John Martyn - I'd Rather be the Devil

[headcans]

For an alcoholic, wife beater he could really bang em out.

I suppose everyone must have at least one redeeming feature.His was his music.

Recommend the live version on the end of the re- released Solid Air.

[blackened667]

Unbelievable 

[bebiesancho]

great!

[richiep100]

That was all done live. Including amazing video mixing. Thanks. 

[terryeggett1]

John Martyn a visionary song writer from the 60's onwards. I expected greater appreciation of this man's unique talents.God knows why.

[mcyrhul]

Truly trippy

[Bossness123]

cAN ANYONE TELL ME WHAT GUITAR THAT IS?

[26354BladeRunner]

@Bossness123 Looks to be a fairly standard accoustic guitar with a DiMarzio DP Super Distortion Humbucker Pickup bolted into the hole and he's fading between the pickup and the microphone out in front. But I could be wrong!

[Bossness123]

@26354BladeRunner Thank you! I Shall try and do that to my guitar :D

[Anynameslelt]

This guys good, anyone else think dave Gilmore borrowed a note or two for "run like hell"?

[ironfist133]

I guess where Mushuggah come from ^^ hahaha(Y)

[allanronney]

R.I.P BIG MAN!

[Prometheus1st]

I know there is really no comparison...but the feeling I got after watching this was the same 'surprise' feeling I got after seeing Gavin DeGraw by accident by being in NYC and getting free "Dave" tickets.

So raw.

I hope this guy hits it big because...well just because....DO NOT QUESTION ME!

:p

[Prometheus1st]

@Prometheus1st I never knew of this artist. I am humbled that his notice passed me by.

Please pardon my ignorance.

[26354BladeRunner]

@Prometheus1st You are not alone I had never heard of him until I happened on a rerun of this OGWT on TV last week

[ALfaDuB101]

one of my all time favourite artists and its sad that most of the greats have passed on.R.I.P

John Martyn,james brown,marvin,jimi,janis,jim morrison ,john lee hooker,impossible to go through them all.

who are our kids idols today lady gaga,justin beber i wont name anymore because theres a mountain of shit.

[Lastaccountgothacked]

@ALfaDuB101 I'm 19, so you might argue I'm a kid. Hendrix is my hero. And I love this.

[jrockguitarist137]

@ALfaDuB101 a-men :)

[xXFluffyMaidenXx]

@ALfaDuB101 psshhh, Kids having idols who speak out against homophobia and racism. What hope do they have?

But seriously, you might actually want to go and look for proper artist that are about at the moment rather than just naming the equivalent to Donny Osmond and David Cassidy.

Also it's probably been a while since you've been in education so sort out your punctuation.

[ALfaDuB101]

@xXFluffyMaidenXx

lol, the good old grammar police angle, it never hurts but it's fun to read. Maybe if Bieber sung out about poor grammar I'd have a hope.

Your post is a bit of a contradiction.. it's about the music and nothing to do with preventing the lynching of gay minorities.

[xXFluffyMaidenXx]

@ALfaDuB101 It's not meant to hurt, it's meant to help you get a cohesive statement across.

My statement is not a contradiction.

I have made a point that lady gaga, at least, is not a bad idol and she tries to remove all boundaries of sexual orientation and race.

I then point out that your statement is invalid as your generation too, had a load of mass produced music of which none of the artists seemed to have much talent.

[ALfaDuB101]

@xXFluffyMaidenXx

This is not newsnight.....relax, you are entitled to like shit music.

No need to defend being a gaga fan.

[xXFluffyMaidenXx]

@ALfaDuB101 This is exactly my point.

I'm not even a gaga fan.

I just have the respect to dislike music and not call it a huge turd because it's not rock/progrock that came from the 'good old days'

[ALfaDuB101]

@xXFluffyMaidenXx

It's nothing to be ashamed of.

I wonder how many racist homophobes have changed their nasty views on the back of Justin and gaga, do you think that they have been at all effective ?

I call music that I think is a huge turd.... a huge turd.

I also listen to plenty of new music that is great... I don't like shit... and I feel free to say so, as you seem to feel free to try and police my grammar, posts and opinions.

Do you think you have been at all effective ?

[xXFluffyMaidenXx]

@ALfaDuB101

Lady gaga probably has effected many young minds which are the most susceptible to influence.

Having a "cool" person say that homophobic behaviour is wrong will probably change views of hundreds of young adults, as well as influence those not yet old enough to grasp the problem.

I'm not trying to police your opinions, just trying to help you not sound ignorant.

Your grammar does seem to have sharpened up a little so I would have to say I've been effective in that respect at least.

[ALfaDuB101]

@xXFluffyMaidenXx

She probably has not changed any young minds, but she has made a lot of cash mugging susceptible kids of their pocket money.

I don't think you have been at all effective at helping me to sound less ignorant.. to gaga fans, and to be honest, ignorant is what I'm going for.. I'm a winner.

My grammar comes and goes with spliffs, it has nothing to do with being policed by gaga fans, with less hairs on their balls than my chin.

I think she's shit, is that alright ?

[xXFluffyMaidenXx]

@ALfaDuB101 You're obviously too smart, cool and outlandish for me.

[ALfaDuB101]

@xXFluffyMaidenXx

thanks.

[johnmartyntribute]

One of his best!

For more stuff of him, please, visit my channel!

[bathory1234567890]

I wan't this guitar and this effect!

[spifclown]

I am SO glad I found this video!!! I saw John (solo) open up for Yes in 1974 in The Roanoke (VA) Civic Center. I had no idea who he was but I thought then that he was AMAZING--his sound was so THICK it seemed like you could take a knife and cut it out of the air. When I hear this video, it not only sends chills down my spine, it makes me grateful that I was lucky enough to see/hear him in concert.

[atje43]

Fantastic....great guitar sound :)

[QuistTV]

hypnotic. Love it love it love it. Thanks for uploading

[royemembury]

DADFAD



[royemembury]

DADFAD

[GrungeHippie95]

Does anyone know what tuning he uses for this song?

[neilmiknot]

@GrungeHippie95

I think he's in open C... but thats only coz feckin about at the 12th fret seems to fit for the most part

[piptaylor99]

@GrungeHippie95 Could I suggest you try Bb,Fb,Bb,Eb,F,Bb for early 70's JM echoplex'd stuff. and Bb, F, Db, Eb, Ab, C for Solid Air the later stuff was CFCCGD

All the best

Pip

[qmmmmmm]

This is the best thing in the world, rememberd, when he played in bradford---- best time of my lifexxxx  JOHN MARTYN you will always b rememberd

[panzermort]

this is a very old recording of old grey, obv the camera man did the video effect in a kind of thumbs up to john's echoplex and he used this effect to try meld with the music,with I never realised how fantastic an idea it was till your question, its nearly 38 year old tech that vid effect, if im wrong someone will say

[TUCKERZONE]

Wow Thankyou Henry for the Share!!Awesome John Martin

[cosmicrider287]

think this was my big introduction to the great man.john has never been away since.classic performance.

[loislombardo]

@cosmicrider287 thanks i enjoyd this a lot henrey

[ineluki2]

@panzermort I'd Rather Be the Devil was written by Mississippi Blues Master Skip James, recorderd for the first time in 1931. This is one of the things I love about JM. New meaning in old history.

[panzermort]

@ineluki2 yes thank you, ive read up on it this is a fantastic version

[PulpMusicProductions]

killer song!

Does anyone know how the delay video effect was achieved?

[panzermort]

@PulpMusicProductions he used an echoplex (in fact possibly the first to pioneer it)

[PulpMusicProductions]

@panzermort Thanks! But do you know how they did the video effect too?

[PulpMusicProductions]

@panzermort Thanks, but how'd they get the video feedback?

[conniemara1]

the guy was the best.....sad yes that he was a drunk............wonder about his kids..anyone know about them.....just the best.love you JM

[bathory1234567890]

He's so fuckin' hypnozizing!

[biggyoldlady]

this yust amazing he is the most amazing person an all time legend guitar wizzard with a voive to die for do they make them like this anymore????

[ALLAN25115760]

This is Just SO AWESOME! understated at first, but builds into the great piece of music it always was. John's a legend.

[edelweiss1001]

check your local live sessions.......there is always good music out there in odd places....check with street buskers...enjoy

[matthewmaus]

i'm a Hendrix devotee, but this is as far from JH as it's possible to get - and it's magnificent, pure, astonishing GENIUS!xxx - And he was most probably drunk at the time (he died sadly beginning of last year, from complications of alcoholism - he was only 60) but, my god, could he play!

[portabletiger]

John Martyn was a GENIUS. It's a shame he had to go, but he left behind quite the legacy. Not everyone can make a standard their own; he officially owned this song. Rest in peace, good sir.

[adnamanwad]

Fuckin hell...now i know why my brother and all my mates that play guitar love this dude! Unbelievable mastery

[UFOIST]

Johnny takes a cheap guitar and makes it sound like a kings ransom.

[rarebully]

A very imaginative interpretation of a Blues standard. If nothing else it got a few more rock fans turned on to Skip James .

In my humble opinion this track shows what a great vocalist John was. He overdoes the effects peddle, but gets aways with it.

[Pompstah]

Whats the name of this album? I would like to get this. This is awsome!!!

[rezeski]

@Pompstah : Solid Air (February 1973)

[Pompstah]

@rezeski thanks a lot man!

[rezeski]

@Pompstah: It is a very good album. I remember the first time I heard it (on a REALLY crappy "Voice of Music" stereo (one can not refer to this 'record player' as a "system". It probably cost $45... and was junk. But it did get a LOT of use... Doors, LZ, Iron Butterfly... etc et cetera). At any rate, it played and this John Martyn LP (yes, it was vinyl!) blew me away.

[Terry1950Men]

@Pompstah

SOLID AIR enjoy

[iammoog]

crazy CRAZY sounds coming out of that there acoustic guitar

[MARYANNE269]

thank the lord (well persons responsible) for you tube!!

[HerrBigger]

Eine kleine (frühe) Nachtmusik #6

Kann mensch glauben, dass dieser Song beinahe 40 Jahre alt ist?

[philreverberation]

Simply Vinyl are reissuing 'Solid Air' LP on 180g vinyl in September!

[ScowlingWolf]

excelllentte

[IIIIlamboIIII]

What an amazing talent!!! Wonder if the big man just stumbled across a delay pedal one day and thought... that could be good!!! Utter genius with a six string and his songs from the solid air sessions are still relevant today... great stuff!!!

[TheMissFlax]

Hi

I love this track but wish I had it on MP3 as only get to listen to it on my OGWT videotape!! Marvellous.

[marrakeshmama]

Good!

[marrakeshmama]

How good is this!!

[JackDaniels267]

Saw him a few years back at Ayr Town Hall. He was huge and totally fucked, BUT, when he started playing and singing, it was unbelievable. So glad I got to see him live and up close. RIP to a very unique, gifted guy.

[wahwahcolin]

pure utter class...RIP JM.....

[TheSjspen]

Remember seeing this edition of OGWT and being totally blown away by the man and his music and his use of the effects..Amazing...

[pixiewilson42]

Love him.....saw him play twice...he smoked a spliff [made by me..lol] on stage,truly ,honoured !!!

[marcking1975]

@pixiewilson42 :This is a story that bears repeating!

[ShaunTheBeastGonEast]

@pixiewilson42 I wish he had smoked a few more joints when I saw him play in Bolton !

He might not have been so pissed out of his mind ;-)

[SupernalOne]

He sounds like a Celtic mystic in a lotus haze, with the very dark blues

[ev1lted]

bloody awesome - people think they are listening to good modern music these days - bullshit! this is what its all about!!!

[catweasel28]

The only way of spending the anniversary of John's passing was listening to great stuff like this.

[73laurana]

Wow, that was amazing !!! Really incredible. This guy can make some great sounds.

[birdmanbenjibeat]

Great performance!!! I saw him live a few years ago and he was the bomb!!

[godhelpme2009]

Well now that I've seen this gorgeous ,

incredible playing  I can start to guess that some of my favorite guitar playing and songwriting from David Gilmore & Pete Townshend could easily have come their appreciation of the masterful genius of John Martyn.

[woodentops]

omg

[Nuckpang]

My favorite JM song ever, discovered it after waking up at 3 in the morning to find this very video playing on the tv. Best way to experience John. Ps. Lady from NY that I was talking to on Omegle about this, send me a mail through youtube if you see this comment. Cheers.

[Quistontour]

desert eyes by quist was inspired by this

[littleowen212]

rip uncle jonh

[FrankmanCo9]

i've only just listened to this song for the first time, but it shares similiar lyrics with a song by an old blues musician skip james, his song devil got my woman.

[Boyd89]

It's a cover of sorts. Obviously john Martyn put his own spin on it, but the track was credited to Skip James on the Solid Air album.

[woodentops]

yeah!

[ginger1brain]

R.I.P John. There will never be another one like you

[richjarr]

Good tune? This is John Martyn at his total and utter peak.

[weedymisch]

good tune =)

[ecc84]

the magical sound of the echoplex.

great.

[cosmicrider287]

atmospheric.

[jonasser8]

does anyone know if this recording is available on vinyl (or otherwise digtal)?

[mart3442]

The album solid air, various live recordings and the John Martyn live at the BBC DVD has this version of the track.

[electricragtime]

@jonasser8 ...you can get the solid air album on vinyl easy enough

[electricragtime]

@jonasser8 ...you can get the solid air album on vinyl easy enough....and there is a great solid air special edition double CD with an alternative version of this on

[jonasser8]

thanks, i have it but my version has drums on it. so i'll be digging in the crates then. thanks again.

[thekev506]

so THAT'S where pink floyd got their sound from! :P

[rarebully]

One of the most imaginative re-workings of an old blue standard ever.

[andreaprodan]

Best stuff to come out of a white man ever?

[JackDaniels267]

Saw him at a wee gig in Scotland a few years back. He looked pretty bad but fuck me, what a sound from both him and his guitar.Hypnotising! Big loss to music. R.I.P.

[yadnala]

underated when here,I missed him live several times,eat your heart out steve Hillage!

[taxidimples]

i'd never heard of the man until recently..but so far i've found it so easy to slide into his music its untrue!!

loads more to discover and appreciate! this man knew how to write good music and

for this i am truly grateful.. thank you John Martyn

[uncleambient]

Very good indeed.

God Bless John

[gregkeane]

Genius guitar player. john had the blues, had real soul vocally and in his pscydelic harmonysa real spiritual understanding. and also a brilliant lyricist. and with other geniuses flawed in so many other ways. As a guitarist he inspired me

[jandra52]

@gregkeane

[chicotheblue]

Shunned publicity, shunned Singles. Screwed up/Fucked up/Unpredictable, but one helluva musician. 100% quality & a unique talent. The fact that he was mates with Nick Drake, another genius, says it all & makes both their demises so sad.

[Jengybhoy]

Did he not write solid air for Nick?

Anywho....wot a fukin song for one guy to be doin

[chicotheblue]

Yea, the Title Track was written for Nick Drake in 1973, sadly one year before he died. Martyn said " I loved Nick and hated the fact that no-one had ever heard of him"

[BruisedArcade09]

yeh he did

[EuanMcKee1984]

yer he did, as he says in a live video, "i wrote this songe for nick drake who had some trouble with his nut"

[speedytheo]

Solid air was written for Nick Drake not this track.

[panzermort]

@speedytheo Yes it was

[speedytheo]

@panzermort sorry you saying this track ("i'd rather be the devil") was written about Nick Drake or are you saying "Solid Air" was?

[panzermort]

@speedytheo Solid air

[me19276]

@speedytheo solid air was

[ajack2boys]

@EuanMcKee1984 The song you are referring to is Solid Air.

[panzermort]

@chicotheblue yeah Solid air was written about Nick

[Cabronosidad]

God he was good, pushing the frontiers with his Echoplex. Pity about those crappy, 1970's vision mixer effects.

[Woody263]

RIP Still love the music

[0bh]

He did stuff with an acoustic back then that few can do even now, with all the tech available to guitarists. A very underappreciated musician. RIP!

[GANGARENE]

Simply wonderful.

[Eolfric]

RIP John -  beautiful man, thanks for the music

[cjmcge]

JM unfrikin' believable!

the best indeed

rip

[janh77]

sooooooooooooo good.  whew.

[swdf11y]

untouchable man, simply the boss

[peterudon]

can't believe I've never seen this clip.

Anazing!

Thanks for posting

[lazur1]

A crucial altering of the Skip James lyrics: From: "...than to be -that- woman's man..." to "....-my- woman's man..." followed by the last verse's change from: "...he stole her back again..." to "...I know ... he'll steal her back again...". From "I'm glad to be rid of that woman", to "I can't leave that woman," by changing two words.

[Loz999S]

Thank you for posting this. Amazing, amazing song. Unforgettable.

[dougreid1]

Amazing guitar effects.........!! John was always experimenting. He was so innovative & We ALL Loved him for it!!

Phil Collins has talked of his "infuriating Friend" & He having worked with him for the best part of 30 Years truly Loved Him.

We must All take John's Music to our Heart & Pass it On to future Generations

for them to Love & Enjoy. Only that would be a fitting Epitaph for the Big Man!!

His Handshake was a firm One! I'm

glad I met this Genius at least once in my Life Doug Reid

[shanie670]

in my view you cant replecate the sound the voice or guitar style,the man will be sadly missed. rip john

[catbirdtree]

Now you can rest at last John xxx

[tvslime]

SUBLIME!

R.I.P. John.....Thanks for the music!

[aisuru1876]

RIP John

[Wozzlock]

Pure magic!

[leonio10]

this just get's better every time i see this! had the privlige of supporting him the last time he play holme firth folk fest! fantastico!

[dannyjonesband]

god the edge wouldnt even occur to me. why even mention him, never heard him do anything reminicent of jm. all i hear from edge is sub standard mush

[talkingwall]

meh, I can hear the influence. Nobody ever said he was nearly as good - cuz he ain't - but you can hear that sound in damn near everything the Irishman did/does.

[talkingwall]

Also have to wonder how much of robert fripp's soundscapes, that started with tape loops, was influenced by Martyn. Lot's I'd say. Fripp just took it 100 miles farther.

[Nyquistic]

Skip James

[antiochus66]

i wonder how old mr edge from u2 was when he first thought..

i will have those techniques.

u2 fucking suck.

mr martyns the man

[talkingwall]

you know, I'd never made that connection but you are absolutely correct. Actually that lineage goes more like this:

John Martyn-->Charlie Burchill-->Edge.

[gnomebottom]

Nice cover, but not on a par with Skip James' version...

[WayToTheGrave]

John Martyn is the only reason I kept my acoustic guitar. Clapton is nice, but what a voice this man has with his instrument. "Solid Air" sounds like an album that came out of late 90's experimental bands, not the 70's. What a genius.

[MuNkYBizNess]

Top of his game, true legend

[trapper94]

I love john martyn. some player!!!!

[metalfingers3]

awsome this, my mate showed me this off an old vcr recording off ogwt. amazing

[Rhyminpsymon]

Blows my socks off, I only knew the album version. Thanks ;-)

[kintoreloon]

Sometime the world will catch up ...........and realise the musical legend..we had in Scotland..as ever genius is looked back apon and not visualised

long live king john

[preachermatzi]

He's not analyzing, those who play guitar enjoy and need to know this kind of things

[nzrik]

Who cares about the tuning? Sounds good, stop analyzing and enjoy it.

[suzwill5]

tomscotland - tuning is not CFCCGD. That's nonsense!

[shinytinhead]

the man had everything

[rootberg]

LOL. this is so awsome. Never heardanything like it. He really experimented with his sound after his first record hehe.

[brenhollhunt]

The music's bouncing all around the room-awesome!

[teamboomboomrats]

just A.W.E.S.O.M.E ! thanks for the inspiration.. when I first saw this, I got out my echo pedal and wrote Desert Eyes.. THANK YOU Quist

[nahojgrooc]

great stuff- He came to play at my school in 1968 - first time I experienced an echo pedal!I was transfixed.

[warbastard]

did he really do the dirty with a cow?

[jonasser8]

wtf?

[skycladwow]

Now that is guitar playing, may he never forget his sweet mystery

[gudeljj]

A man with a guitar, but what a man and what a guitarplayer.

[micallo58]

He was at least ten years "before" the others! Great guitarist and singer!

[drohnwerks]

great performance, great song :)

[Sketchmonkey777]

Does anyone know how to play the really melodic part in the middle, or even have the tab for the song

[tomscotland]

tuning CFCCGD - echoplex - thumb slap.

[engl63]

I think there's a Mutron involved as well.

[Romperjet]

Somehow I didn't expect this kind of sound to come from him - but I love it!

[SteveCaftdunt]

Absolute bliss, mae ya never !!

[ibanezrg470]

sweet as fook,can't wait 2 c this guy playin at the rotterdam bar belfast