Hound Dog Taylor - 15 minute LIVE Ann Arbor 1973 Video

Hound Dog Taylor and the House Rockers -
15 minute LIVE Ann Arbor 1973 Video
Hound Dog Taylor was born Theodore Roosevelt Taylor, named after the US President. He was born with six fingers on each hand. Growing up in the Mississippi Delta, his childhood was not an easy one. When he was only 9 years old, his step father supposedly packed up all of his things in a brown paper bag, stood in the doorway with a shotgun, and told Hound Dog to "cut out". That's the way the story goes anyway. From info I've gathered from people who knew him, this story may or may not be true. But he did go to live with his older sister around that time in his life.
The first instrument Taylor learned to play was not the guitar, but piano, which he learned as a kid. He first picked up the guitar while in his teens but didn't start to seriously play until he was around 21. At that time he started playing all over the Delta, not only playing guitar, but piano, too. He also appeared a few times on the legendary King Biscuit Flour radio show of KFFA in West Helena, Arkansas, with Sonny Boy Williamson. In 1942, Taylor, always the ladies man, was chased out of Mississippi one day by the Klan after having an affair with a white woman. He spent the first day hiding in drainage ditches and then the next day he headed for Chicago. He never went back. Although he continued to play his guitar semi-professionally at night, he spent the first 15 years in Chicago working several different non music jobs. In 1957 he was building TV cabinets when he decided to become a full-time bluesman. At this time he also changed his playing style. Where he once played standard and E tunings, he now was playing an increasingly more bottleneck style. This change came about by his being heavy influenced by the then emerging Elmore James.
Early on he garnered a huge local following with his wild live shows, most of the time he would be sitting on a folding chair, stomping both feet, throwing his head back in a frency, drinking Canadian Club and puffing on his cigarettes, urging the crowd to get up and dance, as he blared away on his guitar. Taylor became one of Chicago's most loved bluesmen and a local favorite on the South and West sides of town. It was during this time that he picked up the name "Hound Dog". He was in a club one night chasing a couple of women around when a friend called him a hound dog because he was always on the hunt for woman. The name stuck. It was also around this time when one night, a drunken Hound would, with a straight razor, cut off the small extra finger on his right hand.
Hound Dog's band, the HouseRockers, would come about slowly. In 1959 while playing in a West Side tavern, a guitarist named Brewer Phillips (also born in Mississippi) gigged with the Dog for the first time. The two became quick friends and Phillips would become the HouseRockers second guitarist.
Hound Dog was at the height of his success and was now starting to get better gigs, and his music continued to sell even more. But sometimes things just don't go the route planned and it seemed from out of nowhere trouble was brewing. Although Hound Dog and Phillips were closest of friends, they had gotten into numerous fights throughout the years. One day in May '75 while Phillips was visiting Hound Dog along with Son Seals at the Hound's apartment, a drunken fight broke out between Phillips and Hound Dog. It seemed Phillips said something insulting about Hound Dog's wife Fredda, so Hound Dog left the room, and then returned with a .22 rifle. Aiming for the couch, he hit Phillips twice, once in the forearm and once in the leg. Seals then took the gun away from Hound Dog. Luckily, Phillips would recover and be okay, but Hound Dog would not. Phillips pressed charges and Hound Dog was supposed to be tried for attempted murder. But the Dog, a heavy smoker, was sick, very sick. He was dying of lung cancer. Instead of facing a trial he landed in the hospital. On his deathbed, his last wish was granted when Phillips visited him in the hospital and forgave him for the shooting. Hound Dog Taylor passed away the very next day, December 17, 1975.

[@clarissahorne3380]

I remember visiting my Aunt Fredda Mae house on holidays or any given weekend and she would start drinking her favorite drink Cook's champagne with 🍓's. She would then begin to play her husband records all night long. All the family would gather in the living room dancing and laughing. I miss those days 😪 😞. Yes my Aunt Fredda was married to Hound Dog Taylor.

[@Ivearted]

❤

[@nicolehenson8753]

Wow!!!

[@MzYoungblood19]

Wow 🫶🏽👏🏽🩵

[@RolandDuke]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@rievans57]

Amazing. Is it true Hound Dog Taylor had 6 fingers on one hand?

[@michaelbernardoni1810]

I saw HOUND DOG in person...sat three feet directly in front of him when he performed....

[@harpman1876]

I called a late friend of mine who lived in Chicago back in the early 2000s. I said I wanted to visit all the great Chicago bluesmen's graves, including Hound Dog's. He was game. Good memories. We visited 12-15 graves. We had trouble finding Little Walter. My friend swore until the day he died that Walter was saying, "I'm over here. I'm right here." We found him.

[@RyanSmith-WARTUBA]

HD Taylor could make a beat-up guitar & a ten-dollar amp sound like a heavenly choir of hell-hounds a-barkin' the blues...that tone, man, that sweet tone!

[@JonRodGod]

I'm new to blues and hound dog. I need more! I wish this type of stuff was mainstream today. Radio tunes today are embarrassing. For you older folk here commenting down below. You're so lucky to have lived in these simpler times.

[@mikeredman5692]

One of the best musicians you can hitch your wagon to!

[@larrocovarry9027]

You can't imagine how great it was in those south side smokey clubs getting wasted & dancin up a storm , im amazed ive survived all that !!! I should've been kilt as a kid sneaking around all that !!! Drinking age 19 ... Holy hell raiser !!!

[@mikekaatman3194]

This should be in the Library of Congress...i am dead serious...it is culturally significant.

[@jefgat155]

Fortunate to have caught this show. Ann Arbor was a very cool place in the early 70's...

[@uprightdoublebass]

Lucky You!!!!!!! Go Irish!

[@marckustin9531]

Maybe the greatest music video ever !

[@JacKass00001]

This is the real del. Low down, dirty, swingin' mindblowing blues. Clapton, Mayall, Beck, Page: Not even close to those old cats as Howlin' Wolf and Mr.Taylor.

[@lars4738]

Clapton+Mayall better than anything there ever was. This performance is raw and a true display of soul and emotion, but Erics playing on Beano is too revolutionary to overlook!

[@shaserv]

@@lars4738 Shit, Clapton and all them old English dudes Wish they could play like the old blues guys. Where do you think they got it from?

[@Further1952]

They were pretty similar. Sounds like a racist remark to me

[@catdaddy3302]

They knew it too. Clapton once said, he can play blues. But he can never be a BLUES MAN.This is the real deal right here.

[@andrews3267]

I thoroughly enjoy the sound of Hound Dog Taylor, and.. Howlin’ Wolf is just raw goodness! Clapton is way overplayed in my opinion, but.. not to detract from his talent, I just prefer hearing HDT and Wolf. I own Clapton Albums, Yardbirds, and Zeppelin Albums, Frampton, etc.. only one Wolf Album, and I haven’t got any of the House Rockers. So, until I have my own copy.. KZbin isn’t all bad!

[@garrickrising]

Boy! He sure makes shit sound good!

[@SatchDaddyG]

garrickrising hahaha wasn't that what he said he wanted on his tombstone? "He couldn't play shit. But he made it sound good."

[@dannybrunner5809]

Thank God we have this vid of the hound!! Evrybody knows the Hound!!

[@Raymantico]

one of the most exciting acts I ever caught--and I've seen a lot

[@kimcook9361]

Totally ageee

[@davidphilipsmusic]

"....I WISH YOU......." 😂😂😂 Love the Hound.

[@Spiderduzblues1]

I was there (Ann Arbor, "fog island") in the crowd that day 😎 ! Good to see these videos.. but they are quite poor and really don't do justice to Hound Dog !! He was such a happy guy ! Hope to see him in heaven cranking out his rocking unique style to Jesus Christ ✝️

[@xeroxzoo1]

thanks to alligator records i discovered hound dog,bless them and you for this video.

[@johnwise7693]

same here, back in the early 80s

[@keithpalmer1998]

Hound dog and the band in fine houserockin,' form . The first time I heard them , my mind was opened wide and my ears were unplugged .J

[@jameshurt6116]

Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Festival 1973

[@SuperOlds88]

That guitar and amp sound better than any of the garbage they make nowadays.

[@UncleDansVintageVinyl]

+Lightnin Hopkins People keep trying to replicate Hound Dog's sound. They just ain't gettin' it.

[@79tazman]

The best amps are made with the vacuum tube

[@anthonyz7000]

You can't beat that wonderful "chomp-chomp" from those Teisco pickups. He can play just one note and it sounds fantastic. And of course his playing is so understated, down-to-earth REAL too. Awesome!

[@1dkappe]

79tazman $500 gets you a vintage Sears Silvertone on eBay, the kind Hound Dog used to play. Sounds like crap, but it’s all in the fingers.

[@esric50]

And I believe he had no fancy guitar, he often played a Hondo

[@RAMOSACER]

Fabulous

[@geneh2072]

I am so down with The Dog. How could a blues lover not be?? He has so much joy playing!!!

[@spamwagon]

"Thank you, doggone it - I feel alright!" That is one happy bluesman.

[@milesdougal]

I've watched &listened to this thing so many times ...never gets old ..."look out sugar!"

[@johnagius5945]

This Dog.Was insane.When I first heard him.I knew there was something different bout him.Later I found out he had 6 fingers.

[@garyquidort621]

my brother and i were at that show,also saw magic sam

[@Doctorhamfat]

I remember that afternoon like it was yesterday. Rock on, Dog!

[@kirk2269]

Me too!!!

[@danmaltby3271]

Bad ass, sounds so good

[@rrrogster]

Absolutely Stunning! He really sounds a lot like Elmore James especially on the slide guitar. He was famous for using really cheap equipment and its amazing that he could get such great sounds out of it. I love this gem!

[@Doctorhamfat]

Elmore James was his cousin, and so was J.B. Hutto.

[@maxxengland8745]

Some of the secret is not to worry about the equipment, just play the music and the meaning of it.

[@formula2tom225]

and having 6 fingers

[@Doctorhamfat]

He used to say about his sound, "Ragged but Right!"

[@101Volts]

@@formula2tom225 His extra fingers weren't really used for anything, they were just nubs. He also got so drunk one night that he cut one of them off on a bet against his talent. (Ouch. At least he was drunk.)

[@SatchDaddyG]

I will love this video forever. And you for posting it! Hot damn, this is good. I still remember the very first time I popped a Hound Dog Taylor tape in my cassette player. My mind was blown for the rest of my life.

[@doctorskull8197]

Outstanding drummer ‼️. This video alone makes KZbin essential‼️😎🔥🎸

[@martinphilip8998]

I was at this concert.

[@blonieface]

Rip dad long live the blues

[@J.Dove3D]

Man, that is some of the greasiest tone ever let loose on sound waves. HoundDog Taylor was one of the best at doing what he do. God Bless him.

[@coravisser727]

Brilliant this is real legend he left so much great music behind him for us.so we keep it alive for ever.

[@alexandervonpreyss283]

This genuine sound is extremely fascinating. Open tunings. Amp sound never replicated in same quality. Hound dog rocks it, like he always did. If i should prepare a lifetime track list this is under top ten.

[@Herve1955]

It's dirty, it's filthy, it's sticky but above it's the sun

[@kenjarvis7764]

Still love me some Hound Dog!

[@larrocovarry9027]

George thorogood credits Taylor as his influence to the slide guitar blues ... he played Gimme back my wig on his 2006 album ...

[@dnmpatriot]

Sadie - thanks Mr. Taylor, that is the Blues!

[@martinmoffitt4702]

Mr. Theodore Roosevelt Taylor

[@willieidle8122]

Thank ya, dog gone it! Hound dog do it for me tonight!

[@spacko539]

best Blues band of all times !

[@timmungenast]

HooEEE! That's a rockin' guitar tone! These guys are unstoppable!

[@Neosuburban]

I got to see him many times at Southern Illinois University.

[@KdeReijer]

Can’t get any better than this, love iT.

[@AboHulo]

I never believed that there are Videos of him and I´m happy about that ! Hound Dog - the hardest Boogie Player at that time !

[@cbgunworks7891]

One of the true pioneers, god bless his soul

[@chuckgills580]

Cgilbert I love the blues but I have never heard of Mad 🐕 he's good And Chuck keep it coming May peace be unto you 🤗

[@ismaelpereira7397]

Grande dog; a guitarra nas mãos dele vira um brinquedo

[@marcfedak]

Thanks for posting this Randy Meadows. Hound Dog Taylor seems to be having (and giving) a blast.

[@phyllisruther3060]

I used to see Hound Dog in a small club in Chicago. His joy in playing was infectious. When he played it was impossible not to dance.

[@popeyetomsovic6240]

yes Hound Dog was fantastic in his shows, full of 10,000 percent energy and a zillion watts... I saw him a number of times at clubs in Milwaukee and Madison Wisconsin when I was in my twenties... Hound Dog was great in keeping alive the slide style of the late great Elmore James who died circa 1963... for those who are newer to blues and love slide blues, also check two other slidemen from Chicago, Homesick James Williamson and JB Hutto, you will not be disappointed.....

[@Urdatorn]

Damn. Best concert vid on KZbin? :) Too bad the second half of the film is going way too fast, luckily the sound isn't distorted at all

[@wadyemiller5964]

was there i was thirteen was a blast hes best ever never for get these days

[@79tazman]

It's just to bad Hound Dog was discovered in 1970 because he died in 1975 but he left the world with some smokin blues riff's

[@stevefaure415]

It's like Hound Dog and his guitar are locked in battle, going blow for blow.

[@kokadkokis]

Many THX's to the 'Poster' of this clip for the Information Very NICE

[@drumphile]

cant speak words, but the man did play.

[@TheMfmccarthy]

What a killer tone. So crispy

[@50gary]

I was tempted to cuss to describe Hound Dog's magnificent sound but no.. It's just the definition of electric blues for me. If I see one more Strat I'm gonna get sick.

[@adp5R3x]

#50gary 🎸🤮 👏👍

[@jimmyfischbeck9872]

Unreal Tone!

[@robertdobey3048]

Wow! Thanks for sharing this! Blues Original ❤

[@hilmarwensorra1215]

i´m with ya, dog ... R.I.P. ... and thanx a million & more to bruce iglauer: the best alligator records ever (or so). by the way, he was named roosevelt jonas taylor on the death certificate.

[@kirk2269]

I was there!!! (or so I'm told)

[@stackolee4480]

This video is absolutely perfect

[@domcorrieras7565]

Blues, blues, blues... real and great !

[@themag7band]

Wow! Thanks for sharing this👍

[@markkickmark]

I hear so much of Hound Dog in SRV.

[@moncorp1]

White Stripes too

[@rievans57]

teacher and student!

[@dontgoout1434]

White copycats suck

[@jeffholmes2459]

Not so much ,SRV rarely played slide ……Go see Albert King instead….

[@79tazman]

I remember hearing Hound Dog for the first time I bought a box of records and the Album Natural Boogie was in there I put it on and have not put it down since now I got all his Albums that I can find anyway

[@rollingstopp]

Just a little Bit of Awesome Sauce....

[@Doctorhamfat]

I must have been shoulder-to-shoulder with the cat who filmed this! What a gas...

[@kirk2269]

I think they filmed this from a tree on the right side of the stage.

[@jesser.439]

Love Hound Dog

[@horus2369]

Thank you for digging this up, keep up the good work

[@sonnyporemba1962]

Excellent❤❤❤

[@RodneyGuitarsplat]

Love Hound Dog Taylor and Now Thanks to You I can Live the Moment.

[@timcorbin309]

Awesome 😊

[@Zappstitute]

Great!!!!!

[@ricwhitehorse2869]

Always !!

[@MrPnew1]

Also @Randy Meadows, thanks for the story about Hound Dog shooting Brewer Phillips. Wow, I never would have guessed, seeing as they were band mates.

[@KentNorling-xp9sq]

Love it!

[@patrickcallahan2988]

holy crap!

[@johangronholm3648]

❤❤❤❤

[@felvya]

Istenem , de jó ! ! !

[@xwarx1000]

BADASS!!!

[@Itsa6stringthang]

Legendary , wow !!!

[@nesnejls]

Like pure joy really.

[@luvthatzeppelin]

I LOVE it at 11:12 forward.... what an Introduction to a song.... Amazing...it says alot.... but brief..

[@mariohernandezmartinez9328]

Es un buen músico

[@tommanfrede5241]

What music is all about.

[@antonioramos315]

Hound dog alegria incontida de tocar o instrumento e cantar blues .aleluia!!!!!

[@Clovissimus2008]

This is so great. Thanks for posting!

[@raymondlang]

I hope his albums are this good and raw..I'll check on Amazon.

[@richardshopshear9402]

There in the front row

[@vincentbuccieri9305]

Master Dog was Som'in Else!

[@seamu17]

Thank you, you made my day with this video!

[@furyiiiplate]

I wish the AV was half the quality as the music, but ain't no use complainin' bout that. It's the Blues.

[@Herve1955]

Better this than nothing. And if only we had a video of Elmore even in this poor visual quality we would be happy

[@blindpink]

Deep and Dirty. Legend.

[@rrrogster]

Its a shame the video portion is in such poor shape, but the audio is great!

[@alfiehenshall688]

Either he's playin through fuzz box or the speakers are shot in his amp. Brill 🎸👍

[@daveberswick5372]

Houndog is known for using cheap sears guitars and shitty amps.

[@alfiehenshall688]

@@daveberswick5372 yes i agree. In fact i'v proved he used budget guitar and amps . Watch my hound dog taylor style slide guitar on my utube channel . I play a cheap strat copy and tiny 10w. Amp with the gain turned up . 👍🎸😎

[@dontgoout1434]

He's actually ramned up treble on beat up amp easy sound to get I can do same bryl

[@dontgoout1434]

@@alfiehenshall688 you are same as cal reason massive following . That's me speaker sliced squire tele back pickup replaced played blues 46 years not into fame

[@alfiehenshall688]

@@dontgoout1434 i too can get a 'rough' Houndog sound - check out my utube channel @ Alfie Henshall . 👍🎸😎

[@ジャングレンエグドルジ]

音がエグい！！

[@brianweber9284]

Smile

[@headlyfarquinson5646]

One night after he got drunk he cut off the stub finger on his right hand,he was born with six fingers on each hand,Wikipedia fans

[@wysiwyg2489]

bdcause of him, Alligator Revords was created.

[@fatbowe]

......Is You with Me....Thank You DARLIN,,,,To the very front and back.....;--),,,,,,,,,