Stephen Stills - Sounding Out (1970)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 ก.ย. 2024
- 1970's profile of Stephen Stills. By the end of the 1960s, Stephen Stills had written one of the decade's most successful protest songs, played a central role in folk-rock pioneers Buffalo Springfield and joined David Crosby and Graham Nash for an album that would define the laid-back singer-songwriter sound of the next decade. In this profile, led by broadcaster and author Charlie Gillett and filmed in 1970 for the Sounding Out programme, he looks back on his musical roots in the South, his life in New York's Greenwich Village folk scene, how he’s lived everything he’s written and the real story behind the Sunset Strip riots of 1966.
Stephen is the only musician to have both Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton as guest instrumentalist on the same album. He was in good company as a guitarist and had obviously earned their respect.
Sounds like genius x 3!
He also bought actor Peter Seller's house in England about that time. The song "Johnny's Garden" on the Manassas album is about the caretaker of that house.
He's an American treasure. One of the best singing voices I've heard and a great guitar player.
Definitely 👍😎
Grew up with this man's songs/bands, and listen to him often as well as play my guitfiddles because of him and Neil.
without a shadow of doubt, greater than many with bigger billing letters
Dear, I do not agree with you. He is not an American treasure. He is a worldwide treasure. I am sending this from Istanbul, Turkey with my love.
I've followed Steve since Buffalo Springfield 👌
I love his voice, his life learning from the people in the ghetto and building his music around his experiences, whether anyone ELSE likes it or not. He is both gentle and profound.❤
Love you Stephen
Ghetto ?? WTF
What a treat. I love Stephen stills music. Hes a great musician. Thanks for sharing
In my opinion, the most beautiful men's voice I have ever heard!
And certainly one of the best on acoustic guitar.
better than liberace???😜
Seeing this made me realize- he was just 25 at the time, Buffalo Springfield was a distant memory for him already. One thinks they know so much at that age- until they get to be several years older and realize how much they really don't know. But those limitations when you're younger can also serve to concentrate your energies, and he was prolific at this time, and had been for several years already.
He and Neil were both kids
Stephen Stills is, unfortunately, vastly underrated, both his guitar playing and his song writing. All the attention seems to have gone to the electric guitar players and chief among them the flashy cock-rock, high volume solos. Both Buffalo Springfield and CSNY are not feted today as I feel they should be. This video is a special look into the life and times of a very special person. Play on Sir Stephan.
First of all you are 100% spot in right. Second - have you heard his live version of Midnight Rider? th-cam.com/video/2ga4Gp5NDtM/w-d-xo.html
Stills one of the biggest guitarists of all time!
You instantly knew when it was Stills singing. A musical treasure he is. He played in my hometown when he & Don Felder were in the Continentals, they were just kids then.
Love you Stephens Stills❤
Never got the credit for the absolute talent he was and still is. One of the best singers and song writers, and don’t forget that guitar playing. You hear Buffalo Springfield and CSN, CSNY, but absolutely Love his solo stuff. Turn back the pages is one of my favorite songs ..!!!!
*songwriters
He got credit. He is Stills. Legend
so grateful that this beautiful, talented and brilliant man is still gracing us with his presence in the new world
I saw him preform live at the Hollywood Bowl, in the late 70's. He started the show just playing acoustic guitar, with a jug of wine next to his chair. it was an incredible event. Super fun.
*perform
@@January. was that really necessary jerkwad? And 8 months after the comment was made! Now you have the chance to correct my failure to capitalize the first word. Go for it!
@@richardbutler9484 魔奈無無那夜野
@@January. no chance of me correcting that. Care to translate?
@@richardbutler9484 株数馬菜生野菜
Stephen was a major influence on me, we're about the same age. He is the best folk-rock guitar player ever, that's my opinion. He is/was the real ground for CSN&Y. His songs are so deep. 4&20 is a major link between the black blues players and white middle class rock. He's the greatest of them all, of us all when it comes to songwriting. I went to a record shop in 1969 in UK and CS&N (the first album) had just come in so I pulled the record out and then opened the inside and started reading the lyrics. And my God, I was weeping! (And I hadn't even yet heard the song!)
Yes Stephen you are a Southerner and you like black people. My mother brought me up listening to Paul Robeson, so I never had any color prejudice. "it's incredibly sick" "The human spirit is devoured the remains left to carrion crow" Find his second solo album...I'm crying now...thank you SO MUCH Stephen, SO SO SO MUCH!
For what its' worth, the tuning he's using and mentioned is (low to high strings) E, E, E, E, B, E. He used this tuning on "Suite Judy Blue Eyes". It, along with "Bluebird" (which used standard tuning with dropped D on both E strings) are his masterpieces, not in any way to denigrate all the rest which are wonderful songs.
The "All Es with a B" tuning is really great, but whenever I use it I can't help but sounding like "Suite Judy B E".
I actually played with Steven at Steve Paul's The Scene in late April 1969, it's hard to remember the exact date for, um, a number of reasons. Jimi Hendrix, who I had met a short time before wanted to play bass in the jam that always took place after the headlining act, Joe Cocker and the Grease Band that night, finished. Jimi really liked to play bass. Buddy Miles, who I knew well and had recorded with, came up to play drums.
The guys in my band and I had been hanging out with Joe and the guys in their hotel rooms for a few days. Chris Stainton admired my leather hat as did Joe. I took Joe shopping in NYC to the store where I bought my hat and he bought the leather hat he wore at Woodstock. I lent Chris my hat which he wore there as well. It was later stolen at a gig.
I had the opportunity to observe them, along with Al Kooper in the control booth working with the Producers, Denny Cordell and Leon Russell, recording their second album "Joe Cocker!", in NYC. Anyway, we walked with them to Steve Paul's that night before the show and, of course, they produced the most wonderful music. Joe was a force of nature and a truly great guy. As dynamic as he was on stage, he was just the opposite off it. Jimi was the same. I miss them both so much.
So, after they finished their second and last set, Jimi, who had come to the Scene to hear them, saw me and asked me if would play guitar in the jam. Of course, I said I would, and then Buddy came up on stage and we had a nice reunion as I hadn't played with him for a few months. Jimi told him I was going to jam with them and he was pleased. However, I didn't have a guitar with me that night as I hadn't expected to play. I had an idea. I went to the small dressing room and asked Hank (Henry McCullough) if I could borrow his 1969 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe (with mini-humbuckers) to jam with for a little while. He graciously said "No problem". I was playing a Gibson SG Standard in those days and the Les Paul felt familiar in feel and sound but was so much heavier.
The Grease Band's backline were Fender amps that they had rented in NYC. Hank had played out of a Blackface Bassman with a 2x12 cabinet which sounded as good as you might imagine. He wasn't using any pedals as that was a rarity in those days.
So, we began to play, Buddy laid down a great groove (what else?), Jimi playing a sympathetic and tight bass line (what else?) and I riffed simply with some blues licks, just warming up and getting used to the sound on stage. Someone came up and began to play harp which was very nice and the whole thing sounded very good, however, of course, everyone there would much rather have heard Jimi on guitar than me, including me. Once I became accustomed to the thing I began to improvise some blues vocals, and Jimi smiled, so I knew it probably wasn't too awful.
After about five minutes, a guy wearing a black cowboy hat came on stage with a Telecaster and asked me if it would be alright if he could play, too. I said, sure, and told him to plugin to the second channel of the Bassman. He said that that never worked right and so we shared the cable. I would play awhile, unplug, and he would play awhile, unplug, and then me again. We did this for fifteen or twenty minutes back and forth. He played fine, nothing spectacular, but fine. He was a bit shorter and smaller than me and I couldn't see his face. I assumed he was a young kid, excited to play with Jimi and Buddy, and who wouldn't be?
When it was over, he shook my hand, thanked me, and told me I was a gentleman. I still didn't get a clear look at him. We left the stage and went our separate ways to get drinks, go outside and smoke on the stairway, and such. A bit later I was in the front lobby and saw the "kid" in the hat talking to Steve Paul and Buddy. I overheard him say, "...yeah, the vocals sound like, I don't know... You ever see those dolphins rising out of the water, perfectly synchronized? It sounds like that. We're just finished with it and I think it's gonna be good."
I now saw him clearly and, Jesus, it was Steven Stills I had been playing with and who was talking about the album he had recorded. Of course, the album was "Crosby, Stills, and Nash".
He saw me, shook my hand, and thanked me once more. Buddy asked him if he and I had played before and he said no, but that he wouldn't mind, but that never happened again, to my everlasting regret.
What a night!
Incredible. Thanks for sharing your memories man...
@@Zepster77 YVW
Great story. I played with Bill McPherson who was the sax player with Buddy for 6 years and he told me a lot of Buddy Miles tales. Another Stills tuning is EEEBBB. Try it Very cool. I grew up in Gainesville FL in the 60's. It was the best place to grow up in the 60's. Bernie Leadon from the Eagles used to drop by our house.
@@andyokus5735 Thanks for the tuning. I'm pretty sure I met and played with Bill on few occasions, but my memory is imperfect. Oh, yes, "Buddy Tales" - lots of 'em. He was a real character, a good friend, and a brilliant musician. On some sessions he would play bass as well as drums and, of course, it was great.
Hey man - were you ever extruded? Cuz that’s how it all goes down; no matter who, no matter what. If you ain’t extruded, you ain’t gonna catch on. Like a really good harmonica player, he just pulls them notes right from the left hand of the guitar player, and vise versa. Whoever - its just one example that this IS the universe, BTW, and this is the flow RIGHT NOW, not yesterday or in 10 more minutes. Not physically extruded mind you, but some lines gotta be blurred to open things all up - up to one big sound no matter who is playing, but if they don’t listen first, then they ain’t getting extruded. Acoustic, electric, or both. Maybe neither. Sure, this guy
(big superstar) or that guy (big name player) , or not, they either get in the flow, or it don’t exactly quite happen. Even for an audience of 50,000 people, or 400,000 at Wood something or another. Any time of day or night, it won’t really matter. It’s all getting back to the ONE; being ONE or AS one, if you don’t get the being extruded symbology. You could play or do this, that, or another, but land sakes, get in the flow fer cryin’ out loud. That’s how we did back in the day, but nothing’s changed except hip hop, rap, and gettin’ dumbed down by studio geeks that just have to manipulate the most irritating phrase that they think is a hook. Kids that don’t know any better think that’s how it oughtta be. Maybe we’ll just set back and let this thing exhaust itself, and that we wake up to the notion that bustin’ a cap on someone’s ass gonna be a big hot mess that we don’t want! Vote no on that, but get in the flow. That’s where you’ll find your magic, BTW. Did I drop too many names right now? Hope not. That might be not AS copasetic as it should be.
He’s a natural talent
I saw Stills and Judy Collins on their tour for "Handle With Care" (Salina Kansas, Aug 5, 2017) and seeing him live was mindblowing. He was in a sport coat the entire show in spite of how hot he obviously was. He was sick as a dog, but being the consummate professional that he is, he played for like 2 to 2.5 hours without a break. I'm afraid his hearing has left him since I saw him...at least judging by his singing. I'm a lifelong fan (I'm 48) and was fortunate enough to be within 50 feet of the legend himself.
Yeah, he's had hearing loss his whole life and it got progressively worse as he aged... I wouldn't be surprised if he's lost enough hearing to the point now where it's really preventing him from singing live. But he's still chugging away on the guitar... last year, he said he has weekly jam sessions with Neil Young... which I thought was really cool.
Absolutely my favorite one man band to listen to! Just a man and his guitar.
You need to find his "Just Roll Tape" album. It is exactly that.
i agree...but check out early Shakey Graves...runs a close second
This is a great little window in time, and the then-state of the world Stills comments on sadly resonates with the world we're living in today. A great look into early American roots music when it was still a powerful voice in popular culture.
The depth encompassed here is unreal and a testament to the advanced age of his youth.
“the advanced age of his youth.”
I love that wordplay! 👌
Stills is an authentic artist. Really gave himself over to mastery of his guitars. High-end pop composer & melody man. Teeth not "fixed." Hard not to like the guy. On tracks like "Wooden Ships" he created new worlds with his guitar. It this I love seeing the gnarly skill of his right hand fingers for picking. What a player.
First thing I saw Stephen Stills perform in person was at The FSU Pow Wow show the night before the homecoming game. It was outside at then Campbell Stadium. That was when the public was free to bring their own food and drinks, blankets etc.
It was 19 degrees that night and he came out and played a fine show regardless of the temperature and we were spellbound and happy.
Illegal Stills was the going Album.
How could anyone put a negative about Stephen Stills.
Because southern racists hate being called out by one of their own.
He be flying high in this video.
I was gonna say that too. As out of it as he was it sounded great...True testament to what a musician he was
Higher than a Giraffe bless him 😝🤣🤣 But we don’t care cos he was great, just glad he’s still around 🙏🌞⭐️🎸❤️👍🏻.. as of 2024 …
I've had the sheer pleasure of seeing Stephen Stills twice, long ago as CSN, and a couple of years ago when he toured with Judy Collins.
Watching him play, and listening to his songs I've become a better guitar player just trying to emulate his styles. But I'm still just a hack compared to him.
He IS one of my guitar heroes ......both on acoustic and electric guitar.
What a talent!
Have never seen or even heard of this great rarity - thanks! Mercifully he didn't pass that audition for the Monkees. What is unique about this video is that it shows that even off-stage, Stephen really had a drive to connect.
Stephen Stills was Different gravy, he just had it and could just turn it on, just had his own Unique thing going on The Manassas Album is great among all the other stuff he done with Buffalo and CSNY all great stuff real music. 🌞⭐️🙏
Uncle Remus, we need more of this! Simply awesome.
I got to sit right next to the stage at the Birchmere Theatre in Alexandria, and he had gotten some hearing aids and he was very much improved. Then I got to see him and Judy Collins in the same venue. Great vocals and performance
Thank you for posting this. I really appreciate it. Stephen Still is an incredible talent that touches my soul.
I was at the college campus with my guitar. I was just having a chat with a friend while just fooling around with my guitar when one the strings snapped. As I had another set of strings, I took a new string to replace the one that had snapped.
I think it was the first orsecond string. It was that long time ago. I started tightening the string up and pitch started going up. It reached an octave of the other string. I was about to go past it to line it in harmony with the other string when for some reason while talking to my friend, I accidentally hit a chord from no where.That chord sounded good.
I started investing for other chords associated with this discovered chord. After Discovering them I shouted so loud that my friend looked at me with buldging eyes.
"THAT IS HOW HE DID IT."
My friend looked at me as if I was mad: "HOW HE DID DO WHAT? WHO DID WHAT?"
I replied: " STEPHEN STILLS."
"STEPHEN WHO?"
I stood up from my chair, lifted my friend from the chair and started shoving him through the door:.
GOOD BYE FRIEND. AND DONT COME BACK TO DISTURB ME AGAIN. I AM ON TO SOMETHING GOOD HERE."
As I closed the door behind him, I heard him say: "JUSTER I THINK YOU ARE MAD."
As soon as he had gone I went back to my chair and queitely said some James Taylors lyrics: "IT IS ONLY ME AND MY GUITAR, IAM MOSTLY FLESH AND BONES AND HE IS MOSTLY WOOD."
I started chopping the wood.
For starters, what else would the song be but: "SUITE JUDY BLUE EYES."
It was tough learning it but in the end I got it.
You can imagine the pride and joy I got when my college band sang that song on national television.
GOOD OLD STEVE. TO ME ONE OF THE BEST GUITARISTS TO EVER TAKE A GUITAR.
NO WONDER HIS BAND'S MATE, GRAHAM NASH COMMENTED: " WHEN STEPHEN STILLS BROUGHT THE SONG " SUITE JUDY BLUE EYES,' I WONDERED FROM WHICH PLANET HE HAD COME FROM.
I play now mainly gospel music but my musics has some of stephen stills under tones in it. Check for one song I had put some Stephen Stills riffs on by searching youtube under:"Dr Juster Mukwala Send me LORD."
Great stuff. Love Steve’s voice and his guitar playing.
The more things change....the more they stay the same. Thank you for turning to music for your outlet.
I can listen to Steve all day.😎👍
This is amazing! Wow! What a talented musician and singer!
Word Game... wow; I remember trying to learn it at 15 years old but I didn't know the tuning. Listening to it now, it's so true and prophetic! And it may be the first def poetry jam or rap song!
Too amazing for words.
I wish I had met you back then. I’d love to have been your friend.
I also would have loved to hang out and drink with Stills in the day. Did see him live '72 probably at OKC fairgrounds arena. He was at the top of my list musicly. Cool dude.
He certainly is an enigma. Some look upon him (in his younger years) as an arrogant, bullying a-hole ... evidence he was. Some look upon him as a caring, good guy...evidence of that too. One thing that's undeniable, he was a relentless force of immense talent in the late 60s/early 70s. Prolific, to say the least! Not to take away from Crosby, Nash & Young, but without Stills drive and abilities as singer/songwriter/instrumentalist, I can't see how any of that would have come close to happening. All of them would have been doing something, but Stills was the "Engine" that brought all that to another level.
Just such a shame the drink and nose clams took what should have been an excellent mid-late 70s run of albums from us. From what I’ve heard, everything after Manassass up to the CSN album is just middling music made by a man who was too full of drugs to ever think he wasn’t performing as well as he could.
He was both. He is human.
I was at the Tampa Stadium 1973 "reunion " tour CSNY. 70,000 + people. I happened to be watching the stage with binoculars as Gram Nash sang a soft solo, accompanied himself on piano. Can't remember the song. Some idiot in the crowd set off an M80. Nash played about 2 more bars, threw off his microphone and stormed off the stage. It was Stills that talked them into not walking out. It took several minutes. Stills walked out on stage and said "I went to Plant High School (local Tampa HS) and I know EXACTLY what kind if A.. H... did that, this is the largest crowd we have ever played for and this is the WORST crowd we have ever played for."
He then launched into Word Games. CSNY finished the set, thanks to Stephen, but all electric, no more soft acoustic. Neil Young reportedly said he would never play Florida again. As far as I know, he never did. He was scheduled with Leonard Skynard in 77, but canceled at the last moment. I mention this story because of the comment of Stills being the leader of CSNY. This us an example I remember were I would agree with you. A lot of people in Tampa were mad about what Stills said. The truth hearts.
ohmygoddess, this is a friggin jewel...thank you!
"T"was history in the making, with Stephen, minglilng all the great strains . . . blues, folk, even big band, Woody, Leadbelly, Greenwich Village, even the Beatles mixed in. . . profundity in Boomers' music history here. Thank you for sharing, Uncle Remus. B'rer fox and B'rer rabbit do sho'nuf appreciate it.
What a great find! Thanks for posting.
Thanks, great protest music- most of it from his first album Stephen Stills, later called Vol I
Thanks Cap'n Remus! That was fantastic
Very worthwhile video. Gives an idea as to his breadth and depth, even before Buffalo Springfield. Much respect for the artist, Stephen Stills.
The best to have entered my life the songs,music, and of course the man ♥️🎶
Wonderful! Thanks for posting✨🌹✨
I love this so much ❤
Old blues is honored here. Gritty Stephen Stills is my favorite Stephen Stills. Buffalo Springfield was made a little too smooth and produced to be more mainstream but when Stephen has played and plays blues, the grit is biting and delightful. His performance "I want to make love to you" Live at the Capitol theater is explosive, crazed and so delicious. oh and I am in love with him, if it wasn't clear.
Nash once said, "If you parachuted Stephen into the middle of the desert, within 30 minutes he'd have a guitar, a bottle of whiskey, and somebody to jam with."
Unreal so good 👌
Steve spoke so much truth about music.
Excellent.
I wanna hear that Who Do You Love continue... Hey Steve, if you see this, my daughters father is somebody I wonder if you are jamming with these days...David Reeves? He is a pretty good guy and has a hell of a collection of tunes.
...I am not in Topanga any more, Big Island. ....gone like that cool breeze,,,
20:53 Brilliant and very profound....
Most of these songs can be found on Stephen Stills 2 which is still as fresh as the day it was released. Between 1966- 1973 Stills was second only to Dylan among American folk rock artists. 3:28
This is incredible! Love hearing his stories of the rough times and of course making it to the big time m
Absolute genius.
That was really good.
That's awesome. Fits this day to a T.
Love you Steve.
I never would have thought Stephen would pull a knife on a band mate twice...He’s my kind of people...
StephenStills4Ever
What can I say,Mr Wonderful.
Love love love this. I have long known about the EEEEBE ("Judy') tuning, but I thought 4 + 20 was just in Drop D. Or, maybe it can be played in that tuning also?
Good stuff, Hilts!
Dude his ass always seems so geeked
Remus, thanks man.....where'd you find this gem?? Man, i gotta ahold of stephens 2nd solo effort around 1973, its my favorite, great seeing this live in a personal interview...now i can pick the songs the right way, singing call was always a tricky one....lets see, 50 years of playing it my way and others ways, lets see how stills' does it!.... great watching those close- ups on the fretboard....thanks again.
A genius and virtuoso.
Had to laugh when he talked about, "Other outlets." Brother was monster consumer of blow in the day.
Somebody said something to Hendrix about being the best guitarist in the world. Hendrix asked him if he had heard Stills play the acoustic.
Tuning? Bless ya man.😊🎸🪕🎹👌
We bring nothing with us when we are born into the world. Absolutely everything is already here when we arrive, and truly not one of us has ever created anything...at best we use materials that pre-exist us and re-create something with it that we shall not be taking with us when we die. Life is freely given us and in turn we should all be taking our lives and giving back freely. Will we ever just stop energizing those who would put $ value on the soul of man? Do we not understand that each and every single one of us is invaluable and by definition our life is a miracle? Mankind is devolving rapidly as I write this comment and when we hit the ground it's really going to hurt!
Was this guy HIGH, or what?!?!?! But he wrote a lot of good music in those days :-)
Totally cokes up. He’s practically grinding his jaw while talking. Sad how cocaine ruined him just as his career finally took off.
@@thomasminarchickjr.7355 Yeah, I think you are 1000% correct. The Springfield stuff is brilliant, and then . . . Love the One You're with!?!?!?
Totally off his face
mrtriffid ~ High Or Not, Stephen Is Perfect To Me. I Can Die A Happy Woman Because I Was Lucky Enough To See Him Twice.. Solo And With CS&N.
Coke...
"I consider myself an artist ..." Ugh. Whenever people say this, I check out.
So unfortunate that the lyrics of his last song is even more relevant today!
He talks about when he was a 20 yr old kid not knowing what he was doing , but how old was he when he was in Buffalo?
They missed an opportunity to also show his electric guitar mastery, because political is what they really wanted, eh wot? At least got a small taste of his keyboard skills. It's up to you to discover his electric axe skills... Now go listen to 'Black Queen' to hear him channeling straight through on a Cuervo-fueled poker game without any pesky 'filters'.
Steve ..is my king
He's my thing
Huh. He's singing the song, "Can't Catch Me," that John Lennon stole when he wrote "Come Together." Interesting. Wonder if he ever recorded it?
He’s 25 in this video??
I might be crazy, but I’ve seen a lot of his videos. That’s the first time I seen a missing tooth. Head he always had that.
Same tuning as Suite, Judy Blue Eyes
He hates all this adoration.
Authentic guy.
The quietest video on YT?
High as a kite
That's Steven!
So he would hope he'd make 15 cents to get a slice of pizza. I cannot believe that no woman there would not have gotten him whatever he wanted. I would have.
Whats his tuning amyway?
E E E E B E
I look back and wonder if now he recognizes that the facetious were always on the left. Go. Figure
Hey, I love Stills... But Dick Dale is "King of the Surf Guitars" And he played at my high school dance in the mid 60's.
As great as Young and Elston Gunn are in their same craft, I have the most RESPECT and deeper admiration for mr. Stills less regarded gift, who has without a doubt definitely better voice and musical ear than those two colleagues, gifted but very overrated both.
Is it because he's a Southern boy and they are from the North, more exotic if a Canadian and a messy boy (who really isn't King David's reincarnation fantasy, for some few needing that)?
He is baked.
Coked up and drunk, probably
@@mattthrun-nowicki8641 So?
@@melissa9375Never meant to suggest there was a greater message here, just sharing my impression of the type of intoxication. Doesn’t detract from his genius at all
This is just after Woodstock in 1969
5:37
Have to disagree with him on the Grand Funk statement... ;)
Oof that’s a lot of pain in those eyes. Stone free genius.
Why the heck is he bad mouthing Grand Funk?
Because they suck?
Grand Funk often got a bad rap in the music press back then too; time has shown though that they were a badass heavyweight group
I mean, who in their right mind can say that “Footstompin’ Music” does not groove like a MF
@@Zepster77 True enough.
Wonder what he’s high on here.
Coke
nothing....
D45
An American institution.
Pretty sure he has had a few drinks
No, coke...
Probably both.
Horrible sound level