A masterpiece. He sings it as if he means it. And this kind of simple presentation is all that's needed when the music and the performer are first-class.
That is all Richie needed. To sing and play his music. Everyone got the message. He did not need 50 background singers.and 50 dancers looking ridiculous. He is the man. Love Your music Richie,
Wonderful to hear this again. In Vietnam we had 3 of the 4 reels to the Woodstock movie. We were short reel number 2 but ended up trading some Air Force guys a 50 cal. machine gun for the missing reel... Some guy from Combat Engineers would rig us up with enough electric to run the projector. It was great -- with Richie Havens starting off the whole gig. Thanks for posting this (16 years ago!)... Just sane... :^) Saint
i thought i was a fool learning and writing songs in an Open D tuning in high school, until I found Richie and he's been one of my favorites ever since.
absolutely floored by this perfomance, nothing but love for Richie and awe at his absolute power as a songwriter and musician, incredible. R.I.P Richie wish i had seen you live x
Its amazing how he uses his left foot as an instrument, and it plays a major part right to the the last beat, great stuff and so much more current than today's music.
You've always been that high flying bird. And now you're free. I still can't believe you're gone...you left a hole in my heart and many others. I hope you look down once in a while as you fly by. Rest in Peace, my friend. xo
The BBC ighting engineer thought it looked dull so came up with the idea of dragging the light and casting a moving shadow - simple things, No-one knows his name as far as I know Inspired
This is a great song, one of Richie Havens' signature songs, one that both my mother and I loved. Although covered by many artists, I had no idea util five minutes ago that Billy Ed Wheeler wrote the song.
On this day in 1969 {May 4th} Richie Havens performed "High Flyin' Bird*" on the CBS-TV variety program 'The Ed Sullivan Show'... The song was track one of side one from his 1966 debut album, 'Mixed Bag', the album reached #18 on Billboard's Jazz Albums chart... He had one record make Billboard's Top 100 chart, "Here Comes The Sun", it peaked at #14 in 1971... Richard Pierce Havens passed away at the age of 72 on April 22nd, 2013... May he R.I.P. * "High Flyin' Bird" was composed by Billy Edd Wheeler; and he also penned two Top 10 records; "Jackson",which Johnny Cash & June Carter took to #2 in 1967 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart and "The Reverend Mr. Black", a #8 record on the Top 100 by the Kingston Trio in 1963...
Thx for those details, so RPH spanned country, jazz, folk. And rock, not to mention being the sole performer to open the show at woodstock. What a giant of a man !
H"e wanted to fly and the only way to fly was die .... die ..... die" Now Richie Havens is that "High Flying Bird". One of the most powerful and direct singers ever!
You do know he actually wasn't a guitar player as he never attempted to play the guitar; everything was tuned to open D where you can almost strum anything, it's almost like drumming the guitar rather than playing it .
I've always thought Richie sounded best, as here, without accompaniment. Too often the fills played by other guitar players just got in the way of his vocals, and the percussive style of his guitar precluded the need for more percussion.
The oppressed suffer from despair because they are not free, but above all because they know that freedom is out there, out there, there is liberty. That's the kind of desperation that makes you look up and see the birds, and see the sun, while you're rooted in the earth like a tree.
It was actually a BBC clip show 'Sounds Of The Sixties' ruclips.net/video/N97SAKDMmHg/видео.html that compiled performances on a variety of things. I recorded it on VHS as a teenager and watched it obsessively. Dylan, Hardin, Cohen, Buckley - they're all on there.
![Jefferson Airplane - High Flying Bird - Monterey Pop Festival 1967 [1080p]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/nraozPI6qxA/mqdefault.jpg)
![Jefferson Airplane - High Flying Bird - Monterey Pop Festival 1967 [1080p]](/img/tr.png)
I saw Richie Havens in college in 1970 and about 40 years later. What a powerful, passionate performer. RIP Richie
A masterpiece. He sings it as if he means it. And this kind of simple presentation is all that's needed when the music and the performer are first-class.
That is all Richie needed. To sing and play his music. Everyone got the message. He did not need 50 background singers.and 50 dancers looking ridiculous. He is the man. Love Your music Richie,
he doesn't need drums either with that foot tapin metronome
Lol! Who has 50 background singers and dancers? Not any artists in this genre
I met him once years ago. What a gracious human being!
Wonderful to hear this again. In Vietnam we had 3 of the 4 reels to the Woodstock movie. We were short reel number 2 but ended up trading some Air Force guys a 50 cal. machine gun for the missing reel... Some guy from Combat Engineers would rig us up with enough electric to run the projector. It was great -- with Richie Havens starting off the whole gig. Thanks for posting this (16 years ago!)...
Just sane... :^) Saint
Simply just stunning.
A true legend and an amazing man. Good night Richie Havens. Your music lives on in our hearts.
i thought i was a fool learning and writing songs in an Open D tuning in high school, until I found Richie and he's been one of my favorites ever since.
He was the first performer at Woodstock. No other artist was there yet. He played endlessly. I think he even ran out of songs!
Nobody else was ready or had the brass balls to start the party. I saw him there.
Ritchie was ready. But now he is really free.
"The only way to fly is to die."
Loved RH ❤
absolutely floored by this perfomance, nothing but love for Richie and awe at his absolute power as a songwriter and musician, incredible. R.I.P Richie wish i had seen you live x
Its amazing how he uses his left foot as an instrument, and it plays a major part right to the the last beat, great stuff and so much more current than today's music.
best version of this song by a long shot
a great voice straight from the heart and a humble human being
One of the best folk singers ever lived
I'm casting my vote. I nominate Richie Havens shadow as the best air guitarist I ever saw!!!
I heard this last week on TV so here I am. Just love Richie Havens right back to the 1960's.
Just watched this on BBC 4 - came straight here to hear it again. Perfect for 3 in the morning
You've always been that high flying bird. And now you're free. I still can't believe you're gone...you left a hole in my heart and many others. I hope you look down once in a while as you fly by. Rest in Peace, my friend. xo
The most beautiful sad song and that voice.
Whoever did the lighting for this better have received a knighthood
It just works, doesn’t it?
Your damn right! Your damn Left too !!!
The BBC ighting engineer thought it looked dull so came up with the idea of dragging the light and casting a moving shadow - simple things, No-one knows his name as far as I know Inspired
Eternal Peace brother. I thank god I finally met Richie before he left this place... in 2007
This is a great song, one of Richie Havens' signature songs, one that both my mother and I loved. Although covered by many artists, I had no idea util five minutes ago that Billy Ed Wheeler wrote the song.
A peerless performance from the man who opened Woodstock-RIP
Met him a number of times in the Village in the 60's...a cool cat.
some people should never leave this earth.
This is beyond wonderful!!!
This is the third accidental Richie Havens song I've seen today, 50 years later. Crazy.
Very powerful song with some energetic acoustic guitar playing.
R.I.P. Richie
rest in power, richie havens
What a stunning song & performance. Just saw that programme on TV (Christmas 2011), thanks vinylsolution for putting the snippet up!
WOW! My heart is open, Richie.
On this day in 1969 {May 4th} Richie Havens performed "High Flyin' Bird*" on the CBS-TV variety program 'The Ed Sullivan Show'...
The song was track one of side one from his 1966 debut album, 'Mixed Bag', the album reached #18 on Billboard's Jazz Albums chart...
He had one record make Billboard's Top 100 chart, "Here Comes The Sun", it peaked at #14 in 1971...
Richard Pierce Havens passed away at the age of 72 on April 22nd, 2013...
May he R.I.P.
* "High Flyin' Bird" was composed by Billy Edd Wheeler; and he also penned two Top 10 records; "Jackson",which Johnny Cash & June Carter took to #2 in 1967 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart and "The Reverend Mr. Black", a #8 record on the Top 100 by the Kingston Trio in 1963...
Thx for those details, so RPH spanned country, jazz, folk. And rock, not to mention being the sole performer to open the show at woodstock. What a giant of a man !
Richie...a biography totally underappreciated
H"e wanted to fly and the only way to fly was die .... die ..... die" Now Richie Havens is that "High Flying Bird". One of the most powerful and direct singers ever!
A true talent, a mesmerizing entertainer.
I was a senior in High School. I saw him
Many times.
Rest in Peace, i grew up with his music
Thanks for having this performance on here.
thanks for putting this up such a HEAVY HEAVY song.....
Richies left hand is absolutely magical for a guitar player.
john g I shook his right hand and it was at least 2 times the size of my own!
You do know he actually wasn't a guitar player as he never attempted to play the guitar; everything was tuned to open D where you can almost strum anything, it's almost like drumming the guitar rather than playing it .
Peace be with you. A true legend.
There goes another High Flying Bird...RIP Richie...
Richie havvvvvvvvens my pops went to your concert at woodstock 69 haha
I've always thought Richie sounded best, as here, without accompaniment. Too often the fills played by other guitar players just got in the way of his vocals, and the percussive style of his guitar precluded the need for more percussion.
Artista fantástico meu preferido
The oppressed suffer from despair because they are not free, but above all because they know that freedom is out there, out there, there is liberty. That's the kind of desperation that makes you look up and see the birds, and see the sun, while you're rooted in the earth like a tree.
1969 - How Late lt ls...
2019 - Even Later Now...
Top class, cheers
i swear this is one of the best videos for Havens that i ever saw. thank you.
Este maravilloso hombre y su sencilla guitarra dan ganas de libertad revolucionaria marihuana y vino
LEGEND.
Rest in Peace and keep on singin' !
safe travels, brother richie. rip
awesome
a great cover love judy henke's take on it too
touching.as allways
The only thing cooler than Richie Havens is his shadow !!!
RIP, Richie.
genial canta toca y ese ritmo punta taco con el pie un genio
Спасибо большое Автор
Angela Huth (the presenter) was gorgeous... A big schoolboy crush of mine....
R.I.P. UGottaListen2B4UDie.
Who's here from Netflix's High Flying Bird movie? 🙌
me
I'm here because of Richie Havens
Me 👌😁
Fly Ritchie Fly
rest in peace,
Amazing this my mates at it
7 billion people in the world and we got 19 likes?? come on people! :P
zarpado!, me pregunto a quien se le ocurrió traducir su apellido
I saw a glimpse of Tim Buckley at the beginning there, were they showcased on the same show? if so, I find that very fitting.
Yes it was a BBC program in the late 1969, if you look Tim is on RUclips from the same program.
It was actually a BBC clip show 'Sounds Of The Sixties' ruclips.net/video/N97SAKDMmHg/видео.html that compiled performances on a variety of things. I recorded it on VHS as a teenager and watched it obsessively. Dylan, Hardin, Cohen, Buckley - they're all on there.
I wonder if that light was in his eyes.
Woodstock - 45 éve !!!!!!!
version
MORNING JOINT____((*))____
Billy Edd Wheeler
Привет Человек из Украины
I appreciate his rendering but it still doesn’t hold a candle to Judy Henske’s version of the song. It’s a definitive one.
R.I.P good old richie
Love Richie's music, He was and still is the man.
Rest in peace