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.