I took friends of mine to see Bert Jansch perform this song live in his final year of life as he performed it here at the Mississippi Studios in North Portland Oregon. At the end of the concert, everybody walked out of the hall but I stayed behind with my Sweet Child Pentangle album cover from 1968. I was hoping he'd come back out and autograph it for me. There was a woman rounding up the musicians equipment on the stage and I just thought she was a roadie studio worker there. I asked her if there's a chance that Bert might come back out, as I wanted to let him know that this first Pentangle album that I bought, when I was about the age of 20 in 1974, a few years after it came out, and Bert's music on it changed my life. She said I'll go back and ask him to come out. She kept working a little more, and I asked her again, are you sure he's going to come out? She said yes I know he will because he's my husband. I had to say, oh my gosh, I didn't know you were Bert's wife, what an honor to meet you before I ever met Bert. My lady friend and a few other friends that came with me were out in the front of the studio ready to leave and she ran back and said come on Mark let's go he's not going to come out. I said yes he is, his wife's going to go back and bring him out. When he came out and I shook his hand and told him what an honor it was to meet him and that this album changed my life when I first heard the group Pentangle, when I was 20 years old. He signed it, as he began speaking, he sounded a lot like Eric Clapton talking. He was very humble. He said his favorite banjo player in the world is here in Portland Oregon. It was a great honor to meet him and talk to him briefly. Then sadly one night I was driving in my car and playing old videos like this, with my cell phone plugged into my car stereo on selected KZfaq videos, and I saw people in the comments expressing their sadness, that he passed away, hardly a year after I met him.

I'm a black man that's 73 years old and I grew up listening to Robert Johnson I also listen to bert back in the 60's I think he was one of the best guitar player I've ever heard and English folk music writer originally from that side of the world.

I saw Bert perform at a folk festival in Australia in the 90s and his set was sublime as well he did his incredible rendition of Black Waterside. I spoke to him after the gig he was a humble beutiful man l asked him what he thought of Jimmy Pages version Black Mountain Side he looked at me with a rhy smile and said well its a traditional tune and he put his name to it he must have needed the money or something we both laughed it was a moment in my life that l treasure and will never forget. The greatest musicians are the humble ones and Bert was definitely of the them God bless him.

Bert Jansch deserves a writing credit on Led Zeppelin's "Blackmountain Side." Yes, it's a traditional tune and Page & Plant did add their own spin on this classic. However, Page lifted whole-cloth the centerpiece of Jansch's arrangement -- the haunting & heavy guitar riff that Jansch introduces at the beginning and repeats throughout the song. That deep riff was created 100% by Jansch and Page just steals it. It says something about the integrity of Bert Jansch that he didn't make a big stink about it while he was alive. But as a tribute to his legacy & talent he should be given a Led Zep writing credit.

54 yrs old and never heard of this guy? Holy cow someone did me wrong. This is an amazing video, thank you for posting.

Bert Jansch's sound is like a cool drink of water to a thirsty man. God bless Bert Jansch's soul, may he rest in perfect peace.

So lucky to have seen him open for Neil Young. What a great night that was.

Bert's voice is underrated. He's a great guitarist, but his unique voice deserves more credit than it gets. I think its an integral part to his sound.

I can see why Neil Young called Bert Jansch his favorite acoustic guitarist. He was subtle yet powerful, and his offbeat variations in this very hard-to-play song are spectacular.

Of all the Bert Jansch music, I can listen to this over and over. It just touches you inside. How fortunate that we have this to watch and enjoy to our hearts content.

Bert Jansch is a wizard and his otherworldly vocals compliment his playing perfectly.

RIP Bert. Gonna bust out some Pentangle tonight. Was touched that one of my students yesterday was almost in tears at his passing

When I 1st started playing 4 and a bit decades ago, Bert was the man. The slurs, pulls, hammering-ons and -offs were a nightmare for a novice. So many must've chucked it in early, trying to grapple with the sudden new ask of fingers. Luckily, I had a great mentor who remembered the torture of making fingers do odd things and convinced me to persevere. I did and I'm still crap in my ears but not in others. The mystification thing..... I love playing although carpal tunnel is messing it up, tinnitus doesn't help! The early Bert gave me this germ....I truly hope you get the disease as well.

This is about a good as it gets. Wherever Bert is now playing, it is filled with more light.

Musicians borrowing or being influenced by others is the foundation stone of a century of blues music development

The rhythmic sequence at the end is so beautiful

"Blackwaterside" is one of my favorite Bert Jansch songs. I have a CD of "Introduction to Bert Jansch," and this song is a standout on this compilation. The lyrics always moved me. A sense that there was a simpler time in our lives that is truly treasured in this tune.

I've been listening to him for over 45 years. Saw him in the USA live only once. Bert has great respect for the traditional melody and sings it soulfully. Great independance rhythmically between voice and guitar. The greatest folk guitarist I've ever heard at creating memorable "riffs" or "hooks" within "traditional" music. And he improvises on his riffs using jazz and blues touches over the the folk base. None better. RIP.

top 10 greatest songs everr played on 1 instrument....

"The thing I've noticed about Jimmy [Page] whenever we meet is that he can't look me in the eye," Jansch told Classic Rock in 2007. When pushed to elaborate, Jansch continued, "Well, he ripped me off , didn't he? Or let's just say he learned from me. I wouldn't want to sound impolite."

It was a pleasure getting a chance to see you open up for Neil Young in Texas. You still sounded great. RIP Mr Jansch

Still love you Bert. Saw you open for Neil young many years ago and your voice has haunted me since.

this guy is a legend,one ov the true greats ov british music,sadly missed

I'm 68 years old and I just learned about this artist - I'll be listening to him a lot from now on. What a great guitarist!!!

Can still hear this after 40 + years and LOVE IT MADLY STILL lol Thank you Bert for all the music you gave us thru out the years. A true gentleman and an amazing Soul.

A fantastic musician with us no more. Give thanks for the time he was here.

Surely the best version here. Seemed absolutely at the height of his powers.

"First time ever i saw your face" owes so so much to this song

The sounds that carry you to the next life

Bert was one of a kind. A real artist in all the sense of the word.Great Lyricist on his other songs and great arrangements where hes seemed to never repeat a picking style..Amazing.

Going back to the 60s, I can't recall a time when the music of Bert Jansch wasn't part of my life. Such an underrated musician.

Pink Moon. Black mountainside. Over the Hills and far away. All sound like this.

Bert Jansch is a living legend and inspiration Blessed this amazing musician x

Here's one of the all best guitarist in the whole world. I never saw a such complex guitar playing, especially into this song.

What an amazing song love theway the guitar switches up in chord and tempo it literally sings along side him

I have this on a old 78 I bought 45 years ago. Back then everyone wanted to play like Bert. Black Water Side was just one of many traditional folk song Bert explored. His way to show us what could be done. Many Thanks

Never to be forgotten - RIP Bert and thank you for the music

My favorite version of him doing this great song. I like the understatement, lyric irony, brilliant guitar, deceptively so...try and get his picking style....very sweet technique and unique timing....difficult multiplied by singing simultaneous to this style....a very gifted player and composer

The great thing with these bluesmen troubadours......great and unusual time signatures.....makes them spiral, and timeless. Bert made me feel like I was connected to something so much bigger.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Berts pioneering style showed the way for a lot of folk/rock exponents. His sounds will echo back down the years.

Saw him in Nottingham at The Maze maybe ten years ago. It looked as though a physics teacher had wandered on to the stage, but I'll say this, in all honesty, you could genuinely feel something special when he started playing. Lovely man. If you like this (as well you should) then I recommend you give Nick Drake a go. R.I.P Bert, Nick and my mate Scott who put me on to you.

"Down by Blackwaterside (also known as Blackwaterside, Blackwater Side and Black Waterside), (Roud 312, Laws O1 and Roud 564, Laws P18)[1] are traditional folk songs, provenance and author unknown, although they are likely to have originated near the River Blackwater, Ulster.[2]"

The master at work. Gone but never forgotten

Lovely.. Bert and one of his beautiful Armstrong guitars.. I'll bet even fewer people know about these instruments than know about Bert..

Outstanding performance...Sublime, the notes flow out of Bert. Simply amazing musician, the world is a sadder place without you Bert. Anthony

This will live on...he is a classic

It is a great piece and fun to play. I see a lot of comments from years ago. I was a Jimmy Page fan first and later heard Bert and I though who put folk singing to Jimmy Pages song? After I learned more about Bert Yansch I grew to appreciate where the music originated. Hats off to musicians who pour their souls into their art for others to critique. This is a real gem to listen to. Thank you and RIP Bert! Bert Jansch. Herbert Jansch ( 3 November 1943 - 5 October 2011)

RIP Bert. Truly a great loss to the world of guitar and singer-songwriters. Such an unorthodox playing style. You and John created one of the greatest guitar partnerships of the previous millennium and influenced generations to come.

One of my favourite songs - ever! Mesmerizing.

masterpiece from a true guitar master!

Truth is I never would have known of this great musician Had it not been for Jimmy..RIP Bert Janch

For 40+ years I have been waiting to see this Master. He is simply, without peer. As Good As It Gets. A musician's musician.

Someone said that BJ was "under-rated". That's funny. He is highly respected. So is Robert Johnson. It's great that through LedZep these British and American greats became noticed by 10,000 times more people. Musicality and success are respected and noticed by different audiences. It's true what Plant said; that blues and folk is very much a tradition of borrowing, You know, making a 12-bar work for the 100,0000,000th time is a skill of delivery, not of invention. "Fairness"? as a musician myself I believe musicians actually get paid for entertaining. Or litigation. But originality - that's paid in respect, not dollars.

People who complain about Zep stealing all this music from other artists fail to realize that expanding upon a song is the very nature of folk and blues. Most of Bob Dylan's older songs were simply his words sung over old folk tunes. This holds true for countless other artists. As far as I'm concerned, the only thing Zep did wrong was make a lot of money off of it.

how very sad, my inspirational guitarist, thank goodness he recorded as much as he did, so that many in future can discover Bert, and can also share and enjoy his guitar style and music, i was impressed from when he started, and have always enjoyed his work ever since, through his recordings and concerts he was my distant tutor, i will always be grateful for his influence, and, although unknowingly ..what he taught me. RIP Bert.. and thank you for your music.

Thanks for the upload. In 69 Bert, with Pentangle, came to my college. What a quantum leap I took in my appreciation for what music could be.

Outstanding.

Great Playing. Amazing picking. Bert Jansch one of the best acoustic guitar players ever. Ask any respected guitar player and they will say the same. Neil young,jimmy page, Eric clapton ,Stephen stills ,to name a few think this is true.

I've only just discovered this man & his gorgeous music. I'm transfixed on his amazing playing... He's just amazing. I can see why so many other musicians sight him as an influence. I've only listened to afew numbers & I already want to spend a few months learning his style.

I was Dazed and Amazed to hear Bert Jansch play last night in Spartanburg,NC with Neil Young and I got chills on m y arms as I could hear Zeppelin's Black Mountain Side in this song...I knew then he was Neil Young Idol as he tuned down his guitar and I was in the prescense of Rock and Roll Dynasty...

Christ Bert could play. Even without singing at the same time, this is an incredibly difficult piece to play.

One morning fair I took he air Down by blackwater side Twas gazing all around me The Irish lad I spied All through the fore part of the night We lay in sport and play Till this young man arose and gathered his clothes Saying 'Fare thee well today That's not the promise that you gave to me When first you lay on my breast You could make me believe with your lying tongue That the sun rose in the West Well then go home to your father's garden Go home and weep your fill And think on your own misfortune That you've brought with your want and will.

Aside from his ability to arrange old tunes in a way that truly personalises them, an inescapable element of Jansch's genius is the way he vocalises in consonance with the instrument he's playing - not an easy thing to do at any time, let alone during such a piece as this. It's something you'll be lucky to see any of the flashy celebrity guitarists accomplish.

This is true music as well as pure genius. It's sad to see that music today has devolved from this beauty to something ridiculously awful.

i love you i love you i love everybody

R.I.P. Bert Jansch...I met him once in a folk club in London. I asked him why he wasn't rich and famous. He was always my greatest inspiration. Back in the 60's you would judge a guitar players skills by how well they played Anji. 'Nuff said.

Brilliant and Beautiful - gone, but never forgotten!!!!

Just a completely beautiful and intoxicating song. Bert Jansch is/was a miracle for most of us all. Presented here are the lyrics sung also by Sandy Denny. Friends, take from it what you will, mindful to savor the words: One evening fair I took the air Down by Blackwaterside 'Twas gazing all around me When the Irish lad I spied All through the first part of that night We did lie in sport and play, When this young man arose and he gathered his clothes, Saying, "Fare thee well today". That's not the promise that you gave to me When the first you lay on my breast, You could make me believe with your lying tongue That the sun rose in the west. Go home, go home, to your father's garden Go home and weep your fill, And think upon your own misfortune Which you bought with your wanton will. There's not one girl in this whole town As easily led as I, And when the sky does fall and the seas will run dry, Why, it's then you'll marry I. Attribution>>>> www.lyricsfreak.com/s/sandy+denny/blackwaterside_20121117.html G~

I can't imagine where a song like this comes from, so different from anything else. Someone must have written it, a long time ago, but who?. It's almost a superhuman achievement.

One off many great Scottish guitar players.

bert jansch was and is a great singer/guitarist and writer. lets drop all this who did what and when,live with it people.

RIP, anyone that can influence Jimmy Page can rip a guitar apart.

If you go down in history as "the Jimi Hendrix of the acoustic guitar", you are not "under-rated".

Such a beautiful piece of music. Bert was a fantastic guitarist.

The sound of the music is so appealing.and he looks so cool as well. Unique.that guitar has a great sound.

By the way - isn't this just perfect? No "production", just a wonderful interplay of fingers on frets, strings on wood, voice on tune.

I learned of Jimmy Page from listening to Bert Jansch

Let's hope that the music and memory of this outstanding musician and fine man will live on for generations to come.

Brilliant and unique singer - brilliant arranger and guitarist - Bert was simply awesome. The news truly saddened me. Rest in peace Bert.

Damn... No wonder Jimmy Page couldn't look him in the eye.

A very gifted artist who really left his mark . .X Factor anyone ?? nope me neither . .

Such a beautiful sad song. Brings me down.

I love it, this song takes great thought and musical talent to present in a formidable talent.

@devtrev Since when did page ever say ''Yes I wrote this'' He said in interviews that he wasnt original on it

Oh no... I immediately recognized the tune... from Led Zeppelin. I always thought that one had a unique sound among their works. Guess I know why now. Still, I like both even if the other one was 'burrowed'.

So sad that he has gone but happy we still have his music to console us.

Still remember seeing him in London pub so many years ago... the master troubadour.

I'm glad my post fostered comments from intelligent people who know the difference between right and wrong. There's an earlier post that mentions something about Bob Dylan taking Woody Guthrie songs. Could be why I don't own any Dylan records, but do own some Woody Guthrie songs. Now watch Davy Graham on KZfaq with; "She Went Through the Fair" which is almost note-for-note, the song; "White Summer" that Page did when he was with the Yardbirds. I'm not one to 'shame' people, but in this case...geez Jimmy, why couldn't you at least give credit to the guitarists you admired and emulated...and yes, shame on you for what you did. Black Mountainside...Back Waterside...come on! Can't get much dirtier than that. Now I'll probably hear from the people who don't post very nice responses, but those things happen. It's easier to simply retort than to examine, analyze, digest and form educated opinions.

Bert has said that every time he meets Jimmy, Jimmy can never look him in the eye..... what that means should be self explanatory

1966... The inspiration for black mountain side. Jimmy was his studio guitarist so he taught jimmy how to play it. Jimmy plays it in dadgad down half step. This is drop d kapoed. What an amazing time for music the 60s were. The decade of music!!!

stealing is the single most important reason why we dont still live in caves, one guy discovers how to make fire, and another does the same but decides to cook his food with it, so now he is the artist. Noone owns art even if he made it, it is a shared joy for humankind!

It's cool guys Anne Briggs taught him this song anyway

"a bit of a witch hunt towards jimmy page. I remember there wasnt so much emphasis on ownership and copyright," You're kidding. Every artist not robbed by shady producers was keenly aware of ownership. I bought the first LZ album in 1969, and BMS fooled me into believing that jammer Page had original acoustic chops Exactly opposite, as we now know. It's no "witch hunt" to put Page in his proper place. That doesn't denigrate his other talents. It just makes clear that he was a shoplifter.

My heart is heavy with loss but lifted with inspiration RIP great man. xx

Bert Rules forever and I could never thank him enough for the influence he had on my music. God get's a front row seat now. Gentle Soul indeed.

He is 23 here..

"I think a lot of the accusations against led zeppelin come from a kind of envy and resentment based on their fame and financial success" But here, the evidence proves that page was a thief. Jansch was a friend, and Page betrayed his friend, ripped off his arrangement and never looked back. That isn't "envy and resentment" speaking. That is the fact that Page was a backstabbing cheat. I've been a lifelong LZ fan, huge, but I don't wear blinders. What we thought was a genius was a copycat.

One of my all time favourite Guitarists had the pleasure of seeing him and speaking to him what a superb talent RIP

RIP. He was among the first artists I enjoyed as very young under my blanket with headphones, at night...

Some people here think it's no big deal to steal someone's music and put their name on it. A 'minor song that wouldn't make Zep's top 50'?! Are you kidding? A 'minor song' that Page used for his solo spot in the Yardbirds and Zeppelin for thirty years, but it's only a 'minor song'. Okay, sure, whatever you say. Jerodimus is exactly right. Self respecting artists don't quibble about a couple of percent writer's royalties, they pay them. If you don't you're a schiving thief, end of story.