#42 PINK FLOYD - BBC Sessions 1970-71 (Flac)

Between 1967 and 1969, Pink Floyd recorded five sessions for the BBC. These have been compiled and circulate as "BBC Archives 1967-69" and can also be found on "Have You Got It Yet?" (Vol 1 & 2, version 2.0). For anyone seriously interested in Pink Floyd and bootlegs in general these are a must have for your collection.
After much thought I have chosen the final two sessions, recorded for the BBC in front of a live audience during 1970 and 1971.
Certainly a very constructive argument can be made for any number of live performances by Pink Floyd to be featured on this blog, but a final choice had to be made and if you have never heard these before, you will not be disappointed.
Recently the BBC Archives 1970-71 has been re-seeded and circulated again on some of the most prominent torrent sites. Since that compilation was first made upgrades are now in circulation.
The 1970 session is available from a BBC archive mono master, unlike the previous source which was a fake stereo version.
The 1971 session (most of it) is taken from the BBC Transcription LP, a source that is superior to the CD version.  Not just my opinion but that of the Floyd fans responsible for both versions.
At the time of posting these are the best available sounding versions of the 1970 and 1971 sessions.
Thanks to Ron & MOB, and all involved at THE Pink Floyd site: Yeeshkul
The files for 1971 have been converted from 24 bit to 16 bit and artwork included.

Thursday 16 July, 1970
BBC Paris Cinema, Lower Regent Street, London

Pink Floyd recorded a live audience show for BBC Radio One. The final track ‘Atom Heart Mother’ was named from a newspaper prior to the broadcast, a bit of an improvement on its previous title ‘The Amazing Pudding.’ It was performed with the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble and the John Aldiss Choir. The band followed this performance with the headlining spot at the Hyde Park Free Concert two days later. This BBC show was broadcast on Sunday 19 July, 1970 at 4:00pm on 'the Peel Sunday Concert' and repeated three days later on the 'Sounds of the Seventies' programme.

1. John Peel intro
2. The Embryo (10:23)
3. John Peel
4. Fat Old Sun (5:29)
5. John Peel
6. Green is the Colour >> Careful with that Axe, Eugene (11:22)
7. John Peel
8. If (4:55)
9. John Peel
10. Atom Heart Mother (26:23)

BBC Mono Master
Source: BBC sound archive mono master
Lineage: Master > DAT > CDR > Soundstudio > Shorten > SHN
(also given as: Master > DAT(?) > CDR(?) > SHN)

Comments by MOB:
Sound quality speaking, this is the best version of the BBC mono masters from 16Jul70! Absolutely unprocessed ("BBC Radio One Master Reels" seems to have been dehissed a bit and suffers from slight metallic noise in the high end, and the HRV version "Mooed Music Rev.A" has some NR artefacts), this is superior sound!
However, a problem is the speed, much too fast (I compared with the live version of CWTAE on Ummagumma CD, with the studio versions of If and AHM from AHM CD, and with the versions available on BBC transcription CDs, all these comparisons lead to the same conclusion: a 102.5% stretch is needed to have correct speed).
Other problem with the SHN files is the existence of micro-gaps near the tracks transitions.
This RoIO would be absolutely perfect at correct speed and with micro-gaps fixed.
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Micro gaps removed with EAC's integrated wav editor, speed corrected with CEP, tracked with CD Wave and re-encoded with sector alignment to flac level 8 with TLH on Sat. April 26, 2008 by Bert13.

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Thursday 30 September, 1971
BBC Paris Cinema, Lower Regent Street, London

Pink Floyd recorded their second live audience BBC show on this day between 10:00pm and 11;30pm. The order of songs was as follows, ‘Fat Old Sun, ‘One of These Days’, ‘The Embryo’, ‘Echoes’ and ‘Blues’. It was broadcast on 12 October, 1971 at 10:00pm on the Sound of the Seventies programme. ‘Blues was not broadcast but appeared later on a WNEW radio show in New York. The BBC Transcription discs have also omitted this song as well as ‘Embryo’, as you can see by the sources used for this session.
The Radio Times (magazine) preview of the show was rather disparaging about the previous studio album, stating that “their recent Ron Geesin aided “Atom Heart Mother” emphasised the relative feebleness of the songs on the other side of the album…hopefully a new work will be unveiled tonight.”
The band followed this live show, in early October, with recording and filming sessions for the film ‘Pink Floyd Live at Pompeii.’

1. Fat Old Sun (14:05)              
2. One of These Days (7:12)                
3. Echoes (26:25)
                    
Lineage: BBC Transcription LP > 48kHz/32Bit Wave (digitally captured with ProTools)
This version features a brand new 48kHz/32Bit transfer of the BBC vinyl (BBC Rock Hour) that was done at a professional recording studio and captured with ProTools. All pops, clicks, and imperfections were manually removed one-at-a-time. No EQing or NR was applied. Enjoy listening to what is likely the best quality version of these songs you're likely to hear.  Ron

4. Embryo (10:49) > Blues (5:06)   

WNEW-FM Broadcast
Lineage: TDK SA90 Cassette (1) > *Technics RS-B965-M > Focusrite Saffire Pro 14 > Audacity 1.3 > FLAC (24bit/96kHz)
xACT used to create FFP and MD5
*The Technics RS-B965-M is a modified deck - for details see the Tapeheads.net forum

RonToon sent me his 1st gen tape of the two unique songs from the WNEW-FM broadcast to work on and this is my raw transfer. Adjustments to balance the channels were made in the analogue domain using the FSP14 and I left the settings the same for both songs. RonToon cassette / Neonknight Tape Transfer (August 2012)

Below is a list of the BBC performances:

14th May 1967 - BBC-TV Look of the Week
1.    Pow R Toc H
2.    Hans Keller
3.    Astronomy Domine
4.    Syd Barrett & Roger Waters interview with Hans Keller

6th July 1967 - BBC-TV Top of the Pops
1.    See  Emily  Play

25th Sept 1967 - BBC Radio session #1
1.    The Gnome               
2.    Matilda Mother               
3.    The Scarecrow               
4.    Flaming                   
5.    Set The Controls for the Heart of the Sun        
6.    Reaction In G               

12th December 1967 - BBC-TV Tomorrow’s World
1.    Green Onions
2.    Instrumental

20th Dec 1967 - BBC Radio session #2
1.    John Peel intro
2.    Vegetable Man               
3.    Bryan Matthew & John Peel link
4.    Scream Thy Last Scream           
5.    Jugband Blues               
6.    Pow R. Toc H.                
7.    John Peel outro
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25th June 1968 - BBC Radio session #3
1.    Top Gear intro
2.    The Murderotic Woman (Eugene)       
3.    The Massed Gadgets of Hercules (Saucerful)    
4.    Let There Be More Light            
5.    Julia Dream                
6.    Top Gear outro

2nd Dec 1968 - BBC Radio session #4
1.    Point Me At The Sky               
2.    Baby Blue Shuffle In D Major            
3.    Embryo                    
4.    Interstellar Overdrive                
5.    Blues
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12th May 1969 - BBC Radio session #5
1.    Daybreak                    
2.    Nightmare                
3.    The Beginning (Green is the Colour) >        
4.    Beset By Creatures of the Deep (Eugene)        
5.    The Narrow Way                

20th July 1969 - BBC-TV Moon Landing broadcast
1.    Moonhead
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16th July 1970 - BBC Radio session #6
1.    Embryo
2.    Fat Old Sun
3.    Green Is The Colour
4.    Careful with That Axe Eugene
5.    If
6.    Atom Heart Mother
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30th September 1971 - BBC Radio session #7
1.    Fat Old Sun
2.    One Of These Days
3.    Embryo
4.    Echoes
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16th November 1974 - Live at Empire Pool, Wembley, London
1.    Speak To Me
2.    Breathe
3.    On The Run
4.    Time
5.    The Great Gig In The Sky
6.    Money
7.    Us And Them
8.    Any Colour You Like
9.    Brain Damage
10.  Eclipse
11.  Echoes

#41 LEONARD COHEN - Live at the BBC (1968) (Flac)

Leonard Cohen's song 'Nevermind' from his 2014 album 'Old Ideas' is currently being used as the theme tune for the television series 'True Detective' If you've watched the series you will know what an apt choice the song is. Now in his eighties, still relevant and as popular as ever. For this post we move backwards in time to an earlier younger Cohen, although at 33 he was a good six to seven years older than many of his musical peers.

LEONARD COHEN - BBC Broadcasts 1968 [JWB Remaster]
Live on BBC TV, excellent mono recording.

 

Canadian Leonard Cohen, with his brooding monotone voice, was a talented poet who combined intense songs with truth and humour. These well-preserved sessions at the BBC in 1968 offer a fly-on-the-wall experience to witness a young Cohen singing practically his entire debut album. The voice is fresh and deep, pushing the songs outside the Tin Pan Alley perimeter, and delving into poetry with a richness of words and subject. Today, they still have that raw appeal of a young artist at the peak of his powers.Suzanne, So Long Marianne and Hey, That’s No Way To Say Goodbye are beautiful love songs that catch your attention with the lyrics and emotions contained within them.

Added to this 1968 session is a second disc that includes the five songs from the Top Gear radio show session, hosted by John Peel, four in such quality that only an official release will better (if the Beeb still has the session in their archive). Two tracks follow from the BBC TV show 'Once More With Felix'. The penultimate song Hey, That’s No Way To Say Goodbye is notable with Leonard being joined on a duet with British folk singer Julie Felix. Lastly a short poem and interview close the second disc, recorded from the audience at Dunn's Birdland Progressive Jazz Parlour in Montreal on 8 April, 1958. Is there anymore?

The origin of this BBC session (Disc One) began when bootleg label Yellow Cat released Leonard Cohen - At The Beeb [YC 018] to a wider audience as a silver-disc bootleg. It ran slow and was a few generations from the master. Then Cohen fan “briggY” shared his much improved version on the Dime site. Another music fan, JWB, took a copy and improved on the sound. He said: “I’ve remastered this torrent, removed all the pops and clicks (there were several per song and in between tracks), restored the sound to true mono and improved the EQ which really cleared up the sound. I did not use any compression or noise reduction tricks. I reduced the hiss with some deft EQ moves while still maintaining clarity.”

The original source was from a fan called “Artery”. He says “This is most probably my transfer from Jim D’s cassette. I did it about 6 years ago. Jim wrote to a man at the BBC who sent him the cassette. He’d made a cassette audio copy for his own use I believe and indicated the videotape had been wiped.” So for all who wanted to know, the video of this BBC show has been “destroyed”. Artwork for this comes from “luckburz”. Many thanks to all who had a part in preserving this show and improving upon it. By your actions, many others who were not there in ‘68 can now share the experience. - Professor Re

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A new transfer and remaster by Professor Stoned was made available in 2016. After comparison with this I find it surprising that Cohen's vocal seems more distant from the microphone. A link for this alternate source is provided below

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Disc One:
01. You Know Who I Am
02. Bird On The Wire
03. The Stranger Song*
04. So Long Marianne*
05. Master Song*
06. There’s No Reason Why You Should Remember Me [improvisation]
07. Sisters Of Mercy*
08. Teachers*
09. Dress Rehearsal Rag
10. Suzanne*
11. Hey, That’s No Way To Say Goodbye*
12. Story Of Isaac
13. One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong*

* Songs that appeared on the 1967 album, Songs Of Leonard Cohen.
tracks 1-13 were recorded at the Paris Theatre in London - Spring 1968

Disc Two:
01. You Know Who I Am
02. Bird On The Wire
03. Hey, That’s No Way To Say Goodbye
04. Dress Rehearsal Rag (John Peel relates the story of how Sandy Denny requested this)
05. So Long Marianne

06. The Stranger Song
07. Hey, That’s No Way To Say Goodbye (duet with Julie Felix)

08. Gift (poem followed by short interview)

tracks 01-05 recorded at BBC Piccadilly 1 studio in London - July 9, 1968, broadcast on John Peel's Top Gear BBC Radio 1 show
tracks 06-07 recorded at BBC TV studios in London - January 27, 1968 broadcast on 'Once More With Felix' Julie Felix's BBC TV show
track 08 recorded from the audience at Dunn's Birdland Progressive Jazz Parlour, Montreal, Quebec on 8 April, 1958.

An alternate version to disc 1 is available.

LINK HERE

#40 The Rolling Stones - Forest National, Brussels, Belgium - October 17, 1973 (early show) (Flac)

NOTE: 
THIS IS NOT THE OFFICIAL RELEASE (LATE SHOW), THERE WERE TWO PERFORMANCES ON THIS DATE. THE BOOTLEG IS FROM THE EARLY SHOW.
(See the notes below)

The Background:
It’s 1973, the Rolling Stones play a live benefit concert for victims of the Nicaraguan earthquake. The show at the Forum in LA on January 18, would be their first live performance in six months, since the closing date (July 26, 1972) of the North American tour, at Madison Square Garden in New York. 
Three days after this benefit concert, they took to the stage of the Honolulu International Centre in Hawaii, to begin their Winter tour. After three shows they returned to LA for further work on the forthcoming follow up to ‘Exile On Main St.’
On February 9, the Stones arrived at Sydney airport in Australia, to conduct the usual press conferences for promotional and publicity purposes before flying to New Zealand to perform at the Western Springs Stadium in Auckland on the 11th, their only date in this country.  Nine shows then followed in Australia, taking in the cities of Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and finally Sydney on February 26 & 27.
Mixing and overdubbing for the upcoming album ‘Goat’s Head Soup’ continued throughout the spring and summer months. The first single from the album, ‘Angie’ backed with ‘Silver Train’ was released on August 20th
The ‘Goat’s Head Soup’ album would be released on the last day of August, and the European tour in support began the very next day in Vienna. The tour comprised of 43 shows over 49 days. This bootleg is from the third last show, not the official release from the evening show, although a few tracks are common to both.

The Bootleg:
At the time of writing, the Rolling Stones bootlegs database, lists 65 different titles for this early show (of which at least part of the show has appeared on). I have downloaded numerous variations over the years, a few of the titles I have been through - Bunnies, Bombs, Busts & A Princess (Halcyon), Bedspring Symphony, Nasty Music (VGP) & Europe 73 (VGP) in fact, five editions of the latter. A book could be written about just this one Rolling Stones show and the endless amount of bootlegs that have been derived from it. The one that remains on my shelf is this: Brussels Affair - Definitive Edition! released in 2000 on the Rattle Snake bootleg label (RS 015/16). Other Stones fans may have their own favourite from the titles I have previously mentioned but what is important, is that you have a copy of the show.

Reviewer’s Comments:
“The boot is the Stones' finest hour in terms of live performance captured on tape”

“Midnight Rambler on the first disc just soars (Mick Taylor is in top form) and the recording is a primal moment. The way the Stones come back into the full tempo ending from the conclusion of the breakdown 3/4 of the way through is something magical and transcendent.”

“Gimme Shelter is perhaps the most original and enduring song in the Stones cannon, capable of knocking a listener out in any of the many interpretations the band has put forth over the years. However, listening to the guitar interplay between the savage slashing of Keith Richards on the rhythm riffs and Mick Taylor's monster soloing will take your breath away.”

“This is in fact the best Stones album bar none. Yes, really! Sound quality is amazing. The Stones are at their peak musically and as a performing band.”

“Arguably the best live release from the band's illustrious career, this is one affair that will remain fresh after repeated visits.”

“This snapshot of the 1973 Rolling Stones tour of Europe in support of the Goats Head Soup album finds the band at the pinnacle of their live prowess, Brussels Affair is such a revelation”

The European Tour Dates:

September
1st: Stadthalle, Vienna, Austria
3rd: Eisstadion, Mannheim, (West) Germany
4th: Sporthalle, Cologne, (West) Germany (early show)
4th: Sporthalle, Cologne, (West) Germany (late show)
7th: Empire Pool, Wembley, London,
8th: Empire Pool, Wembley, London (early show)
8th: Empire Pool, Wembley, London (late show)
9th: Empire Pool, Wembley, London
11th: Belle Vue, Kings Hall, Manchester, England
12th: Belle Vue, Kings Hall, Manchester, England
13th: City Hall, Newcastle, England (early show)
13th: City Hal,l Newcastle, England (late show)
16th: Apollo Theatre, Glasgow, Scotland
17th: Apollo Theatre, Glasgow, Scotland
19th: Odeon Theatre, Birmingham, England (early show)
19th: Odeon Theatre, Birmingham, England (late show)
23rd: Olympiahalle, Innsbruck, Austria
25th: Festhalle, Berne, Switzerland
26th: Festhalle, Berne, Switzerland (early show)
26th: Festhalle, Berne, Switzerland (late show)
28th: Olympiahalle, Munich, (West) Germany (early show)
28th: Olympiahalle, Munich, (West) Germany (late show)
30th: Festhalle, Frankfurt, (West) Germany (early show)
30th: Festhalle, Frankfurt, (West) Germany (late show)

October
2nd: Ernst-Merck-Halle, Hamburg, (West) Germany (early show)
2nd: Ernst-Merck-Halle, Hamburg, (West) Germany (late show)
4th: Vejlby-Risskov Hallen, Aarhus, Denmark (early show)
4th: Vejlby-Risskov Hallen, Aarhus, Denmark (late show)
6th: Scandinavium, Gothenburg, Sweden (early show)
6th: Scandinavium, Gothenburg, Sweden (late show)
7th: Brondby-Hallen, Copenhagen, Denmark (early show)
7th: Brondby-Hallen, Copenhagen, Denmark (late show)
9th: Grugahalle, Essen, (West) Germany
10th: Grugahalle, Essen, (West) Germany
11th: Grugahalle, Essen, (West) Germany
13th: Sportpaleis AHOY, Rotterdam, Holland
14th: Sportpaleis AHOY, Rotterdam, Holland (early show)
14th: Sportpaleis AHOY, Rotterdam, Holland (late show)
15th: Sportpaleis Merksem, Antwerp, Belgium
17th: Foret Nationale, Brussels, Belgium (early show) (bootleg)
17th: Foret Nationale, Brussels, Belgium (late show) (official release)
19th: Deutschlandhalle, Berlin, (West) Germany

Rolling Stones Brussels Affair - Definitive Edition! 
Rattle Snake ‎– RS 015/16
Released:  2000 

Disc one:
01 Brown Sugar*   
02 Gimme Shelter   
03 Happy   
04 Tumbling Dice   
05 Dancing With Mr. D   
06 Angie   
07 You Can't Always Get What You Want   
08 Midnight Rambler*  
09 Honky Tonk Woman   
10 All Down The Line   
11 Rip This Joint   
12 Jumping Jack Flash   
13 Street Fighting Man*   
14 Starfucker   
recorded live at the Forest National, Brussels, Belgium on October 17th 1973, 1st show.

Disc two:
01 Brown Sugar            Rotterdam Oct 14 (late show)
02 Happy                       London Sep 9
03 Gimme Shelter         London Sep 9
04 Heartbreaker             London Sep 9
05 Street Fighting Man  London Sep 9
06 Brown Sugar             Newcastle Sep 13
07 Starfucker                  Newcastle Sep 13
08 Dancing With Mr. D  London Sep 9
09 Angie                         Newcastle Sep 13
10 Midnight Rambler     London Sep 9
11 Gimme Shelter          Munich Sep 28
12 Street Fighting Man  Munich Sep 28
 bonus tracks 
13 Bitch                        Vienna, Sep 1
14 100 Years Ago         Vienna, Sep 1
15 Sweet Virginia         Vienna, Sep 1
16 Silver Train              Vienna, Sep 1

#39 FLEETWOOD MAC - Carousel Ballroom, San Francisco 1968 (Flac)

This is the final post before I start the top 10 countdown. If you want to find a title, just enter the artists name in the search box at the top left hand corner.

This is a wonderful live performance by Peter Green era Fleetwood Mac. Particularly impressive are the extended slow blues ‘Worried Dream’ and ‘I Loved Another Woman.’ There is a smouldering slowburn and ambience that the early Mac bring to their songs, that sets them apart from the other British Blues bands of this era. The tone and piercing crystalline sound of Peter Green's guitar is highly unique and combined with the subtle underrated playing of Mick Fleetwood and his rhythm buddy John McVie give the band such a distinctive feel. They can also rock hard too, see 'Long Tall Sally' on disc two, where they produce a clattering punk like intensity on this classic rock 'n' roll cover.

Fleetwood Mac
Carousel Ballroom
San Francisco, CA.
June 9, 1968
(plus another partial set from the same run of shows (June 7 or 8, 1968)).

Excellent stereo soundboard recording from low gen. source

CD1: June 9, 1968 first set
01. [cuts in] Madison Blues  4:31
02. My Baby’s Gone  6:00
03. My Baby’s Skinny  4:48
04. Worried Dream  9:57
05. Dust My Broom  4:32
06. Got To Move  3:00
07. Worried Mind  4:41
08. Instrumental  10:29
09. Have You Ever Loved A Woman?  7:58
10. Lazy Poker Blues  4:49
Running time: 60:55

CD2: June 9, 1968 second set
01. [cuts in] Stop Messin’ ‘Round [with Paul Butterfield]  2:12
02. I Loved Another Woman [with Paul Butterfield]  7:03
03. I Believe [with Paul Butterfield]  5:17
04. The Sun Is Shining [with Paul Butterfield]  6:27
05. Long Tall Sally [with Paul Butterfield]  4:53
06. Willie & The Hand Jive 4:04
07. > Tuti Frutti  3:02
08. thanks by Peter Green, announcer band intros + crowd noise before encore  0:32
09. Ready Teddy [cut]  3:16

June 7 or 8, 1968 S.F. Carousel Ballroom 
10. [cuts in] I Need Your Love So Bad  1:46
11. I Believe  4:59
12. Shake Your Moneymaker  9:12
13. Ready Teddy  2:30
14 Peter Green says thanks, announcer outro + crowd noise  0:19
Running time: 55:38

Peter Green - guitar, vocals
John McVie - bass
Mick Fleetwood - drums
Jeremy Spencer - guitar, vocals
Paul Butterfield - harp (where noted)

 Original notes:
There are minor channel fluctuations in a few spots but this mostly sounds spectacular with a very 60's sounding mix (vocals in one channel and guitars in the other). To be able to hear Paul Butterfield with Fleetwood Mac is a highlight but Peter Green sounds really great too!
I have heard that this was posted back in the STG era, but this version has been remastered with the sets separated better between discs and some minor "nip and tuck" type edits. No EQ or noise reduction was used in the remastering process.
From Peter Green's stage comments, this is from one week into Fleetwood Mac's first U.S. tour and he sounds like he's having a really good time on the last night of a 3 show run with Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane. This is presumed to be the last night because Peter Green makes a comment about how they'll be back in 2 weeks (not the following night). I think that they returned to the Carousel on the 22nd or 23rd of June.
A Dime member offered to create some cover art and it contains some rare cover photos that came from another Dime member so thanks to both of them and to the original source for this terrific recording!
I should mention that the poster for this concert was one of the strangest designs ever. It was a rendition of some medals that was supposed to be cut out and worn. I guess you'd have to see it to understand the concept...
Transfer info: unspecified lineage CD's received in trade // CD extraction with Toast Titanium > Macintosh Pro Tools (minor edits, normalization & retracking) > AIFF > FLAC > CD.
FLAC files (level 8) created with xACT with sector boundaries verified.
md5 file created with checkSUM+.