#140 JOE BONAMASSA - At Maida Vale Studio (Flac)

Between 2006 and 2016, Joe Bonamassa was an annual guest on the Paul Jones Blues Show, broadcast by BBC Radio 2 FM (apart from 2012). Four sessions were recorded at the BBC’s Maida Vale studios in London during this time. These were split between two studio and two live in front of a small audience.

During the soundcheck for the 2010 live session at Maida Vale, Paul Jones interviewed Joe Bonamassa, and welcomed him back to the "scene of a previous triumph." It was a reference to Joe's second appearance on the show in 2008. That live session recorded in front of a small audience of about one hundred people, appeared on a Russian bootleg CD. 

Joe regales Paul Jones with the tale of how they were going to Russia for the first time, to play a couple of shows. On seeing this great theatre where they were scheduled to perform, Joe said, "This will be really terrible if only eighty people show up. Who knows us in Moscow? and apparently the guy, who was the biggest source of said bootlegs, had recommended us for this gig because our bootlegs were doing so well. We ended up selling the place out the first time, based on the strength of like, the Paul Jones show bootleg and a few albums that had the wrong covers and the wrong songs and stuff like that. So you go, well it's not so bad!"

This is the show that was bootlegged. There are numerous excellent high quality sounding officially released live shows on CD and DVD. In fact so many that in recommending a live show it was necessary to focus on something intimate and a bit different. 

I have selected this from the earlier formative years of Bonamassa's solo career. That this show helped him sell out a theatre on his first visit to Russia, is proof enough of its potency. Also included in the post is the first studio session at Maida Vale, broadcast in 2006. The final track has attracted the biggest ever response to a session performance on the Paul Jones' show.

Joe Bonamassa - At BBC Maida Vale Studio
BBC Radio 2 FM Broadcast - Feb 11, 2008

01. Bridge To Better Days (5:38)
02. So Many Roads (6:21)
03. [chat]    (5:13)
04. One Of These Days (5:57)
05. Sloe Gin (7:19)
06. [Question and Reply session] (7:12)
07. Woke Up Dreaming (4:11)
08. You Upset Me Baby (ft. Paul Jones) (5:06)
09. Just Got Paid (9:10)

Time: 56:13

LINK 1 

Joe Bonamassa - At BBC Maida Vale Studio
BBC Radio 2 FM Broadcast - Oct 19, 2006 (track 1 & 2) 
                                                 - Nov 23, 2006 (track 3)

01. Woke Up Dreaming (3:18)
02. Walk In My Shadow >
      So Many Roads >
      Bridge To Better Days (16:36)
03. Just Got Paid >
      Dazed & Confused instrumental section (9:46)

Time: 29:40

LINK 2

#139 THE FALL - Sound City (1992-93) (Flac)

Some years ago after watching the BBC documentary, 'The Fall - The Wonderful and Frightening World of Mark E Smith' Watch Here

I realised I had been listening to them for over twenty-five years and still not seen them live. I decided to do something about it. Not long after watching the TV programme, a new tour was announced to promote the 'Interim' album. I bought a ticket, it was the same line-up of the band that recorded 'Fall Heads Roll' released later in 2005.

I got to the venue early as it was new to me and saw a closed metal gate with a paper sign taped to it: Venue Changed – now at the Student’s Union. Feeling fortunate that I hadn't left it until later I made my way to find something to eat and seek directions for the new venue.

Eventually later in the day I stood in a large line, everyone had to sign papers to get into the Students Union. While standing and waiting down the front with emphasis on 'the waiting' an announcement was made that the band’s transport had broken down. So time for another pint.  

Eventually they appeared on stage and judging by the condition of Mark E. Smith, they had evidently broken down near a pub or off licence.

He stumbled on and directed the band straight into Wrong Place, Right Time segueing into the Move’s I Can Hear The Grass Grow just like on the Peel sessions box. It was impressive, extremely powerful and rock solid.

Touch Sensitive saw Mark E. begin to smile as he voiced the 'Hello Hello' chorus obviously relaxed and enjoying himself. Over half of the set was made up of tracks from the new album 'Interim'.

Closing with Mr Pharmacist, the crowd at the front went berserk especially on the sped up parts of the song, a fitting finale. The band trooped off without a thanks or goodbye. The lights never went on, we waited for more but it was not to be. One hour - thirteen songs including Sparta FC, Pacifying Joint and White Lightning.

This recording comes from the previous decade, from two consecutive annual BBC Sound City live performances in 1992 and 1993. The Fall were on the crest of a commercial wave, 'The Infotainment Scan' had broke into the top ten UK album chart. 
Half of that album can be heard live on the 1993 section of these broadcasts. 

This is the 'Mighty Fall' at perhaps their most accessible.  If you’ve steered clear of them in the past, perhaps daunted by their reputation, try this one you may be pleasantly surprised. I would also like to thank stranger09 who recorded these shows and made them originally available via separate downloads.

-----------------------

The Fall

Sound City, Waterfront, Norwich, England

21 April 1992

BBC Radio 1 FM stereo

Nakamichi Tapedeck > CD-R > Audacity > TLH > Flac

01. And Therein

02. Blood Outta Stone

03. Time Enough at Last

04. Free Range

05. Idiot Joy Showland

06. Gentlemen's Agreement

07. Edinburgh Man

LINK Pt. 1

The Fall

Sound City, Hallam University, Sheffield, England

7 April 1993

BBC Radio 1 FM stereo

FM > Cassette > Nakamichi Deck > CD > wav > flac

08. Intro

09. Why Are People Grudgeful?

10. Ladybird (Green Grass)

11. Glam Racket

12. Free Range

13. I'm Going to Spain

14. The League of Bald-Headed Men

15. Lost in Music

Great performances and excellent quality recordings.

LINK Pt. 2

#138 LED ZEPPELIN - Texas International Pop Festival 1969

August 31, 1969
Texas International Pop Festival
Motor Speed Way
Dallas, TX

In 1969, Led Zeppelin played over 150 live shows, touring began prior to that on Boxing Day 1968 and then continued through into Mid- February ‘69
After a two-week break the group began a UK tour on March 1st and also fitted in some Scandinavian dates mid-month. This took them into mid-April and immediately they flew to the US and began another tour that ran to the end of May.
Amazingly a second UK tour of the year followed finishing at the Royal Albert Hall on June 29th.
Less than a week later they were in Atlanta Georgia for the beginning of the US Festival season, more dates at conventional venues followed with appearances in Canada before finishing at the Texas International Pop Festival on Aug 31st, in September they took some time off!

On October 7th touring began again in Europe, opening in Stockholm. Their second date, three days later in Paris is the recording that was previously available here, a pre-fm of a radio broadcast. That show is now officially released on the second disc of the Led Zeppelin debut album deluxe 2cd set. (Note that less than half of the final track How Many More Times has been included. Yes, the official release has cut the 23:08 running time down to 11:13 probably to make way for the inclusion of Moby Dick, missing from the bootleg. The official release also has some music cut from White Summer/Black Mountian Side).

A final European date in London on October 12th was followed by more touring of the US and Canada between October 17th and November 7th.
A year that also saw them release their debut album and record and release a second, Led Zeppelin II
What a phenomenal work schedule, these guys certainly worked hard for their success.

This show hasn’t been professionally mixed and therefore can’t match the quality of the Paris ’69 show but it’s still an excellent recording and a great performance, although at the beginning you can hear the soundman struggling to mix Zeppelin’s live sound (much like the Paris bootleg). It soon settles down and provides one of the best sounding live bootlegs from Led Zeppelin's early years.

These audio files are from the Empress Valley title  “The Only Way To fly “ released in 2002.

----------------------------------------------------
original notes:
Source: Soundboard Recording with Audience patches to make a complete show.


1. Introduction
2. The Train Kept A Rollin'
3. I Can't Quit You
4. Dazed And Confused
5. You Shook Me
6. How Many More Times
7. Communication Breakdown


Notes:
Empress Valley has taken the missing segments for the soundboard and added the audience source to fill in the gaps. Sound is excellent for the Sbd and Good/Very Good for the audience source. 

 LINK