Added: 4 years ago
From: nypd123
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  • Way off on the Intro Paul! You are fore given. Jesus.

  • just beautiful...memories to last forever...!

  • Wow this dude still has a great voice and able to hit the notes as when he was a bit younger got to respect that.

  • @SummerThieves Yeah, as a performing vocalist/musician to this day I was blown away by this guy's voice. Still has great range, stamina, & the ability to use his voice as he did 30 years ago. I thank the good Lord for sustaining my ability after the same # of years. Cheers.

  • Nevada is a great camping site.

  • these guys were priveledged to play this song!! they showed their love!!

  • @Wacokid48 These guys have played with just about everyone famous. They're on that stage because they're the best of the best in the industry. They're the who's who of the New York musical community. Famous recording artists often leave their bands at home when they go on that show. The privelege goes both ways.

  • @Jay435 no matter..they were privileged to back up this icon ! They showed their professionalism and taste..more the better...yes/

  • Great version, and looked like all the CBS orchestra were really into as well. What a great combination of talent.

  • Paul Shaeffer on piano is amazing! Thanks for posting this.

  • @WotanKrieger this jerk closed their account good,asshole

  • Wow, Paul Shaeffer's intro was bad ass. That guy is really talented.

  • @lineba20 Paul Shaeffer is a tremendous musician. His day job on Letterman rarely if ever gives a chance for him to showcase his performing skills

  • All my life I loved this song so when got my pony,had 2 call him Wildfire.If anything ever happened 2 him,I'd give my life 2 save his & I am 49.He's my baby even though I have 5 other rescue horses.Wildfire's the love of my life.He does everything I ask 2 even tricks.I pray we pass the same day.I couldn't live w/o him & I've cancer,heart condition & Diabetes.Don't know if he could live w/o me,we're THAT close.Thank-you 4ever Michael Murphy.You picked my boy right & years before he was born.

  • I remember the night he sang this, Letterma (im a fan) was gushing like a school girl during the set up, made it seem like he was being sarcastic, but you could tell from his emotional outlook, he wasn't. This was a great performance by Michael Murphy that night, the CBS orchestra rocks, especially Paul. Great song

  • Paul gave this song his all ...

  • Got the feeling that, Dave really enjoyed that song!

  • T.Y paul good job

  • Mrs Doubtfire providing some strong backup vocals!

  • @oglefresh now THATS Funny!

  • I so wish Paul could have done the ending,..but all is good in the beginning some say,..

  • A song of loss, hope, and faith. He loses his beloved as she loses her beloved( Wildfire). He has hope as heard in the line "They say she died one winter-"They say" he is not convinced. He has faith they will be reunited-" Were gonna ride- leave sodbustin behind". The story of life told better in 4 minutes that half the books, poems and movies on earth.

  • MMM should tour with Paul and the boys...luv the flute in the intro

  • I have loved this song since I was a kid. Really brings back a lot of great memories from middle school and high school.  One of my all-time favorites.

  • Paul Schaffer Is a Genious

  • It's the song of a dying man out on the cold, hard prairie, longing for both the horse, and the love that he has lost...at the end, he sees them coming for him to roam together in the afterlife

  • a tremendous rendition of this song. so strong and yet a version that is great to hear. thanks to all invoved from the cbs orchestra and the late show with david letterman and especially michael martin murphy for appearing on the show...

  • As a teen, I saw Michael perform this song in Portland, Ore. I was stunned, and I'm still amazed at the depth of both his performance and this song's meaning. Thank you, Michael Martin Murphey. Thank God that a bit of stardust falls to earth.

  • !970's, please let me come back!

    

  • Somebody explain to me if she died then how could she run calling Widfire?

  • @thinchris, because the horse also died (lost in a blizzard) they were both ghosts.

  • As a former radio disc jockey, this is one song you don't even attempt to talk up (talk over the intro of). Just too beautiful.

  • A work of art

  • Fucking Paul!! Give it up.

  • I remember watching this episode of Letterman. Awesome performance

  • I named my first cat wildflower, she was wild and only trusted me. She was a ferrel cat. And she was my best friend, I lived in the country, That was years ago, I miss those days.

  • @lalameow32

    'wildflower' is actually another great song...by skylark

  • THIS is real music.... not this crap that passes for music today!

  • he wrote this song based on his dream and i just think this song is so sexy!!

  • i love this song too it is so beautiful makes me feel young again

  • Love this song and I must admit that I had forgotten about it, but heard it again recently and have listened to it like, 4700 times. Thanks for posting this blast from the past.

  • Mrs. Doubtfire with some strong backups!

  • It don't get much better than that, especially on David Letterman's crappy show.

  • Is this poster crazy? Youve never heard this classic b4? I remember this when I was a kid, thx for posting

  • Michael Murphy writes amazing, beautiful songs. Paul Shafer (sp) and the CBS Orchestra make them perfect. I had the pleasure of seeing the Letterman Show a couple years back. They tear the house down! You don't want the commericials to end! Michael had to feel honored to play with them. It would be a dream come true.

  • Hats off to Paul and the band, very good job

  • I had the album and wore out several eight track tapes of this music. Telling my age now.

  • This is the closest I have ever gotten to country music but I have always loved this song....Never sure what it meant, but love it to death!

  • I'll have to agree, what a beautiful song, , its as moving as the very first time i heard it, and bring's back very fond memories, thanks for the post ; )

  • In my mind, the CBS Orchestra is still the World's Most Dangerous Band. This song demonstrates that fact. Wildfire is a great song.

  • Is it a curse or a blessing to sing one song for 40 years?

  • @alienhuman if you this song,you can sing it all day for the rest of your life and it will still definatly be a BLESSING.

  • @usmc2076 making all the sense a jarhead can make.... bless you. lol

  • @alienhuman A blessing, in this case. What have you or I done to bring joy to so many people? My daughter (13) loves this song. That's good enough for me! P.S. I'm a former Marine. Semper Fidelis! lol?

  • Michael's amazing, he still sings it in the original key!

    I got a chance to play a gig with him in Colorado...being able to watch him play this song twice that weekend was my favorite musical moment of my entire life.

  • he still does this songs as if he loves doing it. The power might not be quite what it was on the higher notes, but he's bending some notes and the song ages so gracefully through this evolution

  • A couple of my friends and I used to go to Pizza Hut every Friday night and eat to officially start the weekend and this song was on the jukebox. Loved it then and still love it now!

  • what I wouldn't give to go back to the 70's right now. The memories are still just as clear and it seems they all involved the music from that time. This is how it's done. . . 

  • great song i was little when it was on radio but i just love it

  • Oh, how I love this song!!!

  • Michael is 62 years old here.

  • I can listen to this song over & over & over again & never get tired ot it. Beautiful!

  • @cindiarg Yep, me too.

  • This video doesnt look that old. He still sounds good. I love that damn song

  • Thanks for sharing this great song.

  • i hate it when someone has to say something negative about a performer who gave us such great music. "wildfire" brings back so many good memories. God bless the talented Michael Martin Murphy. hope he's still performing 20 years from now.

  • @TheChaz64 You know this clean wonderful song with depth is what is missing today. It's sad for me that so few of this up coming generation has not listened to these words and see another world of beautiful richness that adds to our lives.

  • @scootin123 Very well put....a true, American classic which transcends generations...I love how Michael intros this all-time great with a story of freedom. Oh, how we desperately need to preserve it!!! Wonderfully written, timeless, and powerful! Schaefer and the late nite band did an okay job, but I don't know about those flute-type notes...nothing beats pedal steel...still greatness, however.

  • My ex-girlfriend and I were laying in bed ....and I've heard this song many times before as a kid but never paid attention to the words. She explained what the song meant and I listened for the first time closely to the lyrics. She passed away earlier this year from breast cancer. I miss her so much... this song brings tears to my eyes as I listen. She was from Colorado so I imagine her on this beautiful horse when I hear it. God Bless you... you will forever be missed by all who loves you.

  • @dlo1979 oh my guy..I'm so sorry for you....maybe in your dreams she'll come to you on a dark flat Lance...man I'm getting teary eyed writing this...how painful it must be for you. May God bless you buddy

  • @mjw9363 Thank you so much... painful is an understatement but I will say one thing... when it is my time ... I'll be much less afraid of leaving this world knowing she is on the other side. God Bless always to you as well

  • @dlo1979 Dude' I hear ya...this great song brings back memories and causes tears for many of us...this timeless gem was a favorite of my Dads while in my teens...and he sadly passed seven years ago, also of cancer. Praying for you, bud. You'll see her again. God Bless.

  • @dlo1979 --musici like this will always touch you in ways you cant fathom... I lost my brother this year, he was only 46, but he bought Seasons in th Sun when it 1st came out and played it in our garage till it wore out.. Its hard to listen to that song, but in a way it comforts. I am sorrry for your loss and Thanks for sharing..

  • @dlo1979 I'm so sorry for your loss.

  • @dlo1979 Oh baby.

  • Letterman and I both sat there and cried while he played this. What a moment in time.

  • classic!  "that was good!" :0)

  • Love this song, well written, Piano piece originally from a Russian Composer, fantasy song about horses and women. MMM not the best of singers though and man, did he ever hit the wall when this was recorded in 2007 for Letterman show???

  • @Newzchspy ah man-you sing the same song everyday damn for almost 40 years and you'll hit the wall too! All-in-all, a really good perfromance highlighted by great accompaniment, orchestrations and back-up singers.

  • @LFD254 Great song, Great performance!! Love this song..............

  • what a great song. one of those classics you always remember.

  • Sean Hannity said Murphys going to play at

    the White House this Christmas.

  • Its 1976 and Im 19 and blowing down the highway, windows open, girlfriend in the seat next to me and this song is blasting on the 8-track of my 64 Olds Cutlass F-85! JEEZUS whatta memory!

  • If a today's youth hears a beautiful song like this and doesn't appreciate it as true good music, then, we deserve the destructions of Obama and his political gang of thugs!!!...

    I'm your typical tax-paying American and I approve this message.

  • OMG..love it lol aha

  • Wow, he still has such a great voice. What a great performance. Great piano intro, too.

  • @NoGuff Thanks so much for this--we aren't just getting older ya know~~~~~~think how wonderfully Blessed we have been to grow up with such music and to revisit the Greats! Been listening to Bad Co today too.

    Much Love to U my Good ole Friend*

  • In 1984 in Sante Fe, New Mexico, we shot for 24 hours straight DISENCHANTED music video for Michael. I met him that day and I haven't seen him since. But he is the real thing... a great guy and musical artist-- very gracious, very talented. I'm glad he is still performing with his chops in place.

  • There's been a hoot-owl howling outside my window now, six nights in a row...she's coming for me i know...CLASSIC!

  • This is an AMAZING performance! I've watched this about twenty times now!

  • why is an artist whose hit 'Wildfire' was popular 32 yrs befor the airing of this show , performing it 32 yrs later? networks dont "work" like that

  • @hazor777 cause record companys do!!!

  • @hazor777 it was because the label released a big country compilation of the 70s about the time this was aired. Quick way you can tell, the album this was on was _Blue Sky - Night Thunder_, Letterman said it was off "cowboy classics volume 5"

  • @g4lt : ok that explains it. Still , it's odd that the record companies would push this sort of marketing for a compilation album-- I always thought they used this type of exposure for all their "fluff" that generates big sales up front with no hope of a "second coming".......

  • @hazor777 Dave made a comment about "sod bustin" one night and wondered what it meant. That lead to the story of this song. He invited Murphy to perform the song because of it. It's a shame the version of Carolina In the Pines from that show has disappeared from youtube.

  • one of the greatest soft rock songs every recorded.

  • He's 65 now, 62 when he performed on Letterman..still sounds great.

  • All I can say is "WOW"!!!!

  • First time that I have ever wanted to stand up and applaud Paul Schafer. Brilliant arrangement. One can easily tell how much personal and genuine enjoyment it gave to Letterman.

  • this is groooooooooveyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!

  • A lot of people don't like Paul because of his attitude but he is good enough to have a little attitude. The CBS band has more talent than a lot of music labels, these guys can and do play anything any genre any style and do it very well every time they take the stage. Michael Murphy has always been a fav, I would like to see him tour with some bandmates of this calibre, it would have to be awesome.

  • Is that andy dick singing in the back ground.

  • LOVE MICHAEL MURPHEY

  • he stll has a great voice.

  • I always cry when i hear this song....it comes from the happiest time of my youth ...when my wife and I were so in love we would sing this over and over....this was a great performance.......and he is pushing 70 years old he was born in 1945......first of the baby boomers

  • I once saw Michael live in Sacramento, CA in the late 70's sing Wildfire. What a treat!

  • MMM has a ranch in Northern New Mexico and plays lots of small gigs around the mountain towns in NM and CO in the summer time. If you get a chance to see him at one of these venues you should take advantage of it. On my last trip to Red River NM, I sat on the front row about 6 feet from him. He took requests from me several times.

  • he is amazing. my mom used to play this song for me all the time when I was a little girl... i love it!

  • better than the original if u ask me

  • Great song!...I remember hearing this when i was yong on the radio,always made me kind of sad,great post,thanx!

  • Reminds me of Ski trips in Elementary School.

    Totally agree firendrumz!! Takes me back to the wonderful carefree life of the 70's.

    Sounds just as good as it did then.

  • nice to see Paul playing the intro

  • The church lady provides good back up vocals

  • MMM was one of my favorites back in the 70's........but kinda lost my interest with the pure-d cowboy thing he moved into later in life. Sad for me.....but I'm happy for him. Seems like a great guy....and I wish him all the happiness in the world. hehehe....its funny....he's on Letterman 35 years later and having to play "Wildfire" AGAIN. Dave.....let the man sing his cowboys songs....thats what he does now.

  • Beautiful recording. Thanks for uploading and sharing.

  • LOVE IT!

  • This guy has persona and an amazing voice.

    What a song. Dude has really aged well.

  • one of the greatest. a friend of mine performed this song at a campfire the thanksgivin weekend '09, IT WAS AMAZING I'LL POST IT SOON.

  • For the record, I love rock and blues but always enjoyed listening to Wildfire, (he wrote it about a dream he had). One thing I have always admired about him, is that he never caved into the "pop" thing, he is as cowboy as it comes...Google him and check out his website.

  • Awesome song. Dreams are great inspiration.

  • This is such a great song, thanks for this video !

  • goooose bumps...

  • Love his guitar, vocals, lyrics. What a smooth sound the orchestra did.

  • Man what a song. Giant.

  • This is one of my favourites...

  • nice ..

  • This brings back some good memories of my young life in Australia. My dad used to play this song a lot on his cassette recorder. Amazing how Michael Murphey's vocals still sound. He must be around 70 now!

  • He's 64 now. You're right! Amazing sounding voice!

  • @zorbadegeek Yeah, hes pretty old, gotta be 65-70 now?? Cant hit those high notes anymore...............

  • @zorbadegeek He is 66 years old.

  • This song is close to my heart- listening to it on the radio at night alone- 1975- lonely. Times have changed but my heart still feels its pull.

  • ...man, I sure wish I have Michael's vocal ---- I kid yall not!

  • As a ten-year-old Vietnamese kid living in Sacramento, CA with my family in the late 70s, we used to hear this tune on KHYL 101 FM (no longer on air); how beautiful life can be, isn't? Its just sad how today's kids are missing out on such timeless classic!

  • Every now and then, you hear a song that you know you will remember for all your life. This is one of those songs.

  • @firendrumz i agree with that 100%!this is definitely one of those songs!

  • you are so right about that!

    @firendrumz

  • @firendrumz You are most certainly right. When I hear this song it reminds me of sitting in the cafeteria during High School in New Jersey.

  • Just one of those all time great songs.

  • This song spooked me as a child, but after awhile it almost held me in a trance, just as it does now 30 years later. I cry every time I hear it - and displaced farmers and ranchers would know why. One of the very best songs ever written.

  • I love this song. It reminds me of my sister Kelly who loved it and sang it so much as I was growing up as a child. She just died this December 17th. And this song tho sad gives me solace and hope that one day Kelly and I will be 2gether again...and we will ride off on Wildfire 2gether re-united!! God I miss her so. Beautiful song and lyrics for a beautiful woman. My sister Kelly.

  • Hey man me too... my older sister loves this song... sorry to hear about your loss... God Bless

  • Blessings to your sis...hope she sends Wildfire over from the other side to you when you are most needing it. Hello Kelly from Texas..your bro misses you. Be there for him when he needs you most. I believe in this, so be at peace romo.

    Carlie

  • AnnaCarra23,

    He lives in New Mexico where he owns and operates a 'Dude Ranch'. You can actually pay to go on a drive with him just like City Slickers. He performs in Phoenix, AZ every St. Patty's day in mid March. It's kinda his tradition. You should come out; check out some Spring Training games and see his show.

  • ~It was at the Belcher center at Letourneau University.

  • I just returned home from one of his shows tonight (Dec. 13, 2008). He was FANTASTIC! As good as he ever was. A true gentleman and VERY fond of his fans. It was great to see a man passionate about his name being associated with a cause. He is ALWAYS performing and giving a portion of the proceeds to a much needed cause. THAT IS HOW CELEBRITIES AND PERFORMERS SHOULD BE ACTING AND DOING WITH THIER MONEY. God bless you Michael. ~A fan for life. Thank you for your music and heart.

  • This is an awesome video. Its nice to see mike is still doing shows

  • Superb [period].

  • A truly good man; always has been. God bless, Mike. JB

  • Thank God for Michael, his performance has etched a memory in my soul that will stay with me for the rest of my life. So stunning, so soulful, so sweet. God keep you safe and healthy, Michael! John & Teri.

  • well said, this performance touched me.

  • nypd123, thank you so much for posting this!!! In Colorado I got the pleasure of meeting Micheal and actually spending a few moments getting to know him a little. Out of all the professional musicians I have ever met I have to say Micheal Murphey and Steve Wariner are two of the nicest people on earth!

  • Does he live here in Colorado? I would LOVE t o see th is in concert one day.

  • No, I use to live in the Springs and he played at Cowboy's every now and then. He actually lives in a ranch just out side of Taos, NM. If you live in Colorado just keep your eyes open...he plays there all the time!

  • Nice 10 gallon hat! Great to see the dude can still belt it out! Don't care for the lame arrangement with the flute, however. And for God's sake, add a little bit of reverb for the singers.

  • Paul made a few mistakes during the piano intro, but overall it was great! I've always loved this song!

  • amazing song,

  • One of my favorites. Would love to find it playing on the radio sometime, like the old days. Great record too.

  • Great, let's seev him soon.

  • dave used wildfire as a joke in his show every time he would toss his index card out the window. but he fell in love with the song,and it was a matter of time, till MICHAEL gracred his stage,with all his beautiful down wright Michael Martin Murphey. When will DAVE have him on again? I hope very soon.

  • He's had many other hit songs but if this were the only song he'd ever written it would be enough. It's a complete masterpiece; the music, lyrics, story, and performance all blend so well. Notice how the audience was sitting totally mesmerized. That's a sign of stage presence.

  • It's takes a hell of a lof of talent and soul to write a piece like this. One of my all time favorites. Need i say more?

  • To Krysharol: Don't fret, it was sung a long time ago, but we're all still here, we're just wiser and proud of our past!

  • It was my era, I guess. What I noticed especially in this great upload is the absolute stillness of the musicians. They wanted to be there. Peak experience musically.

  • Songs just ain't written like this anymore..so beautiful

  • Are you interested in him?

  • God,how beautiful is this???????????

  • Thanks for posting, still brings tears to my eyes after all these years

  • beautiful song. He can sing it just as well as he did back then!