DONNIE IRIS & THE CRUISERS: AH LEAH! Live 1981

[mike24819]

Irs amazing when this songlays on the radio just how many people do not know who it is but Donnie Iris has been rocking for decades I remember him from the group Wild Cherry :Play that funky music white boy" And he still sounds great at 68

[JourneyRocks81]

ah leah .................\m/\m/

[aSingleDallasGuy]

This takes me back. The 80's wasn't so cool for fashion but the decade still rocks!

[MightyZarkon]

Cool tune but what's up with dudes bow tie? Reminds me of Jefferson Airplane- Jane.

[717mienbao]

Holy Crap..I had this song in my head, not knowing the artist or the name of the song. When I gave up trying to find out...I then clicked this. Amazing.

[Kitandroxandbec]

that is one HELL of a tune I forgot how great that was Of course I was drinking at the time which explains a lot. But damn is that good Excuse me i have to go hit the repeat button for an hour or so!!!

[2ccyyrruuss]

Ah Leah hell yeah!!! One of the Best 80's tunes ever....

[billyraybar]

Hells YEAH!

[dgiant13]

Nice video & great sound! Thanks for posting Blooze. And, right on charger4079!!!

[wtfkaaitlynn]

GOOD MUSIC

[bobbysfv]

In the top 10 all time best live recordings. Amazing!

[jibski00]

SO SO TRUE

[cocoadelete]

is this at Blossom??

[motorin1991]

@cocoadelete

Yes it is.

[mainelyLA]

fantastic live band

[MrLexondrums]

so fucking awesome

[PianoSoulos]

Do people really sing live without autotune?

[Leadfoot530]

Yellow? Really? Great song!

[jemogan]

Extremely well done live version - even better than the studio one.

[Mr123456789esm]

This is what music is all about. Great harmonizing.

[Mr123456789esm]

This is what music is all about.

[audnbob1]

oh my God, we miss the 80's too!!!!! Music was REAL people. If I COULD turn back time,....no joke.

[wdempsey100]

@snakeriver56, Mark Avsec became a lawyer because of the law suit over this song. He won the suit but lost all he money in the process. he didn't want to see other people get screwed

[marehtseira]

@wdempsey100 what was the lawsuit about regarding this song? did Donnie write it? did he get paid like he was supposed to?

[machtanger]

Those backing singers are tight as hell. I would love to have seen this live.

[derail33]

what a great voice



[snakeriver56]

have to wonder why avsec became a entertainment lawyer. wish someone would post more off that album. lots of good stuff there

[maria689422]

Fantastic voice.... Donnie Iris!!! Back in the day in 1981! Ahhhhhhh Leahhhhhhh!

[MegaTraveling]

What a great voice!

[ManOfWealthnTaste]

How pure was the coke that keyboard guy was on?

[dillinger9999]

what an amazing performance

[eehaf05]

i was at this show, they opened for Hall & Oats

[redneck6310]

Anybody know where in cuyahoga falls??

[peterpetree]

@redneck6310 blossom music center

[thedjmic]

This is great. Love this performance. The Keyboard player reminds me of Spinal Tap.

[thedjmic]

This is great. Love this performance.

[lovegermanshepherds]

WOW!!

[stewgano]

Wow, that band was tight!

[DickLodge68]

One hit wonder......I love when Eugene Levy comes out to sing!

[Beanbluesfan]

Love, love, love that tune.....but does anyone else think that Donnie looks a bit like Screech in this vid? :)

[yonsuckas]

youngstown rib fest, kicked ass!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[pewtercatmumbojumbo]

Love it

[dejtitan]

I saw them at Thiel College, Greenville, PA 1982.....Oh the 80'"s

[TheKathy0026]

@jimisilva prove itt,have Hard time with this!I wanna see Donnie singing with KISS!!

[GangreneVagina]

This is what happens when geeks and nerds get a hold of rock instruments. Granted, this was their one good song, but good LORD it's not hard to figure out why they didn't last!

[cary19642003]

@GangreneVagina I bet he is still crying all the way to the bank with your opinion. You know what they say, if you don't have anything good to say...

[GangreneVagina]

@cary19642003

Really? ONLY positive opinions should be expressed? That's the world you want to live in? Thank GOD that your world doesn't exist. Can you imagine how horrific that would be?

[GangreneVagina]

@cary19642003

Plus they're not rich, you moron. Haha! Your entire comment is riddled with stupidity.

[cammoman121]

@GangreneVagina

Love is like a rock was another good tune.

[simfaithguitar1]

good time rock and roll at its finest.

[centaurus777]

Super Live performance!!!

[CreatureFeatures75]

Damn, i miss the 80's....

[sqd37l]

this is rock and roll!!!

[mcrockett2001]

Donnie's a hell of a stage performer.

[MrRcheek]

8 people are like "WTF IS A DONNIE IRIS?" 

[Larielle]

I named my future daughter the instant I first heard this song back in the 80's... my Leah was born 15 years later, after seeing Donnie Iris perform at the Canton Ohio Ribs Burnoff. It was awesome! ! She got to hear it again when he came back the next year! LOVE Donnie!!!

[Beavis2828]

8 people just don't get it!

[twajetmech1]

Perfect example of an artist that never really got the recognition they deserve. This has all the elements that should have pushed it to the top of the charts! Thumbs up if you agree that Donny and the Cruisers is one of those under appreciated bands that never received their "just due".

[jtelefunken7]

One of the best songs and performances ever...thanks

[zipsrule]

Is he a yinzer?

[buckskipper]

@zipsrule

Yes he is and that's an issue.

GO BROWNS!!!

[slavepuddins]

The memories of when MTV was music television.

[charger4079]

7 people(dislikes) need to be tied down and forced to listen to J.Bieber,Lady GaGa or some other CRAP till they see the light from REAL MUSIC.PEACE

[REXFERAL59]

great song-ridiculous looking guy

[5mariposa5]

totally forgot about this song. love it cuz they are singing my name!! Leah! ;)

[thesongsforlife1]

@5mariposa5 LOL my name too! XD

[rock1witme]

A classic 4 sure...excellent live version!

[nervusboy]

Donnie is from Beaver Falls

[lzawsome]

@nervusboy god nobody gets this right hes from ellwood city ,pa,i know this i live here friend went to school with him..his last cd title ellwood city..

[nervusboy]

representing BEAVER FALLS, PA

[40milesband]

I have become convinced that Donnie Iris was one of the best singers in his day (although he still throws down at nearly 70), and this line-up of the Cruisers was one of the best touring bands to ever grace the stage. I wish we could rewind the clock and give them the success they deserved.

[redfishradical]

Don't know where you found this Brother, but thanks for passing this jewel along! Right freaing on. Just killer, killer stuff. No frills, no fluff power rock at its very best!

[uzi4u182]

1:26 lawlz

[Furbymole]

He is playing and you are not... any more questions?

[DickLodge68]

I thought it was Eugene Levy from the old SCTV days! Okay Donnie Iris...whatever. Just kidding...this was a huge hit in the day and I loved it!

[pittsburghdean02]

rockin out !

[ironcntry]

Retract that last post, saw the original video, my bad...

[ironcntry]

Donnie Iris, grew up with Ah Leah, didn't know what the man looked like though, what's with the yellow suit and bow tie, buzz kill, back to audio only.

[RANDY12764]

that was dam good i heard this the other day on 107.7 the bone in sf !

[vinmanrocks]

the drummer is rockin! what other bands did he play in?

[40milesband]

@vinmanrocks That's Kevin Valentine. He has played with several bands, most notably Breathless, and Lou Gramm. He also played on Kiss' "Psycho Circus".

[buckeye6382]

Was at this show with Donnie opening for Michael Stanley Band. One of the BEST concerts I ever attended. Donnie and MSB all rocked that night. Ah, to be able to relive those times.

[L1ngP0e]

I saw this live and you could watch the bass make your shirt move!

[dolfanlinda]

not to be mean but I swear that man has NO penis! lol....great song though, thanks, love it!!

[rog197236]

@dolfanlinda How would you know he has no penis??????

[OBEONE2424]

@rog197236 maybe dolfanlinda was a groupie...............

[Raymond09871]

That keyboard player....Is he just for show?

[BloozeRockJunky]

@Raymond09871

That's Mark Avsec on keys, he was Donnie's songwriting partner in the band. Avsec was also in the band WIld Cherry before that, and is now a successful entertainment lawyer.

[meeshowkowpers1]

@BloozeRockJunky you said it! You tell em!

[Danimal14222]

@BloozeRockJunky Yes...and they were all the Cruisers until '84...which had a bad habit of blowing all their headliners off the stage (Donnie was in Wild Cherry too...) so once they stopped getting gigs...well...shame.

[davehorch]

@Raymond09871

It's clear that Mark is playing his ass off. You can't hear that? And sure, he was going for maximum chick magnetism, but for me that doesn't detract from his great musicianship in any way. Yeah, play this one 1st thing on your way to work in the morning - instant good mood.

[furpurr]

@Raymond09871 "just for show"?? i don't understand your comment. He's playing several boards at once...so...????

[TheSpankle]

@Raymond09871 if that keyboard player is just for show, it worked!!

[EMILYWILDER]

@Raymond09871

Don't know. But he's nice and sweaty.

[Retloh]

this is a great song but i don't know which is worse: Donny's yellow leisure suit from the 70s or the guy wearing that 80s cutting edge purple tiger striped shirt

[DANINVEGAS]

I love Donnie Iris. I remember this show at Blossom Music Center. Great song, excellent performance. I saw him there, at Westminster College in Wilmington, Pa and the Youngstown Agora several times. This song and "Love is like a Rock" are classic.

[usmc18111]

Jams on WNCX Cleveland. 98.5. Blast from the past!

[ZuggaTugga]

this song gets bucho airtime on 102.1 in midland/odessa, texas...kicks ass

[justpassnthru]

Ah! Mazing!!!

[deniserobin]

One of my all time favorites! Have had it on my desk top for many years, got to hear it at least once a day and dance around the room :-)

[vinmanrocks]

this song rocks!

[navymominmi]

Awesome...brings back great memories and reminds me how old I am!! :o)

[scab1966]

Saw these guys in '82, thanks for reminding me how old I have become!

[Musicjuicebox]

fuckin awesome. donnie's always had great pipes to this day. excellent backin vocals here too.

[dub273]

I'm amazed as Donnie Iris' ability to belt out those vocals. I've always loved this song, but the live performance is just plain impressive.

[tonfan]

doesn't get much better than this.......

[zevon1964]

Best song

[dishergang]

Master of the microphone!!!!!!!!!!!rock on

[debra195942]

this is one of those songs you just gotta hit the road and hit the speed

[RubHerSoul1]

@debra195942 And when I'm done doing just that, I jam this tune with my band. And we do it pretty much verbatim.  Even the harmonies which took me a while to get evryone to learn correctly. The trickiest part of nailing this song, but it's the selling point of the song isn't it. Ahhhh Leee-Ahhh-Uh. Try it with your friends sometime.

[frog442]

Classsic!!

[JZimm8787]

Mesh caps rule!

[BassPlayerSusan]

But could Eugene Levy ever play Donnie Iris in a biopic?

Ya gotta admit he gives it his all in this one!

[hitting400]

4:05

Old school Rock n Roll stage scene.

[randho8]

Anybody have the video from this concert of "Sweet Merilee"? Please post it if you have it. It may have been from another concert in the early 80's. Thanks

[Boski391]

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh Leah!

[sumstuff46]

wow great job LIVE, excellent vocals too

[jimbones0]

A lot of praise going on here. Am I the only one that thinks this is absolutely terrible? It was 1981 after all, but come on!

[blunderboy1964]

@jimbones0

may very well be this guy is wonderful in concert 100% energy and yes he can sing

[oxanon237425]

look at that badass keyboard player.......

[TheZenhog]

YES! A great American classic! Even better LIVE!

[perpetual61]

This Song is still as Awesome 30 Years Later.

[SchaefDizzle]

Donnie: Making Leah the best name in rock since 1980.

[indianfans]

Awesome!!!! Saw Donnie Iris and the Cruisers at least two times at the Sandusky State Theater and once at BGSU. Great shows!

[SurfThrashGuitar]

amazing live performance, I never thought I would hear this song again because I forgot the name but always had the chorus stuck in my head, great song and am still in shock how well they pulled it off live, thanks for this

[steelerbradd]

Old fashioned Pittsburgh music, I still love this song. Go Steelers, Go Pens.

[chromeoandmulliet39]

Ah, the polyester suits back in the day, the light blue color was my favorite. Great song, Donnie!

[typhon1980]

Thanks for the post !! Awesome tune !!

[rolandgunslinger]

zebra shirt guy rocks!



[sixerjman]

Donnie Iris is a cool mofo. I always liked this song, great harmonies, tasty guitars and soulful singing. I just found out today that Donnie was the leader of The Jaggerz who did "The Rapper" , another crunchy rocker that reached #2 on rhe charts in 1970.

[floatingcompassmedia]

good summer tune

[raleighusaf]

I saw a show, in Chapel Hill NC, at the football field, somewhere between late 81-83

He openned, then at that Time, Hall and oates, went next, Then Joan Jett headlined,

was awesome,,,

[sonicvisionmedia]

Classic. Never seen these guys until today. Full geeks, but fully talented. Love it.

[shilou80]

This is great! Brings back memories from 1983 at the Youngstown Agora. Great show!!!

[01scrambla]

my first concert...thanks for the memories!

[01scrambla]

My first concert...thanks for the memories!

Thanks for posting this...I love it!

[straightcleaner]

I had a girlfriend named Leah back around 87.

[blabblab1212]

Excellent!!

[jmcueball]

this guy put on a hell of a show

was at this kick ass show

[computerspace]

Loved this song since the 80's - it is the most played selection in my jukebox (I have a counter that keeps track of that stuff). I would pay real money to see this guy on the west coast. The song just gives me chills - I can't believe that someone got that clear of video of the concert back in 1981, it's great. thanks for posting it!

[MeeshowKowpers]

Wow the f*cking pipes on this guy...an amazing song! One of my favourites from the eighties.

[DANINVEGAS]

Wow! I'd forgotten the energy of Donnie and the boys. I saw Donnie several times, including this show. I also saw him at the Youngstown Agora and at Westminster College in New Wilmington, PA. This is a great song. The vocals are spectacular. Thanks for putting this up. Wonderful.

[Kwarner722]

Gotta love the tune and the energy on stage - especially Viv Savage on keys!

[stinkyeverygreen]

I have been trying to find this song off and on since 1982, my senior year in High School. I have always been "crazy" about music . . . ended up with a degree in Music and taught elementary music for years!!! Today I heard this song in my boyfirends truck and started screaming!! Since I am not in good health (reason not teaching any more) he thought I was having a heart attack!! NO JOKE. This time I searched with the artist name and found it. Thank you for posting this!!

[milusos57]

nothing like this has come up in a very long time killer tune!!!

[industrialsun]

Nobody wearing a yellow suit and a bowtie ever rocked harder! Classic! YOU RULE, DONNIE!

[BusterBallz68]

Just saw King Cool rockin the GateWay Clipper Fleet this past weekend! Nobody can sing wail Ah Leah like the Don!

[SchruterCooter]

Is everything on this live from a real show? Amazing harmonies... baddass song!

[BloozeRockJunky]

@SchruterCooter Yep, it was recorded at The Blossom Music Center near Cleveland, Ohio.

[angelseyes1990101807]

@BloozeRockJunky //////was at this show!!!! MSB & DONNIE STILL HOLD THE RECORD AT BLOSSOM MUSIC CENTER FOR A 4 DAY SELL-OUT OF THIS CONCERT!!!I WAS AT ALL 4 SHOWS!!! MY HOME TOWN GUYS!!!...Michael still sounds great to this day ( even though he is over 60)....see him at Tangiers!!

[sonicvisionmedia]

@SchruterCooter yeah, this is from time when bands could actually sing, without lip syncing, pitch correcting, samplers and tapes.

[dadadruma]

@SchruterCooter they are so tight here omg how underrated and what a shame this band wasnt promoted like they deserved

[iiimusika]

@SchruterCooter ,,,este señor estuvo en mexico!!exelente

[cary19642003]

@SchruterCooter Definitely awesome live harmonies. I had the chance to see them on that tour and was blown away!

[Zubirrex]

@SchruterCooter Ah, music before sampling and auto-tune. Great, huh?

[darrenable1]

Leah, Phil Collins: In The Air Tonight, I Love You: Climax Blues Band

[sprowls69]

truly awesome used to see him all i could back in the 'burgh!

[scales1020]

one of the greatest posts on youtube!

[scales1020]

one of the greatest posts on youtube!

[Musicmanray]

I must bow to you Mr. king of the geeky-ness.... know one comes close !

[SARATT69]

Heavy Metal Buddy Holly! Donnie Iris was the best!!!

[kpaadj]

This is my absolute favorite song, I listen to it every day, and I watch it on here almost every day!

[merrilywmissy]

Timeless tune. Amazing energy. Thanks, William for reintroducing this song to me.

[Boski391]

A Pittsbrugh Icon. Great Song ! Donnie You Rock!

[CoryCorano]

My 5 year old Son sings this one.Check it out at my videos, no bull, its really funny! :)

[cindy55intexas]

Wow! I'm a Pittsburgh girl and I've loved this song since 1980. I never saw Donnie perform; he sure doesn't look the part but he sure does rock! Thanks for bringing back wonderful memories.

[edwardsre]

wow - so f'd up to know that I was part of the 80's scene. I love it !!! So many badass times that I had in the 80's.

[jdm97ek4]

donnie iris rocks

[Michatch]

This sends me right back to the day...Thank You for posting..

[metalhead19661]

awesome song first time i seen it live...........NOT BAD AT ALL!!

[laynecobain6794]

What a voice! I could never get enough of this song! Classic!

[harlesslee]

This keyboard player is quite possibly rock and roll incarnate.

[yossarian9]

The keyboard player looks like a cleaned-up version of Viv from Spinal Tap.

[dashergirl13]

The 80s music era is SUPREME!!

[AlphaGeminorium]

Brings back memories.

[chrispynov1963]

Awesome song!! this live version is the best ! How can i get it on my ipod ?