Townes Van Zandt-If I Needed You from Austin Pickers 1984

Recorded live in Austin in 1984. From my PBS series, "Austin Pickers".

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Townes
• _Van
• _Zandt
• austinpickers
• Ed_Heffelfinger
• altcountry
• Austin

[kevkerry]

guys, heroin, medication, dreams, so what ? - it matters that the song came from a special place, not tin pan alley.

[Panzon300]

A legend....RIP.

[writersblock26]

Thank you for posting this, austinpickers.

[chayton1000]

Tony, it is good to see our old videos again!

[charleshenry1100]

Nobody was able, until now, to cover this beautiful song. It`s very special. It is not only a song, it is a cry for help. The help we all needed today also.

Thank you , to give me the chance to see this Video

[scubager23]

@IGnossos all i can say is that i am super jealous. If i could meet anyone live or dead it would most def be Townes.

[crc778Hypnodoc]

@lGnossos I was lucky enough to interview him on his last visit to the UK, for over an hour just before to took the stage at The Robin R&B club Dudley. He was such a total gentleman and as interested in me as I was in him. He was in recovery at the time and drunk only a Coke, and we talked right up to and still talking as he waked up to the stage, and gave two hours of himself to a captivated audience. Nicest man I ever met

Desi C

[Cinnamombunz]

It's hilarious how folks try to figure Townes out and analyze him. He couldn't figure himself out, and he was 'analyzed' to hell and back. His stories were part of his schtick, and he'd vary them according to his mood or his audience. I think he considered them as much an offering as he did his songs, almost. I certainly did. They were like a gift he made up on the spot just for you. Townes had charm to burn, but I'm sure it wore thin on a day-to-day basis if you had to deal with the rest.

*¬◊

[markpallain]

@irelephant I'm sorry, please excuse my previous post. My response was indeed rude and I would like to correct it by saying that I disagree with you, though your opinion is just as valid as my own. Cheers.

[superskwrl]

@StrongHeartLives try some heroin and maybe you will!

[superskwrl]

Its interesting how he avoids talking directly about his heroin addiction by saying that he was really "sick" with some "asiatic flu" and that they had to go get "cough syrup" every day for it. And at 2:09 he refers to being homeless because of it and having to "sleep on the floor"

[jazzmanchgo]

Townes story No. 1:

I recommended to him that he check out the late Memphis vocalist James Carr, who had one of the most emotionally riveting voices ever.

Townes: "Who was he?"

Me: "Soul singer out of Memphis -- great vocalist, cut some classic sides, but had a nervous breakdown."

Townes (not missing a beat; wide-eyed and disingenuous): "Well, I DON'T BLAME HIM!!