The Definitive Del Amitri Rarities Series, Vol. 6: The Live B-Sides

Here's the first of four posts of officially-released but out-of-print live tracks from the mighty Dels. Forthcoming after this one are:

Twisted: Live Bonus Disc

Live at Abbey Road (Hatful of Rain Bonus Disc)

Live at Leeds ("Some Other Sucker's Parade" Singles B-Sides)

Now, among these four posts, as you might expect, there will be some repetition of certain songs. Here's how it breaks down. Three versions each of "Move Away Jimmy Blue", "The Ones That You Love Lead You Nowhere", "Always The Last To Know", "Hatful Of Rain", and "Stone Cold Sober". Plus two takes each of "Here And Now" and, perhaps surprisingly, "When I Want You". You may not feel like you need 'em all, or you might wanna compare and contrast.

So, to lead off, a grab bag of eight tracks from four singles:

Being Somebody Else (Live In Chicago)/Cry To Be Found [Disc 2]

Stone Cold Sober (Live)/Here And Now [Disc 2]

Always The Last To Know (Live)/Here And Now [Disc 2]

When I Want You (Live)/Here And Now [Disc 2]

Tell Her This (Live)/Tell Her This [U.S.]

The Ones That You Love Lead You Nowhere (Live)/When You Were Young [Disc 1]

Kiss This Thing Goodbye (Live)/When You Were Young [Disc 1]

Hatful Of Rain (Live)/When You Were Young [Disc 1]

@320 kbps. Enjoy.

LINK IN COMMENTS. Please leave one when you take it. Because courtesy shouldn't be The Rare Stuff.

The Everly Brothers: Jones Beach, NY 7/25/1984

As I said in my earlier Everly Brothers post, ANY bootlegs of the famous duo automatically qualify as Rare Stuff. Even official live releases are few and (literally) far between. In that prior post of a 1997 show, I also mention that the only other Everlys boot I've ever found was a 1984 show from Jones Beach, NY, and I included a link to it over at Nathan's Rock Moat. But that blog has been shut down and relaunched since then, and the concert is no longer archived there. So, now it's archived here -- making this "your exclusive source of rare Everly Brothers shows on the net!"  I like the sound of that!  Though I'd be delighted to have somebody prove me wrong (see below).

The most unique thing about this tape is that the Brothers perform an actual, bona fide NEW SONG here. Except for these few years in the '80s when they actually had some new material to plug, almost all their shows are strictly oldies affairs (but what oldies!). This concert takes place shortly before they are to go into the studio to record the release of their terrific comeback album, EB '84 (currently to be found over at Never Get Out of the Boat, alongside its likewise excellent follow-up, Born Yesterday), and they perform the reggae-tinged new Don composition, "You Make It Seem So Easy". Immediately after, though they make a near-fatal mistake: Don proceeds to tell the audience that Paul McCartney has penned a song especially for the forthcoming album -- but "we're not going to do that one for you right now." The audience practically riots, demanding that they play it!  They clearly have no concept of a band actually having to REHEARSE a song before they perform it. You can bet the boys learned a lesson and never made that mistake again ("I'm sorry I said anything!" says Don)!  Not to mention learned that song ("On The Wings Of A Nightingale") right quick.

That's why I sure hope some tapes might emerge of Everlys concerts in the months and years after this show, featuring "Nightingale" as well as more of the top-notch material from those two mid-'80s albums. Anyone know anyone who knows anyone who might have such things tucked away somewhere and wouldn't mind sharing 'em? Meanwhile, if I want to know what they'd sound like... all I have to do is dream!

SETLIST:

The Price of Love

Walk Right Back

Claudette

Crying in the Rain

Love is Strange

When Will I Be Loved

Band intros

Bowling Green

So Sad (To Watch Good Love Go Bad)

Bird Dog

Be Bop A-Lula

Bye Bye Love

Gone Gone Gone

All I Have To Do is Dream

You Make It Seem So Easy

Wake Up Little Susie

Devoted to You/Ebony Eyes/Love Hurts

Cathy's Clown

'Til I Kissed You

Lucille

Let It Be Me

The Price of Love (vamp)

Good Golly Miss Molly

You Send Me

The Price of Love (vamp)

SUPER-SPECIAL BONUS TRACK!

Paul McCartney's lovely, hard-to-find original 1984 demo of "On The Wings Of A Nightingale". If that audience only knew! :^)

All tracks @192kbps. The concert tape, it must be mentioned, has a very distant sound, with crowd noise and chat unfortunately much more prominent in the foreground than the music. It can get frustrating, but I reconcile myself to it while listening because of the rarity of the performance; I figure it sounds not much worse than it would if you were actually sitting in the audience at the show, in a not particularly good seat, with some noisy folks nearby -- except that you can't turn around and shush 'em. With that said -- enjoy!  As always, much gratitude to the original taper and those who have shared it since. 

PS: As with the Big Star post below, if anyone wants to use this photo or another to make some proper cover art for this, please feel free to share it with the rest of the class!

LINK MOVED TO COMMENTS -- so leave one when you get it, or it will be removed altogether. This is the only place you will find this tape. The least you can do is say thank you, or something about the artist. Courtesy shouldn't be The Rare Stuff.

Big Star: Beale Street Breakdown [WLYX Memphis 1975]

Some find the 1975 Memphis radio set by the post-Sister Lovers Big Star (only remaining members Alex Chilton and Jody Stephens, as on the album) disturbing -- those who have found it at all, that is. Me, I love it, dangerously high levels of inebriation, absence of any sense of shame and all. Willfully bizarre deconstructions of songs by Chilton's own Box Tops, the Bonzo Dog Band, and, yes, Dolly Parton sit uneasily alongside hazy takes on four songs from Third. Seriously, what other artist's repertoire encompasses both Dolly and the Bonzos? Here's the boot, known as Beale Street Breakdown, though I couldn't find any cover art online; the pic above of Chilton and Stephens will have to do for now, unless someone out there wants to take it and add some spiffy titles?* The clean radio sound balances out the age and generation of the tape, for a solid B, sound-wise. It's here @192k, as I once found it.

Two posts in one day -- for this blog, that's the Rare Stuff!

*URL for original photo in comments!
UPDATE: Reader OleD has submitted a cover -- link in comments! Thanks!


LINK MOVED TO COMMENTS -- so leave one when you get it, please. This is the only place you will find this tape. The least you can do is say thank you, or something about the artist. Courtesy shouldn't be The Rare Stuff!

The Definitive Del Amitri Rarities Series, Vol. 5: The Late-Period B-Sides

Supposedly, for the past several years, Del Amitri has been on indefinite hiatus rather than "broken up", but I'll believe it when I see 'em back at work. (Meanwhile, I encourage you once again to check out Justin Currie's solo albums.) So, until further notice, I'm calling the period spanning the band's last two releases on either side of their Hatful of Rain compilation "Late Period" Del Amitri, and lumping the b-sides from those three releases together in this ten-track post. Once again, live cuts and songs which were tapped for inclusion on Lousy With Love are not included here.

From the era of the band's Some Other Sucker's Parade album (not my favorite, but I love the title's implicit "motherf***er"!) comes three tracks that appeared on the two "Not Where It's At" singles (I also love the idea of an answer song to Beck's "Where it's At", with a typical bit of Currian self-effacement; the Dels would never be hipsters' favorites). Then we have songs from the singles that only appeared on Hatful, "Don't Come Home Too Soon" and "Cry to be Found", and finally, four tracks from the "Just Before You Leave" singles from the final D.A. album, Can You Do Me Good? 

(Continuing Currie's tradition of negatory inversions of famous song titles, "I'm an Unbeliever" appears here.  His latest example, from his new The Great War album, actually changes a negative to a positive: "You'll Always Walk Alone". Ouch!  But perhaps his most concise transformation is the addition of a mere comma into a famous Springsteen title: "No, Surrender". The song of that name, from What is Love For, is a real masterpiece, a long and scathing societal rebuke on the order of Dylan's "It's Alright Ma" -- and that's not a comparison I'd make lightly.)

Here endeth our collection of Justin's songs that were exclusive to the various Dels singles -- a total of THIRTY-TWO songs over and above what's on their albums (I'm not counting the 3 cover tunes, re-recorded "Hammering Heart", or original take on "The Difference Is" among their number), plus another 13 B-side tunes on Lousy, three more added to the first album's reissue (again, not counting the one cover there), and three more A-sides only collected on the best-of!  Is there any other band with that many non-LP songs (51!) over the course of a six-album career?  That averages out to more than eight extra songs per album.

And yet, we're only halfway through this series! Still ahead in Delsville are a slew of live bonus discs and b-sides, and alternate versions of various songs, totaling another 41 tracks(!) and rounding out Del Amitri's officially released Rare Stuff. (And perhaps I'll go ahead and post "Lousy With Love" after all to close with, just for completeness' sake.) Plus a few extra goodies for Del fans, so do stay tuned. And keep those comments comin'!

Contents (Title/Source):

Canned Laughter Cry To Be Found [Disc 1]

One Step At A Time Cry To Be Found [Disc 1]

Three Little Words Don't Come Home Too Soon

The Septic Jubilee Just Before You Leave [Disc 1]

Belong Belong Just Before You Leave [Disc 1]

I'm An Unbeliever Just Before You Leave [Disc 2]

You Love Me Just Before You Leave [Disc 2]

Spare Pair Of Laces Not Where It's At [Disc 1]

A Grimace Not A Smile Not Where It's At [Disc 2]

Low Friends In High Places Not Where It's At [Disc 2]

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=13OOBJJ0

Thanks, readers!

Hi folks,

I just wanted to take a moment to thank publicly a few readers who've made valued contributions to me and the blog of late:

Thanks to reader Todd who sent a link to the missing Patti track, "Perfect Day", I requested in that post; that track is now available via the link now posted in the comments there.

Thanks to reader William who fulfilled my request for long-sought boots by Winter Hours, the great N.J.-based, '80s folk-rock band who had a huge impact on me back in my youth. Those tracks will be posted here in the near future for those who loved 'em to relish, and those who never heard of 'em to discover.

And finally, thanks to the reader (and fellow blogger) who made a donation to Paypal in appreciation of the music I shared here, specifically prompted by my request on one of my Elvis Costello Trainspotter posts. Anyone wishing to emulate such behavior would be most welcome! :^) 

Seriously, gentlemen, thank you one and all. And everyone who comments on posts here is much appreciated as well. It's a pleasure sharing all this great music with people, and feedback like all of the above makes it even more worthwhile.

If you'd like to chip in yourself, just consider checking out one or two of those commercial messages in the right column each time you visit, and/or making Amazon purchases through the links in these posts. 

Regards,

Jeff, the PopCulturist

Patti Smith: 18 Rarities

In tribute to Patti Smith, the High Priestess of Poetry and Rock 'n' Roll, I've assembled this collection of 18 hard-to-find recordings dating from the period since her return to the music world in the mid-'90s, to share with you all. 

A pair of CD singles for "Summer Cannibals", from her 1996 comeback album Gone Again, contribute four exclusive tracks: live versions of "Gone Again" and "People Have The Power" from Later with Jools Holland; an adaptation, with new verses by Patti, of Robert Johnson's "Come On In My Kitchen"; and an otherwise unreleased original (co-written with Lenny Kaye), "Come Back Little Sheba". 

An obscure benefit concert album called Liss Ard, Vol. 1 offers us two songs from 1997's Peace and Noise, "Don't Say Nothing" and "Last Call", the latter featuring Michael Stipe as guest vocalist, as well as another version of "People Have The Power". (NOTE: Please consider purchasing the Liss Ard compilation CD, still available new from Amazon; I assume the funds still benefit the Irish nature reserve of the title. In addition to Patti's tracks, the disc features three exclusive live cuts by Nick Cave, alongside others by The Frames and David Gray.) 

From a promo EP released along with the 2000 Gung Ho album, we have another stompin' version of "Gone Again" alongside "Beneath The Southern Cross" and "Spell (Footnote to Howl)", Patti's rendering of Allen Ginsberg's incantatory poem (NOTE: language NSFW!), featuring her adventurous clarinet playing. The cover lists these tracks as "Recorded live at the WXRT show at Riviera Hall, Chicago, 11/22/98". The disc also provides yet another "People Have The Power" "Recorded live at the Tibetan Freedom Concert, Randall's Island, NYC, 6/7/97". 

Another pair of songs here were released in tandem with Patti's covers album, Twelve: R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts" appeared as a bonus track on a limited, import edition of the album, while The Decemberists' "Here I Dreamt I Was An Architect" is from "Two More", a limited edition 7". (This track is encoded at 192 kbps.) If anyone has the version of Lou Reed's "Perfect Day" that was on the other side of that record and can make it available for download, please let us know via email or in the comments! UPDATE: see comments for a separate link to the version of Lou Reed's "Perfect Day", the other song from the Two More single.

Two more tracks hail from, respectively, a promo single for Patti's career overview, Land (1975-2002) with a version of the song "Higher Learning", subitlted "(Contemplation)", live in Switzerland in 2001 and also featuring Patti blowing a clarinet; and the KCRW compilation Rare On Air Vol. 3, with an acoustic "Dancing Barefoot" featuring Patti singing to a lone guitar (probably played by either Lenny Kaye or Oliver Ray; this track is encoded at 128 kbps).

Finally, we have three explicitly political tracks self-released by Patti over the past decade. "Walker (Poor Fellah)" is about so-called "American Taliban" John Walker Lindh, a teenager captured by U.S. forces in Afghanistan in 2001, and the target of much post-9/11 rage; this appeared on a single-track CD recorded live on New Year's Eve at New York's Bowery Ballroom. The other two were made available on Patti's website: "Qana" responded to the Israeli airstrike on the Palestinian village of the title, which killed many civilians including several children. "Without Chains" concerns the plight of Murat Kurnaz, a Turkish citizen wrongfully detained in Guantanamo Bay for some four years.

Stay tuned in the coming days and weeks for more great Patti stuff, including a powerful live disc recorded in France in 2004 and included as a bonus with an edition of the album Trampin', and a nice interview released to promote Gung Ho, plus a few more scattered tracks I didn't have ready in time for this post -- Rare Stuff from a truly rare talent who's definitely got the stuff.

"i believe everything we dream 

can come to pass through our union

we can turn the world around

we can turn the earth's revolution"

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=KRBERT8B

Except where indicated, all tracks encoded at 320 kbps to provide you aural pleasure.

More Del Amitri soon!

The Definitive Del Amitri Rarities Series, Vol. 4: The Twisted B-Sides

Like Change Everything, the following Del Amitri album, Twisted, contributed many of its non-album b-sides to the Lousy with Love compilation, so this brief installment consists of only five songs.  There are some other, live tracks that appeared on singles and a limited edition bonus disc, which will be posted in a whole big "live" segment later on in this series (which I probably shoulda mentioned in the Change Everything post, since there were a few live tracks on those singles, too).  Meanwhile, here are five swell little tunes from Justin and the lads -- it's Rare Stuff, y'all!

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=2RCZFGLB

Contents (Title/Source):

A Better Man/Tell Her This [Disc 1]

Life By Mistake/Driving With The Brakes On

A Little Luck/Driving With The Brakes On

Queen Of False Alarms/Here And Now [Disc 1]

Someone Else Will/Roll To Me [U.S.]

The Definitive Del Amitri Rarities Series, Vol. 3: The Change Everything B-Sides

Justin Currie was in some kinda zone when it came to writing songs for Del Amitri Mk. II's second album, Change Everything. So much so that just as many great songs appeared only as single b-sides as made it on to the album. Such was the high quality of these songs that several of them were tapped for the band's must-have official b-sides compilation, Lousy With Love, which explains why several classics among these -- e.g. "Whiskey Remorse", "Long Journey Home", "The Verb To Do" -- are not present here. What is here are three covers (Neil Young's "Don't Cry No Tears", The Faces' "Cindy Incidentally", and The Go-Betweens' "By Bye Pride" [sic]); one instrumental ("Kestrel Road"); and the period's remaining four still-pretty-darn-great, otherwise-unreleased sides. "The Heart Is A Bad Design" is a particular fave.  

Thanks for the comments on the posts thus far, but keep 'em coming please -- it sure helps inspire me to keep a'postin' all this Del-icious Rare Stuff!

And don't forget to check out Justin Currie's newest album, The Great War -- he's on a (sadly very short) tour through the States as I write, and there are supposedly still tickets for the late show at NYC's Joe's Pub this weekend!

Contents (Title/Source):

Learn To Cry/Always The Last To Know

Angel On The Roof/Always The Last To Know

Lighten Up The Load/Be My Downfall

The Heart Is A Bad Design/Be My Downfall

Don't Cry No Tears/Just Like A Man

Bye Bye Pride/Just Like A Man

Cindy Incidentally/Just Like A Man

Kestrel Road /When You Were Young [Disc 2]

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=AJV73EJP

My Favorite Boots, Part 2: Blood, Sweat & Tears WITH AL KOOPER!!!

Hot off the press at the great Guitars 101 forum, something of a dream find for me -- what may well be the only known live recording of the Al Kooper-led, original lineup of Blood, Sweat & Tears!  The whole crew from the immortal Child is Father to the Man album is here, along with two songs from that debut -- though one takes 18 minutes to play through here!; an early version of You've Made Me So Very Happy before David Clayton-Thomas got his clumsy mitts on it; and, amazingly, a Traffic cover!  Also there's a long, and also somewhat clumsy, interview with Kooper and others, which makes me wonder whether this really is an audience tape as listed here, or just a poor-quality radio broadcast, perhaps from a college or community station that couldn't afford good enough equipment to record a show with an eight-piece rock band in '68.  Anyway, I 'bout hit the roof when I came across this baby the other night, and Zeppo who posted it on G101 kindly allowed me to pass it on to you all here. Thanks Zep -- YOU've made ME so very happy, with these delicious morsels of The Rare Stuff!  :^D


UPDATE: On Track 2, "You've Made Me So Very Happy" is followed by "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" on the same track.  Anyone wanna split 'em up and re-up, feel free - just let us know!  Also, from the stage someone (probably Kooper) says that this gig is actually only the first time the band has played out of its hometown of NYC, and only the third venue (though not, I don't think, the third show) they've ever played.  In the notes to the Child reissue Kooper says they only went on a "brief promotional tour" before he was booted from the band, so this really is a rare show indeed - thank goodness it was taped!  It took place, by the way, two days after the release of the album.  The interview, meanwhile, is with Jim Fielder, who also played with latter-day Buffalo Springfield, and is worth a listen if you're curious about the band.  Oh, and I guess I shouldn't have been so shocked at the Traffic cover -- turns out their version appeared on the first post-Kooper, self-titled BS&T album that was released a year later and sold a bajillion copies.  Meanwhile, "Camille", Kooper says onstage, "will be our first single if everything goes as it should". Obviously, everything didn't! The track ultimately appeared on his first solo album, I Stand Alone.

Blood Sweat & Tears - 1968-02-23 - Boston, MA

The Psychedelic Supermarket

Boston, Massachusetts

February 23rd, 1968

Excellent Audience Recording

Al Kooper - Organ, Vocals

Steve Katz - Guitar, Vocals

Jim Fielder - Bass

Bobby Colomby - Drums 

Fred Lipsius - Alto Sax

Dick Halligan - Trombone

Jerry Weiss - Trumpet

Randy Brecker - Trumpet

1. More & More

2. You’ve Made Me So Very Happy/
I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know

3. Morning Glory

4. Camille

5. Smiling Phases

6. Somethin’ Goin’ On

7. Interview

http://rapidshare.com/files/397166473/BSTBM68.rar