Dr. John plays 'Goodnight Irene'

[LordShivasServant]

Dang... Never saw a grown man cry while playing and singing a meaningful song. That's special :D

[doubleotwentyone]

Fruity piano...love it!!!

[irenegish]

Heeheehee my name is Irene and I always hated it until now LMAO Thanks XXX

[IndependentGeorge76]

Dr John does more than just play this song, he feels it...

a while back i saw Jools Holland (UK pianist and tv host) play it. he's got near perfect technique and was making all the runs, but watching him up there with that smug look on his face i realised something was missing. feel... heart.... soul... whatever. Dr John puts it in every note he plays.

[hedgehog606]

@IndependentGeorge76 Aw. Dr John is great, a wizard. Jools is fab too. Who are we to critisise these giants?

[jsi6073]

why is he crying in the middle of the song?? maybe the song reminds him of james booker..

[DEI420]

just alil bio for all the Dr.John fans out there just in case you didnt know.His real name is Malcolm John "Mac" Rebennack, Jr.The name "Dr. John" came from a legendary Louisiana voodoo practitioner of the early 1800s.just alil fun fact abou the good doctor enjoy

[bluesjaye]

Hi Folks, Beautiful! He has a tear on his cheek for James Booker @ 2:20 as he plays in D flat! Jay

[bluesjaye]

Hi Folks,  Beautiful! And a tear on his cheek for James Booker @ 2:20 as he plays in D flat. Jay

[NotStevieWonder]

I have lesson one of these tapes.... do you know if there was a lesson 2 etc...?

[dodgeilagan]

I like Doc's version too

[ivanengelmusic]

o.õ" Muito bom

[Snotra]

He talks like a brotha.

[scottcampbell1958]

Perfection. How does he do that? And I can play a little. Very little, it seems.

[Stevorific1]

This recording is from Doc's Homespun Video instructional DVD. I learned so much watching this 2 volume set over the last 15 years. I believe it was recorded in 1988 when he was about 48 years old maybe. There is so much great stuff on this set. He talks a lot about James Booker, Huey Piano Smith, Professor Longhair and many others--shows their styles and gives great info about their contributions. I highly recommend the whole set. Dr. John is a classic. He really loves this music.

[omwhite83]

I'm nominating Dr. john as the best ender of a song of all time, he's always taking the most elaborate and creative route to end his tunes and that always made me smile. I'll be seein him at JF April 23 and i can't wait.

[TheLeastDiseased]

I am so in love with this man, his playing, this clip and this song I can't even stand it.

I remember being a little put off by the impaled rubber chicken on the end of stick he had and the (?) femur he wore...all that stuff...had I only heard him play I'd have stalked him.

I certainly hope he's doing well these days.

[Robin504able]

If Yawl want to purchase this song, it's on the Dr. John's "Back to New Orleans" CD. He's dressed in one of the typical Mardi Gras Indians cosutmes on the cover. My grandmother used to to say "Good Night, Irene!" when she was surprised by something.. it was funny because I had no idea it was a song back then. Of course my family's from New Orleans, and many of our sayings were quite colorful. Yawl should also dig the stride piano piece called, "Fess Up" on the same CD.

Peace.

~R504Able~

[Ellie2847]

I used to love this song when I was little. I can't get over how soulful and bluesy this version is, and I love to watch Dr. John's face as he plays & sings - you can just see that he's totally feelin' it. I also can't believe how absolutely fabulous this version is . . . WOW!

[ceaserdressing]

has anybody got dr.john's music video of "why don't we all watch television?"

[Weavingkeys]

this is the best....probably in the world ever....

[junkduma]

MAGIC!

[Tueros]

He is Awesome!

[turntapzap]

He is funky!

[tramidi]

one of my favourite

[whatsmylogin]

I bet Irene didn't go to bed (or at least to sleep) after that bone-crunching riffage.

[maddermofo]

@whatsmylogin LMFAO, I only noticed your comment now dude and you posted it two years ago! Yeah I bet she didn't get much sleep at all after the good doctor gave her a dose of groovulating blues!!

[ladySEGOVIA]

Anyone know what year this was performed?

[snoopajc]

i think it was in the late 80s or early 90s

[maddermofo]

These tapes were made around 1988

[iamqueenkk]

his singing is his own version, but the piano definitely is very close to james booker's. I like Dr. John's singing too!

[Bullwinkel]

you can buy th2 2 vhs tapes and also 2 dvds of him doing other songs. i like the sheet music that comes with it.

this is not how booker plays it. well...there is some stuff but most its Dr Johns version. still awesome.

[Raptor395Canada]

This is from the HomeSpun video VHS (when I bought them) tutorial lessons. When you buy from them, as I've done, you get sheet music and a lot of discussions with Dr. John. Gives a lot of insight into who Dr John is and his history.

[larrybob]

That is the genius of the Booker version - he rearranged a 3/4 song into 4/4. Same chord structure, but radical rearrangement.

[maddermofo]

It's the Doc's version, and it's certainly the most difficult to play.

[gagakym]

What a lullaby. Stride piano at its best.

[andreboogie]

These videos are sick indeed! ;) I think I will buy the DVD!

[beauday]

What DVD? Where can you buy it?

[blueslady77]

sic as holy fcuk this time! wow!

[CCSGods25]

you right there playa