The people that gave this version a thumbs down are obviously not Boston fans. This is probably my favorite version of my favorite song. You hear Brad’s passion and amazing voice, as well as Tom’s amazing guitar that brings chills to me each time I hear the song. Thanks for posting this amazing song!

@peterconklin

Жыл бұрын

Jim, you stated it perfectly! I heard a live version of this song in 1977 on the Kingbiscuit Flower Hour from a concert in Long Beach. Brad said at that concert that their second album(yet to be named back then) was about to be released. As we all know, it was another year until Don't Look Back was released and while I like the studio version, I was always a bit underwhelmed by it. I've found the '77 Long Beach version online as well, but then I found this version a year ago and was BLOWN AWAY!!! And yes I also get chills every time I hear Brad's vocals and Tom's guitar work on this version!!! Thanks Jim!!! Rock on buddy!!! 🎸

I've never listened to this version. It's great.

Brad is so missed by all the Fans of Boston. RIP Brad, you were simply amazing, thanks for the wonderful music.

Brad, best voice in rock ever, very sadly missed.

@viviroberts7672

6 жыл бұрын

Better than Paul Mccartney who was his his idol.

Amazing, wonderful, perfect!! I turned 15 in October of 1970. The best years of my life were the 70s. I absolutely love Boston. None better.

There's a bit of sadness in me each time i'm hearing this song.. but it's a great song with beautiful vocals. No one can replace him..wish you were still here and sing for us forever Brad!

Gotta agree with ya on this one. It's always nice to hear an early version of the song before it's finished/finalized. RIP Brad Delp.

@user-yd8is1sm1k

11 ай бұрын

❤

I never heard this version before. I love it! Pure emotion coming out of Brad! This song brings back much memories both happy and sad. TIMELESS! I cranked this song in my car stereo and came up next to a beat-booming car at a red light. The long guitar solo came on and i went full blast. The other guy lowered his radio and gave me a puzzled look. I yelled, "Boston!!!" He obvioualy did not know what i was talking about but the car behind me was yelling, "YEAH!!! Boston!!!" Good moment.

@frevryngrocks9346

4 жыл бұрын

❤

Got to finally see them Summer of 79. Awesome performance.

Today is the first day that I've heard this version, and I can't stop listening to it. Freakin unbelievable!!!!

@timpenfield5

6 жыл бұрын

Yea, its so cool and raw, and the vocal, he just goes off on that solo, guy was the best, r.i.p

Long Live Brad Delp there never another front man like him!!!

Everyone thinks he should sound just like the record. This is badass. He was so good live. Saw them in 1987 at the LA Forum and they Rocked!

According to official Boston website, this was only their 10th show ever.

RIP Brad. We miss you. Losing you will take a little away from each of us

Very nice find. I love that this song took Tom 10 years to write, and like most of the greats (MTAF) it started out as 2 songs! The final cut is stunning, while this, a demo, is also amazing.

Brings a tear to my eyes to hear his beautiful voice singing after missing him and that band. Omg man.

astonishing vox and incredible dynamics on this version thanks for sharing

These guys were freakin' great....I feel grateful to appreciate all their songs they offered.

WOW! This version takes me back to a wonderful time to be growing up. This song brings tears to my eyes when I think back look at what I could have done better. I has a true rowdy young adult and loved drinkin and fightin. I loved to cruise the streets and tear the rubber off the tires doing burn outs. Living for the moment and getting as many girls as I could. What a simple time in life.

What a voice!

outstanding version! Thank you. RIP Brad

Just discovered this gem! I had NO idea that they played this song in concert 2 full years before it was released on the Don't Look Back album. It's very interesting to hear it raw like this on guitar instead of piano. Also interesting to me is that it's a full step higher in the key of D, where the album version is in C. What a great voice and what a great band. Would have loved to have seen them back then.

@Thundergod-

5 жыл бұрын

Saw them in 1977 at The Cow Palace in So. San Francisco and they were simply awesome....

It humors me to read the "critques" here and telling us all why this version is not as good as the studio version. Quite simply, this brings tears of joy to my eyes and I'm thankful for the posting of this masterpiece.

Gosh.....Brad and the boys were beyond words....thank you for posting

Settle down haters.. CONTEXT is EVERYTHING!!! If the date listed for this audio is correct (1976) then this was from one of their first shows as a live band and was probably one of the first times that they ever played the song... It was still evolving!!

@justyce0223

5 жыл бұрын

You are absolutely correct!

Omg I love this version! It's the first time I've heard it and I didn't realize they performed this song back in '76! And I prefer this solo to the studio version, it's so raw and passionate! 🎸Thank you!

Looks like no one has commented here in year, so I shall… I’ll admit, the 1978 version is great, however, this particular version of the song gives me chills. Brad’s vocal range on this version are impeccable. Ngl, I listen to this version nearly everyday. To those of you who did get to see Boston live in the mid-70s or the late 80s - y’all are SO lucky! This band is about 25 years before my time, but I absolutely love them. I’m hoping that band will tour in 2022 - fingers crossed - I’m already saving up money to see them. Rock on!

Yeah, love this version, Brad was an awesome singer

Amazing to hear this gem unpolished. They must have spent months in the studio to produce the perfection in tone and dynamics that's on the record. Thanks for revealing the raw version!

This version shows how great of a singer he actually was. It's easy to be a good singer in the studio because you can alter your voice so it sounds right.

@brickmanpictures6069

3 жыл бұрын

Also, you can just sing over the course of hours or days. Belting like that for a whole 5 minutes straight like this is impossible for mere mortals. Only supernaturals like brad can pull it off.

@peterconklin

2 жыл бұрын

Yes! I love how it's just Brad and no backing vocals unlike the studio version. I prefer live versions of this awesome song!

Thanks, some of the best Boston I ever heard. Just to bad about Brad that he had to go. Thanks again.. From Switzerland

@viviroberts7672

6 жыл бұрын

I was lucky to meet him. He was even nicer than people say.

Boston was such great music I was lost in the harmonys not listening to what message may be in the mix. I understand now what brad was trying to say. Its sad that he had to die for me to go back and relearn what I didn't even know was thier. A true Geinus Brad was, always kinda stretching the envolope of life. I feel more then ever the hurt he must of had on how this world was turning out. He was just more aware then I was at the time. He just couldn't go on anymore. Climbed the highest mountian

I love this version as well as the radio release. Brad Depp was amazing as well as Boston!!!

I met Brad Delp and Tom Scholz: After I talked to Tom about his new studio Brad was so happy to tell me about his hope for Tom's new studio and he was so happy to try and do what they had done twice already. That is to create a ground breaking record. When Tom hired another singer, it broke my heart. Also it broke Brad's heart as well.... As you can see, A MAN I'LL NEVER BE! Brad I miss the hell out of you, I will always love you...

@viviroberts7672

6 жыл бұрын

The singer Tom hired was Fran Cosmo. Brad and Fran were extremely close friends.

@donaldgalardi9813

4 жыл бұрын

" A Man I'll Never Be" are Toms words, not Brads

Thanks for posting. Great early pre- rewrite version of a great song by a great band.

@wilson743 The King Biscuit Flower Hour set is from Long Beach, 1977. This was a local broadcast on Cleveland station WMMS - 101 FM. It was Boston's second show on their first national tour, barely 6 weeks after their first album was released. It was 34 years ago today and tickets were $3.50.

fantastic mix of singin,playin,writing,recoirding...love this band

God Blessed Brad Delp🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

The Golden Voice still golden even when he was a young man. God gave him that unmistakable voice. ...ya get it, they fine-tuned it a bit, ha,ha.

Raw and masterful!! Wow!

AMAZING, VOCAL SOLO IS HARDCORE

Thanks Brad.

Tom is totally cranking this fantastic song!!

Awesome. Good Post. RIP Brad.

if i said was on my mind...you turn and walk away...disappear in way back in your dream...good lyric mr. brad...

Brad and mercurhy the best singers of all time!

@mhmosher

7 жыл бұрын

Ferra Gomez Agreed on both

Amen to that brother.

Amazing

78 in Bloomsburg, what a hoot! Brad Delp, you made me love Boston!

Wow. This was before they recorded it for the studio album. No piano.

Man the absolute best...Thank you

the begin is already insane... the rest of music ... he went and killed it and them just shoved into the insanity , Brad Delph wasn´t a normal singer but something unreal, Insane crazy vocal´s man ... don´t exist auto tune in world can reply copycat his voice.... he just an god of vocals.... won´t be had any replacement ... and big and humble dude in show business full of stupid allwholes that think is the big shizzle but in real is nothing, and him aways was humble, gentleful whit all fan´s, missed so much dude...

It's live. What else can I say? Yes, it is in a different key. Brad cannot possibly hit all the high notes live. Big difference doing it live, and doing it in the studio, where they can do it over and over, until it sounds perfect. Still... Boston live? Pretty cool stuff. Brings tears to the eyes. The 1970's were so great, and they are gone...

Awesome!

a pure classic!!!

Fabulous!

what a great fn song thanku for posting

Best da d in the 70s

"A Man I'll Never Be" is a song written by Tom Scholz and first released on Boston's 1978 album Don't Look Back. allmusic.com/album/dont-look-back-mw0000193053

THIS IS COOL!! I found this interesting once here in San Diego listening to KGB 101 around my high school days (early 80s), on the radio in my Cadillac I think and the announcer at the commercial said..right after 'A Man I'll Never Be'," Your listening to Boston LIVE in Long Beach, California, 1977!! I can't remember if I tripped harder on the fact that the studio version wasn't released yet then...OR...the fact that In 1977, I was 11 living 'next door', in Rancho Palos Verdes!! Oh so close! ;-D

This sounds like a version they were doing before landing on the one that was on the album. Structure is different and the solo is much different.

@bobpeterson4930

3 жыл бұрын

Yes! I would definitely imagine this is an early version prior to Tom's painstaking efforts to complete the song we all know and love for the album "Don't Look Back," originally entitled "The Arrival." This is at least one of two other versions of the song - Long Beach '77 being the other. zero528.wordpress.com/category/eclectic/music/

@samhanna1812

3 жыл бұрын

correct this was before recording Don't Look Back.

I am always surprised when I come here and see posts from just hours ago. Bassmanjoe, there are several songs that never made it to vinyl back then. Not to mention Tom took forever to record and perfect his recordings. He always felt that side two of the Don't Look Back album was of less quality than side one. This song is of course the last song on side one. I can't even imagine the number of hours I have listened to this song. The night he died I listened to this song for two hours.

I was in high school then

Incredible....

Awesome

Fuckin' awesome...

"GOOD MEMERIOE"S " THE BEST TIMES IN MY LIFE !!!

Sometimes, a live version is a refreshing improvement from the original ... this is a classic example. This piano-less version has much more feeling than the vinyl version.

super super super

The rigth shot is always in the middle!! First published in LP " Don't Look Back" 1978 All you need is ... Google

wish I could find my KBFH cd of Boston. . .thanks for sharing

@StephenHardyMusic Yes, please do! Not because I don't believe you, I know you're right, but listening to the rest of Boston at their peak would be great!

Brad..........

I would love a powertab of this rendition.

@Treachery93 Keep yelling Boston my friend, and keep going full blast on any and all guitar solos that you feel you should! Good moment indeed!! Long live rock!!

@prowlermadmax That IS Delp. I sang his stuff for years..I know his voice like the back of my hand. Its just a demo

@Treachery93 Oh Yea! I blasted this tune so often the tape screwed up and got suck in my 8-track player - I was in tears.

No it isnt...It was recorded earlier than 78 but was released on Don't Look Back 1978..

@prowlermadmax WRONG. Boston live at the Agora Ballroom, 1976. I have this CD. Right before the song was played, they announced that "this song is going to be on our next album". The crowd was getting a demo of it. I mean I can upload the entire concert if you want to prove that this is Boston.

Hey all Boston is puting a new CD out sometime before the new year!!!!!!!!!!!!

@ JoeDicks1987 They didn't change it up because it had become too redundant. This was recorded in 1976. Two years before it was released on "Don't Look Back" in 1978. They just had not refined it into the song it became by the time it was recorded. I saw Boston three times after it was released and it was played identically to the album version each time.

this is a masterpiece and any musician thats ever played live and recored would know that! The headphone air guitarist may want to stick to the studio versions! Masterpiece 101~

wow!!! even earlier than the Long Beach live recording ( King Biscuit ) .....where is the rest of the concert...please post

@machineryman7197

5 жыл бұрын

Its the boston cleveland 1976 agora ballroom concert. Uploaded by mrjonesy2112

Um, no. Ity was definitely not on Third Stage, but WAS on Don't Look back. No shame. Obviously too much "Smokin'" :)

If this was recorded in 1976 then this song was being played BEFORE it came out on their 2nd album. I'm sure the finished version was tweaked some before being put down. Bostons first album was 1976...2nd I believe, without checking, was 1978

It must've been recently written here and the later refined many times over before going on the Don't Look Back album.

Didn't this song not come out till 78? Great song anyway. Must have been before it came out.

@jrock2264 Yep , Lynyrd Skynyrd played "Freebird" 4 years before it was recorded . BOSTON was trying new songs on the road , like this one . Cool , HUH ?

Interesting....this song wasn't released until Don't Look Back, 1978, but this is 2 years before?

Here comes the Sun son. Rhythm sec. got jet lag

What media did this tune come from? I would like someone to provide some history behind this great recording. Awesome. Thanks for the reply!

@glennthomas8418

5 жыл бұрын

This is the rehearsal song in my opinion of A man Ill never be.I never heard this before in concert before this soo its unheard to me,!! to the debut alblum Dont look bak released in 78.!!Excellent!!

Not sure if this has anything do with the song not already being written/performable, if you will, but this was released on the Don't Look Back album, which was released in 1978. But, apparently this is a performance from 1976...?

Brad.. *weeps* .. . . .

Brad. :(

KBFH Long Beach is the best one ever. 1977 i believe...

@marcelolima1666

2 жыл бұрын

I agree

That's not Brad? If as the OP claims this was done in 1976, it was two years before it was released.

@StephenHardyMusic Deal - and what with your other videos being about The Who (best damn band ever - arguably), can't go wrong.

Wow. Drums jump out. Check it out.

i believe it's from 76 because it's way difrent than the version on the 78 version

@slotwinski1414 I'll go on and do that! I guess you can subscribe to get a notification whenever they're uploaded