13th Floor Elevators ''Baby Blue''

[DirdeeD]

i love this song more than my lost love

[IndependentGeorge76]

pretty sure i read somewhere that Dylan said this was his favourite version of Baby Blue. for which i make him right.

[aniiaaa95]

this song is just magic.

[deelower36]

my foreheads leakin ocean

[christlicker]

@deelower36 And my foreskin leaketh puss.

[RetardedWa1rus]

@christlicker gross...

[Roscoejessick]

It's roky erickson his music rocks



[indigocenter]

I used to go listen to them in Houston at the Love Street and at the Catacombs.

[kooldude947]

the best version... period. the vocals are so scratchy but its so beautiful to the ears of the listener. if your turned on to garage rock though.

[Precedoalhades]

@RJP50X Oh, I can't remember...I'm not the same person since those days...

[PeaceLoveandMovies]

i dont know if i would call this a cover version... more like a... re-envisioning...

[kvkrob]

Dylan often said that he liked/loved/prefered others version of his songs to his own ie.Hendrix, The Byrds, George Harrison, 13th Floor, etc....and was so glad someone went and did them the way he had heard and wished them to be. He also said that he didn't so much "write his songs as "transcribe" them, like a gift or some prophesy.

[magi32140]

great version BUT you have to listen the Last Drive in Baby Blue ,an amazing garace band in 1988 ,you are gonna love this

[darcyd74]

yea, Dylan was right, best version ever...........

[abelllDELRIO]

E L LL EEEVVAAA T OO O RRRR R

E

EE

EEE

[Precedoalhades]

Well, I have took lots of LSD and I have no idea of playing songs like this, but I love it. The elevators were , and are, GREAT. Thanks for posting.

[driloc]

This is the perfect music for 3 am.

[BigDtootall]

The Elevators bring this song up to the clouds, sweetly tripping on the rainbows and falling into the sunset washed with bluesy tears. I can hear why dylan liked this one.

[emancipateyourself]

watch "Your Gonna Miss Me" if u havnet seen it, the story of Roky Erickson

[guerrero1106]

best version baby

[Dragmack]

I'm a senior graduating college. I'm nearing the end of my whirlwind experience. This song made me tear up.

[zenlovr]

Yup!

[MrErkeluno]

Poor Rocky...

[fmc1948]

they use to play in the montrose area of houston in the mid to late 60ties

[teggsyohh]

my new fav song soso good better dare i say it than the master himself ??????

[earlydoorsjones]

I played this song to some students of mine and was particularly taken by the response of an African girl:

"This song sounds like sitting on a sofa eating ice cream after a divorce..."

Dylan's version just doesn't provide me with either the ice cream or the sofa. A beautiful reflection: thank you Jody.

[hweenmask]

this is fucking good

[BruceH123]

Texas Blues meets Psychedelia, the 13th Floor Elevators were great.

[Fxckyooforhavingthis]

8 people have the baby blues

[alvintof]

Check his first hit "Youre gonna miss me when I'm gone" THE SPADES

[alvintof]

That would be a neat read,...."Bad luck beliefs over time and the world"

[RhialtotheArchivist]

This is really excellent. However, I prefer the Marianne Faithfull cover

[mookie1968]

Nice cover but I prefer Falco's. Falco makes everything better. If Falco just hummed a few bars of Bach's Mass in B Minor to himself while eating strudel the entire world would shudder with ecstasy. But this cover is ok. Not as good as Falco, though.

[gladir360]

It gives me chill...

[artaylor5615]

interesting cover but i prefer grateful dead

[RhialtotheArchivist]

@artaylor5615 This is fine. So is the Dead version. My vote goes to Marianne Faithfull.

[RhialtotheArchivist]

@artaylor5615

[TheRealCrazybilly]

dude this is good shit

[1949frrichard]

The Elevators were legends in their own time when I was graduating high school in '67. Tales of Tommie Hall levitating up the stairs to Love Street at Allen's Landing in Houston. Roky and the band driving around in a convertable throwing tabs of acid by the handful to people on the street. I know that Roky is now a shattered man from drugs, prison, and more...still performs some. What of the others? Anybody know?

[rsachs10]

hes crying buy the fire in the SSUUUUN, STRIKE ANOTHER MAATCHHH......FUCKING 13TH FE ARE AMAZING

[deliverymanful]

One of the best covers. ever. Its a shame more people don't know of this band. THE Definition of psychedelic music.

[tracio44]

it's all over now, baby blue.

[TheRealCatnut]

Good version but I'd say Graham Bonnet or The Animals do this the best.

[alvintof]

The band's name was developed from a suggestion by drummer John Ike Walton to use the name "Elevators" and Clementine Hall added "13th Floor".[4] In addition to an awareness that a number of tall buildings don't have a 13th floor, it has been noted that the letter "M" (for marijuana) is the thirteenth letter of the alphabet.

[alvintof]

1970's band,.....along with "Ruptured Duck" supposedly there are no floors on the 13th floor,....of a building,....bad luck

[TheBrowndawg]

@alvintof funnily enough in japan there are no 4th floor as 4 is considered an unlucky number as well.

[sarafaith7]

Never heard of this band before today but I kinda like this song. Thanks for posting.

[PizzaGod]

@sarafaith7

Look up "Dust" for 13th Floor Elevators, if you like this song, you will like that one too.

[sarafaith7]

@PizzaGod I found it on iTunes. Didn't like it as much as this. Unfortunately, I can't find "Baby Blue" on iTunes.

[sarafaith7]

@PizzaGod Nevermind, I found it :)

[vdubfester]

@PizzaGod or levitation "heading for the ceiling im up off the floor"

[rabinos24]

@sarafaith7 this is a little taste of roky erikson

[dannon2010]

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. Hits me like a ton of bricks on my head, if the bricks were made of velvet. It's funny, I sometimes like covers of Dylan more than Dylan himself....perfect example.

[statelybird3]

Even though this song isn't a fave of mine, I'm still drawn to it by the slow,laid back backbeat of the drums and those sad,mournful guitar twangs. I'm lovin' it!

[bennyjohnhampson]

my god....the greatest sound on earth

[Vitanova999]

You're so right ! Never heard such beautiful cover ! And these two guitars......So mad !

[PHAEDRIDER]

this version is the one for me . i bought this cd on westpac in 1994 in singapore.. it was in heavy rotation with spacemen 3 "perfect perscription" and fairport convention "what we did on our holidays" on my personal cd player . this particular track stands out . brings back memories of the ocean for me ,

[thegeek100]

Anyone does a Bob Dylan song better than Bob Dylan. Just the way it is. Van's is best for this song.

[sebia12]

i checked the ( them ) version of this song...with all my respect to Van Morrison, there is no match to the 13th floor version. the elevators version is the best of all . very trippy , laid back, how it's suppose to be. this is my opinion.

[TheKersey1]

sutherland's guitar makes this version better than dylan's original.

[Silvia3D]

oi,

fromthenorthwest : i never wrote anything about his voice so you can quit jumping to conclusions and wasting space. bob dylan sucks and i am entitled to think whatever the hell i want. go judge your cousin or something.

[fender69likar]

the Animals did it best!

[eltamin1966]

Nothing against Bob Dylan's or 13th Floor Elevator's version. But for me the best cover is that of Van Morrison (Them) -unsurpassed, just superb.

[KnightSaber2040]

I love the 13th Floor Elevators, but the Chocolate Watchband version is the best cover of this song, hands down.

[PizzaGod]

I have to disagree, I like the Chocolate Watchband Version, but this one is still the best version.

I guess it is a matter of opinion.

[0rganizer]

@PizzaGod Listen to the song version from a group called 'THEM'. ENJOY!

[monkeeman1966]

@KnightSaber2040 I agree---and I like the Elevators!

[rochebraziliano]

@KnightSaber2040 BOB DYLAN himself said that THE ELEVATORS did the best version for this song. CWB is amazing too

[Reefer4201988]

Even Dylan agreed this was the best cover of this song there was........

[bozwan]

I love the 13 FL - this version gives me goosepimples ...especially the guitar solo ...sounds so dreamlike

[1rokyfan]

this whole album is great when your "under the influence" of Psychedelics!

[TheMickeyWhite]

I used to hear these guys back then in Houston.

[whitestripebuzz]

damn i love these guys.

[Silvia3D]

I can't stand Bob Dylan ITself. Then other artists play his music and make it wonderful. I've tried; doesn't work. The Bunnymen version is also amazing.

[fromthenorthwest]

can't stand Dylan? too bad. people make the mistake of saying his singing voice was terrible because it isn't traditionally pleasing to the ear. however, nobody could deliver the songs like Dylan, his voice was almost perfectly suited for his lyrics

[dizzarch1]

Agreed. Dylan is one of the greatest singers ever to do it. Dylan is one of the greatest guitar players - ever. One of the best harmonica players - ever. Piano... . Because whatever instrument he used became a perfect medium for expressing whatever he was on about. I think most people who appreciate Dylan's genius know that it is not about technical proficiency, but about communication. Looked at it that way, Dylan might be the greatest known American musician ever.

[xfd0008]

thankyou! i couldn'tve said it better myself. dylan along with harrison and others inspired me to stop trying to learn shredding guitar solos, and learn how to say more with fewer! i'm glad you agree dizzarch

[erkeloner]

wow... too good

[TravisTrixta85]

Amazing, heartfelt, soothing............ I don't know what else to say. Simply incredible!!

[rossfletcher22]

amazing!

[Raymantico]

Bob Dylan called this his favorite version

straight from God Nose

[tomonsterboy]

Roky Rules my underworld!

[johnjkshusd]

this is the best version, by FAR

[foreveraien]

one of the best 60' song,maybe the best of Bob Dylan.

[Breeze87]

MOTHER4KER is is some great music

[tobytwirrll]

Delicious.

JP ODDWEB where are you ? I'm in the County Bar, Llandudno, North Wales (sometimes)

Peace

Andy

[TulseLuper]

Completely agree. This is my favorite song by them as well.

[KickazzRedhead]

Sooooo glad I found their music on here! :) Whole new vistas to explore :)

[craignastic]

Sweetly Evil Guitar. I Love It when 40 year old music grabs me like this!

[hanniballecturer]

outstrips the dylan version, the focus is on the vibe, not the words

[op10no4]

what a cool and hypnotic song =P

[nownzen77]

almost hypnotic.......love it

[dylonias]

beautiful...i just discovered 13th Floor Elevators yesterday...i'm immediately hooked. this is fantastic stuff.

[trex88888]

A gorgeously shimmering guitar propels  this version along hypnotically, alternatingly smoothly soothing and slightly threatening.

[kooldude947]

@trex88888 totally agree brother. Youll get lost into the music listening to this song

[philonico]

excellent

[Jabberw0cky7]

I haven't heard such a great tune for a long time !

[pouidg]

Rod Stewart may have heard this cover because his song Maggie May sounds like that !

[mgs1970]

Dylan says this is his favourite cover of one of his songs. He's right.

[earlydoorsjones]

To cover a song - with any credibility - that was written by one of the greats, a band has got to keep the integrity of the original, whilst adding something new to it - something that justifies the interpretation. The Elevators' version of Baby Blue is far more transcendently beautiful than the Dylan version. How much of this creation is the result of LSD is no more than conjecture - the fact is, this version demonstrates why reinvention is a worthy human pursuit.

[josephsreilly]

@earlydoorsjones You are all wrong. The very finest cover of this tune is Marianne Faithfull. No flash, no bang, just a complete identification with the meaning of the song. Marianne's may actually be better than the original.

[earlydoorsjones]

@josephsreilly

Hi jose,

I have not heard the Marianne Faithful version, I'll check it out. Thanks.

It is interesting that you thought I made a claim that the Elevators version was the best. I think that the Elevators version is better than Dylan's version - but it is the only cover of the song I have heard.

This is why I am so interested to hear about the Faithful cover - I love the song, so thanks again!

[tremoloheart]

@earlydoorsjones well put buddy. Knock covers all you want, but after all that's what all of us are searching for here. Terabytes more are on their way every minute. I can't say how many times I've pareferred a good cover.

[MrBloodinthestreets]

@earlydoorsjones

Agreed, sir. I very much agree with this opinion.

[mdbball1]

@earlydoorsjones

you need a backhand

[earlydoorsjones]

@mdbball1

Why?

[earlydoorsjones]

@mdbball1

Tell me why I need a back hand.

[Raymantico]

that was quite a long elevator ride...quite nice reeely...

[WalkingonBrainshells]

My favourite version of this song, :) it's so eerily beautiful. Roki Erickson is a gorgeous human being, his music is incredible on so many levels... it's tragic what happened to him, another complex and creative mind tossed to the mad dogs of the psychiatric industry...i'm thankful that at least some of his brilliance was recorded !

[zhivago1970]

Actually, the only main member of the band that is dead is Stacy Sutherland, the lead guitarist, who was shot dead by his wife during a domestic dispute in 1978. A guy who played bass with the band for six months died in 2001, so I don't know what Catdore is talking about. Roky Erickson is still playing gigs and is doing great after a long period of mental illness and disability. Tommy Hall, the jug player, is living in San Fran, but his brain is scrambled from all of the acid he took.

[Catdore]

Glad to see so many people know this band. Totally unique sound -- and this song with those interweaving guitars -- beautiful. If one person could do that, he would be the Dr. John of guitar.

[LetSocratesDie]

16000 and you are saying that its glad to see so many people know this band??in an avril lavigne video there are 100.000.000 retards watching it.16000 are few

[Catdore]

I do not confuse the lifestyle of the band with their music, as so many people do. They believe that you have to be on drugs to do good music. This attitude is supported by the media, which cannot sell a minute of air time without pushing some pill.

Unfortunately all but one member of this band is dead. I'm off to work...

[RazberrieTart]

This song has got ot be my favorite. I love it. Ahh. 13th Floor Elevators is one of those groups that .... you hear one song, and you immediately know you've been born way too late, and wasted your life until this moment, when you hear it.

It's all over now, Baby Blue.

[sydswirl]

the 13th floor elevators Forever man!! much love for life for this band.

rumor has it, bob dylan said this is his favorite cover of this song.

[shadowlord6343]

Very good. I enjoyed it a lot. I will listen to more from them.

[voidforpurpose]

Sounds like a cover from 2008.

Classic raw punkfunk grunge acid intensity!

[OffandOn13]

Man, sometimes I just can't help myself so I type in "crazy christians" in the search box... Then it's like what Mitch Hedberg says about pancakes: At first You're all excited (i.e. one finds it funny) but by the end You're fuckin sick of 'em (i.e. their stupidity actually pisses You off...) Nuff bout dat...

The Elevators is it!

[OffandOn13]

The original psychedelic band! These are my gods, this is my religion...

[SugarAddict]

LOL tell that to one of these fundamentalist Christians on You Tube.

[ClarkeeeeNI]

Fantastic!! I've just been at a mates house watching Switzerland V Turkey in the European Championship. I have no interest in any team in the tournament because Northern Ireland didn't qualify but we got grooooovy with the scene anyway and I came home after the game and typed 13th floor elevators into the you tube search engine and BINGO!!! The best version I've ever heard of Bobby D's greatest song.. Shhiiiiiitttttt, absolutely brilliant band and I'll say that again absolutely brilliant band!!!

[TheNightRambler]

Them do a superior cover of this song!

[panicopter]

i just love this song

[jtravelle]

enjoyed the montage, of all the dylan songs covered by so many artist...this is one of the coupled best. Them's version of this song is another goodie

[milkgodnl]

As a complete outsider .. even one who was foolish enough to pass up their albums in 1967 .. these guys sound trippy. To interpret this particular song in this particular way must have required an altered sense of time that was shared by the entire band.

[hurklinz]

Chesterfield Kings? Please :o(

[sadhouse]

Man there were many bands in Texas , mostly Houston back then , that were great , we all loved this sound and still do . Roky and the band were the high water mark , this was not main stream except for us , Moving Sidewalks 99th Floor sounded like them . Who are you agreeing with ?

[cryingsoftly]

I agree, the only elevator music that comes close is 99th floor