" Thing Called Love" Barry [the fish] Melton - ArtistA☮JoyFest VI house band

Barry Melton has been plying the stage since originally backing Country Joe McDonald of Country Joe and the Fish starting in 1966. Somewhere along the way he picked up a law degree and began defending the honor and freedom of Sacramento's down trodden but we can see here at the JoyFest where his heart's really at - and what a voice?! Who knew. Here he and two other original fish (Bruce Barthol, bass, David Cohen, keys) are joined by Roy Blumenfeld, drums, David Aguilar, guitar, and Brad Jenkins, saxophone to perform a 12 bar blues that was recorded on the 1st official Country Joe and the Fish EP in 1966

[@ginaverdi6101]

My sister used to take us to see Barry Melton play in San Francisco many many years ago! What a performance it was ! Great video thanks for sharing✌️

[@billc6087]

I still remember the first time I saw CJ & the Fish sometime in '65 or '66 at the old Coffee House in Davis...ah, youth.

[@1wackyjackie]

So good to see Barry and David again. Good times in Berkeley. Thank you for the music.

[@mitchgawlik1175]

I've always dug Barry's unique singing voice and style. Still good to hear it. Damn good performance.

[@AlDroog]

still one of the collest dudes...

[@sammyscotch9945]

Barry 2020 for prez He never lies

[@LSommer]

Thanks!

[@450Chicago]

Wish this video hadn't ended! Listen to this so many times in my favorites. What a gem.

[@scottross7455]

My discovery of the day!

[@mitchgawlik1175]

Mine, too. 1/20/22

[@flsandye4639]

Mine too 6/21/23

[@dr1dan2]

Priceless

[@rickwalker3290]

still KILLIN' it after all those years!!!! and what a voice too!!! GREAT JOB everyone

[@spiderpromos]

Barry Melton, David Bennett Cohen on keyboards and Bruce Barthol on bass were all members of the Monterey lineup of Country Joe & The Fish (the other members being Chicken Hirsh on drums & Country Joe McDonald on guitar and vocals) and recorded "Electric Music For The Mind & Body" and "Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die" albums - so you've 3/5th of that line up on this video!!!! I tour managed Country Joe in the U.K from 2001 to 2007 - his last European performance was the Isle Of Wight Festival in 2007, on the main stage when The Rolling Stones headlined. I also tour managed The Country Joe Band in 2004 & 2005 in the U.K - Joe, Bruce, David & Chicken. Then later I tour managed Barry with It's A Beautiful Day, and have been honoured to tour manage him in U.K & Ireland up to the present day with Stephane Missri . Roy Blumenfeld (on drums here) was a founder member of The Blues Project together with Al Kooper, and later with Seatrain. A few years ago I tour managed a band called The Former Members which consisted of David Bennett Cohen, Bruce Barthol, Roy Blumenfeld and ex Steve Miller/Van Morrison/Hot Tuna guitarist Greg Douglass. Then in 2014 we added Sam Andrew from Big Brother on guitar, and also Bex Marshall on vocals/acoustic guitar, this time going out as San Francisco Nights. Sadly it was Sam's last U.K tour- he died early the following year.. Since then I've tour managed tours in U.K for Roy Blumenfeld and David Aguilar (on guitar here) & others as The Aguilar Blumenfeld Project in the U.K. I also tour with Bruce Barthol on a regular basis in the U.K & Ireland. both as tour manager and accompanist. All these folks have became dear friends, and I count myself lucky to have met them - and also to have become the only member of The Artista Gang living in Ireland! Bless them all...

[@ziphler]

Mr. spoons, thanks soo much for this - there is an increasing effort to document the history of ArtistA and the dramatic expansion in American [and British] popular music MC'd by Bill Graham and catalyzed by ArtistA, Family Dog and the like before everyone who remembers fades away.

[@eternalise]

Don't forget that lineup also wrote, played and performed on the "Together" album and the oft overlooked Reunion album (finally back in print, also here on KZbin).

[@eternalise]

Thanks to all of you who keep this music alive and special performances like these documented for us fans! The first thing I remember doing when I got online after the compuserve and BBS era, so mid 90s, was find Country Joe's site and email him. He was very nice and replied promptly, I told him I'd been blown away by a then-recent solo acoustic performance he'd done that our local college TV station played and the song "Lady with the Lamp" in particular and he sent me his Carry On CD that was new at the time and featured that song. I then found Barry Melton's Ukiah law firm email address and wrote him a letter, how "Masked Marauder (the studio version) was my favorite guitar solo, how I played a Gibson SG like him etc. I was so afraid he would be upset but he was as nice as he could be and explained how he tuned for Masked Marauder and had some kind words of encouragement. I turned everyone I could onto CJ&TF in the 80s/90s and its so great to find so many shows on here, both from the old days and recent and find people who had the pleasure of knowing these guys personally. Thanks!

[@lastnamefirst4035]

Do you miss living in the bay where you can visit w all these guys?

[@lastnamefirst4035]

@@ziphler yes soon. We would love that plus we are getting old. Im just a life long fan of bay area music but also 67

[@Don-xj3uo]

That was impressive! Seriously, to be honest I wasn't expecting Barry to be that fricken good. Loved it and wish it was longer!

[@jannethery1549]

Love this!! Actually inspired me to get out my Hohner Golden Melody harp and jam along with the Barry and the boys!

[@eduardobenedetti4030]

Barry Melton, sempre fantástico!!!

[@derby1884]

This was great to see! (and hear).

[@john70803]

Fantastic guy and a fantastic guitarist; a personal hero of mine. great band as well!

[@c.s.mcleod7383]

Coolest performer at Woodstock.

[@arrietamap1965]

AUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU VIEJOS LOKOCHONES!

[@iainstewart7104]

Saw the country joe band in 2005

[@sammyscotch9945]

🙌 barry da fish...these guys all sound great. Fantastic video

[@verosbichos9095]

🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷A VOZ TA CADA CADA VEZ MAIS MARAVILHOSA

[@lastnamefirst4035]

Sorry to hear Barrys wife Barbara recently passed. Peace and support to Barry, their kids & grandkids

[@joblo6394]

🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@marceloaraujo8728]

🔜MUITA PAZ - MUITO AMOR 🔙

[@ANDRESR2]

Maestrooo !!!

[@deedukes]

So good.

[@donnlarossa9173]

ATTA WAY BARRY! Remember seeing you guys at Fillmore! lol Stole some licks from you back then

[@swale12]

mikey.. here peace my brother

[@michaelfuria4257]

Barry was one of only a handful of people who passed the the California bar exam without going to law school.....

[@kraznet]

Great vocals!!

[@elefnishikot]

They still have Sweet Lorraine dancing behind the band.

[@xenorasmusson2462]

Great band, but that is one fine audience... many familiar faces...

[@TommyOnSax]

Sweet

[@clivewinbow2150]

ah ... David Avilar!

[@spiderpromos]

David Aguilar... sorry to be pedantic, Clive Winbow!!!!

[@MrWildcountry]

ElecticMusic For Mind And Body,, DownBeat Told Us He Aint Much Of A Singer, BUT He Can Carry A Tune - 3.5

[@voiceguy3635]

He may be old in looks, but not in spirit--and the music is definitely not old--but I miss the organ playing of Cohen.

[@marcybomboy5273]

Someone gave this a thumbs down? I’m curious about that.

[@jimmymurphy7789]

So great, but I wish Barry would have taken a Lead.

[@lastnamefirst4035]

Whatever happened to Chicken? When I was 15 I thought he was sooo good lookin

[@michaelfuria4257]

sad to tell you that Chicken passed away recently......

[@willowufgood261]

I really dig Chickens drum style

[@clivewinbow2150]

But who is the black guy on lead?

[@spiderpromos]

Clive Winbow - it's David Aguilar, Actually, he's not black - he has Mexican heritage. It's that white hair and beard that makes him look darker than he is in real life!!!!

[@vincentrathbone26]

Is that the same SG he used at Monterey ?

[@petermarquard5107]

Is that Sam Andrew on sax?

[@spiderpromos]

Nah, it's Brad Jenkins.....

[@sammyscotch9945]

Didnt know Sam played sax-anyway its not him

[@frederickwhite6416]

Interesting, if anything Joe backed up Barry. To each his own I suppose.

[@strangersname]

I wouldn't go that... far. But it wouldn't have been CJ&F without the greatness of the Fish!!

[@kennethconant8983]

Country Joe and The Fish started with Joe and Barry as a duo in 1965.

[@carlrudd1858]

Albert King should have covered this song...no, maybe Buddy Guy...no, maybe Albert Collins....

[@thescarletandgrey2505]

Saxes ruin just about every good blues song. Should stay in their lane- jazz. Also, Melton can play the solo so much better than whatever that was. See the Monterey and Woodstock performances- raw, exciting, realistic analog, not compressed digital files of sound.