Warren Zevon - Mohammed's Radio - 1976

[TragicIndeed]

I thoroughly enjoyed that. Thanks for this video!

I caught Warren at the Carefree Theater in West Palm Bch in '91. Wore Excitable Boy album out in college. He was a gift. A poet, an observer. We were lucky to have him. 

[probinson1337]

Just shut up, kick back, turn on, tune in to mohammed's radio, and enjoy every last damn sandwich. RIP Warren, see you when we get there.

[MLTSproductions]

I love how perfectly silent the crowd is during this song. It ads sort of a godlike quiality to the artists, the fact that the audience just sat there and did nothing but listen to the pure Magic that was being created on stage. This is one of the videos that make me say to myself "Man, I wish I was there." R.I.P Warren, nobody will match your odd greatness.

[what1111000]

warren rocks! whomever put up this video --- i love you!

don't diss springsteen, in the early 70's he rocked too.

but yeah, warren blows away billy and elton.

thanks again for putting this up!

[bpgofo]

One person feels that this is offensive to the prophet mohammed

[TheBigDelicious]

Jackson Browne's greatest contribution to 'pop' music was facilitating the entree of Warren Zevon to popular culture. Warren credited him for his help.

[yldann23]

He wasn't too hard on the eyes, either... Rock on, Warren Zevon...

[mrvr2007]

I think the reason he didn't make it big was because he abused lots of substances and could be kinda pscho. He was unbelievably great though.

[what1111000]

@mrvr2007

i love warren, but there's a million reasons why he didn't make it big.

1) his studio stuff wasn't that great

2) making it "big" requires you to look like jim morrison or justin bieber.

warren was a great artist, rip; i hope some young people find his music and love it like you and i do.

he's surely one of the great songwriters of rock and roll era historically.

[40deuce80]

Contact me at my website (see description) if you'd like a copy.

[tutorturtle]

Has this concert been published?

I'd love to get a copy.

[johnthehulk1]

The reason Warren never made it big was because of his intellectual lyrics, and individuality. Warren wanted to be famous but didn't care about money. He played and wrote for the sheer joy of his craft like an early Stephen King who ironically was one of Warren's friends in the 90's.

[2SecondWind2]

something you can't find under a rock or above a cloud, Talent. Warren was a master.

[kgs42]

I saw them in London in !976 when Warren was unknown but his power was obvious and I started buying his records. Jackson refused calls to do Ready or Not.

Why didn't Warren make it bigger? He couldn't play the successful rock star imo and that's to his credit I think.

[sunnydays71]

OMG how awesome is this defo one that slipped through the net......love it

[TheUncleDougger]

As I write this, I am dying at 52 of Congestive Heart failure. Warren helps keep my mind and heart at ease. Some people won't understand, but a day with some WZ music back in the 70's and 80's just made things more fun.

By the way, no wishes or fund contributions needed here...just bringing up the point. As for my own personal make a wish request, I have it...My wife, my friends, and my 2 crazy cats. Pretty good setup in my opinion.

[detectivesyme]

This is Islamophobic.

[takoda9]

@detectivesyme

But he was Jewish....is that a surprise?

I'm not questioning his talent, just bringing up a point.

[hairycell714]

@takoda9 No he wasn't. His father was Jewish (but irreligious). His mother wasn't. He had an uncle, (Yedidya) Jedediah Zivotovsky, who was a Jewish folk singer of some repute. If you'll look at his appearances on Letterman, he's wearing a pretty prominent cross (although I believe he was irreligious himself). I don't know of any Jews who would wear a cross. @detectivesyme I don't think this song is Islamaphobic at all. Because the protaganist's name is Mohammed?

[angel4everable]

@takoda9 If you read the oral biography compiled by his ex-wife, I'LL SLEEP WHEN I'M DEAD, you'll see that Warren wrote this song from real life. "He saw some guy {in LA}dressed like sheik, clutching a radio to his ear, and decided to write a song about it."

Warren was not religious, and as he lay dying expressed disbelief in God or any sort of afterlife.

[SmokinNeocons]

Saw Warren several times but it was never enough. Brilliant, under-appreciated artist whose music remains timeless - and isn't that what it's about?

[mydogchance195]

Johnny sold pharmaceuticals

[ghoulronk]

Dont it make you wanna rock n roll?

[hairyhandedgent]

Warren was a genius and this is as good as it gets. And lest we forget in 1976 Jackson Browne was as big of a musical star as there was. Great to see him helping a friend by promoting his music. That sort of thing just doesn't happen these days.

[bapyou]

I read somewhere this song was featured in a movie, and in the movie the main character locks himself in a room with people outside banging on the door and he plays Mohammad's Radio over and over and over and over at high volume on the stereo. Ring a bell with anyone? Can you tell me the name of the movie? What an idea for a scene in a film. The description sends a chill up my spine. As does the song. One of the greatest songs by one of America's greatest songwriters. It doesn't get any better.

[Bart8924]

The movie was FM

[bapyou]

@Bart8924 Thanks dude!

[winosm]

Saw Wz on this tour 1976 San Jose State Jimmy Buffett Jackson Browne. Amazing

his writing was haunting and beautiful. Werewolves aside.

[MrDsgrant]

The two great men playing together, just wish I was there. RIP Warren.

[fromtheboot]

Does anyone hear an echo of Van Morrison?

[thabigrock2112]

@fromtheboot Yes absolutely. One of the greatest mocking one of the greatest. Instrumentation is spot on. Underrated song by an American troubador.

[conure58]

Warren Zezon is (and was) always a great rocker. Can anyone say Werewolve's of London??

[briteness]

This song is beautiful.

[wtramone]

Only discovered Wz after 38 years on this earth. What was I thinking??? Ta for the posting.

[MBuchele]

Crazy how he totally blows it out of the water coming in for this tune. What a talent.

[tomtd]

And Lindley on the guitar - heavenly trio, JB WZ & DL

[zevonreturns]

amo tutte le sue canzoni!!!!!!

[treeman222]

One of those "Should have been" songs. Just as good as anything by Springsteen, Elton John, Billy Joel, etc. This whole album is one of the best ever. Got to see WZ in a club on the outskirts of Poughkeepsie in 1995. I had just gotten into his stuff and there were maybe 150 people there. That he is primarily known as a one hit wonder is one of the biggest shames in rock music.

[bobage9]

He's up there with the best of 'em to my mind, treeman222 :)

[Reyrip]

Can not agree enough. Great Americana song writer.

[brian1958usgrant]

BILLY JOEL PLEASE HE WAS'NT WORTH LISTENING TO AFTER  christe brinkley ELTON GREAT PERFORMER HE DID.NT COMPOSE MUCH AND SPRINGSTEEN YOU EITHER HATE HIM OR LOVE HIM I.M FROM N J I LIKED HIS EARLY MATERIALHOWEVER HIS FRIENDSHIP WITH WARREN ZEVON MADE ME COME BACK TO BRUCE LOVED HIS EARLY MATERIAL DID.NT CARE FOR THE RIVER HOWEVER HE IS BACK IN FULL IN MY OPION

[hutuguru81]

@treeman222 im glad he didnt become as popular as bruce elton and bill! its like, if you meet someone in a bar, and they list warren zevon as one of there favourites, then you know youve met a kindred spirit. ya know?

[notmesharon]

The fact that so many of his peers (Dylan, Springsteen, Don Henley and Jackson Browne to name a few) idolize him is worth as much as any recognition pop culture could give him these days.

[jimlaregina]

@treeman222

Actually, the Linda Ronstadt cover version of "Mohammed's Radio" used to get rock station airplay, so it is actually one of Warren Zevon's better-known songs. But I appreciate your larger point - Zevon's talent deserved greater appreciation in terms of radio time and record sales.

Don't know how extensive your Warren Zevon collection is, but make sure you pick up his 2000 C.D. titled LIFE'LL KILL YA.

[DaMuttzNutz]

@treeman222 You're not wrong there. Warren is a phenomenally good songwriter. I wanna puke when I hear some of the puerile shite that makes the charts.

[IFStravinsky]

This sounds like something Van Morrison would have done.

[hollylee12]

I heard a story of Warren and Phil Everly being so drunk in a hotel that the bellman had to take them to their room on the luggage dolly. He was one for the ages, for sure.

[matthb63]

could someone find a vid of Warren doing "Desperados Under the Eaves"? Please?

[ChristToTheLions724]

This was the second song of his I ever heard. I heard Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner the day after he died, and I've been a fan since, and this song is the best he ever made. I really wish I could have seen him, but, life goes on. RIP.

[APL2RNG]

Warren was just the best. Hands down.RIP

[mlh6575]

I heard this awesome song on The Loft this morning (XM Sirius radio 50) dropping my kid off at school. I'm really just discovering more of this kind of music, and its incredible. Great upload, thanks so much! :)

[onecrowesorrow]

Thank you for this.

[sara31tx]

Stevie Nicks did the backup singing on this song.

[NoBlowBama]

No. Nicks is on record saying she's never met Jackson Browne.

[sara31tx]

She may not have met Jackson Browne, but she did do the backup singing on Warren Zevons song Mohammed's Radio.

[NoBlowBama]

You are probably right. That is a brilliant song, nonetheless. I think it was Stevie herself, come to think of it, who said that she'd never met him. I found that odd since she dated Don Henley, who was a very tight friend of Jackson's.

[NoBlowBama]

But, adding to the mystery, Jackson produced the album Mohammad's Radio was released upon & he played & sang on it, as well. You can hear his voice on "Carmelita".

[sara31tx]

They can record the artists at different times and add them later. Jackson Browne probably did his part, then Stevie did hers at another time.

[NoBlowBama]

I'm a musician...;)

[mavis41558]

sara31tx is DEAD RIGHT! Listen to Zevon's studio recording of Mohammed's Radio and Stevie's voice jumps out at you like it's on television. Unmistakable.

[Mr36O]

he looked so young

[suzielightning3]

Brilliant! I miss Warren SO much! He was a genius.

[JustPlainDB]

Zevon was a genius that was stuck in low gear until Jackson convinced Geffen to record him.

And we all thank you, very much.

Frank and Jesse say hello

[NoBlowBama]

He was never able to really accept the fact that Jackson had helped him so much. It basically ruined their friendship.

[JustPlainDB]

I read his biography, which he wanted to have published with all the nasty stuff included. It was pretty nasty. A difficult person to have any form of relationship with while he was drunk or otherwise incapacitated. Genius in the music world, but really a human mess. My prayers are that he had an opportunity to be the man he wanted to be to his friends and family at the end.

[NoBlowBama]

Nice post. Jackson recalled being in Morocco with him & he said Zevon got drunk out of his mind & just fled into the night. Browne stated that he was the craziest person he'd ever met.

[APL2RNG]

That's too bad. It's hard to believe someone capable of writing such great songs could have such demons. I'll have to scope out the bio. I was fortunate enough to see him live in Poughkeepsie, NY on the Learning to Flinch tour long before I knew most of his songs. Wish I could revisit that time now.

[elsiepuppy]

Great to see two brilliant songwriters together on stage. Thanks for posting.