Rock-N-Roll and R&B really swept a lot of great artists away in exchange for some new great artists.
How complimentary their voices are. And they play great obviously. Amazing.
Wow! Mary Ford could play really good. Looks like Les had some serious competition back in the day.
Gerald Johnson She kicked his ass.
I had no idea
Well*
*really WELL^
Breaks a string. no problem. The show goes on.
most of the playing was done by her anyway :P
Yet he didn't play after breaking that string.
Les Paul truly met his match with Mary Ford! He was the genius and she was music.
There is no place like home and my wife and I finally got our own home! Thanks for your song Les and Mary. As it reminds us to be thankful and grateful for the things we do have.
i am 21 years old but i still listening this.
Genius guitar player and his lovely wife Mary was certainly no slouch on guitar! Rest In Peace both of you!
Those Les Pauls must've been an absolute pleasure to play. Doesn't hurt that it's Les and Mary themselves playing them, no less.
Precious, beautiful stuff . A poigniant reminder they simply don't make those kind of wonderful human beings anymore.
WildVideoNYC. Sure they do. It’s the people you don’t know. Would be a whole lot better if we weren’t being poisoned by social media. We only see what is prevalent to the minds of these guys that run it! There is good and there is god in this world we just have to close ourselves from the bullSHIT, and focus on what is GOOD. Americans have deviated from the simple mindedness that once was back then. God wants us to be SIMPLE. DO WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY AND WE WILL LIVE GREAT LIVES. America needs to rid the atheism and go back to our roots of living an ego-less life.
Be wonderful, and prove your own statement false.
Mary is amazing ! Wow … totally underrated musician!!!
Can’t wait to see what Stratocaster looks like
@@counterfeit1148 lol. You are the funniest grammar Nazi I have seen.
@@confederatestatesofamerica8440 Thanks for the reply which reminded me this comment existed so I deleted it
I would rather know what reverse flying v looks like, I have some question for him.
Lol
@@c3nturin896 I'm sure you want to do more than ask him questions
i fell in love with her voice as a little kid. I'm 64 now. Thank you Colleen Summers!
Those beautiful guitars... takes my breath away.
Mary Ford could play the guitar just as well as Les Paul she was a very very good guitar player along with being a very very good singer just imagine play in those 1950s Les Paul custom‘s must’ve been a lot of fun💰💰💰💰💰
Philip Howard She couldn’t play as good as him. Also those are Les Paul Standards not Custom
@@wandajames143 Gold Top Standards.
Alastair Archibald yes standards.
Great entertainers. Botb.
wanda James Sorry about that I knew they weren’t was Paul customs but here’s a fact my grandfather bought a Les Paul custom way back in 1954 he paid $375 for and we still have the guitar along with the hangtags the bill of receipt in the original case
When you combine music and comedy. Love the simplicity and authenticity of this couple.
The two elements; the only two elements( music and humor) that (should..) qualify as entertainment!!
This is so delightful.
I only in recent years learned that Mary could play.
I as a youth, always loved her vocals on the classic Les Paul and Mary Ford singles...........
But never knew that she was quite so wonderful a performer.
msattler111 Les said she was a better guitarist than he was.
Yup, she could trade licks with Les on most anything. Modern day (not married of course) Jeff Beck/Jennifer Batten
Les Paul was a genius...!! I remember an interview with Keith
Richards....who said the same thing. Les Paul invented almost all of the
effects still used today in a studio
today...delay...reverb....distortion....echo...multitrack......the list goes on and on.
Don't forget flanging....
and the Phaser
Rock on!
Don’t forget the looper !
Don’t forget the tube screamer and univibe and whammy pedal
The innocence the entertainment musical taste and playfulness is heart warming !!
4:58 he breaks a string and goes on like it was all part of the gag! What an entertainer.
I noticed that too.
But why he interrupted her? Would that be something like "Don't break it too!"
@@aceofspades02 because he lost the little "competition" in the song.
Her laugh is so precious
@@aceofspades02 well it turned out pretty funny in the end so can’t really complain
@@imd1b4u Right. You're not a guitar player are you.
This is a fantastic video. I wish there were more guitarists like Les Paul, Roy Clark, and Glen Campbell around today.
...don't forget Jimmy Bryant...
@@jamesnash7262 And Chet Atkins, Mr. RCA Victor himself! He owned a lot of RCA stock!
jwguitar, lets not forget Mary Ford the other subject of this video
@@usmale4915 Chet is my man, shoot, now I have to Call him Mr. RCA-Victor Himself
@@xochitljustice777 very true!
My favourite in the 60's was Les Paul and Mary Ford and now that I have got a ," cd " of Les and Mary Ford ,**** I am so happy.
"Hurry up, Chet..."
"My name is Les"
😅 so rare to see performers just having a blast playing
Well... when you perform, you're performing to people, people who are there to hear the music not the jokes nor the laughs. I get what you mean but it doesn't apply to all cases. Of course slash enjoys playing but he won't necessarily crack up jokes in the middle of a solo. Here it's just Les and his wife having fun, that's the main focus of the show I guess. I have gone on for too long and probably waisted like 30 seconds of your life.
@@travosk8668 that was all part of the show in those days kid. It wasn't just about playing songs having a personal rapport with your audience was a big part of the Les Paul and Mary Ford experience.
Overshadowed by Les (and who wouldn't be), Mary Ford was in fact a pretty darn good guitarist herself!
Yes she was, and its really great the Les was able to give her the platform to show her skill
@@cooperhamilton6141 shame that's how it works
Yes! Talented!
This gave me deep chuckles like I haven't had in a long while. This type of subtle humor has become a lost art.
Look at those techniques!!
Incredible, They created Whole vocabulary for future guitarists. This is so much ahead of it's time that we had to wait more than 10 years to see a man who used them in a proper way and it was Hendrix.
@Michael H: The guy who copied Hendrix's tone and not much else?
Two of a kind. Kudos to both of them! Mary Ford is a pioneer, trailblazer and Les Paul the great guitarist and innovations to music is historically important to music. Timeless video!
Great musicians, actors, comedians, great singers... And humble persons... Also made history. ❤Lovely
Ok, that was SPECIAL as heck. I loved it! Wow, times have changed, back then it was so pure, and real, ton a talent, humor, and easy going stage acts. But we live on an entirely different planet. I must say she is a jem, and so he he of course...
leftymadrid special, but special as HECK?
Both extremely talented and entertaining gotta love the vibe of this performance.
Aside from being an incredible guitar player, an innovator, and an inventor, he is such a tremendous entertainer. And Mary Ford is just as amazing on guitar, vocals, and entertaining as well. What a great routine they put together, so musical, so entertaining. I can watch this over and over again and not enjoy it with a smile on my face. And as a guitarist, how can I not love those early 50's Gold Tops! I have had many Les Paul's pass through my hands over the years, and most recently acquired a '68 Gold Top with P-90's (looks like what they're playing, but newer by about 15 or 16 years). Lots of guitars out there, so many great ones, need to have them all. But if I could only own one electric guitar, it would be a Les Paul. Thank you Les Paul and the Gibson guitar company. And I do have and love Fenders as well, so thank you Leo as well. But Les Paul's are it for me!
What a fun performance! She matched him lick for lick, harmonized perfectly and they carried on even after he broke a string!
Both a very good Guitaristas, it's amazing to see how they completed each other with their guitar playing. Simply incredible to see them play of each other and laugh at how well Mary easily repeated Les guitar playing.
Here's yet another reason why I miss variety shows. You'd see fun stuff like this, talented people of all walks of entertainment gettin loose and just having a blast, and you'd see great collabs all the time. Les and Mary were just chef's kiss.
has she got the cutest little laugh or what?
gray mccavish Mary was a charmer of the highest order. Hers' is a genuine laugh, not a performer's affectation. Les was the eternal ham so when Mr. Showman broke a string, Mary had no choice but to laugh at his misfortune.
I fell IN LOVE with her speaking voice, singing voice, and laugh.
You, me and millions of red-blooded guys.
What an awesome performance. So raw and honest. Both such talented entertainers. You can really tell that they were so in love. And they were together till the end. A great example for today's fickle relationships. Thanks to whoever posted.
Sorry, but they were together from 1949 to 1964 when they divorced.
Ritchie Blackmore often cites Les Paul as a big influence. its all here the little melodies outside the song structure, playing bum notes on purpose etc. Great showmanship!
Two of the greats I don't know how anybody could put a negative post for anything they do. Without them we would have no Les Paul guitar we would have no rock and roll they are our history people! And I love those Goldtop 50s style guitars they are just phenomenal!
i wonder if anyone in that audience knew they where looking at the most important musicians of the 20th century
There are some great musicians after them, but it would be funny watching Eric Johnson or Eddie Van halen t a rock concert playing acoustic through the whole show.
don rutter This guy didn't invent the electric guitar, Rickenbacker did. Check your facts and forget the propaganda.
I like your thumbnail . I have all the original 66 Ultraman series on dvd . I've been watch it since I was 5 :)
Rickenbacker's "frying pan" may have been the first commercially produced solid body electric guitar but...
As a teenager Les stuck the gramophone stylus on his guitar and it was weak, but it worked.
Les was far ahead of the curve like when he INVENTED multi track recording by installing a second recording head on his reel to reel tape recorder.
@@DSpeir-pi6tm yeah , ultraman has something special about it
So many guitar lessons in one song.
Brilliant duo leap years ahead of themselves.
So many people think they invented all these different technics and here is proof. Its ovee 60 years old......
The broken guitar string is GOLD!....I remember as a kid, in the mid 50's, waiting and hoping that my folks would
let me stay up late enough to watch Les Paul and Mary Ford whenever they were on TV!.....I'm sure it was real
late at night,...like...7:00 pm!....It was always a treat!....Just sayin'!
Les Paul and Mary Ford couple of genius
It's kind of cool to see what was going on like 70 years ago♡
True showmanship. Absolutely captivating.
I am amazed about Mary's guitar playing!
Hello, how are you doing I hope you’re having a great day so far, and how’s everything going on over there ❤️❤️
That’s the first time I have encountered with the duo and all I can say is that Mary Ford is criminally underrated! How the hell I didn’t know about her before 🙀
Age, you youngun.