John Hartford - Learning To Smile -03 Gentle On My Mind + Way Down The River Road

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  • čas přidán 9. 02. 2008
  • Shot in a studio with TV cameras, and no audience, John sings many favorites on this video.
    Never released on DVD, and no longer produced on VHS, this OOP video is getting harder to find.
    I was lucky enough to obtain a sealed copy and encode off the 1st play of the tape.
  • Hudba

Komentáře • 298

  • @sufenta67
    @sufenta67 Před 5 lety +188

    Some people should be allowed to be immortal. John Hartford is one of those.

  • @Khyt1
    @Khyt1 Před 6 lety +54

    John was (is) one of the most intriguing musicians ive ever seen. He just smiled and made beautiful music.

    • @Khyt1
      @Khyt1 Před 6 lety +7

      How many people can walk away not happier than they were before they listened to his songs?

    • @bigred1222
      @bigred1222 Před 10 měsíci +3

      Steam-Powered Aeroplane is one of the greatest albums ever recorded.

  • @stephenbull8962
    @stephenbull8962 Před rokem +25

    Christ, I do love this man and his music. I watch this clip regularly, it always cheers me up. A sad loss.

  • @fiddlercrab3
    @fiddlercrab3 Před 12 lety +58

    His rhythm is impeccable! I love how his feet keep a slow, comfortable pace, while the banjo plows ahead at breakneck speed. There's something very zen about that.

  • @macditty
    @macditty Před 14 lety +7

    this is the rawest best video on youtube. no band and lights and bullshit. just john with a banjo and a piece of PLYWOOD! and its more entertaining and talent driven than anything on mTV

  • @gvrpresentsbearwilliams
    @gvrpresentsbearwilliams Před 2 lety +11

    John Hartford... Such an underrated songsmith and entertainer. "Gentle on My Mind" is total Genius!

  • @frankcarney1
    @frankcarney1 Před 9 lety +35

    Surely this is by a country mile the best American song ever: Though the wheatfields and the clotheslines and junkyards and the highways come between us. Peerless.

  • @eric7922
    @eric7922 Před 3 měsíci +4

    ...man, what a beautiful cat...love the man.☮

  • @ronaldpetrin5823
    @ronaldpetrin5823 Před 5 lety +26

    Used to watch Glenn Campbell show just hoping I'd see Hartford in the line up. Exhudes the essence of the best of Americana...prairies, valleys riverboats and the lightness of being and love. RIP John.

  • @sidforbrains6552
    @sidforbrains6552 Před měsícem +1

    So Cal in the 70's, a friend invited me to go along to a free concert at Cal State Fullerton, on the grass, with the grass and a bottle of wine, I was intorduced to this man and his music. My taste at the time went from Lead Zeplin, Hendrix, and because of Dylan, Johnny Cash....the first time, he was solo and i was blown away by the way he pounded out the bass with his feet while singing, playing banjo, guitar, fiddle and harp....a true troubadour of our time....he is in a catgory with Ramblin Jack Elliot, Townes Van Zandt and Fred Neil....RIP John

  • @capismama2922
    @capismama2922 Před 4 lety +22

    I miss this man and his glorious style of writing songs you could actually relate to.
    I simply cannot relate to the current "country" music that is all about bars, alcohol, sex and wanting nothing more than that. REAL people...with morals and brains...don't want that crap. We want to know something about a love that never dies...like this song.

    • @drew535
      @drew535 Před 3 lety +2

      this is bluegrass friend, i was never a country guy, but bluegrass is different, it has more heart and soul

    • @samuelbarham8483
      @samuelbarham8483 Před 3 lety +2

      @@drew535 I'm not sure this is quite bluegrass either, to be honest.

    • @drew535
      @drew535 Před 3 lety

      @@samuelbarham8483 well when he came to Wisconsin the bluegrass hippies were the ones he hung out with

  • @michaelrb1955
    @michaelrb1955 Před 11 lety +36

    one of the most beautiful songs ever written. i can't think of a song i love more.

  • @Oculus729
    @Oculus729 Před 5 lety +32

    Ah, that famous Hartford shuffle. John Hartford, a lost treasure. Peace, brother.

  • @johnwinger2240
    @johnwinger2240 Před 2 měsíci +2

    Song, gentle has a feeling more than a creativity. I could say a John Denver song is a masterpiece too

  • @maxfarfield
    @maxfarfield Před 5 lety +14

    I am going to watch this over and over until I completely absorb it

    • @amyabramajtys2100
      @amyabramajtys2100 Před 3 lety +1

      awwww.

    • @maxfarfield
      @maxfarfield Před 2 lety

      @@amyabramajtys2100 back again

    • @replyhere590
      @replyhere590 Před 3 měsíci

      Over and over, completely agree. To me the mark of great art is that each time we experience it, we learn something new. Handel or Hartford. Always adds a piece to what makes us human. Gentle on My Mind always managed to make me a bit sad but then it elevated me, each time I heard it.

  • @gordonlyon2351
    @gordonlyon2351 Před 3 lety +6

    A beautiful performance of a superb song. I'm 60 now, and am just realising what I was missing all these years. Glen Campbell's cover is wonderful but John's original version is sublime

  • @TheAlexMallettBand
    @TheAlexMallettBand Před 12 lety +23

    I wish they would release this as a DVD. so awesome. John's such an inspiration to anyone who written a song or picked up a banjo.

  • @stevesalisbury8206
    @stevesalisbury8206 Před 5 lety +16

    RIP John Hartford ---- Dec 30, 1937 - June 4th 2001.

  • @JoshInTuolco
    @JoshInTuolco Před 6 lety +14

    This guy was a bad ass. A true musician and a dying breed

  • @Graysail0r
    @Graysail0r Před 2 lety +11

    possibly the last of the great old classic artists, truly a throwback to 1800's. I've loved Hartford since I bought his Aereo-plain back in the 1970's. Brilliant and honest.

  • @tomelmore8431
    @tomelmore8431 Před 4 lety +4

    "...though wheatfields and the clotheslines and the junkyards and the highways come between us - and some other woman's cryin' to her mother 'cause she turned and I was gone...."
    Maybe the greatest line of lyrics in all American music...

  • @nukulerstrategery
    @nukulerstrategery Před 8 lety +14

    Doc Watson was a true American treasure
    I will always miss him and John Hartford

  • @ewern
    @ewern Před 15 lety +15

    Interesting series. Of course I will always picture John playing to live audience- fortunate to have seen him 5 times. Wish I had video camera in the mid-80's when he played Red Rocks CO. A signature of his live performances was to fiddle Orange Blossom Special down from the stage to the rear of concert hall and back again. I found it incredible he could navigate the entire Amphitheatre in the thin Mile High air- all without skipping a note. An amazing performer. Miss him a whole lot. RIP John.

  • @terraAngelica1
    @terraAngelica1 Před 11 lety +3

    John Hartford was a good friend of my moms. I remember when she got to go on tour with him and Tanya Tucker. Use to see him live as a child. Great guy...awesome bluegrass musician.

  • @toddnelson1260
    @toddnelson1260 Před 3 lety +2

    I am in awe of John Hartford, and I agree, it would have been a blessing if he had lived to be an older man. I'm sure he would have been a gracious, kind and fun old musician. Love to you John!!

  • @wvmillermd
    @wvmillermd Před 10 lety +14

    John, isn't from SE Missouri. His father was a professor at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. He went to a fine private school, John Burroughs in Ladue where he started playing bluegrass with a friend of mine, Dr. David Kieffer.
    We went to the Dillard Home together way back when John was a DJ at KFAL in Fulton, MO.

  • @RodintheVille
    @RodintheVille Před 9 lety +13

    What a unique artist. I always think of riverboats when I watch this video. Rest in peace.

    • @maggiegee4171
      @maggiegee4171 Před 6 lety

      He gave up his career as a musician to become a pilot on a Mississippi river boat - I always think of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn - memory connects in so many ways !

  • @fastheartmartvideos
    @fastheartmartvideos Před 8 lety +32

    I appreciate the simplicity of this video! Just John Hartford and his banjo! Heaven :)

  • @57mobird
    @57mobird Před 6 lety +2

    I need a heart button to click! Miss JH so much.

  • @johnmcclintock8004
    @johnmcclintock8004 Před 5 lety +6

    You are beloved & greatly missed, John !! Roy Clark, Glen Campbell, & John Prine, also "top-shelf" writers/pickers..

  • @celicabojorge2965
    @celicabojorge2965 Před rokem +5

    I’m love that way he is singing and dance 🕺 it’s incredible

  • @Greg1958100
    @Greg1958100 Před 13 lety +9

    I knew Mr Hartford. He really knew his music.

  • @MinstrelOnTheRun
    @MinstrelOnTheRun Před 2 měsíci +1

    Thank you for hunting down and preserving this beautiful document!

  • @JohnWilson-bn1xs
    @JohnWilson-bn1xs Před 9 lety +16

    Had the pleasure and honor of spending a little personal time with John after a booking at U of GA...about '95. Still feel a keen sense of loss, even though he's still with us in many ways. Truly one of the greats. A HEAVY, HEAVY CAT.

  • @WarlockAgenda
    @WarlockAgenda Před 11 lety +8

    I couldn't help but grin when he started shuffling! Great post ...thank you

  • @nixieNICLA
    @nixieNICLA Před 10 lety +3

    This guy was a master of the banjo, a witty lyricist and quirky performer. I just love "gentle on my mind" played in synch to amplified tap dancing, so great.

  • @Teachering
    @Teachering Před 9 lety +5

    I loved the opening moments of The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour when John Hartford would stand up amidst the audience with his banjo and begin Gentle On My Mind. Loved that song and the sound of his banjo. These musicians were my biggest influence as a kid.

  • @krill3333
    @krill3333 Před 7 lety +10

    Saw him in Charleston in 1980. Miss that guy!

  • @nukulerstrategery
    @nukulerstrategery Před 9 lety +33

    John Hartford was a truly gifted musician and an Southern American original with few peirs.
    He was MC at Merle Fest when I saw him last. In spite of his advanced illness, his personality, genius and presence was unforgettable.

    • @TimofeyZhidkov
      @TimofeyZhidkov Před 9 lety +2

      David Johnson Johnny Cash too :)

    • @kenberner4051
      @kenberner4051 Před 9 lety +5

      David Johnson I was fortunate enough to meet Mr. Hartford briefly at the 1999 Tennessee Fall Homecoming. He was obviously quite ill, but gracious, nonetheless. Shortly after, he appeared on stage and performed as though it were his first ever appearance. You would not suspect that he was not well by the way he fiddled and danced; quite an inspiring performance.

    • @alexborsody
      @alexborsody Před 8 lety

      +Тимофей Жидков everyone knows about johnny cash there are many other masters besides him, doc watson, tony rice etc.

    • @rosewanstall4668
      @rosewanstall4668 Před 8 lety +1

      +David Johnson I AM SO SORRY TO HEAR OF HIS PASSING.

    • @buddyclem7328
      @buddyclem7328 Před 5 lety +1

      @@kenberner4051 I had the honor of meeting him and talking with him for a couple of minutes in 1986 after Mountain Stage. He was a great man, and a brilliant musician.

  • @billhouston3834
    @billhouston3834 Před 5 lety +15

    A REAL TREAT TO HEAR SUCH A GREAT SONG PERFORMED SO WELL BY THE MAN WHO WROTE IT.

  • @sugarmaven
    @sugarmaven Před 11 lety +3

    Love John Hartford. Thanks for the post...

  • @davidbarnett1740
    @davidbarnett1740 Před 5 lety +6

    I saw John H. doing a different song, but doing this same soft shoe semi tap thing on the Smothers Brothers show in the late 60's / early 70's. I thought it was fascinating then and still love it.

  • @gregorywhite9095
    @gregorywhite9095 Před 2 lety +1

    Here it is 2022...the world is going to hell and I'm listening obsessively to John Hartford pickin' n singin' and shufflin'...
    Still love you John Hartford...

  • @broandrew9929
    @broandrew9929 Před rokem

    I will never forget, John played at the "Sweet Springs Saloon" in Los Osos, California in 1989? Guessing, it was packed and we did not think we would make it inside to hear him. We then walked to back of the building to smoke a reefer. Right when we light it up, John comes out this back door and he I saw him and handed him the joint. He said perfect timing. He was funny, we told him we can not get it to here you. He let us in the back door and told the guards were the roadies and we sat in the back in 3 chairs. I ain't making this up . I ain't lying. The show was fantastic, He played all kinds of stuff, banjo, fiddle, guitar and a local back up band. We used to see him up at the Strawberry Bluegrass/Music Festival a-lot from 1984 to 1994, is when I used to go camping and a picking weekend. Always a great time had. We miss John, he is in our hearts forever. Perhaps he is having wine with Jesus right now. Hallelujah! The music will never end and the road goes on forever!

  • @user-oz8gv5nt4u
    @user-oz8gv5nt4u Před 9 měsíci +3

    Just can't get enough of John's musical talent. Genius!

  • @drdampier
    @drdampier Před 13 lety +14

    Thanks for uploading this, Johnny. I worked with John a few times in the late 1980's; all his rebel was out of him by then and he was a wonderful and kind gentleman.

  • @craigscott3133
    @craigscott3133 Před 3 lety +1

    I saw John Hartford in concert twice. He is easily the most entertaining individual I’ve ever seen. A man of limitless talent.

  • @dotgray6293
    @dotgray6293 Před 10 lety +1

    I saw this on PBS and became an avid John Hartford fan following him fro that time forward till the end. He is one of a kind. Love this music.

  • @Arkstromater
    @Arkstromater Před 4 lety +2

    I have never seen someone shuffle their feet in a rhythm like that

  • @jandnuckolls
    @jandnuckolls Před 3 lety +2

    I was fortunate to see John at the Grand Ole Opry and he did his songs with a banjo on a platform just like this. It absolutely blew me away. The best act of the night

    • @rollin19
      @rollin19 Před 2 lety

      I would of loved to have seen that but I was born in another time when I was just lucky enough to enjoy what the 90's had to offer.
      There were so many musicians during the 50-80's that were so amazing,
      John Hartford could write one of the best song anyone ever heard but he also was one of a kind.
      Too much computorized crap today that you cant tell if it being played the whole time or on a loop.
      I like raw talent,a voice and an instrument with no special effects.

  • @00lilyvonshtupp
    @00lilyvonshtupp Před 8 lety +5

    Geez ! I finally found this guy ! I love him ! I remember him playing with Glen Campbell. Could NOT remember his name . Wonderful !

  • @erikwern144
    @erikwern144 Před 8 lety +1

    Saw John play Red Rocks, Colorado. Started Orange Blossom on stage, fiddled all the way up to the top row, Stopped for a few minutes, then continued on down back to the stage. Just AMAZIN!
    Past spring on way to FL stopped in the Museum of Appalachia just north of Knoxville, TN.
    They have nice exhibit of some of John's items- derby hat, banjo, shoes, etc. Definitively worth a visit.

  • @rollin19
    @rollin19 Před 2 lety +2

    Seriously one of the best musicians to ever walk the earth!
    I know it for a fact!

  • @CassidyGarfield
    @CassidyGarfield Před 15 lety +3

    Thank you, John, somewhere out there.

  • @dan-o6457
    @dan-o6457 Před 5 lety +2

    458,820 veiws... a coulple hunderd of those are mine... l love this!!!
    Great Musician. Great Showman.

  • @johncorrigan8381
    @johncorrigan8381 Před 10 lety +7

    What a magnificent performance in every sense from the boy from south east missura

  • @joeherald7319
    @joeherald7319 Před rokem +3

    Pure poetry. He was our later day Steven Foster.

  • @neilyoungism
    @neilyoungism Před 6 lety +1

    thank you always enjoyed him with Glen on hiss show,,Glen seem to really enjoy his company

  • @BuffyHolt
    @BuffyHolt Před 10 lety +12

    I don't know how anyone ever listens to Campbell after hearing John...

    • @derekemrie2987
      @derekemrie2987 Před 8 lety +6

      +Buffy Holt Two distinct talents, John was awesome, and so was Glen...music is meant to be enjoyed and I for one can enjoy both and admire each for their own distinct styles.

    • @rueridge7597
      @rueridge7597 Před 6 lety +1

      Buffy Holt
      About 10 million thought he did it better. John got paid every time anyone performs it.

  • @richardharris8745
    @richardharris8745 Před 10 měsíci +2

    musical genius on multiple levels

  • @waldonemanband
    @waldonemanband Před 14 lety +1

    I left my records in the sun. Thanks John

  • @Fearless13781
    @Fearless13781 Před 11 lety +3

    Thanks for the wonderful song John. Such beautiful lyrics.

  • @michellewilson2150
    @michellewilson2150 Před 4 lety +2

    What a great performer and such a wonderful voice !!

  • @deborahfairbanks4012
    @deborahfairbanks4012 Před 3 měsíci +1

    How can he pick and shuffle at the same time!!!!

  • @liamwhitney509
    @liamwhitney509 Před 6 lety +7

    Thanks for posting this. John was and remains a treasure.

  • @maryproesel9369
    @maryproesel9369 Před 11 lety +1

    Saw John back in the 70's live at blue grass festival,,,,thems were the really good ol' days

  • @gwennypent
    @gwennypent Před 13 lety +8

    Thank you! He is missed, but alive in my heart. This was incredible!

  • @raywood4223
    @raywood4223 Před 11 měsíci

    I love her now as I loved her then knowing her beautiful smile might catch my eye in yours. Some things seem pure in a timeless kinda way .

  • @williamwitt6385
    @williamwitt6385 Před rokem +2

    Best song ever written. Miss you John!

  • @brianflynn7598
    @brianflynn7598 Před rokem +1

    Happy Birthday !

  • @songpoets-ramcey
    @songpoets-ramcey Před 10 lety +5

    A true legend. Thank you. Ramcey in Nashville

  • @resipsaloquitur13
    @resipsaloquitur13 Před 9 lety +9

    I hear ya John... I miss ya.

  • @dancochrane617
    @dancochrane617 Před 6 měsíci +1

    Thanks! This is excellent. Music at its best. This guy was a genius

  • @johncrismond5786
    @johncrismond5786 Před 9 lety +13

    John Hartford wrote "Gentle on My Mind"

  • @musicandcoffee2853
    @musicandcoffee2853 Před 4 lety +1

    I sure miss him 🌹

  • @sharpsound2011
    @sharpsound2011 Před 13 lety +1

    I met John at Merlefest, damn fine man. I watched him on Glen Campbell when I was a kid. What a genuis! I have to rate him a 10.5, whatever's highest!

  • @tamisweetie
    @tamisweetie Před 11 lety +1

    Aw, wow!! How beautiful!! You are one lucky lady :~)

  • @genas.shari-mariyahrm.4686
    @genas.shari-mariyahrm.4686 Před 4 měsíci

    LIKE A BEAUTIFUL WORK OF ART. ***

  • @ytgmbutler
    @ytgmbutler Před 14 lety +1

    I miss him so much

  • @dalbrowning
    @dalbrowning Před rokem

    Oh this is so sweet! What a shame this man is no longer with us 😢

  • @jackselvia2709
    @jackselvia2709 Před 2 lety

    Proving that just "being yourself" is certain route to anonymity.

  • @rideordietheyretring2tranx382

    BEYOND A GIFT DISCOVER THIS

  • @houdeanis
    @houdeanis Před 12 lety +1

    that's some sick banjo playing!

  • @marcibb3167
    @marcibb3167 Před 10 lety +1

    Thanks for the memories RIP John

  • @brucehanify3892
    @brucehanify3892 Před rokem +1

    Such a great talent!

  • @dafug8896
    @dafug8896 Před rokem

    John had me already and then the shoes droped. So looking forward to delving into his work.

  • @timsettle2203
    @timsettle2203 Před 10 lety +7

    Thank you so much for taking the time to upload this!

  • @mletgrice63
    @mletgrice63 Před 4 lety +1

    ♥️♥️♥️ him...still a treasure! Awesome!

  • @merlynschutterle7242
    @merlynschutterle7242 Před 9 lety +2

    Nobody would ever confuse John for Scruggs or any of his clones. John had a distinctive style of his very own Just as distinctive as Earl.

  • @jefflanaghan6327
    @jefflanaghan6327 Před 5 lety +1

    Multi-talented individual. RIP, Mr. Hartford.

  • @nightfrailer
    @nightfrailer Před 13 lety +1

    Oh man the feet!!!! I could literally start trying to do that today and never learn it when the sun caves in. Hell, I can barely get one to tap at a time. So great, thanks for putting this on.

  • @Kottesque
    @Kottesque Před 13 lety

    Genius..........Just Pure Genius

  • @rickmorrow993
    @rickmorrow993 Před 3 lety +1

    Singing a major hit song he wrote while tap dancing and playing the banjo. Gotta love it.

    • @actingbuff
      @actingbuff Před 2 lety

      I believe it's called flat foot dancing

  • @TorontoEd7
    @TorontoEd7 Před 13 lety +1

    What an entertainer. I miss him so much!

  • @noamericansdown
    @noamericansdown Před 11 lety +1

    how can you not help to smile when you listen to this?

  • @arthurnas3941
    @arthurnas3941 Před 9 měsíci +1

    Immortal and a sound that last a life time of entertainment so incredible cool

  • @ToolsAreToys
    @ToolsAreToys Před 2 lety +1

    wonderful.

  • @higgme1ster
    @higgme1ster Před 5 lety +3

    It really floored me to learn that millennials don't get John Hartford. smh so sad

  • @MindandQiR1
    @MindandQiR1 Před 11 lety +1

    Gentle On My Mind is one of the best songs ever written....

  • @Jrusco8
    @Jrusco8 Před 13 lety +2

    I knew that was his song but i have never seen anyone do the percussion with the shoes.....wow that was amazing