WOW. When I grew up as a punk kid in the UK in the late 70's, John Denver was always viewed as being uncool and a bit cheesy. This brilliant performance of this classic folk song is a revelation, especially for a Welsh lad like myself ( not least for Denver's brilliant 12-string guitar work here too ) It's so sad he died too soon. I've no doubt his talents would get a Johnny Cash style reappraisal if he were still with us
John Denver is wrong. The song written by Idris Davies maybe first sung by P Seeger, The symbolism of colour of tbells relates to the hard life was at the colliers 6 month strike for what was and still is the 99%, ranging from Black in the Rhondda, Brown in Merthyr and Silver in the Wye valley away from the mines., cities where the 1% -mine owners lived : moist in Swansea, unstated in Newport and green ( equivocal) in Cardiff, After the antics of Wal Street, the message is still there
I was lucky enough to meet him In Rhymney when I was a policeman there and later that night watched him sing it in his concert in Cardiff, he said he was visiting each town in the song so that he could get the right feeling for it, I think he did, such a loss, I will never get over it I know.
I saw and heard JD do this while he was still with the Mitchell Trio in the mid-60's at the College of Wooster, Ohio. This brought the house to its feet and hair on the back of everyone's arms. A classic.
Ah, that famous white suit from 1984. You had to be there in person to really appreciate that guitar virtuosity...remember once when a string broke and he finished it on 11 strings. AMAZING!
I was luck enough to meet him in Rhymney when he was visiting all the towns mentioned in the song prior to his concert in Cardiff, where I then watched him perform this live, brought the house down, so sadly missed, a lovely chap.
I could listen to this song over an over and each time be filled with chills. To watch the beautiful John Denver perform this brings me over the top! What a beautiful, beautiful human being. Although gone in body, his spirit lives with us FOREVER!
John said that he loved bluegrass but wasn't good enough on the guitar. He was wrong, because he was bloody amazing, and the fact that he could do it on a 12-string continues to amaze me.
This is the song I heard John play one D-Day at Denison University when he came over to Granville and sat outside on the grass and just played for anyone who wanted to listen to him. I did. I was blown away. Actually, he asked me out that night! John and I became friends and I still miss him. He was a great talent and could really play that Guild 12-string.
I've played this song for about four decades but this is the first time I've heard it played by John Denver - Boy have I missed out!
His virtuoso guitar playing even upstages the classic Pete Seeger version which was an old fashioned protest song.
This is an AMAZING video and must be watched to appreciate just how great a guitarist this guy was. Many thanks for posting it. Sadly, VERY sadly missed.
Coincidentally, I was driving in these very valleys in the wee small hours of this morning. Weird!
@TonyTheDriver100 - Dear brother of mine. I had this on an old vinyl LP by Pete Seeger. I loved it then, and still do, and can only dream about and envy the skills of both men in playing it.
As for the look on JD's face - could it be that he was developing a build up of lactic acid in his fingers during the playing of this, and was starting to get concerned that he would cramp up before the end?
By the way, do you know where my Pete Seeger LP went? You haven't snaffled it have you? LOL!
@TonyTheDriver100 - P.S. - For all the people in YouTube land, Tony the Driver and I are twins. Tony lives in Bristol, England, and I live in Logan, Queensland, Australia. This is a long distance and long time search for my lost Pet Seeger LP! - LOL!
Of course I did. It was in the cupboard beside your bed while you were staying with us last month - you can have it back the next time we meet - may be.
Unbelievable!! I've seen many, many videos of John but never saw his mastery of the guitar demonstrated so well. I half expected sparks to start flying from the strings! Wow! Isn't it amazing how much there was to this man? So few realize that!
This song got me completely hooked on John's abilities, and co-producing his first two-hour plus concert anywhere in the world on 4/26/69 at a small community college outside of Washington, DC still ranks as one of the most worthwhile events of my life. JD is so missed by those of us who knew and loved him, and it is my wish that his accomplishments are remembered for many generations to come.
A Mazing! John was such an amazing man, and talented artist. How anyone could not appreciate him and his music is beyond me. RIP John. You are missed!
Been a great fan of his since he appeared around 1971 and was lucky enough to meet him brielfy when He came to Rhymney before one of his Cardiff concerts, he was visiting all the towns named in the song, he was such a gent and is so sadly missed, I cherish the fact I met him.
Having been a big fan of his since he appeared so many years ago I was lucky enough to meet him when he visited Rhymney, what a gent and what a great great loss. He is sadly missed.
I've been looking for this for more than 20 years. I saw this in concert and fell in love with it. Thanks so much for sharing this. I miss John so very much.
WOW. As a Welsh person myself, I'm very proud to hear John chat about the origins of this wonderful song. What a great 12 string guitar player - and what a cool guy. Such a shame he's not with us anymore - he'd have had a fantastic comeback I'm sure.
WOW. When I grew up as a punk kid in the UK in the late 70's, John Denver was always viewed as being uncool and a bit cheesy. This brilliant performance of this classic folk song is a revelation, especially for a Welsh lad like myself ( not least for Denver's brilliant 12-string guitar work here too ) It's so sad he died too soon. I've no doubt his talents would get a Johnny Cash style reappraisal if he were still with us
RicardosRealm 1 month ago
@BlankUberEverybody. Sadly, John Denver died in 1997, so you could not have seen him perform about six months ago.
wanderingbooknut 2 months ago
Not a big John Denver fan, but I love this. Check out Pete Seeger's version too.
rvisual 3 months ago
I went and saw John Denver perform about six months ago and he did this song
BlankUberEverybody 3 months ago
john inspired me the most.....
Tellie72 3 months ago
"eat your heart out eric clapton"
MrASPENDENVER 3 months ago
John Denver is wrong. The song written by Idris Davies maybe first sung by P Seeger, The symbolism of colour of tbells relates to the hard life was at the colliers 6 month strike for what was and still is the 99%, ranging from Black in the Rhondda, Brown in Merthyr and Silver in the Wye valley away from the mines., cities where the 1% -mine owners lived : moist in Swansea, unstated in Newport and green ( equivocal) in Cardiff, After the antics of Wal Street, the message is still there
b1ykmj30 4 months ago
@b1ykmj30 What JD met is that he wrote the music to the song, however you are completely right about the meaning. I love this song
MrASPENDENVER 3 months ago
I was lucky enough to meet him In Rhymney when I was a policeman there and later that night watched him sing it in his concert in Cardiff, he said he was visiting each town in the song so that he could get the right feeling for it, I think he did, such a loss, I will never get over it I know.
DEOO100 5 months ago
I saw and heard JD do this while he was still with the Mitchell Trio in the mid-60's at the College of Wooster, Ohio. This brought the house to its feet and hair on the back of everyone's arms. A classic.
David Dax
njva17420 6 months ago
Ah, that famous white suit from 1984. You had to be there in person to really appreciate that guitar virtuosity...remember once when a string broke and he finished it on 11 strings. AMAZING!
ltd912 7 months ago
@ltd912 I was there. as you say bloody amazing
jarvismax1 6 months ago
Simply Brilliant!!!!
PR54GB 7 months ago
love him soooooooooooooooooooo much! home grown tomatoes! haha! though im a kid, but that doesnt matter, right?
idkrandomnumbers 9 months ago
@idkrandomnumbers Ain`t nothin like home grown tarmarders!
ChurchsofChrist 8 months ago
John is only half correct. Pete Seeger wrote the tune, but he did not write the words, which are a poem by Idris Davies
chasjulia 9 months ago
Efo balchder y ddraig, ac efo calon lan, canwn 'Cymru am byth', i'r byd mewn can.
RuggedLike 9 months ago
I was luck enough to meet him in Rhymney when he was visiting all the towns mentioned in the song prior to his concert in Cardiff, where I then watched him perform this live, brought the house down, so sadly missed, a lovely chap.
DEOO100 10 months ago
I could listen to this song over an over and each time be filled with chills. To watch the beautiful John Denver perform this brings me over the top! What a beautiful, beautiful human being. Although gone in body, his spirit lives with us FOREVER!
gjstrasburg 11 months ago
John said that he loved bluegrass but wasn't good enough on the guitar. He was wrong, because he was bloody amazing, and the fact that he could do it on a 12-string continues to amaze me.
martyfan11 1 year ago 6
This is the song I heard John play one D-Day at Denison University when he came over to Granville and sat outside on the grass and just played for anyone who wanted to listen to him. I did. I was blown away. Actually, he asked me out that night! John and I became friends and I still miss him. He was a great talent and could really play that Guild 12-string.
susanshepeard 1 year ago
I've played this song for about four decades but this is the first time I've heard it played by John Denver - Boy have I missed out!
His virtuoso guitar playing even upstages the classic Pete Seeger version which was an old fashioned protest song.
This is an AMAZING video and must be watched to appreciate just how great a guitarist this guy was. Many thanks for posting it. Sadly, VERY sadly missed.
Coincidentally, I was driving in these very valleys in the wee small hours of this morning. Weird!
TonyTheDriver100 1 year ago 7
@TonyTheDriver100 - Dear brother of mine. I had this on an old vinyl LP by Pete Seeger. I loved it then, and still do, and can only dream about and envy the skills of both men in playing it.
As for the look on JD's face - could it be that he was developing a build up of lactic acid in his fingers during the playing of this, and was starting to get concerned that he would cramp up before the end?
By the way, do you know where my Pete Seeger LP went? You haven't snaffled it have you? LOL!
17MaxiMike 6 months ago
@TonyTheDriver100 - P.S. - For all the people in YouTube land, Tony the Driver and I are twins. Tony lives in Bristol, England, and I live in Logan, Queensland, Australia. This is a long distance and long time search for my lost Pet Seeger LP! - LOL!
17MaxiMike 6 months ago
@17MaxiMike
Me? Snaffle your Pete Seeger album?
Of course I did. It was in the cupboard beside your bed while you were staying with us last month - you can have it back the next time we meet - may be.
TonyTheDriver100 6 months ago
@TonyTheDriver100
I didn't realise Mum liked Pete Seeger! - At least it isn't lost - I used to like to sing along with Abi Yoyo! (?)
17MaxiMike 6 months ago
Unbelievable!! I've seen many, many videos of John but never saw his mastery of the guitar demonstrated so well. I half expected sparks to start flying from the strings! Wow! Isn't it amazing how much there was to this man? So few realize that!
mtsthelensgirl 1 year ago 2
This song got me completely hooked on John's abilities, and co-producing his first two-hour plus concert anywhere in the world on 4/26/69 at a small community college outside of Washington, DC still ranks as one of the most worthwhile events of my life. JD is so missed by those of us who knew and loved him, and it is my wish that his accomplishments are remembered for many generations to come.
lightfoot38 1 year ago
Comment removed
lightfoot38 1 year ago
A Mazing! John was such an amazing man, and talented artist. How anyone could not appreciate him and his music is beyond me. RIP John. You are missed!
sweetlowrayne 1 year ago
John took a lot of crap, but he was actually very talented.
evankirk 1 year ago
Been a great fan of his since he appeared around 1971 and was lucky enough to meet him brielfy when He came to Rhymney before one of his Cardiff concerts, he was visiting all the towns named in the song, he was such a gent and is so sadly missed, I cherish the fact I met him.
DEOO100 1 year ago
Having been a big fan of his since he appeared so many years ago I was lucky enough to meet him when he visited Rhymney, what a gent and what a great great loss. He is sadly missed.
DEOO100 1 year ago
I've been looking for this for more than 20 years. I saw this in concert and fell in love with it. Thanks so much for sharing this. I miss John so very much.
redqatest 1 year ago
If your as a denver fan check out masassa2009 channel its all there
J4BBL 1 year ago
WOW. As a Welsh person myself, I'm very proud to hear John chat about the origins of this wonderful song. What a great 12 string guitar player - and what a cool guy. Such a shame he's not with us anymore - he'd have had a fantastic comeback I'm sure.
RicardosRealm 2 years ago
WOW! If anyone thinks that John Denver didn't rock they need to check this out.
zed0469 2 years ago 2
The song is actually called the sad bells of Rhymney and is a poem written by Idris Davies a resident of Rhymney about a mining disaster
jemmarough 2 years ago 2
one of my fav concerts of him ! great
oOYukeOo 2 years ago
what happened to the rest of this concert...it used to be all on here in 10 parts...im bummed
AceNightCreeper 2 years ago
Thanks for posting this. My favorite version, by far.
frkaz911 2 years ago