MTV Unplugged - Season 5

1. Stone Temple Pilots

Aired: 2/2/1994

Stone Temple Pilots, the hard rock sensation based south of Los Angeles, taped a performance for MTV Unplugged in New York City in November of 1993. Band members Weiland (vocals), Robert DeLeo (bass), Dean DeLeo (guitars) and Eric Kretz (drums) perform a rockin' acoustic set featuring tracks off their debut album Core. An excerpt from the MTV Unplugged book...'Easily our most surreal set....'They had these stools, which is such a typical thing,' says Weiland. 'Everyone always brings out stools to do their acoustic thing. I said, 'Man, I ain't gonna sit on a stool. It's not my gig. It's stupid. Bring us some chairs to sit in. How about a rocking chair?' Set List: 1. "Crackerman" / 2. "Creep" / 3. "Andy Warhol" (written by David Bowie) / 4. "Plush" / 5. "Big Empty" / 6. "Sin" / 7. "Wicked Garden" / 8. "Sex Type Thing"

2. Tony Bennett

Aired: 6/1/1994

Tony Bennett, the legendary pop stylist, taped a performance for ""MTV Unplugged"" in April 1994. The perennial favorite sang hits from what he called the ""Great American Song Book."" In front of an intimate audience, Bennett performed such songs as ""It Had To Be You,"" ""The Girl I Love,"" ""Steppin' Out"" and ""I Left My Heart in San Francisco."" Bennett was joined by singer k.d. Lang for ""Moon Glow,"" and by singer Elvis Costello for ""They Can't Take That Away From Me."" An excerpt from the MTV Unplugged book....""While the Tony Bennett Unplugged seems to have come out of left field, there were warning signs. Tony had appeared on ""Letterman,"" ""The Simpsons,"" and even ""The Video Music Awards"" (with the Red Hot Chili Peppers) in an effort to bring his music to a younger audience. The clincher, though, was his appearance on ""Conan O'Brien."" When Conan asked Tony to what he attributed his newfound hip status, Tony simply replied, 'Hey, I've been unplugged all my life.'"" Set List: Old Devil Moon (w

3. Spoken Word II

Aired: 6/21/1994

Continuing in the wake of the first ""Spoken Word"" performance on MTV Unplugged comes ""Spoken Word II & III."" These two shows were taped in New York in April of 1994. Returning from the first Spoken Word show is poet/performer Maggie Estep, this time performing ""Sex Goddess Of The Western Hemisphere."" New artists featured include Toby Huss (""Reverend Tex Stoveheadbottom""), John S. Hall (""Let's Have Sex""), Danny Hoch (""Who Am I Really/Revolution Ain't No X Cap"") and Paul Beatty (""Ol' Yeller Dreams Of Days When We Wasn't Just Whistlin' Dixie""). Established poets Maxx Blagg, Jim Carroll and Gil Scott-Heron, along with rap artist MC Lyte and monologuist Eric Bogosian also perform. Spoken Word II Open Letter to My Biological Father [MC Lyte] Go to Hell [Toby Huss] Choices [Bahiyyih Maroon] The Doctor [Eric Bogosian] Car Poem [Matthew Courtney] Chopped Off Arm [Hal Sirowitz] Work for Peace [Gil Scott-Heron with Brother Larry McDonald] This Is Not an Angry Poem [Wanda Phip

5. Spoken Word III

Aired: 6/21/1994

Continuing in the wake of the first ""Spoken Word"" performance on MTV Unplugged comes ""Spoken Word II & III."" These two shows were taped in New York in April of 1994. Returning from the first Spoken Word show is poet/performer Maggie Estep, this time performing ""Sex Goddess Of The Western Hemisphere."" New artists featured include Toby Huss (""Reverend Tex Stoveheadbottom""), John S. Hall (""Let's Have Sex""), Danny Hoch (""Who Am I Really/Revolution Ain't No X Cap"") and Paul Beatty (""Ol' Yeller Dreams Of Days When We Wasn't Just Whistlin' Dixie""). Established poets Maxx Blagg, Jim Carroll and Gil Scott-Heron, along with rap artist MC Lyte and monologuist Eric Bogosian also perform.

6. Lenny Kravitz

Aired: 7/12/1994

Multi-talented singer/songwriter/musician Lenny Kravitz taped this Unplugged special for MTV in April of 1994. Kravitz performs material from his latest release Are You Gonna Go My Way and his previous album, Mama Said. Selections included ""Are You Gonna Go My Way,"" ""Let Love Rule,"" ""Always on the Run"" and ""Believe."" An excerpt from the MTV Unplugged book...""An amazing show that had many standout moments. Lenny's idea was to reinvent his songs by bringing them back to their ultimate influences. For his blues interpretation of 'Are You Gonna Go My Way,' he even had plans to duet with John Lee Hooker. Although that pairing turned out not to be feasible, he did pull off an amazing moment. Without the audience knowing it, we seated an entire Brooklyn-based gospel choir in with the crowd. At the show's finale, the entire group rose to their feet and began singing with Lenny.""

7. Los Fabulosos Cadillacs

Aired: 9/29/1994

8. Jimmy Page & Robert Plant Unledded

Aired: 10/12/1994

After years of rumors, Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page and vocalist Robert Plant reunited in 1994, recording the No Quarter: Jimmy Page and Robert Plant Unledded album for MTV Unplugged. Plant and Page didn't invite bassist John Paul Jones to join the reunion, choosing to assemble a band comprised of studio musicians. No Quarter performed respectably and the duo's subsequent 1995 tour was a sold-out success, prompting them to take a stab at a studio project. In 1997, they hired indie rock producer Steve Albini to work on their collection of new original songs; it was the first time Page chose to work with an outside producer. The resulting album, Walking Into Clarksdale, was released to generally good reviews in the spring of 1998.

9. Phil Collins

Aired: 10/21/1994

10. Björk

Aired: 11/7/1994

The extrovert singer and songwriter from Iceland performs at MTV Unplugged in 1994. This session is peformed in NYC. Set list: 01. Human Behaviour 02. One Day 03. Come To Me 04. Big Time Sensuality 05. Aeroplane 06. Like Someone In Love 07. Crying 08. The Anchor Song 09. Violently Happy

11. Bob Dylan

Aired: 12/14/1994

Recorded over two nights at New York's Sony Studios on November 17-18, 1994 before a small live audience, Dylan and an early incarnation of the Never Ending Tour Band thrilled the crowd with a mix of classic hits, contemporary tracks, and rarities. Except for two or three songs, the bulk of these performances were brand new arrangements, with Dylan tossing up the rhythms, melodies, and lyrics. For instance the ska-like version of “Desolation Row,” while “Love Minus Zero/No Limit” comes off like a quiet lullaby. Tracklist: 1. "Tombstone Blues" / 2. "Shooting Star" / 3. "All Along the Watchtower" / 4. "The Times They Are a-Changin'" / 5. "John Brown" / 6. "Desolation Row" / 7. "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35" / 8. "Love Minus Zero/No Limit" / 9. "Dignity / 10. "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" / 11. "Like a Rolling Stone" / 12. "With God on Our Side"