Well All Right

Album: Blind Faith (1969)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Well All Right" is the only track on the legendary Blind Faith album not written by a member of Blind Faith. Instead, it is credited to four unrelated people: Norman Petty, Buddy Holly, Jerry Allison, and Joe B. Mauldin. Buddy Holly was of course deceased 10 years before this album, and the other three names tie back to him - Allison and Mauldin being bandmates with Holly and Petty his producer, so it's no mystery that it's a Buddy Holly song.

    Why this particular song was selected for such an honor, however, is not known so much. The deluxe edition, along with doubling the songs and throwing in some jams, also has a song by Sam Myers. "Well All Right" is arguably excellently arranged here, and that's probably reason enough right there.
  • Blind Faith was a supergroup composed of Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, Steve Winwood, and Ric Grech. As is the rule for supergroups, it formed quickly, launched with a stellar amount of hype, and broke up almost before anyone could catch their breath. Typical of a supergroup, they leave in their wake a thrilling legend and an album that is a highly sought-after collector's item - especially the one with the famously controversial cover art.

    Get ready for a lot of name-dropping: After Steve Winwood had left Traffic but before joining Blind Faith, he was briefly considered by Crosby, Stills, and Nash to round out the fourth position. As quoted in Neil Young, Long May You Run - The Illustrated History, Graham Nash explained that Stephen Stills, as the only lead guitar, needed someone to play off: "He needed sparking by someone else who he could say, 'Well, f*** you, listen to this!' and drive each other to new heights." At Atlantic Records' legendary manager Ahmet Ertegun's suggestion, they went with Neil Young instead.

    The book, Seventies Rock - The Decade of Creative Chaos by Frank Moriarty, mentions one thing that doomed the group was that the studios, which were already making big bucks off Blind Faith, rushed them onto their promotional tour before they'd had time to gel. As such, fans and they themselves identified more as pieces of other groups than they did as their own group. Steve Winwood recalls: "When it came down to it, we failed because we couldn't resist requests for hits. Ginger did a drum solo and they thought it was Cream, so we chucked in an old Cream song, then I put in a Traffic song, and the identity of the band was killed stone dead."

Comments: 4

  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn June 7th 1969, Blind Faith appeared in their only concert, it was held at Hyde Park in London, England...
    They performed nine songs, and opened with their covered version of Buddy Holly's "Well All Right"...
    The song was track three of side one on the groups' self-titled album...
    Buddy Holly's original version was the B-side of “Heartbeat"; and "Heartbeat" was his last charted record before his death. It peaked at #82 on January 19th, 1959 on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart and that was also its last week on the chart.
  • Bernard from Paris, FranceSantana version is more 80's produced which I'm not crazy about. And no one sings like Steve Winwood.
  • Bernard from Paris, FranceCarlos Santana did a version of that which is decent in the 80's I believe but the Blind Faith version is the best.
    I saw them playing that song live at Madison Square in 2008 or so and it was one of the best day of my life.
    Just the intro makes me melt..
  • Ken from San Mateo, CaSantana's version was much better, more livelier...
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Cheerleaders In Music Videos

Cheerleaders In Music VideosSong Writing

It started with a bouncy MTV classic. Nirvana and MCR made them scary, then Gwen, Avril and Madonna put on the pom poms.

Shaun Morgan of Seether

Shaun Morgan of SeetherSongwriter Interviews

Shaun breaks down the Seether songs, including the one about his brother, the one about Ozzy, and the one that may or may not be about his ex-girlfriend Amy Lee.

Real or Spinal Tap

Real or Spinal TapMusic Quiz

They sang about pink torpedoes and rocking you tonight tonight, but some real lyrics are just as ridiculous. See if you can tell which lyrics are real and which are Spinal Tap in this lyrics quiz.

Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull

Ian Anderson of Jethro TullSongwriter Interviews

The flautist frontman talks about touring with Led Zeppelin, his contribution to "Hotel California", and how he may have done the first MTV Unplugged.

Stan Ridgway

Stan RidgwaySongwriter Interviews

Go beyond the Wall of Voodoo with this cinematic songwriter.

Dar Williams

Dar WilliamsSongwriter Interviews

A popular contemporary folk singer, Williams still remembers the sticky note that changed her life in college.