Get ready for goosebumps hearing late greats John Denver and Cass Elliot’s live duet on “Leaving on a Jet Plane” – this has to be one of the greatest vocal duos ever!
John Denver. Cass Elliot. Two of the all-time greats of folk music. Get ready for goosebumps listening to the late legends’ live duet on John’s classic “Leaving on a Jet Plane.” As a top commenter said, “The harmonies are just crushingly beautiful.” This has to be one of the greatest vocal duos ever right here. And hearing John and Cass sing together with John’s masterful acoustic guitar playing for accompaniment is exactly how we love to hear them.
John and Cass sang “Leaving on a Jet Plane” on Burt Sugarman’s Midnight Special, with the segment originally airing on August 19, 1972. You really had to have some deep talent to make it back in those days. John and Cass sing absolutely flawlessly, both solo and in harmony, even though they only had a single live take to nail the parts. And the way their voices blend together touches something in the soul. The Music Man has to say we could listen to these two icons singing together all day!
John’s official YouTube channel’s upload of the duet hit 12.6 million views. Fans loved the throwback performance, and added comments such as “No Auto-Tune, no computer-generated anything. Just raw, clean musicianship and beautiful harmonies. Thanks John and Cass.” and “At nearly 65 years old, this song still gives me chills and brings tears to my eyes… RIP John and Cass.”
John’s live performances always hit the mark. His 1972 live solo performance of “Leaving on a Jet Plane” is the perfect showcase for his gorgeous voice. You can tell he was shooting straight from the heart when he wrote this song, and it comes through so beautifully every time he performs it live. We also have to give it up for John’s deft 12-string acoustic guitar playing – he really had it all as a musician.
John Denver wrote “Leaving on a Jet Plane” and first recorded it in 1966 for his first demo, John Denver Sings. The New Mexico star re-recorded the song for his first studio album, Rhymes & Reasons, and issued it as the second single from the release. The Music Man readers might be interested to hear the curious fact that “Leaving on a Jet Plane” failed to chart. Despite this, over the years it became one of John’s most popular songs and a certified folk classic. On BBC Radio, John said “Leaving on a Jet Plane” is “a very personal and very special song for me” and said it conjures up “the simple scenes of leaving… someone that you care for very much” to head on the road.
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No Comeback, Just Reinvention: How The Bee Gees Stunned Everyone with "For Whom The Bell Tolls" in 1993
By 1993, few people were betting on the Bee Gees.
The disco era was over. Radio belonged to Nirvana, Whitney Houston, and Mariah Carey. The Gibb brothers were in their 40s and 50s. To many, their moment had passed.
Then they released their 20th studio album, "Size Isn't Everything," and tucked inside it was "For Whom The Bell Tolls."
Released as the second single on November 15, 1993, the song announced from its first seconds that this was not the Bee Gees of "Stayin' Alive." No glittering falsetto, no driving disco bass. Just a slow piano, a distant church bell, and three brothers blending their voices like they were singing only for each other.
Produced and written by Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb together, the track runs over five minutes long - a risky move when radio favored three-and-a-half-minute hits. But its slowness is its power.
"For Whom The Bell Tolls" isn't about a loud, dramatic breakup. It's about the quiet, chilling fear of losing someone, about realizing that the bell might be tolling for your own love. It's mature, elegant, and full of regret.
That was the triumphant reinvention. The Bee Gees didn't try to sound young again to chase trends. They embraced their age, they sang about the losses of middle-aged men, and in doing so, they bridged generations. They connected with the children of their original disco fans - a new audience who was also growing up and learning about loss.
The song became a Top 5 hit in the UK and one of their most beloved ballads of the 90s. More than 30 years later, it doesn't sound dated. Because elegant heartbreak never goes out of style.
Legendary for Getting Booed: The 15 Minutes Dylan Plugged In and Changed Music
July 25, 1965. Newport Folk Festival.
Bob Dylan walked on stage, but he wasn't carrying his familiar acoustic guitar. He was holding an electric Fender Stratocaster.
Just days earlier, "Like a Rolling Stone" had been released. It was six minutes long, loud, filled with electric guitar and organ - a world away from the stripped-down protest songs like "Blowin' in the Wind" that made his folk fans fall in love with him.
When Dylan and his electric backing band hit the first notes, the crowd at Newport split in two.
Some cheered the new sound. Others booed, whistled, and shouted "Judas!" and "Play acoustic!". For folk purists, Dylan going electric wasn't just a change in sound. It felt like a betrayal.
The reaction has been debated for 60 years - was the booing about the electric instruments, or about the fact that his set was only 15 minutes long? But one thing is no longer debated: that night was a turning point.
Dylan didn't back down. He showed that an artist cannot be trapped in a box built by his audience. He was willing to risk safe adoration to chase a new artistic truth.
That 15-minute set paved the way for rock, folk-rock, and the broader acceptance of electric instruments in folk music. It was immortalized in documentaries like "The Other Side of the Mirror," which chronicles his transformation from 1963 to 1965.
"Like a Rolling Stone" remains as relevant today as it was when it was written, not just because of its iconic opening snare shot or its timeless question - "How does it feel?" - but because of the courage behind it: the courage to plug in, even when everyone wants you to stay unplugged.
Plugged In, Booed Off, Legendary: The 15 Minutes Bob Dylan Changed Music Forever
July 25, 1965. Newport Folk Festival.
Bob Dylan walked on stage, but he wasn't carrying his familiar acoustic guitar. He was holding an electric Fender Stratocaster.
Just days earlier, "Like a Rolling Stone" had been released. It was six minutes long, loud, filled with electric guitar and organ - a world away from the stripped-down protest songs like "Blowin' in the Wind" that made his folk fans fall in love with him.
When Dylan and his electric backing band hit the first notes, the crowd at Newport split in two.
Some cheered the new sound. Others booed, whistled, and shouted "Judas!" and "Play acoustic!". For folk purists, Dylan going electric wasn't just a change in sound. It felt like a betrayal.
The reaction has been debated for 60 years - was the booing about the electric instruments, or about the fact that his set was only 15 minutes long? But one thing is no longer debated: that night was a turning point.
Dylan didn't back down. He showed that an artist cannot be trapped in a box built by his audience. He was willing to risk safe adoration to chase a new artistic truth.
That 15-minute set paved the way for rock, folk-rock, and the broader acceptance of electric instruments in folk music. It was immortalized in documentaries like "The Other Side of the Mirror," which chronicles his transformation from 1963 to 1965.
"Like a Rolling Stone" remains as relevant today as it was when it was written, not just because of its iconic opening snare shot or its timeless question - "How does it feel?" - but because of the courage behind it: the courage to plug in, even when everyone wants you to stay unplugged.
The Night Bob Dylan Went Electric: The 15 Minutes That Changed Music Forever
July 25, 1965. Newport Folk Festival.
Bob Dylan walked on stage, but he wasn't carrying his familiar acoustic guitar. He was holding an electric Fender Stratocaster.
Just days earlier, "Like a Rolling Stone" had been released. It was six minutes long, loud, filled with electric guitar and organ - a world away from the stripped-down protest songs like "Blowin' in the Wind" that made his folk fans fall in love with him.
When Dylan and his electric backing band hit the first notes, the crowd at Newport split in two.
Some cheered the new sound. Others booed, whistled, and shouted "Judas!" and "Play acoustic!". For folk purists, Dylan going electric wasn't just a change in sound. It felt like a betrayal.
The reaction has been debated for 60 years - was the booing about the electric instruments, or about the fact that his set was only 15 minutes long? But one thing is no longer debated: that night was a turning point.
Dylan didn't back down. He showed that an artist cannot be trapped in a box built by his audience. He was willing to risk safe adoration to chase a new artistic truth.
That 15-minute set paved the way for rock, folk-rock, and the broader acceptance of electric instruments in folk music. It was immortalized in documentaries like "The Other Side of the Mirror," which chronicles his transformation from 1963 to 1965.
"Like a Rolling Stone" remains as relevant today as it was when it was written, not just because of its iconic opening snare shot or its timeless question - "How does it feel?" - but because of the courage behind it: the courage to plug in, even when everyone wants you to stay unplugged.