Richie Havens RIP

No thread, I guess! His passing was just announced.

saaaad face

that sucks. such an awesome voice.

i love how Ned always finds all the scoops.

More like I need to kill some time at work...

better to kill the time than vice versa

Mm. Anyway, Mr. Havens. That performance of "Freedom" from the Woodstock film always was a fuck of a barnburner.

I love this version so much

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQG-xM62tQg

all of his woodstock performance is great

all of his songs, even his covers, just ached with feeling. great performer

I think "Freedom" only came about because he had to stretch out his set as the next band hadn't arrived, and there were a shitload of people already at the site. Kind of amazing that the song he's most associated with was a panicked set-filler.

I said this on fb, but Richie Havens was a man I hoped would never die. I didn't even listen to him on a regular basis, but he was such an individual.

yeah I still get kinda mindblown seeing the size of the crowd for the BEGINNING of the festival

Apparently he had to play for three hours due to the non-arrival of other bands. "Freedom" was his last encore.

aw no.

I saw him a couple of times, including one time somewhere in the middle of nowhere jersey in a little club, sitting five feet away from him with a "friend" girl who I secretly had a crush on. He broke three or four picks during the set. He had astoundingly large hands, which were what allowed him to do his trademark thumb-over-the-neck barring. He also had his practice space in the same building as my band for a while in hoboken, although I never saw him there.

great, great performer -- his records were mostly just ok, but I wouldn't have turned down an opportunity to see him live.

a coworker just clued me onto this - from Sesame Street! :D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdCx-1afCgM

aw man he's gonna make me cry, dammit

Dude had the kindest eyes. And his voice was something else.

RIP

His version of "Going Back to My Roots" has a top 10 piano riff of all time:
http://youtu.be/XBgsV6pS_IA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBgsV6pS_IA

hmm

long link - take out the s from https

RIP

this is encouraging! I'd never heard a note -- even "Freedom."

yr in for a treat

though whoever said upthread that his live performances >> albums is otm -- he definitely had something *extra* in his live performances

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBgsV6pS_IA

RIP, ol' buddy. I ran sound for RH a couple of times as part of my college work-study. He was a really cool dude, and ate a tofu dog (?) with me after one of his shows.

oh wow, remy

http://www.berkshirefinearts.com/uploadedImages/articles/1278_Havens209321.jpg

what a smile, too

he was kinda beautiful at all stages of life, wasn't he

Awful nice of Richie to do this, considering Townshend screamed at him to fuck off backstage at Woodstock:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1bnhJVIz7g

beautiful indeed

and he makes even the words of won't get fooled again sound a lot more meaningful and less stupid

I used to have a copy of Live at the Cellar Door. Nice record, captured that intimate, almost healing sort of vibe he had very well. Seeing him live sometimes felt less like a concert and more like having him come hang out with you and play in your house after the concert. In the best way.

oh yeah also had Mixed Bag -- Handsome Johnny is a pretty fantastic tune on that

co-written by Lou Gossett Jr.

This is a huge bummer, one of the nicest, gentlest dudes I ever worked with.

Boooo

how did you come to work with him, jjj?

Did sound for him for a stint thx to a show I used to do in mn and I guess I didn't suck?

Hurting was your practice space in the leather building? That is still a pretty lively spot.

His super-percussive playing reminds me of Ani DiFranco, or I guess vice-versa. I only really like him in limited doses, but he was his own thing. RIP.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBbXKsKXyNU

RIP

My (and probably alot of people my age's) introduction to him:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heIMCEnRizU

Also: Xgau really didn't like him, huh?

I loved how he played. Such a unique style with the guitar laid at an angle and the thumb wrap thing. "Kind eyes" comment otm.

This is such a joyous tune:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6dkvzGO0ys

Hurting was your practice space in the leather building? That is still a pretty lively spot.

― Evan, Monday, April 22, 2013 10:04 PM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Yeah. What is it like over there now? When we left there was some talk of the building converting to luxury apts or something and supposedly a high-end restaurant coming in -- did that happen? There was even a rumor about how the restaurant was going to have a cigar room and the whole thing had something to do with Governor Corzine and his cronies. IDK.

Awww man, RIP

Gonna have a quick toke and watch his Woodstock segment

I saw him play, at some lefty political event, I'm sure. Aged way better than most of his folk contemporaries. RIP.

RIP Richie. He did an in-concert show for the BBC ca. 1973/74, hopefully they'll show it again.

I loved how he played. Such a unique style with the guitar laid at an angle and the thumb wrap thing.

Kevin Coyne played the same way.

Missed this. His intensity wasn't my favourite style of folk music, but from Woodstock on, he always seemed to turn up in various documentaries I'd see. Tarantino used "Freedom" in Django Unchained.

Amazing dude, this is so sad. I think the records really do stand up and are underrated.

I must've seen him more than once, cuz I'd forgotten he was on the bill at this REM show in '84 taped for MTV.

http://www.songkick.com/concerts/661232-rem-at-capitol-theatre

I helped my old boss make Richie Havens a quilt, which we presented to him at a show he played in a bar near her studio. He was very gracious about the quilt and the show was great. RIP.

didn't know he was born in BedStuy.

Yeah the bit in his bio about how he decided to "leave Brooklyn for the Village" in his 20s kind of reminded me of my dad and how different New York is as a place to someone who's from here.

Hurting was your practice space in the leather building? That is still a pretty lively spot.

― Evan, Monday, April 22, 2013 10:04 PM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Yeah. What is it like over there now? When we left there was some talk of the building converting to luxury apts or something and supposedly a high-end restaurant coming in -- did that happen? There was even a rumor about how the restaurant was going to have a cigar room and the whole thing had something to do with Governor Corzine and his cronies. IDK.

― huun huurt 2 (Hurting 2), Monday, April 22, 2013 10:45 PM (Yesterday)

As far as I know it is still a very active recording/practice space for relatively large acts. At least a handful of known ones. I'm almost positive it hasn't converted to anything like what you'd heard, even partially.

yeah our space was actually sort of the front room of a recording studio/piano repair shop that I guess they were renting out for extra cash. I think they had recorded some noteworthy acts there but I don't remember much. It was on the first floor near an exit. What I'm talking about was probably before the peak of the housing boom (2005/2006?) so I wouldn't be surprised if any development plans got derailed.

Jamming this today:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyP_wNa32EU

Coincidentally I was jamming this RH cover by Yes last night:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_NrBG0FUWA