Paul Butterfield Blues Band "GOT A MIND TO GIVE UP LIVING" Live

[ruudschulten]

Mike: for me one of the best, what à band Paul had those golden years ..

[dngndl1]

nobody else played like this around 66 now you know where cipollina and duncan got some of there sound.

[oldbump]

This lineup. These guys.......they were beyond belief.

[rayrightmusic]

No its not a remake of anything its a classic in its own right long before BBK knew how to play guitar Harry Potter brain ! You may need to realise 6/8 time is a generic rhythm in blues going back to African roots.

[StringTherapy]

My favorite blues song of all time it's a remake of the song "The Letter" by BB King I have that version too...love both.....amazing song...

[darlene1029]

Fantastic!! thank you for sharing ZINEDINE05

[coralnumerocinco]

fuckin blues! love it

[anshanfield]

Wow! What a find; I am mind-blown.

Thank you for posting this. This truly hits the deeper regions - and I think it's one of Bloomfield's sweetest.

Oh to be there..

I agree with "mississipi..." that Otis Rush deserves credit.

Since I was in high school, this song has consistently "worked".

[MrTimdrums]

Yup, that’s what we we’re listenin to here in Sacramento in ’65, ’66 . . . wearing them blue work shirts, Levis, shaggy hair, just trying to cop stuff off records: Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, James Cotton, BB King, Freddie King, Albert King, Taj Mahal; hell, even Spenser Davis Group, Manfred Mann, Them, Ten Years After, Yardbirds, Mayall - - - - anything, anything that smacked of the blues. Fortunately, I learned to shuffle from hearing and seeing Art Blakey. Good times! Still good.

[gingervytis]

@MrTimdrums Great summary of what I too was doing as a young bass player in San Diego, '67 or so... thanks for the memories!

[mississippisheik1]

Did see anybody give credit to Bloomfield for copping Otis Rush for his delivery and intensity....but I will. This is unbelievable, though

[mississippisheik1]

Did see anybody give credit to Bloomfield for copping Otis Rush for his delivery and intensity....but I will.

[huzzer060883]

amazing version but check out peter greens version man his voice is totally insane on it. think there is too much going on here to capture that emotion.

[robhiggmusic]

Thanks for posting this. looking forward to hearing the other posts. Butterfield Blues Band was an early and strong inspiration for me. Got to see PBB often in my early years. What a treat to hear them again as they were then. I listen to East West at least once every 3 months or so but hearing this stuff is absolutely phenominal. thank you much for posting !

[mikebloomfirld66]

IM GLAD YOU BROUGHT THAT UP LORDFLUXINGTON..WHAT MIKE BLOOMFIELD WAS PLAYING IN 1966 WAS WAY BEYOND ANYTHING ANYONE WAS PLAYING AT THE TIME. WAY OVER CLAPTONS HEAD....

[diatroptoff94]

i dont everyone really mad at me for saying this, but it feels like he is really trying to copy green on this.

[lordfluxington]

@diatroptoff94 This live performance was 4 years before the live Peter Green version you refer to. In fact the album released with this track on it (East-West) was released in 1966, a year before Fleetwood Mac even formed. BTW, I like the Peter Green version as well.

[scottduncan44]

Perhaps and IMO the best guitar work on any version of this.

[oldbump]

What a jewel. Thanks so much.

[oldbump]

The soul of the blues......pain.

[bwoodward0949]

Saw PBBB at the old Fillmore with Bloomfield and Bishop just before they left the band. It was the East-West show. Totally amazing.

[mikebloomfirld66]

@bwoodward0949 THAT MUST HAVE BEEN AMAZING.I WASNT BORN UNTIL 1966 BUT IVE ALWAYS BEEN FASINATED WITH GUITARS.I DISCOVERED MIKE BLOOMFIELD ABOUT 7 YEARS AGO AND HE IS BY FAR MY FAVORITE. ROCK ON MY FRIEND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­!

[acerods]

CRIPES!!!!

[pessimist131313]

Does anyone have any version of "I pity the fool" ? If so, can you post it. Thanks

[acerods]

Never heard such expressive/emotional/soul bearing/gut retching guitar and harp work ever. Clapton seemed second rate and boring in comparison when I saw him with Cream at the Old Filmore&Winterland and very boring with Derek And The Domino's at Frost Amphitheater, Sanford , Ca.

[felson99]

Great music, thanks for the upload......

[acerods]

Saw PBBB in 1966 at the Old Fillmore Aud.

Mike and Paul were brillant. 2 weeks later on the men's room wall. "Mike gives Clapton lessons."

[nokiefujii]

Hi ZINEDINE05,Many Thanks for sharing.

I like mike Bloomfield's sound.

This version is also good.

"Mind To Give Up Living" of "East West" is the most favorite.

Best Regards

Fujii

[ETILETA]

AWSOME

[emdrat]

Is anyone gonna help JoeDawg key this thing or what?

PB and MB RIP

[StevenCreates]

Saw Butterfield Blues Band at Fillmore West in 1969. Elvin Bishop was lead guitar. The other band that played that night was It's A Beautiful Day. Hippie times.

[JoeDawg15]

Someone help me key this damn thing. It sounds like Db minor, but that's a really weird key for this song - it was in B minor on the East-West album, if I'm not mistaken. If it's in Db minor, it means Butterfield is either playing a low F# harp or a B harp, two very uncommon harmonica keys for blues.

It sounds a little flat....could it be in D, with the track being slowed down a bit?

[TheSnidge]

@JoeDawg15 It's coming out in C sharp minor.

It sounds like a low F harp ( tape is fast rather than slow)but they weren't out in '66 so I guess they were playing in Dminor and it's a G harp..In any event the pitch has got skewed.

Remember it's a bootleg recording..I think the studio version was Cm,but I'ld need to check.

[TheSnidge]

@JoeDawg15 Re my post below 'East West' version of this tune was indeed Cm.

[screwmaster404]

Paul's vocals and playing on this song cut right to my heart like none other. The lineup he put together on the first two records made me a blues fan for life. Hearing this shows why Mike Bloomfield called him the real deal. He is scary good.

[JoeDawg15]

Some of the best second position playing over a minor blues I've ever heard.

[harpinwolf08]

Man, I would love to have been around to see them! Thanks for posting!

[IdaGno]

Caught them live at the Guthrie in Mpls sometime in '67 or '68. That little 1100 seat theater wasn't large enough to hold them - they were a giant in the house.

RIP

[PATAGONIKat]

dios tokaba la guitarra y se llamaba Mike Bloomfield!!! astro de la guitarra!!!!!!!!!!! impresionante!!!!!!!!!

[mrgoodvibrations]

Too blue......almost.

[rwm48]

This East West album version of "I Got A Mind To Give Up Living" would be one of my 5 only songs for the desert island. Bloomfield's solo was so off the wall different and great. Saw Butterfield live about 3-4 years before he died and man was he coked out with the rest of the band and they just weren't all that good that night. PB was playing harp okay but the group he was jammin' with on the whole just wasn't cuttin' and it was kind of sad. PB was one of the best in his hey day.

[jimsonIL]

You nailed it rohinisuta and jazztemple2 this is a strong second. Saw The Butterfield Blues Band twice in a small club, Sunday night show for under 21 kids. It was right after he added horns and I can put myself back there in a minute, it was that powerful.

[fergie50k]

Wish in some ways I was about 5-6 years older, I picked this track up with Peter Green playing it in the early 70's, in all fairness to both these guys they played the song from totally different angles and it is impossible to compare both versions. Having said that, I wish I could play either, then I would be a happy man. Enjoy both versions because blues and the electric guitar does not get any better any time any where

[soltisimba]

Peter Green did this about 3 years later. Bloomfield was simply the best guitar player in the world for about three years. Hendrix knocked him from the top, but things really went in a different way then. The one guy I saw back then who could blow me away like Bloomfield was Buddy Guy. And Beck, Page, Hendrix and all of them will tell what an influence Guy had on them. The flow of notes from Mike's fingers was just f'ing superb -- in any era.

[rohinisuta]

This is how I remember the 60s. Their whole East-West Album. This recording doesn't sound near as good as the album. I have always said that this is the best blues song ever recorded but not this version. Go to i-tunes and plop down 99 cents and buy the version from the album. You won't go wrong buying the whole album. If you want to know what we were listening to in the mid 60s, check it the album. I even have the plastic lp.

[jazztemple2]

...EAST/WEST came out! Holy shit! Forty five years later, and I still find "Work Song" raw, vital, invigorating...simply wonderful playing! RIP Paul Butterfield and Mike Bloomfield. We will miss you. Thank you for the amazing music.

[jazztemple2]

rohinisuta,

You are SO freakin' correct!  I remember first hearing Butterfield on an Elektra recording that had one song each by 12 (I think it was) artists. I had been playing folk music up until then, and was BLOWN AWAY by the one PBBB tune. And then I bought the first PBBB album (vinyl, of course). And then.......

[wagross7]

Paul was an Original... Peter who????

Saw them at the Troubadour 1966, not bad!

[backfromthedead22]

Peter Green

[waylo4526]

hot damn! why was i born in 63 :( i missed all the good music the 80'stotally suckes ass!

[ladySEGOVIA]

I LOVE music like this. There's SOOO much that I want to learn about old blues stuff. :)

[Wally773MTG]

this is far from OLD blues

[acdcfantic]

not bad i like the harmonica a lot. still, peter green cant be beat in this song.

[jdillmeister]

the old peter green owns this song....

[rayrightmusic]

THIS song has been my main inspiration as a musician since the late 60's .I believe its his best work together with In My Own Dream. I just loved this guy so much.PBBB was the only thing that made any sense in my lost soul adolescence.

The voice is unlike anybody I've ever heard

but there's this total package sound that only Paul could command+ I do not know how he did that but it stands out every time I hear it again. THANKYOU from AUSTRALIA

[ZINEDINE05]

youre very welcome !

[Juliasblues]

I am soo with you. Me, since '69. Ain't nobody can be like The Paul Butterfield Blues Band.....R.I.P. Brother Paul...PeaceLoveBluess

[bharfarar]

I'm right there too, Australia. PBBB was the sound that saved my head in the 60's -it was a tumultuous time. I stayed away from drugs, wasn't drafted, but the nuns and priests really did a number on me a few years before. Just a SoCal beach boy blown away by Paul Butterfield. I'd go back in an instant if it were possible.

[BLUESMANRONCHICAGO]

@rayrightmusic PAUL was my inspiration to become a harmonica player, first heard him in 69, started playing then when i was 16 and am still playing now at age 57. had the chance to honor paul at Buddy Guy's legends bar several years ago when i performed Born in Chicago, and dedicated it to his memory. I always dedicate my songs that i do to the artist before i start, letting people know who the legends were and the precious memories they left behind with their music

[clarkewi]

@rayrightmusic This album "East-West" was a revelation to me also. I bought it in late 1966 and the first track was "Mary, Mary". Since the Monkees had a hit with it - the contrast was stark. Many great records came out at this time especially "The Doors" (I lived in LA at the time). The winter 66-67 changed the world. Many didn't survive. Including Bloomfield. I lived in San Francisco when he died there - broke, OD'd on junk in his car. You can feel a premonition of his death in this solo.

[BLUESMANRONCHICAGO]

@rayrightmusic yes sir, for me too. Paul is the reason i started playing harmonica 42 years ago, i'm still playing and always pay tribute to him when i perform.

[jamesjackets]

@rayrightmusic I am a young musician, and this song is my inspiration. Lost Souls Forever.

[jag555y]

I just heard Peter Green's version. I am still in shock. Awesome.

[Bleadbelly1]

This is good but PG's version is astounding!

[jameshcopeland]

i concur.....this is great but peters version is amazing. his best work i think.

[bobrat]

Sweet, Saw these guys as a Kid. This sounds great !!

[ZINEDINE05]

youre one lucky man!

[bobrat]

Ya true but Old too ;-))

[x8xx9871q]

Zin--"Got a Mind to Give up Livin'" is and always has been the most moving blues I've ever heard. When my father died, it was only when I played this song (the one on East-West) that I broke down and cried. To hear a live version of it--very powerful harp and guitars--is a treat of the ages for me. Thank you so much.

[ZINEDINE05]

youre very welcome !this blew my mind too !

[BLUESMANRONCHICAGO]

@x8xx9871q this is powerful stuff, i have blues band in chicago and always do this song and Born in Chcago as a tribute to Paul, who was the reason i started playing harmonica back in 69, and i'm still playing

[BlueBlueFeelin]

thanks guys. i like that intro on east west, could have been mike to my acclimating ears. nothing compares with mikes first solo tho. sounds like a crazy indian horse suddenly jumping out of the gates! or something, but it's awesome. i love the process by which you become more and more familiar with a musician's sound.

[hotdaveog]

BBF- Elvin Bishop was the lead player in the band before Bloomfield joined. Bloomfield did most of the soloing but Bishop did get his licks in most notably on the songs East-west and Work Song.

[BlueBlueFeelin]

i see that elvin bishop plays rhythm on this, and after mike left the group he played lead. did he also play lead while mike was in the group, or was it prettty much just mike?

[ZINEDINE05]

elvin had his moments,but mike for the most part played lead.elvin has the opening solo on east weast before mike explodes with his indian raga licks!

[Noitpure]

Cool version of one of my favorite songs! Thanks....

[ZINEDINE05]

the crowd certainly got their moneys worth that night!

[Jenscool]

@ZINEDINE05 ...and his fire swallowing in the East (Fillmore)West! ...u can bet that was a hot show! Glad I saw that...changed me life.

[sam19851]

Listened to this a while ago Zin dunno why i havnt commented yet.

It's some of Bloomfield most climatic guitar work in my opinion, so powerful.

HE NAILS IT!

Thanks again Zin.

by the way i have subscribed, thought i did fucking ages ago so sorry! :P

[ZINEDINE05]

TYPO,LOL!

[shrine52]

White boys also have the blues!*****