Garth Brooks rose to fame quickly after the release of his debut album in 1989. Since then, he has set sales records, collected dozens of awards and accolades, including Gold, Platinum, and Diamond records. His concerts are massive affairs in which he pours his heart and soul into entertaining his fans. That is as true today as it was more than three decades ago.
Brooks began electrifying audiences early in his career. However, not all of his fans were lucky enough to see him perform. To bring everyone into the fold, he recorded This Is Garth Brooks during a concert in Dallas, Texas. It aired as a TV special and was released as a VHS. Both versions featured tidbits that the other omitted. For instance, the home video version included the show’s encores.
That evening, when Brooks returned for his second encore, he chose to perform what is now considered a Southern rock classic. At the time, though, it was just the Georgia Satellites’ debut hit, “Keep Your Hands to Yourself.”
Garth Brooks Covers an Unforgettable Hit
Even early in his career, Garth Brooks was no stranger to performing a handful of covers during his shows. For example, he often added Billy Joel’s “You Might Be Right” to his sets. His fans likely didn’t expect him to cover the Georgia Satellites. They definitely didn’t expect to hear him nail Dan Baird’s vocal inflection.
Baird wrote “Keep Your Hands to Yourself,” and the band released it as the lead single from their self-titled debut album. The song hit the airwaves in November 1986. Four months later, it peaked a No. 2 on the Hot 100, giving the Atlanta-based rockers their first, and most memorable hit.
Brooks and his band embodied the rock and roll spirit with their second encore of the evening. The video above features a chase, a guitarist behind forcibly carried off the stage, and more theatrics before everyone takes their place for one more rowdy tune. The highlight of the clip above might be Brooks pouring beer into his drummer’s mouth before tossing the cans. In short, they had fun with this one.
