“One person we could never get, because he was dead at the time, was John Lennon. I think that would have been the ultimate.” - Jim Burns, co-creator MTV Unplugged.
When MTV Unplugged premiered in 1989, it was a show that didn’t inspire a lot of faith. MTV had already turned it down once. So had HBO and, in fact, PBS. But creators Jim Burns and Robert Small remained undaunted. They kept pitching, and finally MTV agreed to it - but barely. They gave them one day to film the pilot (four hours for setup, four hours to record), $18,000 to cover all costs (a paltry sum even then) and no director.
While now it seems like a bedrock concept in popular music, nearly 40 years ago this “Unplugged” idea was groundbreaking. A major artist taking their hits, stripping them down, and playing them in an intimate style was fairly novel - so much so that the very first guests on the show, Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford of the UK pop group Squeeze, showed up to rehearsal with their electric guitars in hand (a quick phone call was made and the situation was resolved).
In short order, however, the idea truly took off and many of the broadcasts also produced career-high, acclaimed live albums as well. Both Nirvana and Alice In Chains' performances generated totemic recordings and were the last albums recorded by those bands before their respective lead singers died (in the case of Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain, just four months before he took his own life). Eric Clapton’s Unplugged album won three Grammys, including album of the year, and became both Clapton’s best-selling album and the best-selling live album of all time. Rod Stewart, Alicia Keys, Lauryn Hill, Tony Bennett, Mariah Carey, and many more all saw platinum records come from their episodes.
But my favorite by far (and a must watch) is “Yo! Unplugged Rap” featuring LL Cool J, MC Lyte, De La Soul, and A Tribe Called Quest all backed by the New York rock band Pop's Cool Love. LL Cool J’s “unplugged” edition of “Mama Said Knock You Out” is a masterclass in performance and charisma (and so much fun).
Inspired by all this, two notably loud Springfield bands will be taking the stage at Tie & Timber this Saturday night at 7 for what is certain to be a VERY interesting evening. Maximum Weekend and The Hook Knives have both spent the summer rethinking and rearranging any number of songs normally played at much higher volumes to put together a delightful end of summer treat. These performances might not go platinum, but the weather looks great, and cold beer always pairs well with some laid-back tunes. Maybe come check it out for yourself, and we’ll see you next week!
