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MTV Unplugged is a series showcasing popular musical artists playing acoustic instruments.
Unplugged
Unplugged refers to rock musicians primarily known for playing electric amplified instruments (usually the electric guitar) performing live using only acoustic instruments.
The word became incorporated into the title of a popular MTV series that began in the 1989/1990 TV season, MTV Unplugged, on which musicians performed acoustic or "unplugged" versions of their familiar repertoire. Many of these performances were subsequently released as albums, often featuring the title Unplugged.
Inspiration for MTV Unplugged
The inspiration for the MTV Unplugged series is widely attributed to the June 1979 performances by Pete Townshend at The Secret Policeman's Ball - a series of benefit shows in London for human rights organization Amnesty International at which the usually electric guitar-wielding Townshend was persuaded by benefit producer Martin Lewis to perform his hits Pinball Wizard and Won't Get Fooled Again on acoustic guitar. The performances were widely seen and heard on the 1980 live album and the UK-only movie of the benefit and inspired other rock performers to emulate Townshend's lead.
Two years later in September 1981 Lewis produced a sequel benefit show The Secret Policeman's Other Ball that featured similar performances by other rock performers including Sting, Phil Collins and Bob Geldof. The 1982 live album of these performances and the US version of The Secret Policeman's Other Ball movie (which incorporated a 'flashback' of Townshend's 1979 performances) both became very successful and were widely seen and heard.
The concept of stars re-creating their hits in an acoustic manner was thus well established in the early 1980s though the word 'unplugged' had not been applied to the concept.
The first rock artists to utilize this concept on MTV were XTC in May 1989, and Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora performing "Livin' On A Prayer" and "Wanted Dead or Alive" during the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards.
Following the popularity of the Bon Jovi performance, MTV began the Unplugged series of concerts.
Artists featured on MTV Unplugged
The series was first aired in November 26 1989TV.com MTV Unplugged show listing featuring Squeeze, Syd Straw and Elliot Easton.
When Paul McCartney appeared in the show in January 25 1991, he chose to release the set as Paul McCartney Unplugged (The Official Bootleg). Show producer Alex Colletti has gone on record in an interview stating his view that had McCartney not released the album and its subsequent popularity, the concept would have never gained the cult status that it went on to enjoy.
10,000 Maniacs were the first act to perform on the show twice. They were featured on the February 4 1991 show as well as their more well-known performance in 1993, which was released on album (see MTV Unplugged (10,000 Maniacs album)). R.E.M. was the second band to have performed twice, in 1991 (see R.E.M. (1991)) and 2001 (see R.E.M. (2001)). Other artists like MC Lyte and Maggie Estep also appeared more than once in the show.
Mariah Carey performed some of her greatest hits from the first successful years of her career on Unplugged in 1992. She also sang a version of "I'll Be There", originally recorded by The Jackson 5, with Trey Lorenz. The song scored Lorenz with his own recording contract and another number-one single on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for Carey. Her Unplugged set list was released on the EP MTV Unplugged. That year, Eric Clapton recorded an Unplugged performance at Bray Studios in London (see Unplugged (Eric Clapton album)). His was widely praised and criticized for heavily reworking many of his famous songs so they would work in an acoustic context, in some to the point of almost unrecognizability. Pearl Jam's full 1992 setlist was shortened to fit in the 30 minute airtime of the show. They also performed the songs "Oceans" and a cover of Neil Young's "Rockin' in the Free World" which were not aired.
In Neil Young's 1993 performance (see Unplugged (Neil Young album)), two of the songs were played twice after Young was dissatisfied with them. He gave the drummer grief both times for playing too fast. Four songs from the performance were cut from the final broadcast. Nirvana's 1993 performance on Unplugged was one of the last televised performances by Kurt Cobain, recorded just a few months before his death. Nirvana's performance consisted mostly of little-known material from themselves, the Meat Puppets, and David Bowie (see MTV Unplugged in New York). It is widely considered one of the best performances. It is a contrast to other Unplugged concerts, where artists largely perform their own songs. Bruce Springsteen also performed in 1993, and in a twist on the program's theme, most of set was performed with amplified instruments (see In Concert/MTV Plugged).
On August 9 1995, hard rock legends KISS performed on MTV Unplugged in what fans consider a historical concert (see KISS Unplugged). Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons contacted former members Peter Criss and Ace Frehley and invited them to participate in the event. Fan reaction to Criss and Frehley at the Unplugged show was so positive that, in 1996, the original lineup of KISS reunited, with all four original members together for the first time since 1979. In 1996, Alice in Chains would give one of their last concerts as a group for 9 years on the show (see Unplugged (Alice in Chains album)). Lead singer Layne Staley was visibly in poor health from his heroin addiction (which eventually claimed his life).
Some songs from Midnight Oil's 2000 performance on Unplugged appear on their album The Real Thing.
In 2001, Japanese Pop Singer Utada Hikaru became the first Japanese Pop Singer and the youngest singer to be featured on MTV Unplugged.
Lauryn Hill unveiled her much-anticipated new material on a 2002 MTV Unplugged special, and later released it on the album MTV Unplugged No. 2.0. It had been three years since the release of Hill's The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Hill appeared with her hair cut off and performed in a stripped-down, minimalist style. Her set included her plucking an acoustic guitar, interrupting songs with spoken-word segments, and occasionally breaking down in tears. Some fans found the performance disappointing and confusing.
MTV revived the series when Alicia Keys' Unplugged special aired on MTV on September 23 2005. It was the first Unplugged for MTV in nearly three years, and special guests for Keys' performance included Mos Def, Common, Damian Marley and Maroon 5's Adam Levine. The show was released on CD and DVD in October 2005 (see Unplugged (Alicia Keys album)).
See also
External links
References
Unplugged | MTV Unplugged | MTV Unplugged | MTV Unplugged | MTV Unplugged | MTV Unplugged | Acústico MTV | MTV Unplugged
"MTV Unplugged"