Albert Collins @ David Letterman, 1986, Cold Snap, "A Good Fool Is Hard To Find

[rhcpdave]

GOD DAMN THAT'S ONE BADASS MOFO

[jazzyjazzyjazzy]

Sorry but Pianist sucks!

[56BUICKRiviera]

I saw him at the Caberet in San Jose there was maybe 50 people there we were sitting on these chairs that had wheels. Rolling around the dance floor so Albert grabbed a chair and rolled around too.

[LockcityI]

Saw Albert in Buffalo, during his ' guitar walk ' through the crowd, he headed out the door, crossed a busy Main street and walked into a jazz club directly across the street with his horn section, still playing his ass off. On the way back he stopped right in the middle of the street and just wailed away. Traffic backed up for blocks with people dancing in the streets. I've never seen so many happy people.

[Exiles800]

I saw Albert Collins in Middletown, New York around this year but also at the Turning Point Bar in Piermont, NY a few years later. At the Turning Point he got his blues groove going and walked through the crowd and out the front door and was playing in the street! The crowd and myself followed him out onto the sidewalk where he was giving a show for 5 minutes! Ha!

[cyoteblues]

Shaffer the key guy is digging it to hell. And who would'nt? God bless Albert.

[sosmooth7]

I've seen Albert Collins many years ago in Philly at what was then know as The River Blues Fest,he always had what appeared to be a 100ft cable and would walk out into the crowd. I love the blues,because no matter whomever is playing they seem to put there own touch on it. P.S. Paul Schafer seems to really be enjoying the song.

[bluesdjben]

Wow, somebody really screwed up at NBC! I thought musicians, especially bluesmen, weren't allowed to be this COOL on network TV! Somebody should have had the lack of foresight to dumb him down for a top 40-loving audience (even though with Albert that would have required a straightjacket)!

Actually, this is awesome. Albert rocks as always, Paul and the band do a good job backing him, and thousands of viewers who didn't know jack about the blues got a chance to see the real Iceman. Thanks!

[SmileyGarrish]

contemporary blues?

[theslidedaddy]

Sometimes its not about technique. It's about persona. And in that respect Albert is one of the greatest guitarists ever.

[rskurow]

Albert Collins and Freddie King, two greats who both played with the strap slung over one shoulder and no pick! Real masters.

[BigTimeBluesFan989]

@rskurow because thats how we do it in Texas

[jcbluefunk]

i luv the way that Albert blows away these studio players with his funky blue soul power! RIP Iceman.

[CoachG1000]

"Put the strap around my shoulder? Nah, I'm Albert Collins bitch.."

***.jcmcneilband.***

[bdubbs67]

As always, Albert tore it up. Amazing guitar playing with the signature walk in the audience. I saw Reverend Raven do the same thing last summer it was awesome. RIP Albert.

P.S. Could Paul get any gayer? Probably not.

[tonyrio]

Fucking amazing !!!

[eveready5o]

Saw him in concert back in the '70's. He tore up the place back then and I've followed him ever since.

[RetroJenny]

Paul was tearing up that organ! You could tell he was enjoying jamming with the Master of the telecaster!

[kevindlinc]

Aw man, it's great to see him but it sure hurts too. I saw him several times and met him once, a real gentleman, hope to see you on the other side Albert.

[PSOOPE]

Wow, that's the way it is, I bet now a bunch of those cats are sittin' there wondering what might have happened had they let The Ice Man sit in. Wow, saw him once in San Diego, played the same note for 5 min while he went through crowd, out the front door and through the back, same fuckin note, the crowd went ape shit when he hit the stage (take note all you fast playin fools), that's the Ice Man for your ass...in case one missed him!! RIP AC!!!

[jimi2142]

wish albert was still with us. r.i.p. good man

[elc1960]

The amazing Albert Collins. I got to see him in early 1993 at The Sting in New Britain, CT and he was amazing, but he looked kind of thin compared to the way I always saw him on his albums. Then in November of that year stomach cancer took him, so now I understand why he looked that way. Right around this time, he had a cameo in "Adventures In Babysitting" and that Seagram's wine cooler ad with Bruce Willis.

[gladdad101]

I can dig it! What a joy...miss him a lot!

[strandwolf]

I heard that Collins would visit relatives here in E. Palo Alto, parking and operating out of his motor home at the curb. Play dominoes and kid around for extended periods. Hardly anyone knew that he was a well-known musician. He was a super regular guy, but with an amazing gift. He behaved the way that Miles Davis ought to have....

[Rolandvids]

one night me and albert were backstage at barrymores in ottawa and we were drinking and albert said i hope you and me are tighter than you and buddy guy i said im tight with both of you albert said i understand anyways i was always happy when albert came to town i use to sing santa claus is coming to town and put alberts name instead of santas like this albert collins coming to town albert was funny too man i wish he wasnt dead damn albert said i was in his will some one must have stole it rip

[Rolandvids]

albert collins was the baddest ass guitar slinger of all the blacks and buddy guy knows it too and albert was the nicest cat i ever knew when albert found out i was living in the southside of chicago he gave me money and said boy i want u to come on the road with me heres money for a cab and hotel u gonna get killed down here cause i had gotten jumped buy some locals anyways i met him and went on the road albert said i dont have a son i look like you as my son okay i said okay we were very close

[Rolandvids]

im ugly like albert albert if he was better looking he would have went farther anyways albert collins is the best bluesman that ever played the ax albert is part indian his mother was cherokee and im part indian too albert said indians and blacks are the same you know one night in the hotel room i said well black people like u mixed with indian we both laughed

[jmp308]

Why was it always about Paul Schaffer when bands would book on Letterman????

Was that part of the deal: you can be on Letterman but you must feed little Paul's ego.

What an ass!! Albert, God bless you for putting up with this!

[donottawaguitar]

nice

[peppertaterbaby]

paul shafer looks like one one the muppets

[SunbeltRyders]

@peppertaterbaby LMAO! Paul sure was funkin it out that night, must've been some good coke goin around

[konshess]

Paul and Albert doesnt get any cooler in a wacky way than that!

[jeanstylo]

Does anybody know who the bass player is ? He has such a beautiful groove...very bluesy , very Albert collins kind of shuffle...What's his name ?

Thank you for the post

[Drummervia]

@jeanstylo ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,yes thats Will Lee; current bassist with paul Shaffer's band on the Late Show; a great musician thats played with so many greats.

[SunbeltRyders]

now that's a showman

[Dazzo60]

Great post thank you, nobody around like this anymore !!!!

[pickersparadise]

Wow....the greatest.....pure soul fire.....

[LOLLYPOPPE]

Damn what a cool guy

[JacobtheGenius23]

Great post. Thanks.

[frankenstein909]

Bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad. Paul Schaffer.. omg, you are ... well, you know what you are... omg! So impressive that you were right up there with such a blues legend as A.C. What a show!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[fordbigtruckblackf15]

thats me shakeing his hand at 3:20

[JohnnyGuitarEdwards]

Yep he met Paul Schaffer at S.I.R. studios after the filming of One More From The Road in December of 1985. Paul played keys with him and Johnny Clyde Copeland . I played bass. Albert did his gig & the filmat Carnagie Hall ! There are outtakes of that S.I.R. jam somewhere in the Alligator records vault!

[downonthe1]

The ICEMAN showing the studio heads how to really rock the house! TEXAS style! RIP ALBERT.

[EricCirca6566]

What's with all the hiss and crackle? It sounds like an old vinyl record. Still, I'm glad that you posted it. "Better to have it with it's flaws than tn not have it at all." I love when Albert walks up the steps into the audience. That's pure Albert! He would always always walk out into the audience. That's part of his show. And then when he shakes someone's hand, he is actually asking them "How do you do?" What a showman!!! I'm so glad that I was able to see him a few times before he died.

[mooseboy66]

wireless device?... I dont need no stinkin wireless!!.. Getting it done old school. I like that some "toneheads" will actually have an argument with you about how that long of guitar cable would drop you signal by so much -db and they dont even realize it doesnt matter when your playing a guitar as good as that. Great perfomance

[TeeTommyBee]

Only one drawback to this video - the slight crackle but a great jam just the same. Thanks for sharing it fivealex2009!!!

[TeeTommyBee]

Hot Damn!!! That is some EXCELLENT playing!! Both Albert and Paul are jammin'. In response to the cheap shots against Paul Shaffer, consider this:"His approach to music is without pretension. He has been musical director for the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony since its 1986 inception. Shaffer is an underrated band leader with a deep love of rhythm and blues and the soul of the Hammond B-3 electric organ." From Paul's new book "We'll Be Here For The Rest Of Our Lives..." Jam On Paul

[ihop54]

Calm down Paul, before you hurt yourself!!!

[Kdees]

Truly the master of telecaster! RIP ICEMAN

[stan2211stan]

Actually that looks like a very young Chris Botti on Trumpet.

[EricCirca6566]

@stan2211stan He might resemble him but it is Larry Etkin on trumpet and Arno Hecht on sax. Together with Bob Funk, trombone and Crispin Cioe, saxes, they are known collectively as "The Uptown Horns." They are the same horn section that played on The B52's " Love Shack" and countless other recordings. Including "Cold Snap" the album where this song comes from.

[kramerblues]

Very cool! I had actually met Albert Collins after the taping of this show at the Lone Star Cafe NYC (dressed exactly the same!).

He had some time to kill and wanted to see it he could sit in with any of the groups who who were doing an early showcase... Incredibly, none of the bands who were performing would let him!

They all wanted to do their little set of originals, corn-fed rock. There were only a dozen or so folks in the room. I had a great conversation with Mr. Collins, though.

[750tblack]

wow!that's cool that you met him,can't believe any band would not want to jam with him!

[hugleberthumperdink]

@kramerblues It should be a federal offence to turn down any Blues Great for a jam.

[Rolandvids]

@kramerblues yes he was friendly hey the best person i ever knew

[fiote68]

@kramerblues the show you´re talking about was in 1992 at lone star NY and the opening was John Campbell ?

[srvnumber1fan]

@kramerblues Over the past 30 years or so, I have met quite a few other guitarists. Being from Texas, I have been lucky that I have had the chance to be close to some really GREAT names and talk with them and see them play at club levels all the way to arenas. It is funny how the blues guitarists are not snobby and the several rock musicians that have never had a deal will try to snub you any chance they get. It's too bad most of the greats are gone now.

[kevykev38]

Paul is THE MAN!

[reneask79]

Debbie Davies on Trompet??

[MrBb4848]

Albert had to walk around the audience !! Paul is a F$%^& ham....lol  Gotta Love Albert ~~!!

[jpdowner]

damn paul schaffer!

[gbsnp123]

Can't stop laughing at the keyboard player at 1:34 . This is great!

[MrBlack125]

Yeah he Kind of looks like a Muppet. But Albert is the man.

[NewWorldRob]

jesus I'd love to pull those two vinyls thru the screen unopened like that..OMG

[grozengyz]

Great!

[youpippo81]

i gotta say this..the white dude on the organ is like a woodpecker hahaha great post

[2estring57]

@youpippo81 Ya paul is a want a be.

but he is making alot of money. So you do not have to have soul to get a job like that. You just kiss a lot of ass.

[riotofdablood]

@youpippo81 isnt he the guy in the letterman show nowadays

[youpippo81]

@riotofdablood shit! maybe he is lol

[riotofdablood]

@youpippo81 YOSH^^!

[youpippo81]

@riotofdablood we'll never know hahahaha.

[riotofdablood]

@youpippo81 i wanna know

[mindingosafado]

Paul Schaffer is sucha beast ^__^

Respect.

[spoonylove]

@youpippo81 Ain't that paul schaffer?

[youpippo81]

@spoonylove not sure but if u know let me know i can laugh me some mo then lol peace

[DTGninja]

@youpippo81 That's Paul Shaffer. He's David Lettermans's band leader. He looks even funnier now, since he's bald. He is a great keyboardist though, no matter how silly his head bobbing is. :P

[carpybv]

by the way fivealex2009, this track is called "A Good Fool Is Hard To Find", just in case you want to update the description :-) thanks again for the upload dude.

[Bornysblues]

This is so fun. Never seen him play this song live before. This guy was born funky!

[carpybv]

absolutely!!! good find borny :-) and fivealex2009, thank you for the awesome upload :-)

[joko9395]

Work it Paul. LOL.