The Cure - BBC 6Music session: Halloween 2024

Unsurprisingly the Cure - BBC Sessions has shot to the most looked at post on the blog, given the events of the last few days. Those in the UK have been well served by the BBC over Halloween with the broadcast of a session on BBC 6Music and a live performance in front of a small audience broadcast on BBC Radio 2FM.

This post is for those Cure fans that live outside the UK. The quality of the UK digital station BBC 6Music is higher in the UK than for those outside. I've recorded the live broadcast on BBC 6Music and present it here for Cure fans around the world.

 

The Cure at the BBC, 2024
Programme broadcast on Thursday 31 October, 2024

BBC 6Music 5-30pm: Huw Stephens with the Cure's Robert Smith In Conversation.

BBC 6Music 6-7pm: 6Music Artist Collection: The Cure / Huw Stephens presents an exclusive and intimate session from the Cure.

Plainsong / Last Dance / I Can Never Say Goodbye *  Burn / And Nothing Is Forever * / At Night / A Forest / All I Ever Am * / Prayers for Rain / Disintegration   

Tracks 1,2,9 & 10 - Disintegration, 1989 / Tracks 3, 5 & 8 - Songs For A Lost World, 2024 / Track 4 - Movie Soundtrack: The Crow 1994 / Tracks 6 & 7 - Seventeen Seconds, 1980

The Huw Stephens programme began at 4pm. The relevant Cure section is complete and was broadcast just after the news at 5-30pm, and is in two parts - the interview followed by the session.

Recorded from the live BBC 6Music broadcast on the UK i-player (which has a higher bit-rate, 320k+ than the rest of the world)

Recorded: thebasement67 (Thursday October 31, 2024)

Lineage: i-sound recorder for Windows 7/10 > BBC i-player stream (UK) > Wav 16bit 44.1kHz > dbpoweramp > Flac (8)

Interview 

Session 

I have also recorded the complete Jo Whiley programme broadcast on BBC Radio 2 FM also on the 31 October, 2024. This will be the next upload.

Bootlegs of the Year 2015-2022

7th Edition including 2022

 

This document was first compiled in 2015 after receiving numerous emails, enquiring as to where bootlegs #1-100 posted on site, could be found. (many of the links were lost in 2016, see Downloads box on top right-hand side panel). 

 

This is the latest, the seventh edition of 'Bootlegs of the Year'. It incorporates a further fifty-eight boots downloaded during the last twenty-four months.

 

This edition now includes 332 bootlegs, the best I have downloaded since 2015. The 178-page book will point you in the right direction, in finding the sites I have used and most importantly the web addresses where they can be located. 

Although it concentrates on the best bootlegs I have downloaded in the last eight years, the same websites and addresses noted in the book are where the majority of the bootlegs in the 100 Greatest listing, originated from. The posts #1 to #100 were mostly made from downloads prior to 2015. 

 

To sum up, it includes the best bootlegs I have downloaded in the preceding years, 2015 to 2022. Having discarded numerous titles, these are the best from that time frame.

I have not provided a sound quality rating as virtually all are of sufficient high quality to rate around 5 out of 5, some are worthy of 5+ like the best official releases.

As you can imagine, it took some time and effort to pull this all together. What to include and just as importantly what to leave out, has taken considerable thought and listening hours, enjoyable nonetheless. So if you are a fan of any of the artists featured, then I can confidently state that you will definitely enjoy the bootlegs that have been chosen.

 

If you would like a copy of this document, it's only £5 GBP via the donate button (see the top right-hand bar - above blog archive). You do not need a paypal account.

 

Included in the main body of the text of the document are details of the 332 bootlegs downloaded, and where to find them by the following artists:                 

 

8 years - 177 different artists

RYAN ADAMS
THE AFGHAN WHIGS
ARCADE FIRE (3)
ARCTIC MONKEYS

ASWAD

THE AVALANCHES
THE BAND
BEASTIE BOYS
BEATLES (2)
BECK (2)

CAPTAIN BEEFHEART & HIS MAGIC BAND

BELLE & SEBASTIAN
BIG AUDIO DYNAMITE (3)

BJORK
BLACK KEYS

BLONDIE

THE BLUE NILE

BLUR

JOE BONAMASSA (4)
DAVID BOWIE (6)
BROADCAST (3)

BUCKINGHAM NICKS

BYRDS
CALEXICO (4)
CALEXICO / IRON & WINE
CAN
JOHNNY CASH
CAT POWER (3)

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS (5)

THE CHURCH
THE CLASH (2)
COCTEAU TWINS (2)
LEONARD COHEN (2)
LLOYD COLE / THE COMMOTIONS (2)
RY COODER
ELVIS COSTELLO & THE ATTRACTIONS (3)
CRAMPS (2)
CRANBERRIES
CREAM 

THE CURE (3)

DEAD CAN DANCE (2)

DELTA 5

DEPECHE MODE
DEREK & THE DOMINOS
DEXYS MIDNIGHT RUNNERS
DJ DANGERMOUSE
BOB DYLAN (4)
EAGLES
STEVE EARLE & THE DUKES (3)
ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN (2)

ELECTRAFIXION

EURYTHMICS
EVERYTHING BUT THE GIRL

THE FALL
ALI FARKA TOURE & RY COODER
FEEDER

FELT

THE FLAMING LIPS
FLEET FOXES
FLEETWOOD MAC (5)
FONTAINES DC

RORY GALLAGHER (4)
GANG OF FOUR (2)

GENESIS (2)
BETH GIBBONS & RUSTIN MAN
RHIANNON GIDDENS
DAVID GILMOUR (2)
GRATEFUL DEAD (2)

GUNS 'N' ROSES
PJ HARVEY (2)
INXS
JANE'S ADDICTION
JIMI HENDRIX (3)
THE JAM
JAPAN (2)
THE JESUS & MARY CHAIN (2)
RICKIE LEE JONES
JONI MITCHELL (2)
THE KILLS
KRAFTWERK (5)
LAMBCHOP (2)
LED ZEPPELIN (8)

THE LEMONHEADS

LENNY KRAVITZ
LINTON KWESI JOHNSON (2)
LONE JUSTICE
MANIC STREET PREACHERS
BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS (4)
LAURA MARLING
MASSIVE ATTACK
CURTIS MAYFIELD (2)
MAZZY STAR (2)
JOHN MELLENCAMP
MISTY IN ROOTS (3)
JONI MITCHELL
MOGWAI 

THE NATIONAL (3)

NEW BOHEMIANS (WITH EDIE BRICKELL)
NEW ORDER (12)
STEVIE NICKS

NINE INCH NAILS
NIRVANA (3)

GARY NUMAN

OASIS

THE OFFSPRING
ORBITAL

OUTCASTS
PAVEMENT

PEARL JAM (4)

PENTANGLE
LEE PERRY & V/A
TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS (5)
PIL (2)
PINK FLOYD (2)
PIXIES (2)
RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS

ROBERT PLANT (4)
POGUES
THE POLICE (3)

IGGY POP

PRIMAL SCREAM (2)
QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE (2)
RADIOHEAD (7)
BONNIE RAITT

LOU REED
REM (4)
DAVID RODIGAN'S REGGAE SHOW: PRINCE BUSTER
ROLLING STONES (2)

RUSH

SADE
SANTANA

SCIENTIST

SEBADOH

THE SHINS (2)

SIMPLE MINDS (2)
SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES

THE SLITS
SMASHING PUMPKINS
ELLIOTT SMITH
PATTI SMITH (2)
SONIC YOUTH (3)
SPARKLEHORSE
SPARKS

SPECIALS
SPIRITUALIZED (2)
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
STEELY DAN

STING (2)
THE STRANGLERS 
THE STROKES (2)
JOE STRUMMER & THE MESCALEROS
SUICIDE
DAVID SYLVIAN & ROBERT FRIPP
TALKING HEADS
TEARDROP EXPLODES (2)
TELEVISION (4)
THIN LIZZY
GEORGE THOROGOOD & THE DESTROYERS (2)
TINARIWEN      
TRIFFIDS

UNDERWORLD (2)
VARIOUS ARTISTS (3)
LAURA VEIRS
TOM VERLAINE (4)
THE VERVE (2)
WAH! HEAT
TOM WAITS 

THE WATERBOYS (2)

JACK WHITE
THE WHO
LUCINDA WILLIAMS (2)
X
THE YARDBIRDS

YOUNG MARBLE GIANTS (2)
NEIL YOUNG (11)  

The PDF document comprises:

• 178 pages A4
• Word count 108,343
• 332 bootleg images

Full details have been included for each bootleg such as:

• Venue
• Date of performance
• Type of recording - soundboard, FM, from the audience, etc.
• Lineage
• Running time
• Website address
• Complete track listings
• Track timings
• Informative comments about each bootleg
• Index

If you would like a copy of this document, it's only £5 GBP via the donate button, you do not require a paypal account.

An audio sampler is available on a preceding post: Bootleg Promo. The selected tracks are from bootlegs that never made the cut for the final document, but they will give you an idea of the sound quality I look for.

page samples above

 

PJ HARVEY - Rock en Seine Festival, France 2024 (Flac)

Polly Jean Harvey is now ten studio albums into her career. This festival set list includes tracks from six of those. Surprisingly there are no tracks performed from 'Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea' (2000) and her penultimate (to date) album 'The Hope Six Demolition Project' (2016). 'Uh Huh Her' (2004) and 'White Chalk' (2007) are also overlooked, although the latter is perhaps not festival friendly due to it's intimate nature. 

As is usual for live touring acts the most current album is well promoted in performance. PJ also includes a generous quantity of her 90's classics and one solitary track from her collaboration with John Parish, on Black Hearted Love from 'A Woman a Man Walked By' (2009).

Excellent quality and a stunning performance from the band

PJ HARVEY
Sunday 25 August 2024
Rock en Seine, Domaine national de Saint-Cloud,
Saint-Cloud, France.

Setlist:
01. Prayer at the Gate       
02. The Nether-Edge       
03. I Inside the Old Year Dying   
04. The Glorious Land       
05. Let England Shake       
06. The Words That Maketh Murder   
07. A Child's Question, August       
08. I Inside the Old I Dying       
09. Send His Love to Me       
10. 50ft Queenie           
11. Black Hearted Love       
12. Angelene           
13. The Garden           
14. The Desperate Kingdom of Love   
15. Man-Size           
16. Dress               
17. Down by the Water       
18. To Bring You My Love     

Source : FM ana (Technics ST-GT350)
FM -> HD (wav)

Taped and splitted : Kwave 22.12.3 (KDE Frameworks version 5.107.0)
FLAC 1.4.3 with --best

With thanks to the original uploader, Tulum

LINK

TELEVISION - Roseland Ballroom, NYC. 2004 (Flac)

 

The Television concert archives show that the band performed 19 shows in 2004, taking in a European tour including an appearance at the Glastonbury Festival. 

This show was the final date of the year and the only one in their home city and country. It's an excellent soundboard and includes the mighty unreleased song 'Persia'.

Television
Roseland Ballroom, N.Y.C.
2 October 2004

The Band:
Tom Verlaine - guitar, lead vocals
Richard Lloyd - guitar, backing vocals
Fred Smith - bass, backing vocals
Billy Ficca - drums

Set List:
01. intro
02. Swells (1:24) >
03. 1880 Or So (7:25)
04. tuning & talking #1
05. Balloon (4:42)
06. tuning & talking #2
07. Squaggle (3:11)
08. tuning & talking #3
09. Prove It (5:27)
10. tuning & talking #4
11. Call Mr. Lee (6:01)
12. The Sea (8:42)
13. tuning & talking #5
14. Persia (13:23)
15. tuning & talking #6
16. band intros
17. Marquee Moon (10:47)

Total Time: 68:11


Recording Info:
Sbd > DAT recorder (Maybe DAT > DAT clone)
DAT > CDR > CDR
CDR files extracted, edited & mastered in Fission

LINK

RORY GALLAGHER

July's post was abandoned as events overtook the work being done for it. I had planned on posting the unreleased BBC sessions by Rory Gallagher but discovered an official set was being released in October. It certainly looks definitive.

Details of it are here:

Rory Gallagher BBC Sessions 

 

ROXY MUSIC - Live in Paris, 1974 (Flac)

Today it's difficult to imagine the controversy caused by the sleeve of Roxy's fourth album. Two German women in their underwear posing in front of evergreen foliage (Constanze Karoli and Eveline Grunwald). In the US. Atlantic had to disguise the sleeve in an opaque green shrink wrap after major chain stores threatened to boycott the album.

The sessions for 'Country Life' were fraught with pressure as the band needed to finish the album before the UK tour began in mid-September 1974 to maximise the promotional effect on the album sales.

Bryan Ferry recalls that,
"We were in the studio constantly right up to the beginning of the tour. We just about finished it by the skin of our teeth. About three-quarters of the way through it, I just had to get out of town, so I went to Portugal for two weeks to try to finish off some of the songs. I went with Eric Boman the photographer, and that's where we did the album cover, about a hundred yards from the ocean at 3 a.m....it was a stroke of luck. The girls were Roxy fans, actually the only albums they'd brought with them were 'These Foolish Things' and 'Another Time, Another Place'. So it was business. I mean - they were very keen to do the job."

The tour began on schedule, with all tickets for every date having sold out within a week. Ferry adopted a new image, a pseudo military uniform - half US Air force and half Third Reich, with the tie tucked into the tunic at one end and jackboots at the other.

A week into the tour, the first single 'All I Want Is You' was released and made #12 in the UK chart.
The delayed album was finally released at the beginning of November, when most of it had been previewed on tour.

The press praised the album highly with NME's Nick Kent reviewing that "While 'Stranded' had been a 'flawed meisterwerk' highlighted by gems of the calibre of 'Mother of Pearl' and 'A Song For Europe', 'Country Life' was in a consistently higher league throughout, failing only to reach those twin peaks of excellence from the previous release on any individual tracks." He noted 'The Thrill of It all', Three and Nine' and particularly 'Casonova' as the stongest tracks.

This recording from the radio station Europe 1 reel to reel tapes, includes seven tracks - one a piece from the first three albums and four from 'Country Life'. The sound quality is excellent and this is easily among the best early Roxy live recordings. See the official release 'Viva' for live recordings from the UK tour mentioned above. After touring Europe the band took a break and toured extensively in 1975, visiting the USA, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

LDB Master Series #300

ROXY MUSIC
Paris, Palais des Congrès
November, 27 1974
Master Reel to reel

01. Out of the Blue
02. A Song For Europe
03. Three and Nine
04. If It Takes All Night
05. In Every Dream Home A Heartache
06. If There is Something (incl. Violin Solo Eddie Jobson)
07. All I Want Is You

Time: 43:34

Lineage: Europe 1 original reels > Teac A3340S > HD > SoundForge 7.0 > CD Wave > FLAC Frontend (level 6)

Bryan Ferry - vocals, keyboards
Eddie Jobson - strings, keyboards, vocals
Andy MacKay - saxophone, oboe
Phil Manzanera - guitar, vocals
Paul Thompson - drums
John Wetton - bass, vocals

From LDB's original notes:

"For volume 300 I had to find something special. And I think this Is something special. Some time ago I had access to quite a few master reels from Europe 1 that were saved from the trash some time ago. The Santana 71 show that I have already seeded was part of it. Unfortunately the reels were mixed up and only a few complete. But the historical value is very high. This is one I managed to have it transferred using a revox player. I have many reels, probably the most amazing one being the Jimi Hendrix Olympia October 1968, which I was told has already been released somewhere. Europe 1 was one of those stations that used to record many shows, in particular from the Olympia. My belief is that they were doing a king of matrix by both capturing the soundboard but having also a few onstage microphones.

This comes from the 1974 tour. On the reel it is marked Olympia but it is possible that it was a mistake by the engineers and honestly I trust more the Roxy Music experts over here. So I have updated the venue and date. Thanks for the help.  It sounds amazing, as you can imagine. This is my gift to you for you to celebrate volume 300." Enjoy!!!! 

LINK

Reposted links

As mentioned above I have re-posted a few links.

Please be sensible and use these for your own personal use. This will be the last time they are posted, think of those coming after you. Thanks for your understanding.  

#51

#57

#63

#82

Use the search box and enter the hash tag and number you require for each post. More will be upped and I don't have the time to link each seperately at the moment. Enjoy!

THE BODYSNATCHERS - John Peel session #1 1980 (Flac)

The Bodysnatchers - John Peel Session #1
Recorded at Maida Vale, London: 8 April 1980

01. What's This
02. Happy Time Tune
03. The Boiler
04. The Ghost Of The Vox Continental

This is the Bodysnatcher's first session for DJ John Peel's legendary BBC Radio 1 show. It was broadcast three times in 1980. This recording is from the first broadcast on 14 April, 1980. The session was repeated on 15 May 1980 and also included in the 2-tone special broadcast on 9 June 1980. That whole show is available on the John Peel Wiki.

Notable for the early version of 'The Boiler' Rhoda's vocals are pretty much word for word, the same as on the Special A.K.A released version. What it lacks is the sinister edge that Jerry's cinematic organ arrangement brought with it.

Now it's possible to compare and contrast such a hugely poignant and important song, as it evolved between the writing and recording.

Further information is available in the download notes included with the audio files..

All of the initial 2-Tone first sessions have been officially released, The Specials, The Beat, Madness & The Selecter, this is the only one that hasn't. It's excellent quality and I've passed on the recording as found and resisted editing any of the speech or fades used.

LINK

JOHNNY MARR - KCRW FM Session 2013 (Flac) *Special Post* #14

Special Post #14

This was recorded by the esteemed 'Nibbler' - a Dime regular and provider of many high quality KCRW sessions.

Original Notes:
Legendary guitarist for The Smiths, Johnny Marr recently performed several classics plus some of his new songs in the intimate setting of Apogee Studio. KCRW FM broadcast highlights from the evening on Morning Becomes Eclectic.

JOHNNY MARR
KCRW FM Radio Session
Broadcast on Monday November 18, 2013  

Session recorded at the Apogee Studio, Los Angeles Ca. 
Monday November 4, 2013

01. Intro
02. Upstarts
03. Sun And Moon
04. New Town Velocity
05. Lockdown
06. Interview
07. The Messenger
08. Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want (The Smiths)
09. Bigmouth Strikes Again (The Smiths)
10. How Soon Is Now? (The Smiths)

Lineage: FM > Onkyo HT-R520 > Analog Out (RCA Plugs) > Phone Jacks In > Zoom H4n @ 16bit - 44.1 KHz > USB-2 > CD WAVE Tracking > TLH Checksums Flac.8)

 Notes:
A pre-recorded and edited session, the band is in great form

Johnny Marr - Vocals / Guitar 
James Doviak - Guitar / Keys 
Iwan Gronow - Bass
Jack Mitchell - Drums

LINK

There are some brilliant photos from the show with an interview here:
http://blogs.kcrw.com/musicnews/2013/11/photos-johnny-marr-live-on-kcrw/

IGGY POP - KCRW FM Session 2016 (Flac) *Special Post* #13

Special Post  #13

Iggy Pop is back! 'Post Pop Depression' finds the iconic rocker returning to his Berlin-era swagger, with the help of Josh Homme from Queens of the Stone Age and an all-star group of musicians.
If you are a fan of QotSA & 'Humbug' era Arctic Monkeys, you will enjoy this.

IGGY POP
KCRW Radio Session
FM Broadcast
Santa Monica, California.

Delayed Recording (date unknown)
Session Recorded at The Village Studio - West Los Angeles CA.
Aired: March 30, 2016

Lineage: FM > Onkyo HT-R520 > Analog Out (RCA Plugs) > Phone Jacks In > Zoom H4n @ 16bit - 44.1 KHz > USB-2 > CD WAVE Tracking > TLH Checksums Flac.8)

01. Intro
02. Break Into Your Heart
03. Gardenia
04. American Valhalla
05. Sunday
06. German Days
07. Fall In Love With Me
08. Repo Man

The Band:
Iggy Pop: Lead Vocals
Josh Homme: Guitar, Vocals
Dean Fertita: Keys
Matt Helders: Drums
Matt Sweeney: Guitar/Bass
Troy Van Leeuwen: Multi-Instrumentalist

Notes:
The DJ announces they pre-recorded the session at The Village Studio, but some sources have said it was Apogee Studios. Clarification welcomed! (Uploaded to Dime by Nibbler 2016)

LINK

Fate has a way of putting things into an interesting context. When it was announced that Iggy Pop would be collaborating with Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age, the music press buzzed with anticipation about the project. What would the proto-punk icon and the snarky hard rock smart guy come up with? The surprise answer is, in many respects, 2016's Post Pop Depression, an unwitting but loving tribute to Pop's friend and collaborator David Bowie. Post Pop Depression arrived two months after Bowie's death, and was completed before his health problems became common knowledge. More than anything, though, this music evokes the sound and feel of Pop's first two solo albums. 1977's The Idiot and Lust for Life were cut with Bowie in Germany as Pop struggled to make sense of his life and career after the Stooges collapsed. With the reunited Stooges gone following the deaths of Ron and Scott Asheton.

Post Pop Depression finds Iggy returning to the work he made in 1977, in ways that count the most. It is smart and thoughtful, intelligent without being pretentious, and full of bold but introspective thinking. While Josh Homme is certainly no David Bowie, he's a skilled musician who challenges Pop in a way many of his previous producers have not.

The sound of Post Pop Depression occasionally gestures to Bowie's work, with and without Pop, but Homme has given this music a personality of its own. Dark and richly textured, Post Pop Depression puts Pop's craggy but authoritative voice and intelligent tirades front and center. Homme and his rhythm section of Dean Fertita (QotSA & The Dead Weather) and Matt Helders (Arctic Monkeys) have created strong, muscular backdrops for Pop's lyrics that add to their power. They counter his thoughtful anger with sounds that are rich, cleanly designed, and a successful compliment for the star's work.

Pop has suggested that this may be his last album, and if that's true, it wraps up his career with a strong and atypical work. It tips its hat to Bowie, but also to the freedom and creative possibilities Pop discovered in their collaborative work. It confirms that Pop has never lost the ability to surprise and upend expectations. In the bitter rant that closes "Paraguay," Pop declares he wants to run away and live as "your basic clod." It's an ironic thought, closing an album that once again proves Pop never was and never will be an ordinary guy.

AFGHAN WHIGS - Pinkpop Festival 1994 (Flac) *Special Post* #12

Special Post #12

THE AFGHAN WHIGS
25th Pinkpop festival
Draf- en Renbaan Limburg, Landgraaf, The Netherlands
May 23, 1994

As mentioned in Bootlegs of the Year, pre-reformation recordings are limited, this short 28-minute portion of the Pinkpop set in 1994 is a rarity and despite its brevity is essential listening. The radio mix is stunning and these tracks could easily be used as extras for a re-issued deluxe set.
.

00. Turn On The Water (end only) (0:20)
01. Be Sweet (4:03)
02. My World Is Empty Without You [Supremes cover] (5:54)
03. Debonair (4:47)
04. What Jail Is Like (3:46)
05. Who Do You Love? (0:44)
06. Fountain And Fairfax (3:37)
07. Rebirth Of The Cool (a.k.a. Miles Iz Ded) (5:37)

from the Dutch VARA/VPRO/NPS FM radio broadcast, May 23, 1994.

This recording was aired in two parts (tracks 1-3 live on the air, tracks 4-7 later the same day). The two parts have been mixed together as nice as possible.

Source and lineage (taped and transferred by Magnix): FM > Tape > WAV > FLAC level 8

Please note that this is a real FM capture, no cable, but straight from the airwaves. Also, this comes from a tape that was almost 15 years old at the time of transferring. This means that some FM and/or tape anomalies or degeneration may be present. Most has been fixed to the best of my abilities and most of this stuff is of very good quality. In this case, most of this is of excellent quality I think. (Magnix, March 2009)

Re-uploaded to DIME on April 19, 2017. Another tape from the Magnix Live Archive.

LINK

SONIC YOUTH - Berkeley 1995 (Flac) *Special Post* #11

Special Post #11

This was part of a compilation that I had put together titled 'Analog Soul' (1985-1995) basically an alternate to 'Walls Have Ears'. It gathered together three of the best short broadcasts by the band in circulation and included the following tracks:

01. Brave Men Run (4:04) 02. Brother James (3:28) 03. Flower (3:15) from the VPRO Frontline, Radio Hilversum FM b/cast, Holland on April 1, 1985

04. Come And Smash Me Said The Boy With The Magic Penis* (3:12)  05. Magic Wand* (2:58)
06. Hallowed Be Thy Name (2:28)  07. Expressway To Yr Skull (4:53)
from the first John Peel session at BBC Maida Vale Studio, London, England on May 19, 1986.
                       
08. Washing Machine (10:00) 09. The Diamond Sea (14:03)       
from Live 105 Green X-Mas: Berkeley Community Theatre, Berkeley, CA. on December 15, 1995 (KITS Radio FM b/cast)
               
To complete it I needed a live or studio session from around 1992 or 1993. I later discovered that tracks 4 & 5 of the Peel session* had been released on the Various Artists compilation 'Nothing Short Of Total War (Part One)' LP & CD (1989). Those were the reasons for it not being finished.

Nevertheless the stunning performance from Berkeley, the penultimate show on the North American 'Washing Machine' tour, deserves to be heard and is now made available on this special post.

Sonic Youth - Live 105 Green X-Mas
Berkeley Community Theatre, 
Berkeley, CA.
15 December, 1995

 

01. Washing Machine (10:00)
02. The Diamond Sea (14:03)
03. KITS radio interview (6:34)

No EQ, normalization or processing.  Tracks/labels created in Audacity. 
The interview took place prior to their set, with Thurston.

 Source:  FM  > Sony STR-D711 > Sony DTC-690 (LP Mode) > DAT Master (LP)
Transfer: DAT Master (LP) > Tascam DA-20 > Pioneer PDR-509 > CDR > Audacity > FLAC8

LINK

Sonic Youth began releasing recordings of old shows as part of an ongoing live archival program in  the closing months of 2018. Drummer Steven Shelley said

“Through the years and as the times changed we recorded our live shows as often as we could, on cassettes, DATs, CD-Rs and later on multi-track recorders. We now maintain an archive of hundreds of hours of Sonic Youth oncerts and we’d like to share some of our favorites.”

These are available on the Sonic Youth official site via the Concert Archive tab. 12 shows are currently available dating from 1987 to 2011.

Elvis Costello & The Roots - World Cafe 2013 (Flac) *Special Post* #10

Special Post #10

Today two guys who take their music seriously, tell all about the new Elvis Costello / Roots collaboration 'Wise Up Ghost'. Elvis Costello and The Roots drummer Ahmir Questlove Thompson talk about making a non hip-hop album using hip-hop techniques and Ahmir admits to a little Elvis stalking leading to their working together.

We’ll hear live performances from the rehearsals for Elvis and The Roots live show at The Brooklyn Bowl, their only live show to be announced. Further information about the collaboration and live show can be found here: Brooklyn Bowl

See the document Bootlegs of the Year for information on locating the bootleg. The link for this stunning WXPN radio session & interview is below:

Elvis Costello & The Roots
The World Café
Philadelphia, PA.
September 24, 2013 (broadcast date)

Source: WXPN-FM Broadcast
Sound Quality: A+

01. intro (1:02)
02. You Bowed Down (from an earlier World Café appearance) (4:49)
03. interview (10:19)
04. Stick Out Your Tongue* (5:08)
05. interview (4:31)
06. Tripwire* (2:18)
07. interview (4:36)
08. Walk Us UpTown* (3:34)
09. interview (4:02)
10. Wake Me Up* (6:33)
11. closing (0:59)

*recorded live during rehearsals for the 'Brooklyn Bowl' concert.
Total running time 47:51

Lineage: Sony ST-S730ES AM/FM Stereo Tuner > ESI Juli@ soundcard > Sound Forge v10.0c > CDwav v1.98 > FLAC level 5

Recorded by rockcat
Originally seeded to DIME on 2013-09-27

LINK

DAVID BOWIE - Mark & Lard BBC Session 1999 (Flac) *Special Post* #9

SPECIAL POST #9

David Bowie session - BBC Radio 1 Mark & Lard show
Mark Radcliffe (& Marc Riley)

Recorded and Broadcast Live from Maida Vale Studio 4, Delaware Road, London on Monday 25 October 1999 / 2-4pm

Pre-FM source
Lineage: original BBC in-house CD-Rs > XLD v20130720 (XLD Secure Ripper) > FLAC > xACT v2.23 (no SBEs, add tags, create checksums)

A pre-FM BBC session by the legendary David Bowie. It's sourced from an in-house disc, this edited version keeps all the music together and places the 'interview' at the end. After much joking David comes clean and admits there will be no touring work for the album 'Hours' released a month earlier.

A series of promotional appearances were scheduled to publicise the new album. David also recorded an interview with Billy Bragg and a further two session tracks on this day for the BBC programme 'Saturday Music Mix'.


Setlist:
01. Survive
02. Drive-in Saturday
03. Something in the Air
04. Can't Help Thinking About Me > Repetition
05. Interview

Musicians:
David Bowie - vocals
Mike Garson - keyboards
Gail Ann Dorsey - bass, vocals
Page Hamilton - lead guitar
Mark Plati - rhythm guitar
Sterling Campbell - drums
Emm Gryner - backing vocals
Holly Palmer - backing vocals

LINK

ELBOW - St. Paul's Cathedral 2011 (Flac) *Special Post* #8

SPECIAL POST #8

St. Paul's Cathedral Crypt
London, England
Thursday, 26 May 2011

I bought Elbow's debut CD not long after its release in 2001, inspired specifically by the track Scattered Black and Whites, which I had heard on a cover mounted 'Uncut' compilation. Since then over the last fifteen years they have written a catalogue of songs that have few rivals amongst their peers.

Certain live recordings just stand out, even after hearing only a few minutes, this one impressed me and eight years on those initial thoughts that this was a special show, that would be worth passing on down the years have been vindicated. I listened to this during last Christmas holiday period and marked it down for a blog post. It's a bootleg of sheer class with perfect sound quality, and a sublime performance in which you can hear and feel the ambience of such an unusual venue.

Absolute Radio recorded and streamed Elbow in FLAC technology (Fully Lossless Audio Codec) for a superior audio experience for fans.

Lineage: Soundboard > PC > Magix Music Editor to track, name & burn to cdr > Accurate rip to Flac level 8. (from the first broadcast on Absolute Radio on 5 June, 2011 between 7 and 8pm)

******

"It was when Guy Garvey was forced to hush his girlfriend because her off-stage chatter was disturbing him during one of his songs that you truly realised this was no ordinary occasion. Elbow have always appeared the most intimate of bands. Recent success may have propelled them into the arenas but last night, amid the low, vaulted ceiling of the crypt of St Paul's Cathedral, the Bury band found a stage to deliver an intense and personal concert.

It was the first time a band had ever played here. With its historic tombs - Nelson, Wellington and Sir Christopher Wren are all buried here - the venue could have felt sepulchral, crowded with dead souls. Instead, buoyed by the warmth and goodwill that poured out from the 300-strong audience towards them, the five piece - a rag tag collection of old suits, paunches, beards and baldness - gave them an experience bordering on the religious. Careful not to overpower such a small space, the band took the opportunity to jettison some of their more rousing material and instead show off some of their subtler songs. The resulting 90 minutes were a triumph.

Opener Mirrorball set the scene, as gorgeous and thrilling as when first heard. Open Arms was transformed from a stadium sing-along anthem into a pared-back hymn to the healing power of friends and family. The finely tuned dynamics of the performance centred, as ever, on Garvey's extraordinary voice in all its careworn perfection. But the unplugged style also lent greater weight than normal to Mark Potter's finely picked acoustic guitar and his brother Craig's inventive, lilting interventions on the piano. Backed by strings and Richard Jupp's shuffling drums, the band mixed old favourites - Great Expectations, One Day Like This - with unexpected selections from their back catalogue, with the epic, swelling romance of Switching Off a particular stand-out. Songs from their latest album seemed written with this gig in mind. Highlights included a bass-heavy Jesus Is A Rochdale Girl, Lippy Kids, their paean to golden youth and an unexpected outing for Dear Friends, the soaring, dreamy coda to the record.

Garvey's Northern charm and self-deprecating humour - "I've got bluster enough for the sails of a clipper" - combined with the optimism and hope that suffuse his bittersweet lyrics, invited each member of the tiny audience to believe every song was being sung just for them. This was never truer than on the final number, the little-played Scattered Black and Whites from their 2001 album Asleep in the Back, a moving and beautiful recollection of early memories, soaring and tender in its loveliness. His rich voice bolstered by aloe vera juice, Garvey at times looked overcome by the intimacy of the occasion - organised by Absolute Radio for a special high definition broadcast - and appeared to wipe away tears from his eyes several times. Towards the close, Garvey glanced up at the ceiling towards the cathedral above and remarked that he and the band felt humbled. "And in our rightful place in the basement," he teased. Such modesty, after an evening like this, was hardly necessary."   Review by Matthew Bayley, 27 May 2011

Tracklisting:

01. Introduction & preamble

02. Mirrorball

03. Open Arms

04. The Night Will Always Win

05. Great Expectations

06. Jesus Is a Rochdale Girl

07. Grounds For Divorce

08. Switching Off

09. The River

10. One Day Like This

11. Lippy Kids

12. Dear Friends

13. Scattered Black & Whites

LINK

WOMAD UK - 2017 (Flac) *Special Post* #7

SPECIAL POST #7

World On 3 from the Womad Festival
Charlton Park, Malmesbury, England
Friday 28 July - Sunday 30 July 2017

BBC Radio 3 lossless stream   

01. Toots & The Maytals - Funky Kingston (6:32)
02. Alsara - Albahr (3:21)
03. Afro Celt Sound System - The Magnificent Seven (4:23)
04. Trad.Attack! - Ysan’Kene (4:56)                 
05. King Ayisoba - Brother They Can See You (3:47)
06. Xaos - Pontos Blues (6:31)
07. Lamomali - C'et Air (4:49)
08. Las Cafeteras - Tiempos De Amour (3:42)
09. Grupo Canalón de Timbiquí - Lolita (5:56)
10. Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Homeless (3:59)
11. Bonga - Mona Ki Ngui Xiça (4:11)
12. Ska Vengers - Frank Brazil (4:02)
13. Oumou Sangaré - Kounadia (7:37)

Lineage:
Recorded from the BBC Radio 3 Lossless FLAC stream > Audacity > editing, tracking and fades > WAV > TLH > FLAC (8)

This was assembled from recordings I made of the BBC Radio 3 broadcast lossless streams from the UK Womad Festival 2017. Eleven hours of music, over four programmes, were broadcast during the last weekend in July. This disc compiles over an hour's worth of those broadcasts to give a sampler of some of the 95 acts that took the stage. (thebasement67, August 2017)

                           
01. Toots & the Maytals
Toots Hibbert is among the pantheon of Jamaican reggae greats. It’s almost half a century since the Maytals’ 1968 single “Do the Reggay”, was the first song to use the word ‘reggae’ as ska and rocksteady morphed into a new beat. Toots and his band have been doing it ever since and Bob Marley even name-checked the Maytals alongside the Wailers in his 1977 hit “Punky Reggae Party”. Expect a righteous roots set featuring such timeless Toots classics as “54-46 Was My Number”,  “Funky Kingston”,  “Monkey Man”, “Pressure Drop” and “Reggae Got Soul”.

02. Alsarah & the Nubatones
The Sudanese singer Alsarah was a child when her family were forced to flee the country following a coup. She was eventually given political asylum in America where, after taking a degree in ethnomusicology she formed the Nubatones in 2010 with percussionist Rami el Aasser.
With a line-up that includes her sister Nahid on backing vocals, bassist Mawuena Kodjovi, and oud player Haig Manoukian, the ensemble released their debut album Silt in 2014.
Alsarah’s mesmerising blend of ancient tradition and East African pop has since entranced audiences wherever they’ve played – including a memorable appearance at the first music festival to be held in Somalia in 20 years.

03. Afro Celt Sound System
When the Afro-Celts re-emerged last year with The Source, their first new album in more than a decade, nobody knew quite what to expect. Would the group’s trademark global dance fusion that had sounded so thrillingly cutting-edge when they first appeared at WOMAD in 1996, now sound out-dated?  We need not have worried, for it transpired that the long hiatus had reinvigorated the band.
With their swirling mix of African rhythms and Celtic melodicism augmented by thundering bhangra drumming, the critics hailed their return as an unqualified triumph in which the Afro-Celts were sounding “bigger, better and bolder than ever.”

04. Trad.Attack!
Trad.Attack! have turned Estonian folk music on its head since releasing their 2014 debut album AH! Combining the bagpipe playing and vocals of Sandra Vabarna, virtuoso guitar of Jalmar Vabarna and inventive percussion of  Tõnu Tubli, the trio take their inspiration from old archive recordings of Estonian traditional songs.
But folk music is merely their starting point and not their boundary as they reconcile past, present and future in a dynamic postmodern furnace of folklore, beats and rock’n’roll.
The trio’s second album Shimmer Gold is due for release in May 2017, neatly timed for this year’s round of summer festivals.

05. King Ayisoba
Apozora Ayisoba has built a huge following in West Africa with his unique update of traditional styles played on the two-string lute known as a kologo and sung in an intense, hard-edged voice.
His current album, 1000 Can Die is a thrilling mix of traditional Ghanaian rhythms and contemporary beats with echoes of hiplife, the local hybrid of traditional African highlife and hip-hop.
Listen out, too, for his definitive hit ‘I Want to See You, My Father’, which announced his arrival a decade ago when it won him song of the year, and is certain to feature prominently in his regal set.

06. XÀOS
If WOMAD had a long-service medal, Nick Page – sometimes known as Dubulah – would be one of its first recipients. Over the years he’s been a key force behind such global fusionist festival favourites as Transglobal Underground, Temple Of Sound, Dub Colossus and Syriana. His latest project XÀOS, finds him exploring the musical heritage of his Greek mother in partnership with the electronic composer Ahetas Jimi and a supporting cast of traditional Greek musicians.
The epic album they made together took a decade to complete, its electronic pulses and traditional shadings uncannily echoing the tensions and struggles which Greece itself has been undergoing in an uncertain world.

07. Lamomali
The French singer-songwriter, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Matthieu Chedid, alias -M- has been collaborating with musicians from Mali for 20 years, including Amadou and Mariam and kora legend Toumani Diabate. His latest project teams him once more with Toumani and his son Sidike Diabate, who in addition to playing the kora is a key mover in Bamako’s vibrant hip-hop scene.
 “With Lamomali I planted the seed and I watched it grow so that a multi-coloured African universe can be born,” says Chedid, who is of partly Lebanese-Egyptian origin. “It must be my African side in me because I felt like I had finally returned home.”

08. Las Cafeteras
Emerging from an ethnically diverse and politically active working-class neighbourhood of East Los Angeles in 2005, this Chicano band have built an enviable reputation with their radical and socially-conscious mix of Mexican folk styles, hip-hop and much else besides, using their songs to tell stories about the streets where they were raised, the communities in which they live and their dreams for a better world. Their second album, Tastes Like LA, has just been released and includes a song titled “If I Was President”.  As singer Denise Carlos puts it: “The President says he wants to build a wall. Las Cafeteras want to build bridges”. Their WOMAD performance will be a UK and European debut.

09. Grupo Canalón de Timbiquí
Nidia Góngora blends felicitously with the African-style chanting of a female chorus.
Hailing from the town of Timbiquí on the Pacific coast of Colombia, Grupo Canalón met in school, where their music teacher taught them the traditional folk songs typical of the coastal region, sung for generations by the women of the town while washing clothes in the river and praising their patron saints. The voice of lead singer Nidia Góngora blends felicitously with the African-style chanting of a female chorus, backed by marimba and folkloric percussion, and between touring and recording, several of the group’s members still dig for gold in the mines around Timbiquí.

10. Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Founded in the early 1960s by Joseph Shabalala, then a young farm boy turned factory worker, the joyous harmonies of South Africa’s Ladysmith Black Mabazo have been uplifting audiences for more than half a century.  The a cappella Zulu male choir emerged on to the world stage in the 1980s when they were given a starring role on Paul Simon’s landmark “Graceland” album. Simon returned the compliment by producing the group’s first worldwide release, “Shaka Zulu”, which won a Grammy.  Since then they’ve toured the world endlessly, winning countless further awards and recording with a vast array of guest vocalists ranging from Stevie Wonder to Dolly Parton.

11. Bonga
For veteran and much-loved godfather of Angolan music, 2017 marks the 45th anniversary of Bonga’s seminal debut album Angola 72.
The record became the soundtrack for Angola’s battle for independence from Portuguese colonial rule and was banned, forcing him into exile as a wanted man. Since independence he has divided his time between Europe and his homeland, recording a prolific string of peerless albums characterised by his rasping, powerful voice and the rippling Angolan rhythms of semba.
At 74, he remains a potent and charismatic force-of-nature on stage and insists that he has absolutely no plans to retire any time soon.

12. The Ska Vengers
The name tells only part of the story. The Ska Vengers hail from the Indian capital of New Delhi and their musical palette encompasses not only the irresistible  chk-chk’ rhythms of Jamaican ‘ska’ but  elements of dub, punk, jazz, rap, psychedelia and Latin music.
Formed in 2009, their debut album appeared three years later and has come to be regarded as a landmark on the contemporary Indian music scene. Live their energy is palpable and their first UK tour in 2016, which included a performance at the Notting Hill Carnival, was a revelation that brought them to a new and appreciative audience.

13. Oumou Sangaré
Stylish, elegant, feisty and charismatic, Oumou Sangaré is not only one of  the most powerful female voices in African music but a striking role model who has used her music to campaign fearlessly to improve the position of women in Mali’s male-dominated society, singing against such injustices as polygamy and child marriage. Following an eight year absence from the recording studio she returned to the fray in 2017 with her fifth album Mogoya.  While the record remains rooted deep in Malian culture and tradition, the more contemporary arrangements break new ground on the funkiest set of her career to date.

LINK