SONGHOY BLUES - BBC Radio Session: 2019 (Flac)

Songhoy Blues bring their dynamic 'desert R&B' to the Music Planet studio, presented by Lopa Kothari. Staying with artists from Mali, this is a superb session I recorded some 18 months ago. The interview gives background on the band and the current political situation back home.

Music Planet BBC Radio 3 FM
Friday 30 August 2019 / 11pm-12:30am

Songhoy Blues session
broadcast 30 August, 2019
---------------------------------
01. Ai Tchere Bellé (3:42)              
02. Desert Melody > Interview pt. 1 (8:14)            
03. Ai Du (Ali Farka Toure cover) (4:07)        

04. Interview pt. 2 (4:13)
05. Hambour Durgna (4:17)
24:37
                    
The original version of cover track 03 appeared on Ali Farka Toure's collaboration with Ry Cooder, the superb 'Talkin' Timbuktu' album.

LINK 

FATOUMATA DIAWARA - BBC Radio Session: 2018 (Flac)

Recording:
Using the tools available via my home stereo equipment and those online, audio editing programmes and the means to record digitally (without cassette tapes, mini discs and cd recorders, remember them!) I began recording radio programmes for the first time in some fifteen-years during 2017. It took a bit of trial and error to get recordings that I was satisfied with. As touched on in a previous post, an indoor aerial was insufficient for the job and I invested in an FM outdoor aerial which provoked some interest amongst the neighbours. This neat piece of kit enabled some strong FM signals to be captured and I have decided to pass some of the fruits of these on to you.

BBC Radio 3 FM:
During the time I begun experimenting with recording digitally I discovered that BBC Radio 3 were trialling the use of lossless FM broadcasts.

During the proms broadcasts, all other programmes were available in compression free FM Stereo. This was of interest to me as I had been searching and testing the BBC radio schedules for programmes to record. I had spotted that contrary to most opinions Radio 3 wasn't just for classical music and there were other types of music being broadcast, primarily on 'The Late Show' and 'World On 3'.

The latter programme was eventually dropped in an overhaul of the radio schedules, taking its place was 'Music Planet' with the same alternating DJ's - Lopa Kothari & Kathryn Tickell, fronting the new look programme. Essentially because of the new compression free FM broadcasts it seemed an ideal programme to record. 

The trial ran from mid July 2017 through proms season to the first week in September taking in the renowned Womad, Latitude and Edinburgh festivals. That particular year Radio 3 devoted a large portion of the schedules with live broadcasts and interviews from the Womad festival. Find an example here: LINK

I became a regular listener to the show at this time and have some excellent sessions and live performances from the likes of: Oumou Sangare, Toots & The Maytals, King Ayisoba, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Afro Celt Sound System, Nooran Sisters & Martin Simpson.

This particular show comes from a year later, unfortunately the compression free broadcast experiment wasn't repeated and nearly four years later hasn't been put into practice. While FM through the air broadcasts remain it seems unlikely that it will become the norm although with better broadband facilities in the UK its time may eventually come.

 

Fatoumata Diawara in session

Presented by Lopa Kothari and featuring a specially recorded studio session by the Malian singer and songwriter Fatoumata Diawara, performing material from her new album Fenfo. 

DJ and broadcaster Alex Jordan reports from Kingston, Jamaica for this week's Road Trip with music ranging from classic ska and rocksteady to contemporary dancehall. 

Plus we have the new release from Thabang Tabane (South Africa) and the latest discovery from BBC Music Introducing.
 

Music Planet BBC Radio 3 FM
with Lopa Kothari  
Friday 20 July 2018 / 11pm-1am

t1 from BBC i-player, the remaining tracks are from the live FM broadcast

best of: 29 July 2018 broadcast

01. Eliana Cuevas - El Manantial | Golpes y Flores (Inakustic) * i-player recording, missed the beginning of the programme
02. Fatoumata Diawara - Don Do (Studio Session)
03. Orlando “Cachaíto” López - Redencion | Cachaito (World Circuit)

04. Road Trip from Kingston, Jamaica:
a Bob Marley & The Wailers - Simmer Down (Coxsone)
b The Kingstonians - Singer Man (Song Bird)
c Wayne Marshall - Glory to God (ft. Tessane Chin & Ryan Mark) (Kingston Hills Entertainment)
d Amindi K. Fro$t & Tessallated & Valleyz - Pine & Ginger (Big Beat)
e Chronixx - Likes | Chronology (Soul Circle Music)

05. Mélissa Laveaux - Nan Fon Bwa | Radio Sywel (No Format)
06. Fatoumata Diawara - N'Terini (In Session)
07. Fatoumata Diawara - Fenfo (In Session)
08. Waaju - Maroc (BBC Music Introducing)
09. Miriam Makeba - Kilimanjaro (Mixtape) | Lovely Lies / Kilimanjaro (London)
10. Fatoumata Diawara - Sinnerman (In Session)
11. Fatoumata Diawara - Kanou Den Yen (In Session)
12. Thabang Tabane - Nyanda Yeni | Nyanda Yeni (single) (Mushroom Hour Half Hour)

running time: 80:19

LINK 

01. Eliana Cuevas – El Manatial | Golpes y Flores (Inakustic, 2017)

Eliana Cuevas was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela. In 1996 she moved to Canada and currently resides in Toronto, Ontario. Her latest album, Golpes y Flores is her sixth and has been described as a love letter to her troubled homeland. It won

the award for ‘World Solo Artist of the Year’ at the 14th Canadian Folk Music Awards in 2018.

The drumming and percussion on this track immediately draws you into the song and blends perfectly with her lilting vocal melodies.

Fatoumata Diawara - In Session for BBC Radio 3,  June 6, 2018

02. Don Do, 06. N’Terini, 07. Fenfo, 10. Sinnerman & 11. Kanou Dan Yen

Fatoumata Diawara was born in the Ivory Coast to Malian parents. As an adolescent, she was sent back to their native Bamako in Mali to be raised by an aunt. She moved to France to pursue acting and later took up the guitar and began composing her own material, writing songs that blend Wassoulou traditions of southern Mali with international influences.

She sings primarily in Bambara, the national language of Mali. Her second studio album, Fenfo (Something To Say) was released in 2018 on Wagram Music/Shanachie Records. This promotional session ostensibly to promote the album saw her appearing solo. As often happens with BBC sessions, the artist often opts to add something different to their performance and not content with appearing solo with her guitars and effects pedals, Fatou provides a version of Sinnerman, itself made famous by Nina Simone’s extended cover and by several versions from Bob Marley, Peter Tosh & Bunny Wailer.

Diawara is regarded as one of the most vital standard-bearers of modern African music, her new album is boldly experimental yet respectful of her roots, it’s a record that defines her as the voice of young African womanhood – proud of her heritage but with a vision that looks confidently to the future and a message that is universal. DJ Lopa Kothari discusses the themes and meaning of the selected songs for this session with Fatou in the short interview.

03. Orlando ‘Cachaito’ Lopez – Redencion | Cachaito (World Circuit)

‘Cachaíto’ was a Cuban bassist and composer, who gained international fame after his involvement in the Buena Vista Social Club recordings. In 1996 he was hired by Juan de Marcos González for his Afro-Cuban All Stars, signing to World Circuit, and at the same time becoming a member of the resulting Buena Vista Social Club project and appearing in Wim Wenders' documentary Buena Vista Social Club.

Cuban bassist Orlando "Cachaíto" Lopez, gained international fame as the bassist with Buena Vista Social Club. More importantly, Lopez's fluid, supple playing accompanied six decades of exceptional Cuban music-making - jazz, classical, mambo, salsa and fusion. In 1996 the young Cuban musician Juan de Marcos González hired Lopez as part of his Afro-Cuban All Stars. This large band was signed to the British label World Circuit. When the World Circuit boss Nick Gold turned up in Havana with the American guitarist Ry Cooder later that year, they initially hoped to record Cuban and Malian musicians playing together. Visa problems sabotaged this project, so they employed González to put together a band of veteran Cuban musicians. He brought Lopez in on bass and the resulting sessions were called Buena Vista Social Club.

World Circuit's 1997 Buena Vista CD proved a phenomenal - and unexpected - hit, selling over eight million copies and setting almost all the album's participants up with solo careers. Lopez was the only musician from the original sessions to play on all the following albums by the Buena Vista alumni.

After a career spanning some 60 years, Cachaíto made his debut solo album in 2001 the producers recorded Lopez's bass as the lead instrument, pairing him with musicians from across the globe and pushing his sound until it took on elements of dub reggae, ambient jazz and hip-hop. While the album was critically acclaimed, it proved too challenging to be a large seller.

04. Road Trip To Jamaica

featuring Bob Marley & The Wailers, The Kingstonians, Wayne Marshall, Tessellated & Chronixx

The road trip series is a regular spot on the Music Planet programme. A different country is selected and a resident discusses the local music scene and presents some tracks that give an idea of either the history and/or current styles of music. It’s an impossible task to select five tracks that encompass the history of Jamaican music, so we move rapidly from ska and early reggae’s past into the future with today’s newest dancehall and reggae rebel frequency artists. I can strongly recommend the Chronixx album 'Chronology' and if you are wondering what the rebel frequency is about see the new John Masouri book 'Rebel Frequency: Jamaica's Reggae Revival.'

 

05. Melissa Leveaux – Nan For Bwa | Radio Sywel (No Format) 

This track is from Haitian-Canadian singer-songwriter Mélissa Laveaux’s new album ‘Radyo Siwèl’. It was conceived around the songs sung during the American military occupation of Haiti from 1915 to 1936. Through her music Mélissa proudly explores her roots and brings back to life the stories, the songs, the crafts and the dreams of Haitian folklore and Voodoo culture.

 

08. Waaju - Maroc (BBC Music Introducing)

BBC Music Introducing is BBC Radio's platform supporting unsigned, undiscovered, and under-the-radar UK talent. It gives artists the opportunity to be played on BBC local radio and nationally. Tonight’s selected artist was Waaju, a London-based groove-centred world jazz ensemble that encapsulates many influences from West African music, with a particular focus on the music of Mali. The band plays the original music of drummer & percussionist Ben Brown which combines the exceptional spirit of the likes of Ali Farka Toure, Oumou Sangare, Tinariwen & Baba Sissoko with the spontaneity of jazz harmony & improvisation - resulting in an undeniably energetic performance!

 

09. Miriam Makeba - Kilimanjaro | Single B-side 1956 (London)

Miriam Makeba gave a voice to millions of oppressed fellow South Africans suffering from apartheid. She was banned from the country by the white government regime, who revoked her citizenship. Her voice continued to sing and protest against the regime putting South African music on the map from exile in Guinea.

12. Thabang Tabane - Nyanda Yeni | Single (Mushroom Hour Half Hour) 

Son of the late, legendary Dr Philip Nchipi Tabane and heir to the malombo sound that he originated and pioneered in the early 1960s, Thabang has been touring the world, playing with his father’s band and other South African luminaries since he was 8 years old.

Emerging into his own with his debut solo album, Matjale, this energetic percussionist carves a driving, joyous and worldly version of the malombo genre that takes in his continental travels. The album brims with ambition and an appetite for life. Employing brisk tempos, nimble basslines and intersecting polyrhythms, Thabang crafts songs cognisant of the hardships of life, but chooses to deliver them with an irrepressible optimism.

Expanding the parameters of what is essentially an artform patented by his father, Thabang and his cohorts infuse the sound with a modern sensibility. His reverence for the vibrational resonance and drive of the bass guitar, not to mention his explosive bursts of hand drumming, gives the album an undeniable, cathartic exuberance. 

This was the first single taken from the upcoming album, 'Matjale' scheduled for release on 14 Sep, 2018.

If you have made it to the bottom of this post well done it's a bit lengthy but for good reason. 

If you are tired of listening to your usual favourite kind of music, give this a try it may set you off onto a different musical route. 

The artists that appear on this programme go virtually under the radar of the mainstream. When was the last time you picked up a copy of a music magazine and saw an African artist smiling back at you. Never! Well that's more than likely. 

There is an abundance of artists in Mali, as an example of one African country, setting the music scene alight. I've spotlit Fatou Diawara but there are numerous more, Tinariwen, Songhoy Blues, Mokoomba, Oumou Sangare & Tamikrest are also particular favourites of mine.  

Give this recording a listen and leave a comment if anything in particular has changed your musical outlook.

FRAZEY FORD - Live In Session (2020) Flac

Celtic Connections 2020
Another Country with Ricky Ross
BBC Radio Scotland FM Stereo

Tuesday 21 January 2020 / 9-11pm

Live music with Frazey Ford, Pieta Brown and Robert Vincent performing 'In The Round' at Cottiers Theatre as part of Celtic Connections 2020, Glasgow's annual winter music festival.

I missed the beginning of the programme and only kept the Frazey Ford section of the show. At the outer edge of FM reception for this BBC radio station, sometimes my recordings are marred by a poor signal depending on weather and atmospheric conditions, fortunately the sound on this one is really A+++

If you are familiar with the Americana genre you will know that Frazey was a member of the Canadian all-female band 'The Be Good Tanyas'. She went solo and released her first album Obadiah in 2010. Four years later it was followed by Indian Ocean and a further six years later by U Kin B The Sun in 2020.

This was one of the last pre-lockdown live sessions on British radio before the ban on live music. The interview is very interesting too, as Frazey discusses her methods of songwriting and her love of Memphis soul, whose influence shines throughout her last two albums and this performance. The musicianship on this live session is stunning and its well worth spending thirty-minutes of your time listening to it. An exclusive on the blog and hasn't circulated elsewhere. Following below the tracklisting are notes by the presenter, DJ and singer-songwriter, Ricky Ross.

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

Frazey Ford - In The Round Session
Recorded at Cottiers Theatre, Glasgow on 21 January, 2020.
xx. Holdin' It Down (missed, not recorded)

01. Interview pt. 1 (1:42)
02. Money Can't Buy (4:04)
03. Interview pt. 2 (1:42)
04. Let's Start Again (5:03)
05. Interview pt. 3 (2:20)
06. Runnin' (5:43)
07. The Kids Are Having None Of It (5:15)
08. Azad (4:34)
(30:27)

recorded 21 January, 2020
by thebasement67

Lineage:
Denon tuner TU-250L > DAC > Audacity 2.1.3 > 16bit 44kHz Wav > WavLab6 > (tracking and editing) > TLH > Flac 8

 

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There’s something about a round which is very special. To the initiated it’s a Nashville, Tennessee tradition. In truth I’m not certain where it started but its most celebrated home is The Bluebird Cafe on Music City’s west side. On any night of any week you’ll find a first and second house filled up with music loving locals and increasingly, visitors to the city, keen to experience one of the most celebrated experiences the home of country has to offer. The interesting adjoined to all this is that the songwriters in the round may not be familiar to any of the audience; it’s the songs that are the stars.

The format is simple. The writers gather in the centre of the room and seated round them at tables and a few (latecomers only) rows of chairs and a couple of bar-stools are the audience. One of the four will launch into a number and for the best part of two hours with a short intermission four songwriters will tell stories, sing songs made famous by a variety of artists (sometimes including themselves) and your heart will get broken and put back together as you walk out to the cool of a Tennessee night. For $20 or so, it’s possibly the cheapest, best night out ever.

There are legendary stories too. A couple of years ago Kacey Musgraves told us the great story of how she met Ruston Kelly after spying him one night at The Bluebird. It was music of course… but love and marriage followed. We are not expecting that at our annual Celtic Connections round this week although we have had one or two great friendships. We think John Murry met his next producer on a smoke break after one of the nights we hosted. At the Bluebird the story goes that one night in a quiet corner of the room an up and coming singer called Garth Brooks was in to see what was happening. It was there he heard a song he knew was perfect for him. On the night he heard The Dance he told the writer, Tony Arata, ‘When I get a record deal, I’m going to record that song.’ You probably know how that one worked out.

In the AC round this year we have three great writers and some fabulous guest musicians. From Idaho along with guests John McCusker and Michael McGoldrick Music, we welcome Pieta Brown. From Vancouver, for a return to our round, Frazey Ford and her band. And all the way from Liverpool, Robert Vincent. There are stories, a few laughs, the occasional tear and two hours of song after song from three wonderful artists. It was all recorded in Cottiers Theatre in Glasgow on Tuesday night.  (Ricky Ross, 24 January 2020)

LINK

#150 THE WATERBOYS - Glastonbury Festival 1986 (Flac)

The Waterboys are often mistaken for an Irish group but none of their original members were Irish. Lead singer and main driving force Mike Scott was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. The other original members included Anthony Thistlethwaite, born in Lutterworth England, Karl Wallinger, Prestatyn Wales and Kevin Wilkinson, Stoke-on-Trent, England.

Mike Scott went to Ireland in January 1986 to visit Steve Wickham for a week long trip that turned into a six-year stay. Karl Wallinger had left the band and started his own, World Party. This left the way for a change in direction amid the influence of Steve Wickham and Ireland. Mike Scott has said of this time, "Between April and July 1986, the fellow who fiddles, the human saxophone, Trevor Hutchison, Dave Ruffian and myself were the greatest band in the world." Make up your own mind while listening to this storming performance.

Mike Scott and the other members of the Waterboys have never received royalties or any money from the pre-FM source of this Glastonbury 1986 show and he has excluded it from their official discography, and regards it as nothing more than a bootleg. Which is good news for us meaning it can be posted here as one of the greatest bootlegs. 

Three of the tracks missing from that release have been broadcast on FM and all are included here. Only the opening track, a cover of “The Wayward Wind” (and also covered by Neil Young on 'Old Ways' in 1985), “Fisherman’s Blues and “Meet Me At The Station” are missing. 

Those familiar with the album 'An Appointment with Mr Yeats' (2011) will notice the early influence of WB Yeats in the music of Mike Scott. The 1986 live performances of ‘This is The Sea’ and ‘Spirit’ incorporated the lyric of ‘The Four Ages Of  Man’ and 'Savage Earth Heart' includes quotations from "Dirt" by Iggy Pop and 'Jerusalem' by William Blake.

The Waterboys
Pyramid Stage, Glastonbury Festival, England
20 June, 1986

01. Medicine Bow                         
02. Be My Enemy                    
03. Maggie's Farm (Bob Dylan cover)                 
04. Old England                    
05. The Thrill Is Gone / And the Healing Has Begun    
06. The Pan Within (incl. Because the Night)        
07. The Whole of the Moon                
08. Spirit / The 4 Ages of Man / Endless Store        
09. Savage Earth Heart / Dirt / Jerusalem        
10. This Is the Sea                             
      encore:
11. Saints and Angels                 

tracks 1 & 3 from FM 1 source, tracks 2, 4-9 & 13 from pre-FM, track 10 is from the second FM source

 The complete set was:

01. The Wayward Wind (Gogi Grant cover) x
02. Medicine Bow                         
03. Be My Enemy                    
04. Fisherman's Blues x
05. Maggie's Farm (Dylan cover)                
06. Old England                    
07. The Thrill Is Gone / And the Healing Has Begun    
08. Meet Me at the Station x
09. The Pan Within (incl. Because the Night)        
10. The Whole of the Moon                
11. Spirit / The 4 Ages of Man / Endless Store        
12. Savage Earth Heart / Dirt / Jerusalem        
13. This Is the Sea                             
      encore:
14. Saints and Angels                 

Tracks marked x are those missing, there is an audience recording of the whole show in circulation

 LINK

 

Lineages:

Pre-FM: CDr rip > WAV > TLH > Flac 8

FM 1: BBC Radio 1 FM -> Roof Aerial -> Marantz ST151L Tuner -> Aiwa ADF770 3-Head Cassette Deck -> TDK-SA (Type II) cassette tape (Master FM recording from the original 1986 BBC In Concert broadcast, by Chris Poor)

FM 2: FM - Cassette (master) - Audacity - xACT

The Band:
Mike Scott: vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, electric piano
Anthony Thistlethwaite: sax, mandolin, electric mandolin, piano, backing vocals
Steve Wickham: fiddle, backing vocals
Trevor Hutchinson: bass
Dave Ruffy: drums, backing vocals (ex The Ruts)

Additional work:
Fade, edits plus volume boost on FM tracks to match the louder pre-FM source
WAV > TLH > Flac 8

tb67 - January 2021

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 BLOG UPDATE:

Looking at the stats , most blog users are based in the US, with the UK and France in 2^nd and 3^rd place. Since January 2012 there have been 2.88 million views of the blog with over a thousand comments! The blog hit a monthly high with 55,459 views in April 2016 and declined rapidly, after the links were lost that month due to the enforced closure of hosting sites. Exactly 3 years later the monthly views had shrunk to just over 10,000, Google’s new algorithm didn’t help much either. Since then we have climbed back upwards and are now hitting 32,000 per month. The all-time most popular posts are listed below:

1. PRINCE - Small Club 1988  #51

2. RADIOHEAD - In Rainbows: Live from the Basement 2008  #52

3. BLACK SABBATH - Asbury Park, NJ. 1975  #87

4. Bootlegs of the Year 2015-2020

5. NEW ORDER - Reading Festival 1993  #93

6. JIMI HENDRIX - Berkeley 1st show, May 30, 1970  #96

7. JIMI HENDRIX - The LA Forum 1970  #136

8. DAVID BOWIE – Toy  #27

9. BROADCAST - BBC Radio & TV Sessions 1996-2000  #102

10. TOM WAITS - Postaula, Bremen, Germany 1977  #98

11. LED ZEPPELIN - Earl's Court, London 1975  #91

12. BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN - Max's Kansas City Night 1973  #134

Thanks to all who have supported the blog, a surprise to see the number 4 position. Usually the most popular posts are those by legendary artists, so it’s amazing to see how highly regarded UK band, Broadcast have become.

As promised an extra 50 posts have now been added. What now? The ongoing pandemic has answered that question for me and we continue onwards with a selection of special posts with guest links (these will be available for a short time). 

Further posts include some of my FM recordings, celebrating some of the greatest disc jockeys that the UK has produced. Expect to see some shows and sessions from radio programmes by John Peel, Bob Harris, Andy Kershaw and David Rodigan. 

I also have some recordings from artists involved in the Americana scene, these include sessions and interviews and will be exclusive to this site.

THE BEATLES - Unreleased (Flac)

BEATLES - UNRELEASED

01. Love of the Loved - Decca Records audition January 1, 1962.
Unreleased Beatles song, Cilla Black used it for her debut single release in 1963  (Decca Audition)

02. I Saw Her Standing There - Private rehearsal,  Cavern Club, Liverpool, late 1962.
No harmonica on the final recorded version (For No One)

03. Bad to Me - Demo acetate, mid-1963.
Another unreleased Beatles song that was given away, this time to Billy J. Kramer. (For No One)

04. Roll Over Beethoven - BBC session, June 24, 1963.
A superior version than the one released on "Live at the BBC" with a longer guitar solo and better bass sound  (BBC-UB V3t53)

05. Sure to Fall (In Love With You) - BBC session, March 31, 1964.
Another superior take  to the one released. This Carl Perkins cover has a different bridge than the official selection from September 1963 (BBC-UB V8t48)

06. A Hard Day's Night - Take 4  April 16, 1964 EMI session
The reverbed guitar chord is attempted three times before a satisfactory beginning is taped. The track has some of the worst guitar playing recorded by George Harrison. (The Red Light’s On)

 07. I'm Happy Just to Dance with You - BBC session, July 17, 1964.
More mistakes by George Harrison, this time with the lyrics (BBC-UB V9t33)

08. What You're Doing - Take 11, September 30, 1964.
An alternate take that has noticeably more 12-string guitar (The Red Light’s On)

09. I'm a Loser - BBC session, May 26, 1965, Taken from the last session that the Beatles recorded for the BBC (BBC-UB V10t26)

10. That Means a Lot - Take 24 and "test" take, March 30, 1965.
Different than the Anthology take, a much faster arrangement that breaks down (The Red Light’s On)

11. Norwegian Wood - Take 2, October 21, 1965.
Again different than the Anthology 2 take; nearer the released version but the sitar is different and the track has a heavier beat (The Red Light’s On)

12. We Can Work It Out - Paul McCartney composing tape, autumn 1965
On this short extract Paul performs solo on vocal and acoustic guitar. (For No One)

13. She Said, She Said - John Lennon composing tape, early 1966
John performs solo on vocal and acoustic guitar. Early lyrics differ from the final version (For No One)

14. Strawberry Fields Forever - Home demo, Autumn 1966. John again performing solo accompanied by acoustic guitar. (The Red Light’s On)

15. Flying - September 8, 1967 - A Magical Mystery Tour instrumental, an alternate mix with a cabaret style ending (The Red Light’s On)

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16. Back in the U.S.S.R. - George's house, late May 1968 from the Esher demos recorded shortly before The White Album sessions (White Album deluxe Purple Chick)

17. I'm Just a Child of Nature - George's house, late May 1968 from the Esher demos recorded shortly before The White Album sessions.  An unreleased Beatles song that John reworked as Jealous Guy for his 1971 Imagine album. (White Album deluxe Purple Chick)

18. Revolution - Late May 1968 at George's house, from the Esher demos recorded shortly before The White Album sessions.  (For No One)

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19. I'm So Tired - January 3, 1969 from the Get Back/Let It Be sessions. Paul on lead vocals. 01/03/69 Disc 1: t39. 3.38 (2:32)  (A/B Sessions (Purple Chick)

20. Get Back - January 10, 1969 from the Get Back/Let It Be sessions. John on lead vocals. 01/10/69 (A/B Sessions (Purple Chick))

21. Besame Mucho - January 29, 1969 from the Get Back/Let It Be sessions. Fooling around on a song they used at auditions in 1962. 01/29/69 Disc 4: t03. 29.40 (2:27)  A/B Sessions (Purple Chick)

 22. Let It Be - January 26, 1969 from the Get Back/Let It Be sessions. This is an alternate version with Billy Preston's gospel sounding organ more prominent in the mix. It appeared on the first Get Back acetate which was the basis for one of the first and most popular Beatles bootlegs (Get Back ‘Elektra’ acetate)

 23. Something - Take 37, July 11, 1969. The violins are absent from this and it has a long instrumental coda cut from the final arrangement on Abbey Road. (Abbey Road deluxe v2 sessions (Purple Chick))

 24. Oh Yoko - May 26 to June 2, 1969, John & Yoko's hotel room, the Bed-In for Peace, Montreal
Acoustic guitar and lead vocals by John with Yoko contributing backing harmonies. An early version of the song that appeared on the 1971 Imagine album. (Complete Lost Lennon V12t23)

 25. Nowhere to Go - Circa late May 1970 George Harrison demo for All Things Must Pass
George solo on vocals and electric guitar on an unreleased song (The Art of Dying (All Things Must Pass Outtakes))

26. Long Tall Sally - August 29, 1966, Candlestick Park, San Francisco.
Less than a minute of the Beatles last live song from their final show, until the rooftop appearance in 1969. (Candlestick Park (Masterdisc))

Bonus hidden track
If I Fell - Convention Hall, Philadelphia, September 2, 1964. (CDR trade)

A listing of 30 of the most interesting unreleased Beatles tracks from the book "The Unreleased Beatles: Music and Film" was used as the basis for the compilation. It was compiled by me for the 100 greatest bootlegs blog (March 2016). The sources I have used are in brackets after the notes on each track.

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Note that two tracks from Richie Unterberger's list are missing from this post. These have now been officially released on the BBC sessions 'BBC Vol.2'

Beautiful Dreamer - January 22, 1963 BBC session. Saturday Club, broadcast 26 January 1963
Lucille - September 3, 1963 BBC session.  Pop Go The Beatles, broadcast 17 September 1963

The following track was not used:

If I Fell - Early 1964 John Lennon demo vocal and acoustic guitar
This is a very lo-fi recording with extremely low sound levels (Complete Lost Lennon V15t19)

Since I first posted this, the Esher demos have been officially released on the expanded edition of the 'White Album'. Three tracks originally included have therefore been omitted, the remainder of the tracks are as far as I know still unreleased.

 

Dedicated to the two John's, the other being my father who passed on the 9th December.

Link now unavailable because of the release of the Get Back/Let It Be sessions.
 

More information on the book that inspired this post can be found at this site:

http://www.richieunterberger.com/ubeatles.html
The Unreleased Beatles: Music and Film by Richie Unterberger

THE WAR ON DRUGS - In Session (2014) (Flac)

This one is a re-post, and will be of interest to those with the new War On Drugs live album, 'Live Drugs'. It features two sessions from 2014, promotional radio work for the now acclaimed 'Lost In The Dream' album.

 

The initial post was inspired by the 11-minute War On Drugs single 'Thinking Of A Place' (included on the live album) which led me to spend sometime re-listening to these radio sessions.

In 2003 vocalist, songwriter and guitarist, Adam Granduciel moved from Oakland to Philadelphia and met Kurt Vile - also a fellow multi-instrumentalist. Sharing the same musical interests particularly Bob Dylan they became firm friends and began working together as Kurt Vile and the Violators.

Adam's own project The War On Drugs officially began in 2005 but it would be sometime later, that the duo released their debut EP titled 'Barrel Of Batteries' in 2008. Later that year a full-length album 'Wagonwheel Blues' was released.Kurt Vile followed this up shortly after with his own debut, titled 'Constant Hitmaker' before focusing on his own solo work. He signed to Matador Records and over the following two year period released two albums and some EP's, all featuring his friend Adam Granduciel, who had continued to perform live as part of the Violators.

In 2011 the War On Drugs second album 'Slave Ambient’ was released to critical acclaim, appearing on the best albums of the year lists, side by side with Kurt Vile's own album 'Smoke Ring For Halo, on which Adam also appeared. 'Slave Ambient' broke the War On Drugs to a wider audience. Vile contributed guitar on two of the album's tracks. Much like the Hold Steady before them, they have assimilated these influences and synthesized their own fresh identifiable sound and perspective.

The third album 'Lost In The Dream' was released in March 2014 and built further on that success with positive and enthusiastic reviews. To promote the album, the group set out on a national US tour. Before playing at their next scheduled stop at the Neptune Theatre in Seattle, earlier that day, they dropped in to KEXP and recorded the session and interview included here. It was broadcast in 16 bit lossless.

The group are:

Adam Granduciel: guitar, vocals
Dave Hartley: bass
Charlie Hall: drums
Robbie Bennett: keyboards
Anthony LaMarca: acoustic guitar (also keyboards, not this KEXP session)

The interview by DJ Cheryl Waters was particularly illuminating, and the most salient questions and answers with bandleader Adam Granduciel follow below.

Adam, I know that the new album was born out of a difficult period in your life and maybe you've put all of that emotion in the record, but do you feel that there is a difference between this and 'Slave Ambient'?

"Definitely I guess I just wanted to be more disciplined with writing and recording. I wanted to showcase what the live band had become over the years. 'Slave Ambient' made us, like it forced us to tour for a year and a half and become a band. We were learning how to play together but also re-interpreting these songs. They weren't solo recordings but they also weren't band recordings. I really liked the way that the band changed the way that those songs happened live. 

So for the record I wanted something that could do that again, and really play to everyone's strengths in the studio. Without really, maybe making a band record the same way, that you'd think, you want to make one. So it's still the same kind of recording approach but just with the idea in mind, that I wanted Robbie to play beautiful piano and Dave to play all the sweet bass. To bring Charlie in on songs that I thought were right up his alley, anytime that happened it always transformed the recording."

I heard that you had a long time, like a year, to make this record, writing and recording it. Is that true?

"Yeah, all the songs I started in my home studio between June and December of 2012. They were all kind of sketches or just sparse, pretty loose structures and then I spent for the most part of 2013, overdubbing and stripping away and re-doing stuff."

Was that a luxury? Did you ever have that much time to work on music?

"Well 'Slave Ambient' took a long time too but it wasn't the only thing I had to do. This time around, this was the only thing. It was a luxury, it was different, with 'Slave Ambient too I realized that I couldn't make a record the way I had made that one again and I don't think I could make one, like the way I made this one. I think personally the goal is to just try to get to a point, where you can sit in a room with your band and make a record in maybe a few months. Live as a band, like all the records we love so much but I think it's a process trying to get there."

I get the idea that song writing is maybe more of an intensive process for you?

"Sometimes it's just a matter of exhausting all the possibilities. I mean pretty much all of the songs on this record were built up from all the stuff I started at home. We'd build them up and take them to the studio, just kind of build them up as we go. There wasn't really a moment when we were all together in a room playing a song. Some of the songs were written fairly quickly, 'Eyes To The Wind' I wrote that in my kitchen in like a few minutes strangely enough, but the finished recording of that took about a year. When I first had the idea I knew what the song meant to me. I knew it had a feeling, like a magic about it. I guess the recording process is about trying to unlock that feeling and also make it sound huge but also try to hold on to whatever like little naiveties, when you first had that little idea."

Do you know when you hear that magic? That seems to be what's going on with people with this album; you've just really hit it on every song. Do you find yourself questioning over and over or changing things all the time?

"Yeah, I usually know when I start the song in my house and I listen to it for days and days in a row, it's like the only thing I can think of, it might be really sparse but I can hear what the mood is. Like in that first song we played 'An Ocean In Between The Waves' that was like, it started off super raw in my house, just an organ, some guitar, a drum machine but I just knew it had something important. We were trying to chase that for a long time. How do you keep this beautiful little sound but also make it full band arrangements, because that's what I want. I want songs that sound like what this band sounds like."

You've got a lot of shows and quite a tour ahead of you?

"We do actually, we just drove from Denver to Seattle (1,333 miles / 2,145 km), we did that yesterday, pretty much. We have all the West Coast; Portland, San Francisco, LA, San Diego and over to Europe in May."

Later in the year, the band toured Europe for a second time, before flying off on their debut tour of Australia. The Studio 105 session in Paris was recorded in front of a small invited audience, as part of the promotional commitments on that second European tour. The live sound on this is different from the KEXP session, more like that of the tour where the keyboards have greater prominence.

The War On Drugs
Studio 105, Maison de la Radio, Paris, France
1st November 2014
Excellent FM

Broadcast by France Inter radio: November 1, 2014 on the "Coming up sessions" show.

01. Eyes To The Wind
02. Burning
03. An Ocean In Between The Waves
04. Under The Pressure
05. In Reverse
06. DJ and band introduction
07. Red Eyes
08. Suffering
09. Coming Through
10. I Hear You Calling (cover  Bill Fay 1971)

Lineage: Marantz tuner with a Zoom H4 > Sd card to PC, wav to Audacity (volume and tracks), FLAC (TLH)Original upload by letsgo - November 2014

LINK 1

 

The War On Drugs
In Studio Performance
KEXP-FM
Seattle, WA
March 28, 2014

01. intro
02. An Ocean In Between The Waves
03. chat
04. Eyes To The Wind
05. interview & band intros
06. Red Eyes
07. chat
08. Suffering
09. outro

Source:  KEXP-FM Windows Media stream @ 1.4Mbps > Sound Forge Pro 10.0a @ 24 bit/48 kHz
Recorded and transferred By:  Dennis Orr

Transfer: WAV > Sound Forge Pro 10.0a (fades & normalize) > CDWav (tracking) > iZotope MBIT+ (dithered and downsampled to 16 bit/44.1 kHz) > Trader's Little Helper (level 5) > FLAC > TagScanner 5.1 (tagging)

LINK 2

#149 Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Chicago 1976 (Flac)

Neil Young and Crazy Horse
Chicago Auditorium, Chicago, IL.
November 15, 1976
Late Show

Soundboard Upgrade via JEMS

Lineage: 

Lowest-generation origin cassette > Nakamichi CR-7A azimuth-adjusted playback > Sound Devices USBPre2 > Audacity 2.0 (24/96 capture to .wav) > iZotope RX6 and Ozone 6 mastering > iZotope MBIT+ resample and dither to 16/44.1 > Audacity > TLH > FLAC

01. Heart of Gold
02. The Old Laughing Lady
03. Journey Through the Past
04. Too Far Gone
05. Give Me Strength
06. The Needle and the Damage Done
07. A Man Needs a Maid
08. Tell Me Why
09. Sugar Mountain
10. Country Home
11. Don't Cry No Tears
12. Peace of Mind
13. Lotta Love
14. Like a Hurricane
15. After the Gold Rush
16. Are You Ready for the Country?

Band:

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

Original notes below:

About this recording. I’m sure this is one of those Neil Young recordings that all of you are familiar with, but this marks the first time this specific source has been shared. During all those years there has always been the same underlying version of this concert, but always from a bootleg release, never a version with known generation, let alone a source with known lineage to the master.

But that changes now. BK of JEMS explains:

“This cassette comes from the collection of our longtime friend and ally SS, and given everything we know about the provenance of this famous and fabulous recording and the person from which SS received it, we strongly believe this cassette is the point of origin for every known version of the show. Meaning, all copies in circulation go back to this tape. It is ground zero. What we do not know for sure is if it is THE actual soundboard master. My assumption is that this is a first-generation tape made off either a cassette or reel master. Regardless, I believe it to be the best known version of the recording and the first with a lineage back to analog source with no digital tape or CD generation in-between.”

Firstly, this version, although it had several of the noises and minor sonic defects also present in the bootleg releases, unlike those, in this version they are barely perceptible, able to be heard only if you pay full attention or if you are fully interested in those details, either because you are someone interested in those type of issues or because you're planning to fix them yourself.

In my opinion, sonically this transfer sounds much warmer, with more clarity both in the vocals as much as in the sound of the guitar. It feels more natural, unlike the bootleg releases that surely, at some point, had some kind of noise reduction. Here the mastering has no residue of such a process.

I am very happy to know that this recording is finally getting a release worthy of its quality. As always, I thank the JEMS team for their eternal confidence in me (and those who support me) in releasing recordings to the public. Huge thanks as well to SS for loaning BK his cassette source and blessing its dissemination.

If you, like me, are grateful to this, do not hesitate to show your gratitude in the comments, I know that this recording will be appreciated by all of you. (frogster)

LINK

                                               Above cover is of the now obsolete silver bootleg

 

#148 UNDERWORLD - Bootleg Babies (Flac)

A Live Compilation (1996-99)

The selections for this 16-track, 2-disc set were chosen from 8 different shows, mostly festivals.

I'd been running an Underworld site called "Ride The Sainted Rhythms" for about a year, at that stage with lists of all the material I'd collected via trades. The site was designed to help anyone else out there who might also be collecting. It generated a lot of emails from around the world; people who wanted to trade, people who just found it very hard to find any live recordings of the group.

So it seemed like a logical progression to gather all these people together, have everyone in contact. So i started a little mailing list as part of "Ride The Sainted Rhythms". RTSR-trade was born.

We've collected over sixty seperate live gigs, hundreds of rare and promo tracks, strange recordings and material nobody ever knew existed (besides Underworld of course). - Graham Cooke

"Bootleg Babies" was a project the fans of Underworld on the RTSR-trade mailing list did last year (2000). We wanted to make a mix with the best tracks from Underworld bootlegs we had gathered over the years, a bit like Underworld did with Everything, Everything. 

It kept the list busy for a while since all the tracks where chosen with extensive polls on the list. The members chose the tracks that would be included, from which source, the name of the CD and the artwork. 

Geoff mixed the whole thing so well, it's hard to believe this is coming from 7-8 different bootlegs, ranging in various quality. We distributed the CD from fan to fan around the world. I think a good 150 copies were made of it, so for all you who couldn't get it last year you can now enjoy it. I hope you will enjoy these files -Yannick Joubert

Disc-1
01. Juanita/Kiteless/To Dream of Love, 1996-07-19 Cologne, Germany (21:41)     
02. Rowla, 1999-05-13 Koln, Germany (6:16)     
03. Bruce Lee, 1999-03-20, Tilburg, Holland (5:19)     
04. Kittens, 1999-06-26 Glastonbury, UK. (6:26)    
05. Dark Train, 1999-01-01 London, UK. (11:10)     
06. Born Slippy, 1996-07-19 Move Club, Cologne, Germany. (13:50)     
07. Born Slippy Nuxx, 1999-01-01 London, UK. (9:49)     
08. outro, 1999-05-13 Koln, Germany. (0:38)

LINK 1     

Disc-2
01. intro, 1998-11-14 Gent, Belgium. (1:25)     
02. Mmm... Skyscraper, I Love You, 1999-01-01 London, UK. (8:25)     
03. Push Upstairs, 1999-01-01 London, UK. (11:15)     
04. Confusion the Waitress, 1996-05-27 Pinkpop Festival, Holland     (8:32)     
05. King of Snake, 1999-05-13 Koln, Germany (9:54)     
06. Jumbo, 1999-03-20 Tilburg, Holland (10:14)     
07. Moaner, 1999-03-20 Tilburg, Holland (10:39)     
08. Rez/Cowgirl, 1996-08-25 Reading Festival, UK. (17:12)

LINK 2

Lineage is not specifically known, except that these are all the best available versions. This is from the CDR tree issue, which has significantly better sound.

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

Alexandra Palace, London, England - 31 Dec, 1998    New Order, Underworld
Written by Mark Reed   

(Hi Mark. I did credit you and hope you downloaded and listened to this bootleg. Sorry I can't reply via the comment box below, gremlins! If you prefer to have your excellent review removed, please contact me and I will do so. I thought it went together with this boot just like hand & glove).

After queuing for ages at the bar I run off to catch Underworld amidst their opening number, a sleek graceful and mental "Mmm Skyscraper." Tonight they are on top form - offering a totally different set and feel to the previous Manchester show - which reveals just how tight they have become. "Skyscraper" is stunning - the band are surrounded by Tomato projections and the trio seems in unnaturally close telepathic contact throughout the whole set - and as it melds into a snippet of "Thing In A Book" before turning again into the astonishing "CowGirl" - I know I'm not just having the best New Year's Eve of my life but also watching two of the best bands in the world.

Karl is on immaculate form, improvising and altering lyrics as they tumble from his mouth and wearing a big fat grin. Darren and Rick welded to their consoles are also dancing their tits off. As 'Beaucoup Fish' and the "Push Upstairs/Downstairs" medley take off, I am further convinced of Underworld power.

Even though at least half the set is all new, you wouldn't have a clue from the estatic reaction. Inevitably, about 50 minutes in, it's the astonishing 10 minute "King of Snake" (this will be Born Slippy II) that stuns me. The bassline is unrepentantly huge, and the songs dips, twist and turns in the uncompromisingly pounding manner that made "Born Slippy" so huge. Song of the year already. Karl is dancing and giving it some, wandering behind the back projections as he emotes the relentless "Moaner" to present an enormous shadow that towers over the arena. "Moaner," which tonight sounds phenomenal (yet being barely known amongst the crowd) is eagerly lapped up and effortlessly turns into "Relentless Legs." Into the silence, "Dark+Long" melds into the ace "Dark Train" which gathers a wonderful reception for a song that originally tucked away on the b side of a non charting 12". Must be something to do with that film. 'Trainspotting'... Karl loses himself in the song, endlessly yelling "likeatrainlikeatrainlikeatrain" as Darren and Karl dance like fools.

As the crowd yells, a brief snippet of Jumbo - all vocoded and funky - is overtaken by the original "Born Slippy." Unfortunately, this is the one bit of any Underworld gig I hate the most. Their melancholy classic "Born Slippy" - about the worlds worst hangover - has been hijacked by barechested E tripping cockney largeboys who like fighting and past it fat housewives who pretend they've still got it and look at me funny when I know all the words of this ace no.52 hit from 95. Anyway, "Nuxx" is a masterpiece, Karl covers Darrens eyes whilst he's mixing and then steals Darrens headphones to laughter from everyone close enough to see. As "Nuxx" pounds to the end, the crowd think it's all over. Slowly a plinky plonkly noise steams out of the speakers as the immaculate "Rez" lifts the roof off. Again, this is wonderfully recieved for a 12" from 1993 that hasn't made any UW album. As "Rez" comes to a crashing close, everyone exchanges big hugs and kisses on stage

UNDERWORLD LIVE 1996-99

1996
----
Lakota, Bristol - Feb 28, 1996
Portsmouth Pyramids Centre, Portsmouth - Feb 29, 1996
Newcastle University, Newcastle - Mar 14, 1996
Barrowland, Glasgow - Mar 15, 1996
The Refectory, University of Leeds, Leeds - Mar 16, 1996
Manchester Academy 1, University of Manchester, Manchester - Mar 23, 1996
Tribal Gathering 1996 - May 4, 1996
Essential Festival 1996 - May 25, 1996
Pinkpop 1996 - May 27, 1996
Organic 1996 - Jun 22, 1996
Roskilde Festival 1996 - Jun 28, 1996
Roskilde Festival 1996 - Jun 29, 1996
Roskilde Festival 1996 - Jun 30, 1996
Teltet i Tresse, Kristiansand - Jul 3, 1996
Rock Werchter 1996 - Jul 6, 1996
Doctor Music Festival 1996 - Jul 13, 1996
Move Club, Cologne - Jul 19, 1996
Markthalle, Hamburg - Jul 20, 1996
Lollipop 1996 - Jul 26, 1996
Unknown Venue, Leysin - Aug 24, 1996
Reading Festival 1996 - Aug 25, 1996
Point Theatre, Dublin - Aug 30, 1996
Irvine Beach Festival 1996 - Sep 1, 1996
Otmoor Park, Beckley - Sep 28, 1996
---
1997
10 Days Off, Star Building, Ghent, Belgium. - Jul 24, 1997
Man With No Name, De Groene Ster, Leeuwarden, Netherlands - Aug 20, 2017
----
1998
Red Box, Dublin - Jun 5, 1998
Glastonbury Festival 1998 - Jun 27, 1998
Rock Torhout 1998 - Jul 3, 1998
Rock Werchter 1998 - Jul 4, 1998
Eurockéennes de Belfort 1998 - Jul 5, 1998
V Festival 1998 - Aug 22, 1998
V Festival 1998 - Aug 23, 1998
Ahoy, Rotterdam - Oct 31, 1998
Mojo Club, Hamburg - Nov 2, 1998
Le Bataclan, Paris - Nov 9, 1998
I LOVE TECHNO 1998 - Nov 14, 1998
Metropolis, Montreal, QC - Nov 20, 1998
House of Blues, Chicago, IL - Nov 21, 1998
Mayan Theatre, Los Angeles, CA - Nov 23, 1998
Hammerstein Ballroom, New York, NY - Nov 25, 1998
Manchester Evening News Arena, Manchester - Dec 29, 1998
Alexandra Palace, London - Dec 31, 1998
----
1999
Big Day Out Sydney 1999 - Jan 23, 1999
Big Day Out Melbourne 1999 - Jan 26, 1999
Civic Hall, Wolverhampton - Mar 2, 1999
Northumbria University, Newcastle - Mar 3, 1999
Barrowland, Glasgow - Mar 4, 1999
Manchester Apollo, Manchester - Mar 5, 1999
Newport Centre, Newport - Mar 6, 1999
Astoria Theatre, London - Mar 9, 1999
London Astoria, 157 Charing Cross Road, London, London - Mar 10, 1999
Portsmouth Guildhall, Portsmouth - Mar 11, 1999
The LCR, UEA, Norwich - Mar 12, 1999
Brixton Academy, London - Mar 13, 1999
Arenan/Fryshuset, Stockholm - Mar 16, 1999
Ancienne Belgique, Brussels - Mar 19, 1999
Poppodium 013, Tilburg - Mar 20, 1999
Akasaka BLITZ, Tokyo - Apr 4, 1999
9:30 Club, Washington, DC - Apr 20, 1999
Hammerstein Ballroom, New York, NY - Apr 21, 1999
Electric Factory, Philadelphia, PA - Apr 22, 1999
Saint Andrew's Hall, Detroit, MI - Apr 24, 1999
The Guvernment, Toronto, ON - Apr 25, 1999
Riviera Theatre, Chicago, IL - Apr 26, 1999
Showbox Comedy and Supper Club, Seattle, WA - Apr 28, 1999
The Warfield, San Francisco, CA - Apr 29, 1999
House of Blues, Las Vegas, NV - Apr 30, 1999
Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica, CA - May 1, 1999
Electronic Beats Festival Cologne 1999 - May 13, 1999
Babylon, Munich - May 14, 1999
Megaland, Landgraaf - May 18, 1999
Vorst Nationaal / Forest National, Vorst / Forest - May 22, 1999
Pinkpop 1999 - May 23, 1999
Homelands 1999 - May 29, 1999
Glastonbury Festival 1999 - Jun 26, 1999
Axion Beach Festival 1999 - Jul 17, 1999
Week-End à Saint-Nolff 1999 - Jul 24, 1999
Fuji Rock Festival 1999 - Jul 30, 1999
Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, CA - Oct 8, 1999
Coachella Festival 1999 - Oct 9, 1999
MTV Europe Music Awards 1999 - Nov 11, 1999
Tyne Tees Television Studios, Newcastle - Nov 20, 1999