Mahavishnu Orchestra - One Word (Châteauvallon, France, 1972 - synchronised)

Here's a snippet from their Chateauvallon concert but it's replaced with radio-sourced audio and synched. (If you don't think there's much difference in the audio, I highly suggest wearing your headphones)
So, a full live broadcast of the Mahavishnu Orchestra at the Festival of Châteauvallon, France, 1972 circulated in recent years in the form of physical distribution and digital file. A radio broadcast tape also exists in digital form (and in unusual stereo, where Jan Hammer's Rhodes are at the right and much of the instruments are filled in both channels), which allows syncing to be possible, but it's got a lossy quality. I tried syncing these together but it came out as a bit iffy and awkward but it shouldn't be too distracting; keep in mind that I don't do full-time video restoring so this is just a bit of an occasion where I'd like to play around with video editors (or try to refine these skills)
Watch for:
-at 0:00, the snare goes from the right channel to centre channel - very creative!
-at 0:53, the radio-sourced audio persists while the video gets abruptly cut.
-at 2:23, MEH (comical relief)
-at 8:36, drum solo
-at 14:03, wrap it up
-at 15:19, this motif is called Resolution when describing in the context of Mahavishnu Orchestra; the motif was first heard in Tony Williams Lifetime's single One Word.
-Throughout the whole video, this was equalised (the thin-sounding audio don't do much for me.)
Source audio: Sugarmegs (tela.sugarmegs.org/ - search Chateauvallon France or Mahavishnu)
In Memoriam: Rick Laird (1941 - 2021)
Spam comments will perish quickly.

[@TheVeryBlondeOne]

Featured in LouderSound website: www.loudersound.com/features/the-story-of-the-mahavishnu-orchestra

[@bobosocialo4313]

Very interesting

[@broadpath7184]

Thanks for this!

[@ZenaidJugo]

😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊

[@amedeekingchef6552]

I was there that night, as stage electrician, an was happy to talk about 20min with Billy Cobham. He's really a nice and cool man. He was paracticing gym and karate that explains his power. And yes! he plays *louder* than most of the drummers.

[@bobosocialo4313]

You’re a lucky man

[@magn8195]

How do you know he was practising gym and karate?

[@Yourbankaccount]

​@@magn8195 he talked with him for 20 mins

[@ikeeptime]

And his Fibes kit is super loud anyway. Used to own one myself.

[@ranjitverdi5702]

Yeah man👍you get it!!! Saw McLaughlin with the Mahavishnu 73 Newcastle City Hall UK, Cobham Newcastle Poly 75 just fucking awesome.and yer right brother,he is a really down to earth person,I met him backstage after the gig....My favourite drumming technians Cobham 🪘❤️ Frank Katz (Brand X, Tunnels with Perc Jones bass, John Goodsall 🙏 guitar,Ginger Baker(Cream with Jack and Eric),Lenny White(Return to Forever), Alphonse Mouzan(Tommy Bolin,Larry Coryall... enjoy and God Bless you 🙏

[@renodavid]

Just learned of Rick Laird’s passing. Very sad, but what a life. Brilliant musician and a member of possibly the greatest band ever. Not bad. And later in life he became a fantastic photographer, something I can relate to. Rest In Peace, Rick!

[@loucifer4205]

Billy is an absolute monster on the drums one of my favorites

[@BaptizedBeliever]

He is the best. That is just my opinion. I have never heard any better.

[@loucifer4205]

@user-tt9ef7hg4u It's hard to argue that he's absolutely amazing he's kinda like Charly Antolini both have speed and power and can play kick ass groves

[@BaptizedBeliever]

@@loucifer4205 I have to check out Charly Antolini now, if you are comparing him to Mr. Cobham. Thank you.

[@loucifer4205]

@user-tt9ef7hg4u Check out a drum battle between Chary Antolini, Hubb Janssen and Pete York wait till you hear Hubb he's also one of the best he's got Buddy Rich speed

[@donalddrysdale1657]

these guys were absolutely phenomenal.

[@imienazwisko9188]

Back in 1972 they were phenomenal.

[@johnmalenchek6597]

Other worldly. Billy Cobham unmatched on drums. What a monster!

[@richardtrotter6008]

The hardest hitting fusion ever.

[@paullevine1813]

Richard, They led the way for all that came after them.

[@bobosocialo4313]

Jazz Rock pioneers

[@thomasberlinghoff2416]

How many bands have all their members, “World Class”.......? these guy’s for sure!

[@danclark3377]

Billy's drumming is a high speed train relentlessly rolling

[@richardasumadu8305]

Holy Smokes!!!! Billy Cobham!!!! Those double and single stroke roll in addition to the bass drum in the beginning of the song are outstanding and blazing🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥. He is still the GOAT!!!!

[@Zapple7]

👏👏👏👏

[@broadpath7184]

The audience is stunned... as was likely anyone who saw this group live. There was nothing like them. I remember when I was first introduced to the Birds of Fire album at a classmate's house on a modest stereo record player in 1973. The buzz roll intro to One Word - then Boom.!!.. all I could do was keep watching the record go round-and-round while I was engulfed in inner mounting flames. I was a young drummer then - this music has never left me.

[@imienazwisko9188]

Birds of fire was my favoured album.

[@jug3435]

@@imienazwisko9188 birds of fire was my intro album, bought for me boyfriend, but Inner mounting Flame is the piece de resistance - magic!

[@Zapple7]

​@@imienazwisko9188 Same 👍

[@williamtilton1652]

i played mahavishnu in my office at the FBI,imagine how well that was received !

[@TheGenreman]

I love how they go into the original Tony Williams Lifetime One Word at the end.

[@mindjob]

The apex of modern music. It had no place to go but downhill after this. Down it went, and down it goes today

[@richardthurston2171]

Stop. Just stop already.

[@someone7554]

John McLaughlin is laughing at you

[@magn8195]

OMG Billy executes spectacular triple stroke rolls in the intro!

[@silentinaway7407]

And that's on a gig, not in the practice room!

[@usmessenger3199]

PURE GENUIS,WHAT GREAT MUSICIANS THEY ARE.THEY WERE MEANT TO BE HEARD.😎🎸🔊🎶🎼☮️ BOB.

[@joestefanoni5263]

This is some spectacular effing musicianship. Transcendental and so beyond most everything else out there

[@arniesilverberg764]

Central Park. 1973. Mind blowing experience!! Nothing like it at that time or in the 51 years following. Thank you, John and crew.

[@danclark3377]

Billy's drumming unmatched. The entire band virtuoso s

[@Zapple7]

So true.

[@KickflipGnasty]

Love this, love Mahavishnu.

[@irvingjuarbe2193]

Once I saw them for the first time at the Mar y Sol Rock fest in Puerto Rico, 1972 I was hooked. Saw them in Central Park, and back in Puerto Rico just John and his wife performing acoustic and sitar, met him right after that performance, one of the highlights of my life LOL.

[@alankirkby465]

Isn't it disappointing so few viewers on this site, such wonderful music. I suppose non-viewers will never no what they've missed.

[@adammbowman]

This is special music for special people...you know you know...

[@ilovetomorrow]

We who listen to this have always been the minority. Nothing new.

[@paullevine1813]

Alan , They are the the ones that all lived on the other side of the street not our side.

[@JonesyTheCat]

Not disappointing to me, there is always music timeless like Bach or Coltrane and it has nothing to do with temporalness.

[@johnmalenchek6597]

Know they wont

[@TheSuperpopz]

Outer limits of professionalism! The best one ever. Rick Laird and Jan Hammer are really cool guys. They speak with you... about anything!

[@wpcartera]

Billy Cobham, Billy Cobham that was the drum solo of drum solo's thanks for this post.

[@Zapple7]

Yep, it's pretty effortless in artistic execution.

[@ivarunhjem8391]

Great! Mahavishnu always sound best when they play compositions instead of just solos.

[@spankduncan1114]

Insane tempo. I remember Mahavishnu setting the bar for speed.

[@TheGenreman]

RIP Rick Laird.

[@spankduncan1114]

I saw this group live 3 times. I never noticed Billy using the traditional grip backwards before. He's left handed but his teacher Papa Joe Jones told him, "turn that drumset around and play it the RIGHT way". I'm a righty, I can't image teaching my left foot to play the bass drum parts. But both Billy and Ringo put the bass drum on the less dominant side. Peer pressure can make people learn things they never needed to learn. Gotta say, Billy and Ringo did very very well despite the unnecessary challenge.

[@walterkolosky1]

Much better sound than the current youtube postings of this which sound "dulled-down." :-)

[@martinnovak2854]

One Word: Masterpiece!

[@6855mike]

If anyone tries to tell you there is a greater drummer than Billy, politely smile and walk away.

[@Andrew-q8k]

Buddy Rich and Tony Williams acceptable answers too

[@carlosmirsalas8873]

All I Could say is Amazing 👏 Awesome 👍 and Great ✌️🥁🎸

[@michaelcorenzwit716]

Billy Cobham's solo may be the GOAT.

[@skillet6870]

Yeah---move over buddy rich.

[@Zapple7]

​@@skillet6870 Yep, move over indeed.. Billy in a completely different (higher) class to buddy . imo.

[@skillet6870]

@@Zapple7 And if one thinks his 'One Word' solo is the GOAT, just listen to his solo on 'Tenth Pinn'.

[@Zapple7]

​@@skillet6870 ..just have... awesome.. undisputed titan of the drums without question.

[@rexwycherley4721]

The bass/drum conversation starting at 2:23 has always been my favorite part. 😌

[@NeilRaouf]

What a wonderful chaos, mess. so intense. i‘m on the edge of my seat! ❤

[@curtisunit]

I can barely imagine what it must’ve felt like to have seen and heard this for the first time. My god.

[@giannipavesi652]

great band !!!!! R.I.P. Rick :-(

[@JeffClegg]

MO should be taught in every classroom on earth.

[@adolfocappellari7580]

sono 51 anni che mi accompagnano ed ogni volta è come se sentissi per la prima volta questa forza della natura. GRANDI

[@val655]

R.I.P RICK LAIRD

[@narcolepsy437]

Amazing, thank you. AMAZING tones across all instruments but the electric violin strikes me, because at first I thought it was guitar on the record

[@KickflipGnasty]

I thought the same when I very first heard it, years back! These guys are absolutely unbelievable. I think Rick Laird, the bassist, is really underrated!

[@leoalonge1982]

My aunt was a yoga teacher, while at her studio I came across this album, I was about 14-15, I had no idea of what I discovered until I took it home and played it, it was like traveling to a traveling into a different universe, and I was, after awhile I had every album they had out,totally changed how I looked at music from then on, just beautiful and mind blowing, Love them and still do, 50 years later, pure ❤ and magic ✌

[@charleswinokoor6023]

Their first album, which was done in a hurry, was their best in terms of composition. It was also their most exciting and least pretentious. I equate it to Hendrix’s first record in that regard. I probably saw the original MO 10 times when I was in and shortly out of high school.

[@maazvdo]

Powerfull drums, Billy C. Thanks for share.

[@BaptizedBeliever]

What amazes me is all of the people who listen to Def Leppard, but would not be able to dig this.

[@roberthoward9093]

Possibly the greatest Jazz/Fusion duel of all time. ❤

[@instantscratchchannel9477]

My head is still spinning ,Total greatness!!!

[@leandrosouza-ov1rd]

Amazing, thanks to sharing!

[@colinharper8791]

Terrific! The audio waveform for the TV version is entirely missing the treble end, hence its dull sound. If a radio version exists and more of this synchronising for a 'natural sound' is possible, wonderful!

[@tomdecuca3627]

So cool!! I was so taken with this band! I thought everyone knew who they were! They were on "IN CONCERT"!!

[@austmel8862]

Saw them in 1974 in Melbourne with the string quartet. Awesome experience. Lots of smoke in there. Incredible interplay between Cobham and Laird in this video.

[@progrocer]

B.C. is an absolute drum god,one of my all time heroes🥢👌👏👏👏❤️

[@JonesyTheCat]

God bless Mahavishnu

[@josephkolmansky8965]

outstanding job, it reminds us there once was a free thinking television with dedicated producers and technician crews who relayed true musicians' works. Where have all these music lovers gone?

[@Fretlessness]

Saw a section labeled "Meh Comic Relief" and knew it was gonna be the Bass Solo RIP Rick Laird. I absolutely have always loved this solo

[@ratamacueseven]

Mr. Cobham paved the way for us all !!!!!!!!!!!!

[@curtisunit]

Shout to Rick Laird. The rock in a storm. 💪💪💪Sad to hear that he passed.

[@craigpruess5565]

My God! From about 3 minutes onward, during the bass solo, this gets so absolutely FUNKY, beyond belief! I don’t remember the LP getting into such a super tight groove… amazing!

[@johnmalenchek6597]

Saw them live in NY in 1970's. My hearing was never the same

[@Clyne-sv4hd]

They were all smiling 😊

[@brucegelman5582]

WTF!!!!!!! INFKNCREDIBLE

[@davidsantana4276]

Absolutely amazing, showing the power of jazz fusion like no other band…

[@luiseduardofraire]

Fenomenal !!! De otro planeta..5 supermúsicos en accion..se presentable en festivales de rock sin ser rockeros ...todos jazzistas de 1ra clase y fusion ...hacian ver a las otras bandas infantiles...

[@carbonc6065]

World's Greatest ...

[@IvesMarcelin]

Je m'attendais pas à trouver cette video ici mille merci pour l'avoir deposé...ici cest fantastique quel pied 👍❤️❤️❤️

[@VideoEyes100]

Saw many times first time was Aragon ballroom Chicago, November 3, 1972 I was 17

[@robinpearce6961]

50yrs ago 😳

[@franks.8189]

That ' Fibre' drumkit looks amazing !

[@ployshihashick8240]

The best sounding drums EVER. Very sharp and punchy. Mydad saw them in Atlanta and said they were the loudest, scariest band he's ever seen. He said Billy's bass drums were literally like cannons.

[@brokenbones0161]

Very nice camerawork

[@bobosocialo4313]

Merci à la TV française !

[@alexfirst7613]

music a la carte

[@jemp1965]

Awesome!!!!

[@jeanlucchapelon]

Inégalés !!! Monstrueux !! Que des stars !!

[@luistarantino239]

Hermoso Gracias!!!!

[@thewoodentops.]

so great

[@Apollon21]

Bei der Schöpfung der Welt, war diese Musik dabei. Auch die Halbgötter die sie spielten war vorgesehen.

[@doodahdavesrecords4319]

I love hearing Rick solo Birds of Fire had so much fire in it like Birds of Fire flying too close to Wax Sun Icarus sorry I just went where the music took me another Galaxy

[@toddvandell85]

Where's Jerry Goodman? Shredding on violin? Miss him. Oh. There he is. Kinda letting the bass player shred. Everyone else is just killing it. Billy Cobham is just scary good on drums. So fast. Love that he has 3 rack toms and 3 floor toms. So badass. He made those vista-light acrylic drums work. And those cymbals are breaking a serious sweat. Actually? Those drums are seriously sweating. Billy's making them work for their money. Damn Billy. Fire the camera man who took so long getting over to Jerry for his shredding. Or the director who was too slow telling his camera man to catch Jerry. F*cking Jerry matches John's speed on guitar on violin. Damn dood. Jerry be killing it. Wtf? Just a beast shredding. On a blue violin no less. Actually, the whole band is a beast. M*ther f*cking Mahavishnu Orchestra, baby. Just shredding.

[@leeromneyrose8089]

This is poetry

[@dennismason3740]

Oh heck yes! Saw them 3 times, 72 and 73, tore my head off, kicked it into a cosmic basket and put it back. When the set was over people were frozen, they couldn't move, they couldn't speak.

[@instantscratchchannel9477]

Can't think of any better bands than this...talent unleashed!!!!

[@dennismason3740]

@@instantscratchchannel9477 - I don't know about the tiers however I saw Cream twice, Hendrix once and they certainly set the foundations for what came later. Jeff Beck, Return to Forever...the Mahavishnu Orchestra certainly pulled from nearly everything that lead to their existence - Coltrane, Miles, Eastern influences, you name it. Zappa was certainly taken aback despite his "machine gun" remark.

[@salvatorecamarda3943]

I saw them twice on Long Island and first heard their music on rock station 102.7 in the early 70’s. Their music influenced musicians like Jeff Beck and groups like Return to Forever.

[@bobbynoe1]

9:54 Billy Cobham's drumming is so hot, John McLaughling had to cool his hands😅!

[@JAIMERDC]

Que bueno llegar a este video y oir el "Birds of Fire" disco que llegó hacia mi como un obsequio de parte de un amigo melómano que conocí por la web se llama Rob y es de IOWA. Saludos desde Lima Perú

[@nikolaosmosxakis3395]

very good...............................

[@marielamartinez2840]

Billy cobham mejor baterista de todos los tiempos y estilos !!! Es de otro planeta

[@pieroaycart785]

Otro nivel

[@johnsilver7466]

Billy is insane.

[@respondepuh]

increíble

[@mattdelany6799]

Very musical.

[@chevaliermichel2219]

One big word. About resolution insert i firstly thought it was a "medley" but no - Birds of fire having been edited after. Was it a part of "One Word" in 1972? "resolution" the never ended tension growing piece of music. I prefer don't understand how they did it.

[@carlosmosacula5454]

Bill es batería espectacular .el y el bajista suenan como en el disco .los demás improvisando mucho .nose si es más fácil en cuanto ha ejecución.aun así el resultado es buenísimo .una actuación memorable

[@williamtilton1652]

billy cobham,the goat nuff said

[@vincemeghrouni7805]

Holy shit

[@BaptizedBeliever]

Does anyone believe that Billy could play death metal like Suffocation, Cryptopsy or Origin? I don't doubt it. "I feel the Metal Fatigue."

[@davidsantana4276]

That’s exactly what I thought, I can perfectly listen the influence this had on Atheist, Meshuggah and probably many more in the Avant-Garde and Technical sub-genres of extreme metal

[@mjm5081]

❤

[@hihats]

back when Zildjian made great sounding cymbals...

[@anthonybarnard3520]

Holy fuck!

[@user-mn5er3pc4l]

Billy cobham un fenómeno. #2

[@merrillmilner8717]

The Mothers of Invention opened for them and afterwards Frank Zappa added Jean Luc Ponty.

[@samoljubesic6275]

God: Only I can make masterpiece. Mahavishnu Orchestra: Sorry, not any more.

[@scottgeshen]

with all due respect--Neil Who?

[@andymelendez9757]

OMG!

[@usmessenger3199]

THE TIMING,THE BUILD UP TO BECOME ONE, WITH THE MUSIC ,IS AMAZING. PURE GENUIS. WHAT A GREAT BONDING OF THESE MUSICIANS. EACH ONE TO BE AHEAD OF TIME. NO BAND WILL HAVE , THESE MUSICIANS TOGETHER EVER AGAIN. PURE GENUIS.😎🎸🔊🎶🎼☮️ BOB

[@josephhutchison1983]

Yes!

[@markdarnell614]

So much Discipline on display here! Every Musician was spectacular from the get-go, but McLaughlin was pure Shakti - released on this Human plane! The School of Miles Davis turned out a few Pythagorean Wizards!