I can't even completely trust you if you don't like Patti Smith.

Patti gets the song,it's about expression, it becomes art. You make it what it is.

Drummer slays me every time...brilliant.

I was so lucky to be wandering near Welles Park one day on the North side of Chicago, and Patti Smith was performing a free concert. I stayed for the whole show (what was left of it) and she did this song. Brilliantly.

Patti in her prime🤩

I have covered Patti Smith numbers in my previous band Presently she and I are friends I'm really grateful for the friendship She inpires me

What a combination ! Patti Smith AND Johnny Winter ! Something like this NEEDS to be archived !

God I love this song, especially by Patti!

The opening number of the show... played with the ferocity most bands save for an encore. One of the best concerts ever committed to video tape.

somewher in 2006 0r 7 while deep in depths of a lot of things i went to a patti smith show at a venue called Warsaw in Brooklyn and it was the heavy show id seen....maybe ever ....and I ve seen sabbath, and pantera and tool and white zombie ans sound garden and cannical corpse and on a and on and on....and that show was just heavy in a different way...... Im not even going to back and correct my spelling that's how heavy it was.

Totally and utterly compelling. Nice one, Patti!

one of the few performers who can do her own versions of anyone's song she wishes to and .. it's going to turn out slammin. not many can do that..

Rockpalast 1979. First time i saw Patti on telly and live on telly. Omg she rocks.

Excellent clip! Thank you very much for posting, I feel 20 years younger!

Female rock at it's best.Man,this woman could really rock,she had complete 'guts and passion.

Happy Birthday Patti.....

Patti at her finest! Strum those strings!

Rock N Roll, baby.

This is fucking great!

She is ROCK N ROLL!

Patti does the best version of this song I think***

What an interesting person. Her interviews regarding william burroughs are interesting

Look up from your phone. LOOK UP, COME HERE, this is the era when EVERYBODY creates.

She is awesome!!

Which she didn't, until years later..sort of. Despite the lack of playing an instrument....I do love her lack of fear, her guts, her poetry and her voice.

Hell yeah! Patti rocks ass! Love her! :)

such a powerful cover of the byrds

I know its flaky, but that what I love, she is an artist not a rock star, cant explain, if you like this you might like Alex Harvey, of course I love the original, but she gives it something that make me put it on repeat. As I always say it might be just me.

Love the original..love this better!!!

Anyone know what she is saying on the album version during the talking section "they call me broken glass, that's because of the sound that I get (make) - after that I can't make out a thing until she comes back to "what you pay..." That being said, I truly love her version of this song.

@maguirearch she was and is good!! at that time 1978..it wasnt mainstream..mainstream at this time were..genesis..the who..deep purple and so on..but patti it was american punk..like b 52s, ramones or talking heads..you know? but patti had the feeling and sound and voice.. i love her then and now! great stll underastimeted artist! her interpretation of the bosses (because the night...bruce springsteen) is legend!! i love patti o)

brilliant

"We're ugly but we have Patti Smith."

I like her energy but as a solo guitarist she is queen of the one note.

Patti je t'aime éternellement

Johnny Winter was on the bill? That musta been some night!!

deep down inside i wish it was me who was invited to todd's house to see patti smith and meatloaf jam to "so you want to be a rock and roll star" might be the coolest story ever.

killed it

Power

Personally, I think the album version falls a little flat because it's pretty much a straight read of the original. I love the moment of exploration in this one.

el que tenga oídos... esa manta única tan bader-meinhoff con ese rock ese año todavía ea ea

in strong voice yes

Didnt Know Smith was so good I thought she was a bit avant garde for me but she is more mainstream that I thought.

they didn't make guitar tuners back then

We all need to pitch in and protest SOPA and PIPA. They're threatening to prevent us from watching good videos like this. And much more.

Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers did a good (live) version of this song, but Patti gives give it an extra kick. PS -- rocker, chanteuse, poet.

She tunes because she cares Byrdmaniax will get my meaning.

I always figured it wasn't. LOL Never did find out who originally do it though.

@YouzTube99 Its in tune fine to me, but I'm her age, just read her book and she is a really nice person. I love the fact that she is balls'y as hell and a real lady as well Spud

Stonking version of this Byrds classic

"What price would u pay? For all these riches and fame?...You're a little insane...for the public acclaim...Don't forget who u are, you're a rock and roll star" ...a KZfaq, TikTok, SnapChat star

LOOK UP. COME HEEEEYAH

nice

You're right it was written by The Byrds. Then again there are people who think that Downtown Train is a Rod Stewart song.

She touches a part of my soul that most artists never reach...she's brilliant...what year is this?

She reminds me of Carole King.

interesting range of reactions here. The voice and general disjointed off-key-ish delivery are all part of the point, no?

So you want to be a rock & roll star Well listen now to what i say Get yourself an electric guitar And take some time and learn how to play And when hair's combed right And your pants are tight It's gonna be all right With time you go downtown To the agent man he won't let you down Sell your soul to the company They're all waiting there To sell plastic wares And in a week or two if you make the charts The girls will tear you apart What you pay for these riches and fame Well it's all a vicious game You're a little insane What you get is the public acclaim Don't forget who you are You're a rock & roll star Na na na na na . Hey you. come here. get up Ah, this is the era where everybody creates Recognize my face? They call me broken glass That's because of the sound What you pay for all these riches and fame Well it's all a vicious game You're a little insane Well you're a little insane Oh a little insane 'cause the thing that you gain Is the public acclaim Don't forget who you are Don't forget who you are Don't forget who you are You're a rock & roll star

@scaramoochscaramooch when did that supposedly happen?

Patti does the BEST version of this song but it songs better on the album.

If you want perfect go listen to elevator music! Don't get me wrong love Journey and Boston, but this also Rock n roll at its best! I am sure Kurt Cobain loved this woman!

so terrible I enjoy it.

lol yeah but doesnt that just make it that much better sometimes;)? Its Patti fn Smith!!

16 people wouldn't know greatness if it smacked them in the face with a 12 string Rick.

No. He's alive and well.

@ikkoti Younger Than Yesterday cd

@ikkoti Plllllllleeeeze, apples to oranges-they are both great. Patti brought it gritty and nasty not nice.

Guitarist is hot.

Where's Melissa Etheridge?

Even though Patti is a political wack-job, she has a great rock voice and the energy in this song is incredible. Honestly, with the exception of the lousy lead guitar, the band is pretty tight.

didnt the drummer get killed by a hit and run driver near vegas???

...Patti plays a very rare Rickenbacker 480/481?. ...but totally out of tune! Nevertheless I love it!

not too neat and polished..? raw..?.. bit too real for this generation.? maybe a little to punk? fucking great stuff!!

Yeah, especially because his guitar is som out of tune. But believe me, the notes he does play are great, and also: Lenny Kaye is a great guitarist, played lead on almost all of the Patti Smith-albums.

Same here, it blew my socks or whatever off and then some. And this was the first tune of the show...wow! But GAWD, that guitar of Lenny Kaye is so very out of tune, esp in the beginning. And I'm not very posh about these things normally. Stubborn individualism, or just very stoned?

One of my fav Patti Smith songs, but that guitar solo was seriously weak (by the lead guitarist).

My guess is that the out of tune stuff was done on purpose. Check the beginning of the vid. Patti seems mischievous and there's a lot of tuning -- or detuning -- going on in the background. Keep in mind that as a poet, she's keenly aware of words and the original point of this song, which was a satire on how easy it is to become a rock star: "Just get a guitar and learn how to play". What better way to add a bit of fun to that than playing out of tune?

Patti, NOT good, way to butcher a really great song.

Studio version is better.

A little disapointed.... Thought she would knock the shit outta this...... Not as good as the Byrds !

pretty poor bass and guitar playing

My grandma never picked up a guitar. Matter of fact, she's dead. But she still plays better than this bozo. I get the whole 'raw punk' thing. But at what point do ya have to show some respect for a great tune and the artist who wrote it?

Not really a very good performance.

Guitar needs a tuneup

RIP Johnny Winter