Jack Kerouac on The Steve Allen Show

[jackblacksutube]

supposedly, Jack is holding On the Road as he reads but he was actually reading the intro to Visions of Cody. by memory?. Im jealous how Kerouac can write without stopping or sorting his thoughts. the ability to pour it out like a machine.

[YoungAndBalding]

damn closing my eyes and listening to him reading almost brings me to tears..

[538921]

One of my favourite writers. Thanks for this clip.

[Chucklehead1234]

Catastrophe ballet......said the puddle to the ocean!

[catastrpoheballet101]

3 weeks? Where's the depth in that?



[andyparra3]

@catastrpoheballet101 Oh, oh...that novel is amazing

[catastrpoheballet101]

@andyparra3 I havn't read it yet. But Im just saying.

[hmahmo]

@catastrpoheballet101 Try to get a hold of the 2002 Penguin Classics edition and read Ann Charters' introduction. She goes into great detail and elaborates on Kerouac's painstaking attempt to perfect the novel. People disregard Kerouac's total time and effort put into making the novel and I'm sure his simple "3 weeks" answer was to save himself the hassle of repeating himself time and again.

[CurtisThorpe]

No! He spoiled the ending for me.

I'm sure I'll still enjoy the hell out of it.

[nervsykins]

You're supposed to snap your fingers not clap!! Lol jk

[hmahmo]

@nervsykins haha

[jackblacksutube]

"Anyway, I wrote the book cause we're all gonna die."

[sylvonlama]

Will someone please break his fingers!! That piano playing is insulting!

[jackblacksutube]

@sylvonlama his poetry is jazz. the piano complements his words.

[0live0wire0]

@sylvonlama are you serious, Steve's laying some smooth lines, goes great with the reading, creates atmosphere.

[finchandcoffee]

sometimes when everything seems to be falling in on itself, when people forget the poetry of the human heart as they loose themselves in their egos, nothing makes me feel better than being out at night, anywhere, thinking that somewhere in the world someone is sat upon a rusted fire escape, with a heavy heart, someone is out stoned outta there squash wondering what everything is within the confusion of human life, and that they are looking under the same sky, with me, like keroauc once did

[MooMooManist]

@finchandcoffee Well said. You also have decent writing.

[PorroFirst]

Annoying the host playing piano at the same time..

[JuneBee55]

@PorroFirst Yes, I agree! Sorry I posted the above comment before reading yours! x

[jacktala1]

Jack Kerouac was an alcoholic, who slowly killed himself. his drinkining was the irony of his story.

[tomelifeisjustonebig]

@jacktala1 Damn his drinkining!

[h21xme]

*to read

[h21xme]

Ne'er could I pretend that I will ever approach Kerouac as a writer. Though, I'm grateful I was given the chance read his works. Certain writers resonate with certain people, that's the majesty in art. Kerouac touched me, as I'm sure he did so many of the people that looked this video up. Thanks @2lostbikes for posting up this longer version that I find myself revisiting so often. And thank you Jack.

[thegtank]

Wouldn't be surprised if the early Tom Waits was inspired by this! Very cool.

[jackblacksutube]

he was ridiculed by the traditional writers who couldn't experience what Kerouac wrote. those jealous bastards

[andreaprodan]

Kerouac briefly describes the awkward 'american' , steely, staged approach to this and other TV appearances in his lyrical, excellent book 'BIG SUR'.

As always, honest... a true poet.

[ethanichols]

i need a TIME MACHIIIIIINE!!!!

[lalaurenvictoria]

anyone know where to find this movie online

[dcsabe]

chill with tha godamn PIANO! i can only listen to one genius at a time

[newworldpeace]

What a combo ...wow!

[thevigilanteoflove]

What a weird style of interview with the guy playing piano during it. pretty cool though.

[hckyman5589]

man..digging this..not sure if their is a writer who can top jack reading over jazz..much love to everything he gave us

[cdphatty]

man that jazz fits perfectly

[MarkusA1988]

Warum zur Hölle spielt der Typ Klavier während er jemanden interviewt?

Why plays this guy piano during the interview???

[2lostbikes]

@edrickhanity Calm down. The clip from the documentary was already edited like this when I found it. If you know where to find the full interview, I'd love to know.

[qwertyuiop78945612]

I love this man.

[niceworkmicrosoft]

This is why television is dying . . .

[goodvibesallround]

Literature and music together are so important for writers. Jack Kerouac...Jazz, Hunter S Thompson....Rock. What is next i wonder?

[aebelmonter]

@goodvibesallround some hipster wanabe dude with lady gaga

[goodvibesallround]

@aebelmonter If so these are sad days for music.

[hmahmo]

@goodvibesallround Twilight and Lady Gaga so it seems.

[ilikepikles5]

i think the piano adds to the reading, the only kind of music that would fit, this is the music jack liked to read to

[magneteye]

"I wrote the book cause we're all gonna die."

[gtrrs71]

Listen guys you would not have this small, elegant bit of Kerouac on video were it not for the great Steve Allen - the man who saw fit to put it on his show way back when. Have some fucking RESPECT. Okay?

[charlesfrith]

First class.

[CreamedCheesed]

Listen pal, will you stop playing that bloody piano for a minute so we can talk!

[blabbidybab]

yeah what's the deal with the piano...it's ridiculously distracting, mr. kerouac even seems to find it annoying

[BigBagsForRent]

lol the presenter is hilarious. "Hey Jack I'm sorry to ask such a square question" *plays a chord* "what paper do you use?" *plays another chord*

[MattisSoderstorm]

It almost looks like Jack is pained to talk about how long he was on the road. 

[magneteye]

@MattisSoderstorm He was shy and didn't really embrace the fame...

[MattisSoderstorm]

@magneteye

yeah i could see that too

[Zemblan1]

Yeah, I know- I have absolutely everything Jack did/wrote and have been to Lowell and his grave (in fact I was the only one there on October 21 2007, a beautiful Fall day!) and etc. I meant that Steve Allen seems a wee bit condescending here, esp. in his answer to Jack's mentioning Whitman as an influence. But I know Jack liked Allen...

[Dalamari]

Follow this up with US Blues and all is good

[AegirIII]

OMG! I heard the recordings but never seen the vid.

Thank you.

[goodvibesallround]

@AegirIII did u know he's not actually reading from on the road but from a short story he wrote before the book has been published.

[VaticanExplosion]

Why he don't stop that F&%"ing piano and let Jack speak in silence?!

[navojoARISTOCRAT]

fuck, the film better come through!!!

[deframj]

This is a mix of Visions of Cody and On The Road which was most likely typed on a sheet of paper and slipped in the front cover of the book he is holding. In Visions of Cody it is "sleeping in me raw bed alone and stupid", but here it sure sounds like he says "was stupid". There are other slight differences from the printed word, probably because it just sounds better this way.

[Zemblan1]

Bless Jack, Steve Allen tries to act so coooool...

[fidelitysalesman]

@Zemblan1

No offense man, but Steve Allen was already naturally cool. In fact, Jack and Steve did jazz poetry recording sessions not long after this recording.

[ManilaSyndicate]

It's impressive how a drunk man can read so well :-). Of all the Beats he was the natural performer, even better than Ginsberg. I like the part where he reads the last stanzas of "On the Road", memorable lines to end a landmark novel. And Steve Allen's accompaniment was nice too.

[ManilaSyndicate]

@ManilaSyndicate Ooops, last paragraphs I mean.

[1004w12]

Speaks of America when the getting was good,but more pure than that, back before anyone knew that they were getting at all, Jack just was, and for that he will ever be. There is no more America like that, nor Americans,we are credit card receipts, birds afraid of interest.

[kittyburgha]

The letter his mother wrote to him about the death of his cat Tyke in 'Big Sur' it's heart-breaking

[SYR81]

Doesn't jack actually read "visions of cody"? Even though he's holding "on the road".

[elfcanread]

Ohh I adore this.

[bSangs]

came here for Kerouac, but I have to say that Steve Allen's feel for blues piano is pretty impressive.

You can say that again . . .

[timothy8017]

two things mr. allen asks kerouac if he was still nervous about being there he shakes his head no judging from his bio he probably had a couple of belts before coming out second i read on the road with that particular cover it was a chunky little book and i still feel the comfort and joy holding it in my hand

[Maarji]

i'M CRYING. I WANNA HUG HIM AND CRY, CRY CRY...

[SuperPussyFinger]

This is more than mere typing.

[seadogbob]

...and don't you know God is Pooh Bear...

[merkinmuffleypotus]

I'll go to the movie, but if I hear or see anything modern... I'm going to droop out of there like Groucho Marx. Cigar in hand and way gone.

[nickycoley1]

@merkinmuffleypotus Kristen Stewart is going to be in the movie

[merkinmuffleypotus]

@nickycoley1 Yeah, but as MaryLou. Not as prevalent as Sal and Dean. Side character. Don't have to like her.

[vinnynumbnuts]

reminds me something of rap

[HolyFerdinand]

@vinnynumbnuts bebop.

[dreamwheasler]

@vinnynumbnuts it IS rap. before rap was 'rap"

[vinnynumbnuts]

@dreamwheasler yeah

[Healthypig1423]

With the whole On the Road movie, I don't see them transposing that important musical element of Kerouacs work, that atmosphere. Not that it can't be done. I've already seen Jazz become film in 60's Godard.

[bornwithoutwarning]

Jack opened himself up and exposed himself completely, even to the point of ridicule, so that no one else should ever have to feel ashamed about anything.

[dreamwheasler]

@bornwithoutwarning yep. i don't really think we know how hard it was to break down some of the doors we so freely stroll through now. jack and lenny bruce helped free our tongues.

[citizenterryk]

@bornwithoutwarning you got the spirit of Jack within you.........don't ever lose it, for anything!!!

[TheDoorsAreOpen1]

@bornwithoutwarning and he suffered from it, but I think it was for the greater good of the rebellious generations of America. In my mind, he's an American hero

[twentytwoandeight]

@bornwithoutwarning Ahh so that was the art of it , im begining to understand.

[seans10]

@bornwithoutwarning That's so true.

[JuneBee55]

@bornwithoutwarning I'm irritated by the constant tinkling piano (although I love jazz), but in this instance it was intrusive and distracting...

[mielazul]

ROSETTA WEST

[StraightPunkEdge93]

Jack Kerouac is my new hero. I hope i can become at least half the writer that he was.

[col52]

"my heart broke in the general dispear,and opened up inward to the lord"

what if there was know lord,i think jack opened up inward to himself, the god within

.

[henrymoonfortune]

Kerouac was a brilliant writer. He died when I was only eight years old but still he managed to inspire me to spend my life writing novels.

[sweatersnug]

@henrymoonfortune same here. Kerouac is so inspirational

[zztopblue1]

someone needs to upload "what happened to kerouac" docc it was amazing but the user who posted deleted

[Remington61189]

ed o'Neill would've been great as kerouac in biopic if he was younger

[johnmcparadisio]

If you love Kerouac like I do, check out my new book Road Trippn' (by Sean McLaughlin), a tribute to Jack; youth; Freedom; Love; God; sex, drugs, rock'n'roll and America set across the country and culminating in the streets of NYC, a month prior to the attacks of 9/11. Check it out at Amazon.com and support another working class artist from one of America's other former industrial glory towns - Cleveland this carnation around instead of Lowell.

- John McParadise

[O18134]

One of the best books I've ever read by far! 

[whattheholf91]

Yes yes yes! Dig this cat!

[misterd699]

so awesome!

[MargaritasAntesPorco]

all of On the Road more or less encapsulated in one great paragraph at the end, which Jack K. reads beginning @ 4:21..."So,..." Frankly one of the more memorable paragraphs in 20th c. american literature

[FoxIslandman]

Far out

[bostonboyo]

This piece is how I like to think of Jack Kerouac ...A little (or a lot) drunk ...in suit (no tie) ...handsome ...young ...reading his work ...soft jazz gently guiding accompanying him ...

[NastyNatey]

love Kerouac. RIP

[WoofManToronto]

Wow!

[ArthurSalt]

Beautiful 

[textbookjunky]

the piano sucks

[ariasbrian]

To all those unfortunates who perhaps have not been made aware, JAZZ is the backdrop, the scenery if you will over which Kerouac would write his material. Steve Allen's playing is a natural extension of the writing and conversely of the BEAT GERNERATION...

[BenNCM]

@ariasbrian You started so well....

[ariasbrian]

@BenNCM I did not mean Steve's BRILLIANT playing persay as I meant Jazz in general...the type of music as opposed to Steve's particular "artistry"

[DarkRiver756]

does anyone know on what page that segment he read is on?

[kstreletzk]

@DarkRiver756

Kerouac is reading from the end of the book. Read the "Original Scroll" version - with everyone's real name. "I think of Neal Cassady, I even think of old Neal Cassady the father we never found. I think of Neal Cassady. I think of Neal Cassady."

[Pearlmonroe]

RIP Jack, I love you.

[kevluv93]

That was amazing.

[TheMiniKinderGarden]

@chesterkaye  i dont mind taking the time to soak in his words whenever i get a chance. It may sound like alot but its less than 30 min total and i usually listen to this while starting to meditate. Id rather spend my time watching this than anything else so i suppose to each his own. Besides Jack is my favorite author/poet. Stay Up :)

[mewletter]

Now I'm hoping the upcoming "On the Road" movie will be able to capture at least the essence of the Beat generation, letting the current generation experience what it was like...

[yellowpowerranger94]

correction: after watching this when i read his books i just imagine him saying it with a jazzy piano playing in the background. it's fantastic.

[ivorytower54]

@yellowpowerranger94....me too!

[chesterkaye]

5 times a day?! Maybe you could cut back a bit and go out and find your OWN road....

[TheMiniKinderGarden]

I watch this at least 5 times every day...

[Domydoor]

this is too cool

[AllKindsaGirls]

@rvm3rd128 dude i don't care who you are, or who you quote. jersey shore is prime example of everything thats wrong with this generation.

[3NaturalSixes]

The verse with the piano too cool.

[mikepiazza]

Like cool man, way out!

[theoldbeagle7]

if you li Kerouac, you have to read Smoking in Bathrooms. This guy, Muldoon, is a big fan of the BEATS, but he make fun of them as well. HILARIOUS!

[AllKindsaGirls]

@rvm3rd128 jersey shore is for twits. get real.

[theSupertonesurf]

man,you don't know jack.................

[jacktala1]

GOD...you people are pathetic..jack is...was a great writer....and THats IT.....READ all of his work ..then come back here

[youhavegeniusshins]

I came here for Kerouac, but I have to say that Steve Allen's feel for blues piano is pretty impressive.

[quigonpaj]

@youhavegeniusshins

I agree, but to be correct, it's JAZZ piano, baby!

[youhavegeniusshins]

Let's agree to disagree...Either way it's lyrical and lovely.  ;-)

[dorkus54]

@youhavegeniusshins allen's virtuosity on the keys was only one of his many, many talents. he took chat shows into areas considered taboo by networks in the 50s and 60s, substantiated by this interview w/kerouac...

[ImaniHekima]

@youhavegeniusshins The presenter Steve Allen plays some very cool piano whilst introducing AND interviewing his guest, Jack Kerouac. Jonathan Ross couldn't do that. :-)

[jimbobklyn1963]

@rvm3rd128 got it! embrace it all. thanks.

[idic5]

I * THINK*OF*DEAN* MOR * I * AR * TY

[sweatersnug]

@idic5 i loved that ending!!

[sweatersnug]

loved it when he said that!!

[stbaptiste78]

@idic5 TI JEAN FOREVER.

[catholicpriest1]

Early color television.

[rds1958]

Kerouac sensed early on how empty and materialistic US culture was becoming and he reacted to it..he saw it as a form of social insanity ...I wonder what he would think about where the country has gone since he wrote On the Road? I suspect he would think it is heading in the same direction but just further down the road..

[figocooldude]

7 people were never on the road.

[logisthenewlinear]

The reading starts at 2:04.

[keir2411]

you can see where tom waits gets his inspiration

[ziggy1415]

@keir2411 I'm glad someone else thinks that... I've tried to explain this to people and they go, 'what, Kerouac ws a drunk, kerouac didn't have a clue, kerouac is for teenagers...' not just tom waits but Dylans lonely shrouded traveles and Neil Youngs boys out on the weekend too... easy

[MrTerryKay]

In the face of genius, to ask how many feet the scroll is, or whether background music should accompany the reading is missing the point.

I'm neither here or there on the music myself, but to hear a genius read his own work is awe inspiring.

If Van Gogh lived in our modern mass multi-media pop mag circus, would we ask which brand of paint he used. Ask if he wear Nike and eat McDonalds.

[MrTerryKay]

@MrTerryKay

Excuse my dyslexia.

[alfacinha32]

This man is a legend. The world needs more Jack Kerouacs. More Allen Ginsbergs. More William Burroghs. More Neal Cassadys (Dean Moriarty)...

[b33cux]

bennors is right. The piano belongs. The whining about it doesn't. Go groan alone!

[treewashingmachine]

that book is amazing

[bnuttnleelee]

Great man, but I'm sorry the piano is distracting.. It's like 'what up with that' from SNL.

[imsolive89]

what a sad life , great man

[jovialduke]

i saved my own life

[deeproni]

I'm fond of his style of typing, speaking and ... thinking. Great man of beat generation! RIP

[eslgurucalif]

Cool guy and he comes through authentic and a bit nervous. Can you imagine a writer getting headlined in such a way today? An interview on Oprah's couch is about the best they can hope for.

[AcedMoney777]

looks like Daniel Craig

[johnnycoolkids]

this is the coolest interview ever

[onthegoldenline]

He saved mine too.

[lgsintheparty]

he seems so saddened when he says he was on the road for 7 years, it may be just me but those years probably left a mark. fuck what do I know, i'm just a reader, a fan, another human, my word means nothing, it was probably all his life that fabricatted this.......... but I know nothing, as do all of you,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,as do all of us

[kstreletzk]

@lgsintheparty

I think Kerouac loved Neal Cassady. Really loved him.

[MetrazolElectricity]

kerouac is sooo drunk, as always

[NoteBook3901]

That was really impressive.

[wertheriano]

the best writer of his generation

[13Knives1]

Hot damn did that man have a way of speaking...

[halliemoyer]

i feel like it takes a certain kind of mind or even person to like jack. idk, as gay as it sounds when i read his stuff i feel connected. it's crazy shit that most people wouldnt be able to understand, but as i said it just isn't for all reading levels/tastes. <3 jack forever

[TheCkarate]

Guess what? I fucked Jack Kerouac's neice HAHAHAA!!!

[jimbobklyn1963]

awesome...and to think this was on television. prime time. people are "entertained" now by "the jersey shore" are we dumber now? or is TV just dumb...?

[Nomadxx11B]

@jimbobklyn1963 TV is just dumb! All one has to do is listen to people talk, to realize how mediocre Western Civilization has become since the 60's.

[EdMahoney19]

When you hear him read his own work, you see what he was driving at. It takes on an unexpected rythem and depth when he reads his own work.

[jezmundberserker]

This is the first live footage of him being interviewed I have ever seen. It's amazing.

[danger0usknowledge]

The high point of Jack's celebrity life.

I like how the character of Allen Ginsberg

in "Howl" says, there were no Beats.

There were just a bunch of writers

trying to get published. All the rest

is the result of masterful PR,

friends of Ginsberg, good drugs,

good editors and the legacy publishing

business who are still publishing books

about Allen, Jack, and Bill. Unbelievable!

[maxapotamus]

I wish he made an audio tape of On The Road. I mean it sounded cool when I read it, but not nearly as cool as it sounds from him.

[MegaSEAL2]

Steve Allen was a genius in his own right.

[slowdream101]

that cocktail pianist reminds me of liberace on acid

[dmbfantony]

@eloyeah thank you very much ;-)

[festsj]

Isn't he reading two different books here?

It occurs to me that the

''Anyway I wrote the book cause we're all gonna die''

section comes from the book ''Visions Of Cody''?

Could someone elaborate, please?

[mikeinjaxfla]

@festsj

You're quite right. According to the new Beat Movement book, "THE TYPEWRITER IS HOLY" by beat bibliographer Bill Morgan, Kerouac wanted to read from Visions of Cody, but the producers wanted him to read On The Road. He simply slipped a few pages of Cody into his manuscript and they never caught on.

[werytraveler]

@mikeinjaxfla HA!HA! Nice I didn't know that.

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[jacktala1]

omg...i am neal cassidy's illigitmate son!

[dmbfantony]

Any idea which pages he is reading from?