Bert Jansch - Blackwater Side

[Rudra108]

People should accept that Jimmy Page is an imoral disgraceful bastard, and also a genius (for other songs he didn't steal... probably). Oh, and stop thanking him for something we could have done ourselves sooner or later.

[redsoxfan1324]

Before people go ragging on page for "stealing" this song you have to remember that page never claimed this as his own. He had great respect for Bert Jansch and was simply bringing his own interpretation of a beatiful folk song to thousands of rock and roll fans who would have otherwise never heard the name Jansch. Sampling is part of music and people need to get used to the fact that nothing is truly original anymore which doesn't take away from its enjoyability. Its just the way music evolves.

[mijoolie02]

Always was one of my favourite musicians. Rest in Peace Bert

[rolandocbf]

I just discover this magnificent master of music and he dies. Just my luck. RIP you legend.

[MattDLD333]

I just found out about him about two weeks ago (not because of his death). I am sad to find out he died.

[bandeiraglaucia]

From Brasil :

All we love for you Bert.

R I P.

Repouse em Paz e Muito Obrigado.

[jnsii54]

He died and I marked it as day when we all lost a great one

[Boingusboingus]

Great player.And thank you to Jimmy Page. Without him, I would never have discovered Bert's great talent.

[zodiacbluesbaby]

Ethereal, captivating style he had.

[FGCUprof]

Rest in Peace, Bert. One of the finest guitarist who ever lived. Time to break out the Jansch / Pentagle collection tonight.

[RATM44]

How many strings did he break while he played that outstanding interpretation of an old folk song ?

Bert, true legend, rest in peace.

[cropsy2008]

R.I.P bert.



[LQBlues]

Followed Jansch and Pentangle for years (see John Renbourn). Last night I heard Bert perform Blackwater's Side on the Eric Clapton 2010 Crossroads video that I streamed from Netflix. He was followed by a duo with Keb Mo and Stefan Grossman which was excellent. Bert is a historical guitar figure with great skills who influenced me over the years.. There are some great Jansch video's available from live performances on the Stefan Grossman Guitar Workshop. I would go to his recordings first!

[Barrono69]

@carlose0318

Shut your whore mouth, you dirty hipster cocksucker.

[onepeaceableworld]

I would agree with your assessment of Jansch's guitar arrangement, and his ability to execute it compared to Jimmy Page.

[rubbersandro]

my ears keep waiting for communication breakdown, when it''s over ^^

[devtrev]

@rubbersandro Communication Breakdown may actually be one of the few Page didn't "borrow"

[kreed7167]

I like and equally respect both versions. I think the two are both great guitarists, and I don't think anyone should get angry at each other over something far in the past. I mean really. The only two affected people are Page and Jansch. I believe both takes on this old folk song are fantastic.

[fuzzbunz1111]

he didnt steal shit! it was a cover. im so sick of you motherfucks talkin shit about zep, saying they stole all their music! cant you just give credit where credit is due? page was simply trying to put this on the album so that people not familiar with jansch would get the opportunity to hear such great music. it doesnt make him a thief.

[pisstroll88]

@fuzzbunz1111

you are a dumb qu33r go home and play with daddys p3nis

[fuzzbunz1111]

@pisstroll88 wow, you really told me off bro. how could i ever argue with ur logic?

[devtrev]

@fuzzbunz1111 Then why did he steal the arrangement and take writing credit? Is that why he stole "Dazed and Confused" too? Wise up.

[fuzzbunz1111]

@devtrev dont tell me to wise up smart ass, you dont even fucking know me. btw when i wrote this comment i didnt know that he took credit for it. so i will admit i was wrong, he totally stole it. but im still a die hard zep fan till the end

[devtrev]

@fuzzbunz1111 I told you to wise up, and you did - good job. I'm a huge Zep fan too. I'm just tired of people making excuses for Jimmy Page. He did some unethical things, and the legal system made him pay the price. He probably didn't steal more than any other guitar player did. Claiming writing credit was his crime. That being said, he's one of the greatest rock players ever.

[pisstroll88]

@fuzzbunz1111 dude shut your mouth you dont even know how dumb you look. you just admitted your ignorance. next time keep it to yourself and move on. don;t try to be a hero

[fuzzbunz1111]

@pisstroll88 man your so tough over the internet. dont judge me, you dont even know who i am.

[brianpage100]

Evidently Page actually has a sense of guilt about "stealing" this. According to Jansch: "The thing I've noticed about Jimmy whenever we meet now is that he can never look me in the eye. Well, he ripped me off, didn't he? Or let's just say he learned from me. I wouldn't want to sound impolite." Mr. Jansch is a gentleman, and realizes that harboring a feeling of enmity towards someone for so long benefits no one. Hopefully certain people on here will eventually feel the same.

[RichardStevenson92]

Everyone dicks on Page for stealing these things from Jansch and Davy Graham etc and in fairness he did. But lets face it, most of the music he stole doesn't have sole creditors anyway so who is he stealing it from? Jansch and Graham or the ages old folk songs

[led1071]

Olde Scottish folk song.

[Dooleystar]

Folk it all

[ClaussXeroS]

Like if Led Zeppelin had only Black Mountain Side, if Led zeppelin reinvented the blues/folk is not obvious that blues songs took existing bases.

Sorry for my inglish, i´m peruviam and love music folk british. 

[guitargod91000]

k whats wrong with led zeppelin copying this song its not like they copied lady gaga there is honistley nothing wrong with a band doing a cover

[ineffabletool]

@guitargod91000 Well, there's nothing wrong with covering a song. There is, however, something very wrong with passing other people's work off as your own, which is something Bert Jansch never did. There's quite a big difference.

[Monty0699]

Whats the zep song that sounds like this

[LudiKZ]

@Monty0699 it's black mountainside

[Monty0699]

Just found a new album I'm gonna listen to for the next 3 months until I get sick of it :P .

[jnsii54]

It's a very old folk song. Jansch did it brilliantly

[ettmc2]

I was just enlightened that Page stole this, and Holly Crap, He Did !!! WTF, This is so awesome, and I will be digging deeper into Mr. Jansch... This is BETTER then ZEPPs, and I never thought I'd say that about LZ... Page was just taken down a few clicks on my Gun because people that Don't give credit for anothers work 'SUCK'... Even if it's JP, ...... Thank You Mr. Able for showing me this..

[ineffabletool]

@ettmc2 Check out Dazed and Confused by Jake Holmes.

[friendlier]

Jimmy Page stole everything from everyone. That's why many of us even knew to seek out the originals, from blues to British traditional folk to Moroccan drumming. Hats off to him.

[guitargod91000]

@friendlier look buddy i dont think this guy can play going to california stairway to heaven or even come close to when the levee breaks so you can shut your pie hole

[friendlier]

@guitargod91000 Your name invokes guitar gods and you're calling Bert Jansch "this guy"? You know very little about British rock.

[andersingram]

the thing is ... its a folksong

but Page nicked the arrangement

Which is why its grating when led zep sue people for sampling when the levy breaks (which was a straight cover of an old blues recording)

hypocrites !

[BoxcarSocialMusic]

Many people have covered this song. Played someones version, perhaps adding there own touch to someone elses work. The original composer of this song will never be known.

[BoxcarSocialMusic]

so who was the First person to write this amazing piece of work??

[Macleod1487]

Everyone Rips Everyone off in one way, shape or form.

[Sshelly34213]

@Macleod1487 Oh fuck off with that attitude. Do you really believe it's ok to sue people?

I used to like Led Zeppelin a great deal, but now i can't listen to them the same way anymore. I can't listen to them and say, "that's unique and refreshing," because it isn't.

[Patzeppelin69]

If it weren't for Jimmy Page, I never would of heard of Bert Jansch. So I gotta thank him for that.

[MWilsonsGameShow]

@Patzeppelin69 same here :)

[slartibartfast68]

@Patzeppelin69 Jimmy Page and Bert Jansch both can thank Anne Briggs for reviving folk music. She also did an interpretation of Blackwaterside, which is a traditional irish folk song about a place in Ireland.

[smitcha2]

Of course Page *did* "steal" the melody from Jansch, and to some degree Jansch's approach to the guitar arrangement, but... Jansch himself drew very heavily on the vocal arrangement of the song (itself traditional) from his friend Anne Briggs (her version is available on YouTube too). Anyway, Page could never in a million years duplicate the exquisite timing and economy Jansch displays here: the perfect combination of blues phrasing and "Baroquian" counterpoint.

[Sshelly34213]

@smitcha2 Page is a huge plagiarist...his entire first album was plagiarized and he has recently acknowledged this. He was actually sued by Willie Dixon in the 80s and I believe he is being sued again by someone.

[mcleanartists]

@smitcha2 Nor could Jansch duplicate Page's take.

[MrGeltabs]

@smitcha2 Umm didn't bert teach this to Jimmy himself??? That's what I read I think u may be mistaken... During 1 of Jimmys trips to Morocco I thought he hung out with Bert sort of as a student to learn that style of guitar????

[44eelz]

@smitcha2 but Jansch wrote all the guitar parts?

[MrAshToast]

Genius.

[68SSCAM]

Jimmy Page didn't copy this guy, the original is a traditional Irish folk called Down By The Blackwaterside, this guy 'copied' it as well, only he called Blackwaterside and Jimmy called it Black Mountain Side.

[Tengent]

@68SSCAM Jimmy played Bert's rendition of it, though. Bert's rendition still retains the 'traditional irish' Mixolydian mode melody, but has its own unique features that Jimmy Page stole.

[FindingOsamaGrumbles]

@68SSCAM its good, so who cares

[68SSCAM]

@FindingOsamaGrumbles I know, I just hate it when people say that Page 'stole' so much stuff

[FindingOsamaGrumbles]

@68SSCAM page is my favorite guitarist of all time

[68SSCAM]

@FindingOsamaGrumbles Same here, all four band members of Led Zeppelin are my favourite musicians of all time

[Sshelly34213]

@68SSCAM He DID and has acknowledged it....why can't his fans?

[Sshelly34213]

@FindingOsamaGrumbles I care because it's shitty to take things that aren't yours. The person who wrote this song isn't even known today...it's not fair for someone else to take credit for another's work of art. That is immoral.

[Sshelly34213]

@68SSCAM He never acknowledged it as a traditional folk song, which is really shitty. it's sad that his fans can't just admit the truth.

[wwwddhotmailcouk]

yup

[tet1963]

jimmy page nicks another song, naughty!

[kmelalzate]

mm, the original?

[68SSCAM]

@kmelalzate Don't think so

[banditboy6666]

yes another swish for jimmy page

[MoontownMoss]

Ahhhhhhhh :)

[weno36]

great song!