@@charliebay9441 Which, Ricky _did_ play without 2 strings, *but that wasn't for all songs.* Details below. Most of the time, he used 5 string tunings, omitting the G string. 4 String Tunings: CFxxFF = Dance This Mess Around, Rock Lobster, Runnin' Around (the most consistent case, played this way live and on record.) 4 or 5 string tunings: (empty, D, or E) A D x G A = 6060-842, Hero Worship (it seems like he used only the 4 for the album, but used the 5 when live, since he had to switch tunings so much.) EBDxBB or xEBxBB = Private Idaho. (He used 5 strings on the album, and 4 live early on, seemingly switching back to 5 around 1982 - 1983.) 5 String Tunings: DADxBB = One of the most common. This was sometimes either re-tuned to, or tuned down from, the next tuning: EADxBB = Used in Planet Claire, and 52 Girls. BADxG#C# = Used for "Party Out of Bounds" and "Quiche Lorraine." There are others for Mesopotamia and Whammy!, but that's enough for now. EDIT after 4 thumbs up: Changed comment to be more accurate. EDIT 2: Just divided the tuning sections a bit better. EDIT 3: Added the EADxBB tuning.
Thumb this up, would you please? The song click list in the description's all wrong. 0:00:00 - Horn Intro 0:00:40 - Lava 0:05:45 - Give Me Back My Man 0:10:12 - 6060-842 0:13:16 - Devil In My Car 0:18:02 - 52 Girls 0:21:53 - Quiche Lorraine 0:26:01 - Dirty Back Road 0:29:19 - Private Idaho 0:33:17 - Strobe Light 0:37:34 - Runnin' Around 0:41:27 - Rock Lobster 0:46:40 - Dance This Mess Around First Encore: 0:52:02 - Planet Claire 0:57:14 - Party Out Of Bounds Second Encore: 1:01:00 - Downtown 1:03:45 - 53 Miles West Of Venus
I'd have to put the Flat Duo Jets and the Minutemen in the same category. Though the Flat Duo Jets were just playing 1950s - 1960s inspired Rock & Roll, which was already established - it just wasn't trendy when they started in the early to mid 80s. Though they did do a great job at it, and their "Red Tango" album is one of my favorites. The Minutemen, oh boy. I'm not sure where to put them, but I like them a lot. Though some of their songs do happen to sound a lot like a mess, like "Retreat," which I wouldn't recommend for first time listeners. Maybe songs more like "Corona" *(it's about giving away beer bottles to a trash picker for deposit money,)* "King of the Hill," or (if you're adventurous in noisier songs,) "Maybe Partying Will Help." Sadly, their work was cut short when D. Boon died in a car accident from being ejected out the rear of a van when the van's rear axle broke and fell out.
The B-52’s did more to to trigger the “New Wave” music paradigm shift in the music industry than any other single band. MTV simply followed their lead, and suddenly, 1970’s rock was “dead”.
I am there with you. They are the best. I've seen them in concert and I must admit that it was one of the best experiences I have ever had. Worth every cent 😮
My wife and I went to this concert. I believe she was pregnant with our second child.We had a great time. I love Ricky's guitar work he was their sound. Cindy rocks.
You are 100% correct! When they came out they were the rage and when their tunes were played you couldn’t stop dancing! We would play the shit out of them at parties
man its just the whole sound planet Claire trips me out lol juist wish they had that thing out of the 60;s lol kliidiscope thing lol that would have been plain sick !!!
He's gotta be up there with the best of them. Without those riffs he put down, they wouldn't be who they are, and lets not sleep on Keith Strickland. Together they create the sound, that is the B-52's.
They will go down in history as one of the best bands ever! Every time I attend a B52's concert, I have the time of my life. They always make me feel so good ❤
Often underappreciated: Keith's drumming. Hardly any jazz fusion acrobatics, but fantastic precision cadence and dynamics. The whole show bounces and punches in the best of ways in large part to Keith holding it down.
I too never noticed his drumming before. Much new respect for Keith Strickland who may have been the most talented member of the group and the least known.
Their earliest songs released in 1979 - 1980 are a whole other world from Cosmic Thing. Their guitarist you see here (Ricky H. Wilson, Cindy's older brother) died at 32, which took a lot of the early sound, but they already were floundering around from their initial sound before he died. None of their 1982 - 1986 material is quite the same. I do like tracks from their 1982 Mesopotamia EP ("Extended Play," which is sort of a mini-album that often has 4 to 6 songs,) but even though I like most of the songs OK, there's a separate issue that the Mesopotamia EP has; there are only 2 songs on it that really stay true to the title of it: "Deep Sleep," and the title track "Mesopotamia." The other 4 songs don't really fit with the cover art or the EP title, _especially_ "Throw That Beat In The Garbage Can." Their 1983 album Whammy is, eh, sorry, I'm not a huge fan of it. Some of it's probably the production of the album, but whatever it is, the album just doesn't hit the same. It also reminds me too strongly that the circumstances of the recording of it were not the best nursery for B-52s tracks to begin, and I feel a specific kind of bad when I think of listening to the album, and I'm not really certain about why. At least it produced the "Don't Worry" song, even though most pressings of it don't include the song, and it's only on the first release. Their 1985 - 1986 album "Bouncing off the Satellites" has some decent tracks on it, but it's nothing like the first 2 albums, and Ricky was dying of AIDS during the album rehearsals. I like it better than Whammy, personally, yet I'm not sure why. It feels more like a precursor point to the Cosmic Thing album than not, even though Ricky died during rehearsals.
@@101Volts they weren't floundering from their old sound as much as it was business execs at Warner Brothers wanting to control them. WB put David Byrne's massive ego in charge of their next record at the same time Ricky got sick. Byrne spent 90% of his time on the play he was already booked on, The Catherine Wheel. That period in time really changed the band. Mesopotamia was supposed to be a full length record and it has a lot of great music on it. Byrne will always get the biggest cut from any song they play from it. That record represents so much sadness anger and regret, that it's no surprise you never hear it played -recorded or live, any more.
Mind-blowing, the energy AND the craft behind this. Can't believe what Ricky pulls off with one guitar, the power-drumming and the perfect vocals by Kate and Cindy. If anyone ever tells you rock is simple or simplistic, or that the B-52's were just a talentless gimmick band, show 'em this...one of the finest live gigs ever.
There aren't many videos I want to call the best on RUclips but ... this is going to be one of my top picks!! Miss Ricky Wilson ... the original five had something so pure ... so raw ... so amazing!!! I can't even imagine being there for this live performance ... what was the rest of the world doing when this was happening!? Long live the sound that is the B-52's ... it was out of outer space and at least for now, there hasn't been anything like it since ... absolutely brilliant!!!
Just came home from seeing them in their farewell tour. Very lackluster tbh. Saw them a couple of years ago at a free concert where they were absolutely on fire!
@@villedocvalle ... that's a shame. I kinda shy away from going to some of my favorites from yesteryear ... there is risk of being let down a little but I'll tell you, I went to the Cruel World Festival this past May, in Southern California and I was NOT disappointed by any of the bands on that bill ... two stand outs I highly recommend trying to catch if you can ... Psychedelic Furs and Blondie!! They are both still very shiny indeed. Thanks for sharing your experience with me ... never thought I'd be getting a comment from a 2 year old post but it's really cool ... rock on, my friend ✌️💛🤘🌞😎🪄🤙
Ive been dancing to the b52s since the late 70s im 61 now and when im a bit down i put on my b52s nobody has ever been better than these guys. Party on...
53:43 Kate Pierson is a GREAT Musician. In Planet Claire, to be able sing those lines AND Play the Left Hand Bass Line AND PLay the Melody in a live format takes a LOT of Skill and practice.
Damn ! Back than Misses Pierson was the hardest working woman in the music-biz ! Left hand on Korg Bass-Synth, right hand playing the Farfisa-Organ, singing and dancing... I'm so impressed. If you thought Ray Manzarek was good...
I never, ever get tired of watching Cindy sing "give Me Back My Man", magical. 38 years later and I finally am getting to see this in person, 5th row! A dream come true! Quiche the good doggie and I can die happy knowing we've seen and heard the best this world had to offer!
@@govetter They are definitely the engine room of this band. I wish I was a sound engineer, I would turn the drums way up in this video. The drums are muffled, but I bet they sound really heavy live.
@@ericsterz3969 Agreed! It was an old LIVE snag, it's dayum good. I sometimes wish for color, but the b&w makes it pop as visually at it can. Crank ON.
When John Lennon heard the B-52’s he excitedly felt like they were the kick in the ass the music industry needed. Fresh, new, and talented as hell. ‘Imagine’ John Lennon living through the 80’s and using something like this as his template. The possibilities are endless. I guess we’ll never know.
Well, good on you for discovering them mate. Immerse yourself in the rich textures of this genius group of musicians. I've loved them since the Summer of'79. I'm now 59, nearly 60. My taste in music is extremely broad. Sex Pistols, Status Quo, Mozart, Dead Kennedys etc
00:39 - Lava 05:47 - Give Me Back My Man 10:12 - 6060-842 13:17 - Devil In My Car 18:02 - 52 Girls 21:53 - Quiche Lorraine 26:02 - Dirty Back Road 29:20 - Private Idaho 33:20 - Strobe Light 37:35 - Runnin' Around 41:28 - Rock Lobster 46:41 - Dance This Mess Around 52:50 - Planet Claire 57:15 - Party Out Of Bounds 01:01:02 - Downtown 01:03:46 - 53 Miles West Of Venus
I havta agree with you. I'm the guy that ALWAYS watches (experiences) the drummers! (Most of them smile soo big when their tight.) Strickland's a Frakkin MACHINE of the 80's!
B52's, no band like them and there will never be another like them. I wish I could have been there. Ricky plays guitar like no other. One hell of a band.
I’m proud to say that my first B52’s show was in 1980 right after their second album was released. It was the one and only time I got to see Ricky play with them. I feel blessed.
Keith's drums are carefully tuned. He doesn't just do beats, he's singing the drums throughout, I am in total awe. Mix is dead perfect. I would do a double vinyl from the analog master of this NOW.
How incredible to have this. They played London around this tour and we did not expect them to be able to actually do it live and halfway through the first number the roof came off. I have often said it was probably the best gig I was ever at. I only realise now how incredible they all are as performers. Built around a true original of a guitarist, they are all extraordinary. Kate is not only on those perfect vocals but doing all the bass and leads on double keys! I am properly in awe of this band. Its just three musicians making that enormous noise. They don't play it for laughs, there is hardly any interaction between them they just get totally into it and let the songs do the work. A lesson in stagecraft for any band. If you look at early footage of them at parties you see how much work they have put in to be one of the best live bands in the world. I could watch this over and over all day long.
Part of their genius is the can barely sing front man; but he is the one that makes the sarcasm to let his two angels sing in key. I like him; without him I don't think The 52's would work right. Good job bro!
8:30 I said this in another upload, but look at all those guitars on the stage. Ricky used multiple tunings and not always the same gauge of strings (He used a hybrid set of _bass_ & guitar strings for Rock Lobster, no joke! I know the gauges to use, read on; they're below) and here's some proof of just how many guitars he used; I counted no fewer than six on stage. Below are notes of which guitars were used for which songs: 1971 - 1974 Mosrite V-I (normally a "Ventures" model, but this is a year-specific name for it) in Sunburst - "Lava", "Give Me Back My Man" "52 Girls" "Downtown" and "53 Miles West of Venus" - Tuned to DADxBB (Maybe EADxBB for 52 Girls) Epiphone ET-290, Red - "6060-842" "52 Girls" and "Planet Claire" (Kate plays it for "52 Girls") 1963 Danelectro Pro - "Private Idaho" 1960s Joe Maphis Doubleneck - "Quiche Lorraine" "Dirty Back Road" and "Party Out of Bounds." BADxG#C# tuning for Quiche and Party, but I'm not sure what the tuning is for Road. 1966-1968 Mosrite Ventures Mark V, Sunburst - "Strobe Light" (Which was tuned to DGCx??, I'm not sure of the top 2 strings, but they're present, just not played [and why, I don't know.]) 1966 Mosrite Ventures MK V, Most likely a 1966 model. Same exact guitar which was photographed on the first B's album cover - "Runnin' Around," "Rock Lobster," and "Dance This Mess Around." Tuned to CFxxFF. I'm not sure if Ricky always used this gauge of strings for the blue MK V but for the album version at least he used gauges as these or close to these: .058, .056, empty, empty, .018p and .018p. He would have needed to have widened the string slots for the string guide, or the strings would have been binding in the string guide (that is, getting stuck and causing tuning issues.) EDIT, June 4 2019: Changed the plain CFxxFF strings to what his notes officially said. EDIT, May 20 2024: Fixed a lot of issues in this comment - organization, names of guitars, and also the string gauges of the MK V.
+Austin Lucas Additional details - Epiphone = Epiphone Wiltshire. I Think Ricky also used a Coronet for the CFxxFF songs in the mid-80's as well. The Silvertone is a Danelectro built Pro 1 model from the mid 60's and possibly shorter scale than usual, probably why he used it on Private Idaho, you could tune one of those up to F# and it'd feel like a 25.5" scale guitar tuned to EADGBE standard.
+Mad-Mike's "Creeping Net" Channel Hey thanks Mad-Mike, I did like the videos of your cheap `960s or 1970s Telecaster copy too. In hindsight with how difficult it was to turn the tuners on that, maybe some Ultralube would fix tuners as hard as those?
+Austin Lucas I actually wound up replacing the tuners on it with some sealed gear units. THe original six-on-a-strip were missing the parts for the High E, and one of the buttons came off in my hand when I tried tuning it. Funny story on that guitar, when I found it it had 4 different types of string on it including nylon, bronze, bass, and regular steel electric guitar. I think someone was using this as a kid's toy for awhile before I came along and fixed it up. I eventually sold it to fund some other projects of mine.
As much as I liked the way that Kate and Fred and Cindy played off each other with their singing, I have new respect for drummer Keith Strickland who actually may have been the most musically talented of them all. A much better drummer than I ever noticed. The stars were all aligned to get this bunch together. Can't imagine not having them be a part of growing up as a teen. Simply amazing concert!!
I don't know how to say it but after so many decades, Rock Lobster is still so strong and nothing can touch it when you consider everything that is unique (vocals, rock guitar, drumming etc...) all mashed together creating something so coherent. Okay, said it anyway.
The entire band of the B-52's were all multi-talented people, instruments, singing, etc... But Ricky Wilson was and still is one of the greatest Guitarists I have ever heard in 60 years. He was really a "Lefty" in the beginning, but had to reteach himself to play Right handed because he could never afford or find the guitar's he needed. The signature "sound" you originally heard and know today was from him using a modified guitar strung with 3 guitar & 2 bass strings so that he could play both Bass & Lead guitar, brilliant ! In this old video you can see him using a short neck Bass guitar set up the same way but with a 3X3 string setup allowing him more range options. And for all of you "This is the Greatest Guitarist Ever" Fan club, (Add the name).......... I am not going to argue, I just think Ricky was the most innovative and progressive of his time. And I would like to point out a few more facts for everyone. Did you notice how close the fan's were to the stage? Did you see any Lazer light show? Were Firework's used? Was their a back drop? Yes-No-No and No, It was a Band performance by them and all about their music. No distractions !
One of the best rock bands ever. I'm in love with Kate. The way Ricky and Keith lay down that rockin' foundation for the three vocalists, the contrast and long, melodic lines the girls bring . . it all blows me away. This one concert is the proof my mind needed. I've only been hearing them since they emerged. But I never saw them. You think, maybe they can't do this live, that there is production help, and they rely on that freak Ricky. But all five of them are amazing musicians, and the songs couldn't be better.
Keith never got the credit he deserved, IMO. He wasn't Neil Peart, nor was he trying to be. He was rock-fkn-solid, just drivin' the song with no B/S, and he punched like Connor McGregor!
when i clicked on this video i saw that it was an hour long and didn't think i would watch more than a minute or two, but here it is an hour later and i just sent the link to another big fan ❤❤❤
Cindy Wilson .. had the best moves .. 80s electronic beat .. "give me back my man" is just awesome and chilly .. I like to watch her dance .. her voice - her dance .. 30 later .. timelesssssss .... nice..
This is as REAL and RAW of a performance as you can get. If only bands of today had this kind of energy and charisma. You just don’t see/feel this anymore, or at least I don’t. Music was so important and groundbreaking back then. For me, the 80’s still remain as an unmatched era for some of the best and original music there was.
I could watch and listen to Cindy Wilson all day every day. Love the voice, love her look, love her dance. In more recent interview, I was impressed by her personality and how grounded she is. Skinny as a rail in this video.
Oh my dearest God - what a Treasure of Bliss and Beauty... I don't wanna be arrogant - but today's Kids surely miss something out! The Art, the young Power, the newly arrived Punk-Movement, the whole Creativity... noone can bring something like this ever back... (Pat; Switzerland)
This was an iconic theater in Passaic, NJ where the big bands that played MSG in NY would often play one night. I was fortunate to see the WHO play here in ‘78 or ‘79 and also many more like Joe Jackson, Elvis Costello, Squeeze, The Go Gos, etc. The Stones would play here when they were in NY as well. Sadly, it was torn down in the mid 80s.
this is so great. i cant say they were underrated, in a way, because everybody knows they are one of a kind. they have a definite spot in history. but im not sure evryone has stopped to realize just how good the music really really is.
Keith Strickland is pretty underrated judging by the energy and precision he brings to the band while he was the drummer. To step up and take over guitar shows even more depth to his talent . This whole performance is very different to anything else around and very entertaining.
I grinned through watching this entire concert and wish SO MUCH that I had been there to see them live. What an absolutely staggering performance. So much energy and fun and shit didn't they sound amazing. I can see myself returning to watch/listen to this gig again and again. love them
It's amazing to watch young people do things like this, and not realize how wonderful and special it is. Ricky's totally unique technique. Every one of these band members knew their spot and nailed it. This was 44 years ago?
This crew are serious contenders for far more recognition of success than they have so far received over their career. A crew so far ahead of their time. Just a simple funky and groovy lil' band that never tires. Energy + is how the B52's could best be described. How many of us critters out there can remember boppin' and groovin' to the B52s at parties back in those freakin farkin 80s?! Come on now YOU know who you are! Yes YOU did! And ya loved every bit of it...empty seats everywhere when Rok Lobsta and Planit Clear was spun on the turntable make no error, every1 up on their feet groovin & boppin' to the B52s RHYTHM ain't no denyin it. Over here in NeW ZeAlAnD the B52s were big time winners in the '80s. On their 5th album 'Cosmic Thing' released in 1989 the album reached #1 - so there's the proof how much we fell head over heels in the love shack with the B52s. So thank you to the B52s for all the awesome memories and pleasure of listening to and seeing if you were real lucky.
Maybe some of the band members recall what I experienced one day in 1979-80 (can't remember exact year). I was attending UC Berkeley. At noon when I was rushing between classes a U-Haul or Ryder rental truck parked on the plaza next to the student union (where Bears Lair is located). I saw a band playing out of the truck and on some equipment that was set up around the truck. Yeah, it was the B-52's. I had known about them because their music was getting airplay on the local radio stations. I remember the DJs introducing Planet Claire and Rock Lobster with words to the effect: "Here's an odd group from the east coast. Their music has a beat but the songs may not be to your liking, songs with titles like Rock Lobster and Planet Claire." Come to think of it, I recorded the songs on to a blue cassette and I still have that cassette somewhere in the basement. Anyway, they played really really loud, which I figure was intentional, marketing the band's concert by getting people campus-wide to move their asses over to the plaza to see what all the commotion was about. I have to guess that the University's administration didn't take too kindly to this "weirdo band singing oddball songs about planets and lobsters." I remember Fred marketing the hell out of the upcoming concert. Because he knew students would be cycling through every few minutes as we all had to make it to class, he kept saying "get your tickets" for the concert. Of course I did as Fred commanded. I gathered up all the money me and my GF had, and immediately went to the hall and bought two tickets for the concert. And what a concert it was. IMO you really don't know anything about the B-52's sound unless or until you have watched them live. Most of the time I was fixated on Ricky, who was an absolute joy to watch as he tirelessly played his brand of stylized surf sound music on his guitar (reminiscent of Dick Dale, both playing deep tough tones). I remember he wore a pleasant muted green-patterned shirt (like my mom would get me at Christmas instead of a cool toy). He was slightly hunched over and just kept wondrously playing his guitar. (So tragic we lost him so early in his gifted life. I can just imagine the immense devastation and pain Ricky's sister and the band endured over the years.) I enjoyed watching Fred perform too , his moving around like an over-wound Ken doll, and loved his using little devices to make sounds matched to the theme of the music being played. P.S. When you guys started to play Planet Claire a smoke machine was turned full blast and filled the auditorium with smoke. That was kewl.
I remember hearing them for the first time at brooklyn college student union.I was still in high school but I was tall and had the beginning of facial hair so... Whoever the DJ was that dropped Rock lobster on those crazy kids... thank you! We lost our ever loving minds and when they said "down Down down"... averybody went all the way down to the floor... laid out! And then we popped up and pogoed and jumped and did our best approximation of whatever the dance was that went with such a smashing, mind blowing sound. To this day, my younger sister, my cousins are all B-52 fans because i bought every album I could and played them front to back. a helluva thing for a first generation immigrant family.
This is when they were at their best. All five working together. Total DIY. Total pop minimalism. Four string guitar, keyboard bass, and drums. How did they even pull this off? Such a unique sound.
@@raym.778 He had both a four string and a five string guitar.. After he passed, Keith took over on guitar but even with six strings he couldn't get Ricky's sound. No shame. Their sound had changed and Keith was great.
@pnczur I can understand guilt about 'metal' but not about something as cool as The B52s. Then again, until very recently, I seriously believed that ALL metal... come to think of it, ALL post punk 'rock'... was ironic comedy a la Spinal Tap.
I was in high school when the B52's release this first and second album. I was amazed - we were amazed. They changed the direction music. We couldn't get enough of the New Wave of music after hearing the B52's. Never been to a B52's concert; However, after seeing this video, the rawness caught, WOW! All members of the band were very talented. Watching you all dance on this vid, explains where all the hot girls on the dance floors, back then, got their awesome moves. This video captures the dawn of that New Wave Era. Good Job Founders of the B52's, and thanks for being yourselves! Additional comment: After watching the video and enjoying it for two weeks straight, and watching other videos after their first two albums, I had an epiphany. The first two albums were hot, very hot. The third, Whammy, and thereafter didn't have that B52's rock band sound. It was like they were taken off their own path and started playing to the direction of New Wave music. I guess they didn't realize, they were the new wave sound. It not too late to go back to where you all started and Jam again. May the Blessings be.
Somewhere in the early 80's we heard the Rock Lobster and the other B's classics and the dance floor was never the same. The magic in their songs is real.
Ricky is my guitar hero. It's such a joy to be able to see him doing his thing. If the original camera footage from which this was assembled was available that would be a dream come true, I just want to see his fingers more clearly...
Excellent video of them at their best. Don't get me wrong, I liked a lot of their stuff that came after Wild Planet, but their first two albums were the best. Ricky Wilson's guitar playing was front and center.
Absolutely. Nowhere to go but down after Wild Planet but there were some gems on WHAMMY! and Bouncing.. But once Ricky left us, it was over. Not because they weren't capable but they just gave in to the machine and let the record label saddle them with poppy producers. Love Shack is one of the most cringey songs of all time. I run for the volume.knob when that shit comes on the radio.
@@cathridge Channel Z is great, as is Roam. Dry County is really good. Don Was isn't exactly what I would consider a "poppy" producer. He had come off of producing Roy Orbison, not exactly pop music, he had produced Carly Simon in the past... of course there was also some total crap that he produced, most producers have had some crap in their past... but he also went on to produce Bonnie Raitt, Elton John, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Iggy Pop... more rock than pop, for sure. And get a Grammy and an Emmy, he now runs Blue Note records, and plays in Wolf Bros with Bob Weir from the Grateful Dead. That's quite a diverse resume. And don't kid yourself, the B's were always warped pop music. Love Shack is a fine song. It simply is overplayed. I can recognize that, it is a shame that you can't. I remember loving it before it was overplayed, lol. If you think that there is much of a difference between a song like Love Shack, and Strobe Light, then you are smoking something REALLY strong. The main difference might be Keith writing songs instead of Ricky? Consider that for a bit...
Amazingly fierce performance, back in the 80's there was no other band with this type of raw intensity. Watching this today they are still without equal.
LOL. I can remember listening to Planet Claire while watching a lunar eclipse in the early ADs in my Mum & Dad's backyard in North York Ont Canada. BACK then I wasn't a boring basket!
Ricky Wilson has one of the most unique guitar sounds and tones ever. So under-rated, totally a serve the song player. Gone too soon.
There's open tuning and then there's playing without the D and G strings!!
Fewer than nobody knows Ricky brought that band to greatness with four strings. Sorry about the grammar.
Agreed. All around! Thx boyos!
@@charliebay9441 Which, Ricky _did_ play without 2 strings, *but that wasn't for all songs.* Details below.
Most of the time, he used 5 string tunings, omitting the G string.
4 String Tunings:
CFxxFF = Dance This Mess Around, Rock Lobster, Runnin' Around (the most consistent case, played this way live and on record.)
4 or 5 string tunings:
(empty, D, or E) A D x G A = 6060-842, Hero Worship (it seems like he used only the 4 for the album, but used the 5 when live, since he had to switch tunings so much.)
EBDxBB or xEBxBB = Private Idaho. (He used 5 strings on the album, and 4 live early on, seemingly switching back to 5 around 1982 - 1983.)
5 String Tunings:
DADxBB = One of the most common. This was sometimes either re-tuned to, or tuned down from, the next tuning:
EADxBB = Used in Planet Claire, and 52 Girls.
BADxG#C# = Used for "Party Out of Bounds" and "Quiche Lorraine."
There are others for Mesopotamia and Whammy!, but that's enough for now.
EDIT after 4 thumbs up: Changed comment to be more accurate.
EDIT 2: Just divided the tuning sections a bit better.
EDIT 3: Added the EADxBB tuning.
What a legend, my favorite guitarist of all time
Thumb this up, would you please? The song click list in the description's all wrong.
0:00:00 - Horn Intro
0:00:40 - Lava
0:05:45 - Give Me Back My Man
0:10:12 - 6060-842
0:13:16 - Devil In My Car
0:18:02 - 52 Girls
0:21:53 - Quiche Lorraine
0:26:01 - Dirty Back Road
0:29:19 - Private Idaho
0:33:17 - Strobe Light
0:37:34 - Runnin' Around
0:41:27 - Rock Lobster
0:46:40 - Dance This Mess Around
First Encore:
0:52:02 - Planet Claire
0:57:14 - Party Out Of Bounds
Second Encore:
1:01:00 - Downtown
1:03:45 - 53 Miles West Of Venus
Merci
Thanks!!! The original one is like a half minute early. SMH
You're welcome. Glad to see it's finally thumbed up, enjoy.
Austin Lucas &f(
Oh, now I have two thumbed up comments with accurate time stamps here. I'll leave them, maybe neither one shows up for everyone.
The B52's are one of a few bands in history that have their very own genre slot.
Mathead to me their like a diverse band cause they play really anything it seems.
Yes they are kind of unclassifiable, but in this video 6060842 and Devil in my Car could be called punk.
@@dwr9760 I think of them as the counter point to the Cramps. Both amazing bands.
I’m thinking “punk -dance hop “
Mathead
The most underrated band ever. They are just perfectly splendid
Yes I agree and a great group I remember in 1980, when I was 14 😊
@Phil Free Always. They’re never named amongst the creative bands. Don’t shoot the messenger
They should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. No doubt! Hopefully they will be inducted before I leave Planet Claire 😆😆😆
@@kevinlong5392 ….😁👍🏾
If ever a band was unafraid to go their own way, the B 52s created a genre to themselves. I will always be a fan.
They are annoying nerds
I'd have to put the Flat Duo Jets and the Minutemen in the same category. Though the Flat Duo Jets were just playing 1950s - 1960s inspired Rock & Roll, which was already established - it just wasn't trendy when they started in the early to mid 80s. Though they did do a great job at it, and their "Red Tango" album is one of my favorites.
The Minutemen, oh boy. I'm not sure where to put them, but I like them a lot. Though some of their songs do happen to sound a lot like a mess, like "Retreat," which I wouldn't recommend for first time listeners. Maybe songs more like "Corona" *(it's about giving away beer bottles to a trash picker for deposit money,)* "King of the Hill," or (if you're adventurous in noisier songs,) "Maybe Partying Will Help." Sadly, their work was cut short when D. Boon died in a car accident from being ejected out the rear of a van when the van's rear axle broke and fell out.
Yes, Lord.....
The B-52’s did more to to trigger the “New Wave” music paradigm shift in the music industry than any other single band. MTV simply followed their lead, and suddenly, 1970’s rock was “dead”.
I am there with you. They are the best. I've seen them in concert and I must admit that it was one of the best experiences I have ever had. Worth every cent 😮
My wife and I went to this concert. I believe she was pregnant with our second child.We had a great time. I love Ricky's guitar work he was their sound. Cindy rocks.
It's hard to believe that they gave this concert over 40 years ago. I saw them in 2022 and they still have the same energy. The best party band ever ❤
You are 100% correct! When they came out they were the rage and when their tunes were played you couldn’t stop dancing! We would play the shit out of them at parties
@@carymisenar862 I saw them last year for their farewell tour and I had the time of my life. How do you say goodbye to the B52'S?
The performance of Give me back my man is absolutely legendary. Ricky Wilson is definitely one of my favorite guitar players.
man its just the whole sound planet Claire trips me out lol juist wish they had that thing out of the 60;s lol kliidiscope thing lol that would have been plain sick !!!
Absolutely. I still say nothing beats it. Pure power.
He's gotta be up there with the best of them. Without those riffs he put down, they wouldn't be who they are, and lets not sleep on Keith Strickland. Together they create the sound, that is the B-52's.
Ricky’s phrasing is unparalleled
Keith is also a dang good drummer. Yowza.
They will go down in history as one of the best bands ever! Every time I attend a B52's concert, I have the time of my life. They always make me feel so good ❤
I was always feelin' IT!
@@vetterburns1048I agree 👍
I love Cindy Wilson’s contributions here in this vid, such a happy & fun energy and her dance moves are so in rhythm.
Madonna, Rihanna, Katy Perry, Jennifer Lopez, Beyonce etc...BOW your heads DOWN to Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson
nah kate and cindy did it with real style
Ummmm, they are not musicians... Just hoes that can sing songs some clone wrote.
@@ryry998 ...and not without vocal tuning :/
@@ryry998 um...you know nothing
True dat!!!!
Often underappreciated: Keith's drumming. Hardly any jazz fusion acrobatics, but fantastic precision cadence and dynamics. The whole show bounces and punches in the best of ways in large part to Keith holding it down.
A BEAST! I was gonna say no one's gives him props
Love the Drummer are you kidding?
I too never noticed his drumming before. Much new respect for Keith Strickland who may have been the most talented member of the group and the least known.
YES! I've been a B-52's fan for 30 years, but hadn't seen much live footage of the early stuff. Strickland's superb drumming here blew me away.
he's like a machine! this is a compliment~only needs one cymbal too🤘
I applaud the very smart person who had the sense the record this.
If they had never done anything after 1980 I think they would still be regarded as one of the most unique and incredible bands ever
Wait, I thought these dudes were all about Roam and the Love Shack. I didn't know they had such kick ass post punk music. I'm loving it.
So many gems to discover! Incredible discography.
Their earliest songs released in 1979 - 1980 are a whole other world from Cosmic Thing. Their guitarist you see here (Ricky H. Wilson, Cindy's older brother) died at 32, which took a lot of the early sound, but they already were floundering around from their initial sound before he died. None of their 1982 - 1986 material is quite the same.
I do like tracks from their 1982 Mesopotamia EP ("Extended Play," which is sort of a mini-album that often has 4 to 6 songs,) but even though I like most of the songs OK, there's a separate issue that the Mesopotamia EP has; there are only 2 songs on it that really stay true to the title of it: "Deep Sleep," and the title track "Mesopotamia." The other 4 songs don't really fit with the cover art or the EP title, _especially_ "Throw That Beat In The Garbage Can."
Their 1983 album Whammy is, eh, sorry, I'm not a huge fan of it. Some of it's probably the production of the album, but whatever it is, the album just doesn't hit the same. It also reminds me too strongly that the circumstances of the recording of it were not the best nursery for B-52s tracks to begin, and I feel a specific kind of bad when I think of listening to the album, and I'm not really certain about why. At least it produced the "Don't Worry" song, even though most pressings of it don't include the song, and it's only on the first release.
Their 1985 - 1986 album "Bouncing off the Satellites" has some decent tracks on it, but it's nothing like the first 2 albums, and Ricky was dying of AIDS during the album rehearsals. I like it better than Whammy, personally, yet I'm not sure why. It feels more like a precursor point to the Cosmic Thing album than not, even though Ricky died during rehearsals.
Old skool Talent!
@@101Volts they weren't floundering from their old sound as much as it was business execs at Warner Brothers wanting to control them. WB put David Byrne's massive ego in charge of their next record at the same time Ricky got sick. Byrne spent 90% of his time on the play he was already booked on, The Catherine Wheel. That period in time really changed the band. Mesopotamia was supposed to be a full length record and it has a lot of great music on it. Byrne will always get the biggest cut from any song they play from it. That record represents so much sadness anger and regret, that it's no surprise you never hear it played -recorded or live, any more.
Their first two albums are quintessential New Wave. Hardly post-punk as punk was still thriving at the time.
cindy wilson is singing her guts out on give me back my man
I know, that's why I fell in love with her long time ago.
That's Theater And Arts!
When she starts dancing , !!!!!!
I could watch her dance for years
Makes me want a fish.
Mind-blowing, the energy AND the craft behind this. Can't believe what Ricky pulls off with one guitar, the power-drumming and the perfect vocals by Kate and Cindy. If anyone ever tells you rock is simple or simplistic, or that the B-52's were just a talentless gimmick band, show 'em this...one of the finest live gigs ever.
B-52s sem talento??? Só pode ser piada! Banda além do seu tempo! Espetaculares!
1 guitar , but only 4 strings 😂👍🇨🇦🎸
Kudos to whoever preserved these classic videos from the Capitol Theatre, they're real treasures!
+Michael Lamneck John Scher? He was the promoter of the shows there then. Talking Heads from 3 days earlier is also posted here. Good times.
The Capitol had their own internal video recording system - they recorded all their shows there.
That explains it, thanks for the info!
Rush also performed there in 1976 nearly a full four years earlier (their concert was in December) and that footage is also on here.
Michael Lamneck agreed
There aren't many videos I want to call the best on RUclips but ... this is going to be one of my top picks!! Miss Ricky Wilson ... the original five had something so pure ... so raw ... so amazing!!! I can't even imagine being there for this live performance ... what was the rest of the world doing when this was happening!? Long live the sound that is the B-52's ... it was out of outer space and at least for now, there hasn't been anything like it since ... absolutely brilliant!!!
Just came home from seeing them in their farewell tour. Very lackluster tbh. Saw them a couple of years ago at a free concert where they were absolutely on fire!
@@villedocvalle ... that's a shame. I kinda shy away from going to some of my favorites from yesteryear ... there is risk of being let down a little but I'll tell you, I went to the Cruel World Festival this past May, in Southern California and I was NOT disappointed by any of the bands on that bill ... two stand outs I highly recommend trying to catch if you can ... Psychedelic Furs and Blondie!! They are both still very shiny indeed. Thanks for sharing your experience with me ... never thought I'd be getting a comment from a 2 year old post but it's really cool ... rock on, my friend ✌️💛🤘🌞😎🪄🤙
Never be a band like this. Such talent top of bottom
🫡
Truly amazing. I feel like I AM THERE!
Ive been dancing to the b52s since the late 70s im 61 now and when im a bit down i put on my b52s nobody has ever been better than these guys. Party on...
I love it when I stumble across a rare nugget of pure gold on the web.
Incredible version of Give Me Back My Man. Wow!
BigDumApe
Isn't it just? She really pours her little heart into those words.
53:43 Kate Pierson is a GREAT Musician. In Planet Claire, to be able sing those lines AND Play the Left Hand Bass Line AND PLay the Melody in a live format takes a LOT of Skill and practice.
I Will Always Love, Katie Pierson and Cindy Wilson of The B 52s
💯
Totally under the radar brilliance.
Yes I agree kate does great and a great group I remember in 1980, when I was 14 😊
No lie, she's amazing.
Damn ! Back than Misses Pierson was the hardest working woman in the music-biz ! Left hand on Korg Bass-Synth, right hand playing the Farfisa-Organ, singing and dancing... I'm so impressed. If you thought Ray Manzarek was good...
And Fred is basically Bez..
Raw talent! The first time I ever danced to a song was when I was 8 years old and it was with the mighty B52s! The memories make me cry of happines
They are responsible for one the best days of my life after I attended one of their concerts 😮
I never, ever get tired of watching Cindy sing "give Me Back My Man", magical. 38 years later and I finally am getting to see this in person, 5th row! A dream come true! Quiche the good doggie and I can die happy knowing we've seen and heard the best this world had to offer!
More bongos and cowbell! Cindy’s dancing is the best for me! Ricky was a genius and is the most underrated guitarist ever!
I agree!
Cindy wow
Can u imagine going to watch Talking Heads and the B's were the opening act......
Proper and perfectly said.
There is something very intriguing about Cindy's dancing, I agree!
this concert is so good, i stop in to listen to one song and end up playing the whole thing. all the time
It's 42 years old, yet it never gets old! (To me, the drummer and guitarist are the genius of it all?) 🎸
@@govetter Definately! I think this is the sweet spot of 52's sound. Later offerings are more "world" music. Good, but nothing like rockin' this.
@@govetter They are definitely the engine room of this band. I wish I was a sound engineer, I would turn the drums way up in this video. The drums are muffled, but I bet they sound really heavy live.
@@ericsterz3969 Agreed! It was an old LIVE snag, it's dayum good. I sometimes wish for color, but the b&w makes it pop as visually at it can. Crank ON.
I'm in awe. I invited friends over for food and drinks for a listening party.The B-52's Rule! 😆😆😆
When John Lennon heard the B-52’s he excitedly felt like they were the kick in the ass the music industry needed. Fresh, new, and talented as hell. ‘Imagine’ John Lennon living through the 80’s and using something like this as his template. The possibilities are endless. I guess we’ll never know.
Not sure about it being his "template." He was merely in support of what they were doing.
Rock Lobster pulled off the almost impossible feat of taking Yoko inspired vocals and making them work amazingly...
Didnt Yoko sue them for Dont Worry?
@@sharksport01 they shot the wrong person.
I don't think Lennon would have switched his sound that much. Who knows, but this was music for the next generation, not for an ex Beatle.
I'm a 67 year old rocker from the UK and I never knew the depth of this band until recently. What a miss!!
This band is timeless. Welcome to the party
Better late than never.
Same here with missing out.
Yup
Well, good on you for discovering them mate.
Immerse yourself in the rich textures of this genius group of musicians.
I've loved them since the Summer of'79.
I'm now 59, nearly 60.
My taste in music is extremely broad.
Sex Pistols, Status Quo, Mozart, Dead Kennedys etc
I have tears of joy in my eyes right now and I wanna hug them all!
Greta, no llores que te pones muy fea ;-)
Dont do that you will pop your peeps.
Jeepers, creepers, take a look at those Peepers.
I dunno WHAT I was thinkin'... BUT, it was from Planet Claire!
Greta Mastauskaite I share the same feeling, specially towards Rick Wilson. R.I.P.
Kate shakes it around at 9:00... Yes! WooHoo!
Ricky was some guitar player innovative & crafty he is sorely missed....
Yeah he was an innovator (nobody had a style like him) miss him much!
Oh Yes! This band is true Theater And Arts
RIP Ricky...he was so talented...such a loss
I heard his favorite guitar had 2 strings on it
@@workingclassclassicalguita730 He only played a few 4 string tunings. Most of his guitars had 5 string tunings.
00:39 - Lava
05:47 - Give Me Back My Man
10:12 - 6060-842
13:17 - Devil In My Car
18:02 - 52 Girls
21:53 - Quiche Lorraine
26:02 - Dirty Back Road
29:20 - Private Idaho
33:20 - Strobe Light
37:35 - Runnin' Around
41:28 - Rock Lobster
46:41 - Dance This Mess Around
52:50 - Planet Claire
57:15 - Party Out Of Bounds
01:01:02 - Downtown
01:03:46 - 53 Miles West Of Venus
i could watch Cindy dance all night long! Cindy is a goddess of the highest order!!
"Brilliant" doesn't even begin to describe this...
So grateful to those folks who recorded this ❤❤❤❤
This is one of the greatest drumming performances ever.. the guy is a monster. Astonishing show!
I havta agree with you. I'm the guy that ALWAYS watches (experiences) the drummers! (Most of them smile soo big when their tight.) Strickland's a Frakkin MACHINE of the 80's!
If you notice everone of these space cadets plays more than one instrument. Excellent talent!
Yeah damm good ahe?
And only ONE cymbal! ;-))
@@mightyV444 One cymbal, Yet a plethora of aural rhythms! BOOM with the bee-hives and ALL! Nice in 2019!
B52's, no band like them and there will never be another like them. I wish I could have been there. Ricky plays guitar like no other. One hell of a band.
they were crazy good. I was there.
dead kennedys guitar player sounds like it too.
I’m proud to say that my first B52’s show was in 1980 right after their second album was released. It was the one and only time I got to see Ricky play with them. I feel blessed.
My God, why did it take me so long to find this? WHAT GREAT music in a simple concert. I love them more than I can say.
me too,man....me too!!
I'm glad you joined the party. Took you long enough 😅
What a gem to think this happened in Sydney right near me and I missed it. Thank you for uploading. This is AMAZING.
Keith's drums are carefully tuned. He doesn't just do beats, he's singing the drums throughout, I am in total awe. Mix is dead perfect. I would do a double vinyl from the analog master of this NOW.
No that's either Cindy or Kate playing the Bongos.
The energy and the joy of this Music makes it absolutely Timeless!!!!..
Totally agree re releasing an album and/or video of this show. I’d buy it in a heartbeat.
Yep, If there was a soundboard recording of this, I bet it would be amazing. I wish!!
@@richmoreno9938 I'm pretty positive it is a soundboard recording.
One of the most original, musically innovative, quirky and brilliant bands of all time. . . Pure joy. . .
How incredible to have this. They played London around this tour and we did not expect them to be able to actually do it live and halfway through the first number the roof came off. I have often said it was probably the best gig I was ever at. I only realise now how incredible they all are as performers. Built around a true original of a guitarist, they are all extraordinary. Kate is not only on those perfect vocals but doing all the bass and leads on double keys! I am properly in awe of this band. Its just three musicians making that enormous noise. They don't play it for laughs, there is hardly any interaction between them they just get totally into it and let the songs do the work. A lesson in stagecraft for any band. If you look at early footage of them at parties you see how much work they have put in to be one of the best live bands in the world. I could watch this over and over all day long.
Bob Brimson yep
I notice how they don't interact much at all. The songs are what they have together.
Part of their genius is the can barely sing front man; but he is the one that makes the sarcasm to let his two angels sing in key. I like him; without him I don't think The 52's would work right. Good job bro!
Also this is more like a Family than just a musical band. They probably live sleep this way. I know i've been there before. Don't you just love them?
Yes Sir it took a lot of work!
GREAT band. Hard to take your eyes off Cindy Wilson. She really sets the tone.
The B-52S is a great group I remember in 1980, when I was 14 I'm 55 now still love.🙂
8:30
I said this in another upload, but look at all those guitars on the stage. Ricky used multiple tunings and not always the same gauge of strings (He used a hybrid set of _bass_ & guitar strings for Rock Lobster, no joke! I know the gauges to use, read on; they're below) and here's some proof of just how many guitars he used; I counted no fewer than six on stage.
Below are notes of which guitars were used for which songs:
1971 - 1974 Mosrite V-I (normally a "Ventures" model, but this is a year-specific name for it) in Sunburst - "Lava", "Give Me Back My Man" "52 Girls" "Downtown" and "53 Miles West of Venus" - Tuned to DADxBB (Maybe EADxBB for 52 Girls)
Epiphone ET-290, Red - "6060-842" "52 Girls" and "Planet Claire" (Kate plays it for "52 Girls")
1963 Danelectro Pro - "Private Idaho"
1960s Joe Maphis Doubleneck - "Quiche Lorraine" "Dirty Back Road" and "Party Out of Bounds." BADxG#C# tuning for Quiche and Party, but I'm not sure what the tuning is for Road.
1966-1968 Mosrite Ventures Mark V, Sunburst - "Strobe Light" (Which was tuned to DGCx??, I'm not sure of the top 2 strings, but they're present, just not played [and why, I don't know.])
1966 Mosrite Ventures MK V, Most likely a 1966 model. Same exact guitar which was photographed on the first B's album cover - "Runnin' Around," "Rock Lobster," and "Dance This Mess Around." Tuned to CFxxFF.
I'm not sure if Ricky always used this gauge of strings for the blue MK V but for the album version at least he used gauges as these or close to these: .058, .056, empty, empty, .018p and .018p. He would have needed to have widened the string slots for the string guide, or the strings would have been binding in the string guide (that is, getting stuck and causing tuning issues.)
EDIT, June 4 2019: Changed the plain CFxxFF strings to what his notes officially said.
EDIT, May 20 2024: Fixed a lot of issues in this comment - organization, names of guitars, and also the string gauges of the MK V.
+Austin Lucas Additional details - Epiphone = Epiphone Wiltshire. I Think Ricky also used a Coronet for the CFxxFF songs in the mid-80's as well. The Silvertone is a Danelectro built Pro 1 model from the mid 60's and possibly shorter scale than usual, probably why he used it on Private Idaho, you could tune one of those up to F# and it'd feel like a 25.5" scale guitar tuned to EADGBE standard.
+Austin Lucas Thank you for your detailed notes. Ricky was a genius, RIP.
+Mad-Mike's "Creeping Net" Channel Hey thanks Mad-Mike, I did like the videos of your cheap `960s or 1970s Telecaster copy too. In hindsight with how difficult it was to turn the tuners on that, maybe some Ultralube would fix tuners as hard as those?
+ClueSign You're welcome and thanks too.
+Austin Lucas I actually wound up replacing the tuners on it with some sealed gear units. THe original six-on-a-strip were missing the parts for the High E, and one of the buttons came off in my hand when I tried tuning it.
Funny story on that guitar, when I found it it had 4 different types of string on it including nylon, bronze, bass, and regular steel electric guitar. I think someone was using this as a kid's toy for awhile before I came along and fixed it up. I eventually sold it to fund some other projects of mine.
As much as I liked the way that Kate and Fred and Cindy played off each other with their singing, I have new respect for drummer Keith Strickland who actually may have been the most musically talented of them all. A much better drummer than I ever noticed. The stars were all aligned to get this bunch together. Can't imagine not having them be a part of growing up as a teen. Simply amazing concert!!
Cindy was in fine voice and the band on top of it's game.magicial times indeed.
Ricky Wilson is my favorite guitarist, I love his style and his way of playing the guitar🔥
The drumming in this set is absolutely incredible
Yup. You’re not wrong there.
Keith owning it alongside Ricky on the licks. Fred, Cindy and Kate too. What love shared robustly.
He drove that show for sure.
This is real rock and roll! Hall of Fame for them!
I think this is the dozen-th time for me. Isn't it just an awesome package? Yup! ( I wake up with his ear-worm in my head!)
I agree let's get them there just for being the most innovative band in the world; the Japanese couldn't even come up with this stuff.
They deserve it.
sat first row for them in 1978they were great
Best live 52's I've seen...Cindy is awesome....
Yes, she is. I love her here
I love her more than you!
Cindy's solos are amazimg.
When Wild Planet came out, I used to look at Cindy and Kate on the cover like other boys looked at their Farrah Fawcett posters.
gatogreensleeves
Cindy is exceptionally hot on the Party Mix album cover !
So you were looking lustfully at a flat anorexic and a lesbian? You're a homosexual, right?
Matthew James don’t be such a wanker. they’re both beautiful women. you’re no oil painting yourself
That is refreshing! Thank You !
Same
I don't know how to say it but after so many decades, Rock Lobster is still so strong and nothing can touch it when you consider everything that is unique (vocals, rock guitar, drumming etc...) all mashed together creating something so coherent. Okay, said it anyway.
The entire band of the B-52's were all multi-talented people, instruments, singing, etc...
But Ricky Wilson was and still is one of the greatest Guitarists I have ever heard in 60 years.
He was really a "Lefty" in the beginning, but had to reteach himself to play Right handed because he could never afford or find the guitar's he needed.
The signature "sound" you originally heard and know today was from him using a modified guitar strung with 3 guitar & 2 bass strings so that he could play both Bass & Lead guitar, brilliant !
In this old video you can see him using a short neck Bass guitar set up the same way but with a 3X3 string setup allowing him more range options.
And for all of you "This is the Greatest Guitarist Ever" Fan club, (Add the name)..........
I am not going to argue, I just think Ricky was the most innovative and progressive of his time.
And I would like to point out a few more facts for everyone.
Did you notice how close the fan's were to the stage?
Did you see any Lazer light show?
Were Firework's used?
Was their a back drop?
Yes-No-No and No, It was a Band performance by them and all about their music. No distractions !
I love everything they do but what always grabs me most is Wilson on the guitar. Such a unique style & what a great sound live!
This band is the definition fun and feel free music. The band’s originality is unmatched and the impact on 80s will live on forever ❤️❤️❤️!!!!!!!
Fun and feel free music, I LOVE that! That describes them perfectly!
One of the best rock bands ever. I'm in love with Kate. The way Ricky and Keith lay down that rockin' foundation for the three vocalists, the contrast and long, melodic lines the girls bring . . it all blows me away. This one concert is the proof my mind needed. I've only been hearing them since they emerged. But I never saw them. You think, maybe they can't do this live, that there is production help, and they rely on that freak Ricky. But all five of them are amazing musicians, and the songs couldn't be better.
Certainly a top band. Amazing live performance here. They were John Lennon's favorite before he was killed
Saw them arround '90 at Orange County Speedway (NY) --awesome show.
Keith never got the credit he deserved, IMO. He wasn't Neil Peart, nor was he trying to be. He was rock-fkn-solid, just drivin' the song with no B/S, and he punched like Connor McGregor!
Word❤️❤️❤️
Cindy steals the show with Give Me Back My Man
when i clicked on this video i saw that it was an hour long and didn't think i would watch more than a minute or two, but here it is an hour later and i just sent the link to another big fan ❤❤❤
Absolutely, I believe it... 🥳👋🥳
One of the coolest bands in rock history
You better believe it. I love these guys ❤
Stunning concert. Irresistible hooks, fabulous vocals. And what a distinctive guitarist Ricky was. Time to dance!
I wish I was born earlier to see them at this concert, and to see Cindy sing and dance to "Give me back my man". She killed me on this live 😍
I feel the same. I was born too late.
Cindy Wilson .. had the best moves .. 80s electronic beat .. "give me back my man" is just awesome and chilly .. I like to watch her dance .. her voice - her dance .. 30 later .. timelesssssss .... nice..
This is as REAL and RAW of a performance as you can get. If only bands of today had this kind of energy and charisma. You just don’t see/feel this anymore, or at least I don’t. Music was so important and groundbreaking back then. For me, the 80’s still remain as an unmatched era for some of the best and original music there was.
Fact
44 years ago!!!!!!!! wonderful, amazing, special!!!!!! The best band of the word! Legend!
This is the best concert that I've attended on RUclips 😆
The replay value on this has no limit...
The Girls sound like angels to me; I love it when they sing to me.
I could watch and listen to Cindy Wilson all day every day. Love the voice, love her look, love her dance.
In more recent interview, I was impressed by her personality and how grounded she is. Skinny as a rail in this video.
My Vinyl agrees!
Oh my dearest God - what a Treasure of Bliss and Beauty...
I don't wanna be arrogant - but today's Kids surely miss something out!
The Art, the young Power, the newly arrived Punk-Movement, the whole Creativity... noone can bring something like this ever back...
(Pat; Switzerland)
This was an iconic theater in Passaic, NJ where the big bands that played MSG in NY would often play one night. I was fortunate to see the WHO play here in ‘78 or ‘79 and also many more like Joe Jackson, Elvis Costello, Squeeze, The Go Gos, etc. The Stones would play here when they were in NY as well. Sadly, it was torn down in the mid 80s.
This concert performance is insanely tight. The drummer alone. But really all of them. What a gift to have this footage!
The first two albums are amazing. Now thanks to the internet i can see them performed live. Terrific stuff. Thanks to the uploader.
Nice!
@ Steven Taylor they still perform - check em out sometime :)
MUSIC from the Twilight Zone going to the Outer Limits.
this is so great. i cant say they were underrated, in a way, because everybody knows they are one of a kind. they have a definite spot in history. but im not sure evryone has stopped to realize just how good the music really really is.
Keith Strickland is pretty underrated judging by the energy and precision he brings to the band while he was the drummer. To step up and take over guitar shows even more depth to his talent . This whole performance is very different to anything else around and very entertaining.
I grinned through watching this entire concert and wish SO MUCH that I had been there to see them live. What an absolutely staggering performance. So much energy and fun and shit didn't they sound amazing. I can see myself returning to watch/listen to this gig again and again. love them
It's amazing to watch young people do things like this, and not realize how wonderful and special it is. Ricky's totally unique technique. Every one of these band members knew their spot and nailed it. This was 44 years ago?
Superb performance. They were really ahead of their time.
one of my favorite bands..........long live The B52'S
Yeah Girl!
Righty OH!
Probably the greatest dance band ever
This is awesome! Weird, creative with a 50s touch and yet far ahead of its time, respectively timeless. Incredibly unique. 😍😎
Thank you very much for share the show. Great show. Pure New Wave. 😊☺😎
This crew are serious contenders for far more recognition of success than they have so far received over their career. A crew so far ahead of their time. Just a simple funky and groovy lil' band that never tires. Energy + is how the B52's could best be described. How many of us critters out there can remember boppin' and groovin' to the B52s at parties back in those freakin farkin 80s?! Come on now YOU know who you are! Yes YOU did! And ya loved every bit of it...empty seats everywhere when Rok Lobsta and Planit Clear was spun on the turntable make no error, every1 up on their feet groovin & boppin' to the B52s RHYTHM ain't no denyin it. Over here in NeW ZeAlAnD the B52s were big time winners in the '80s. On their 5th album 'Cosmic Thing' released in 1989 the album reached #1 - so there's the proof how much we fell head over heels in the love shack with the B52s. So thank you to the B52s for all the awesome memories and pleasure of listening to and seeing if you were real lucky.
Haha love Cindy messing with the crowd, what a great find, thank you.
Cindy Wilson. My favorite female performer ever (with Grace Slick)
I'm gonna treasure this forever.. bloody brilliant!
Maybe some of the band members recall what I experienced one day in 1979-80 (can't remember exact year). I was attending UC Berkeley. At noon when I was rushing between classes a U-Haul or Ryder rental truck parked on the plaza next to the student union (where Bears Lair is located). I saw a band playing out of the truck and on some equipment that was set up around the truck.
Yeah, it was the B-52's. I had known about them because their music was getting airplay on the local radio stations. I remember the DJs introducing Planet Claire and Rock Lobster with words to the effect: "Here's an odd group from the east coast. Their music has a beat but the songs may not be to your liking, songs with titles like Rock Lobster and Planet Claire." Come to think of it, I recorded the songs on to a blue cassette and I still have that cassette somewhere in the basement.
Anyway, they played really really loud, which I figure was intentional, marketing the band's concert by getting people campus-wide to move their asses over to the plaza to see what all the commotion was about. I have to guess that the University's administration didn't take too kindly to this "weirdo band singing oddball songs about planets and lobsters."
I remember Fred marketing the hell out of the upcoming concert. Because he knew students would be cycling through every few minutes as we all had to make it to class, he kept saying "get your tickets" for the concert.
Of course I did as Fred commanded. I gathered up all the money me and my GF had, and immediately went to the hall and bought two tickets for the concert. And what a concert it was. IMO you really don't know anything about the B-52's sound unless or until you have watched them live.
Most of the time I was fixated on Ricky, who was an absolute joy to watch as he tirelessly played his brand of stylized surf sound music on his guitar (reminiscent of Dick Dale, both playing deep tough tones). I remember he wore a pleasant muted green-patterned shirt (like my mom would get me at Christmas instead of a cool toy). He was slightly hunched over and just kept wondrously playing his guitar. (So tragic we lost him so early in his gifted life. I can just imagine the immense devastation and pain Ricky's sister and the band endured over the years.)
I enjoyed watching Fred perform too , his moving around like an over-wound Ken doll, and loved his using little devices to make sounds matched to the theme of the music being played.
P.S. When you guys started to play Planet Claire a smoke machine was turned full blast and filled the auditorium with smoke. That was kewl.
I remember hearing them for the first time at brooklyn college student union.I was still in high school but I was tall and had the beginning of facial hair so...
Whoever the DJ was that dropped Rock lobster on those crazy kids... thank you! We lost our ever loving minds and when they said "down Down down"... averybody went all the way down to the floor... laid out! And then we popped up and pogoed and jumped and did our best approximation of whatever the dance was that went with such a smashing, mind blowing sound.
To this day, my younger sister, my cousins are all B-52 fans because i bought every album I could and played them front to back. a helluva thing for a first generation immigrant family.
This is when they were at their best. All five working together. Total DIY. Total pop minimalism. Four string guitar, keyboard bass, and drums. How did they even pull this off? Such a unique sound.
I've read it was 5 strings. DADXBB tuning.
@@raym.778 He had both a four string and a five string guitar.. After he passed, Keith took over on guitar but even with six strings he couldn't get Ricky's sound. No shame. Their sound had changed and Keith was great.
Simply great! I love how Cindy sang and danced with her heart. It was pure energy and style!
I grew up a metalhead but I tell you Its sure fun to go back now and listen to new wave I really like this band
@pnczur I can understand guilt about 'metal' but not about something as cool as The B52s. Then again, until very recently, I seriously believed that ALL metal... come to think of it, ALL post punk 'rock'... was ironic comedy a la Spinal Tap.
Same here
I was in high school when the B52's release this first and second album. I was amazed - we were amazed. They changed the direction music. We couldn't get enough of the New Wave of music after hearing the B52's. Never been to a B52's concert; However, after seeing this video, the rawness caught, WOW! All members of the band were very talented. Watching you all dance on this vid, explains where all the hot girls on the dance floors, back then, got their awesome moves. This video captures the dawn of that New Wave Era. Good Job Founders of the B52's, and thanks for being yourselves!
Additional comment: After watching the video and enjoying it for two weeks straight, and watching other videos after their first two albums, I had an epiphany. The first two albums were hot, very hot. The third, Whammy, and thereafter didn't have that B52's rock band sound. It was like they were taken off their own path and started playing to the direction of New Wave music. I guess they didn't realize, they were the new wave sound. It not too late to go back to where you all started and Jam again. May the Blessings be.
Somewhere in the early 80's we heard the Rock Lobster and the other B's classics and the dance floor was never the same.
The magic in their songs is real.
I love that Fred looks like someone talked him into going on stage, with his college button up short sleeve...and God, Cindy (& Kate)...vavoom!!!
Ricky is my guitar hero. It's such a joy to be able to see him doing his thing. If the original camera footage from which this was assembled was available that would be a dream come true, I just want to see his fingers more clearly...
Pay attention to how he strums, he's doing up-strums a lot more often and specifically than you may think.
Yeah good stuff!
Excellent video of them at their best. Don't get me wrong, I liked a lot of their stuff that came after Wild Planet, but their first two albums were the best. Ricky Wilson's guitar playing was front and center.
Absolutely. Nowhere to go but down after Wild Planet but there were some gems on WHAMMY! and Bouncing.. But once Ricky left us, it was over. Not because they weren't capable but they just gave in to the machine and let the record label saddle them with poppy producers. Love Shack is one of the most cringey songs of all time. I run for the volume.knob when that shit comes on the radio.
TOO right!
Wild Planet is a fantastic album!
@@cathridge Channel Z is great, as is Roam. Dry County is really good. Don Was isn't exactly what I would consider a "poppy" producer. He had come off of producing Roy Orbison, not exactly pop music, he had produced Carly Simon in the past... of course there was also some total crap that he produced, most producers have had some crap in their past... but he also went on to produce Bonnie Raitt, Elton John, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Iggy Pop... more rock than pop, for sure. And get a Grammy and an Emmy, he now runs Blue Note records, and plays in Wolf Bros with Bob Weir from the Grateful Dead. That's quite a diverse resume.
And don't kid yourself, the B's were always warped pop music. Love Shack is a fine song. It simply is overplayed. I can recognize that, it is a shame that you can't. I remember loving it before it was overplayed, lol. If you think that there is much of a difference between a song like Love Shack, and Strobe Light, then you are smoking something REALLY strong. The main difference might be Keith writing songs instead of Ricky? Consider that for a bit...
@@cathridge while I agree with everything that you’re saying I disagree on love shack. That song is the shit! Lol
I wasn’t even born by two years when this show happened. It goes to show you how timeless and iconic this band is.
Holy shit,I think I'm in love with Cindy.....Everytime I see/hear Give Me back My Man .WOW
Brilliant!
Wild Planet is one of my favorite albums of all times.
What a great, fun party band.
Amazingly fierce performance, back in the 80's there was no other band with this type of raw intensity. Watching this today they are still without equal.
blondie , fleetwood mac, about it
Best concert video of the B52's out here. This is how I remember the B52's! This is a phenomenal capture!
Audio quality is absolutely crazy and the bands performance matches. Sound just as good as the studios
I listened to the first 2 albums religiously in the early 80's. No one is more fun then the B52"s! This is a treasure!
LOL. I can remember listening to Planet Claire while watching a lunar eclipse in the early ADs in my Mum & Dad's backyard in North York Ont Canada. BACK then I wasn't a boring basket!