The Band - Furry Sings The Blues (with Joni Mitchell) - 11/25/1976 - Winterland (Official)

[@grtlover]

I'm a native Memphian for 62 years of my life. When Joni Mitchell wrote this song, Beale Street was detiorated at that time. But she should see it today. It flipped in the late 1980s and it is the stellar spotlight for entertainment in Memphis now. Furry Lewis, may he rest in peace, would be beyond astonished...

[@davidmayhew8083]

Beautiful! This should have also been in the film.

[@konstantinosbabalis1695]

this is one of the best songs ever

[@joedalessandro80]

holy shit. had this on a cassette in 1983. I fucking love youtube.

[@moshezarviv1252]

you made me smile , dude !

[@justsomeguy820]

Goodness, Robbie's guitar playing on thi s is exceptional and subtle.

[@Jim1971a]

One of my favorite Joni songs.

[@johnstio7001]

Right! No bass. That's what makes Joni so great, her open tunings are so orchestral that a lot of her earlier tunes don't need a bass, just Joni. This live arrangement with Neil's creepy harmonica and Robbie's moanful noodling is a real serious gem for Joni fans, love youtube.

[@FernandaGomezVasquez]

Couldn’t agree more

[@BenneWill]

Impressive she remembered all of those lyrics... pre teleprompter days.

[@brucehutchison3946]

I miss Jaco, what a player.

[@jeffkaluga997]

So do I ,and he's not playing on this song..Note for note the greatest Bassist ever..Some like Wooten got more chops..But in terms of refinement and making a song flow, color and taste ..JACO is still KING

[@jimferguson3863]

Amazing song and incredible music! Robbie and Neil are so great harmonizing with Joni!

[@daveytrain6494]

My favorite Joni era!

[@soin74]

Wow, never seen a performance of this song from the time it was released, thanks!x

[@pierremaes5453]

Just back ' home ' from a overstay in Japan, married, happy and young and ... her marvels kept flowing-out ! ... Pure magic being alive in those times and ... nowaday's ...

[@TheMonolake]

We're all very lucky

[@pierremaes5453]

Incredibly ... beautiful!!!

[@bei1016]

Perfect

[@james-l1t]

Jonis tone changed drastically throughout the 70s, this is probably the only performance of Furry Sings the Blues that has the same tone as the studio version

[@paulwashington8863]

Sublime

[@claudioboffatarlatta]

My love

[@desertshore]

incredible footage :)))) !!!!

[@dbitgood1]

Three Canadians.

[@jonn.5568]

Old Beale Street is coming down Sweeties' Snack Bar, boarded up now And Eagles The Tailor and the Shine Boy's gone Faded out with ragtime blues Handy's cast in bronze And he's standing in a little park With a trumpet in his hand Like he's listening back to the good old bands And the click of high heeled shoes Old Furry sings the blues Propped up in his bed With his dentures and his leg removed And Ginny's there For her kindness and Furry's beer She's the old man's angel overseer Pawn shops glitter like gold tooth caps In the gray decay They chew the last few dollars off Old Beale Street's carcass Carrion and mercy Blue and silver sparkling drums Cheap guitars, eye shades and guns Aimed at the hot blood of being no one Down and out in Memphis Tennessee Old Furry sings the blues You bring him smoke and drink and he'll play for you It's mostly muttering now and sideshow spiel But there was one song he played I could really feel There's a double bill murder at the New Daisy The old girl's silent across the street She's silent, waiting for the wrecker's beat Silent, staring are her stolen name Diamond boys and satin dolls Bourbon laughter, ghosts, history falls To parking lots and shopping malls As they tear down old Beale Street Old Furry sings the blues He points a bony finger at you and "I don't like you" Everybody laughs as if it's the old man's standard joke But it's true We're only welcome for our drink and smoke W.C. Handy I'm rich and I'm fay And I'm not familiar with what you played But I get such strong impressions of your hey day Looking up and down old Beale Street Ghosts of the darktown society Come right out of the bricks at me Like it's a Saturday night They're in their finery Dancing it up and making deals Furry sings the blues Why should I expect that old guy to give it to me true Fallen to hard luck And time and other thieves While our limo is shining on his shanty street Old Furry sings the blues

[@greenzo6o8]

neil young, harmonica

[@debsthewebs8146]

Very cool. First time seeing this!! ❤️

[@DABE-xd7lm]

Hi friends, does anyone have tabs for this song to share?! thankss from brasil

[@blackcrow7049]

nei l young pay harp tribute for the joni mitchell's amazing chorus on Helpless

[@weareallastronauts5066]

winterland

[@TheMonolake]

Really ?

[@TheMonolake]

Ahh Mamn

[@moshezarviv1252]

joni's not on seduction mode at all , although seing all the musician guys revolving around her is stunning !!

[@jbouley2014]

Who played Bass here ??? Certainly not Rick Danko.

[@guitarstrunged]

Just Joni's low end as far as I can tell

[@igrowhigher]

No, that IS Rick Danko playing bass. A more sensitive player than he gets credit for being.

[@guitarstrunged]

You can see Rick pick up the bass at the end of the song at 4:58 for the next tune. Notice where it is. At the beginning of the song at :13 seconds you can see it sitting there behind Neil Young. Because it's dark all you see is the top of it and it looks like it could be a mike stand. Then someone reaches around it to give Neil a harmonica(I think) but ends up leaving it on the piano. Bass is still there.

[@igrowhigher]

I believe Danko was playing upright bass out of camera on Furry Sings The Blues. After Danko walks up to Joni and gives her a kiss, he picks up his electric bass to play the next tune. Danko can be seen playing upright bass in the clip for Theme From The Last Waltz, so it was an instrument he was known to play around that time.

[@guitarstrunged]

Yup Rick was playing upright for the Theme from the Last Waltz. This was not filmed at Winterland. Watch the complete Winterland show and not once does Rick play upright at that show. Why he would play upright for a song such as Furry makes no sense. Plus every song Rick plays on, you hear him. You hear no bass on Furry.

One person never singing the Blues.