Billy Preston - Summertime

[fooloof]

I'm in love with a woman...and her name is Leslie.

[fooloof]

god DAMN!

[Fitzliputzli23]

Whenever the harmonization in a late Beatles song gets remarkable intelligent - it is most probably Billy's work. Check out this line:

F, (F), C, Dm, C, (C), A#, Am, G, (G), F, (F), C

;)

[Wajlonis]

There was visible presence of Bach himself during the performance.

[sugapablo]

@Wajlonis yep Bach was sittin' in the back row, shakin' his head, sayin, "Gawd Dayum that's good!"

[Wajlonis]

@sugapablo I sometimes wonder what would Bach do if he had been given Hammon organs. Then I turn on some Jon Lord or Billy Preston and I don't wonder anymore ;)

[buggzo]

I need to know what he is running this through

[papagaio1696]

He was a real musician. The technical part wasn't a problem. Anyways...he was very funny

[crazykeyscj34]

OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOD BEAUTIFUL thats how its done that is the B3 TRULY UNLEASHED

[Jaskarsis]

AWESOME! does anybody know what drawbar registrations he's using? just a rough guess would be helpful :D

[keithappleton]

@Jaskarsis probably approximately 344567788 - a smooth slope from the left hand side - with loads of reverb on this one.

[TiuDindia]

Meraviglioso



[alexJet100]

Если бы Гарик Харламов не выступал в Comedy Club, и был афроамериканцем, и играл на Хаммонде, то точно был бы Билли Престоном!)

[Sonicfrontiers2]

B.Coenen, I need some shitpaper.

[oldbump]

Oh my !

[beaverteeth92]

Is this on an album?

[CatchDude]

Man, this was like... Having a nightmare and a wet dream at the same time, while in a bath full of sweet, warm honey. This kinda music is completely new to me and this just blew my mind, haha!

[webagent90]

This is the real music!!!

[MrCoolbe12]

so much for real music.........WOW

[lilbtm506]

i watch this over n over i am still awesome.

[mariodw4]

Simply sick!

[Denvermorgan2000]

aMAZING!!!1

[charlie2434]

Love the way he says bach

[KingCrimson776]

#bachswag

[ENYCE43]

MORE THAN SPECTACULAR OR AWESOME!!!! WHAT A BLESSING AND ANOINTING GOD GAVE HIM AS HE SO SKILLFULLY DEMONSTRATED THIS GIFT.

[happyfillings12]

WOW !!!!!

[wolverine90061]

This was one of my teachers while he was @ F.A.M.E. in Los Angeles under pastor Chip Murray. This man played with the Beatles and the like. Rediculous instructor. He's been gone almost 10 years and i still work hard at what he taught me. The runs has taken me years to perfect and I still faulter. I miss that type of playing. It is clear, clean, concise, organ. This is his R & B side. I wish some of your could have seen is GOSPEL PLAYING SIDE. REDICULOUS. A LEGACY LEFT AND A LEGEND GONE.

[domm1999]

22 dislikes is nothing from nothing, Billy Preston was a Prodigy plan and simple, nobody has been nor ever will be in the same Universe on the Hammond B3 as Billy Preston there isn't even a close second place.

[CapitalsMusic]

thisss is ear bleeding material if ever i heard it. poor quality and loudness of recording work in contrast

[VintageSH]

Applause + 240p + Headphone = Bleeding ears.

[TheRealFatBen]

This is swag

[TheManFender]

A legend already during his lifetime!

[MrJbkendell]

This makes Will Smith's version look like child's play.

[don1carter]

@MrJbkendell Not the same song. This is the "Summertime" from the Gershwin opera "Porgy and Bess." No relation to what Will Smith and Jazzy Jeff did.

[sooperfukker]

Whoo whooo !!! Beyond craftsmanship, ahead into art !

[djmalue1]

THAT WAS FUCKN BAD AS FUCK. HES ONE COLD MUTHAFUCKER ON THAT ORGAN. NEVER HERD OF HIM BUT I WILL MAKE PEOPLE FIND OUT.

[MSC007]

one of the most underated and undercredited musicians ever.

How much I gave to be able to imitate ray charles' voice that easily and amazingly...

[Wajlonis]

Moment from 0:27 to 0:31 made me cry. It can't get more beautiful.

[zzzut]

Preston is the best. I am a B3 player myself and I never could make my instrument meow the way he does his. Awesome!

[AFiestOfFriends]

@awaken77

I think he also played on a handful of the Rolling Stones' albums too. Or, at least one or two.

[JasonDeCristofaro]

Yes!! Get it Billy (600 million likes)

[Mritde]

too bad he's gay. :(

[boyritmo1]

GREAT!!!!!!!

[lynntre69]

I watched his Unsung 5 times and am in such awe of his GIFT!! He was amazing!!! R.I.P. Billy Preston!

[dcbandnerd]

Holy Moses! That was a PERFECT imitation of Ray Charles.

[Mragdoll]

Unfortunately i Knew him too late, dead in 2006, I wish I could have gone to a gig...

[pjizzy4life]

wow a legend at work

[mfattey]

man i wish they'd disabled comments for this video.

[Mragdoll]

@mfattey hah you right, there is no need to talk right here, the music has totally amazed me

[mndeg]

@Balongo63 It's impossible to turn gay.

[ceddagr8]

@mndeg All things are possible... people make choices.

[bigE1983themonsta]

such a FAG



[1Woutervdb1]

@bigE1983themonsta Is that the only thing you got to say after watching such an amazing musician? You got to have the brain size of a jellyfish... Oh that's right, jellyfish don't have a brain..

[bigE1983themonsta]

@1Woutervdb1 as a matter of fact i have a huge brain, i just don't tolerate gays no matter how talented they are, since your defending his gayness, there is no doubt in my mind that you like cock in your ass!!!!lol

[MrsD7777]

@bigE1983themonsta Wait!!! What De??? Billy was GAY??? *lol* Laaawd Help Me!

[bigE1983themonsta]

@MrsD7777 lol wow your so funny lol!!!!!!

[OldSouthernSoldier]

@bigE1983themonsta Nobody here gives a fuck what you tolerate. We are here to watch a GREAT musician.

[1Woutervdb1]

@bigE1983themonsta Your reaction shows again how superficial you are.

[aprilkeating]

Damn! Love the Ray Charles bit!

[1Woutervdb1]

2:00 Is so funny :p

[slummike]

billy preston was one of my favorite keyboard players i wish i could play like him, i was watchin unsung on him i did not know he was gay

[Balongo63]

@slummike ihS SEXUALITY WAS THE RESULT OF BEEN MOLESTED AS A CHILD BY SOME BODY IN THE CHURCH. HE WAS A LOT MORE THAN A GAY MAN HE WAS A DECENT PERSON TRYING TO FIGHT A HORRENDOUS TRAUMA.

[chacha291000]

Billy Preston was amazing!

[The1stHubStyle]

When I was a kid back in 72, at six years old, I played music that Billy Preston made. What I knew then, was NOTHING to what I've grown to appreciate now. There's words to describe CERTAIN artist, but when it comes to Billy Preston, I can't think of words that would give him enough credit. Maybe one of those words would be incomparable.

[Balongo63]

@The1stHubStyle I SHARE YOUR FEELINGS TOO!!!!

[johnathandoe]

I just sat and watched his story on Unsung. I never really know of him but I am now a new fan. And I've never heard anyone play the organ like this. This guy is something extraordinary. WOW>

[Kcannification]

@johnathandoe I also just watch his story on unsung yesterday. And as I knew who he was, didnt know the magnitude of his 'genius-ness' until after I watch this show. I am in love! Too bad he is know with us! I am intrigue by him.

[Kcannification]

@johnathandoe and also his tragic life story.

[hardballget]

The greatest of them all.@johnathandoe

[Linktw0]

@johnathandoe try jimmy smith :) greets



[Oaklandgirlpitlover1]

@johnathandoe I play the just like that. or 98% clocse (on a good day). :)

[guilleory]

I......I just had an organsm!

[reedzkee]

i want the bach part to last forever

[gotstrongdotcom]

Wow !

[thekandjscott]

Many years ago Billy played in my home town of Wilmington, N.C. I used to rent my B3 to the concert committee at UNC-W. Billy was one of those famous people that used my B3. I still have and play the B3 with the 122 leslie.

[crazykeyscj34]

he waaaaaaalked daa DOOOOOOG on that hammond. THATS HOW ITS DONE and no board can take that but hammond aint meant to be tinkertoyed with its meant to take a lickin and keep on tickin and that beast got UNLEASHED

[DrKnows721]

thank you for the "headsup" concerning Billy on VH1 . I am so glad that someone in the media decided to do this. I love this brother and I'm glad he was around in my lifetime . . . .

[Jarazz]

This has more views than Summertime by Dj Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince.

[109296]

He imitates Bach and Ray, but he's still himself.

RIP Billy Preston

[jazzmoran]

fucking amazing

[Keyboardman88]

The world shall not see another talent like this. He's in heaven playing with all the greats who went before him. Imagine that band!!!

RIP Billy.

[gmarksLA]

Does anyone know where this footage is from? What concert, etc? I'm working on a documentary about Billy Preston and this footage displays Billy's amazing talents. If you have any idea you can also email me @ gmarks@asmithco.com. Thank you!

[Beyonder313]

Simply amazing.

[BERTRAMCAT]

Genius please come back.-.



[Champ1964]

What a Tallent, What an Artist, What a Man!

[fotobart]

the man who do anything :)

[saltreeflobster]

Wished vh-1 and others would have sessions featuring greatness like this once in a while.Consider this,Preston's talent is right up there and enduring as the Beattles. In fact he did play piano on several of their albums and toured with them. He is sometimes referred to as 'the fifth Beattle'. Not an insignificant accolade,among his other accomplishments.

[blossom6830]

@saltreeflobster

Could have been the fifth stone as well

[TheStompboxer]

@saltreeflobster

Preston played piano on one (not several) of their albums, Let It Be, and NEVER toured with them. I've never heard him called the 5th Beatle (that title usually belongs to George Martin), for that matter.

That's not to take away from Preston, at all; he was incredible, but there's no need to make stuff up to support his greatness.

[phototroon]

@TheStompboxer I never thought of Billy Preston being other that Billy Preston, and only brought in to do some session work on a Beatles album. I don't like the Beatles I find their music bland but when Billy Preston hits his Hammond the blandness is gone. His version of Blackbird knocks the Beatles on it's ass. RIP Mr Preston.

[Bleafes]

@TheStompboxer No. Mr. Preston played on 3 Beatles albuns: White Album, Abbey Road and Let it Be. On the first two he is not credited on the record, but it is known that he played, and I've seen footage of him talking about it. I believe Savoy Truffle and I Want You (she's so heavy) are two examples of Billy participation on White Album and Abbey Road.

[johnurbo960]

miss ya billy

[dannybp9]

"And this is how Bach would do it" lol he's so cool

[chessman2200]

Sorry to use profanity - fcking unbelievable!

[aliciavac]

MARAVILLOSO NADA IMPIDE TOCAR UN INSTRUMENTO, ESTUDIAR etc. QUE EMOCIONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

[toycastigao]

20 people live on wintertime

[byarify]

Why doesn't the music world praise such amazing artists as this anymore? I know that its impossible to duplicate the feeling and style of people like billy preston but everything is such a marketing scheme nowadays. fully sucks.

[worldcoup]

Legend. The dislikes are tone deaf, and dont matter to anything or anybody, ever..and thats the truth.

[1makes1]

@worldcoup And you're a deuchebag. Unalike certain other I respect that people dislike music which I like (in this case billy preston), but I don't respect all these pointless haters.

I mean do you think that people will dislike less because you tell them that they're tone deaf/idiots/justin bieber fans/etc. ?

[adampvarner]

@worldcoup They must have been kidding about disliking this

[jujandy1]

Thanks Lord for this talent, thank you for uploading it. I'm speechless

[LetItBurnnn]

major jam

[toweronepower]

LOL he got a round of applause for doing a blind piano player impression.

[travoltadask]

el verdadero quinto beatle !!! grande preston

[eric669]

my goodness, how great he was....

[roarul]

YEEEES!!!!!!!!!! LOOOVE IT!!!!

[RTjman]

I really wish I could have met this genius!!!

[bust1down]

wow!

[saxomophony]

If only Ray Charles could have seen that spot on impression of him.

[whatthefuck386]

funny, you could put in the name of a drink, a city, or a country with blues at the end and you can find some pretty neet music.

[natiiani]

Minunat.

[unfinished93]

Billy Preston is Glenn Gould in blues xD

[guilleory]

When he sings like Ray Charles it is just astonishing

[youcpbrowntube]

One of the best musical performances ever. Amazing. Preston is king of the great Hammond players. DeFrancesco is a great virtuoso, but Preson has real soul.

[scada99]

NOW THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT!!!!

BILLY IS MUSIC

[REVIVALORGANIST88]

MY FRIEND BILLY...WENT BACK TO HIS FIRST LOVE..."JESUS CHRIST",

SHORTLY BEFORE HIS HOME GOING!

IF THEIRS A B-3 HAMMOND IN HEAVEN...BILLY'S GROVIN!...AMEN?

BUFORD DOWELL

REVIVAL ORGANIST

[davygrvy]

overloaded audio, you suck

[Ben1238]

Why, why O lord did you have to take him away? Maybe it was his time but why do we have so called musicians like kid rock, nickelcrack etc? There are no so called music gods no more, no more guitar gods like Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Duane Allman and so on. Music has fallen from the tree and hit every dumb ass branch on the way down!

[Mateokow]

Stop cussin' reeteep!

[icastromusic]

I wanna play like him one day!!

[TheInnovativeSam]

Bach would have had a laugh with Billy Preston... and maybe blushed a little bit

[MARCELLAO1111]

SUPER ESPECIAL!!

[reeteep]

FUCK YOU



[reeteep]

learn to be a man ! FAGIT ! THISis oldskool FOOL ....

[ZeppelinRules]

"how Bach would do it" too great

[LuciferWasAnAtheist]

the way he plays... that fucking hammond seems alive... damn

never heard something like this

[Halunlimited]

Awesome.

[nerdsnshape]

i love this

[shaaronie]

Fantastic!

[xxjosaloxx]

His organ playing is incredible!

[Deokishisu]

It's a shame there is so much distortion in the audio, this is absolutely amazing!

Thanks for the upload!

[funkoforte]

INCREDIBLE! Well, thanks to videos like this I know how much practice I still owe to my B3, after all these years still.... !!!

[JAZZ8507]

oh my God.....this is magnificent........

[DrKnows721]

I for one try not to spend any time in the company of ignorance soo . . . happy new year and may God give you the insight to educate yourself enough to allow a stranger their opinion. I will not dishonor Mr.Preston's memory by saying anything else.

[DrKnows721]

The Hammond B-3 with Lesley speaker is a beast of an organ . It is not your average run of the mill instrument . What you have just witnessed is the beast turned loose by someone who knows how to use it . Like an uncaged lion its ROAR is loud, clear and unmistakably dominant . This is no kitty in an organ store or mall . Its the KING of the jungle in all its glory turned loose my a master lion tamer . Ask Joey D. or The Mighty Burner who the king of the music jungle is . R.I.P. Billy

[HammondB200]

@DrKnows721

please stop your bad metaphore's! too much!

[DANNYK678]

@HammondB200 HAHAHAHA!!!!

[Mrsaliyah2010]

@HammondB200 you have exactly captured the essence of this true music maker. Could not have done better myself. Not may folks would even listen to this. Thank you for your input

[warmlandlass1]

@DrKnows721 He played our Hammond, and accompanied Doris Akers at the dedication of our church, Glad Tidings Temple, in 1962--I was some thrilled at age 9

[DrKnows721]

@warmlandlass1 thank you for your reply. I have been a fan of Mr.Preston since '77 and he also played in my church when I was a little kid too. My question to you is . . . How long did you shout ?. . . (LOL) I can honestly say he tore the roof off of New Hope Pentecostal Church with his playing and no matter what's been said or written I KNOW the brother was annointed

[warmlandlass1]

@DrKnows721 well, Doris Akers came up from her Sky Pilot Choir in Los Angeles and taught the 100 voice choir how to sing 'black'--been singing black ever since! As an aside. We were incredibly blessed to have Andrae Crouch & The Disciples with us one Sunday evening--we were in that choir loft 3+ hours, and I didn't want to leave--a whole lotta shoutin' goin' on, then and will be again when the latter day church (greater than the former...) lines up--now don't get me started on Heaven

[warmlandlass1]

@DrKnows721 HI...thanks for your comment.--appreciated.  Do we have an approximate date of this performance??

[warmlandlass1]

@warmlandlass1 sorry, I don't--I was only 9 yrs old

[2dasimmons]

@DrKnows721 I love your metaphors! They're like Billy Preston's playing: SPRIT-FILLED AND RIGHT ON TIME!

HALLELUYAH! You might enjoy one of Billy Preston's mentors, the late, great Jimmy Smith. He's here on YouTube with WALK ON THE WILD SIDE and ST. THOMAS WAY. Shalom.

[FromUR2UB]

@DrKnows721 - Be sure to watch the 'Unsung' episode about him on TV One on 25 July 2011, 10PM ET. He was a great musician who deserves the recognition.

[TheWarpedVinyl]

real talent. hats off to you billy.

[taureanblack]

That crowd still owes Billy money. They were not worthy.

[kasteman1]

Who else remembers piano and organ stores inside shopping malls?

Every time I walked by one of these stores in my hometown mall, some old fogey was playing carnival music at half speed. Even as a little kid I wanted to shove them aside and crank out Machine Gun or Outta Space at full volume. lol

He seems a little cocky about the Bach thing, but trouble is, he can actually play it, so it's a moot point.

[rpulice15]

what key is this song in

[PaperTiger103]

@rpulice15 Cmin

[youngoldies1]

Heaven is rejoicing Billys home play on RIP!

[hardballget]

I love that sound, cuts through you like a knife. Straight into the soul.

[hardballget]

That is a whole lot of FUNK and SOUL mixed with copious amounts of extreme ability. I'm not sure if youtube can handle any more Billy uploads, the funk-o-meter is sure to explode!

[TRayner704]

Oh my, that Leslie on the B3...fabuloso.

[brandweer14]

I enjoy watching him Having fun.

Gets me a big smile

[TheOtherFifthBeatle]

This man had a talent that doesn't come around too much anymore.

[wentbackward]

Genius!

[luigialku]

che musica.it's for this miusic that j prefer much more it (AMERICAN MIUSIC)than italian miusic

[luigialku]

thanck you america for your miusic,j prefer much more your miusic than the italian miusic

[gelchert]

Spot-on Bach impression.

[hardballget]

man billy is one cool cat

[MammothCheese94]

i just had a Hammond orgasm

[JERRONJACKSON]

@MammothCheese94

LOL!!!! But I do love those vintage hammond organs!

[gueibor]

@MammothCheese94 - Also known as a Hammondgasm or Orgasmmond.

[MegaSoulSearcher]

@MammothCheese94 TMI

[loki8642]

the notes are just jumping into my soul ! So wonderful,I love this style!

[loki8642]

the notes are just jumping into my soul!So wonderful,I love this style!

[chevick]

Billy was the man! RIP...

[paradais2]

This is amazing performance on many levels. I can taste the music! thanks for sharing.

[DougPatton1]

One lost HOT summetime!