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Phil Upchurch — Darkness Darkness
Album: Darkness Darkness
Avg rating:
7.1

Your rating:
Total ratings: 1209









Released: 1972
Length: 9:06
Plays (last 30 days): 2
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(instrumental)
Comments (77)add comment
I think a good cover should stand totally on its own. I can't compare this to the original anymore than I would compare it to any other song. I could listen to both versions back to back and totally enjoy each one independently. 
Posted 2 weeks ago by stevesaw    [ Reply ]
 birdman42 wrote:

William and Alanna have four(!) versions of this song on RP - this one, the original by the Youngbloods, Robert Plant, and Richie Havens. Are there any other songs with that many versions on RP?


lizardking wrote:

Oddly enough, this instrumental version of a great Youngbloods' song sounds like it would fit perfectly on the album Elephant Mountain, esp. the 2nd side of the record which had a lot of jazzy rock. I've rated the original at 9 and will rate this bad boy an 8. Kudos to RP for coming up with this music that has gone UNKNOWN by me until now, and all the other music I get turned to by BillG....Long Live RP!!


had to look up the og... of course i've heard that: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORSD_u2upP4
quite a few covers out there:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

Posted 2 weeks ago by dischuckin    [ Reply ]
My goodness, what a groove! And excellent, unique guitar playing...
Posted 2 weeks ago by spij    [ Reply ]
Darkness indeed in America these days.
Posted 2 months ago by Dahlia_Gumbo    [ Reply ]
 paul28 wrote:

This is great. Sounds bit like Can’t you hear me knocking



a minute or two prior to reading this, I commented to my husband this statement. It's that one guitar lick, and yes I think the stones listened to this guy. 
Posted 2 months ago by eyke    [ Reply ]
Now THIS really slaps.  Great groove, never heard it before.  Thanks RP!
Posted 2 months ago by theirongiant    [ Reply ]
This is setting up the best vibe for work today. I could plug and chug to this groove all day!
Posted 2 months ago by NHMick    [ Reply ]
this kicks.
Posted 2 months ago by idiot_wind    [ Reply ]
First time hearing this. Love it, but really miss the searing guitar solo from the original.
Posted 4 months ago by Jelani    [ Reply ]
Deodato anyone?
Posted 4 months ago by Alastair    [ Reply ]
William and Alanna have four(!) versions of this song on RP - this one, the original by the Youngbloods, Robert Plant, and Richie Havens. Are there any other songs with that many versions on RP?
Posted 5 months ago by birdman42    [ Reply ]
 radioparadise9 wrote:

I understand that Rebecca handles that side of RP

Whatever, the result is the RP that I admire

Last I heard from William, Rebecca was retiring. Hence his daughter stepping in. And, a helluva fine job she does! The new channel is awesome stuff! Give it a listen, if you haven't!

Posted 6 months ago by Signwrtr61    [ Reply ]
 mthoburn191 wrote:

so good. so gooood!  

Absotively, posolutely!


Posted 6 months ago by Signwrtr61    [ Reply ]
 jmsmy wrote:

How does Bill come up with this great stuff?

Look at Bill....Look at artist pic....mix that with Bills vast experience at contorting the airwaves over the years....there ya go! Nice cut, btw, Bill!

Posted 6 months ago by Signwrtr61    [ Reply ]
Somewhere , I've got the single of 'You Can't Sit Down' by the Phil Upchurch Combo. Wikipedia gives the year as 1961 but I'm sure that I bought it later. It was a popular record in Northern Soul circles in the mid-sixties. Fanastic stuff.
Posted 9 months ago by msbolton    [ Reply ]
so good. so gooood!  
Posted 1 year ago by mthoburn191    [ Reply ]
 paul28 wrote:

This is great. Sounds bit like Can’t you hear me knocking



You nailed it. 
Posted 1 year ago by KudaRey    [ Reply ]
I've never heard this before. Getting Deodato, Also Sprach Zarathustra vibes. 
Posted 1 year ago by Alastair    [ Reply ]
Thinking the Stones might have been listening to some of Upchurch's work
Posted 2 years ago by doktorkev    [ Reply ]
wow!
Posted 2 years ago by MilesW    [ Reply ]
Straight into my favourites!
Posted 2 years ago by dickmahoon    [ Reply ]
 Eric_Denison wrote:



Magic sauce.



magic sauce indeed!
Posted 2 years ago by cosmicjoe54    [ Reply ]
 jmsmy wrote:

How does Bill come up with this great stuff?




Magic sauce.
Posted 3 years ago by Eric_Denison    [ Reply ]
This is great. Sounds bit like Can’t you hear me knocking
Posted 3 years ago by paul28    [ Reply ]
After more than a decade of listening to (and supporting) RP, I continue to feel the good fortune of being reminded of (or turned onto) tunes I've completely forgotten (or never heard). I last heard this song maybe 20 years ago. Thanks Bill & Rebecca.

Posted 3 years ago by kevin19803    [ Reply ]
This is good shit!
Posted 4 years ago by Rockit9    [ Reply ]
 jmsmy wrote:
How does Bill come up with this great stuff?
 
I understand that Rebecca handles that side of RP

Whatever, the result is the RP that I admire

Posted 4 years ago by radioparadise9    [ Reply ]
What a wonderful groove!
Posted 4 years ago by sdn    [ Reply ]
Not in any way.... 

Spalted wrote:
He's trivialized an iconic song.
 
Posted 5 years ago by alain.brault    [ Reply ]
He's trivialized an iconic song.
Posted 6 years ago by Spalted    [ Reply ]
 SmackDaddy wrote:

He's not 18
 
BWAHAHAHA
Posted 6 years ago by Tippster    [ Reply ]
Bit of Deodato?
Posted 6 years ago by angelomisterioso    [ Reply ]
What a jam 
Posted 6 years ago by Mackmoney3000    [ Reply ]
 jmsmy wrote:
How does Bill come up with this great stuff?

 
He's not 18
Posted 6 years ago by SmackDaddy    [ Reply ]
His name sounds like an instruction to priests whose congregations are getting thin.
 
I'll get me cassock...
Posted 6 years ago by fredriley    [ Reply ]
Oddly enough, this instrumental version of a great Youngbloods' song sounds like it would fit perfectly on the album Elephant Mountain, esp. the 2nd side of the record which had a lot of jazzy rock.  I've rated the original at 9 and will rate this bad boy an 8.  Kudos to RP for coming up with this music that has gone UNKNOWN by me until now, and all the other music I get turned to by BillG....Long Live RP!!
Posted 6 years ago by lizardking    [ Reply ]
Another first at RP. This is quite nice. 46 years old, still holds up. Of its time but still fresh. A fine guitar, that new age jazzy fusion funky thing. 
Posted 6 years ago by kingart    [ Reply ]
First listen.

Nice. 
Posted 6 years ago by westslope    [ Reply ]
Hey Bill & Rebecca - love this Phil Upchurch..in fact the whole playlist this a.m. has been bitchin! Bill, I didn’t realize you were doing KPIG..my go to station as long as I could hear it in Petaluma. This accounts for how much I enjoy RadioParadise. Happy New Year to you and Rebecca and keep spinning beautiful music, all flavors.
Posted 7 years ago by Zestos    [ Reply ]
Wow! 10
Posted 7 years ago by musikluvr    [ Reply ]
How does Bill come up with this great stuff?
Posted 7 years ago by jmsmy    [ Reply ]
 Source4 wrote:
nice relaxed funky groove. makes it easy to groove along to while you work. Sweet.
 
I hear dat  Righteous!  : )
Posted 7 years ago by hayduke2    [ Reply ]
Haven't heard this since the late 70s or early 80s, thanks
 
Posted 7 years ago by jgruesen    [ Reply ]
Interesting Cover.. .Quite Nice... However, no one will ever come close to Jesse Collin Young's version... 
Posted 8 years ago by mdfergy    [ Reply ]
 sharkartist wrote:
Interesting to hear RP airing all these different takes on this Youngbloods classic, however, I agree with the writer who said it's sounding a bit Muzacified on this cut. Yeah, good guitar work for sure, but prefer Banana's sizzling solo on the original version. IMHO it's one of the stand out guitar solos of that era ... right along side Dave Mason's solo in "Look at You, Look at Me"
 
You got dat rite, SA
Posted 8 years ago by joelbb    [ Reply ]
Elevator music version of a classic:  sucko-barfo.
Posted 8 years ago by joelbb    [ Reply ]
cool tune (stylish beach shoes : )
Posted 8 years ago by hayduke2    [ Reply ]
Wow! This sure sounds a lot like a modern Traffic. Very nice indeed.
Posted 21 years ago by jscott    [ Reply ]
Sounds like smooth jazz, with shades of Edgar Winters\' \"Frankenstein\" trying to edge in here and there.......
Posted 21 years ago by redeyespy    [ Reply ]
I'm fighting off a sudden urge to buy groceries.
Posted 21 years ago by Patrick    [ Reply ]
Interesting to hear RP airing all these different takes on this Youngbloods classic, however, I agree with the writer who said it\'s sounding a bit Muzacified on this cut. Yeah, good guitar work for sure, but prefer Banana\'s sizzling solo on the original version. IMHO it\'s one of the stand out guitar solos of that era ... right along side Dave Mason\'s solo in \"Look at You, Look at Me\"
Posted 21 years ago by sharkartist    [ Reply ]
Originally Posted by black32: never heard of this song before I started listening to RP. Now I've heard it done in about half a dozen different arrangements.
But......which one is YOUR favorite. This is good..good indeed. As someone commented earlier, it reminds me of traffic also but....I am fond of Solas version.
Posted 21 years ago by ladyj    [ Reply ]
Originally Posted by Detlaps: This is an awful Muzakification of a great song. I'd much prefer not hearing this again. :(
awe come on! whistle along you know you want to :D
Posted 21 years ago by ladyj    [ Reply ]
This is an awful Muzakification of a great song. I\'d much prefer not hearing this again. :(
Posted 21 years ago by Detlaps    [ Reply ]
nice relaxed funky groove. makes it easy to groove along to while you work. Sweet.
Posted 21 years ago by Source4    [ Reply ]
Play Jesse Colin Young\'s original Youngbloods version, and toss this piece of muzak crap, p-l-e-a-s-e... :(
Posted 21 years ago by Amazon    [ Reply ]
Haven\'t heard any Phil Upchurch in a loooooong while. Very nice indeed.
Posted 21 years ago by tg3k    [ Reply ]
Groovin\' to this.
Posted 22 years ago by triviagal    [ Reply ]
This sounds really good.
Posted 22 years ago by mperry    [ Reply ]
Good stuff.
Posted 22 years ago by os4    [ Reply ]
Is this the most covered song on RP?
Posted 22 years ago by zaphodb    [ Reply ]
Wow!
Posted 22 years ago by trancefussion    [ Reply ]
we need some james blood ulmer. Dot
Posted 22 years ago by Dotman    [ Reply ]
Reminds me of some of Steve Kimock's solo stuff. very nice groove.
Posted 22 years ago by Platypus    [ Reply ]
Who arranged this? Alan Parsons?
Posted 22 years ago by catsoup    [ Reply ]
I'm with Ken M. on this. Yes, some nice guitar work, but set in a rather Muzak-y, disco-y context.
Posted 22 years ago by Lee    [ Reply ]
to me ... this has a Traffic type sound to the overall jam ... :D
Posted 22 years ago by rolo    [ Reply ]
Never heard of this guy, nice groovy song to hear on the background, while I am working.
Posted 23 years ago by paulv    [ Reply ]