Paul Butterfield on David Letterman 1985 Late Night

[knusperberg]

great musician...

[Docnolan1953]

I had tickets to his last Lone Star show.......the one he never made.

He died from a heroin OD the night before at The Chelsea Hotel....

There was some bad horse going around in those days.....way more pure than the usual street level crap... I used to tell him to quit, He always said he was gonna try.

But he couldn't quit......and it killed him RIP Paul.

[Docnolan1953]

Paul was an old friend of mine...... met him backstage at woodstock, and we kept in touch Good to see this tape

[JHelak]

This must have been shot at about the same time Butter made his last NYC appearance at the Lone Star. That was a great show. Butter looked and sounded great. Hard to believe within a year he was dead.

[pmanis09]

I've never seen this before so thanks for posting. Nice performance by the late great Paul Butterfield. I miss the spare minimalist band in the old Letterman days. I realize that was 25 years ago, but it's so over the top now.

[FonkyLynx]

Butterfield...what can I say? His music influenced so many, Rest in Peace Paul...

[BLUESMANRONCHICAGO]

@FonkyLynx He is the reason I have been playing the harp since 1969!!!!

[DarkDryad]

Can't get enough of this song. Is this on any recorded album of his?

[IMCcanTWEESTED]

Paul Schafer makes my skin crawl. What an absolute iconic-dildonic. Originator of musical smarm.

[paititi]

If anything, Butterfield's already excellent vocal ability is even BETTER here.

[BLUESMANRONCHICAGO]

this was probably his last performance on Tv before he died the next year. Damn shame he died so young, but his legendd lives on in my music tverytime i sing and play the harp in his memory. RIP Paul

[AleeshaWeesha]

@BLUESMANRONCHICAGO Oh I thought he died in '87, but it was '86?

[BLUESMANRONCHICAGO]

@AleeshaWeesha double checked it, it is 1987, may 4 to be exact, my bad, had 1986 burned into my mind for some reason. My apologies!!!

[AleeshaWeesha]

@BLUESMANRONCHICAGO No problem! It's only a years difference, but I was just curious. Thanks for double checking!

[BLUESMANRONCHICAGO]

@AleeshaWeesha not a problem, glad there is someone else out there that digs Paul, where you from aleesha?? i have a facebook page, ron beretta is my full name, only one out there by that name, keep in touch!! peace

[paulienebz]

Butter was in bad shape here. It's painful to watch, like film of Bill Evans on smack. But he sings his ass off, as usual.

[ReeseMac]

....I ask myself that question everyday

[divisorplot]

milking jack's cow buttercup !chop chop chop chop i've got the blues!

[golfmandan]

Dave with hair. He looks like a televangelist.

[untumble1]

Anyway, for those Butterfield fans like myself, if you want to learn a lot about how he played, pick up the 'Lost Electra' album and he will take you to school on playing rhythm.

[untumble1]

Yeah well, Butterfield on Letterman? Brought his usual genius but couldn't have brought it to a worser place. Wizard of fuckin' Oz. Just sayin'.

[MrJohntube12]

he sounds great here!

[maxxxx1972]

who are the other musicians(exept Paul on keyboards)?

[recordguy4321]

@maxxxx1972 Will Lee on Bass, Charlie Drayton on drums, and Sid Mcginnes on guitar.

[maxxxx1972]

@recordguy4321 thanks recordguy!

[MrChainsaw01]

i love his style

[pretorious700]

Love Paul signalling the 5 chord to the bass player in the first verse.

[LastTree]

He played right over mylittle table at Tramps in NYC in 1985..it was a dream come true!

[RootsinBrooklyn]

I often hear people say things about Jimi Hendrix - "What would he be doing musically if he had lived into later life?" I wonder the same thing about Butter (and Mike Bloomfield, too) I imagine a fabulous reunion of the band, maybe with David Sanborn, Buzz Feiten, Butter, and Bloomfield all together, Phil Wilson, Billy Davenport, or Sam Lay on drums.

[roadappleband]

@RootsinBrooklyn That would be the ultimate blues reunion band !! RIP Paul and Mike

[Chiroz2010]

@RootsinBrooklyn A damn shame Bllomfield and Butterfield couldn't get along.

[pe54unidyne3]

Was also part of his set list all thru the 80's, I agree he was the best !!

[TJTele]

Paul was the best a musicians musician, this tune is from the Muddy Waters Woodstock Album which Paul is on along with Levon, Garth Hudson, Muddy Pinetop Perkins and Bob Margolin as well as Howard Johnson...

[sugarja]

@TJTele Woodstock Album is a GREAT. Muddy, Paul, & Band are all relaxed and playing great.

[pretorious700]

Paul was the real deal

[1234521158]

he was a legend -the same as my mate bill fisher allways thear

[blaudrogist]

Yeah, its good. Saffer played on Butter's last album with Anton Fig and Blondie Chaplin in tow but Paul's best days were behind him.

[BlueRevival]

Just GREAT! Fantastic song