No shit. I don't understand how they could just sit there when these guys were tearing it up onstage.... I would have jumped out of my seat and started jumping around and headbanging.
Look at the age of them, and what they are wearing. I think they misunderstood, and thought Barbra Streisand was appearing live. I would've been headbanging like a MOFO!
Just dry old white bread, that's all. When I saw them at the Xcess club in Houston in '91 Corey stagedived(dove?) into the crowd and I, being under the influence of a particular hallucinogen, kept thinking he was being drug around against his will. LOL!! Kids, let this be a lesson. Something I will not be sharing with my children.
Imagine being a 9 year old black boy guitarist seeing THIS on Arsenio on KCOP. I am a guitar player 3+ decades later because of them. Living Colour literally changed my life. This video shows you why and how.
I remember watching when this came on that night as well . This has been my favorite song since the first time I heard it . Vernon burns it up right here! He is one of the best ever ... the whole band is on another level
This reminds me of the scene in Back to the Future where Marty starts shredding and everyone is looking at him like what the hell. He says "I guess you guys weren't ready for that."
This song was ahead of its time. It wasn’t that 80s pop and to hear this in the early 90s was a shock. This was hair band shit. So it was expected that the audience wouldn’t have fit this demo So good tho
I briefly played drums in a band that opened for them a year or so before they opened for the Rolling Stones one night in a small club in NC that isn't there anymore. They were monsters even in that small venue! the only band that competed with their energy that I saw in that club was Fishbone, and they were killers too! Nice enough guys though, but they were serious about their business and delivered a good show. I am glad we went on before them, because I would have hated to go on after them!
Not my first concert, but I saw Living Colour headline the sold out Aragon Ballroom (about 5K capacity) in Chicago when I was a junior in high school. Urban Dance Squad opened. It was awesome.
I don't think they had enough GREAT singles , I love em but they only had this and maybe Love Rears it's ugly head as Radio songs , not sure if that's the fault of the band or the record company.
You have to remember this is 1989 on a late night talk show and this audience isn't there to see them, nor have most of them likely heard of them. And they most probably have no idea how to feel about this face melting performance, as they're likely not even into this type of music. Living Colour is one of the most underrated, talented, and important bands of their time, but I imagine the audience would have reacted the same way if Motorhead or Metallica or some other band they would normally have never given a chance had just performed.
@@bilbobaggins4710 of course not. they represent the mainstream which by and large considers itself too cool and cultured to get down to a sick ass jam
Best point made in this comment section. The audience is there for Arsenio who probably peaked in popularity in 1989, this also was when this song was brand new and isn't the classic it is today
I see a lot of comments acknowledging Vernon Reid's playing, and rightfully so, but I can't get enough of Corey Glover here. So much power behind his voice and nailing those notes even while running around the audience. So awesome!
This song aint really that hard to sing, the distortion is a bitchy if you've never trained it thats sure, but other than that there's not a significant high note in this song (at least for a tenor like me). I give him props for doing it while moving tho
Omg i'm not hating Corey jesus christ why are you guys triggered bout what I said? I even gave him props, being the most objective I can. Seems like you seriously can't stand an objective comment about something or someone you do like, I do like this song and the band, I think they are completely talented, but this song isnt hard to get right as far as high notes mean, the distortion would be the hardest part if you've never trained it, Corey has an amazing tone.
@@blewyd probably cause some of us don't really want fame to come to our lives and cause nowadays talent isnt always the one that gets the most attention out of the people, sadly.
I was about to say, Yeah, but what about the bass? and then I heard that incredible bass line break through the mix. Absolutely agree, what a fantastic sound.
I remember when I went to upload this video years ago, the audio on my VHS tape from the original, televised broadcast sounded extremely thin. Once I converted the video to digital, I extracted the audio and did a bass boost on it using my audio editor. I reinserted the audio back into the video and it was perfect. :)
MrMisterMan I just watched Stevie T’s weirdest guitar licking styles and I think he agrees. Nah I’m a guitar guy through and through. I guess we all just have our different styles
@@billwren5033 Frank Zappa did the same thing. The pick bottoms out on the fretboard and actually makes it easier to play faster because you can't dig in too far.
I dont wanna prove you wrong in any way dude, this was fantastic, but I would just like to add to this…Prince on Jay Leno back in early 2001-02 absolutely blew me away! Wish I could just remember when and how to watch it again.
looked like he was checkng out the crowd and how uninto they seemed and hes cringing at the singer running through the crowd when even he can tell during a full shredding solo that they arent lol.
People weren't ready for Living Colour. Everyone talks about "diversity" and "inclusiveness"...well, here ya go. It's on a golden spoon for you. And Arsenio's reaction is priceless. It's what the audience's reaction should have been.
Corey's energy is unmatched he had so much charisma and confidence it's beyond me. Especially when the new day artists are shaking and barely have confidence to make large notes in live.
Can't even come up with an original name. Nas is a million times better than someone that goes by the name of "Lil" and "X", nevermind the clear name stealing just for easy recognition
Is nobody going to address the fact that their bassist solo-simulated a three-part harmony just off the cuff like that? ....just sayin', that's kind'a awesome!
Clint F Not to sure I can agree with you on that. Yes Muzz was awesome and very talented. But the man who replaced him, Doug Wimbish was already an accomplished player before joining .
Polter Geist, I wasn’t talking from a technique standpoint. Muzz was a key part of the songwriting process. His input kept songs structured and fundamentally sound. After he left, the band got much more experimental and lost a good bit of their fans.
Nearly 35 years later… still one of the greatest TV show performances of all time. As a young, white, metal loving kid… I snuck downstairs after everybody else went to bed and watched this in my parents house with the volume at 2 and silently rocking TF out. I still watch it all of the time. Absolutely amazing
They always were... and they're back in a big way. It just takes support from all of us during this horrible time and age and era which may be an EON to actually spread all their hard work to others, and the upcoming generation... it WILL COME BACK..
Based on 1 song??? Have you heard the other songs on this album? Not the best stuff. But...Cult of Personality was great. If they could have tapped into that same genius with all of the other songs on the album, then you would have been correct. But, they didn't. The other songs were average at best.
@@MichaelGrubbEvolvedMinistry I can play and sing every single note on every single instrument on every single song on every single album Living Colour have ever released since I was 15yrs old until now. And believe me, it is difficult. If I didn't have the musical training from such a young age, it would have taken much longer. Not bragging or whatever, just stating fact. Also when you say "THE album"? you must be aware of all the other albums they have, including the newest one? Time's Up is a fantastic album too. 1989.
They should’ve but they did inspire bands in the grunge movement and pretty much the movement kind of destroyed them along with James addiction. Them and Janes Addicton came out way too late in the 80s.
I remember watching this when it aired on Arsenio and was blown away by their performance. Always been one of those songs I crank up loud and still love to this day. It's still relevant...and still rocks.
Seems like Arsenio was the only one who understood what kind of band they really were that audience was not ready for Living Colour!! Love them!!! They smashed it!!💜💜
@@blackysalamanka Yeah, great band. Absolutely fantastic live, but there is nothing groundbreaking or new about their sound. Not for the late 80s at least.
These guys groove their own sound, very ahead of breaking time signatures in a heavy way note for note, they are sharing their light, great musicianship heavy heavy groove then tempo changes too, it is one of a kind live to me they sound almost like Zeppelin ; Bad Brains ; Soundgarden the singer has one of those strong voices that becomes an instrument within itself, like breaking the sound barrier like Sabbath, Janis Joplin or Zeppelin vocally they're lining up with the band itself to create this kind of organic elemental combative noise! This band can be compared to others yet let's face it, they're their own genius creation
Vernon's wrist position when he does that tremolo picking looks so uncomfortable but apparently not to him! What a talent! You can tell Arsenio loves these guys! The vocalist walking around in the crowd...what a great stage presence...underrated...rhythm section is tight ..everything is right...hey that rhymes!
Thats because he slings his guitar high and tight to the body. Thats your natural workspace and thats where people more concerned about control, than looking cool hold their instrument. People always made fun of me being a metalhead and having my guitar way high up to my breadbasket like a banjo.
The only other guitar player I’ve seen play that way is Marty Friedman (Megadeth). Crazy hand position but I absolutely love them both. Such amazing musicians.
Vernon Reid is a monster, so underrated as a player, he was always a really innovative guitarist. The whole band are incredible, nice to see them start to get the credit they deserve. Nothingness is a personal favourite.
STAIN is their best album, but "Nothingness" is definitely a quality tune. LC then had the balls to go on hiatus, THEN come back and kick ass like they never left.
As Rap had just taken off, Living Colour was overshadowed in the background. Discovered by Mick Jagger they critically are one of Rocks greatest bands. This owed to absolute Core Rock fanatics. They are Rock n Roll Royalty!
Funny part is that I'm not really a Stones fan, but I will always be grateful to Sir Mick for strolling into CBGB's and checking these guys out and helping to get them signed --- that's classy as hell
Have you heard the other songs on this album? They weren't very good. But, this one song was amazing. I wish they had stuck with this writing quotient.
In my opinion, the lame crowd sends an even stronger message, and that is: the bend doesnt care, the singer especially, he is so into the song and enjoying it! And thats a great thing to learn and master and implement in our lives :)
Corey Glover steps up in a BIG way. It's almost like he knows he's got one of the best bands of all time behind him, pushing him to slam his foot on the gas pedal. Even after almost 40 years he still kills it every time without fail!
I love Cory Glover. He played "Francis" in the 1986 movie 'Platoon'. It won picture of the year that year. Then a few years later he plays in Living Colour and wins a Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance. What an exciting time for him. The dude can sing. Flat out. I miss the Arsenio Hall show. The best show on TV back then. Vernon Reid rules.
I really have to say this.. arguably one of the best pure guitar songs. Easy-ish riff. Absolutely mind numbing solo's. Just from a instrument perspective it's a BADASS song. Not to mention the vocal performance!!! Wow!!!
Most of the audience didn't get it, but I can tell you back here in NYC, it was the only thing we talked about for weeks! This performance put Arsenio in the "cool" map.
Sooo freaking flawless of a preformance! So cool how he walks into the crowd too. People complain about the crowd, but you don't have to act and scream like an idiot to show your appreciation for a band. Honestly, I like the idea of white collared people going in for a comedy show and then having their socks unexpectedly rocked off and their faces melted xD
You *KNOW* it's going to be an epic performance when you see the glitching video at the beginning as the VHS heads are adjusting their tracking. Add that to Arsenio and Living Colour and that is vintage classic rock n roll!
Pure talent. Everyone up on that stage is a master at his instrument/voice. Where are you seeing any of this anymore? New music today is nothing remotely to this level of talent
You’re only correct if you listen to the top 40s. Music is more creative and alive now than ever, it’s mostly in the underground. I understand you probably can’t imagine having to search for new artists all by yourself sometimes.
There's a beautiful grace at play here. The very point of the song is their complete self-awareness at being anomalous, particularly within their own culture, yet having the confidence to put forth their unique form of self-expression anyways. The fact that this performance is spun gold and the audience has no idea what's going on is breathtaking today. It's that sort of Marty McFly "...but your kids are gonna love it." energy.
I saw them at a smallish venue (the Center Stage)in Atlanta in the late 1980's. Still remains in my top whatever lists for best shows I've seen........
I remember seeing them numerous times back in the day. One time in particular at a college auditorium in New Jersey, after Vern totally threw down the most sonically ferocious fret shred known to man, at the end of this same song, the audience was paralyzed for a few seconds as if they all just touched the third rail! Then...as the concert ended and everyone headed to their cars...I can't count how many "Wow's!" and "Peace brother!" that I've heard from hard rock and heavy metal heads. It was an awesome night!
The only reason they did it was to separate themselves from the TV show "In Living Color" which was HUGE at the time. In their video promotion of "Vivid" they said "Hi, we're Living Colour, THE BAND! Lastly, if Vernon Reid was British born he never mentioned it in interviews and it certainly had no bearing on the spelling choice. The reason given by the band was for distinction from the TV show as I said.
1. One of THE best debut albums. 2. Saw them open for the Rolling Stones in Indy. Corey head - banged so hard, he fell off the stage, scaring 80,000 ppl half to death.
vernon reid is the shit. look up "lightning in a bottle" it's awesome generally, but my dude vernon gets to rock on stage with buddy guy, on a hendrix tune, it's epic af. the whole show is epic. radio city music hall, produced by scorsese, all the living American blues legends in one show...a tour of the blues... (circa 2004 I think)
Ferociously great performance. I watched it as a 16 year old bass player who was already a big fan of LC. Watching this back decades later...Wow!!! Corey especially. Vivid and Time's Up had a major impact on my musical perspective.
The song is Commie. How do four black guys who want to play metal even find each other? Did they just look at those glam-rock '80s hair metal bands and decide that they wanted to look like women, too? So many questions.
I was 7 years old when I heard this for the first time in 1993. My mom played it for me in the car on the way back from baseball practice. It was in a 1989 Caprice Classic station wagon. It was on cassette tape. It changed my life forever. I absolutely love this track.
Heard this riff and its been pounding in my brain for months now thinking "Cool I have a new song to learn" Went here and just got completely fucking humbled. This is one of the tightest bands I have EVER heard they're unbelievable.
I remember watching this episode and being so hyped they were on. I'd just bought the cassette not long before and played that sumbitch until it broke. Great band and Arsenio had some amazing bands over the years.
Exact same here - I had gotten the cassette single for Glamour Boys and it had Cult of Personality on the backside and it blew my 10 year old balls off at the time and then again when they were on Arsenio
@@patrickfoster4586 Cd's were more expensive, so were CD players. Believe it or not, there were lot's of people who listened to music who actually had to spend their own money on it, not to mention the fact that people were still using Walkman players because Discman would skip too much.
Growing up as a kid in the late 80s I used listen to this song all the time. I couldn’t and still can’t how unbelievably talented these musicians are. The drummer is out of this world but the guitar player blows my balls off! I’ve seen. I have watched Eddie Van Halen, Zakk Wylde, Randy Rhodes, Dave Mustaine, Marty Friedman, Kirk Hammet, Jimi Hendrix…the list goes on and on. But this guy..Vernon Reid..(i literally just had to look his name up) is virtually unknown in the hard rock industry. Drop his name to anyone who thinks they know hard rock and they would give you a blank stare. It’s a tragedy! The man is a VIRTUOSO! My 2 pennies..
I heard this song over ceiling speakers in a North Carolina rest area last weekend. It was in the middle of nowhere with only a few travelers. The song stopped me in my tracks and grabbed my attention with a hard grip. Especially where that transition from the riff to the chorus/break... 'Neon lights...noble prizes...when a leader speaks, a leader dies...." Considering what is going on these days my heart sunk to the floor. Amazing freaking masterpiece!
I loved their first two albums. Saw them live during this phase and it was one of the best concerts I've ever been to. Their beat naturally lends itself to "head-banging," so I did... the whole show. Crazy that the arena was half empty. These guys had so much infectious energy and talent.
This song makes me feel old and young at the same time. Absolutely one of my all time favorite songs. Love that bass tone. Vocals. Drums. And. that. voice!!!! Gritty clean scream.
Also, the white women behind him as he goes down the aisle are true "Beckys" who call the cops on a black child bumping into them at a grocery store. Hands all folded at knees...stereotypical Becky behavior when a black man is around them.
What the heck was the matter with that audience? Living Colour was killing it!
No shit. I don't understand how they could just sit there when these guys were tearing it up onstage.... I would have jumped out of my seat and started jumping around and headbanging.
Look at the age of them, and what they are wearing. I think they misunderstood, and thought Barbra Streisand was appearing live. I would've been headbanging like a MOFO!
Just dry old white bread, that's all. When I saw them at the Xcess club in Houston in '91 Corey stagedived(dove?) into the crowd and I, being under the influence of a particular hallucinogen, kept thinking he was being drug around against his will. LOL!! Kids, let this be a lesson. Something I will not be sharing with my children.
Not gonna lie, I'd react like Arsenio.
He wouldn't be able to go through the crowd if it was any more than this, don't you think?
Corey was and still is one of the best rock singers. He definitely doesn't get enough recognition
update! he made billboards best rock vocalists of all time list!!!
Completely agree!
He got the same hair except white
He sounds just as good live as on the record. So much power and articulation.
Ele é negro, por isso não tem o reconhecimento que merece
Imagine being a 9 year old black boy guitarist seeing THIS on Arsenio on KCOP. I am a guitar player 3+ decades later because of them. Living Colour literally changed my life. This video shows you why and how.
I dig your story. Maybe a kid(s) watches this video and reads your post then picks up a guitar . Play on Dairenn.👍🎸
Vernon Reid is one of the most underrated guitarists ever!
@@justinmitchell3097 agree. 👍
I remember watching when this came on that night as well . This has been my favorite song since the first time I heard it . Vernon burns it up right here! He is one of the best ever ... the whole band is on another level
@@jasonz1771 I'll check them out. Thanks.👍✌
no autotune no backing track just raw talent
Amazing, isn't it?
@noautotunejustpuretalent What a strange little c sucker, you are. It would be my living hell to be you
Legit.
I saw them last night and they KILLED IT
The audience did NOT know what to do with themselves... Legendary
Right... That was crazy
I suppose that they were not ready to that, but his kids will be
Overwhelmed with tone and riff!!
I dont understand how none of them stood up
The Letterman audience was priceless. 😁
This reminds me of the scene in Back to the Future where Marty starts shredding and everyone is looking at him like what the hell. He says "I guess you guys weren't ready for that."
Awesome, so true.
Life imitating art without knowing, the purest form of serendipity. They for sure weren't ready for this
You sir won the internet award of the year with this comment. Being an 80’s kid and a huge fucking fan of this song I can’t agree more!!!
Absolutely true.
This song was ahead of its time. It wasn’t that 80s pop and to hear this in the early 90s was a shock. This was hair band shit. So it was expected that the audience wouldn’t have fit this demo
So good tho
Living Colour was my first concert. Primus opened for them
Wow. Sorry to jump on the wow band wagon but...
They were my first concert as well. Don't remember who opened, but the concert was in the SUNY New Paltz gym. It was amazing!!!!!
I briefly played drums in a band that opened for them a year or so before they opened for the Rolling Stones one night in a small club in NC that isn't there anymore. They were monsters even in that small venue! the only band that competed with their energy that I saw in that club was Fishbone, and they were killers too! Nice enough guys though, but they were serious about their business and delivered a good show. I am glad we went on before them, because I would have hated to go on after them!
Primus sucks
Not my first concert, but I saw Living Colour headline the sold out Aragon Ballroom (about 5K capacity) in Chicago when I was a junior in high school. Urban Dance Squad opened. It was awesome.
Never understood why these guys didn’t become mega stars. They’re incredible.
Agree! Just today on another platform I saw an old Lollapalooza sign. I asked whatever happened to Living Colour.
they broke up in 95 and it just wasn't the same when they came back together in 2000.
There were people out there who didn't want you to hear this. These guys were decades ahead of their time.
They aren’t white enough for the big labels to push them to the mainstream. Fuck this system
I don't think they had enough GREAT singles , I love em but they only had this and maybe Love Rears it's ugly head as Radio songs , not sure if that's the fault of the band or the record company.
living colour is my favorite black metal band
@Thomas Jeffries It's a joke. Black metal is a musical genre.
@@jirikrajnak9047 there's always one that doesn't get the joke and turns it into a racial thing
Try some Bad brains soul craft
You genius
@Thomas Jeffries You're a god damn moron
You have to remember this is 1989 on a late night talk show and this audience isn't there to see them, nor have most of them likely heard of them. And they most probably have no idea how to feel about this face melting performance, as they're likely not even into this type of music. Living Colour is one of the most underrated, talented, and important bands of their time, but I imagine the audience would have reacted the same way if Motorhead or Metallica or some other band they would normally have never given a chance had just performed.
Yep....Talk show audiences never get emotional for musical acts
@@bilbobaggins4710 of course not. they represent the mainstream which by and large considers itself too cool and cultured to get down to a sick ass jam
@@thaterasound I'm not "projecting" anything. I'm speaking the truth.
ruclips.net/video/dTRKCXC0JFg/видео.html
Best point made in this comment section. The audience is there for Arsenio who probably peaked in popularity in 1989, this also was when this song was brand new and isn't the classic it is today
@Thomas Jeffries They ARE still playing
I'm SOOOO glad that Arsenio at least appreciated that performance.
Yea cuz the crowd didn't. I love how he's going in the audience fucking with them. You will not ignore this experience!
Shit I wouldve been up there humping around with him.....whats wrong with people?!
Jumping that is not humping haha
I think Arsenio plays bass; he would've been digging on Muzz Skillings here. And the energy.
@@jubankta1627 Humping around like Bobby Brown!! :D
I see a lot of comments acknowledging Vernon Reid's playing, and rightfully so, but I can't get enough of Corey Glover here. So much power behind his voice and nailing those notes even while running around the audience. So awesome!
This song aint really that hard to sing, the distortion is a bitchy if you've never trained it thats sure, but other than that there's not a significant high note in this song (at least for a tenor like me). I give him props for doing it while moving tho
@@madden7732 Lol whatever
@@madden7732 I dont understand what youre saying. If it were so easy, why aren't you as successful or anybody else?
Omg i'm not hating Corey jesus christ why are you guys triggered bout what I said? I even gave him props, being the most objective I can. Seems like you seriously can't stand an objective comment about something or someone you do like, I do like this song and the band, I think they are completely talented, but this song isnt hard to get right as far as high notes mean, the distortion would be the hardest part if you've never trained it, Corey has an amazing tone.
@@blewyd probably cause some of us don't really want fame to come to our lives and cause nowadays talent isnt always the one that gets the most attention out of the people, sadly.
Vernon Reid was a monster on guitar the whole band was great, they were so underrated.
Vernon was the black Eddie Van Halen !
I was just learning to play when these guys came out and immediately recognized Vernon as one of the best out there
This is pretty Fucken solid for a tv performance....
@Dartgame 340 one hit wonder..lmfao. moron.
Sadly you can tell "why" they were underrated
Vernon Reid, one of the most underrated guitarists ever. Actually, this whole band was underrated.
Dude they were on guitar hero
They won a Grammy for this song
@@GLORTHAAK 😂😂
Not really underrated if you ask
The recording academy
And still slaying it.
Whoever did the sound engineering for this performance deserves an award. This was awesome, holy shit
Sounds like on the CD but better
I was about to say, Yeah, but what about the bass? and then I heard that incredible bass line break through the mix.
Absolutely agree, what a fantastic sound.
I remember when I went to upload this video years ago, the audio on my VHS tape from the original, televised broadcast sounded extremely thin. Once I converted the video to digital, I extracted the audio and did a bass boost on it using my audio editor. I reinserted the audio back into the video and it was perfect. :)
@@heylad Wow, it really came out crisp and punchy!
@@vergedrums Thanks! Glad you liked it!
“Guess you guys aren’t ready for that yet, But your kids are gonna love it!” 😂
I love the reference that’s so cool
Arsenio Hall had friggin great bands on his show. Dude has great taste in music
Such a badass riff.. Will forever be one of my favorite songs..
Stuart Nelson, mine too! @65 it's still one of my top 5 favorite songs.
LC - Stain - Never Satisfied 🎸🏆
Agreed on riff.. but the soloing is pretty awful
dudidududu dudidududu
@Hermano Antonio It may fit, but that doesn't mean it doesn't suck.
That dude definitely has his own picking style. I’ve never seen that before.
lol you've never seen marty friedman or shawn lane? You must be a drummer
@@johnford6725 he's ok
MrMisterMan I just watched Stevie T’s weirdest guitar licking styles and I think he agrees. Nah I’m a guitar guy through and through. I guess we all just have our different styles
I agree he is picking really high on the lower neck. very strange
@@billwren5033 Frank Zappa did the same thing. The pick bottoms out on the fretboard and actually makes it easier to play faster because you can't dig in too far.
Hands down one of the best live performances ever.
I would argue this is one of the best televised performances of all time. Prove me wrong.
Princes solo for while my guitar gentlyy weeps
This IS awesome but ima hafta go with Metal Day at the US Festival '83. 🤘😎👍
James Brown on letterman was a legendary tv performance as well
Only one I seen that was better was Neil Young and Pearl Jam doing Rockin the Free World
I dont wanna prove you wrong in any way dude, this was fantastic, but I would just like to add to this…Prince on Jay Leno back in early 2001-02 absolutely blew me away! Wish I could just remember when and how to watch it again.
the guitar player came straight from the BMX track to shred on Arsenio. respect.
Scrolled through looking for this comment 👍 ex bmxer when these guys were popular
Vernons face at 3:13
“I don’t know how much longer I can do this for”
Epic.
Absolutely.
looked like he was checkng out the crowd and how uninto they seemed and hes cringing at the singer running through the crowd when even he can tell during a full shredding solo that they arent lol.
alex c
damn I didn’t think of that, yeah fuck that crowd
HAHAHAHA!
All fucking day long lol
This song still slaps 35 years later. And is sadly even more relevant now than it was 35 years ago.
I'm guessing that recording the vocals for the record didn't take too many takes. Dude has some pipes.
For real it sounded better live than the recording... truly amazing
He still has 👍👌🤘
You're right in the fact that his voice was impeccable. But, i bet it still took a ton of takes. That is just how the industry usually does it.
this is old but... Vernon Reid once said that the song was written during ONE practice session.
@@davidmiller9485 written and recorded are two separate things, my dude.
People weren't ready for Living Colour. Everyone talks about "diversity" and "inclusiveness"...well, here ya go. It's on a golden spoon for you. And Arsenio's reaction is priceless. It's what the audience's reaction should have been.
It's like the audience is thinking "why aren't they playing basketball." 🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️
Mmmm I don't know if this audience is a reference to estimate something like that, I only see old people, no one is young or even less than 40
@Nick Milligan I'm sure you're intimately familiar with leftists, since you speak with such authority.
people see Jimmy hendrix photo n video often.... and see these band ass a weird thing?? they play metal music realy good .. i am from asia jakarta
Nick Milligan Go be dumb somewhere else.
That bass is cutting through like freaking thunder
Glad I'm not alone on that haha
Muzz Skillings is amazing.
I know, I can't hear it either.
The mix on this is perfect
Definitely one of the best live bass tones I've ever heard
Corey's energy is unmatched he had so much charisma and confidence it's beyond me. Especially when the new day artists are shaking and barely have confidence to make large notes in live.
another "back in my days" comment, go ahead and check out modern deathcore then come back to me about that
@@ChristopherGray00 who????
Lil Nas X - "I'll end racism with one song."
Living Colour - "Hold my tights."
Jimi Hendrix - “Hold my Stratocaster”
@@kaydgaming thank you lol
Lil Has X is a joke
Wtf is a lil nas x .. sounds like a failed name for a fast and the furious character
Can't even come up with an original name. Nas is a million times better than someone that goes by the name of "Lil" and "X", nevermind the clear name stealing just for easy recognition
One of the tastiest grooves, great drumming.
Will Calhoun.
Is nobody going to address the fact that their bassist solo-simulated a three-part harmony just off the cuff like that? ....just sayin', that's kind'a awesome!
The Madrummer pretty ridiculous.. guys awesome
The drummer was singing on a headset Mike too.
Freaking awesome band.
Muzz Skillings, the bass player is a MONSTER. The band wasn’t the same after he left.
Clint F Not to sure I can agree with you on that. Yes Muzz was awesome and very talented. But the man who replaced him, Doug Wimbish was already an accomplished player before joining .
Polter Geist, I wasn’t talking from a technique standpoint. Muzz was a key part of the songwriting process. His input kept songs structured and fundamentally sound. After he left, the band got much more experimental and lost a good bit of their fans.
Nearly 35 years later… still one of the greatest TV show performances of all time. As a young, white, metal loving kid… I snuck downstairs after everybody else went to bed and watched this in my parents house with the volume at 2 and silently rocking TF out. I still watch it all of the time. Absolutely amazing
I did a similar thing in 1967 when Mohammed Ali fought Ernie Terrell.
Living Colour should have been one of the biggest bands in the world.
They were pretty big in their prime
They always were... and they're back in a big way. It just takes support from all of us during this horrible time and age and era which may be an EON to actually spread all their hard work to others, and the upcoming generation... it WILL COME BACK..
Based on 1 song??? Have you heard the other songs on this album? Not the best stuff. But...Cult of Personality was great. If they could have tapped into that same genius with all of the other songs on the album, then you would have been correct. But, they didn't. The other songs were average at best.
@@MichaelGrubbEvolvedMinistry I can play and sing every single note on every single instrument on every single song on every single album Living Colour have ever released since I was 15yrs old until now. And believe me, it is difficult. If I didn't have the musical training from such a young age, it would have taken much longer. Not bragging or whatever, just stating fact. Also when you say "THE album"? you must be aware of all the other albums they have, including the newest one? Time's Up is a fantastic album too. 1989.
They should’ve but they did inspire bands in the grunge movement and pretty much the movement kind of destroyed them along with James addiction. Them and Janes Addicton came out way too late in the 80s.
I remember watching this when it aired on Arsenio and was blown away by their performance. Always been one of those songs I crank up loud and still love to this day. It's still relevant...and still rocks.
Yup!
not ready for the revolution
FUCKING AWESOME SONG!!!!!
Notnannette I agree it is more relevant today than ever
Yes!!💛
Metal + Jazz Fusion + a splash of R&B = Living Colour
Uhhh jazz fusion is not this at all
TommyWD40 A bit is yes.
This is alot closer to rhcp or faith no more funk metal.
Listen to funkadelic
A splash, very accurate yes.
Seems like Arsenio was the only one who understood what kind of band they really were that audience was not ready for Living Colour!! Love them!!! They smashed it!!💜💜
Yeah that seemed like one of them fake audiences.. where they must be there for crowd noise only. Clapping and laughing.
They did SNL too
Arsenio loved it. So awesome
Aresenio's reaction was a textbook perfect reaction to this song. it was indeed correct.
exactly.. 👍🏽
Tom Morello owes Vernon Reid a Rolex or something. Still rippin after all these years!
Yup, except Vernon was doing it all with his hands - no need for a Whammy pedal.
faunaflage Vernon could have launched a rocket with the rig he used then.
Deffinintly sounds like Rage spawned from this
Reid makes Tom Morello look like a school girl on the guitar
Word
Mint chocolate chip ice cream
Why?
This was nothing innovative for its time.
@@blackysalamanka Yeah, great band. Absolutely fantastic live, but there is nothing groundbreaking or new about their sound. Not for the late 80s at least.
@Grant Lee Like there were no black musicians in the 80s xD
Ahead of their time? Have you heard the bs music nowadays? They were in the right time back when the world, music, movies and tv made sense
These guys groove their own sound, very ahead of breaking time signatures in a heavy way note for note, they are sharing their light, great musicianship heavy heavy groove then tempo changes too, it is one of a kind live to me they sound almost like Zeppelin ; Bad Brains ; Soundgarden the singer has one of those strong voices that becomes an instrument within itself, like breaking the sound barrier like Sabbath, Janis Joplin or Zeppelin vocally they're lining up with the band itself to create this kind of organic elemental combative noise! This band can be compared to others yet let's face it, they're their own genius creation
Vernon's wrist position when he does that tremolo picking looks so uncomfortable but apparently not to him! What a talent! You can tell Arsenio loves these guys! The vocalist walking around in the crowd...what a great stage presence...underrated...rhythm section is tight ..everything is right...hey that rhymes!
Thats because he slings his guitar high and tight to the body. Thats your natural workspace and thats where people more concerned about control, than looking cool hold their instrument. People always made fun of me being a metalhead and having my guitar way high up to my breadbasket like a banjo.
The only other guitar player I’ve seen play that way is Marty Friedman (Megadeth). Crazy hand position but I absolutely love them both. Such amazing musicians.
30 years later.... still ahead of it’s TIME!!! One of the BEST bands EVER!
Tim Zuch I Totally agree with you I just hope those shorts never come back in style.
kiki the gerbil they sounded like sevendust before sevendust.
kiki the gerbil well if you don’t know by now then you’re missing out buddy.
Amen
@kiki the gerbil Everyone's got fans somewhere, I really don't like em though.
Vernon Reid is a monster, so underrated as a player, he was always a really innovative guitarist. The whole band are incredible, nice to see them start to get the credit they deserve. Nothingness is a personal favourite.
Yeah.. He has dimebag energy!
I wish he would of stuck to the recorded guitar solo version that was on the record he kind of shredded a little to much confusing melody.
Heck yeah! "Nothingness" is a great song!
STAIN is their best album, but "Nothingness" is definitely a quality tune. LC then had the balls to go on hiatus, THEN come back and kick ass like they never left.
3:36 Corey: "Hey Muzz, we just burnt this stage down, let's do some 'Sly & The Family Stone' dances."
Muzz: "Done."
His solos give me chills every time he’s so damn good!
he holds his pick weird, it clearly doesn't matter tho damn, his playing is sweet
I could only imagine what would happen to you if you heard David Gilmour or Stevie Ray Vaughan solo😂🤣
@@AuntAlnico4 They'd be like, "they're playing 2 notes per minute" lol
Amazing. I think the crowd is totally high. I can’t imagine just sitting thru this epic performance.
They were Horrible dead as hell
As Rap had just taken off, Living Colour was overshadowed in the background. Discovered by Mick Jagger they critically are one of Rocks greatest bands. This owed to absolute Core Rock fanatics. They are Rock n Roll Royalty!
Agree 1000%, if Mick hadn’t walked into CBGB who knows.
Goddamn right!
Funny part is that I'm not really a Stones fan, but I will always be grateful to Sir Mick for strolling into CBGB's and checking these guys out and helping to get them signed --- that's classy as hell
thanks for the info
Have you heard the other songs on this album? They weren't very good. But, this one song was amazing. I wish they had stuck with this writing quotient.
In my opinion, the lame crowd sends an even stronger message, and that is: the bend doesnt care, the singer especially, he is so into the song and enjoying it! And thats a great thing to learn and master and implement in our lives :)
Its an early evening entertainment show and LC blew their minds!
I dont wanna say its because theyre all white and old but....its because theyre white and old. Thats why theyre so lame
It was a TV crowd strolling in for free tickets, not people specifically looking for a certain content. You're looking too far into it.
To say they were 30 years ahead of their time is an understatement. These guys are kick ass!
@@detroitlionspistonstigersr6735 bs, you wanted to agitate. lots of blacks in the crowd
96% of the audience were either stunned or falling asleep . They missed one of the best Live performances I've ever seen. Thanks for posting this !!
Dan Addesa, Haha! You're very welcome. 😃
Corey Glover steps up in a BIG way. It's almost like he knows he's got one of the best bands of all time behind him, pushing him to slam his foot on the gas pedal. Even after almost 40 years he still kills it every time without fail!
I'm 60 , I still love this high energy rock. Gets me moving.
I love Cory Glover. He played "Francis" in the 1986 movie 'Platoon'. It won picture of the year that year. Then a few years later he plays in Living Colour and wins a Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance. What an exciting time for him. The dude can sing. Flat out. I miss the Arsenio Hall show. The best show on TV back then. Vernon Reid rules.
DUDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WTH you just dropped knowledge on me!! I didn't realize that was him in Platoon!!! thanks for that gem!
Another bit of trivia: Vernon Reid played on one track on Public Enemy’s debut album.
Such a great song! Afterwards, he should have told that audience, " I guess you guys aren't ready for that yet, but your kids are gonna love it!"
I really have to say this.. arguably one of the best pure guitar songs. Easy-ish riff. Absolutely mind numbing solo's. Just from a instrument perspective it's a BADASS song. Not to mention the vocal performance!!! Wow!!!
NO ONE consider his solos to be good. NO ONE. They sound like shit.
💯% agree with all you said & totally badass. Rock & soul supercharged!
That riff is awesome. Call it easy is if you want. It's what makes the song so good.
I always thought Vernon Ried had such a unique tone and playing style, the paint job his guitar is so 80s but it still looks bad ass in 2021!
Most of the audience didn't get it, but I can tell you back here in NYC, it was the only thing we talked about for weeks! This performance put Arsenio in the "cool" map.
Best live performance of that song period.
definitely for real I agree 100% 😃😃👍👍👏👌💝
Yeah. They were def in beast mode.
Idk. Corey is a much more solid singer nowadays than back then... but the energy of youth is unreplaceable...
The musicianship in this band was off the charts. And Glover was the frontman we all wish we had.
Holy Smokes. This is a masterclass.
Sooo freaking flawless of a preformance! So cool how he walks into the crowd too. People complain about the crowd, but you don't have to act and scream like an idiot to show your appreciation for a band. Honestly, I like the idea of white collared people going in for a comedy show and then having their socks unexpectedly rocked off and their faces melted xD
You *KNOW* it's going to be an epic performance when you see the glitching video at the beginning as the VHS heads are adjusting their tracking. Add that to Arsenio and Living Colour and that is vintage classic rock n roll!
One the absolute best live late night talk show music performances of all-time. Period.
This song still continues to blow my mind 32 years later.
Pure talent. Everyone up on that stage is a master at his instrument/voice. Where are you seeing any of this anymore? New music today is nothing remotely to this level of talent
The drummer actually graduated Berkeley college of music. They’re all on another level of skill. Corey glovers voice and vocal control are insane
@@AMK316 Vernon toured with Jack Bruce's last band. This band kicked some serious ass!
You’re only correct if you listen to the top 40s. Music is more creative and alive now than ever, it’s mostly in the underground. I understand you probably can’t imagine having to search for new artists all by yourself sometimes.
@@coleozaeta6344 yeah lol, this person needs to listen to the new black midi record
Gotta look into metal for this kind of talent.
There's a beautiful grace at play here. The very point of the song is their complete self-awareness at being anomalous, particularly within their own culture, yet having the confidence to put forth their unique form of self-expression anyways. The fact that this performance is spun gold and the audience has no idea what's going on is breathtaking today. It's that sort of Marty McFly "...but your kids are gonna love it." energy.
I saw them at a smallish venue (the Center Stage)in Atlanta in the late 1980's. Still remains in my top whatever lists for best shows I've seen........
This band won two Grammy Awards in the 1990s...🔥🔥🎵🎵
I give a damm f... on grammy or music awards . They won my ears and heart.
The vocals live are so good!!
Drum sound is WAY ahead of its time.
I remember seeing them numerous times back in the day. One time in particular at a college auditorium in New Jersey, after Vern totally threw down the most sonically ferocious fret shred known to man, at the end of this same song, the audience was paralyzed for a few seconds as if they all just touched the third rail! Then...as the concert ended and everyone headed to their cars...I can't count how many "Wow's!" and "Peace brother!" that I've heard from hard rock and heavy metal heads. It was an awesome night!
I forgot how much energy this dude had on stage... brings me back to 1989 🔥
He’s who Rob and Fab wanted to be.
The most savage thing besides this performance is an American band using British spelling during the 80s. Gotta love Living Colour.
The guitarist is british if im not wrong
@@giuseppecatha he is British born
It’s spelled ‘colour’ in Canada too. Maybe because they’re from NY state they took inspiration from that?
Vernon started the band, and he was born in Britain, hence the British spelling.
The only reason they did it was to separate themselves from the TV show "In Living Color" which was HUGE at the time. In their video promotion of "Vivid" they said "Hi, we're Living Colour, THE BAND! Lastly, if Vernon Reid was British born he never mentioned it in interviews and it certainly had no bearing on the spelling choice. The reason given by the band was for distinction from the TV show as I said.
Awesome Performance! Who is watching in 2019?
Just watched it. Best performance ever of this classic Rock song.
1. One of THE best debut albums.
2. Saw them open for the Rolling Stones in Indy. Corey head - banged so hard, he fell off the stage, scaring 80,000 ppl half to death.
Absolutely!
Im watching it in 2019 and asking myself why music like this can’t and won’t exist ever again!!!!!
This shits timeless!
Great band. They should be more famous around the world.
(A fan from France)
my man can play the guitar.
vernon reid is the shit.
look up
"lightning in a bottle"
it's awesome generally, but my dude vernon gets to rock on stage with buddy guy, on a hendrix tune, it's epic af. the whole show is epic. radio city music hall, produced by scorsese, all the living American blues legends in one show...a tour of the blues...
(circa 2004 I think)
Sorta his picking technique is trash lol
Ferociously great performance. I watched it as a 16 year old bass player who was already a big fan of LC. Watching this back decades later...Wow!!! Corey especially. Vivid and Time's Up had a major impact on my musical perspective.
The AXO motocross gear on stage…. What a legend 🫶🏼 song is so timeless
The AXO gear is crisp
Man that guitarists technique makes my wrist hurt.
Marty Friends sends his regards.
This band, to me, stood out. Breaking any barriers in front of them. Very talented individuals. Song with a message. I love them.
There’s just something about an all African American rock band that makes me smile ear to ear. What a riff
African Americans invented the rock n roll genre.
African Americans invented everything according to public schools. If they're not drawing straws, it's splitting hairs.
The song is Commie. How do four black guys who want to play metal even find each other? Did they just look at those glam-rock '80s hair metal bands and decide that they wanted to look like women, too? So many questions.
Check out Louder Than Quiet
@@miastrong151 you down bad?
Such a legendary performance the whole band was super tight and my boy vernon...man is a guru
Good lord what an absolutely breathtaking performance, 😳 insanely talented and underrated group, way ahead of their time.
One of the best live rock bands in history, in my humble opinion.
I was 7 years old when I heard this for the first time in 1993. My mom played it for me in the car on the way back from baseball practice. It was in a 1989 Caprice Classic station wagon. It was on cassette tape. It changed my life forever. I absolutely love this track.
Heard this riff and its been pounding in my brain for months now thinking "Cool I have a new song to learn"
Went here and just got completely fucking humbled. This is one of the tightest bands I have EVER heard they're unbelievable.
I remember watching this episode and being so hyped they were on. I'd just bought the cassette not long before and played that sumbitch until it broke. Great band and Arsenio had some amazing bands over the years.
Exact same here - I had gotten the cassette single for Glamour Boys and it had Cult of Personality on the backside and it blew my 10 year old balls off at the time and then again when they were on Arsenio
I had the CD. Wtf were y'all still doing with cassettes in 1989/1990 for crying out loud?
@@patrickfoster4586 CD players were expensive until the mid 90s. Most kids I went to school with in the early 90s still had cassette players.
@@patrickfoster4586 Cd's were more expensive, so were CD players. Believe it or not, there were lot's of people who listened to music who actually had to spend their own money on it, not to mention the fact that people were still using Walkman players because Discman would skip too much.
Corey was more active in 4 minutes than I am in a week.
I dont think people understand how big this song was at this time and period
Got to see them in Sydney this year , 2023 . Was an epic gig and well worth the wait . Just as powerful as the first show 30 something years ago .
Growing up as a kid in the late 80s I used listen to this song all the time. I couldn’t and still can’t how unbelievably talented these musicians are. The drummer is out of this world but the guitar player blows my balls off! I’ve seen. I have watched Eddie Van Halen, Zakk Wylde, Randy Rhodes, Dave Mustaine, Marty Friedman, Kirk Hammet, Jimi Hendrix…the list goes on and on. But this guy..Vernon Reid..(i literally just had to look his name up) is virtually unknown in the hard rock industry. Drop his name to anyone who thinks they know hard rock and they would give you a blank stare. It’s a tragedy! The man is a VIRTUOSO! My 2 pennies..
I heard this song over ceiling speakers in a North Carolina rest area last weekend.
It was in the middle of nowhere with only a few travelers.
The song stopped me in my tracks and grabbed my attention with a hard grip.
Especially where that transition from the riff to the chorus/break...
'Neon lights...noble prizes...when a leader speaks, a leader dies...."
Considering what is going on these days my heart sunk to the floor.
Amazing freaking masterpiece!
I loved their first two albums. Saw them live during this phase and it was one of the best concerts I've ever been to. Their beat naturally lends itself to "head-banging," so I did... the whole show. Crazy that the arena was half empty. These guys had so much infectious energy and talent.
Damn… I haven’t felt goosebumps in a very long time even after listening to my favorite day 2 day bands
Rock on brothers 🤘🤘
Extraordinary performance. One of the greatest songs of a lifetime. Insane talent.
Amazing song, total killer!! Mr Reid is a great guitarist hands down 🤘🏻
This song makes me feel old and young at the same time. Absolutely one of my all time favorite songs. Love that bass tone. Vocals. Drums. And. that. voice!!!! Gritty clean scream.
I wish they had done more of this type of music and had stuck around longer! Phenomenal
Open Letter To A Landlord the second best song by Living Colour.. Listen and learn.. It's a fantastic song..
They're still around. I'm seeing them tomorrow night (2.8.24)
Unquestionably one of the greatest rock songs of all time. This was an incredible live performance. True greats.
The old dude at 2:17 was like "Ester hold on to you pocket book, hes behind us!"
Hahahaha
I literally scrolled back just to see that old couple 😂🤣😂🤣
No one in that audience had a clue what was coming at them. It was great!
@@DanFan2042 Living Colour was definitely a great part of growing up in the 80's ! Wish I could go back there some times.
Also, the white women behind him as he goes down the aisle are true "Beckys" who call the cops on a black child bumping into them at a grocery store. Hands all folded at knees...stereotypical Becky behavior when a black man is around them.
Imagine a musician in 2021 improvising on live tv!!!! This was siiiick
Man. I loved these guys. Vernin reed just had his own style. He was ahead of his time.
The soul in his voice!!!