When They Were Young And Their Songs Were New

It's inspiring to me, and nostalgic, to find videos of some of my favorite songs/performers, when they were young (the performer AND the song!) There are so many available on YouTube, and I've barely scratched the surface. So help me out, ATS! Post your favorite retro performances of the songs of your yesteryear. Here are just a few to get you in the groove:

Neil Young (If you think you hate his voice, give baby Neil a listen... it's a whole new ball game live!)



Love me some James Taylor & Carole King!


This one's an interview not a song, but couldn't help posting sweet BABY James. I mean, what is he, 16 here?!?


RIP, Mr. Jim Croce...



Bruce Hornsby & the Range. The ease with which he 'tickles the ivory' is simply fascinating to watch!


Hope I didn't over-do it... there are just sooo many it was hard to stop. I didn't even get to the Beatles yet! Ok, your turn ATS... post me some awesome retro footage of your favorite artists/songs...

Well sadly i can't find an actual video of the performance, just the audio, but this one form tom waits always gets to me

Seeing James Taylor that young reminded me of a movie he starred in - Two Lane Blacktop. It was pretty exciting for us poor teens at the local drive-in.

a reply to: NightFlight

HA! That was fun- I so did not know he was in a movie! Thanks for that.

On another note (pun) here's an early Beatles. If you don't want to watch the whole thing, skip to 3:40 for Twist and Shout. I always loved their down-to-Earth humor!

a reply to: IShotMyLastMuse

Love that acoustic! I have to admit he was not in my radar, so that's a new one on me. Thanks for the mental musical expansion!

a reply to: new_here

well his voice does take some getting used to, but if you decide to give him a shot, go with these:
Long way home
lowdown
bad liver and a broken heart
that feel.
there are many more but eh, that should give you an idea

oh this one, maybe not exactly the earliest years, but this performance is a year older than me, so maybe it counts

a reply to: IShotMyLastMuse

My daughter is into Tom Waits, so you're in good company.

The Dolly Parton song-- one of her best! Too bad about the plastic surgery she had later. I mean, what's wrong with aging gracefully, right? But this is about the music, so yeah... she really knows how to work the crowd!

You know, the only one about whom I don't feel that way is James Taylor. To me, Taylor's old stuff reeks with an arrogance, a cockiness that just grates on me. His older stuff has a much mellower feel to it, much more enjoyable. Even just hearing Sweet Baby James from the early seventies is not nearly as pleasant to me as hearing a much more recent performance.

High speed tough guys from purgatory beach, lol! Don't expect much, they were just a bunch of angry kids back then. The small interview with Greg at 4:35 is painfully awkward but slightly funny. Check it out!

a reply to: new_here

There are so many old songs I love. Neil Young is amazing. Heart Of Gold is one of my very favourite songs.

Here is Bob Dylan when he was young and idealistic. He was fully loaded. I know he had to change for his own sanity, but just for a short time he captured everybody with a beautiful eloquence and rare intellect in the music scene:

originally posted by: incoserv
You know, the only one about whom I don't feel that way is James Taylor. To me, Taylor's old stuff reeks with an arrogance, a cockiness that just grates on me. His older stuff has a much mellower feel to it, much more enjoyable. Even just hearing Sweet Baby James from the early seventies is not nearly as pleasant to me as hearing a much more recent performance.

I starred your post for being honest, even though I don't see what you see. Curious, can you give an example of a song or two where you sense arrogance/cockiness? Never got that read from him, but to each his own I always say...

a reply to: lonesomerimbaud

Bob Dylan = amazing songwriter. Some people don't like his voice, but most do not dispute his creativity as a songwriter.

Ok, I just had to post this one. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, plus Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, and I don't know who else. Robin Williams is off to the side providing comic relief, and whoever is behind Graham Nash seems iffy on the words at times, lol... Looks like they're all having a blast, though!

a reply to: new_here

The 1980s is about 20yrs INTO Dolly's career...and your Neil Young videos above.

Dolly was singing in the 60's with Porter Wagoner...and Neil Young was a baby Neil in the 1950's-1960's he was with Buffalo Springfield.

*So the videos of both on this thread are the OLD Dolly and OLD Neil in the 80's...way into their careers....(let alone now-a-days-really old-er(?)

a reply to: mysterioustranger

Meh, the thread title is "When They Were Young and Their Songs Were New" Neil Young IS young in those vids, and (if you watched them) stated he was playing a 'new song' Old Man & Heart of Gold, respectively. So, not sure what the issue is really-- fits both categories of the title.

The footage of Dolly Parton that IShotMyLastMust posted is from some years back, and with 'young' being a relative term, I'm cool with it.

But hey, thanks for the music lesson. Don't you have one to post? Don't hold back now.
Have a beer:

a reply to: new_here

Young is so relative.

a reply to: new_here

Ok...as well....James Taylor back then was addicted to heroin. Perhaps that had something to do with his attitude.

a reply to: mysterioustranger

James Taylor back then was addicted to heroin

who wasn't?

a reply to: ZetaRediculian

Well...being a child of the 60's...I did about everything..except that...but I did have the attitude though...but it was a "happy: (hippie?) attitude!!