Tuesday, April 23, 2013

An Anthology of All Along the Watch Tower with a tribute to Richie Havens

My Dharma Brother Gregory Cundiff inspired me to post this on my blog. Greg posted a video of Richie Havens playing "All Along the Watch Tower," and I just heard this news. I am not sure that Greg had heard this news yet or not, I find it poignant that Richie was highlighted in this way. This is on of the greatest covered songs in all of history with such a splendid diversity of interpretations.

 Folk singer and guitarist Richie Havens, who opened the 1969 Woodstock music festival with a legendary and lengthy set that helped make him famous, died Monday at age 72. His family says Havens died of a heart attack, and that a public memorial will be announced later. A statement on his official website posted before Havens' death says that the singer never fully recovered from kidney surgery he underwent several years ago. His career spans decades, but he may be most famous for his role as the first performer at Woodstock. He launched the three-day festival with more than two hours of music, even running out of songs and thus improvising the song "Freedom" based on the old spiritual "Motherless Child." 


 Richie Havens - "All Along The Watchtower" - Mountain Jam V - 5/31/09 - May he rest in peace.
 The original version of "All Along the Watch Tower." by Bob Dylan.


Bob Dylan and the "Rolling Thunder Review Concert" version.


 
The Jimi Hendrix Experience - All Along The Watchtower

 
The Original Version of "All Along the Watch Tower" by Dave Mason

 
Dave Matthews Band - All Along The Watchtower (Woodstock 99)

 
Eddie Vedder - All Along the Watchtower (Water on the Road DVD)


U2 - All along the watchtower HQ (live '88)


Bruce Springsteen & Neil Young - All Along The Watchtower


Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen -All Along The Watchtower-Forever Young


Grateful Dead - All Along The Watchtower - 9/30/89

Eric Clapton & Lenny Kravitz - All Along The Watchtower


XTC-All along the watchtower


Jeff Healey Band - All Along The Watchtower


Barbara Keith - "All Along The Watchtower", from her rare 1972 LP


Taj Mahal "All Along The Watchtower"


BRYAN FERRY All Along the Watchtower



Michael Hedges - All Along the Watchtower Somerville Reloaded


Cover of the Dylan song. 11/12/97 concert performance at the Somerville Theater, Somerville, MA, less than a month before he died. Tuning D2A2E3E3A3A3.