Jack Bruce & Leslie West - Theme For an Imaginary Western (Howard Stern Show)

[kjnyankee]

YES! I've been searching for this song for so long. I would occasionally hear it play on HSS, but never knew the name of the song or artist until today when they were playing it on "Best of". So happy to have found it here as well. Thanks!

[horonziton]

that voice!....the composition, the guitar!...it's all good!...always loved the song...

[GuitArch54]

Jack Bruce was the genius of Cream. Disraeli Gears is an amazing album still. Dance the Night Away is great and many others.

[candlesburn]

Fan- f-ing tastic!

[blackandtanful]

ｼﾞｬｯｸ･ﾌﾞﾙｰｽ､身震いするほどの名、当時､"想像され­たｳｪｽﾀﾝのﾃｰﾏ"はﾛｯｸ･ﾏﾆｱの子守唄だった!～功労­のひと

[MsRoeby]

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[fgldnglbs]

Didn't know you lost a leg until tonight. We sent out a meshabarach(healing prayer) for you. Be up and around soon.



[funghoul710]

one of the greatest moments in the history of radio

[depper]

@funghoul710 I agree with you 1000%. Well said.

[EventStream]

Without a doubt, the GREATEST musical moment of the Howard Stern Show. And that's saying something, but this was simply awesome. The combination of the song, the artists and making it happen across a damn phone line? My God.

[FrankenSensei]

Did somebody say Grace Slick could sing this song better than Jack? Get the hell outta here! All you gotta do is listen to Jim Carey doing that Grace Slick impersonation of "Want Somebody to Love" and that says it all.

[FIERO871]

The song is titled Theme FOR An Imaginary Western.

[MrOwenw405]

Great, great version, it would make Felix proud. Also glad to see someone knows the correct title to this song, Theme FROM An Imaginary Western.

[salfademas]

GOD been looking for this clip for so long! Thanks for the post!

[78Revolutions]

Just heard Jack perform 'sunshine of your love' the other day on Stern (older tape), And want a copy so bad. Bummed its not on here ;(

[NewPaltz75]

I agree with those who've written that Jack never got his due as far as his vocals with Cream, but it has I believe he might have been the first to play chords on the bass! What can I write about Leslie West? He may be one of the greatest guitarists of all time, though in the shadows of Hendrix and Clapton. Anyway, I heard this when it was first on Howard, and the most amazing thing is that Leslie was in NY and Jack was in the UK, so there was delay w/the satellite, but they still did it A-1!

[jaaguero]

I agree DaDa2Phlux. And Eddie Vedder is an horrific singer IMHO :)

[alnot01]

Bruce was indeed splendid with Cream. Here is voice is good but not great, not as good as Pappalardi. And imagine what Stevie Winwood -- or Grace Slick -- would have done with this tune. Bruce's true greatness is as a songwriter. He wrote these lyrics and this iconic melody. It is a great power ballad.

[ifutureman]

@alnot01 In all fairness, Jack didn't write the lyrics, Pete Brown did. Bruce rarely if ever wrote lyrics. But he sure could write the perfect music for others' words.

[Cugel58]

@alnot01

Pretty much agree. but it was long-time collaborator Pete Brown who wrote the lyrics to this great tune

[andycarterjr]

Jack Bruce is one of the most underated performers of all time. Theme For An Imaginary Western is one of the most beautiful rock melodies of all time and never got it's due.

[bassbaine]

Chills CHILLS mother fuckers! I got chills. 

[sonnyg3111]

They replayed this on labor day awsome that its up!!

[sadiebella1234]

Beautiful! Just re-aired on Howard 100 and it literally stopped me in my tracks. Thank you so much.

[wisesatyr72]

Beautiful..you will never hear this on the radio..shame

[bentpolski]

God Bless Jack Bruce!

[yourpaljc]

Smokin' Jack.

[notfragile33]

I LOVE Jack's voice! Much has been made of his playing, but he is simply one of my favorite rock singers! He sings this as brilliantly and jazzy as I expect him to! The "Frank Sinatra" of rock!

[jones12a]

both great singers felix just sings this better. Felix is a better singer, more control, range, and vibrato but Bruce is a much better rock and roll singer.

[Swampbuoy]

@jones12a

Felix sings it better?!!! As much as I enjoyed Mountain, Felix P. was Jack Bruce "lite".

How can you even think such a thing after hearing Jack rip the shit out of this song?!!

Jack Bruce never really got his "due" as a solo artist, because he was way ahead of his time. He was far more evolved musically, than most of what was going on back in the day, and really - even now.

Long live Jack Bruce!

[jones12a]

@Swampbuoy guy, its a fact that felix is a better singer "by the book"...but felix's voice isn't as original as bruce's thats all im saying, both are great versions i just prefer the way felix sings it...sue me

[fgldnglbs]

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for posting this!! It's been off and on my mind since the day it aired. Since the original, the best version of Bruce's best-loved song. OK, co-writing credit.

[bentpolski]

cougar1233 your kiddin me right?

[Niceguitarthat]

The best !

[netboy04]

I heard this when it first aired. I have no idea how Leslie was able to sync up with the delay on a transatlantic phone call. Un-frickin-real.

[RensStella]

pure dead brilliant!

[finster963]

I am so glad to find this. I have loved listening to this version since the first time on Howard. Chilling

[univibe23]

Good heavens Dog! I vote him on to Hollywood for the A.I. finals!!!

[depper]

Check the Great Fatsbies' Leslie West/Mountain Fan Site greatfatsbies~dot~com.

Sign up to our forum at:

greatfatsbies.forumotion~net/i­ndex~htm

We are going to cover Leslie West, Mountain, The Vagrants, West Bruce & Laing... and all things ROCK & ROLL.

[phillydog17]

Jack bruce can sing baby!

[cougar1233]

I like Felix 's singing better than Jack's. Of course Jack iwas older here and not in his prime.

[bobgure]

Who the HELL can sing like that?!!

No one compares to Jack Bruce in anything he's done.

[maryquant1967]

YES. that's a fact. I have been listening to rock since the 50s, starting with Buddy Holly. And Jack Bruce is the man. What a voice.....like something from another dimension....full of emotion and drama...he pulls you in. There's never been another like him. HAS NEVER gotten his due except from people like you who really get it when it comes to rock.

[chuckdee121]

If you like him so much, why don't you marry him! :-0

[fauxfungi]

@maryquant1967

AMEN!

[BLUESMANRONCHICAGO]

@maryquant1967 TOTALLY AGREE !!!! i have been a jack bruce fan since his days with graham bond, through his days with Cream and all through his solo career. has one of the most distinctive voices in rock, and can play piano, bass, cello, harmonica and guitar, MULTI TALENTED !!!!

[jaaguero]

@maryquant1967

Agree. Even tough I respect Felix and Mountain a lot, Jack Bruce is a waay better singer than him. He didn't have a great voice per se, just decent pitch. In fact Felix himself said that Jack was the best singer he had heard!!!. Not only from an emotional or subjective point of view. Many vocal teachers and professional singers I've talked to say that Bruce is technically speaking, one of the finest and best trained voices they've heard in popular music!!! It

[robmatlivingstone]

@jaaguero Totally agree - you can hear where ozzy got his style too (not a fan)

[spacepatrolman]

@jaaguero mick taylor quit the stones because he was a teenage vegetarian that didnt want to become a dope addict from hangeing around with keith richards like grahame parsons he wasnt getting label credit from writing songs with them and he was tired of playeing honkey tonk woman everynight so he started a fusion group with jack bruce.

[DaDa2Phlux]

@jaaguero Anyone that doubts you -refer them to Jack's song "Dreaming" off of "Fresh Cream ".His pace and breathing are close to perfection on a song that could be regarded as just filler.He doesn't "sing" from the throat -like Eddie Vedder ,but from the diaphragm.

[radiootoo]

@bobgure BUT! as you know, we have the THEME album as a result elsewhere on TheTube! Miraculous match made in the dust of the sunset West/Bruce...

[BLUESMANRONCHICAGO]

@bobgure jack simply stated has one of the most unique and powerful voices in rock history!!

[bobgure]

@BLUESMANRONCHICAGO Yes! I'll raise you one by saying that J.Bruce's uniqueness extends way beyond any easy definition or category.. One of the few in 'pop' music that I wouldn't hesitate to call 'genius'. Sad that even now he never got the proper recognition.alas. Didn't have the 'market-ablity' of a Clapton, who most, people think was the 'essence' of Cream. Makes me sick. Don't get me wrong, i'm a pre1970 Claptonophile but beauty and sophistication of Jack never caught masses

[depper]

Leslie West sounds better coming out of that phone, in fact would sound better coming out of my alarm clock, than most guitarists of today sound LIVE.

[phillydog17]

Leslie West playing over the phone.

[scslacker022]

They played this in the intro to the Stern show a couple days ago... It's the best version out there IMO...

[phillydog17]

More proff that god exists.

[phillydog17]

Magnifico!

[scatafaragus]

this is an amazing song..thanks for posting.

[janeythebrit]

just beautiful , Jack .....makes me fall in love every time

[ciavattiella]

The best rock ballad

[depper]

I was 18, senior in high school, and had never thought the radio could sound any better than this. Leslie's tone is purely recognizable even over a TELEPHONE! :) This song (and to a lesser extent many other songs Leslie performed) really MADE morning 92.3 K-Rock in New York the most innovative place to go to, to hear the best Rock music. No other radio station was as cutting edge.

Leslie West and Howard Stern WERE rock radio in the 1980's.

[depper]

(typo - cross out morning....)