The flute is live. The 'other' flute is a keyboard called a Mellotron.

These videos are basically us watching a classical flutist becoming more and more smitten with prog rock!

The original recording from IN THE COURT OF THE CRIMSON KING is double tracked so two flutes are improving as a duet. Very beautiful. You should check iut the original.

This is a true live performance. Believe me. 60's and 70's musicians were really real artists. They were not studio assisted meh performers based on looks and dancing ability. It really had integrity.

King Crimson, In the Court of the Crimson King, is an Amazing album and is the source/original recording of this song. That entire album was so far ahead of its time, being released in 1969 I believe. A work of genius from beginning to end.

this is not king crimson. This is an ensemble of great musicians that play a King crimson's piece. This is a Steve Hackett's tape recorded in tokyo; only Ian Mc Donald (the fluteplayer) is from the early king crimson

you really need to check out the actual album version, it's light years ahead of this live performance by what is basically a tribute/cover band

This isn't really King Crimson. It's former members of King Crimson but without a man in glasses, on a stool, playing guitar, and occasionally displaying an all-knowing smirk it isn't King Crimson.

You also have to remember they use a mellotron on the flute setting. The mellotron was an early electric keyboard that actually used audio tape of recordings of actual instruments, usually flute, violin, brass, and sometimes voices, and some various other instruments. So each key had a corresponding length of audio tape with the instrument playing that designated note. King Crimson used it extensively over the years, and they probably use one of the new versions today.

The second flute sound is probably played on a mellotron, King Crimson used a boatload of mellotron on their early albums. Robert Fripp played mellotron almost as much as he guitar.

This is Steve Hackett and Friends Live in Tokyo. They are doing a live cover of King Crimson. Steve is the former guitarist for Genesis. The flutist is Ian MacDonald, and the bass player and vocalist is John Wetton, both former members of King Crimson. This actually is a live performance!

Though I love and respect the musicians playing here, but compared to the original version, this is a strile and rather lifeless version, without the beauty and emotion of the original. Please do yourself a favour and listen to the original version, off the actual album by the great King Crimson.

Not a bad version, but I love the original from 1969 with Greg Lake singing. My Avatar is the album cover of this LP, In the Court of the Crimson King.

It's actually a live track. But it's not King Crimson although they originated the song on In the Court of the Crimson King. Greg Lake sang it on that original album and my friend Judy Dyble who passed away this past Spring sang it on the first recording of it with Giles, Giles & Fripp. John Wetton is singing it here. Not sure what the occasion was, but he was a member of King Crimson as well. I didn't know John, but I know his wife Lisa and my friend Robert Fripp was the composer of this song. It's a beautiful song and evokes many memories. Hope you are well and safe and in good spirit. 💕

John Wetton. Nice. I like the original version with Greg Lake, but I love Wetton, and I've never gotten to hear him sing this one before. So this was a treat.

Helene: I like this style of music, I’ll check out more of it. Listens to 21st Century Schizoid Man....

King Crimson are arguably the best prog band, the song Epitaph might be something you would like.

The original recording of the song from 1969 used two flutes in a couple of passages, one overdubbed, both played by Ian MacDonald, the man you see playing here. For this live version, the lower part was taken by a keyboard using a flute sample. Flute, of course, is about the easiest instrument sound to synthesize because the wave form is simple. King Crimson's four subsequent albums through 1973 also featured flute, performed by two other players, as well as the occasional bass flute (on the song "Islands"), oboe, and English Horn.

Another great King Crimson song with a beautiful flute solo is 'Cadence and Cascade,' with Ian McDonald's replacement, sax/flute player Mel Collins; but I don't know of a live version. The studio version is on the band's second album, 'In the Wake of Poseidon.'

The harmony "flute" at the beginning appears to be from the keyboardist on the far left (Julian Colbeck). You can see him take his hand away from the upper keyboard after that passage. The flutist is Ian McDonald, who wrote the song and played both flute and clarinet on the original King Crimson recording. The singer/bassist is John Wetton, who was in a later version of King Crimson, but ironically never performed this song with them.

There isn't any flute "back track", although you might think of it that way. It's a modeled sound coming from a keyboard. A Mellotron in the old days, but nowadays most good keyboards have digitally modeled sounds. This is not King Crimson. It is Steve Hackett's (Genesis Guitarist 1970-77) "Genesis Revisited" tour. The band includes John Wettong on bass and vocals - John was with King Crimson during the mid 70s, but not when this song was recorded. The band includes Ian McDonald who is singing and playing flute - He wrote the song and was on the first King Crimson album. Ian played keyboards, saxophone, and flute with the band Foreigner 1976-80. Steve Hackett's brother John plays flute and he often has played with Steve's band. Steve has remained an active solo act since leaving Genesis in 77. Steve is an amazingly hard-working musician, constantly writing, recording, and touring as an electric guitarist and a classical guitarist.

It could be a playback, but I'm pretty sure Julian Colbeck is providing the second flute via keyboards, far stage right. Lots of people are claiming the harmony flute is from a Mellotron (or Mellotron patch). I strongly doubt if they had a good sampler that they would have used a Mellotron patch when they could have used a real flute sound instead, which was on the original recording (and yes, I know a Mellotron is technically a real flute sound as well! :-D) Fun fact: Flute player Ian McDonald was a founding member of arena rockers Foreigner! This song was written in the late 60's, though, which explains the hippy-ish, pastoral vibe. King Crimson liked to feature a song like this on nearly every album after the debut, but none of them have Ian McDonald's artistry.

As a Big and Long Time Rock Music Fan of the British Progressive Rock Band, King Crimson, In the Court of the Crimson King Album Released in 1969 is My Favorite, I Enjoyed Watching your Classical Flutist Teacher Reactions of the Flute Playing.

Some members of King Crimson, but not King Crimson. Much better to listen to the original studio recording. Without Robert Fripp on guitar, as others said, it's not King Crimson. Beautiful song though.

You are wrong it is a live performance it is also not King Crimson. It had John Wetton on bass and vocal, and Ian McDonald on keyboard and flute plus Steve Hackett from Genesis on guitar and Chester Thompson from Frank Zappa and Genesis

The bass on this is amazing

Great comments! Had a chuckle when you said this was the first KC tune you have heard...wow, are you in for a surprise! They have some wonderfully beautiful compositions, but also some fabulously unmelodic pieces that make you wonder how they could be played at all. If you were in King Crimson, you were a most excellent musician indeed. Love your channel!

It was probably also played on a mellotron or possibly run through an effect that doubles what the flutist is playing . But he is definitely playing .

This was a Steve Hackett concert in Japan called the Japan Tapes. Ian McDonald, who is playing the flute, wrote the song with Peter Sinfield while both were with King Crimson. It is very much live.

The second flute is either a delay of the one flute but more likely a flute setting on a Mellotron. The Mellotron is an analogue tape keyboard instrument that plays recorded tracks of real instruments. It had a wide range of orchestral instruments played solo or in unison. They even had the Vienna Boys Choir. Rick Wakeman used that quite a bit with Yes. It is unique from digital instruments in that it captures the attack and diminish of a real instrument being played as opposed to turning on and off a digital loop. Robert Fripp is the most talented Mellotron player of the era. Rest assured you are listening to live flute accompanied by a Mellotron accompaniment.

How rich and wonderful is Wetton's voice though... and that beautiful bass tone... RIP. He will be missed forever.

the other flute we hear is a meelotron

The REAL King Crimson is one of the GREAT bands. All top-notch musicians. But, as with many other commenters, if the guy in the vest, tie, and wire-rimmed glasses isn't on stage, it's just a very good cover band playing a KC piece. Steve Hackett, the guitarist in the piece, is a GOD to me.

OMNIA!! You have to listen!! They are an amazing band. Multiple wind instruments and very tribal. OMNIA!! (Live!)

4:29 it gets interesting 4:47 sees the breathing is real 5:20 senses a solo ~ perhaps 5:52 is the reaction "yeah okay this is real ~ not bad". I love Heline being so real and authentic. She just gave me the thought: talking to the wind is about the flute- the flute talks to the wind. I lost my uncle recently. He was a vet and a drummer and he lived for his daughters and grandkids. This was "our" song. Thanks, Heline bro breathing new life into this song again.

The band Traffic also has some good flute playing in some songs. I'm thinking 40000 Headmen and Rainmaker Rainmaker specifically.

A king crimsin song but that is not king crimson. sounds like ian mcdonald who composed I TALK TO THE WIND. Probably from the tour Steve Hackett did with Wetton and McDonald. Wetton and McDonald had played in King Crimson but at different times.

The synth player is using a flute sound. It doesn't sound exactly like the original, but it's only a slight difference.

The part that confused you was a Mellotron (analog tape sampling keyboard, or it's digital equivalent...) Also, Get 'Em Out By Friday by Genesis also uses tandem Mellotron using the flute tapes & an actual flute as well. Check that one out !! 🚬😎

I don't think it's a backing track, but Julian Colbeck is playing keyboards in the background and is likely playing the flute harmony on his keyboards. Ian McDonald can definitely play the flute excellently and he played it on the original 1969 recording. However, this video is from an official live release DVD, and it's often common practice to overdub microphone glitches and mistakes when they release a DVD. Also, this was from a 1996 Steve Hackett Genesis Revisited concert that featured former members of King Crimson but it's not officially King Crimson. It's a pity there's no video of the original King Crimson lineup playing this live back in 1969. The original lineup split up in 1970 and they rarely performed this song live until more recent years by acts that featured former KC members (like this and the "21st Century Schizoid Band"). Mel Collins is in the current lineup of King Crimson and he occasionally plays flute with them live, but I don't think they've played this song yet on their more recent tours. Still see if you can find other King Crimson songs that feature flute. Check out "In the Court of the Crimson King", "Cadence and Cascade", "In the Wake of Poseidon", "Happy Family", "Lady of the Dancing Water", "Formentera Lady", "Lizard" and "Islands". I know that some of these have been performed live more recently by the current KC lineup and you might be able to find videos.

You have the most enchanting smile. Thank you for all the great content beautiful lady

Of course its live, one of The finest group ever!!

Thanks for the video! A few clarifications: The other flute (and other wind parts) is played by the keyboard player in this live rendition of the song (as someone else already stated, probably a Mellotron). This is not King Crimson, it's Steve Hackett's (the guitarist) super group from a live event later called "The Tokyo Tapes". He's with Chester Thompson (Frank Zappa, Weather Report, Genesis' live drummer), John Wetton (bass and vocals, mostly famous for King Crimson mid 70's line up and Asia), Julian Colbeck (keyboards) and Ian McDonald (wind instruments and keyboards, from the original King Crimson line up). Ian McDonald participated in recording and composing on King Crimson first album, where I Talk To The Wind is the second track (notably one of the few calm and "serene" moments on the LP). He had academic music training, mostly with the army ensemble. He and his friends formed King Crimson because they all could play professionally their instruments (incredibly well, may I add) but in contexts they did not like. With this frustration, they formed a band to do all the stuff they could not previously do or the opposite that mainstrem proposed. He contributed the classical side of the group's music spectrum (and the heaviest screeching moments on his saxophone). He's an incredibly talented musician, I would have been VERY surpised had he needed a backing track. In the Court of the Crimson King (An Observation by King Crimson) is a great album, I suggest a listening to everyone. Cheers from Switzerland! Federinz

This is a live recording. A keyboard with sampled flute sound is the second one. The quality of sampled sound has improved massively since the early days as the capability of the processors has increased while the prices have come down.

This is a real live evening show with Steve Hackett, John Wetton, Ian mcdonald and Peter Giles + version. The second flute and other brass sounds are mellotron keys.

King crimson would never ever do a playback.

I think the other flute sound could be the keyboard player.

The real King Crimson flutist was a multi-instrumentalist who also played varied reed instruments, keyboards & vibraphone -- Ian MacDonald. Anyone who played with the leader of this band Robert Fripp -- had to be exceptional. This, unfortunately, is not King Crimson but it is indeed Ian MacDonald of King Crimson who played the original that first appeared on In The Court of the Crimson King. (1969). This was from one of two Tokyo concerts in 1996. The performance band was compromised of former members of Genesis, King Crimson, Asia, Yes, Frank Zappa bands & Weather Report.

Every track on the first KC record represented an influential breakthrough for so-called; 'progressive rock' - this one was no exception ..

This track has always been one of my favourite pieces of music since I bought the album in the early 70's. Perhaps have a listen to the studio track (on 'In The Court of The Crimson King' album) and compare that to the live recording.

Flautist Ian McDonald (born 25 June 1946) is an English multi-instrumental musician, best known as a founding member of progressive rock band King Crimson in 1969, and of Foreigner in 1976. He is well regarded as a rock session musician, predominantly as a saxophonist. McDonald also plays keyboards, flute, vibraphone and guitar. McDonald served five years in the British Army as a bandsman. His music talent ranged from classical orchestra to dance bands to rock.

Predominantly as a saxophonist. McDonald plays keyboards, flute, vibraphone, and guitar. Ian Mcdonald Is an amazing flautist live or recorded ♥ People might also know him for being part of the USA Rock band Foreigner

Thank you! I enjoyed this even though it wasn't really King Crimson. It's hard to find original King Crimson videos on KZfaq but I saw that many of their albums have been added to Spotify lately. I definitely recommend the first album "In the Court of the Crimson King". It's a perfect start. All the songs are great. I sometimes skip the long improvised 10 minutes at the ending of Moonchild though. Well, the classic title song sounds even more impressive after that. Great albums like this really take you into a journey.

It's not a backtrack but a Mellotron played live.

Best evidence it's not KC is the fact it's on KZfaq and hasn't been Fripped.

This LIVE my dear! lol ... check out Thijs Van leer from Focus whom I have seen on numerous occasions and he is a world class flautist!

Still looking forward to the many great tunes from Songs From the Wood

Ian was all over In The Court of the Crimson King an Observation by King Crimson, The Best recording of 1969 maybe The Steven Wilson Remix is clearer and uncompressed, beautiful!

This was a great lineup for KC but in the original you had Robert Fripp on guitar (love Steve Hackett), Greg Lake (RIP) on Bass and vocals (love John Wetton RIP) so this is an outstanding version of ITTTW as is the original studio version. Thanks for reviewing one of the most beautiful songs ever written and performed. Would love to hear you play it...

Great video! Flute solos are nice and clear.

Hi, Heline. No, it's not your fault, but there is a lot of confuse information here, hence the "mess" that considerably influenced the analysis of this performance - something that was absolutely unjust regarding these great musicians and, last but not the least, King Crimson. Well, I witnessed the "birth" of this wonderful piece by Ian McDonald ( who is playing the flute here ), but released as a McDonald-Sinfield composition on the first King Crimson album, "In the Court of the Crimson King", 1969. But McDonald left KC in 1970, and along the 51 years of the band's existence, King Crimson have had countless lineups. It's WRONG presenting this performance, from 1996, as KING CRIMSON. But once again, IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT. The mistake was made by the people who asked you to react to this flute performance as being BY King Crimson. The band on this performance, a performance that happened only once and took place in Japan in 1996, is all formed by some of the best prog musicians along some 50 years: Steve Hackett ( ex-Genesis in the 70's, guitar plus a great solo career ), John Wetton ( ex-King Crimson but only in 1973-74), Ian McDonald (ex-King Crimson ONLY on the first album and, repeating, the author and flutist on this song), plus Julian Colbeck ( keyboards on Steve Hackett's band at that time ) and Chester Thompson ( drums, who played with a lot of other great musicians, including Genesis ). This band was gathered by Steve Hackett in 1996 to play songs by Genesis, King Crimson, John Wetton and Hackett's solo work on this sole performance and recording the video. As my instrument is the guitar, I cannot comment details of flute playing. But only enhance that the flute here is being played by the author, so it's absolutely original - and, to my modest view as a guitarist who has known this song for nearly 50 years, sounds perfect. So, my main intention here was to bring the historical data that was confused here by the people who suggested you the song. So, the main point is: it's not King Crimson, though two ex-members are here. Here we have a band that, in the absence of a proper name, was introduced first as "Steve Hackett - The Tokyo Tapes", and, later, "Steve Hackett and friends". But in this particular song, the great Hackett - one the best guitarists in the world, both on the electric and acoustic-classical work -, almost don't participate, except for a short guitar solo. Best regards, Heline. P.S.: Wow, how much disinformation and confusion on the comments below. That's why I had to write this too long explanation...

This track is from a live album "The Tokyo Tapes" (1988), by a supergroup commanded by Steve Hackett (Genesis), guitar, harmonica, vocals, plus Ian McDonald (King Crimson, Foreigner) saxophone, guitar, keyboards, vocals and John Wetton (King Crimson, U.S., Asia) bass, guitar, vocals. They also participated in other songs : Chester Thompson (Weather Report, Frank Zappa) drums and Julian Colbeck (Steve Hackett, Yes) keyboards, vocals. Saludos

Its a mellotron, or keyboard imitation of one. Check out more of his skills on McDonvald and Giles, the album he made after he and drummer left Crimson. Its fine like wine.

I don't recall if it had a lot of flute (it's been a decade or two since I listened to it), but be sure to listen to "In the Court of the Crimson King". It was one of their signature pieces. King Crimson was way ahead of their time, doing music we took for granted in the 1980s and 90s, but they were putting theirs out in the early 1970s if not the late 60s. Their instrumentals, and they tended to have some longer instrumental segments, were sometimes complex. Their sound was definitely that of a well polished studio band, and I do not recall many live performances I felt were up to the quality of their studio produced songs. But it has been a LONG time since I listened to very much of their content, so I could be wrong. Anyway, enjoy exploring a band for the first time.

It's very possible the flute is realizing a separate pickup and the mic may be used to add fullness and for the vocals.

The Judy Dyble version is also lovely, Judy was good friends with Bob Fripp and was Ian McDonald's girlfriend at the time. Sadly no longer with us, she may also be known as the science writer Ben Goldacre's "Aunty Judy" who was credited on one of his books for "Tea, biscuits and cynicism".

If there’s a second flute it could easely be the mellotron

The part in the first chorus was probably edited in from a different performance in order to fix a mistake. That line-up was only put together for a short Japanese tour and had not chance of being as tight as a regular group, so the album/DVD Tokyo Tapes, which we're watching here, was actually assembled from a couple of shows.

Great music and flute solo.

Hi, on the album version, it's the interpretation plus the composition that are interesting for me, and also the dialogue of the flute with the drummer .... Greetings from France

I believe she is correct that the flute intro is a recording. It sounds exactly like the King Crimson recording. It was not meant as a trick or laziness, but more as an homage.

The band Camel often uses flutes. Just listen to the album The Snowgoose.

This really is a beautiful song.

The flautist Ian McDonald was on the original album and therefore is on the original I Talk to the Wind. This is a wonderful concert and Fripp once considered recruiting Steve Hackett for King Crimson.

This band is full of accomplished musicians. They are not the typical rock band I think they are a step above.

This video is not King Crimson, though I Talk to the Wind is a song by King Crimson from their 1969 debut album In the Court of the Crimson King. This performance was put together as a solo project of Steve Hackett, former member of the band Genesis. Robert Fripp - a founding member of King Crimson, has remarked that if any guitar player could replace him in King Crimson, it would be Steve Hackett. Joining Steve is Ian McDonald, original line-up member and co-founder of King Crimson, who wrote the song I Talk to the Wind and is the woodwind/brass player. The song is a conversation between the Straight Man and the Late Man, and those two characters are represented by two flutes overdubbed ontbe original 1969 recording. I suspect that the accompanying line causing you confusion is being played by the keyboardist, Julian Colbeck. You may note the camera barely covers him at all during this piece. John Wetton is the bass player and singer on this track, and belongs to a later line-up of King Crimson in the 1970’s. Chester Thompson plays drums, and played with Weather Report and Frank Zappa, as well as being Genesis’ live drummer from 1977-2007. While this is not King Crimson per se, it is a massively good progressive “supergroup” that Steve has put together. Very legitimate. Very authentic. More than merely a cover band.

Really glad you reacted to it! Fun fact: Ian McDonald did an album full of covers to Jethro Tull's songs. Ian and Ian😅

There were, as other people pointed out in the commentary, 2 flautists on this track, only one (Ian McDonald) who was shown.

Is it KC, isn't it KC...It is still a gorgeous track. I love my music through headphones and in the dark, this track fits the bill nicely.

hes been playing that tune for 50 yrs

That’s Steve Hackett’s band with Steve’s brother John on flute. They are doing a king Creamson’s song, where the bassist, the late John Wetton used to play. You might like to ve a listen to his “sketches of Satie”.

Gentle Giant too has some occasional wind parts (like in 'on reflection'). There's also Camel (song within a song).

Listen to in the court of the crimson by king crimson the album version.

As a fan of KC since the age of 12 (1975) I had the pleasure of seeing the "21st Century Schizoid Band", comprising mostly former band members; I went just for I Talk To the Wind. When Ian McDonald launched into the first flute break, there was a tear.

Would you add this to your song list? I'd definitely love to hear you play it! ^^

This to the famous album version, please.

The original track is from 1969 - you won't find any live recordings from that era. btw: this is NOT the original King Crimson band, these are former members of the band, performing a cover. However, Ian McDonald the flutist left the band after the debut album 1969, he returned in 1974 for the Album _Red_ - this time playing Saxophone. In general King Crimson is considered as progressive rock. Some tracks where really ahead of it's time, like _Fracture_ from 1974. But these tracks are more interesing for guitarists and people looking more into the musical theory and the arrangements behind it.

On the original, the flute player, Ian McDonald, would have played all woodwinds as well as the Mellotron for separate tracks in the produced version. Live, he can only play one. I imagine the other tracks are being played as samples on the organ. I don’t see a Mellotron on the stage. You should really go look at videos of how a Mellotron works. AMAZING old analog tape technology, and crazy that they ever worked.

It's a real flute... they are really playing... the keyboard uses a Flute sample to play the flute harmonies at the start and end of the song. And if you listen carefully... the microphone picks up that spit/blow into the flute for a second at the beginning. It's real... and he's very intonated and plays quite well.

It sounds to me like the earlier part of the track has a long reverb/echo on the flute part, which is them pulled back for the more complex parts. If so it would mean he could stop playing the note (and adjust his embouschure) while the sound continues. This is one of very few King Crimson tracks which use flute, unfortunately.

There have been so many incarnations of King Crimson that it would be difficult to find another song of theirs like this one.

You should react to the first three songs (7 minutes) from the Murder Of The Universe KEXP session by King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. This songs are connected and the second section have a beautiful flute part. Cheers from Perú :)

I suggest a flute track from Eric Dolphy’s OUT TO LUNCH. Ian McDonald was a big fan of Eric Dolphy

I love your channel but.... most (nearly all) of the commentary revolves around whether this is playback or not. Just to be clear: 1) It's live; 2) This isn't the original version. I understand that you may get copyright issues with the original version, but then at the very least I'd acknowledge in the title "Flutist Reacts: I Talk to the Wind, Live 1997 cover version by Steve Hackett and friends". Otherwise this is pretty unfair.

THat is totally live!

Thank you for hearing our requests. With a good compressor the distance between mic and flute may attenuated the differences of volume. King Crimson is top notch classic progressive rock band. Recommended!

Please research and find the original version from 1968.

Listen to the original 1969 album.

The second flute is the keyboards

i think he might have been laying back a little during the vocals. good dynamics