Elliott Smith with an orchestra

[pezza5]

Shame this didn't happen 10 years later when the whole thing would've been recorded and put all over the net. Unlike most I've always preferred Elliott's Figure 8-type songs with bigger production to the earlier acoustic stuff.....I think inevitably he might've toured with an orchestra, and that would have been something dreams are made of. But I guess I'll never know...

[EDOM666DEVORE]

i use to sing between the bars to my pet rat and its ears perked up every time elliot or i sang it it was the sound track to that rats life

[tysondigital]

@EDOM666DEVORE quite a literal interpretation. your comment is hilarious.

[ilcongia]

genius



[rafecolii]

I would buy this record. Is it for sale? and where can I buy it?

[JackieFuckedup]

I hear junk bond trader and if I'm not wrong, color bars at the end?

[tamedturtle85]

IMO Elliott was one of the greatest song writers of our generation. Regardless if you like his studio mixes, voice, or lyrics, the man could write fresh, complex, chord progressions. He wrote mostly on piano (being his first instrument), and usually wrote and recorded ALL of the other instrument parts himself. Amazing how he infused classical music with rock. There are a lot of great singers, and guitar players. However, very few great songwriters and maybe once in a generation great at all 3.

[tamedturtle85]

You are all technically right because 'emo' is an arbitrary term thrown around to describe music today. However, it is not accurate to say he is 'emo' colloquially. That is reserved for high school bands that play two notes, call them chords, with heavy distortion. All their songs have progressions with the same I IV V pattern place into a 4 bar phrase. When they sing I do get depressed. Not the ES soulful sad bliss, but teenage angst and wonder why I was ever lame enough to think that way.

[stainedglasseyes1]

3:19 .. his hands are chubbly :3

That's adorable.

[0xOBIEx0]

Junk Bond Trader :)

[janderkin]

Emo is Man... So suck it

[WeARySOULdierS]

Elliott was folk/acoustic/epic

[purspice]

Brilliant.

[chickenlicken]

@ everyone talking shit - fuck off with all your emo shit and just enjoy the music, if you don't enjoy it, find something else and shut the fuck up.

[mrbungs]

For the record, "Emo" is the stupidest of all musical classifications. All music is emotional, therefore all music would be emo... Elliott was Elliott. If he didn't transcend classification, I don't know who did.

[ezekieloak]

Um... Anyone else got the YouTube compression fail going on? I think I can count the number of squares on my screen.

Yup. Looks like a 15x15 grid.

Amazing my brain can still process what's going on.

[crackdan4life]

sounds like Junk Bond Trader

[UtBDan]

what song is this?

[mark1800]

at the end - mullet WIN

[thesaintoz]

interesting fragments of Figure 8... I kind of recognize Color Bars and Junk bond trailer between the notes

[QuistTV]

cool!!

[RockRican]

Dude...cameras back in the 1800s had better quality than this...nonetheless, I appreciate the upload. The orchestra is fine

[sprinklesonaplane]

why do orchestra conductors wave their arms around so much? the musicians don't even look at them

[Sukuraidogai]

@sprinklesonaplane The arm waving signifies the beat, and yes each orchestra player keeps the conductor's arms in the corner of their eye at all times. The conductor basically controls the beat as well as volume and various other things in some cases.

[johnnysurefire]

Retarded. dont tag this with his name

[UhumUhum13]

I would looooove to play in such an orchestra!

[timtoady]

is the full recording available somewhere?

[D28JB]

Gees that is shitty video!!

[FormerZero]

I think I saw an infant somewhere in ther...

[dmoap]

pretty bad stuff tbh...

don't get me wrong i love elliott smith, but this wasnt for me at all

[postyesterdayman]

@dmoap It's not a song, it's the backing strings for two songs you probably like but are too dumb to realize you are hearing. It's not supposed to be heard like this. The first one is Junk Bond Trader from Figure 8. Go listen to that and then maybe you'll understand how music comes together.

[littlest1ofall]

@postyesterdayman hahaha!!! that was so mean lol!!!

[zeedi0]

@postyesterdayman Junk Bond Trader is such unbelievably good song.

[brunobliss]

@postyesterdayman don't go round telling humans how to enjoy music, i too skip tracks like these, to be honest the most intense tracks rely solely in Elliott and his accoustic guitar, but you see, that's my opinion.

[utubenicholas]

and 'color bars' ( from 3:35 )

[utubenicholas]

I can hear junk bond trader for sure ( from 1:45 )

[charlesobama]

@utubenicholas

everybody cares everybody understands

[Crbsee]

Hey! Its elliott smith...with an orchestra

[descerebro]

thats what she said

[FelixTheSpaceBear]

Elliott Smith isn't emo but his fanboi's totally are.

[jacmas]

People, shut the FUCK up about emo faggots, Don't EVEN compare them to Elliott Smith. Because I'm sure Elliott didn't like a dick in his ass.

[manrantas]

but you do, dont you :)

[jacmas]

Good one.

[T3hL337Sesshy]

I'm sure Elliott Smith would also disapprove of your homophobic bigotry.

[jacmas]

He's dead though, so he can't disapprove.

[dmx1910]

@jacmas ha first you stuck up for him, and then just ruined yourself for making that last comment..

[jacmas]

I love Elliott to death, I posted that comment to see what people would say.

[Skankindragon1]

Both have no place in the new world, Give up The South, you Lost. @T3hL337Sesshy

[stopcicles]

@jacmas What's wrong with dicks in asses?

[guitarpro1231]

junk bond trader isnt it

[guitarpro1231]

DUH Retard

[ganuenen]

what is the point of this meeting between elliott and the orchestra? is there more footage? and did they ever complete any songs?

[JunkBondTrader007]

uhh yeah..have you ever heard Junk Bond Trader? lol

[ganuenen]

these people aren't on his album version of junk bond trader

[AnastasiaExpert]

The orchestra was used in the Figure 8 album.

This particular part was the background of Junk Bond Trader.

[jizzy00jarsh]

ive never been to college and im the shit :]

This video is awesome :]  not great quality but i love Elliott.. i wish i could hang out with him once...

[xianstar]

Sorry to tell you, but I thought you should know that he's not with us anymore. He committed suicide. Sorry.

[dakanektr]

potentially, but much more likely to have been murdered. the physics of stabbing one's self just dont add up to a successful suicide. coupled with a shaky account of the incident, theres almost no way to feasibly believe he killed himself.

[WithTheLightsOut]

First is Junk Bond Trader, then you see the sheet music for Color Bars.

[whitestripebuzz]

people please dont reply to 'jesusjerkoffisgod' he only does it for the attention.

[Iskalla]

My Chemical Romance ARE NOT emo, as valid a genre as emo is it practically died out in the eighties/early ninetees. If was just an offshoot of hardcore. To revive it on the form of pop rock bands is pretty sad, but that seems to be what happened. Most people think emo stands for 'emotional rock'...

[purpledrohaze777]

There's still some real emo bands out there today that are good, although not as much. There's still some good quality emo bands like Algernon Cadwallader and The Appleseed Cast.

[breeeegs]

Elliott Smith isn't, and was not, emo. He was a singer with a very unique sound, to try and pigeonhole his music into one generic category is insulting. Plus, I don't like the word emo. It makes me think of whiny, over-privileged kids complaining about their problems, and that's definitely not who Elliott Smith was. He wasn't part of some teenage fad. He was a genius that took his problems and turned them into art that people could understand. That's what an artist does

[purpledrohaze777]

I never said that Elliott Smith was Emo. I can't describe what genre Elliott would go under, his music is like something I've never heard. Plus emo is a really good genre of music. Emo never had a relation to the stereotypes out there until the early 2000's. Bands like Dashboard Confessional and Fall out Boy aren't emo! Look up real emo, believe me it's really good music!

[breeeegs]

I don't really consider fall out boy a good band. They are definitely not on the same level as Elliott Smith

[purpledrohaze777]

I don't either!

[swedenboy10]

deffintely not!

[swedenboy10]

no. emo goes under goth and that shit. Elliott Deserves his own genre. We'll call it smith.

[purpledrohaze777]

Didn't say that Elliott was emo. Emo is a genre of music, and does not relate to goth or scene kids at all.

[kieran514]

Elliott isn't emo, it's more Baroque/Chamber Pop or Folk or Rock, he jumped around a lot.

Emo is just a term that emotionally retarded people lump elliott into because their musical education is very limited.

[degas5000]

@kieran514 indeed!

[Skankindragon1]

New days emo derived from Screamo which came from Early days Emo, get your shit right kid. So yes, some could call this Emo, but only in the early beginners sense. like Modest mouses 1st CD compared to their most latest work. Ick.@kieran514

[kieran514]

@Skankindragon1 i know what 'emo' is derived from, and what it's beginnings are, but they aren't elliot's. i'm referring to people bluntly saying "this is emo" as a blanket term for anything that is remotely sad or remorseful -- i should have said "emo is a misused term that...."

[Skankindragon1]

then my bad for the defensive stance. core of both of our passions?, Elliott kicks fucking ass. and will for eternity. @kieran514

[nick4man3]

@kieran514

Shut up. He played folk-rock. None of this neo-chamber baroque proto nu-folk whatever bullshit. Does he really need a genre title, or can we just say he plays Elliott Smith music?

And by the way, by definition, he is technically emo. Emo is short for emotional. The fact that you let everyone else skew your own perception of what emo means is your fault. I'm not saying I like that word and I would never use it otherwise, but... just sayin'.

[kieran514]

@nick4man3 yes, he played folk rock, but like i said previously, he jumped around a lot, and yes some of it was "neo-chamber baroque proto nu-folk whatever" -- he played everything. so we both agree that he played elliott smith music. i'm not quite sure why you're telling me to shut up, since we're both saying very similar things. emo or emotional, yes, almost all music is emotional, that's why i don't like elliott being lumped into 'emo' because it doesn't really mean anything, but elliott did.

[nick4man3]

@kieran514

I just hate when people split hairs like that over what genre an artist falls under. At this point people are just making shit up. It doesn't really matter what the genre is. He played guitar and he sang. Sometimes there were strings involved, but the Verve had strings in their music. Does that make them baroque/chamber pop? Of course not.

When people ask me what genre an artist that I like is, I just say "I don't know. Listen to it, you'll love it."

[kieran514]

@nick4man3 yes,i agree with you completely. genres are pointless and restricting, and they've gotten out of control, post-new-wave etc. elliott played whatever he felt, and that's what we love about him, my previous post was merely a frustration from him often being lumped into "emo" when he was so much more than that. --- i was only trying to list some genres that elliott played, to relate for these people that need to plunk people into genres, and unfortunately plunked him into "emo" PEACE!

[ilovesteves]

@kieran514 'Emo' means emotional, Elliott Smith's music is very emotional, and it was a big part of that whole 'emo-acoustic' style ten years ago... Saying he's not is just pretty dumb, but I get you don't want him to be associated to that scene.

[KimJongSick]

@ilovesteves Just because a bunch of musicians learned all the wrong musical lessons from Smith's work doesn't mean he was at all affiliated with that stylistic movement. There's a reason people differentiate between emo and Elliott Smith. The reason? Elliott Smith could convince me he invented depression. The rest? Not even in the same solar system as him.

[ilovesteves]

@KimJongSick Bright Eyes got called Emo, Sufjan got called Emo, and they were just songwriters, it's a dumb term, I'm just saying it looks dumb saying he isn't Emo, as if you disengage the term to any kind of genre it just means 'emotional' and all music is emotional... Elliott's is in some ways more powerful than most. - in a different solar system 'emo' wouldn't be such a hated expression.

[KimJongSick]

@ilovesteves Why are you wasting my time by arguing semantics? I understand that you desperately want to be right in a discussion on the internet, but the fact of the matter remains that the term "emo" has evolved to mean something considerably more distinct and specific than "emotional music," and just because people abuse the term when trying to berate others' taste in music doesn't mean they're right to do so. Just because somebody says a song "rocks" doesn't make it rock and roll, dig?

[ilovesteves]

@KimJongSick I dig... i was never arguing with you haha. I fucking hate what constitutes that genre...

[Haudposterus]

@kieran514

actually in the ninties, emo was considered a respectable genre of music, just like screamo was with bands like Saetia and Orchid, its the mainstream bands that have floundered these titles

[kieran514]

@Haudposterus yes, i know

[davidoffon]

@swedenboy10 Smithsonion as he make a lot of people cry over recipes that just ask why, then stir it till you dye your stressed out grey hair,.

[gauntstory]

Pretty sure they're playing Junk Bond Trader

[otahectic]

what song is it? i cant tell

[ganuenen]

color bars

[99bota]

Beautiful.. as is all of ES's musci

[jesusjerkoffisgod]

they r playing homage 2 a dead homo emo

[hermie365]

Name one thing you've done with your that would warrant a symphonic tribute.

[AnastasiaExpert]

And, hey, you're the one watching a video of him on Youtube. Thanks for paying (not playing, retard) homage to this genius as well. :)

I wish Elliott was still here so he could make more amazing music and kick your obviously ignorant ass.

[bradshawvincent]

stupidity tries

[lative]

Well nice to meet you homo.

:p

Im not sure what the definition of emo is to you, but the last time I checked EMO is not a person or a type of music.

So you must be confused. its okay. It happens.

[jesusjerkoffisgod]

hahaha...confused was yer dad the night he got too drunk n thought he picked up a young boy but it turned out to be yer ugly dike mom n 9 months later u slid out so u can say you are the by-product of serious confusion lil emo fag

[lative]

are you psychic? haha

[cheasea]

You're Dumb and sad, but it's okay, we need people like you to clean our sewers and hotel toilette's.

[jesusjerkoffisgod]

hahaha...by coincidence, your male kin n da niggaz in your trailer park team up n make a human urinal outta you afta they gang bang u. pathetic fag

[cheasea]

I recommend you go back to preschool, learn how to talk, learn how to write one word properly, get a college education and THEN come talk to me.

[jesusjerkoffisgod]

hahaha...did that one fag. had a great teacher 2, your mom! everytime she'd change my diaper i'd piss on her face n tell her what a ho she was. she loved it n said u r dad does da same 2 u

[cheasea]

Hahaha, How sad when people who've never been to college or had any real education always think they are the shit. My friend, I feel sorry for you. You have horrible punctuation, horrible grammar, horrible sentence structure, but above all, horrible comebacks. You used to get changed by my mother, pee on her face and tell her what a hoe she was? .....No wonder America is going to hell. How does it feel to really, but really be as ignorant as you? Go ahead, waste your life away....

[jesusjerkoffisgod]

hahahahaha....i can shit in yer mouth free of charge

[ContractKiller84]

gangbang is actually one word. i know, i thought it was crazy too when someone corrected me.

[jesusjerkoffisgod]

hahaha...no doubt u learned that word by first hand experience by your male kin

[ContractKiller84]

yep. got room for one more. you in?

[ContractKiller84]

your language is offensive!

[kimberley2therescue]

emo is a type of music!

[lative]

really?

are you positive?

go into a GOOD record store (not some wanna be amoeba hole in the wall shit hole), and is there an EMO section?

No!

So are most 60's bands emo then?

[kimberley2therescue]

Emo is a subgenre more so of punk. Look up punk on Wikipedia and you'll see.

Music shops dont have parts for every genre/subgenre.

My Chemical Romance is an example of a emo band. (I used it because it is well known).

When was the last time you saw a section for Anarcho - Punk ? Last time you saw a section for Electro Pop, Happy Punk etc.

There are subclassifycations and shades of grey to music.

[Zargon314]

this bullshit discussion/argument is on every damn music comment box, give it a rest. nobody cares.

[acorn2taco]

what song of his are they playing???

[minimei1001]

they are playing "Junk bond trader" from Figure 8, I guess....

[binzing]

yeah this was during the recording of the album.

[shadrussell]

it's wonderful to hear the composition - he was such a masterful craftsman.

[deathshore]

The audio quality is good but the video is pretty pixelated.

[hannah0904]

i just found out today one of my friends met him TWICE.

i wanted to cry with jealousy

ahhhhh!

[brokenimages]

in case anyone was wondering ..this was originally released on the dreamworks web site . i remember seeing it back then

during the recording of Figure 8

first track is for junk bond trader

then of course we see " color bars "

this was also released with the other

" in the Studio " videos with elliott playing piano and skateboarding ...

[potentialcarnie]

Do you have any idea where one could get those now?

[Wodey25]

This makes me want to get a cello in addition to the damn violin. Also I want to see an Elliott Smith concert :(

[XjayXcoreX]

I agree. I wish I would have seen him while he was still alive.

[natnat4114]

too bad he's dead, sorry i'm drunk

[smackrobotics]

really, you get drunk and surf the net?

[mac3805]

It happens

[minimei1001]

I do that too. Haha

[beaglehowl]

who doesn't? I always end up watching Elliott Smith videos. I'll leave it at that.

[LemonStirfry]

i wish there were just a string version of each of these songs

even though the orchestral parts are mixed into both junk bond trader and color bars, by themselves they're great too

[Steelyking6725]

there is a sting quartet cd out on elliotts songs. its really good.

[LemonStirfry]

wow, didnt know that. is it vitamin string quartet?

there is an album of elliott smith songs all played by a classical pianist, Christopher O'Riley. It's called Home to Oblivion and it is incredible.

[r00tabeggas]

brought a tear to my eye..

[ertwyu]

Color bars sounds great.

[13cronaldo17]

incredible footage

[iiirhd]

end is color bars

[willae1]

i think they out it in because the baby looks like its conducting a little

[Jiveness]

The baby is probably the conductors daughter or something, and she must have demanded in her native tongue, (azn) that the baby be in the video...But seriously, this video is pretty sweet.

[SgtSanchez]

Asian actually isn't a language.

[ertwyu]

Really? :O

[SgtSanchez]

are you being sarcastic?

[ertwyu]

Yes.

[SgtSanchez]

well that's a relief.

[skitsopaa]

that baby was giving a little drama

[cruxvader]

conductor looks awesome

[maddynelson]

uhhh...

why is there a random baby in the middle of the video?

[capnbrappn]

I think the beginning of this ended up sampled on the intro to Coast to Coast off From a Basement on a Hill

[capnbrappn]

maybe not actually, but its very similar

[kidtriangle]

It's from Figure 8's "Junkbond Trader."

[johan371]

yep, and it almost sounds like coast to coast

[BobaFettTDG]

This gives me chills.

[benb6725]

The album is so great. I love elliotts music and the strings versions are a must hear.

[ruukaoz]

it doesn't sounbd great without the other instruments, but they never meant to be heard this way.

[OptimusPrimus001]

wow,it has that dark and brooding sound.

[HyphyDeagle]

this is elliotts orchestration

errrr

[whois12356]

i wonder if elliott has orchestral compositions he never revealed? they would fo sho be sickk.

[Mooch1124]

i 100% agree with you my friend

[smileitsmag]

i 101% agree with you my friend

[smileitsmag]

i 101% agree with you my friend

[stienabolt]

loved the coloured bars bit at the end. just awesome

[oimabel]

absolutely adored it

[themmmarvels]

I had tickets to see Elliott play at the Festival Hall London with a full orchestra. He cancelled due to 'recording commitments'. Or was it drugs. Or was it orchestral problems?

[jupis20]

hey did he write these parts (of his songs) out on staff paper for the symphony and orchestra to play?