There were right wing overlords even back then, determining the rules for everybody (sort of like the current "taking a knee" freak outs). They determined this was disrespectful, unpatriotic and probably communist influenced as sung by this Puerto Rican native. This wasn't a protest by Feliciano. It is just the hippest version of the anthem I ever heard, and was a sign of the anti-establishment times.
No. It was controversial because of the soulful "yeah, yeah" at the end. Blacks and Latinos loved it; white folks thought he was desecrating it. This was before Aretha sang it at the DNC in '68, which was considered path-breaking.
I am 81 yrs old. When I heard this at the opening of the 5th game in '68 I thought this was the best rendition of National Anthem and I have not heard one better to date. Jose Rocks!!!
Apparently right before the performance Jose Feliciano thanked Merle Elvie's Band and said he preferred to play this alone. That's why they are awkwardly standing there with their instruments behind Mr. Feliciano.
@@myvirtualpresencefyi I don’t get why Americans treat their presidents like royalty, or why they want presidents that’ll “bring a presence of power and might” it doesn’t matter what his character is like when it comes to things like power, the dude is the leader of the most well-armed nation in the world. “Patriotic Americans” sound stupid on a global scale.
@@myvirtualpresencefyi sorry, just realized I rambled a little bit too hard. I’m not that anti-American, it’s just annoying to constantly hear them bicker to one another and be so damn aggressive and mean on a international scale.
Jose is a legend. To do this rendition in the midst of an era when a Hispanic America was not formidable and to boot having the balls to sing the national anthem and so beautifully and passionately, marks him ( to me) as an inspiration that when you love your country, you will sing it to the mountains and back regardless of religion race and so on. Nicely done Jose:)
Yes it is a beautiful rendition. But he wasn't doing a protest, was he? He probably didn't realize it would stir such a controversy. Such a shame that is career was ruined over it.
@@Fbtvvtgefw No, racism played a big part in this as well as American's insecurities around fighting in an unlawful, disgraceful war. Him expressing this through music triggered jingoistic and militaristic fools like yourself.
Juan Cena Everyone in that stadium, even those that booed him, knew for a fact that it was a beautiful song. But the political climate at the time did not allow them to like it because it sounded like 'Hippie Music'. Regardless, it was beautiful then, it's still beautiful now.
@@Fbtvvtgefw How does his rendition dishonor the soldiers? The war, in fact, was a dishonor to America. Him protesting is as American as apple pie. Learn your history, sweetheart.
Tim Gossett the people who complained back then are the very same kind of people who worship Donald Trump today- old conservative whites who only know how to hate
Just watched the Vox piece about the anthem, and immediately felt compelled to look up this rendition to hear it in full. Wow- truly a whole new spirit rendered in those same words.
@@AFriendlyTheo folk or protest music is about people protesting and standing up in those very times of war and conflict, if nobody had the balls the do things like these we wouldnt have folk music at all
@@Fbtvvtgefw that's not what i was trying to say, but either way "your" national anthem's melody is that of a british gentleman's club which to me doesn't seem very "American".
He was singing a love song to the flag and America. No one, not even Whitney Houston has been able to do this. This has been historically recognized as the best anthem version and the first ever stylized anthem in the U.S.
So well said, it was a love song to the flag and America. I was 15 y/o back then and later served in the Army during Viet Nam. That rendition of the Anthem moved me back then, and it still does today.
This has to be the most beautiful rendition of our lovely national anthem. I can't even understand what problem people had with it, unless maybe they were bigoted against him for his heritage. He was very underrated in America, imo. He has to be one of the best guitarists in history, a real legend.
This was in 1968. It sounds like a lonely GI wandering in the Vietnamese battlefields. It captures the sorrow of the Vietnam War and is also a very peaceful one. Really beautiful.
Ernie Harwell was tasked with booking talents for the anthem, and he picked Feliciano, because Jose was topping the pop charts with "Light My Fire". Ernie fielded a lot of angry calls, letters, and blowback, but he never regretted choosing Jose, and stood by him. I believe that it was through Ernie that Jose met his future wife, who was a Detroiter and president of the Jose Feliciano Fan Club. Ernie and Jose remained friends until Ernie's passing.
Geez. Nearly 50 years years later, it's hard to believe that anybody complained about JF's lovely Latin-tinged rendition. It is both respectful and beautiful.
I wonder what 1968 America would of thought of Roseann's rendition of their precious anthem? Feliciano's version was done with much beauty,class and respect.
"Precious anthem"?? IT WAS A GREAT VERSION...THATS IT! Certainly doesnt need any derogatory comments as I'm very certain that Jose Feliciano would have never sang from so deeply within himself if he felt any "resentment" toward it so please spare us all & if you have an attitude towards OUR "precious anthem"....keep it to yourself?? This certainly isn't the place for the reason for the problems
This was the first "personalized" National Anthem. It was very good. It was a blessing that it was very good, or there wouldn't have been another one for a while. A disagreement with some commenters below. The disapproval of Jose's rendition (there was some booing afterwards, which the approved MLB version cut off) was about the Vietnam War, not Feliciano's ethnicity. Everything then was *about the Vietnam war*, whether intended or not. His version was a *folk* version; many folk singers (think Joan Baez) were against the War; therefore the arrangement is controversial. A white male in the same position might have been treated worse, not better.
Yes I think so, I was 13 and the time and found that year to be very, very confusing. And looking back, none of the controversies were talked about, discussed, or even mentioned at my parish church or school or home. Shame the controversies and divineness were the elephants in the room...much prefer the openness now@@rockyracoon3233
Can’t believe he got so much hate from this amazing remix of our anthem, that he put so much heart into. This version just sounds so much more enjoyable and heartfelt than the actual anthem
Such a beautiful rendition. He really paid the price by being the first to sing it soulfully. Now, everybody puts their spin on it without any consequences. In fact, we expect it. Jose Faliciano broke that barrier. Wish everyone knew this history.
Thank you for being part of my life. We love you with God’s love. I can’t pay you enough for the joy you bring my family. We really love you brother. 🇵🇷
the original does absolutely nothing for me emotionally wise but this right here is so full of pain, sadness and hope that it really makes me proud to be an american. it feels like its acknowledging the past horrors while still promoting a hopeful future and its beautiful.
Amazing and very respectful rendition of the song. Portrays a real love for this country. On what grounds was this justification to blacklist this wonderful singer?!?
This is the first time I’ve heard this version by Jose Feliciano. This is a beautiful rendition of a very musically challenging song. At one and a half octaves, a singer must have the vocal range and talent to do the song justice. Jose’s interpretation is gripping. Many years ago I was a national anthem snob and felt it should be performed in the traditional form. Fortunately, I became enlightened and have come to appreciate all the different versions. By far, this is my favorite!
I remember hearing this in 1968 and I thought it was beautiful then and it is still my favorite version of this song. He really puts feeling into it. This is what it feels like to be a proud American.
I just watched this version for the first time. Thru about the first half of it I thought it was nice, of course unorthodox, but nothing epic. But by the last qtr or so my appreciation for it was rising and by the end I was enjoying it enough to want to play it again. I repeated the video several times and by the fourth my eyes were welling up. The gentle simplicity of his guitar and that authentic self expressiveness in his voice produced a powerfully beautiful delivery that absolutely does justice to our natl anthem yet its the least faithful to the written music Ive seen - he really took some "liberties" which is what our country is about. .To have witnessed this audacity from someone belonging to a marginalized ethnic group 50 yrs ago plus during America's World series tradition must have really been something to see. Come to think of it he was blind and maybe it took his inability to see the world as others do to create something so innovative.
Wonderful and thoughtful post. This is also my first time seeing and hearing this rendition. I remember when Chris Botti nailed the anthem on a Monday Night Football game between the Giants and Colts in 2014. He played the trumpet to this incredibly profound, incredibly sorrowful version that notably brought Colts receiver Reggie Wayne to tears on camera while waiting to step on the field. I posted about that version on a message board about how truly sad and tragic it sounded, almost mournful, as if the country or democracy was coming to an end almost, and someone responded mentioning this version by Feliciano's as a valid comparison, for the same reasons. Jose didn't disappoint. This is up there with the best ones I've ever seen.
Incredibly well stated Roberto! I was only 14 at the time and I still remember the uproar about Feliciano's performance. I would place his rendition of the Anthem as the most original and the one by Whitney Houston at the 1991 Super Bowl as the most powerful I've ever heard.
Isn't the beauty of America that we aspire to be a nation of individuals? The anthem should be performed in any language possible, in any style. So long as the words and spirit are maintained, it does represent who we are. That's something to be proud of.
I am Canadian. But when he sang his version of the song, all my hairs stood up. I had already bought several of his records, but being a baseball fan, he just blew me away. I bought the record the next day. My parents thought I was nuts.
I'm a Detroit Tigers fan and I was around in 1968. I can't believe that Jose's rendition of the National Anthem before game five of the World Series at Tiger Stadium raised such a fuss at the time. It's beautifully done. Feliciano is a great singer and a superior acoustic guitarist.
I was at this game. My dad, Hal Naragon, was the Tigers Bullpen Coach. Jose sang this song again in 2018 at the 50 year reunion. As good then as it was 50 years earlier ❤️🇺🇸
Memestiff I was very young then but don’t remember anything negative. I know he commented how different. At the 50 year reunion when Jose sang it again we all loved it. Thank you for asking .
WOW!! I listened to this because I just read it caused great controversy when he sang it. But I thought he did an amazing job!! So deep, heartfelt and loving. I think he did this song justice and I just don't understand what the problem was back then. As Jaco wrote below, Marty McFly: “I guess you guys aren’t ready for that yet; but your kids are gonna love it.” I guess people just weren't ready for it back then.
This is very nice. I don't understand why this caused controversy. It's his way of singing, his unique style. He made the anthem sound as something that people can sing, not as something that is just made for tenors.
Thank you, Steve I have made it to 86 and still think this is the best. At the time I was working with kids and asked them what they thought. They sure liked it more than the adults did. Amen.
Jose does that star spangled banner yet wave... But seriously, this is probably the most beautiful version I've ever heard of this. Heartfelt and original without any vocal histrionics.
While Jose Feliciano was performing this rendition of The National Anthem, his fellow Puerto Rican - Americans were walking point and dying in Vietnam. In a way, Jose Feliciano was walking point as well.
Broke with the paradigms, and made history! "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they attack you, then you win." - Mahatma Gandhi ... And they end up imitating you, and you become a leader and pioneer ...
So proud of my fellow puertorriqueño! Sang the national anthem with heart, the way it should be sung! This version and Whitney Houston’s super bowl version are the best in history. Hands down.
OMG!! This is the most beautiful heartfelt version of our national anthem I’ve ever heard. I had no idea what Jose went through and didn’t understand why his talent didn’t have the commercial success I thought it warranted. God bless Jose and the bigots can take a flying leap.
I saw him in concert once. Amazing. He said his agent pressured him to Americanize his name, like Ricardo Valenzuela became Ritchie Valens, but Jose refused. He insisted that he would succeed with his own name or not at all.
I wholly agree with you, I am Puertorican like Jose Feliciano, and I served in the military during the VN Era. Most Americans wanted back then to return to its roots and to happier times, so anything different was unwelcome and rejected. @@generalbullmoose
I am 58 and after hearing all the negative press about this performance I finally listened to it thanks to youtube , I think it is awesome Jose f all the haters you are brilliant!
Given the context of the time, with Vietnam escalating and the World War II generation entering their 40s or 50s, one can't really blame anybody for booing Joes Feliciano like they did back in '68. Yet time changes and heals wounds, and this rendition now stands as one of the best in sports history. Jose did the anthem in his own style -- so did Marvin Gaye at the 1983 NBA All-Star Game. Both renditions are now considered iconic.
WOW! What a wonderful interpretation. Beautiful, emotional and uplifting arrangement with just a superb vocal. I’m not even American but I absolutely love this.
The first guitarist and mainstream artist at the time to play the NATIONAL ANTHEM in baseball..to this day mainstream rock and guitar forums will never recognize and deliberately overlook and never give him recognition or credit. before hendrix he was a shredder and a phenomenon on the guitar...
Later that month Jose played a festival in Northern California. He was followed by Eric Burdon and The Animals. When Eric took the stage he exclaimed how hard it was to follow someone as talented as Jose. No band following Jose Feliciano could match him.
I got to hear him do this, when Detroit honored Ernie Harwell in 2010. Ernie Harwell had hand picked feliciano to sing the song that day in 68. This was much better than Marvin Gaye's stiff version the day before at Game 4.
I just discovered this version on the Ken Burns Documentary on Baseball...as a musician I'm always keeping an ear out for different styles of the Anthem that I could possibly play myself...this blew me away,.. it's simple but sang with such emotion. ...I then discovered that he got a lot of hateful backlash because it wasn't done in the straight traditional way..it almost ruined his career. It goes to show how things have changed so much.
A really reflective, thoughtful, and inspired version of our national anthem. Makes me remember those who came before us to make our country great. Beautifully sung.
It is amazing how much fuss was made over Felicano's rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner. Imagine if we had cable news networks and social media in 1968?
I remembered listening and breaking down crying since this was so beautiful. I’m Hispanic and felt so compelled by his style especially since this was a different rendition compared to the traditional National Anthem at baseball games.
preston Morgan but how does it work? Lol, TH-cam just does it automatically or does it have something to do with name recognition? And why? What's the purpose of the checkmark?
preston Morgan I'm just curious. I always see it. I thinks it's cool. I don't have a problem with it. I just don't get it. I notice a pattern with it, of course, but at the same time I do have genuine interest as to what it is and how it works. I don't want to come off as rude though.
Covfefe IV I'm not sure how exactly, but you'll need to have more than 1k subscribers as you will need that much subscribers to become a TH-cam Partner and fully monetize your videos so that you could gain profit from it.
Marty McFly: “I guess you guys aren’t ready for that yet; but your kids are gonna love it.”
Greatest comment ever.
Best response to this video. Good one!
That's why Marvin Gaye sang it traditionally in Game 4. The jazzy version came in 1983
I'm pretty sure this comment won the internet.
@@warlaker You have to wonder: did Marvin hear Jose’s version and think “I should’ve done something like that”?
I love this version so much. It sounds so deeply emotional and personal. It was a shame this almost ruined his career. This is real artistry
ROXANNE DUNGEREAUX typical Americans don’t appreciate beauty
There were right wing overlords even back then, determining the rules for everybody (sort of like the current "taking a knee" freak outs). They determined this was disrespectful, unpatriotic and probably communist influenced as sung by this Puerto Rican native. This wasn't a protest by Feliciano. It is just the hippest version of the anthem I ever heard, and was a sign of the anti-establishment times.
Not true! I’m a conservative Republican woman and I LOVE this José Feliciano American Anthem! The majority of Puerto Ricans are proud Americans!
and beautifully done, also!@@bobbygoode
No. It was controversial because of the soulful "yeah, yeah" at the end. Blacks and Latinos loved it; white folks thought he was desecrating it. This was before Aretha sang it at the DNC in '68, which was considered path-breaking.
I am 81 yrs old. When I heard this at the opening of the 5th game in '68 I thought this was the best rendition of National Anthem and I have not heard one better to date. Jose Rocks!!!
Robert Cook not even the whitney houston version?
@@ogreboi2954 she did good but i prefer this one tbh
Whitney's version was pre recorded
LethalSquid Gaming Pre recorded son!
I salute you!
This is one of the most beautiful versions ever. I looked it up after looking at a documentary on how he was blacklisted after doing it. I LOVE IT.
satindoll72 yes it's so good way better than Roseanna barr
I love it too. Very moving
Wepaaaaa orgullo Boricua
Huh??? Literally NO comparison!
satindoll72 - what’s the documentary’s name; I’d like to see it
Apparently right before the performance Jose Feliciano thanked Merle Elvie's Band and said he preferred to play this alone. That's why they are awkwardly standing there with their instruments behind Mr. Feliciano.
Thank goodness ❤beautiful
Given the context of the time, it was pretty brave to sing it in a deliberately peaceful way like a folk song.
Well said!
I suspect that this was the reason why he was criticised for it. 'Murcans want their music like they want their Presidents: big, stupid and loud.
@@myvirtualpresencefyi I don’t get why Americans treat their presidents like royalty, or why they want presidents that’ll “bring a presence of power and might” it doesn’t matter what his character is like when it comes to things like power, the dude is the leader of the most well-armed nation in the world.
“Patriotic Americans” sound stupid on a global scale.
@@myvirtualpresencefyi sorry, just realized I rambled a little bit too hard. I’m not that anti-American, it’s just annoying to constantly hear them bicker to one another and be so damn aggressive and mean on a international scale.
he sang it in a gospel way because he is a very religious man
Jose is a legend. To do this rendition in the midst of an era when a Hispanic America was not formidable and to boot having the balls to sing the national anthem and so beautifully and passionately, marks him ( to me) as an inspiration that when you love your country, you will sing it to the mountains and back regardless of religion race and so on. Nicely done Jose:)
Well said! Seriously, Imagine doing what he did when he did it. Wow.
Yes it is a beautiful rendition. But he wasn't doing a protest, was he? He probably didn't realize it would stir such a controversy. Such a shame that is career was ruined over it.
Mick w it was almost ruined
People didn’t like him because it was the Vietnam war and he fucked up the ssb not because he was Puerto Rican
@@Fbtvvtgefw No, racism played a big part in this as well as American's insecurities around fighting in an unlawful, disgraceful war. Him expressing this through music triggered jingoistic and militaristic fools like yourself.
Here after the Vox video. Am i the only one who thinks this version sounds really good ???
Juan Cena
Everyone in that stadium, even those that booed him, knew for a fact that it was a beautiful song. But the political climate at the time did not allow them to like it because it sounded like 'Hippie Music'. Regardless, it was beautiful then, it's still beautiful now.
Juan Cena I think it sounds amazing
Nope. Its probably the best rendition in my opinion
nope its amazing
me too
I almost cried when I heard this!
Fantastic version. I can't believe people complained about this even back in 1968.
Tim Gossett. They did.
Rocky Racoon nooooo really?
How can you not believe it we wanted to honor our fallen with the real SSB, you know, the thousands of soldiers that died
@@Fbtvvtgefw How does his rendition dishonor the soldiers? The war, in fact, was a dishonor to America. Him protesting is as American as apple pie. Learn your history, sweetheart.
Tim Gossett the people who complained back then are the very same kind of people who worship Donald Trump today- old conservative whites who only know how to hate
I don't get it... Feliciano's version of this song was WONDERFUL!! What was so wrong with it?!
Closed minded people. That's why was wrong.
Life in the 413. It was a very acrimonious time as this was considered very controversial then.
Old white conservatives only wanted to hear boring marching band renditions.
Lots of folk singers were anti-Vietnam protesters in the so many felt this folksy version was associated to that
It was protesting the Vietnam war, so conservatives were salty.
That came straight from his soul.
This is the most beautiful version of the Star Spangled Banner I have ever heard. It feels more American than with the booms of a marching band.
You a idiot then
@@kthevsamig4958 wat
Just watched the Vox piece about the anthem, and immediately felt compelled to look up this rendition to hear it in full. Wow- truly a whole new spirit rendered in those same words.
Absolutely
Can't wait to look more into his music
Same
im not american, but this makes me feel weirdly patriotic? shame that the americans didn’t like it.
we like it now lol
Glad you heard it! IMaybe it is its poignancy, and notes of hope for a better more inclusive future
In a time of war, messing with the national anthem is a bit of a no-no. In times of peace, its a beautiful reminder of american folk culture.
@@AFriendlyTheo folk or protest music is about people protesting and standing up in those very times of war and conflict, if nobody had the balls the do things like these we wouldnt have folk music at all
@@Fbtvvtgefw that's not what i was trying to say, but either way "your" national anthem's melody is that of a british gentleman's club which to me doesn't seem very "American".
He was singing a love song to the flag and America. No one, not even Whitney Houston has been able to do this. This has been historically recognized as the best anthem version and the first ever stylized anthem in the U.S.
One he couldn’t even see…
So well said, it was a love song to the flag and America. I was 15 y/o back then and later served in the Army during Viet Nam. That rendition of the Anthem moved me back then, and it still does today.
@@Duckcalculator But he could feel: the pain, since the United States of America is a result of war & pain. We all carry traces of that.
This has to be the most beautiful rendition of our lovely national anthem. I can't even understand what problem people had with it, unless maybe they were bigoted against him for his heritage. He was very underrated in America, imo. He has to be one of the best guitarists in history, a real legend.
It was during racial strife , 1968...
A lot of problems....
Still beautiful.
Indeed he is considered one of the best guitarist in the history
Of course its bec the were bigots. Most americans dont even know puerto ricans are us citizens
What’s ridiculous is that his “heritage” is Puerto Rican. IE, American.
The best version of all time. Just Wow!
So sad that he got booed in the 60's he's one of the best rendition I've heard. Now 40 years later he got the praise and cheers that he well deserve!
This was in 1968. It sounds like a lonely GI wandering in the Vietnamese battlefields. It captures the sorrow of the Vietnam War and is also a very peaceful one. Really beautiful.
why am i crying in the club rn
Sadie McBride I have heard many many versions of this, but this is the only one that brings a tear to my eye.
Jose made this a REAL song, not some song we stole the tune for from an old British drinking song...so amazing.
Fantastic rendition of the National Anthem. Done with respect and soul.
Ernie Harwell was tasked with booking talents for the anthem, and he picked Feliciano, because Jose was topping the pop charts with "Light My Fire". Ernie fielded a lot of angry calls, letters, and blowback, but he never regretted choosing Jose, and stood by him. I believe that it was through Ernie that Jose met his future wife, who was a Detroiter and president of the Jose Feliciano Fan Club. Ernie and Jose remained friends until Ernie's passing.
Thank you for the background story
Geez. Nearly 50 years years later, it's hard to believe that anybody complained about JF's lovely Latin-tinged rendition. It is both respectful and beautiful.
Zriter59 Escritor. He sung it in English so it should have been okay.
I wonder what 1968 America would of thought of Roseann's rendition of their precious anthem? Feliciano's version was done with much beauty,class and respect.
ricjan58 ikr
"Precious anthem"?? IT WAS A GREAT VERSION...THATS IT! Certainly doesnt need any derogatory comments as I'm very certain that Jose Feliciano would have never sang from so deeply within himself if he felt any "resentment" toward it so please spare us all & if you have an attitude towards OUR "precious anthem"....keep it to yourself?? This certainly isn't the place for the reason for the problems
Detroit, Tiger Stadium, you took off your hat if not you might have had a problem back in the day!
Wow you could really feel the emotion behind this. I'm amazed that he got punished for this.
better than the original
MrFuzzyBerry no he’s just right
DefenestrateYourself dont use autistic as an insult please.
@@MrFuzzyBerry no u are disgusting
I agree. It's so good I play it all the time.
@@MrFuzzyBerry your attitude is disgusting
This was the first "personalized" National Anthem. It was very good. It was a blessing that it was very good, or there wouldn't have been another one for a while.
A disagreement with some commenters below. The disapproval of Jose's rendition (there was some booing afterwards, which the approved MLB version cut off) was about the Vietnam War, not Feliciano's ethnicity. Everything then was *about the Vietnam war*, whether intended or not. His version was a *folk* version; many folk singers (think Joan Baez) were against the War; therefore the arrangement is controversial. A white male in the same position might have been treated worse, not better.
Alan Stewart. One thing is certain, this nation was FAR more divided in 1968 than it is now.
It was not the first personalized version...
Just curious, was this before or after Jimi Hendrix's version (and I will say I like Hendrix's version also)
Yes I think so, I was 13 and the time and found that year to be very, very confusing. And looking back, none of the controversies were talked about, discussed, or even mentioned at my parish church or school or home. Shame the controversies and divineness were the elephants in the room...much prefer the openness now@@rockyracoon3233
@@janiceflahiff9894 Hendrix's version I believe was a year later at Woodstock.
I don't understand how people could have possibly hated on this. He hit every note so well
Feliciano, Hendrix, Gaye....The best versions of all time.
***** They are unique. There is NO official version of the song. I think they did a brilliant job.
I think its only fair to put Whitneys in at no4? she was such a babe!
+Matthew Adkins Marvin has a couple really great ones. The all star game one and one he did in 1979 before a boxing match.
Matthew Adkins And Whitney of course.
Fergie did it best tho
The record of this anthem is in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Viva Feliciano!
As it should be! Gave the 1968 Tigers the extra push to win that dramatic series!
Can’t believe he got so much hate from this amazing remix of our anthem, that he put so much heart into. This version just sounds so much more enjoyable and heartfelt than the actual anthem
VOX
Wave Man Mike YES
Yep
same here
Yeah
Wave Man Mike me too
One of the most beautiful versions ever. And he wasn't copying anyone. It was true artistry with heart, soul and sincerity.
HOME OF THE BRAVE!!! Feliciano's version just might be the best of all time. Incredible...
okay. I am not an american but this is just WONDERFUL. i feel like crying. It's a shame it was hated back then
Such a beautiful rendition. He really paid the price by being the first to sing it soulfully. Now, everybody puts their spin on it without any consequences. In fact, we expect it. Jose Faliciano broke that barrier. Wish everyone knew this history.
Who is here from the Vox Earworm video about the National Anthem?
Me. Lol
Patton Gilbert meeee
meeeeee'
Patton Gilbert YEET
Me
Thank you for being part of my life. We love you with God’s love. I can’t pay you enough for the joy you bring my family. We really love you brother. 🇵🇷
This is one of the best performances of the national anthem I’ve ever heard
@Nuckle head Drummer Amen 👍
the original does absolutely nothing for me emotionally wise but this right here is so full of pain, sadness and hope that it really makes me proud to be an american. it feels like its acknowledging the past horrors while still promoting a hopeful future and its beautiful.
Jose is amazing, I love this version, it's so peaceful and I hate that people were booing
Amazing and very respectful rendition of the song. Portrays a real love for this country. On what grounds was this justification to blacklist this wonderful singer?!?
This is the first time I’ve heard this version by Jose Feliciano. This is a beautiful rendition of a very musically challenging song. At one and a half octaves, a singer must have the vocal range and talent to do the song justice. Jose’s interpretation is gripping. Many years ago I was a national anthem snob and felt it should be performed in the traditional form. Fortunately, I became enlightened and have come to appreciate all the different versions. By far, this is my favorite!
This is one of those performances that will live in infamy. I have never heard the Star Spangled Banner sung so well.
I remember hearing this in 1968 and I thought it was beautiful then and it is still my favorite version of this song. He really puts feeling into it. This is what it feels like to be a proud American.
I just watched this version for the first time. Thru about the first half of it I thought it was nice, of course unorthodox, but nothing epic. But by the last qtr or so my appreciation for it was rising and by the end I was enjoying it enough to want to play it again. I repeated the video several times and by the fourth my eyes were welling up. The gentle simplicity of his guitar and that authentic self expressiveness in his voice produced a powerfully beautiful delivery that absolutely does justice to our natl anthem yet its the least faithful to the written music Ive seen - he really took some "liberties" which is what our country is about. .To have witnessed this audacity from someone belonging to a marginalized ethnic group 50 yrs ago plus during America's World series tradition must have really been something to see. Come to think of it he was blind and maybe it took his inability to see the world as others do to create something so innovative.
Wonderful and thoughtful post.
This is also my first time seeing and hearing this rendition. I remember when Chris Botti nailed the anthem on a Monday Night Football game between the Giants and Colts in 2014. He played the trumpet to this incredibly profound, incredibly sorrowful version that notably brought Colts receiver Reggie Wayne to tears on camera while waiting to step on the field. I posted about that version on a message board about how truly sad and tragic it sounded, almost mournful, as if the country or democracy was coming to an end almost, and someone responded mentioning this version by Feliciano's as a valid comparison, for the same reasons. Jose didn't disappoint. This is up there with the best ones I've ever seen.
amen ....It was a pleasure hearing Jose sing it
Roberto Torres Well said. Great comment!
Incredibly well stated Roberto! I was only 14 at the time and I still remember the uproar about Feliciano's performance. I would place his rendition of the Anthem as the most original and the one by Whitney Houston at the 1991 Super Bowl as the most powerful I've ever heard.
Isn't the beauty of America that we aspire to be a nation of individuals?
The anthem should be performed in any language possible, in any style. So long as the words and spirit are maintained, it does represent who we are. That's something to be proud of.
I find this version to very poetic. The song sounds so peaceful, but the Vietnam Conflict is at it height and riots are rampant throughout the US.
And terrible assassinations
As a patriotic Englishman, I cannot comprehend why American patriots would not like this rendition. It is very soulful.
This was from 1968 which was probably the most acrimonious year in the 20th century in the USA.
Because a lot of them are right wing, conservative bigots who only
see a beat nik, hippy folk singer from Puerto Rico.
because a minority sang it
Because Americans as a whole are a violent angry primitive village idiot group of people and they lack any sense of class or decorum
@@rockyracoon3233 yes, it was by far the most chaotic year in modern history. Only 2020 came close in my book.
I am Canadian. But when he sang his version of the song, all my hairs stood up. I had already bought several of his records, but being a baseball fan, he just blew me away. I bought the record the next day. My parents thought I was nuts.
I'm a Detroit Tigers fan and I was around in 1968. I can't believe that Jose's rendition of the National Anthem before game five of the World Series at Tiger Stadium raised such a fuss at the time. It's beautifully done. Feliciano is a great singer and a superior acoustic guitarist.
1960s Karen almost called her Senator to complain about this
Man I get so emotional hearing this beautiful version of the national anthem!
Try finding this on
RCA records on a 45.
Just beautiful, great sound quality . Nobody touches Jose or Whitney on this one.
God Bless America!
I was at this game. My dad, Hal Naragon, was the Tigers Bullpen Coach.
Jose sang this song again in 2018 at the 50 year reunion. As good then as it was 50 years earlier ❤️🇺🇸
How did your dad feel about the song?
Memestiff I was very young then but don’t remember anything negative. I know he commented how different. At the 50 year reunion when Jose sang it again we all loved it. Thank you for asking .
1968 Tigers a tuff team to beat!!!
WOW!! I listened to this because I just read it caused great controversy when he sang it. But I thought he did an amazing job!! So deep, heartfelt and loving. I think he did this song justice and I just don't understand what the problem was back then. As Jaco wrote below, Marty McFly: “I guess you guys aren’t ready for that yet; but your kids are gonna love it.” I guess people just weren't ready for it back then.
Chris Stapleton totally took cues from this arrangement for his Super Bowl anthem. And similarly killed it.
This is very nice. I don't understand why this caused controversy. It's his way of singing, his unique style. He made the anthem sound as something that people can sing, not as something that is just made for tenors.
The ambience of the old audio and its sound is so calming.
Thank you, Steve I have made it to 86 and still think this is the best. At the time I was working with kids and asked them what they thought. They sure liked it more than the adults did. Amen.
Jose does that star spangled banner yet wave...
But seriously, this is probably the most beautiful version I've ever heard of this. Heartfelt and original without any vocal histrionics.
While Jose Feliciano was performing this rendition of The National Anthem, his fellow Puerto Rican - Americans were walking point and dying in Vietnam. In a way, Jose Feliciano was walking point as well.
Broke with the paradigms, and made history!
"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they attack you, then you win."
- Mahatma Gandhi
... And they end up imitating you, and you become a leader and pioneer ...
Jose’s rendition SLAPPED, Im in love
slapped?
So proud of my fellow puertorriqueño! Sang the national anthem with heart, the way it should be sung! This version and Whitney Houston’s super bowl version are the best in history. Hands down.
OMG!! This is the most beautiful heartfelt version of our national anthem I’ve ever heard. I had no idea what Jose went through and didn’t understand why his talent didn’t have the commercial success I thought it warranted. God bless Jose and the bigots can take a flying leap.
I saw him in concert once. Amazing. He said his agent pressured him to Americanize his name, like Ricardo Valenzuela became Ritchie Valens, but Jose refused. He insisted that he would succeed with his own name or not at all.
It's a great version, to be sure, but there was no bigotry. You just have to understand the time - riots, the Vietnam War, etc. People were weary.
I wholly agree with you, I am Puertorican like Jose Feliciano, and I served in the military during the VN Era. Most Americans wanted back then to return to its roots and to happier times, so anything different was unwelcome and rejected. @@generalbullmoose
@@generalbullmooseYes, it was bigotry mostly coming from dopey southern-fried bigots, as always throughout American history.
Same as now.
I am 58 and after hearing all the negative press about this performance I finally listened to it thanks to youtube , I think it is awesome Jose f all the haters you are brilliant!
Given the context of the time, with Vietnam escalating and the World War II generation entering their 40s or 50s, one can't really blame anybody for booing Joes Feliciano like they did back in '68. Yet time changes and heals wounds, and this rendition now stands as one of the best in sports history.
Jose did the anthem in his own style -- so did Marvin Gaye at the 1983 NBA All-Star Game. Both renditions are now considered iconic.
This is a stunningly beautiful version of our National Anthem.
How can you dislike this version? It’s so beautiful
That was beautiful!! My God, how can anyone not like that?
People that decide what if bad based on who is doing it.
I love Whitney’s version so much, but THIS ONE 🔥🔥🔥 is amazing. Its so refreshing 😭👌🏽
I love it so much!! I have no idea why people don't like his version!! It's so wonderful and beautiful!
Learned about this in music class back in high school. To this day the best rendition of all time! God Bless America!!!
i came here from vox
Same
Same here
Welcome to the club.
Uel Ramos Yup
same*
I get shivers listening to this. Such a beautiful rendition.
Beautiful and heartfelt. It's a lovely rendition.
WOW! What a wonderful interpretation. Beautiful, emotional and uplifting arrangement with just a superb vocal. I’m not even American but I absolutely love this.
The best version of the national anthem I've ever heard this is so beautiful
The first guitarist and mainstream artist at the time to play the NATIONAL ANTHEM in baseball..to this day mainstream rock and guitar forums will never recognize and deliberately overlook and never give him recognition or credit. before hendrix he was a shredder and a phenomenon on the guitar...
Damn. This is fire! 🔥
The fact this was booed is just such a shame. I'm glad he got to re perform this years later.
Later that month Jose played a festival in Northern California. He was followed by Eric Burdon and The Animals. When Eric took the stage he exclaimed how hard it was to follow someone as talented as Jose. No band following Jose Feliciano could match him.
i always come back to this version, I LOVE it
I got to hear him do this, when Detroit honored Ernie Harwell in 2010. Ernie Harwell had hand picked feliciano to sing the song that day in 68.
This was much better than Marvin Gaye's stiff version the day before at Game 4.
But 16 years later, Marvin was ready.
Ernie was the real deal.
I just discovered this version on the Ken Burns Documentary on Baseball...as a musician I'm always keeping an ear out for different styles of the Anthem that I could possibly play myself...this blew me away,.. it's simple but sang with such emotion.
...I then discovered that he got a lot of hateful backlash because it wasn't done in the straight traditional way..it almost ruined his career.
It goes to show how things have changed so much.
A really reflective, thoughtful, and inspired version of our national anthem. Makes me remember those who came before us to make our country great. Beautifully sung.
It is amazing how much fuss was made over Felicano's rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner. Imagine if we had cable news networks and social media in 1968?
I remembered listening and breaking down crying since this was so beautiful. I’m Hispanic and felt so compelled by his style especially since this was a different rendition compared to the traditional National Anthem at baseball games.
I can't believe the crowd hated it. Different times. Amazing version
Wow, this was controversial & hindered his career? It was absolutely beautiful & I play guitar & sing.
Genius rendition.
BEAUTIFUL. No other words necessary.
That is so beautifully sung how could anyone be offended. Same words, same meaning just a beautiful rendition.
Awesome rendition of the National Anthem. Jose Feliciano, I'm glad you did it your way...you're the Blessed!
chills.
Why is that checkmark next to your name? Lol how does one get one of those?
Covfefe IV become famous that’s how.
preston Morgan but how does it work? Lol, TH-cam just does it automatically or does it have something to do with name recognition? And why? What's the purpose of the checkmark?
preston Morgan I'm just curious. I always see it. I thinks it's cool. I don't have a problem with it. I just don't get it. I notice a pattern with it, of course, but at the same time I do have genuine interest as to what it is and how it works. I don't want to come off as rude though.
Covfefe IV
I'm not sure how exactly, but you'll need to have more than 1k subscribers as you will need that much subscribers to become a TH-cam Partner and fully monetize your videos so that you could gain profit from it.
Wonderful, powerful, from the heart. I am not American, but obviously have heard the anthem many times, this is the best rendition ever!
Great rendition, maybe the greatest ever!
I found myself playing this song over and over and over again .today watching it for the first time!!!!!!!
Idk how anyone couldn't like this version. He sang it with such incredible passion.