Whisky a Go Go (1967)

[shredmaster100]

looks like austin powers ah ha aha haah a

[teddysalad65]

A Byrds cover band? In 1967? Holy shit.

[EGMAG]

@teddysalad65

This bands name was "SHOOT THE BAND" aaarrrrgghhh!

[0509killer]

amazing that people really danced like that.

[MiHiVidz]

0:50

Looks like a young Steve Buscemi taking a drag on his cigarette.

[Anglynn74]

by the way this looks I'm willing to bet this was early 1967 hands down

[oldiesbutgoodies67]

They love Jim Morrison and The Doors...Dan O'Niallain

[79tazman]

Sounds like the byrds

[playinguitarful]

the band sucks

[LionheartRKO]

System of a Down played there in 1997! :D

[dx398]

WHY is there a good quality video of this CRAPPY group playing at the Whisky and none of THE DOORS!!! wtf

[ML678v]

People were so nerd these days

[MattMoon100]

what a creative name... The Group!!

but their sound is still cool

[dannyhood66]

The doors, iron butterfly, were probably not excepted or qualified to be in the movie playing, anything psychedelic heavy.. I bet now they wish theyed picked different for the movie.. I have seen this clip but never heard of the movie.. Only 4 copies made all them's in europe, not likly i have. ha!

[mariothepookster]

Had great time there. Saw groups like the Alice Cooper, CTA (Chicago Transit Authority before they became Chicago), Chuck Berry, Love, Taj Mahal ... many others (don't forget Carl Franzoni). Use to sit upstairs (cheap seats) ... this was before the mega concerts. I only regret I did not see Otis Redding when he appeared ... damn. A great time to live in LA. Now too many people,

[MannyMUC]

Yes, this is from the 1967 exploitation flick "Mondo Mod". Never saw it, but a look at the movie poster (easy to find on Google) makes me sure about this

[MannyMUC]

Great document, like a trip back in a time machine,

This could be from a typical Sixties exploitation movie. They put together clips from different night clubs, including lots of striptease scenes

[Anglynn74]

holy cow these guys were bad. I'd love to find a clip of the buffalo Springfield playing the Whiskey

[DA90027]

I hope they had good AC because I still do 60's dancing and you really work up a sweat that's why teens were skinny back then not the fat ass 7-11 hot dog eating hip hoppers running around today who can't even see their feet.

[Skinhitta]

The soundman for that first band shoulda been hanged.

[Babyhowdy233]

I remember how cute the shoes were for girls: ankle boots, Mary Janes, classic pumps, etc. I especially LOVED "Mary Janes" (seen here at 1:04). Shoes for young women back then were made alot sturdier than nowadays..and seriously they were alot more feminine too.

[DA90027]

Yes I agree, judging by the clothes and hair it's more like 1965 or 66. Awesome footage nonetheless. Thanks for posting!

[scodav]

Lighten up on the ride, dude! (Leaves studio recordings were actually good - probably used a studio drummer.)

[scodav]

Lighten up on the ride, dude!

[dannystrat]

I'd say this is early '66. Lousy band! But really, as much as I love the Byrds, they weren't all that great live either. Back in those days, the idea of rock and roll virtuoso didn't come around yet until Clapton & Hendrix a year or so later, which upped the ante to be a more accomplished musician.

[gilpau64]

Vraiment GENIAL !

[TubeNumber1USA]

Geez, you could sound like this mess - and still play the Whisky a Go Go??? Damn. My junior high band in 1967 would have mopped up the floor with these bozos. Those go-go girls are grannies now. It just ain't right.

[Rawego]

pure crap served up the way you liked it! remember? :))

[Robbbespierre]

Probably 1966 or even maybe 65 based on clothing styles and the group. 1967 looked very different on the strip than this.

[Khultan]

 Man, am I finding out the difference between the music styles of Los Angeles and San Franciso in the mid60s. Los Angeles all the way.

[Robbbespierre]

@Khultan LA was more pop, flashier, Hollywood commercial. SF was more folk, blues, acid, less commercial. SF looked down on LA. LA didnt care.

[Khultan]

@Robbbespierre I'm from San Francisco and I really would have gravitated more towards Los Angeles, I don't care much for SF's drug culture and the music that went with it.

[Khultan]

@Robbbespierre Only the part about SF more folk, I disagree with you. That originated down in Los Angeles, do your research.

[mickmartinguitar]

I used to hang there and Pandora's Box, Gazzar, Old World Restra, Wallich's, Hullabalu. Anyone else?

[Robbbespierre]

@mickmartinguitar Too young for the clubs, but I hung at Wallachs and Old World. Great times.

[Khultan]

Today it's just Whisky and a pay to play place. No integrity.

[delineater]

In March of 1966, a press release announced Gene Clark’s departure from the Byrds. ...“Six weeks after rehearsals began, Gene Clark and The Group debuted at the Whisky-A-Go-Go on June 22 ...” One of the opening acts during The Group’s 2-week engagement was a local band known as the Doors. Around that same time, Clark began having an affair with Michelle Phillips, who lived with hubby John Phillips just a couple of blocks down the canyon...

Source: davesweb.cnchost.com/nwsltr109­.html

[dunskie]

Drummer should be taken outside and beaten to within an inch of his life.

[Rawego]

@dunskie followed by the "lead" guitarist and "vocalist". the rest should just learn from these two unfortunate examples, then shaved ritualistically, of course.

[Thirdgen83]

I think it's pretty safe to say THAT band never made it. What a bunch of HACKS...

[rockdad3]

Cool Mosrite guitar at 3:18.

[LADYDEACON]

the drummer sucks

bring everything down

[LaWoman071]

Time for The Go Go Girls to come back!

[tunenito]

@LaWoman071 They were soooooo cool!  :-)

[LaWoman071]

@tunenito Who doesn't love Go Go Girls? : )

[TheHippieTeenager]

the whiskey a go go's go go girls : D

[MrDoodle955]

The first tune is "feel a whole lot better" without the vocals. Wow, bass, drums, and 2 rhythm guitars! And a generic name, "The Group". They're lucky they even had a gig let alone the Whiskey!

[fuhoney]

If that is an example of how it was at Wisky A Go-Go I'm glad I wasn't there!!!!

[staypress]

OK now for me it sort of looked like an uptodate rip off of the 67 period because the quality is so good.

As far as the band is concerned they were a bit iffy to say the least but as it was 67 they were bloody gr8 Wish I was there. Is there anyone there that night watching this now on YTube

[plonker00765]

crap band,how did they get this gig ?

[daverenecornwall]

BLOWS????????

THE FUSE DIDN'T EVEN LIGHT!!!

THEY GOT ME TO JUDGE A DANCE CONTEST AND I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO SICK OF A DESCENT SONG AS I WAS OF.... SMOKE ON THE WATER...THEN I SANG (BELIEVE IT OR NOT) "MORE," MY SONG, "ANGELITO" AND "KANSAS CITY."...WOOOOOO.

IT WAS A GREAT TIME TO BE SOBER AND ALIVE....OR F@#$ED UP AND BARELY ALIVE OR JUST BEING...FUN FOR AWL!!!!

DAVE RENE CORNWALL

[tunenito]

Long live the Sixties!

:-)

[ziribai]

If they did this footage in 1966 it would be The Doors playing there instead.

[fauxtoehead]

The Byrds "feel a whole lot better" knockoff.

[scully403]

groovey scene at the club. I agree that this band fricken blows!

[SeniorConcha]

Was a shot of the DOORS playing?

[dantanasgirl]

Where is this from??

[TheArtbango]

I was a little young to be here in the beginning but had the pleasure of playing the Whisky in the late 70's and opened for a bunch of people.

[tunenito]

Very cool ... definitely a landmark!

:-)

[kernelkurtz1]

Sounds like a bad mix of "Feel a Whole Lot Better" and "Hey Joe."

[jvarela965]

SWING BABY !

[gillesbertacco]

THAT´S THE BYRDS!!!!! At least a cheap rendition of their " feel a whole lot better "... Damn! By the way, I´m 31 yrs old, and european, so...

[Rajamuttu]

Yeah. That's the Byrds like it's my great-grandmother's gypsy orchestra. Sheesh.

[gillesbertacco]

Damn...

READ before you reply...I said THE SONG (or THE MUSIC THAT COMES OUT OF YOUR SPEAKERS/HEADPHONES) is FROM (or A SONG BY The Byrds), NOT THAT THE PEOPLE PLAYING it HERE IS THEM!!! OK????

It´s their song "Feel a whole lot better", without vocals. Check it out, and stop by your Ophtalmologist... Cheers!

[RubHerSoul1]

That drummer sucks! He's throwing the whole thing off. A bad Keith Moon imitation. Did the singer forget to show up?

[denismcdougall]

great footage awful band

[tunenito]

To denismcdougall and everyone, thanks for the cool commentary!

:-)

[aarfeld]

Yea, Denis, that about sums it up. Great footage, awful band. I understand that today it's all hard-core, heavy metal bands that play down there. So, I guess the tradition established by "The Group" continues 42 years on. :-(

Oh well, I guess they can't all be the Doors.

[Anglynn74]

First song was an instrumental Byrds "feel a whole lot better". But my gosh those guys were flat, geez. Great footage of the inside of the club.

[PAULLONDEN]

Indeed....lousy 'dance' music ☺

Nice period footage though.

[flabdabit]

In 67 i was 16 we used to sneak up to the sunset strip after dinner and walk around for about 2 hours and then jam back home to Whittier ca. about a half hour drive back then Had to be in by 10 pm . Mom never knew the difference she thought we were around the corner playing marbles. but we were gettin high up on the strip TaKen aCId trip out . If you went up the side street from the Whiskey about three houses thats where the bands would hang out before going on stage, Thats where the action was

[dannystrat]

That drummer really sucks!

[rocknrollporn]

niddles and pins almost has the same guitar riff

[tunenito]

yes it does, a great Sixties riff, so cool ...

[ManilaSyndicate]

Very nice glimpse into the scene of the time.

The women looked more attractive and pleasant back then.

[tunenito]

Yeah, I agree . . . wish I could have been there. Cool scene!

[Thunter16]

is this fake...?

[tunenito]

what is real...?

[LauryWard]

God these guys suck! My word!

[georgemasiello]

Last time I was there was 1980 - Oingo Boingo.

[tunenito]

The club is a real landmark - - it's still going on strong.

[BopDaddy]

"I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better" is a great tune-too bad that they couldn't pull off a vocal version.

I'm not impressed with the second song

[JennyWrenxoxo]

Now the Whiskey a gogo is so uptight, once you pay you can't leave. You have to stay on the dance floor and you can't sit in any of the seats because their always reserved. Whiskey has changed a lot! I hate all the damn rules.

[tunenito]

Wow, what a bummer ....

[gethepicture]

surely the first tune is Love's hey joe,rip off..

[gillesbertacco]

Hmm...my first thought was the Byrds' "Feel a whole lot better", without vocals. Definitely!

[1999wharfrat]

I agree!

[fuzzchile]

SuperByrdisian

[tunenito]

Absolutely!

[cool2anyone]

What band is playing?

[tunenito]

A group called The Group. LOL!

Don't know much about them ...

[veefan1963]

Neat!

Cool instrumental version of "I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better" as well!

The second song they play is "I Don't Believe", which was recorded by The Guilloteens in 1965, but the best version by far is a Searchers BBC version, from 1967.

[tunenito]

Thanks for the cool background on the songs!

I knew there was something familiar about the first song, but couldn't quite put my finger on it. Yeah, it's a rockin' instrumental version and perfect for go-do dancing!

[veefan1963]

At first, I thought it was "Needles And Pins"!

Roger Mcquinn stated himself that they totally ripped the melody from "Needles And Pins" and that the reason of the Byrds existence is because "we wanted to be a group just like The Searchers".

[tunenito]

I read somewhere that two of the biggest American influences on the Beatles circa 1965 - 1966 were Bob Dylan and the Byrds.

The Byrds as a group did not have a long lifespan, but they were a hugely important band.

[carlos1424]

yeah bob dylan was an inspiration and not just black music