Joy Division - Bowdon Vale Youth/Social Club - 1979

As collectors items go, I guess this really is 'A List' material.

With the passing of Anthony H. Wilson, founder of Factory Records, along with the film of the late Ian Curtis and Joy Division, (with the reissues of all Joy Division material), obtaining something alternative from the band may prove difficult.

That this boot is also a very real part of the post punk and new wave era at grass roots level adds to the attraction.

So why were Joy Division playing a gig at a youth club, to an audience of predominately 10 to 16 year olds?

They were bizarrely playing the youth club because Bob Jefferson, who was promoting the gigs at the venue on Wednesday nights, had bought them out of their first contract, so they could join Factory Records.

He owned Streets Ahead records in Altrincham. They played the gig as a thank you!

I do not know the kind person that cleaned up this sound board recording, however considerable work went into developing a digital version. Here are the notes that came with the recording.

"I've been meaning to clean this up for ages. The original had many, many little drop-outs and an imbalance between the channels. This was probably down to the deteriorating quality of the original tape or dirty tape heads. There were also about 200 digital clicks which have all
been manually removed. This allowed me to normalise the whole show, track by track to allow playback at fairly constant volume. You can now hear snare, hi-hats and symbols without the need for further digital enhancement. There is absolutely no noise/hiss reduction so there is still a slight hiss, predominantly on the right channel".

So in all their early glory here are Joy Division live at Bowdon Vale Social Club, Altrincham, England, on Wednesday 14th March 1979.

Set list:

01 Exercise One
02 She's Lost Control
03 Shadowplay
04 Leaders Of Men
05 Insight
06 Disorder
07 Glass
08 Digital
09 Ice Age
10 Warsaw
11 Transmission
12 I Remember Nothing
13 No Love Lost (incomplete)

Sound quality: Improves after track one, unfortunately the final track is incomplete. It is an incredible gig!

I thought I would go with an actual photo from the gig apologies that it comes with 'proof' across it ( photo by Martin O'Neill).

Reloaded 09/June/2015 download link in comments.

Sheryl Crow - Austin City Limits 1997

First aired in 1976, Austin City Limits has become American television's longest-running concert music program.

The program is taped live by PBS (public broadcast) member station KLRU on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin. Images of Austin, Texas, the self-proclaimed "Live Music Capital of the World," are seen in the opening credits. ACL's set also features a mock skyline of Austin.

The show inspired the Austin City Limits Music Festival, an annual live music festival at Zilker Park in Austin.

This is the soundtrack to Sheryl Crow's performance on, January 31st, 1997, at Austin City limits, Austin, Texas.

Set list is:

1. Every Day is a Winding Road
2. Hard to Make a Stand
3. Leaving Las Vegas
4. A Change
5. Run, Baby, Run
6. If It Makes You Happy
7. Redemption Day
8. Strong Enough
9. Sweet Rosalyn
10. I Shall Believe

This is a stereo soundtrack copy - and is a high quality recording. It is also a really good show!

Replacement link in comments below or click on the picture (12th April 2010).

A selection of Sheryl Crow CD's can be purchased HERE.

Simon and Garfunkel - Voices of Intelligent Dissent

1968 and Simon and Garfunkel were riding high in the charts both with contributions to the 'Graduate soundtrack', and the release of their album 'Bookends' along with hit singles both sides of the Atlantic.

This is Simon And Garfunkel Live At The Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood, CA, USA on the
23rd August 1968.

Probably intended as an official live album, the original concert recording was engineered by Al Kooper, however it eventually surfaced as a boot, on Vigotone (VT-124) under the title 'Voices of Intelligent Dissent'.




Set List:

1. (2:57) Mrs Robinson
2. (2:35) Homeward Bound
3. (4:38) April Come She Will
4. (3:06) Fakin' It
5. (2:35) Overs
6. (1:39) The 59th Street Bridge song
7. (4:30) America
8. (2:46) A Most Peculiar Man
9. (3:12) I Am A Rock
10. (2:07) At The Zoo
11. (3:50) Scarborough Fair
12. (2:19) Bye Bye Love
13. (5:16) Cloudy
14. (2:43) Leaves That are Green
15. (2:23) Punky's Dilemma
16. (3:27) Benedictus
17. (2:44) The Dangling Conversation
18. (3:35) For Emily, Wherever I May Find Her
19. (2:01) A Poem On The Underground Wall
20. (2:29) Anji
21. (3:26) The Sound Of Silence
22. (2:50) Richard Cory
23. (3:31) Old Friends
24. (3:07) He Was My Brother

Paul Simon : guitar / vocals.
Art Garfunkel : vocals.
Engineered be Al Kooper.

This is from the Soundboard, professionally mixed and taken from a 'silver CD' copy.

Reloaded 09/June/2015 - link in comments.

Happy Mondays - Live in London 1992

I remember well, seeing the Happy Mondays live at Wembley stadium in London back in 2000. They were supporting Oasis, and in my opinion by far, the better of the two bands.

This was the second incarnation of the Happy Mondays who had split back in 1992. Alas they split up again soon after this gig, however if you excuse the pun they again went out on a 'high'.

Back to 1992, when having cost the indie label Factory an estimated £250.000.00 for their, then new album 'Yes Please' the band toured in support of the album.

Sadly the album failed to achieve the financial success of previous material, and with both New Order's album 'Ceremony', and the label owned Hacienda Club also costing Factory Records an 'arm and a leg' the label went bust, and the Happy Mondays went the same way.

This concert was recorded by the BBC for broadcast prior to the band splitting up. Despite all the troubles of that year, this is a fine concert, and well worth a listen.

Recorded at The Kilburn National - London on the 26th October 1992, by BBC Radio, and with 320Kbps stereo quality, this is a must have for anyone who needs a little lift.

Set List:

1.W.F.L.
2.Loose fit.
3.Donovan.
4.Kinky afro.
5.Sunshine and love.
6.Cowboy Dave.
7.Stinkin' thinkin'.
8.Hallelujah.
9.Angel.
10.Theme from Netto.
11.Dustman.

I am really pleased that the Happy Mondays are again back together, and despite the fact that years of 'substance' use may have taken their toll on some, and the fact that none of the band are getting 'any younger', they remain a superb live band, along with the legacy of some stunning songs that epitomise all things Madchester, along with the UK's 1980's psychedelic and dance scene.

If you have not visited their very excellent website with online live videos and more click HERE.

Reloaded 09/June/2015 Link in comments.

Neil Young and Crazy Horse - Live 1997

Neil Young and Crazy Horse undertook tours of Europe and North America in 1996, which resulted in both a live album and a tour documentary directed by Jim Jarmusch. Both releases took the name Year of the Horse.

This concert was performed the following year as part of the H.O.R.D.E. festival tour, and is quite different to the Year of the Horse release.

Recorded at the Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY, USA, on August 10th, 2007 this is an excellent quality soundboard recording, that could be mistaken for an official release.

Released as a double 'silver CD boot' the quality has been retained.

Set list:

CD One
1 Slip Away
2 Down By The River
3 Crime In The City
4 From Hank To Hendrix
5 The Needle And The Damage Done
6 Ohio

CD Two
1 Throw Your Hatred Down
2 Big Time
3 Hey Hey, My My
4 Sedan Delivery
5 Piece Of Crap
6 Mansion On The Hill

Band line up:

Neil Young - vocals, guitar, keyboards, harmonica
Frank Sampedro - guitar, keyboards, vocals
Billy Talbot - bass, vocals
Ralph Molina - drums, vocals

Reloaded 09/June/2015 Link in comments.

A Trip With The Beatles - And In The End

This is a tidy little Beatles bootleg, that comes under the name 'And In The End'.

It finds the band at their rather difficult 1969 and early 1970 period.

Despite all the strains and tensions of that time, musically they were still producing adventurous and excellent material.

Worthy of note are 'The Long Medley' (both parts) which are from EMI master tapes in their original form, with 'Her Majesty' in it's original position.

The Trident Studios Acetate of 'I Want You', sees Paul handling the lead vocals on the Lennon song.

Intriguingly 'I Me Mine' and 'Let It Be'. are both being recorded with only Paul, George and Ringo, together in the studio. Johns absence is noted by George when he mentions, "Dave Dee is no longer with us".

The full track listing is:

1. Come Together (Take 1) (John's Acetate) (7-21-1969).
2. I Want You (Trident Acetate) (2-22-1969).
3. I Need You (Trident Acetate) (2-22-1969).
4. Oh Darling (Early Version) (4-20-1969).
5. Maxwell's Silver Hammer (Alternate Stereo Mix) (8-6-1969).
6. Octopus's Garden (Early Stereo Mix) (4-29-1969).
7. You Never Give Me Your Money (Acetate) (7-11-1969).
8. The Long Medley (Part 1) (Uncut EMI Tape Reel) (7-30-1969).
9. The Long Medley (Part 2) (Uncut EMI Tape Reel) (7-30-1969).
10. Her Majesty (Take 3) (Mono) (7-2-1969).
11. KMET Los Angeles Radio (January 1970).
12. I Me Mine (Take 1) (1-3-1970).
13. I Me Mine (Take 2) (1-3-1970).
14. I Me Mine (Acetate) (1-3-1970).
15. I Me Mine (Take 15) (1-3-1970).
16. Let It Be (Acetate) (1-4-1970).
17. The Long And Winding Road (Overdub Session) (4-1-1970).

click on the link below to download:

REPLACEMENT LINK IN COMMENTS BELOW OR CLICK ON THE PICTURE (04TH OCTOBER 2009).

The usual selection of all things Beatles can be found HERE.

The music quality on this recording is of course studio sourced, with some excellent rarities and gems.

Booker T & The MG's - Live at Slims - 1991

Often regarded as one of the driving forces behind two key soul record labels, Stax and Volt, in the 1960/70's, Booker T and the MG's were both the key house band for numerous artists, and in their own right a successful and popular act, both sides of the Atlantic.

Booker T Jones received a lifetime achievement Grammy award on February 11th 2007, having already been inducted in to The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame back in 1992.

Around a year before the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction they performed this wonderful show at Slims, San Francisco, California, USA, on April 20th 1991.

This is a soundboard copy of the show and includes many of their enduring classics.

The set list is as follows:

01 Intro
02 Green Onions
03 Melting Pot
04 Band Introductions
05 Untitled
06 Soul Limbo
07 Summertime
08 Hip-Hug-Her
09 Groovin'
10 The New Song
11 Born Under A Bad Sign/
12 Hang Em High
13 Time Is Tight
14 crowd - encore break
15 Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay
16 Double Or Nothin'

The band line up for this performance was:

Booker T Jones
Steve Cropper
Donald "Duck" Dunn
Anton Figg

click on the link to download via megaupload

Booker T & The MG's - Slims, San Francisco, CA- April 20, 1991

If you love this music then visit Booker T Jones official site HERE which includes some music purchase options.

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Closing Night - Fillmore West 1971

This is Creedence Clearwater Revival live on the closing night of the Fillmore West in San Francisco, way back in 1971.

Ironically the band were starting to fall apart at this time, following an intense period of recording and touring that had lasted since the late 1960's, during which they achieved considerable critical acclaim, along with a number of highly successful albums.

Recognising the milestone that was the Fillmore West closing, the band performed a concert that was relevant, and a must for any fan of the band, or the era.

This then is Creedence Clearwater Revival at the Fillmore West closing night, San Francisco, California, USA, on July 4th 1971.

The set list includes the source for the concert KSAN FM, possibly the most appreciated alternative radio source in the USA at that time.

01) intro before 1st song 1:47
02) Born On The Bayou 5:22
03) Green River 3:55
04) It Came Out Of The Sky 3:31
05) Door To Door 3:26
06) Travelin' Band 3:29
07) Fortunate Son 2:20
08) Commotion -> 4:13
09) Lodi 2:11
10) Bad Moon Rising 2:11
11) KSAN station ID 0:06
12) Proud Mary 4:08
13) Up Around The Bend 3:32
14) Hey, Tonight
15) Sweet Hitchhiker
16) John Fogerty talks about Fillmore West closing night 0:35
17) Keep On Chooglin' 9:53
18) Bill Graham outro 0:48

The source of this recording is KSAN, however some owners of this boot, have commented that the quality is so good, it could be pre FM soundboard.

REPLACEMENT DOWNLOAD LINK IN COMMENTS BELOW (25TH FEBRUARY 2009).

Some minor editing and remixing has been undertaken on this using pro tools.

If you want some really good official CCR material, at sensible prices click HERE.

Little Feat - Atlanta USA 1975

This is Little Feat live at The Fox Theatre, Atlanta, Georgia, USA on May 23rd 1975.

This was at the peak of the Lowell George era, when Little Feat influenced the likes of Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones.

The Wikipedia entry for Little Feat is quite concise, and covers this period, along with the subsequent development of the band down to present day.

Musically this is a fine concert and I know I have said this about other bands boots, however this really is a good introduction to the band for those unfamiliar with Little Feat.

Set list is:

1. Intro
2. Skin it Back
3. One Love Stand
4. Rock & Roll Doctor
5. Oh Atlanta
6. On Your Way Down
7. Juliette (1 glitch) - jam
8. Day Or Night
9. All That You Dream
10. Dixie Chicken *
11. Tripe Face Boogie *
12. Feats Don't Fail Me Now *
13. Willin' > Band & Guests Intro *
14. Teenage Nervous Breakdown

* with guest Bonnie Raitt.

To give you an idea of how bootlegs have made it from the analog to digital era, here is the actual sequence of developments for this specific recording.

Concert Soundboard recorded to 1st generation stereo reel to reel recording.
1st generation reel to reel > revox > amplifiers > tascam audio cdrw750.
Cd > computer > plex tool professional XL > wav > flac or mp3.

As it's from the original tape sourced from the concert soundboard, the quality is very good.

NEW DOWNLOAD LINK AVAILABLE IN COMMENTS BELOW

You can browse and buy Little Feat Cd's from the 1970's HERE.

A Trip With The Beatles - Ultra Rare Trax Volume's One and Two

Ultra Rare Trax Volumes One and Two may well have been the first two Beatles boot CD's released in Europe.

They had previously been on vinyl and allegedly originates from master tapes "borrowed" from Abbey Road, which obviously upset some EMI exec's.

Released by prolific bootleggers Swinging Pig records on CD and made in Luxembourg, they were certainly in circulation by 1988.

These are a selection of studio outtakes, and similar to material released on the official Anthology series.

They are another piece of Beatles history, and make fascinating listening.

Volume One track list is:

1. I Saw Her Standing There (take two)
2. One After 909 (take two)
3. She's A Women (take two)
4. I'm Looking Through You (take one)
5. If You've Got Trouble (take one)
6. How Do I Do It (take two)
7. Penny Lane (take nine)
8. Strawberry Fields Forever (take 26)
9. From Me To You (take two)
10. Besame Mucho (1962 Pete Best on drums)
11. The Fool On The Hill (demo take one)
12. Paperback Writer (take two)

Volume Two track list is:

1. Cant Buy Me Love (take two)
2. There's a Place (take three)
3. There's a Place (take four)
4. That Means a Lot (take two)
5. Day Tripper (take two)
6. Day Tripper (take three)
7. I Am The Walrus (take seventeen)
8. Misery (take one)
9. Leave My Kitten Alone (take five)
10. We Can Work It Out (take two)
11. A Hard Days Night (take 3b)
12. Norwegian Wood (take four - with two false starts)

These are studio sourced and predominately in stereo, some tracks have aged in terms of quality, none of which distracts from the listening experience - in other words any Beatles fan or collector who have not got these will love them!

REPLACEMENT LINKS IN COMMENTS BELOW (4TH MARCH 2009).

As always some official material options HERE.

My thanks to Chris again, for providing this fine material.

Whats Up Doc? - The Third One

Welcome to the third 'whats up doc' musical round up. Picking out some current and earlier albums from the year, that have the full attention of the Beehive!

First of all a band I am somewhat overdue featuring, The White Stripes.

Jack and Meg's latest offering 'Icky Thump' released back in June, is still a 'regular play' of mine, if your a fan you will have a copy, for those uncertain check out the following couple of tracks from the album.

Links Removed - MP3 Policy.

03. The White Stripes - 300 M.P.H. Torrential Outpour Blues.mp3

09. The White Stripes - Rag And Bone.mp3

Album details HERE.

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss new album 'Raising Sand' has had mixed reviews, everything from album of the month to disappointing. I personally quite like it, and if you like either musicians solo work, it is well worth checking out.

02. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss - Killing The Blues

05. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss - Gone Gone Gone

Album details HERE.

Another band who released their second album back in June are The Editors. I was reminded of how good a live act they are when they appeared on the 'electric proms' at London's Roundhouse last month. From their album 'An End Has a Start', here are a couple of taster's for those unfamiliar with this fine band.

01 Smokers Outside The Hospital Door.mp3

07 Push Your Head Towards The Air.mp3

Album details HERE.

Charlotte Gainsbourg (daughter of Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin) recently did a Bob Dylan cover, which considering the contrasting styles makes interesting listening, and any way it's an excuse to promote her fine music!

Charlotte Gainsbourg - Just Like A Women.mp3

A selection of Charlotte's material HERE.

Groove Armada have a second compilation out, the last only three years ago, this does have more from their fifth album, but still seems a duplication of effort, for fans. For those not familiar with the act, this is a worthy introduction - here's a couple of tracks from the brand new 'Greatest Hits' collection.

01. Groove Armada - Song 4 Mutya

02. Groove Armada - Get Down

Album details HERE.

Back to France and another superb artist I recently came across Pauline Croze. She has a new
album 'Un Bruit Qui Court' (out November 22), and here are a couple of songs from it.

Pauline Croze - Legere (Souleve-moi).mp3

Pauline Croze - Jour de Foule.mp3

I do not have a link to the new album yet, check out last years album HERE. More about the new material on her My Space site HERE.

Kate Nash is a very in person at the moment here in the UK. I am not sure myself. I cannot help but think of Lily Allen when I hear her. Oh well imitation is a form of flattery I am told. More on Lily Allen another time, here's one from Kate's first album 'Made of Bricks'.

Kate Nash - Merry Happy.mp3

Her debut album HERE

Finally Buffy Sainte-Marie, with a tenuous link to the French artists featured this month, in the song title. No other reason just fancied featuring Buffy!

Buffy Sainte-Marie - Guess Who I Saw in Paris.mp3

Some of her very excellent music HERE.

Lucinda Williams - New York City - 2003

You may have gathered from comments elsewhere on this blog, that I am a fan of Lucinda Williams music.

I was therefore delighted when I first heard this concert, I will spare you the gushing superlatives, and just say it compliments the official release 'Live at The Fillmore' recorded later the same year.

This was the first part of the press release, regarding the following show.

'Bono has been confirmed to host the debut of the new, nationally syndicated Lost Highway Radio Show, which is
scheduled to air in late August. The Lost Highway Radio Show will feature one artist per each hour-long program, recorded live in concert. The kickoff program will feature a special 90-minute concert from Lucinda Williams, recorded at New York's Bowery Ballroom on May 27, 2003'.

It is an excellent concert!

Set List:

1-Car Wheels on a Gravel Road
2-Fruits of My Labor
3-Those Three Days
4-Blue
5-Still I Long For Your Kiss
6-Ventura
7-Something About What Happens When We Talk
8-Real Live Bleeding Fingers and Broken Guitar Strings
9-Joy
10-Band Intros
11-Over Time
12-Concrete and Barbed Wire
13-I Envy the Wind
14-Cold Cold Heart
15 intro to atonement
16-Atonement
17-Words Fell
18-outro

The audio quality is superb, you could be mistaken that it was the official master rather than taken from off air.


Replacement link in comments below (15th December 2011).