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From: MrSammy1000
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  • Larry Campbell is the truth!

  • Levon singing The Dead...great version.."Well you know that it's just what I said, you better head back to Tennessee Jed..." Wow! "Ain't no place I'd rather be..." Wonder if Levon stopped by Carnegie Deli?

  • We better get back!!

    

  • levon helm doing robert hunter songs. it doesnt get much better than that.

  • Levon and Larry Campbell, a deadly combination. I picked Levon up from the airport once when I used to drive a limo. Great guy, super drummer. I told him Cripple Creek was my favorite song, and he gave me a big tip.

  • OK, he's great, but come on...

  • I met Levon a couple of years ago when he was in Atlanta with John Prine, I got to shake his hand.....I ejaculated.

  • Levon is a National Treasure!!

  • In sept 1973 i returned to work on Tuesday the 18th to sleep in parts car and hum this song while recovering from a gig as security for GD...3rd run in with the DEAD...jerry yelled at me ...phil said what now I'm shit?...billy wanted blow.

    Bob said they couldnt afford to not let the show go on and keith fell out of the bathroom at my feet. Doug Sahm opened.

    wild wild stuff

    when I awoke from a dream during stella blue and looked up at JG who was staring down thru ME.

  • If YouTube could only hold one video, surely it would have to be this one!

  • OMG. Levon, U still  got it baby and u have a TRUE Fan here

  • Whooo is going to Moe Down? Levon Helm band featuring Bob Weir. Going to be amazing.

  • just aword:evergreen!!!!!!!

  • I love Levon Helm...he was "The Band"..

  • 1:30 tuba flub up....sorry, as if it doesn't point its self out...Awesome song!!

  • @jbswisher you may want to listen a little closer. there was no mistake made.

  • @jbswisher

    This is my first time listening to this song, and I'm not very well versed in musical technicalities (although i listen to a lot of music), and that was just in a lower octave and was not out of the key phrasing. Its kinda like the bass line

  • @jasonemilio And so? U like it or not? Levon is a hell of a drummer and was a whole lot better singer before his throat cancer.. Jerry Garcia,, Perrty good too. But I am a Levon freak. And thats a good thin.

  • This dude ages like a fine whiskey!

  • i was at his house for a midnight ramble about 2 weeks ago and he can barely talk now....amazing show but it would have been great to hear him one last time

    But man can his daughter sing!!

  • i was at his house for a midnight ramble about 2 weeks ago and he can barely talk now....amazing show but it would have been great to hear him one last time

  • its sad when a man that went through throat cancer can sing higher than me

  • the man !!! playin a dead tune no less !!!

  • Why does LEvon wear a black glove....only on his left hand?

  • @xpat73 I've always wondered the same thing... I've seen Levon twice in concert and I remember him wearing gloves on both hands, which I thought was so he didn't get blisters or maybe for wrist support?

  • @NYYANKS24LMC A lot of times its to keep the drum stick to keep from slipping when your hand gets sweaty

  • easy wind

  • Is that Jackson brown?

  • @plainview1 nope...see the resemblance though. None other than Larry Campbell musician /producer extraordinaire.

  • @plainview1

    yes, I'm sure it must be. and doesn't he look young!

  • i wonder what they did on the break i think someone told me it was the weight

  • As a longtime Bay Area Dead head, I say it is a fine and furthur honor to hear such true beauty... we love you, Levon!

  • He does it way better then the grateful dead could ever do it. Even with throat cancer.

  • diggin' that he promotes it with an LP instead of a lame CD.

  • Great arrangement!

  • i saw levon do deep elem blues @ moe.down 9 i believe it was. it was an absolute privilage to see levon perform.

  • One of the better covers of a Grateful Dead song !

  • hey, levon still grooves and his voice is full of "weight" haha

  • I'm back again, Levon. This is fine, fine music.

  • Love to see Levon live. I can't get enough!

  • There never was before, and never wll be again. Not sure how Levon does it- he's unreal. The thought that someone could take a Dead tune and male it there own. ??? I'm a Head, but Levon rocked it!

  • love the music and love the man...he enjoys ever minue he plays.....

    could u imagine the love he feels from everyone...his daughter plays music with him and probably preps him saying "Daddy let's comb your hair like this"..and he loves her attention to this...his band follows his every move...great attention to detail and feel.... great moment

  • some people just dont realize how hard it is to sing and drum simultaniously

  • Saw Levon with a "back-up" drummer warm up for the Dead in the middle of a racetrack in Lewiston, ME on Labor Day W/E 1980. At one point, both GD drummers came out and they played a song with four drummers.

    Don't see that every day.

  • Went to the Ramble in Woodstock last night with Hayes Carll as the warm up act. Definitely the highlight of my trip to New York!

  • Dawesome, totally dawesome

  • I enjoyed Levon "Mr. Helm", in his part of the "Right Stuff"...He played "Ridley"...The gentleman who would loan Yeager a stick of Beamons...The one line that excels in the movie is when Levon tells Yeager to..."PUT THE SPURS TO HER, CHUCK"...outstanding!

  • Oh yeah! LEVON! Got to respect the man. 70 and still rocking and hittin them drums!

  • Hell yes, son. Long live Levon AND The Dead!

  • The guitarist looks like Jackson Browne

  • *in a voice like arnold schwartzenegger" it's NOT A TUBA!

  • @SEANFIR that's a tuba dude

  • Oh yeah, he's got that "geezer" sound that I love.

  • Levon is fer real! The best!

  • Only Levon could have throat cancer and still sound awesome!

  • @macGyver722 Elton John had throat cancer.

  • @khabuda Elton had polyps that were non cancerous.

  • @macGyver722 check that...JOHN PRINE might have something to say about that

    

  • I mean, there's a tuba in this performance. Hard to beat a tuba...

  • @north005 that's actually a baritone horn... I think the sound of this is very compressed... in fact, I KNOW it is, because my LED's are stuck on +3... those network mixers just LOVE their compressors... this song needs some punch and some breath... sucks to have a great band like this totally canned in a compressed TV audio track.

  • @SEANFIR amen

  • @SEANFIR it's a tuba

  • @SEANFIR i play baritone. thats a tuba. baritones are much smaller

  • @SEANFIR i play baritone. thats a tuba. baritones are much smaller

  • Another nod to Levon.

  • Another nod to Levon

  • yah levon is so groovy...

  • what about a norweigin who just loves levon and america,i am maybee not the smartest on this earth but i know greatnes when i hear it,you have a great performer in levon,bless you all

  • Have to say, the Dead do it best. Interesting take though.

  • @fanman475 How can Dead do it best if it was his song to begin with that makes no sence at all.

  • @GuitarMan2269 Tennessee Jed is a Dead song, written by Hunter and Garcia

  • @saweiss Yah i looked it up and i was wrong, sorry i posted before i did my research. oops still a good song

    we all make mistakes lol :)

  • Why does the camera so obviously avoid Levon's daughter Amy?

  • Levon's voice is all the proof anyone should need. It's not the instrument, it's how you play it. And still one of the finest if not the finest drummer in pop music.

  • his voice now suits the music better in my opinion

  • Levon Helm is a national treasure. Last June I went to his barn for the Midnight Ramble. I suggest to anyone that they do that at least once.

  • rock on Levon

  • This sounds like what would have happened if Lowell George and Little Feat played Tennessee Jed. Larry's slide playing very Lowell-like, plus the female backup ala Bonnie Rait, the honky tonk piano, and the horns. Very very good.

  • Levon is the real deal.  This also makes me miss Jerry a ton. Keep on Keeping on Levon.

  • Makes me miss Jerry.

  • absolutley wonderful!!! he has one of the greatest voices ive heard, with all of his character. its just amazing

  • Wonder what the hell happened during the break!

  • i totally love the tuba walk down. sounds so sweet.

  • Good material, tight band, great song. Can't listen to Levon's voice any more, sorry. 

  • @knx0355

    The guy had throat cancer. The fact that he's still out there giving it his all every single time he steps on stage is amazing. He's incredible and I had the privilege of hearing him sing a verse on The Weight. Yeah, his voice ain't what it was in 1970. But find me a musician who loves what he does more than Levon. You can't. He brings joy to everyone who gets to see him. And he APPRECIATES it more than anyone I've ever seen.

  • hell yes! being a dead fan this was truly enjoyable. his band is tight! and he can still sing

  • doesnt get much better than this boys and girls.

  • Hot DAMN!!!!

  • I can't name a Hall of Fame where Levon couldn't be a member.

  • The Grateful Dead and Levon. I just came. The guitarist needs to work on his look though!

  • Happy Birthday Levon, you ole rascal you..TJ

  • battled throat cancer and still bring it. One of the thrills of my life was to meet and share a stage with Levon.

  • Love this video!

  • happy x 100000000000000000000000000000­0000000000000000000000000 == me

  • Awesome~! Put a big ole smile on my face~!

  • I don't even like TheDead, but I enjoy this version of their song. strange but true.

  • north005 i completely agree but could you see little miguel in spanish harlem listening to "Tennessee Jed"

  • gotta love the dead

  • gr8 song! i love dave's reaction at the end "ohh myyyy"

  • LEVON HELM!!!!!

  • THIS is the shit. Period.

  • Howard Johnson on Tuba = GOD

  • Comment removed

  • @tubafreak33 That's totally Howard, are you kidding? He's been touring with Levon for quite a while now (I've known him for more than 50 years).

  • THIS is music.

  • What happened during the commercial??? I wish I was there.

  • I love this song, a great tribute to Jerry from Levon. Young bands should be playing these songs, take notice!!!

  • @Greg2600 they are, the dead were the biggest show at rothbury, many, many younger bands (and some mature artists) playing alot of garcia/hunter. as they should. Nothin' left to do but smile, smile, smile!

  • can't wait to see him at FloydFest this summer :)

  • dave has so much respect for levon

  • awesome

  • perfect tiedyekeith! well done sir

  • " my dog he turned to me and he said, let's head back to Tennessee Jed." Great song. Brings back a lot of memories. Great to see Levon still alive and kicking.

  • For those of you who don´t know, this song was actually written by Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter (of the Grateful Dead).

  • who cares.......The Dead were good friends with The Band and played their song The Weight many times.......besides, it's great to hear Levon singing & playing again.....music is NOT competitive, man,,,,,,it's all inclusive and transcendent!

  • Comment removed

  • Wait a minute: did I say "evaluate"? A more correct word would be "enjoy", since music is made for enjoyment and spiritual/emotional elevation, and not for forming opinions or appraisals about it.

  • the gd were all about covers

  • @kariaudar

    Thank you AND Duh

    Love Levon!

  • @kariaudar amazing. who are these people- garcia and hunter? i thought it was just levon helm, the lead singer/guitar of the grateful dead/the band/the beatles.

  • Great song from a great album, not nearly as good as a performance as on the album, but you can definitely understand the album had a quite a few more takes I'm sure. Tuba or trombone hits a bad note at 1:32. eeeech..

  • Comment removed

  • This is the kind of evocative resonant old-timey Americana which both the Band and the Grateful Dead excelled at.

  • @kariaudar Oh man, you got that soo right! The best of the 2

  • >:)

  • yeah and i ws at the party last nite at the midnite ramble

  • It just won the 2010 Grammy.

    Sweet guy.

  • Shades of JG...done quite well..no surprise.

  • I miss Jerry :(

  • keepin it real. fantastic stuff.

  • fantastic post,thanks for sharing.

  • Guy's the man and so is the song!!!

  • i met him at this festival over the summer .. he is one of the sweetest people ive met!!! he gave me a copy of electric dirt signed before it came out!! ROCK ON LEVON!!!

  • Thanks How Awesome!

  • i love levon helm with all my heart, in a completely heterosexual way of course. what a musician

  • Levon's still goin at it! Amazing drummer, one of my favorite!

  • wht a man,voice and b,,,,,,ls of steel

  • lol cmon brass, hit the note.

  • As a HUGE Grateful Dead fan, I have listened to many a version of this song, and I have to admit that this version beats them all in terms of swing and flow and groove. Today´s popular music doesn´t totally blow after all! :)

  • kariaudar - me & you both. Been a Deadhead since I went on tour w/ the band (The Dead) as a kid in ' 72 (I turned 50 Oct. 11, ' 09). It KILLS me Jerry is gone & don't wanna think about when Levon goes. He is the total epitome of a true GENTLEMAN. 6:27 pm Feb.7 2010

  • Many miles on that voice but still sweet as honey.

    I love Levon and this music .

  • AMEN! He still has it!

  • You don't get talent like this these days.

  • Levon is awesome. Dave is awesome just for knowing Levon is awesome.

  • what soul! fucking awesome!

  • I don't see how anyone can listen to rap and commercial pop when instrumental magnificence like this exists...

  • I agree. Thank god we have the internet to gain access to some good music.

  • do you know that some hip hop is really good right?

    i hope you don't think that all hip hop sucks.

  • @north005 its all celebrity status with music popularity. it's sad really. LIke the grammy's. Taylor Swift beating out Dave Matthews Band come on!!!

  • @Douverwynn I can't tell if you're being sarcastic at the end

  • @north005 When we define what we "don't see," we define our own ignorance. I love Levon and The Band, but I also enjoy and respect a lot of great hip hop and even some pop music. Remember, the Beatles were the poppiest pop band around when they started. I bet a lot of old timers said "I don't see how anyone can listen to rock & roll and the Beatles when Benny Goodman exists!" Not trying to call you out, just saying. "Don't criticize what you don't understand" - Dylan

  • @jabuhrer1, There's nothing great about hip hop! Please don't compare it to the Beatles or benny goodman or great pop music! It's an insult to REAL music and true musicians! And yes, I do define what I do understand!

  • @MrSharkey11 You're an idiot. 90% of the time I hear people bitching about rap, it's because they only listen to the poppy, commercial club rap or faggoty gangsta rap, not the real shit. Just because you listen to or are aware of the shitty aspects of a genre, doesn't mean that rap is suddenly an insult to "real" music like the Beatles, who are quite possibly the most overrated band ever. Don't get me wrong, I love the Beatles and they insanely influential, but greatest band to ever play? No way

  • @cubensis4life , Hey, If that's the way you feel, Fine! But please don't preach to me about the virtues of rap! And yes, in my humble opinion "The Beatles" are one of the Best ( you notice I said ONE of the best) bands ever to play! Maybe you are too young to appreciate this fact! So, ok! What band do you consider better then the Beatles? Say what you want, but one thing is for sure, The Beatles are no way overrated! They are quite simply unique! No hard feelings my friend!

  • @MrSharkey11 I'm too young to appreciate their music? Why should age have anything to do with it? By your logic, maybe you're too old to appreciate rap music? Seems more than slightly similar to how it was back when the Beatles were starting out, the kids loved them, the adults hated them; now they're considered by many to be the greatest band ever. Ever think that maybe what you're doing right now in regards to rap is exactly what parents were doing to your beloved Beatles back in the day?

  • @cubensis4life, You have to remember that the Beatles evolved from earlier rock & roll. In a sense they superseded their predessors more or less.They brought the music to another level of creativity that influenced future generations of musicians. Their inovations changed the cultural landscape of the western world in many ways.artisticly speaking I find rap to be an inferior,gutteral form of expression that appeals to the lower less evolved segments of society! It mimics ignorance & violence!

  • @MrSharkey11 Sure, some rap does. But you can't just condemn an entire genre based off the poppy rap that, you are right, is just about violence, drugs, and "bitches". But there IS rap out there that's more than some stoned goon playing with a drum kit and saying some shit he thinks sounds cool. The only thing is that it doesn't have gimmicky, club dance type beats and stupid catchy lyrics. IMO, it's a shame that so many people hear the pop-rap and dismiss the rest of the genre.

  • @cubensis4life , I must say that I find you to be a fair minded and intelligent person who doesn't resort to profanity and attacking people with cheap shots if they don't agree with you! It's obvious that you have alot of character in this respect. And yes, you are probably right in your earlier anologies of the age diffrences associated with music in general and genres in particular.I grew up in the times of the "rock revolution" and so it's very much a part of me.My cup is full so to speak.

  • @MrSharkey11 Classic rock is still my favourite music by far, I grew up listening to nothing but thanks to my parents; however, I just really love music in general, regardless of whether it's rap, rock, techno, metal - so long as it's GOOD, thoughtful music, not just catchy nonsense thrown together to make a quick buck.

  • @north005 Yep, that's what I say too! :-)

  • Beautiful version!. This is music!!

    Hi from Spain.

  • Right on! Levon just keeps getting better.

  • agree with tracker, hunter/garcia wrote some fantastic songs. now being performed by levon is special, check out jimmy buffets version of scarlet begonias..awesome too

  • Simply awesome.

    long live LEVON!

  • Long Live Levon!! Brings back memories of my youth!!

  • I totally agree with you tracker373. And I hope that Levon keeps on rocking it! He is definitely a pleasure to listen to. Despite the throat cancer and age, he can still let it rip.

  • Amen Mikesome!

  • It's about time the songwriting duo of Hunter and Garcia got some recognition.

  • Not to mention Howard Johnson on Tuba

  • One of the best sounding bands I ever heard. Love all the different instruments. Never appreciated Levon Helm as I do now. Very good article in Acoustic Guitar magazine!

  • Seems like some rockers like JB are grasping for mentors; Levon Helm is a good choice. Soon there will me no more chiseled old rock gurus - So, I think it's great!

  • thank you for posting!!!!! I was half asleep when I saw this on letterman

  • I respect Levon VEERY much for coming back after throat cancer. Not quite the same singer but st