John Denver Bells of Rhymney

Just John and his Guitar

Category:

Music

Tags:

• John
• Denver
• Bells
• of
• Rhymney

[TonyTheDriver100]

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!

[martyfan11]

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.

[RicardosRealm]

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

[wanderingbooknut]

@BlankUberEverybody. Sadly, John Denver died in 1997, so you could not have seen him perform about six months ago.

[rvisual]

Not a big John Denver fan, but I love this. Check out Pete Seeger's version too.

[BlankUberEverybody]

I went and saw John Denver perform about six months ago and he did this song

[Tellie72]

john inspired me the most.....

[MrASPENDENVER]

@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]

"eat your heart out eric clapton"

[b1ykmj30]

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

[DEOO100]

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.

[17MaxiMike]

@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! (?)