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He was the best. Just the best. And singing with Cass Elliot? Thats just icing on the cake. RIP John and Cass, we will always love you both :)

So many Vietnam/Vietnam era vets, have a tremendous sense of nostalgia or pain, listening to this song, even now

Cass Elliott and John Denver were friends from the Folk scene of the '60s, back when she was in The Mugwumps and was John Deutschendorf.

This is a great video that showcases both their vocals! They sure don't make songs like this anymore.

Listening to John's voice is like hearing an old friend.

This song hit hard today. Great analysis. Mama Cass was magical.

John Denver is integral part of my childhood. Takes me right back. Love Mama Cass too.

Rocky Mountain High is my favorite John Denver song.

I just love performances like this. Two highly talented people, a bit of electric amplification, but other than that just the glorious sound of air vibrating. Beatiful.

My father was in the RAF and was stationed in Cypress for 3 years and this song was played a lot on Forces Radio as friends of ours left us to head back to the UK. It always make me think of those days

I'm really glad that you've reacted to John Denver a couple of times recently. I come from a rock and metal background and have older siblings who were in very much the same vein when I was young, so I've spent most of my life rolling my eyes at his music. These reactions have given me a chance to reassess him from a more mature perspective and I'm definitely developing an appreciation for his work. It's a beautiful song and the arrangement was stunning. I'm amazed by who well the filled the space with just two guitars and an upright bass.

John Denver has composed TWO official state songs. (Colorado and West Virginia). That’s crazy.

My buddy Pete Huttlinger played guitar in John’s band for a few years. Pete died a few years ago at 54 due to heart failure. A great guy and a great player.

26 years in the military, I never left for overseas without thinking of this song.

I met John in about 1981. We were performing on a tv show in Philadelphia. Very nice genuine gentleman. He is certainly missed.

When those two blend their voices in the chorus and they let it fly, it will bring a tear to the eye. They really really blend well together.

Im not afraid to admit, when the youtube algorithm suggested this version to me I didn't expect to get tearful when Cass Elliot joined John for the chorus... its so beautifully sung and the duelling harmonies literally seep into every atom of your soul... I wish that they did a studio version together 🥹

I love how at the end you’re not even reacting anymore, you’re just part of the audience, caught up in the singing along and enjoying the moment. I’ve always loved this performance, it’s just a short little number, but such a gem John Denver pushing and pulling the rhythm and crafting his whole musical space so intentionally reminds me a lot of Aurora. I think the two of them would really have gotten along well., and learned a lot from each other.

That was the the best reaction i have seen to this song. John Denver was unique. Im a rocker but i love me some john denver

Look at the time capsule we just walked into. My god, the hair, the clothes, even the glasses. This is a great peek into the 70's.

Two iconic voices in their time. pure and innocent but not so innocent at all. I just found this full KZfaq and showed my grandmother and she is crying now and said "they both died MUCH too young." I love music history lessons from my Maw Maw.

I cannot tell for sure... but I believe the bassist is Dick Kniss.... who was often the 4th member of Peter, Paul and Mary.... a spectacular bassist.....

His voice is actually very unusual in many many ways. Because he started singing as a very young boy, he developed a style called "mixed vocal" which utilizes the vibrations not just in the upper pallet but almost the whole head. (James Taylor also). He could do one of the most difficult things in modern singing : sustaining a long long note evenly WITHOUT VIBRATO. 😊

John Denver has one of the purest male voices ever. One of his most beautiful songs, although perhaps not one of his greatest hits, is "Poems, Prayers and Promises". It's a retrospective reflection on his life. He sings, "It turns me on to think of growing old." Then he died pursuing his hobby of flying. That line makes me cry whenever I hear the song.

Lifting his guitar up at the end might have also been a little tribute to one of the guitar players in Peter Paul and Mary, who used to do that all the time when they played.

I have a great memory of this song too. When I was in kindergarten my sister was a senior in high school. She had a guitar and would play some John Denver songs and we would sing them together.

The first time Cass Elliott comes in, she forgets the lyric for a moment when she sings, "Tell me that you'll wait for me." Then she smiles a little and picks it back up. Wonderful human moment. I remember when this TV show first aired. I was a big John Denver fan and I taped the audio on a cassette tape that I still have. Nothing to play it on any more though. 😀

Peter, Paul, and Mary do a great cover

John Denver is a treasure.

Excellent. Beth, please do more of Mama Cass.

Two guitars, a base and two people that know their voices perfectly. What more is needed. Sure as hell don't need auto tune or pitch correction.

oh we need a reaction for mama cass singing "dream a little dream of me"

Amazing song and performance 🔥🔥🔥 I was 5 days old when this performance took place!

Never seen this duet before. Lovely voices ❤

John Denver has the most gentle voice. It's like a gentle snowfall, just enjoyable and natural and magnificent.

I always thought thought that Cass Elliot was never appreciated for her solo voice work - I love this video-I love the mix with John Denver . Thanks Beth Brian Birch

John Denver Memorial, Pacific Grove, California

cass was so underrated in her time, as she was so often just the accompanist, but she had a different tone as lead. some cannot adjust in this... wish she'd created more music

I very much enjoyed!! Especially when you join in. Your voice blends well with theirs.

Making me cry, thanks.

John Denver was a incredible singer, but can you imagine when I was only a kid I only knew him from the movie Oh God. It's still a great movie and he was great in it. Only shows what a talent he truly was.

Great rendition by two superb voices. I remember Peter, Paul and Mary's version more...no particular reason. Long time ago...nostalgic for the music.

This leaving is leaving to Vietnam War !!! Please look out also for the version of Peter , Paul and Mary !

this was actually a one time performance. Cass was on the show to promote voter registration and John asked if she would sing with him. I'm sure they did some practicing in the back, but they aren't normally singing together. It's too bad, they would have had a lovely album together.

So smooth he even hacked future pro voice analysis.

Beth, John was in the Chad Mitchell trio and their folk harmonized a lot.

Such an impeccable performance. Another great one from the same era is Cass Elliot with Joni Mitchell and Mary Travers singing "I Shall Be Released".

John Denver is such an idol and has a special place in my heart since I'm from West Virginia and "Country Roads" hits home every single time I hear it!! His voice was the absolute BEST. His compassion for delivering such beautiful and lyrical songs is simply unmatched. But the lyric "I'm leaving on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again, oh babe I hate to go....." pains me since it's almost a projection into his future demise. A legend that left us far too soon. Love the reaction!

Another one that could have made so much more great music and died to soon!!

he wrote it originaly for The Mammas and the Poppas which Cass sang in

I was in a long distance relationship when this song was popular. This song was how i felt

Title was first called "Babe I Hate to Go". It was his best along with Rhymes and Reasons. IMO

From Wikipedia: Background - John Denver, then a relatively unknown musician in the Los Angeles folk scene of 23 years old, had written the song during a layover at Washington Airport in 1966. In one of his BBC Radio specials, Denver said about the song: This is a very personal and very special song for me. It doesn’t conjure up Boeing 707s or 747s for me as much as it does the simple scenes of leaving. Bags packed and standing by the front door, taxi pulling up in the early morning hours, the sound of a door closing behind you, and the thought of leaving someone that you care for very much. I was fortunate to have Peter, Paul, and Mary record it and have it become a hit, but it still strikes a lonely and anguished chord in me, because the separation still continues, although not so long and not so often nowadays. Though not written about the Vietnam War, the Peter, Paul, and Mary cover of the song was interpreted by at least one writer to be a protest song about a soldier's impending deployment.

We're the only nation with FOLK music, rather than just ethnic music of their own country. The folk music heyday of the early 1960s resurrected many of the great HUAC-blacklisted folk artists like Pete Seeger and Burl Ives, too with labor and populist themes. The narrative style of the ballads transformed the pop and rock scene from love and romance to socially-conscious folk rock of the later 1960s, The Byrds' Mr. Tamborine Man covering Dylan songs into folk-rock, If I had a Hammer (bu Pete Seeger), This Land is Your Land (by Woody Guthrie), and newly written folk songs for the explosive time (Abraham, Martin, and John and [4 Dead in] Ohio.

I'd like to hear your "choir" version because I cant imagine any other way of singing this song.

Still so beautiful !!

That shirt he is wearing is all kinds of awesome!

Pure period pop folk ...both sadly gone now but theyve left is the music that defines that that late 60s/early 70s soundtrack. You clearly enjoyed it ...

cass was a great singer/song writer.

Beautifull second voice, when i sing with them together , I sing automaticly 3 voice. I have the same with Walk the Line , when Reese Witherspoon sings with Joaquin Phoenix.

Love both these artists. I'm ashamed to say that one of my favorite movie scenes is the Armageddon version. Peace, Love!!

miss them both !!!!!!!!

This was a day before my 22nd birthday. Always loved this song. Remember it was popular in late 69 when I was headed off overseas.

The debut of the Midnight Special.

Although they sound different, his phrasing reminds me so much of other greats of the era; Willy Nelson, and Gordon Lightfoot. It isnt just about the voice, about singing the song straight up. It is about varying speeds, varying cadences, just masterful. Actually, more like Willie Nelson.

This was really nice Beth, really nice.

Cass Elliott's Make your own kind of music would be a wonderful performace to follow up on that.

pleaese do a full cover of this PLEASE

Both gone. True angels now.

Very good version of the song. I like his solo version as well, but my favorite is the Peter, Paul, and Mary version.

John Denver was also an outstanding guitarist!

Great points about them blending. And Cass was one of the Mamas and Papas. One thing that may not be so well known is that Denver came from the Chad Mitchell Trio. Check out the studio version of one of his songs on youtube : Chad Mitchell Trio John Denver For Bobbi (watch?v=464mfEljp0w)

You should react to one of his songs from the Wildlife Concert called For You. He played the piano in that one (I never knew he could play the piano). It’s just gorgeous ❣️

Lucy Thomas is an artist today that sounds like that. You should give her another listen.

Denver also uses space (not singing) in his delivery. I never noticed this before. It adds to the sense that his singing is planned, purposeful!

My tears are falling for this. Two great performers who bring me back to a wonderful time.

His performance both vocals and Strumming/ picking technique is absolutely perfect 👍 And of course Cass’s harmonies make it Magical

I really loved Mary Traver’s version!

This was a Get Out The Vote TV special. The 26th Amendment was recently Ratified, allowing 18 year-olds to vote. It was in response to the Vietnam War, the argument rightfully being that if they're old enough to fight and die, they're old enough to vote.

John is my most favorite artist! I hope you can see him do a live version by himself like in the Leavin' and "Goodbye Again" medley from the Wildlife Concert! John did a lot of duets and collaborations like with Olivia Newton-John with "Fly Away," "Perhaps Love" with Placido Domingo, and "Love Again" with Sylvie Vartan among a few others on TV shows. But John can sing any song just about perfectly! Also, try Peter, Paul, and Mary's version of it or their version of Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright."

Cass Elliot...Dream a Little Dream. you will fall in love.

Great song and reaction

El cantante tiene una agradable voz le viene muy bien a ese estilo de música me gustó bien Beth 👏👏🍀🍀

I love it, but is what he’s doing intentional or talent. Beth love your channel hope we can start a comment on talent and artistry or intentional singing. Keep them coming. Your channel is awesome❤

A wonderful song. You should listen to John Denver's live performance song "For You". John Denver - For You (from The Wildlife Concert)

Brilliant assessments Beth. My top JD song is *Eagle & The Hawk* So powerful. Perhaps at sometime, you could give it a listen?

John Denver the best ever, hearing him always gives me a calm heart.

I THAUGHT LIFTING GUITAR WAS A SALUTE

Absolutely beautiful voice. As good a singer as there has ever been. Touched by an angel.

I grew up listening to Peter, Paul and Mary’s version, but I always preferred this version, it always seemed more personal.

Other songs you should really watch of his Calypso Wild Montana skies Looking for space

It wasn't the dark ages Beth, we had mixing boards with sound control in 1972, they were just set up "like a pub" on this Midnight Special performance. John's 12 string was ringing like a bell, very nice guitar. Although this is 1972, John wrote the song in 1966, "Peter, Paul and Mary" covered it in 1969 and made a hit out of it. So, John re-released it in 1969, still not hit for him. This is why Cass jokingly says "SHE wrote the song and lets John sing it" before they start playing. This was a "get out and vote" campaign for the Nixon vs. McGovern US presidential election.

Poignant and nostalgic video. Both such treasures of their time and troubled people who loved to live and to love the people around them.

Beth, that show , Midnight Special ' had plenty of live performances. There's even a KZfaq channel with those live performances.

Leaving on a jet plane. So sad this was also the end of Joh Denver. He died when his plane crashed. Thank God i'm a country boy and Calypso were other great songs of John Denver. And "Mamma" Cash had a great backgfround during her time in the Mamas and Papas. Great voice.

Old Leatherstocking - Death and the Lady

I wonder when the last live TV performance of a pop song was that included a stand-up bass?

Thanks, Beth... this is great, but you missed the intro.. where Cass comes out and says how SHE wrote this song, and John thanks her.. lol, and there is discussion about how important it is for "kids" to vote... appreciate your reaction...(p.s. it's interesting how they do "unison" before breaking into harmony)

If you want a crier, you should watch The Wedding Song by Paul Stookey (from Peter, Paul, and Mary). This was MY wedding song.