Guitarists Who Played Woodstock 69! What Effect Did It Have on Them? Their Lives and Careers?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 ก.พ. 2025
- There were many great guitarists who took to the stage at the Woodstock festival in the summer of 1969. Players like Johnny Winter and Jimi Hendrix just to name a few. In this video I have picked out three guitarists who I think the show had a huge effect on their lives and career. Then and later on. Some it may have helped and some it may have hurt. Let's take a look back and find out a little more about each one of them and about thier time at Woodstock. #woodstock #rockhistory #guitarist
Leslie was the Man. I saw all his incantations. He consistently delivered his signature sound and tone.
Leslie West was a giant in so many ways. He commanded the stage with his stature, but more with his take no prisoners guitar onslaught. RIP Leslie and Felix.🎸✌️
Alvin Lee was a true Class Act the whole 10 years after group was total class and total professionalism for sure the number one act in the movie and if you ever saw them live it made all these other groups seem like amateurs the poor fellow dedicated his entire life to playing guitar for the rest of us
And we are so glad for Alvin's dedication 🎶
Alvin was a gift from god. R.I.P.🍉
I was a SF concert goer in the mid and late 60s. Saw all the groups live, Dead, Airplane, Grape, Joplin, etc. Also saw Carlos. His group was always unique due to his blending of latino sounds into standard American rock and r n b. He could not be mistaken for anyone else.
Fantastic episode . Love all the axe masters . Music is not the same today , not enough emotion or " guts " as we called it . Just tech making it all today
Thanks for watching Steve!
@RiverDocs thank you for your channel and how you care about presenting the truth about them no matter how ugly some truths can be
This was well put together, man the days of old, Thanks for everything you do! Happy New Year 2025 Keep on rock 'in in the free world.
Thanks and Happy New Year to you too!
Great Bands and the best time to be alive. Thanks R/D.
You're welcome Dennis, and I agree!
Really excellent documentary on these three guitar greats! I wish the segment on Leslie West could be a full length film. Yes, it’s that good! Thank you for creating this and sharing it to TH-cam.
You are very welcome. Appreciate it!!
Leslie’s parts 1 and 2 solos that conclude Mountain’s cover of Jack Bruce’s Theme For An Imaginary Western … SUBLIME!
Leslie West has always been in my top three. I listen to it every week Hendrix and Clapton all my favorites
Well done. Alvin Lee was one of the best. All good selections here.🥁🎸😎
Thank you!
Yo RD!! Way to start the new year off with a bang! Carlos, Alvin and Leslie have recorded some of my favorite songs over the years. You could truly call them some of the guitar players' favorite players. Happy New Year brother!
Thanks Ferd! Happy New Year to you too my friend!
Loved Leslie West. He came to my college(George Mason University, outside Washington DC) in 1973 with West, Bruce and Laing, and they blew the roof off the hall they played in.
His version of Chuck Berry's "Roll Over, Beethoven" is one of the most raw and visceral blasts of energy I've ever heard, and I use it as a standard to judge covers of Chuck Berry songs.
There were tons of other great groups with great guitars, but the sound was inconsistent and the rain made everything a trial. There were almost 500,000 people at the Woodstock show, and there was about 30 million people who claimed they had been there by 1974 or 1975, and some of them added extra bands to the record. read up on the show yourself if it's important that you know.
I read an interview with Leslie West long after Woodstock(in the 1980s, I think) and he said they took helicopters to the Woodstock stage - and he remembered being embarrassed that the guys in Mountain couldn't go on one helicopter; that because of his weight, Leslie had to take a separate helicopter by himself.
He also said that what he remembered most about the Woodstock show was Creedence Clearwater Revival's set; they released 3 hit albums in 1969. Leslie remembered that "Creedence just played hit after hit after hit, they were just amazing." John Fogerty, who produced Creedence, wouldn't allow their songs to be released "because of poor sound quality."
His LP Jr tone was the best at the festival imo.
Had the pleasure of meeting Leslie a couple of times, one of the nicest, funniest "rock stars" I could ever imagine. One of a kind.
What a great dock on rock n rolls finest guitarists we still love today.
We'll never forget each of thies players
Thanks again RD , always good 🎸🎸
You're welcome SadieLamp..thanks so much for watching. Wishing you the best in 2025.
Wonderful compilation and narration. We love the guitar greats from the Golden Age of Rock.
Thank you. Appreciate you watching!
It's always nice to get background info on the musicians we grew up listening to. Thanks
You're welcome. Glad you enjoyed it.
Nice vid. One of my all time favorite albums no one ever heard of is On The Road To Freedom. Alvin Lee and Mylon Lefevre. Stellar supporting cast including George Harrison, Ron Wood and Mick Fleetwood. That and Stephen Stiils, Al Kooper, Mike Bloomfield Super Session. Albums that just happened for whatever reason.
100% right about Mountain. I also think about Grand Funk in the same sense of being a great band that was forgotten over time
You hit the nail on the head my friend I was listening to Grand Funk when they first came out and them along with mountain were considered an American version of cream at the time😊
@@edljnehan2811 to each his own, but really?
@@eai554 but really what, Einstein
@@edljnehan2811 an American version of Cream? GFR and Mountain?
25:13 The first time I saw Leslie live was on 10/19/72 with West, Bruce and Laing at the Chicago Auditorium Theatre ...I went on to see him 3 more times with Mountain in the next 2 years...all in the Chicago area
Leslie is my favorite greasy guitar player, he just had that thing down. Loved him and his personality and I still remember recording him hosting Headbangers Ball on MTV, which I watched over an over again picking up the licks he played. He never really got his due and it's kind of sad, a real personality. RIP Leslie.
Leslie way a special one for sure. Thanks for watching!
RD,
Very good info on these masters. Enjoy your work. Boe 🍻
Thanks for watching Boe!!
Thank you for this.. I'm a child of the 90s and didn't get into mountain till the last 5 or 10 years or so... That was really interesting learning how Leslie developed his style... I feel kind of embarrassed because I do the same thing I'm not a fast player so I tend to bend "the sh*t outta the strings" as a fellow player (who is much better than me)-said...*but my original point was in a lot of the 90s alternative rock I hear a huge influence of Leslie West; especially in bands like Soundgarden
Jimi Hendrix was is and ALWAYS will be my favorite guitarists of the era. 😢😮😢😮
Really enjoyed this video! I love everything about the guitar and the people that played them,especially the 60’s through the 80’s. I knew from age 6 I wanted to play guitar, and my dad turned me on to so many great guitarists like these guys! Good job!
Thanks Steve. Glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks,... great info,...looking foward to digging more into Alvin Lee,and Leslie West...not sure what albums to start with..
For Ten Years After, listen to A Space In Time, Undead, Recorded Live, Rock & Roll Music To The World and About Time. Alvin's solo albums - 1994, Zoom and In Flight. In Flight is a live album that Alvin did on a dare. He put together a band to do a lot of songs that were typical of Alvin's influences. Exceptional recording but very different from anything that Alvin had ever done before or since
@@GnLguy... truly appreciate the info on the music,..I am on it...thank u !!
Awesome stuff Doc ! Thanks. Happy New Year !
I truly loved 'Theme for an Imaginary Western', 'Don't Look Around' and 'Nantucket Sleightide'.
Thanks Doc you did a WONDERFUL job on this..😉👍 Happy New Year
I was a teen in the 1970's and bought a 57 Jr just like his. It roared at full volume and a turned up tube amp. It had growl. I didn't care for it's clean tone, but blues on that guitar was superb. How can you not love Leslie. Every time Mississippi Queen comes on it sends chills up my spine. The groove is thick...
Excellent Video!!! TANK YOU FOR THIS VIDEO!!!
You're welcome! Glad you enjoyed it!
Even though the majority of the crowd had left, we all know the guitar player that everyone came to see.
Leslie West was One The Great's in my opinion, who also had The Killer RnR voice. General Public wise, he, Zappa, Winter, Buchanan, and Gallagher are Criminally underrated.
Agree with you on that!!
The guitar in the video clip of the Vagrants is a Danelectro Bellzouki. This oddball was designed by studio guitar wizard Vinnie Bell. Thanks for this in depth look at Carlos, Alvin and Leslie!
You're welcome. Thanks for the info!
Happy New Year DOC!! Really a great one to start off The year! I Hope you are staying warm therev😂its been a mixed can of nuts hear in TN but Weather is a part of our home! Take care Brother and TY for sharing the Video!🤘🎸🕊️🫂🫶🤠 your Music-In-Law
Happy New Year to you too Ryan! Thanks for watching!
Enjoyed the vid..Me personally I dig the piano on Mississippi Queen..to each his own I reckon.
Rolling stones always had great piano in the mix in the
@williamdittmar6450 Nicky...one of my favorite piano players👍
Mississippi Queen got my attention, really the only song i ever listened to by Mountain but is was solid and i enjoyed listening to it.
Leslie West had tone for days he wasn't the fastest but he had the sweetest most sustaining tone a true gift to America
Right on..To me tone/vibrato/sustain...are just as good as flash 👍
Yeah, great tone, but hardly a technically accomplished musician/guitarist. His performances of Crossroads, for example, are embarrassing.
Sha Na Na put on the best show at Woodstock. See guitarist Henry Gross playing while rolling around the stage on his back.
I totally enjoyed this video of yours: 👍👏👌! Thank you so much!
While there is a lot I could add to your brilliant narrative, here is the top one: Miles Davis's favorite rock band was Mountain. He would attend all the concerts he could go to, particularly in New York. And yep, I love guitarists who can play a note as beautifully as a violinist. With all the help you can get from your guitar and amplifier, it is just a shame you would sound like Al Di Meola, though I understand the issue he faced ... his parents did not like the sound of electric guitars ... So all of you incredible guitarists out there: please let single notes ring out, watch "In the Mood for Love", enjoy B.B. King, and remember that sometimes less is more - 😊.
You're very welcome. Thanks for adding more info to the story!
In the lasthalf year, I've seen several live shows of Mountain in concert, and Leslie was really good. And he was quite the ballsy singer. His tone wasn't slick but rough and tough. Thanks fellow midwesterner! I grew up on the Mississip' in the Quad Cities.
My Old Sunn Coliseum 1000s with 4 JBL 15” in two Cabinets!!! = Very Heavy and also Noisy but extremely powerful!!! it Weighed as much as a Hammond B-3 !
Great info & Footage !!!!
Alvin & Carlos and also
Leslie West who was somewhat off of my radar being out on the west coast at that time… but great clip of Leslie’s playing!!!! sweet!!!
Best of luck in 2025
Thanks for your videos!
You're welcome! Wishing you the best in 2025.
Check out Alvin's song No Limit from Night Of The Guitar,
It's an instrumental that is so Alvin - I don't care too much for the scats that he starts it off with but his playing on this show why he was known as Captain Speedfingers
Still love Leslie west! Killer tone and feel!
Huge West and pappalardi band fan
Same here! They were great together!
Alvin Lee is one of the best artists ever ‼️ He is definitely rock and roll hall of fame ‼️
His entire Woodstock performance was released recently. All I can say is OUTSTANDING!
The only good axeman who was present.
👍 on Alvin's 335 specs
Alvin Lee is my hero. he didn’t compromise for his music.❤️✨⚡️
i’m not sure, but i theorize Big Red was too valuable to tour with right after The Woodstock Film came out in mid 1970, so he mostly played a backup red ES 335 and a sunburst Gibson (seen at Isle of Wight, brand new without stickers yet) for a couple years.
there really aren’t many images of him with Big Red again until early 1973.
Alvin had 3 Signature Models of Big Red made - one each by Gibson, Heritage and Tokai. After he was offer over $1 million, he put Big Red in a vault for safe keeping and began using the signature models. Most guitars that you see in his later years, they were made by Tokai and Alvin said that he was impressed with the quality.
There is a video of Joe Bonamassa playing Big Red; shortly after that video came out, the ad for Big Red was taken down from the website - I wonder if Joe didn't buy it
Didn't Joe buy Peter Green's
" greeny" guitar? I thought that he got Gary Moore's guitar, too.
@steelerspittsburgh875 No Kirk Hammett of Metallica ended up with that guitar.
Joe does have a huge collection of every type of guitar gear
Great video!! Thank you!!
Leslie West was way underappreciated by the general public but continued to deliver great music throughout his career. He was up there with the best rock guitarists, melodic with one of the most powerful sounds around.
Well said!!!
Excellent video. Gained a subscribe!
Glad you enjoyed it, welcome aboard!
very nice vid. you know what you are doing
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it.
Ahhh, Leslie West! The first songs I ever heard of him was Theme for an Imaginary Western and Nantucket Sleighride. KZAP, 1971.
I bought the album 'Mountain Climbing' when it first came out. I put up the black light posters, lit the incense, rolled a doobie, got out the wine and kicked back with my girl. I still play it today and it still sounds just as good. I love 'Never In My Life' too.
Thank You for putting this video out. you went through part of the who's who of my guitar journey. Have you ever done anything on bluegrass flatpickers? that might be a great video. Thanks again
You're welcome. I don't have anything on bluegrass. I do have videos on guys like Vince Gill, Jerry Reed and a few others though. Check them out. Vince started out as a bluegrass player.
I seen Mountain in Houston in76 or 77 bad ass what a privilege thanks Doc
You're welcome John!
The Great Fatsby. Dude was epic. His tone was GREASY. RIP big man 🎸
Saw him at Texas Jam w/B.T.O. Great show 🤠🎼🎶🎵
Santana... collaborating John McLaughlin would have been something to note, a spiritual conversion etc....
22:49 ... Lee Sklar in the background!! ❤
Great bass player!!!
Santana got $750.00 and Mountain got $5,000 for Woodstock !
I've seen several of the acts that were at Woodstock. Each one was a fantastic show. Alvin Lee, Leslie West, Joe Cocker, the Who, CSN, Santana, and of course, The Grateful Dead. Last 1 on my bucket list is John Fogerty.
Fogerty is great!!
Great video. I appreciate you doing a bit on Leslie West. Leslie is really a amazing guitarist who really played for the music. You don't get invited to play with the likes of Pete Townshend unless you have some real chops.
There are videos on YT from The Night Of The Guitar with Alvin & Leslie jamming. I think that they became friends after Woodstock
I need to check that out!! Thanks for the tip.
Big love for big Leslie. Alvin is cool. Haven't heard much from Carlos recently but he's quite the cellular magician.
Thanks for watching. Happy New Year!
Great documentary.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I sure was stoked to come across a Mountain record when I was younger. I recognized the record by the song title and bought it for a dollar and man was I hooked with Mississippi Queen becoming one of my least favorites main reason being I heard it 100 times before buying the record. Traveling in The Dark Silver Paper, Sitting on A Rainbow come to mind as some really good ones. Thanks for the very good video with lots of interesting information
You're welcome. Thank you for watching!
Leslie West was the earliest Pioneer of what was to become grudge and I think he did it better than the ones that claimed they were original just my opinion
H3 happy new year Dic Doc ❤😊
Happy New Year to you too!
i always liked carlos santana he helped neal schon get his start. leslie west big guy with big guitar sound. i did like 10 years after playing i go home song at woodstock film.
Yeah all three of them carry a lot of rock history. Thanks for watching!
Mountain and Johnny Winter both did well after Woodstock despite not being in the movie. But then both had drug problems. CCR and Blood Sweat & Tears were also not in the movie but then both bands had their lead singers go solo. CSN&Y also didn't last because of solo opportunities. Canned Heat was featured in the film but then lost one of their singers to an overdose. Sly and the Family Stone had their own problems after a few hits.
Leslie West is one of my favorite, Terry Kath from Chicago is also up there. Leon from Redbone is fantastic. Santana is another huge player who mostly players know but a lot of regular people also. I like the dead, Bobby is great rhythm player, Jerry of course is great but Bobby is all over the place with the inversions and chords it's pretty amazing
Very good.
Thanks!
Theme from an imaginary western. Was divinely inspired? Maybe my favorite from that era.
That song was really something for sure.
Alvin Lee: "The original shredder". And I heard a long time ago that Leslie West teaches guitar lessons in NYC somewhere. I wonder how true that story is, hummm. Good show.
Leslie passed away in December of2000.
Leslie passed away in December of the year 2000.
Thank you R/D
Very welcome.
Funny about Leslie West wanting to see Jackie Gleason, I always thought he really resembled Gleason!
Re: Leslie West: That odd instrument is a Danelectro Bellzouki. The instrument was designed by session player Vincent "Vinnie" Bell. Vinnie had a hit with his 1970 instrumental recording of "Airport Love Theme".
Thanks for the info!!
Leslie West(and Mountain) got paid 5000.00 for Woodstock, and the whole Santana Band got paid 750.00, Santana kind of got the shaft on that one. All three guys are great players, Santana is my favorite guitar player of all time, and Leslie West right up there too, it was a great video.
Thanks glad you enjoyed it. I think Leslie had a better manager than Carlos at that time.
The guitar Leslie West is playing in the Vagrants clip appears to be a Danelectro Bellzouki 12 string.
Probably one of the best (and youngest) guitarist playing Woodstock was then 21 years old Buzz Feiten with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band (with a 24 yo David Sanborn on alto).
I was the drummer for Leslie West Vagrants and Leslie played a dan electro in the movie and later was known for playing a Gibson SG
Evangelist Roger Mansour missionary to HAITI
Awesome. Thanks for the info!!
Love Leslie, can't count the times I saw him.
I still have the Mountain Live album
Nantucket sleigh ride one of my favorites
I loved Mountain. Contrary to Leslie, I loved the piano in Mississippi Queen.
Leslie made up in soul what he didn’t have in speed. you don’t need speed of each note you play is it’s own universe, Leslie made every note count. I saw mountain in AnnArbor, Toledo, and Detroit. And West and Laing again years later. MAN O Man could they play.
Well said!
My favorite Mountain album was “Avalanche”
If they had left mountains section in the Woodstock film, they would’ve had a whole different career. I wonder if the film got thrown away or if it can still be found?
Kind of like AC/DC before their time. It was all about the tone and vibrato never speed. But he was a good guitar player and singer.
I'd agree if you're "clocking" it I'd say Alvin Lee and Johnny Winter seemed to be the most Lightning Fingered of that era. Don't get me wrong, I've always loved TYA. I'd have to say it seemed like Lee was trying to make a point of his speed, whereas Winter's stuff just flowed with melodic pinpoint accuracy. His Slide work to this day I don't believe has been surpassed.
I just watched a video of Johnny from like 1970 or around there. Tommy Shannon was playing bass, so it was in that time span. Johnny was playing some riffs and I mean besides a little reverb..which might have been just the room it was just guitar and amp and he was flying across the strings..and it wasn't sloppy...fast and clean. No doubt Johnny took a backseat to anyone back then. Thanks for watching and your comment!
@RiverDocs Enjoyable bouncing thoughts on music off other's who see the Big Picture, as well as know what they're looking at/Listening to.
I always called Mountain "America's Cream".
And Grand Funk
Kanami of Band Maid cites Santana as her major influence.
Leslie was the heaviest.
😂
For sure!!
More ways than one.
I like your 4 picks for Woodstock catapulting these guitarist good list. Stephen Stills might go on here although he is not the guitarist these guys are.
Yeah probably not, but Stills is not slouch on the guitar either.
Although I already knew about Ten Year's After, Woodstock definitely raised Alvin Lee's profile.
Because Mountain didn't get into the movie, took a little longer for Leslie West to get more notice. Once Mountain Climbing came out, a legend was born.
Carlos? What can you say? He's a master. Woodstock did make Michael Shrieve, at 17, the best drummer at Woodstock... sorry, Keith Moon, just one man's opinion.
Well said!
Sorry my friend but Michael shrieve was 19 at Woodstock. Born in 1950 the same year as Carl Palmer😮
@edljnehan2811 ok, he was 17 when he joined Santana, happy? What were YOU doing when you were 19? I'm guessing you weren't on stage at Woodstock
@@martyconroy3786 I sure hope you didn't get embarrassed in front of your husband hahaha
@edljnehan2811 embarrassed? What a joke. Like I need trolls fact checking everything I say in my life. My skin is thicker than anything some fool says to care
West is the best...
Interesting bios but eff all to do with how Woodstock festival related to their careers.
It’s not Tia Juana.
It’s Tijuana (Tee-wanna).
Thanks for the pronunciation lesson. But from where I come from that's the way we pronounce it.
So did you enjoy the video or did my pronunciation really captivate you so much that the content was irrelevant to you?
What no Pete Townsend?????
No Jimi Hendrix or John Fogerty either.
The animal trainer and the toad.
Figure it out.
Jerry Garcia always gets left out.
LSD and the Dead witch Jerry told Carlos to spread the LSD vibe everyday. Instead he turned his back on the people and sound he once held close. I saw him about 10 years ago and he played his guitar at full volume and it sucked.He found some guru and he sold out.