Commander Cody & The Lost Planet Airmen- “Seeds and Stems (Again)” LIVE 1971 [RITY Archive] 

I ran into Bill Kirchen at Detroit airport about 5 years ago. He was there with his wife and was playing at his high school reunion the next night. He had his Tele strapped across his shoulder walking through the airport. He was pleasantly surprised when I recognized him and said hello. Nice guy, great player.

Bill Kirchen had the voice and vocal delivery of a seasoned 60 year old at the ripe old age of 23

These guys picked me up hitching to chelan wa in their motor home. Glad I had my harmonica. Small but fun line in my life story. Those that didn't participate in the 70s missed something magical. It was an amazing time for me.

I listened to this song on 8-track tape in my van while I was in high school. Can't remember much, but I must have had a great time.

Austin in the 70's was an amazing time and place to be. Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen were a sweet part of it for sure. Seeing them at the 'dillo and having someone next to you handing you a joint and you passed it down to the next person.

Saw these guys in Boston in the fall of ‘72. They opened for Hot Tuna. One of the best shows I ever attended

Haven’t heard that song in almost 50 years. Forgot how cool it was! 😎thanks for posting

I saw these guys Dec 27th 1971 at The Sportatorium in Hollywood Florida, it was an outdoor show, the lineup that day and night was like a who's who of music legends, The Johnny WInter Band with Rick Derringer, The Edgar Winter Group, yes Johnny and Edgar jammed together at the end of Johnny's act, The Allman Brothers, shortly after Duane's passing, Elvin Bishop, The Mahavishnu Orchestra with John McLaughlin, his original band including Jerry Goodman from The Flock on violin, Earth Wind and Fire, Commander Cody of course, and Country Joe and The Fish and a Floirda band called Tin House. There was a party going on back stage because by the time Commander Cody came on, right after Elvin Bishop, they were already pretty drunk. The piono became the table top for their pitchers of Coors, everybody in the band was drinking one. Bill Kirchen was so drunk he stepped on his guitar cable, unplugging it and never even noticed, played almost the whole show with it unplugged. They had a wild time on stage, laughing, cutting jokes and making awesome music despite their stupor. It was a crazy day and night of music, Johnny, Edgar and Rick Derringer were the last ones on stage with Johnny Winter's band called Live And. When Commander Cody came on the sun was just starting to set.

A classic phrase kids today will never understand.

There is no question in my mind , for me , this IS the GREATEST country band EVER !!!!!

Such an underrated band. So damn good. As for the haters out there, of modern music. You're listening to the wrong radio station. No shortage of cool Americana music out there today.

Bill Kirchen looks so YOUNG in this video. I've been a huge fan of his for decades, and have seen him dozens of times. He is probably one of the most talented--and under-rated--guitarists in the history of rock-and-roll...

That brings a tear to my eye. Not just because it's sad, it is indeed, but because I can sing along, though it's been fifty years since I've heard it. Played straight, as it should be, it's a beautiful song.

Bill Kirchin and Too Much Fun played at a local dive every week for many years in Northern Virginia. He is one of the best. It never occurred to me that he was young once! Thanks for the post!

Saw these guys mid seventies,what a band.No gimmicks just genuine feel and talent

One of my all-time favorite bands

yeah i remember that.. 10 dollar bag of Mexican brown 1/3 seeds and stems 1/3 leaf the rest some compacted dried out buds with small leaves oh yeah a little bit of dirt also ! great song.. great band!!

Played guitar on a 2007 gig in Rochester NY with Commander Cody (aka George Frayne). This tune was in the setlist.

Bill Kirchen and the rest of these guys are rock gods. I treasure "Live at the Armadillo World Headquarters" (1974). Beyond excellent.

I think this is West Virginia Creeper on pedal steel. When Bobby Black came in as their steel guitarist, the band took a major jump in sound, timing and quality. Bobby Black’s contribution was huge.

Dr. Hook and the medicine show. Is another American classic

50 years ago, can't be right. But it is sadly!

I have the album. Had it a long time. They had a sad song titled Mama Hated Diesels among others/

The sax/ violin player, Andy Stein, was in the movie " PRARIE HOME COMPANION". He was in the real house band. Great player !

This one sent me time tripping, and planted a smile on my dour face. The lyrics rolled right off my tongue, like it was 1976 at Slippery Rock State College, and I was a lonely teenage bronkin' buck...

Always loved the deadpan delivery of the lyrics : one of my altime favorite

I was thinking about this song just last night. What a pleasure to have grown up in a time when songs had words and they actually described what was going on in life. Real stuff. Can't beat it.

This song got me thru rough times and still does

Amazing footage! I love this song.

I was literally down to seeds and stems the first time I heard this. It came on the radio as I was running my leftovers through the sieve for the fourth or fifth time trying to get a joint to relieve some misery.

Lol Bill Kirtchen looking like he’s had more than just the seeds n stems here.

Brings back great memories at U of M and seeing them in the bars around Ann Arbor.

Now I'm crying in my take out food 😭.

My uncles were in Ann Arbor around this time and somehow the "Ozone" album made its way into our fairly thin collection of contemporary records back in the Seventies and it became one of my go to records for many years and I am lucky that even today I can't shake it from my sonic recollection. In 2001 I think Andy Stein the fidel player was a member of Garrison Keillor's radio band and he got all of the "Lost Plant Airmen" back together for a show at St. Paul's F. Scott Fitzgerald Theater which fell on the night that I was fly to N. Y. C. For my vacation. I couldn't reschedule so I had to miss what my uncle told me was a great show.

Literally one of the saddest songs ever written

Nice to here great music something that people today have no clue of

Great "last song of the night as we close the bar" tune. And it pairs nicely with "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down"...

I was expecting someone older signing this song, I`ve never seen them in concert or live before. Great song!!

Thank you for posting this version of a classic. One of my favorite perty bands of all time. A proper balance of "alone again on a Saturday night" with the cynnical humor with which to survive that Saturday night.

Loved Billy's melancholic take on this early recording

Yeah, I met Bill Kirchen in a little bar in Portland ME about 20 years ago -- what a cool man! His take on Hot Rod Lincoln is legendary!

Awesome! I first heard this song in the mid 70's while in college in the south. It was very popular in school.

I just got this album (Ozone) on cassette recently at an estate sale. I was there mostly to dig the crates of records, but grabbed this one too in the pile. Great choice. the live material is great too. thanks for posting.

Their understated stage presence belies the genius of each artist in this band.

Great band.❤We would go see the Ol Commander whenever we could in the 70's

I recall watching these guys at the Armadillo World Headquarters in Austin. That was when it was all about music and good vibes! It launched the likes of Jerry Jeff, Willie and Waylon and all the boys and girls who made music for all the right reasons!

Early 1970s, sophomore year of college - every Friday at the end of the school day my 8-track of this album was put on full blast in the dorm and well, let's just say the evening always started off right when Commander Cody was playing.

They were a great band.

A great seminal band from the greatest decade of music too! I dealt with my own issue of "seeds and stems" back then too.

I first heard this on WBCN 104.5 FM Boston Stereo Rock (America's first stereo FM rock station) when it came out in 1971.

I just thought of this song so I searched it . AWESOME ! Brings back memories.

One of my Fav bands. Never saw this version. Thanks. What a bunch of nerds. Awesome band

Damn, I remember being totally in love with this band back in 1970. Thanks.

Very nice! Thanks for posting it.

I hope someone does make a Commander Cody documentary!

What a treat , I've been interested in Cody ,and Capt. Beef heart.

370 plus comments when I typed this! It just goes to show how popular this band was and still is. It's good that Bill, Andy, Bobby and John have come together to record again as the LPA. Such a multi-faceted band who just knew how to entertain at a high level. I saw them on their first ever gig in the UK- the Reading Festival in August 1973- they got off the plane at Heathrow and drove that 20 odd miles straight to the festival to perform- pretty much the same set that was recorded the next month for the Live From Deep In The Heart Of Texas album.

Saddest country song of all time

Great song. Thanks.

Man the memory of smoking with my ex father in law and him playing and singing this song. Rest in peace Dennis Gajewski! Miss ya Ole man.

Vintage KIRCHEN! Yeah, Bill - you had it an' ya still got it (even the recitation), son!

Always liked these guys

One of my favorite bands during my class of '72 high school daze.

Thank you! Been trying to find these musicians' name they performed under. Very underrated.

Heard this on Spotify. What a GREAT song!!

ENDLESS Thanks for puttin’ this up there 😁😁😁

I'd never heard that song before. Really good stuff!

Nice listening to music as recorded and not edited by computers

You gotta be bout old as dirt to know this song. I remember the last time I heard it when I didn't play it just to hear it myself. A bar in Wrightsville beach NC and , damn lets call it 40 years ago. Older n dirt. Lol. There's to me better sounding versions of this by CC on certain albums. I dont recall name or names. Better and more instruments. Still the same ole sad one by B.S Cody. Had to leave something else after reading comments. No idea there were so many that saw CC or played with them. F ing awesome. My people you've made me feel a little younger. Tnx.

saw these guys several times. fun band

Brings back memories of cruising in my 68 Chevelle Malibu 396.

Great clip!! Cool to see them so early in the process!!

Looks around for my bong!

the so-called "Americana/Roots" bands of today are just flat cardboard cutouts compared to these Dude

A school mate, friend and flatmate of mine played a Commander Cody LP when my new wife and I called on him around '72. Sadly, I took little notice. Since then I've gotten over Led Zep, Cream & Hendrix, branching out to many musics, including Country. I wish I had taken more notice at the time, and trusted my friend's judgement a little more, because I like this. I even understand the title. I also have an mp3 of Hot Rod Lincoln and a Telecaster guitar (which spotted in the video) but never connected either to this.

Even in the early 80 s me and my friends as Surfers in Australia played these guys all the time. All time band Real music real muso’s

Thanks! Classic stuff!! Good dope!!! Great band!!!!

RIP Commander Cody aka George Frayne.

This is pure poetry.

Shoot. It was ten dollar lids! If you were lucky you got a four finger bag! I can put up with stems and seeds again:)

The group's leader and co-founder was pianist and vocalist George Frayne IV, alias Commander Cody (born July 19, 1944 in Boise, Idaho, died September 26, 2021 in Saratoga Springs, New York).

Oh wow. Just ran into this. This great band played at UC Santa Cruz in a dining hall in 1972 a couple of times. We looked just like they did and it was great, great fun. Then saw them in update NY about 4 years later and they were just f'in great. They had added Bobby Black on pedal steel and Andy Stein had really come into his own. Billy C. Farlow was of course great and the Commander -- well he was the Commander. Long live CC&HLPA!

Awesome song - today’s pampered youth never had to walk through the snow to get to school or deal with seeds and stems

Saddest song ever writ. . .

Very cool! We used to sing the chorus way back in "The Day", didn't know where it came from. Thanks!

Fantastic Band

Got to see these guys so many times in ann arbor and Ferndale. Got a picture with the good comander after a show at the magic bag. We used to hitchhike to ann arbor when we were in 9th grade to sneak into shows. Ah the good old days!

Commander Cody & the Lost Planet Airmen ... they were so much fun. I saw them live a couple of times in the early 70s. If you didn't have a shit-eatin' grin on your face coming out of their concert, you'd likely be declared legally dead.

The guy singing and playing guitar has a look very close to some Hapsburg kings of Spain!

My favorite tune by the Airmen. I can remember figuring out the chords to this tune and then learning that harmonica break near the end. It does sound like this was an early rehearsal for the tune.

The saddest song ever written.

A true oldie and a goody, I had the 8 track, Think I wore it out.

beautiful

I saw them twice one of the funnest groups I’ve ever seen

Yep I remember 1971 Carbondale, Illinois. Pot sold on the street corner downtown by the theatre and Dairy Queen. I remember this band too. Bang a bong.

Its all just a drop in the bucket..

Saw these guys 2 or 6 times in small clubs > 200. They put on the best shows.

Saw them twice at Arnadillo World Headquarters.

It's actually "Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen." Not "The" Lost Planet Airmen.

I thought I heard Willie Nelson. And then I saw Commander Cody. The seeds and stems of time.