Thanks for that. Alan Wilson was pure genius. Why did we have to lose him at such a young age? RIP, Blind Owl😢

@rickycool100

9 ай бұрын

Yes. Such a shame. Here’s a link to a really interesting interview with Canned Heat’s drummer. He talks a lot about the early days. podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/mark-hummels-harmonica-party/id1570061845?i=1000614227856

@mikes9759

9 ай бұрын

I definitely agree with you!! What a great band and bunch of guys!! I'm up there in age and I was lucky to see a lot of them live and will never forget it and the times we all had back then. I'd go back in a heartbeat!!!! I'm glad to see people talking about the band and AL. He was amazing!!

@ScottSwess

9 ай бұрын

@@mikes9759 Really envy you. I never saw them. But Alan was incredible in so many ways. Pure musical genius. Bob and the other guys were among the very best bands ever.

@mikes9759

9 ай бұрын

@@ScottSwess Thanks for responding. I think it was a great time! I have great memories. I always love Canned Heat and turned a lot of people on to them and said they were way overlooked by people!! I don't want to bum you out, but the ticket prices were unbelievable back then. I think the highest price tickets I ever got were for Zeppelin in 77 and I had 3rd row center for 9.50 a piece. DAMN that's the old saying the good old days!!

@ScottSwess

9 ай бұрын

@@mikes9759 Really wish I could’ve seen the Heat. Saw others, Stones, CSN&Y, Dylan…can’t remember ticket costs but probably similar to those you mentioned ☺️

Brilliant playing, great vibrato, excellent explanation/demonstration of the tweaking under the covers Ricky.

@rickycool100

10 ай бұрын

Thanks Al. 👍

Your playing is superb!

@rickycool100

10 ай бұрын

Thank you. Much appreciated 👍

A Damn good band back in the day. May all Canned Heat Members that are no longer with us R.I.P.

@Dstrbrdgrnd

8 ай бұрын

I think only the Mole, MR. Larry Taylor(bass) is still with us.

@bak-mariterry5180

8 ай бұрын

​@@Dstrbrdgrnd The Mole died in 2019 at the age of 77.

the remastered version of this song is absolutely incredible, and the singer’s voice matching the harmonica always gave me chills

@rickycool100

9 ай бұрын

Just been having a listen to it. You’re right its great. 👍

@strikerwoman

9 ай бұрын

@@rickycool100 have you ever heard of tash sultana? truly incredible musician, would love to see you translate any of her work into harmonica, give her a listen some time. a wonderful place to start is her appearance on “like a version,” covering mgmt’s ‘electric feel.’ anyway, thanks for listening ☺️

@rickycool100

9 ай бұрын

@@strikerwoman Hi. No I haven’t. I’ve made a note and will listen. Thanks, Ricky 👍

DAMN! I got goose bumps when you played that classic riff from one of my all-time favorites!! Thank you for the rush!

Brilliant! As a child of the 60's, I love that song, but never fully appreciated the magic of the harp solo -- thank you!

Thank you for taking the time to show respect and say the name Alan Wilson. 40yr bass player saying that he is my #1 favorite musician of all time. Thanks

How in the world would someone so young figure out how to do that back in the '60s? He must have had a mentor.

@rickycool100

8 ай бұрын

I think you’re probably right. Both him and Bob Hite were so steeped in the blues they probably knew some of the old masters and may have had some harmonica tampering tricks explained.

@Tubemanjac

8 ай бұрын

Don't underestimate real natural talents.

THAT WAS GREAT! I've always liked the canned heat version of on the broad again. I also found it startling that they had this huge hairy guy playing flute.

@rickycool100

9 ай бұрын

Yes. Bob Hite was a gentle giant by all accounts. 👍

@progmeup

4 ай бұрын

Bob Hite only mimed the flute for playback, it was Jim Horn on the studio recording.

Alan was my late wife Tracey’s first cousin. I married Tracey about nine years after Alan died. (Tracey and I met while attending the same college in California.) I was a Canned Heat fan from the time I’d moved from Memphis to the West Coast in 1968. I was crushed when it was announced on the radio that Alan had died in 1970. I still remember being floored when Tracey excitedly told me, “That’s my cousin!!” when “On the Road Again” came on the radio shortly after I’s met her in 1977. At first, I didn’t believe her. We corresponded with Alan’s sister, Darrell, a number of times until her death from cancer about 13 years ago. Darrell was a lovely person. She loved Alan and told me that it still felt like he was just out touring for years after his death. Tracey and I moved to Baltimore in 1979. Sometime during that year, Alan’s Mom, Shirley, and his youngest sister, Heidi (a half-sister as I recall) stopped by Tracey’s parents’ house for a visit. That was the only time I ever met Alan’s Mom.

@rickycool100

9 ай бұрын

Wow. Thank you for sharing your story. I really appreciate you taking the time. I heard a great podcast interview with Canned Heat’s drummer Fido de la Para. He talked a lot about Al Wilson as you can imagine. You can find the episode on Mark Hummel’s Harmonica Party either via a podcast app or on KZread. Best wishes, Ricky

@geoffreyschecht6477

9 ай бұрын

@@rickycool100 I’ll definitely have to check out that podcast and thanks for the info about it. I’ve always wanted to meet Fito but have no idea how to do so. I really wanted to do that with my late wife, Tracey. I have family photos of Alan when he was younger and one of him and Tracey together taken probably in the mid-50’s, most likely either at Tracey’s parents’ house or at her Aunt Shirley’s (Alan’s Mom) place in Boston. Tracey’s Mom, Montie Lou and Alan’s Mom Shirley were sisters, of course. If you saw a photo of Tracey when she was in her 20’s onward and then looked at a good photo of Alan’s face when he was that age, the resemblance in some areas (eyes, brows and lips) are uncanny. Fito would likely have noticed that had he met Tracey, since he knew Alan pretty well starting around 1967. I was always wondering how Alan hit that “mystery note” as he and you did on the “On the Road Again” riff. I play harmonica (just a bit these days) and know how to tune harps but considering what a Marine Band costs these days…I wouldn’t dare try retuning one for the sole purpose of hitting one note! I’d only try that on one of those inexpensive Chinese harps that show up in thrift store bins😊 (and none come close to the sound of a genuine Marine Band). Cheers!

Great, have gone over 50 yrs thinking I was completely musically illiterate. Thank you.

You made me want to listen to Canned Heat again. I forgot what a great group that was

I love canned heat and I used to sing looking for my rainbow when I walked down through the barges at work for 15 years and once in a while like find somebody else that would sing it in rounds with me with an echo and in those big empty steel barges. I can't hear good enough to catch things like this without someone pointing it out to me thank you for doing that

@rickycool100

8 ай бұрын

Thanks. That’s a lovely story. 👍

@markmcgoveran6811

8 ай бұрын

@@rickycool100 I like the elections over song. Maybe you could do something with that.

Nearly 60 years playing the blues harp and I've only recently discovered that Al Wilson "doctored" his harp for this solo. Thanks for describing exactly what I need to do now. BTW, the Blind Owl is my favourite non-African-American harp player. Little Walter being my all-time fave.

@rickycool100

Күн бұрын

@@jimmeltonbradley1497 Thanks for your comment. I’m pleased the video was useful. I agree with you. Al Wilson is a great player and of course Little Walter is fabulous. He took harmonica playing tova whole new level. Best wishes, Ricky

VERY cool story! Thank you for that! I have always loved that song, every little bit of it, all the things, the sitar in the beginning. I have an alternate take of the song they did where it isn’t there, and it’s a little different but I just get amazed at how they got that sound. Perfect tremolo on guitar, perfect sitar opening, and I never knew that about the wonderful harmonica solos…makes me like it even more, so now when I hear it, I’m gonna realize he modded his harp! Love listening to it blasting in my car.

@rickycool100

9 ай бұрын

Thanks. What a lovely comment. It is a great song.

Great playing - impressive how you are able to reproduce Al Wilson's distinctive tone.

I have been playing the harp for many, many years…and never figured out how Wilson hit that note. I thought it might have been done with an overdub after the recording session using a second harp. Thanks for a very interesting video…and for revealing the secret! 😊

I wore that album out,use to come home from school and put this album on to meditate,fried hockey boogie, took me to inner space many times, those were the days,loved that band.

I was in college (in New England to boot) when Woodstock took place; in fact, some of my college friends went, and they invited me to come along for the experience but lacking funds and not really being into chemistry of those days, I did not go. The music that played included that of Canned Heat, and as I now reflect, it seemed like the popular music of the time would be simple enough to play, but now being a guitar player and singer of sorts, I have come to realize that there was great talent and brilliance being displayed by the various artists then. Your explanation of these harmonica riffs helps to illustrate my view, and of course, there is also a very nostalgic quality added to the listening experience. Thank you most sincerely.

@rickycool100

8 ай бұрын

Thank you for sharing your story. I do find the whole history of that time really interesting. You are right. There was great opportunity back then for musicians to really develop their talent and imagination and audiences were ready and willing to embrace what they were doing. Best wishes, Ricky

This just proves to me that KZread is a wonderful thing. This very likely would have been lost if Ricky hadn't explained and demonstrated his talents as well as Al Wilson's. Al Wilson blew outa here early but Ricky has revitalized that era by letting us know. Thanks!

@rickycool100

8 ай бұрын

That’s a lovely comment. Thank you. 👍

You nailed Al Wilson. Thanks

Thank you! Took up the harp back in the Sixties while living in Santa Cruz, Ca. Good times.

I am going to file this under a large file called "things I didn't know about harmonica, but now am fully across." ;)

Great stuff man. That proves the masters of an instrument are the ones who create new limits beyond it's natural design.

@thomasmcfeely8869

8 ай бұрын

Like Keith Richard leaving off the low E string and tuning the rest to an open G.

@davidfox5942

8 ай бұрын

@@thomasmcfeely8869 Not good compare 😄 .

@thomasmcfeely8869

8 ай бұрын

@davidfox5942 wasn't a comparison, it was my taste.

@PIPEHEAD

8 ай бұрын

If Al Wilson had been the first person to retune a harmonica, you might have a point. Al Wilson was just great because he was just great !"£$%^&*()_++_)(*&^%$£"!

now I got that song stuck in my head!!

@rickycool100

9 ай бұрын

😆😆 Took me a while to shake it off after I did the video. 👍

There's a live version of this song from their Woodstock concert where Bob Hite plays the harmonica, I believe.

@rickycool100

8 ай бұрын

Yes that’s right. On live performances Bob Hite would play the harmonica on the song. Al Wilson did it on the recording because they were able to overdub the harmonica part. They were lucky to have two great players in the Band. 👍

Dirty tricks!.......from back in the day!. Love it.

I played for years and was never able to get that Alan Wilson sound. Now I know why, alone with lots of other techniques he mastered. What a freakin' genius he was. He was the transition from southern blues to modern ears. Pissed he didn't get to do more.

The first band I ever saw as a 16 yr old kid in 1970. Fairmont Park, Riverside Ca. The hippie thing was so alive and the band was so good. Alan had that cool falsetto but it was Bob Hite that I was fascinated with. He was emotional…soulful.

@rickycool100

8 ай бұрын

That’s a great memory. Thanks 👍

That was cool. Thank you for the breakdown and having the Hohner taken apart to see the inner workings.

I get a happy feeling hearing "On the Rode Again". I`m 74 and remember hearing it on the ol` AM car radio during my younger days. Great music.

@rickycool100

8 ай бұрын

I know what you mean. It’s such an iconic song and triggers memories for lots of us. Particularly those of us it impacted when it first was released. 👍

That took me back a little over half a century. Not bad! Thanks, man.

@rickycool100

9 ай бұрын

Thank you. 👍

Absolutely brilliant. I first heard this when I was 12 and it blew my mind. It was a riff from Mars, different from anything else. As a kid from Manchester, England I didn't know it was something called blues..all I knew, 'i wanted more'

@rickycool100

8 ай бұрын

I know that feeling. 👍

@keithlinney7084

8 ай бұрын

How can a kid have the blues in him when it was generally not on the radio, no influencing adults or peers and he's not even in the right country! It's always puzzled me. I loved the Stones at around 7 yrs old but... On the road again! The riff, the voice, the haunting sound. What bit of my brain was tweaked that wasn't tweaked in many others? I'll never know🤔

I’ve played harmonica for about 50 years. The first solo I tried to learn was that exact solo. For the most part I succeeded but could never get that one note. What the hell was Alan Wilson doing there? So I gave up and moved on. Then about 10 years ago I went to a blues camp were a guy named Keith Bennet was instructing. He has sadly passed away since, but he was one hell of a blues and jazz harmonica player. He told me the secret. Gah! It never occurred to me to do that! But Keith monkeyed with his harps all the time so…. As for Alan Wilson’s voice; you’re right, it’s ethereal. And his phrasing is phenomenal. He never sings each verse in a song quite the same way. He fits the melody, phrasing, inflection, dynamics to the lyric. Listen to “On the Road Again” or “Going up the Country”. An amazing singer, guitarist, and harmonica player. Thanks for the great video.

@rickycool100

8 ай бұрын

Thank you. That’s a really interesting story. I love hearing about other people’s harmonica journeys. Thanks for sharing. Best wishes, Ricky

I still have the Canned Heat Cookbook album from 1969, got it for $1 at a grocery store in ‘69. Anyway, I used to see them all the time at a place called Thee Image on Miami Beach, admission was $1 also. I play the album all the time, you’d think it would be played out but it is still as good as the first time! Well I ain’t goin’ down that Looong lonesome road All by myself…. Priceless album👍👍👍

@rickycool100

8 ай бұрын

Fabulous story. Thanks for sharing. Best wishes, Ricky

Canned Heat's "On the road again" is a bit more uptempo than Floyd Jones' 1953 version. Floyd also wrote "Canned Heat Blues" (singing of drinking cooking fuel) That probably gave the band it's name. Check out Henry Thomas' 1928 "Goin' up the Country" (coustic gitr n' panpipes) i love thatn' "

A amazing revelation clearly explained. Thank you, Mr. Swess ! On a side note , I am privy to some obscure trivia from a roadie with Canned Heat at the start of their career. Traveling by bus and living on the bus with the band had its own challenges. Primarily because the band members refused to bathe . For weeks, if not months . Needless to say, the odiferous confines was a burden my roadie friend delt with , apparently without complaint 😊.

@rickycool100

8 ай бұрын

Gosh. The every day realities of working on the road with a band. 😆😆 Good job they were all young and excited. 👍

@thevoiceharmonic

8 ай бұрын

You mean they smelled like humans? How dare they do something that is normal to our nature!!

@indiosveritas

8 ай бұрын

@@thevoiceharmonic Oh , calm down.

"Blind Owell" was a clever cat and you are a generous and clever Cat for sussing it out and sharing ...gonna watch "Beat-club" now.

@rickycool100

8 ай бұрын

😊😊

I didnt know i needed to know this, but, here we are

Wow! Thank you so much! Very informative AND great playing.

@rickycool100

9 ай бұрын

Thank you John. 👍

Thanks for doing this man. I'm actually working on this right now. Just awesome

@rickycool100

10 ай бұрын

No problem. Thanks for your lovely comment. 👍

Really great to learn that about this outstanding Al Wilson solo !!

I'm from Detroit (blow the reveille)! Thank you for this *Value-Added* musical moment! *ROX ON!* - Dave B.

Thank you for blowing my mind as canned heat did everytime I listened to them..and you have Blind Owl down to a T God love ya for keeping it going!

Dude! That was an AWESOME video! The history and the technique! Love your playing!!!

@rickycool100

8 ай бұрын

Thank you 👍

Excellent. Now I have to buy another harp JUST to file one reed down, because I've never hit that note anytime I've tried, playing it from memory 😂

Very interesting. Also liked the walk down memory lane. Those were the days of the best music.

Absolutely fascinating on so many levels! You should be a teacher!

First person I've seen do a full explanation on Alan Wilson's technique for this song, Could you do "I'm Her Man" next, I'm not sure how to do the tremolo effect he does and it sounds really cool,

@rickycool100

10 ай бұрын

Hi. I've just listened to the track. He's playing a C harmonica in 3rd position, putting him in Dm. That in itself is interesting given when it was recorded. It shows he was a serious harmonica player who really knew his instrument. Up there with Paul Butterfield and Charlie Musselwhite etc. The effect you mention. Do you mean in the harmonica solo towards the end. There is one point when he's on the 5 hole draw and seems to do a warble between the 5 hole and 4 hole, rather than any effect he's producing just on one hole. I hope that helps. If not, let me know at which point in the recording you mean and I'll try again. Best wishes, Ricky

Beautifully explained. Bless Ricky

I was just listening to Canned Heat, On the road again.

Great stuff, does anyone have the tab to the entire solo?

@rickycool100

10 ай бұрын

Thank you. Follow this link for the full TAB. www.harpsurgery.com/canned-heat-on-the-road-again/

@JagoKosolosky

10 ай бұрын

@@rickycool100 thanks so much Ricky. You're a great inspiration and I love how you spread your knowledge around. The young-ish (31 now 🤔) generation appreciates it.

@rickycool100

10 ай бұрын

@@JagoKosolosky Thanks Jago. 👍

Very happy that KZread brought me here. I really enjoyed this.

@rickycool100

9 ай бұрын

Thank you. I’m glad you found my video. 👍

Yeah, true Al is gone...but we still have Rickycool and finally we have a precise demonstration of exactly how this Arcane trick was accomplished. Bless your soul mate.

@rickycool100

6 ай бұрын

Thank you 👍

How wonderful is our world!

Harmonicas in my opinion are the most underrated instruments in the world.

@rickycool100

7 ай бұрын

They certainly don’t get the credit they deserve. 👍

Thank you Mr Rogers you taught me woodwork at Stourport high school and your teaching me again on KZread, thank you for all you do, best wishes Joe

@rickycool100

8 ай бұрын

Well I never!! Good to hear from you Joe. I hope those woodwork lessons have served you well and you continue to enjoy the harmonica videos. 👍

@josephfrancis8046

8 ай бұрын

@rickycool100 well I have my own business in metal fabrication in Stourport, I owe a great big thank you to yourself for the basics you taught me,it put me on the path I'm on, still wish we had finished making that guitar though 😊

@rickycool100

8 ай бұрын

@@josephfrancis8046 That’s great. I can’t remember the guitar construction project but yes it’s a shame it didn’t get finished. Best wishes, Ricky

I had no reason to watch this at all, but I now know how harmonicas work!

Pure genius ?!? Harmonica playing was real good. Voice !;!? Song !;?! I grew up in this time era and didn't know anyone who followed this group. I grew up in the Detroit area and we had rock concerts at 7 different places in the area.

@rickycool100

8 ай бұрын

Yes I think Canned Heat’s initial following was more California based and then grew from there. From things I’ve read Detroit tended to go it’s own way in terms of bands that became popular there. The Hippie ideals did not really catch on. Would that be correct? 👍

Finally, someone to show the world what a blues harp player sees. Tanks Rick

I am the missing link in a long line of musicians. I didnt realise a harmonica was so interesting! Thank you

Very interesting......What a Bad-ass band the Heat was...... Great Biker band!!!!

Lol. Great video! One of my first 45's. Still have!

My husband loves the song and your fantastic playing, great video man!!!

I'm 34. I've been doing this for over 20 years to get that blue note.

Where the hell were you 40+yrs ago when i needed this? 😂 In our high school band around 1979, our singer asked me if i could learn to play this song on harmonica even though ive only fooled around the fire place with one that summer. Let's say i took a lot of liberties with the song because i simply couldn't figure it out. Ive played quite a few instruments since then but never really went back to harmonica. I think i have unfinished business with this song and this video will definitely help.

@rickycool100

8 ай бұрын

Sorry I wasn’t on hand. I was busy with a band myself at the time and playing a lot of harmonica but it wasn’t until much later that I figured it out, when I got into re-tuning my reeds when they went out. 👍

Thanks. Love that group; love that song. Orémus Y'all.

👍🏼🎸I bought a Canned Heat tshirt this year after listening for 50 years

@rickycool100

8 ай бұрын

Great 🙂🙂

I was just totally engrossed at something I never knew about and will never be able to use. Very cool.

@rickycool100

7 ай бұрын

Thanks 😄

That was awesome harping. Allan and the Heat in my opinion were a badass blues group!!

@rickycool100

7 ай бұрын

Thank you. Yes you’re right. They were the real deal. 👍

Wilson was a reed tweeker back in the day! His sheer ingenuity has to be respected

@rickycool100

8 ай бұрын

Absolutely 👍

I'm so used to that 6-hole draw's pitch that I use it all the time. Good to know this. Yeah, I'm no good at overblowing and I'm afraid they'd tear up my harps until I finally mastered it. Nice bend on the 3 draw. Without that bend, you don't have the minor 3rd to milk playing cross harp. Nice feel for blues harp. No I can't see the reeds vibrating! LOL!

@rickycool100

9 ай бұрын

Thanks. Yes the reed vibrating bit was a long shot. 😃😃

In 1973 Canned Heat played the baseball park at Eglin AFB FL where I was stationed. I worked security. Alan had died by then but The Bear put on a good show. Imagine 1969 playing in front of 400,000 and 4 years later you play a baseball park for a few hundred people. A gig is a gig though.

@rickycool100

8 ай бұрын

Interesting story. Reminds me of Jerry Lee Lewis and him being right at the top and then the scandal broke here in UK regarding him marrying his 13 year old cousin. He was soon back playing in bars and had to start all over again. 👍

Thanks for explaining it. It's been one of my favorite songs since I was a kid.

Wow... you play it exactly as the recording. Interesting pitch trivia. Loved it. Thank you. Tucson, Arizona

@rickycool100

8 ай бұрын

Thank you.

one of my first concerts was canned heat, back in the days when rock musicians were allowed to play until they felt done.. I exited that concert a little before nine o'clock the next morning.

@rickycool100

8 ай бұрын

😆😆fabulous

Can't play, wish I could. Really enjoyed hearing this. Thank you.

Great little video. Awesome harmonica playing. 👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿

I had the pleasure/honour to tour with Canned Heat in Australia many moons ago... & I heard that solo every night.. pure magic !!

@rickycool100

8 ай бұрын

Fabulous. Lucky you. 👍

absolutely loved that!!! Thanks!!!

I've no idea how I got here but that was great!

@rickycool100

8 ай бұрын

Glad you found it. Thanks

Excellent my new friend, love that vibrator !

I would pay money to see you play the harmonica for on the road again full song

Excellent! Love this song

Brilliant, thank you!

Old hippies never die

Amazing. thank you!

Wonderful! Thank you!

Loved it !

That was great. Thanks.

AWESOME! 🎶🎶👍

Awesome!

Greatly enjoyed. Thank you.

Fabulous!

Amazing!

Fantastic!

Always loved this song, because of the harmonica.

That was great mate. Thanks. 🎉

Excellent!!