Thursday, January 13, 2022

East Bay Rhythm - 2001 - A Little Love Will Help

East Bay Rhythm 
2001
A Little Love Will Help



01. Boogie Children
02. A Little Love Will Help (Instrumental)
03. Accept Me
04. Party Down (Instrumental)
05. Mud Rat
06. Chuda
07. Raw Boogie Clav & Guitar
08. A Little Love Will Help
09. Accept Me (Instrumental)
10. Party Down
11. Boogie Children (Instrumental)

Backing Vocals – Derek Youman
Backing Vocals, Percussion – Jon Bendich
Bass – Freddie Washington
Bass – Paul Jackson
Bass – Tony Sanders
Congas – Butch Haynes
Drums – James Levi
Guitar – Carl Lockett
Guitar Jorge Santana (tracks: 6)
Keyboards – Tony LuFrano
Percussion – Bill Summers
Vocals, Bass – Bobby Reed
Vocals, Keyboards – Robert Winters

This Is An CD Album Released In 2001 Of Tracks Recorded Between 1976-1980 In Berkeley California



East Bay Rhythm's name may be a bit obscure to those not from the Bay area, but its key members -- James Levy, Paul Jackson, and Bill Summers -- were members of Herbie Hancock's legendary Headhunters band. The other main member, Butch Haynes, was a member of the fabled Afro-Jazz Quintet. These tracks were cut live and edited minimally. They feature Jackson on bass, Levy on trap kit, with Haynes and Summers on percussion along with a bevy of guests that include Jorge Santana (of Malo) and Carl Lockett, on guitar, Robert Washington and Fall on vocals, and bassist Freddie Washington on bass among others. Recorded between 1976 and 1980 at the Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, none of the eleven cuts collected here has been released in any form before. What is remarkable about East Bay Rhythm's sound is how rooted it is in various idioms: The deep funk of the middle 1970s, gospel a la James Cleveland, the roots of disco, and of course the wild yet precise, Afro-Cuban son rhythms that propel virtually everything here. What is also remarkable is to hear hand percussion in such overdriven funk numbers as "Accept Me," with its hypnotic guitar lines and slipping bass groove, the hand drums run amok on the inside of the mix. As the vocals fade form the center channel, Levy's syncopation careens under the beat as the hand percussionists ride herd over it. That this track is followed by the glorious instrumental, pre-disco anthem "Party Down," is such a plus here: Afro-Caribbean percussion drives not only the beats but the melody into turning on itself no less than three times before the bridge! The groove feels easy but is complex and stretchable with the cross-cross of rhythmic lines trading space in the center of the tune. Of course, this is just a sampling of what is available here over nearly an hours worth of music. This is the place where Tower of Power, Sly Stone, Roy Ayers funky material, and gospel music meet in a deep soul potboiler.

Miracles do happen. And the discovery of these recordings certainly is one. Although the band name may be unfamiliar to most, the musicians names behind East Bay Rhythm certainly aren’t. All of those who are fans of the Headhunters will recognize them as core members of that group. Tucked away on a dusty shelf for over 20 years lay the master tapes of the formation East Bay Rhythm. Thanks to a fortunate chain of events, we can now enjoy for the first time a brand new CD of these historic funk music documents. Drummer James Levi, Bassists Paul Jackson and Freddie Washington, as well as Percussionists Bill Summers and Butch Haynes along with the help of friends and guests such as Carlos’ brother Jorgé Santana of Malo, came together in a period between 1976-1980 to record six unbelievably funky tracks. The 11 re-mastered mixes of these songs were directly pulled from the mixing board on the respective day of the recordings and therefore reflect the full intensity, vitality and atmosphere of the sessions. It is almost a miracle that Herbie Hancock (who can be seen in the booklet munching on a sandwich at a visit to the studio) didn’t jump on the keys himself. It certainly is no miracle, though, that some of the recordings like the 8 minute long Jazz-Funk firework MUD RAT served as inspiration for his later work. BOOGIE CHILDREN and A LITTLE LOVE WILL HELP are serious Funk bombs; they don’t drop harder than that! ACCEPT ME and PARTY DOWN show the development from Funk to Disco, but even here the affinity for pure Funk dominates. Also pleasantly groovy is CHUDA, a psychedelic Cha Cha. Fortunately the label included both vocal and instrumental versions of the songs wherever they were available. After just one listen, it becomes quite obvious: Had these recordings been released 20 years ago, we would all have known them as long time classics in every funk collection. Lucky for us we catch up on that now. Indeed, miracles do happen.

This album will thrill any fan of herbie hancocks school of funk. the music is mostly straight ahead hard funk, there are a couple of not so good tracks but all the rest are 5 starworthy. Its a shame there arent more tunes, as three are included as vocal and instrumental tracks but thats life. The interesting thing is this stuff is recorded at the hieght of disco but it hasnt hurt them too much, they never add strings although they are obviously courting a slightly more commercial market than the survival of the fittest and straight from the gate albums.If you enjoy funk and have the aforementioned albums then this purchase is essential.(some of the best sound quality ive heard on a 70's funk album.Boogie children and a little love will help are danceable, technically brilliant and stanky as hell!

Jorge Santana - 1979 - It's All About Love

Jorge Santana
1979
It's All About Love



01. Three Mile Island 5:19
02. Love Me Tonight 4:51
03. Ain't No 5:17
04. Feeling Good 4:37
05. New York, New York 4:24
06. My Inspiration 4:57
07. It's All About Love 3:10

Bass – John Thompson
Drums – Roger Reid
Guitar – Jorge Santana
Keyboards – Kincaid Miller
Lead Vocals – Jay McKinnon
Percussion – Yogi Newman
Vocals – John Thompson, Kincaid Miller, Roger Reid



Want to get one thing out of the way to start off with. It was always slightly awkward even with his uccess Mith Malo (whom I should really get into more) that Jorge was going to end up being compared to older brother Carlos. So when he started a low key solo career in the late 70's,not sure how it was really received. But all the same both Carlos and Jorge are immensely talented musicians and creative personalities. They both seem to have an intuitive sense of the best musicians to play with,both live and in the studio. And both have a very strong sense of their vision. One thing to be said also is that Jorge never went out of his way to copy what his brother was doing. And that's one thing this 1979 album shows more than anything.

This is the work of a sextet including Jay McKinon,whose Alex Ligertwood sounding voice is the only element that could be compared to his brother. The sound is very stripped down in comparison,without the heavy latin rock element of Carlos preferring stomping and heavy funk such as the title song and "Ain't No",which along with the bouncy pop/soul closer of "It's All About Love" showcase Jorge's understated,bluesy jazz style guitar leads. "Feeling Good" and "New York New York" get into something of a disco-dance frame of mind and do so in a very funky,tasteful manner. The slower tunes "My Inspiration" and "Love Me Tonight" are sexy,midtempo numbers I suppose some might call "disco ballads". They are very soulful and jazzy though too.

Overall this is very impressive music. It has high pop and groove potential and functions as a great example of late 70's dance funk. It's a short album. But you feel as if you've really had a great experience after listening to it. The funk is sharp,blively and well produced and the more dance oriented numbers are done with a lot of class and soul. I don't really know much else about the Tomato record label (and it does have a cartoon Tomato on the record label by the way) but you do get a sense listening to this that the quality the two Santana brothers share,bdifferent as their ways of making music is,brevolves around their ability to stay inside the groove and ride it as far as it can take them. Not to mention their ability to derive melodic ideas from the same place. Highly recommended.

Jorge Santana - 1978 - Jorge Santana

Jorge Santana
1978 
Jorge Santana




01. Sandy 4:47
02. Tonight You're Mine 4:57
03. Darling I Love You 4:23
04. We Were There 4:01
05. Love You, Love You 4:22
06. Love The Way 7:23
07. Seychells 5:31
08. Nobody's Perfect 4:33

Backing Vocals – Kathy Ingraham
Bass – Carlos Roberto
Congas, Bongos, Timbales – Edward "Yogi" Newman
Drums – Jerry Marshall
Guitar, Lead Vocals, Vocals – Richard Bean
Keyboards – Kincaid Miller
Lead Guitar, Vocals – George Santana

Reissued in 2003, featuring a new track listing, omitting "Seychells", but featuring two songs remixes.




Latin rock pioneer Jorge Santana’s musical journey began right after high school, when he joined the popular San Francisco nine-piece, horn-driven band, The Malibus. The Malibus added the 17-year-old guitarist and morphed into Malo by 1971. Their self-titled debut album was issued in 1972, yielding the Top Twenty hit “Sauvecito.”

Malo continued to evolve over the course of four albums for Warner Bros. with a changing cast of members, including keyboardist Richard Kermode (formerly of Janis Joplin’s Kozmic Blues Band), singer/founders Arcelio Garcia and Richard Bean, and three members of the band Naked Lunch, among others. After Malo’s fourth Warner Bros. album, Ascención, was released, Santana performed with the Fania All-Stars at Madison Square Garden, then appeared on their 1974 album Latin-Soul-Rock. After that he took a break.

In 1978, the first Jorge Santana solo album emerged as a self-titled affair with most of the songs co-written with Malo alum Richard Bean, who also handled lead vocal duties. The song “Love the Way” was the breakout single, and the album made it onto the Black Album charts

Malo - 1974 - Ascencion

Malo
1974
Ascencion



01. Offerings 5:42
02. A La Escuela 3:13
03. Everlasting Night 4:13
04. Latin Woman 4:03
05. Chevere 4:02
06. Love Will Survive 3:49
07. Think About Love 3:24
08. Tiempo De Recordar 3:18
09. Close To Me 2:41
10. No Matter 6:55
11. Love Will Survive (Single Version) 3:08
12. Think About Love (Single Version) 3:02

Tracks 4-1 to 4-10 taken from Warner Bros. BS 2769  released 15 January 1974
Tracks 4-11 and 4-12 taken from Warner Bros. single 7803 released 10 April 1974

Willy G (William Garcia): lead vocals
Jorge Santana: guitar, percussion
Francisco Aquabella: congas, bongos, timbales, lead vocal (on tracks 1 and 2)
Tony Smith: drums, vocals
Pablo Tellez: bass, timbales, percussion, vocals
Ron DeMasi: organ, clavinet, electric piano, Mellotron, synthezier, vibes, vocals
Steve Sherard: trombone
Mike Fugate: trumpet
Ron Smith: trumpet, Flugel horn



The fourth Malo album continued the drift toward pop that had begun ever since their debut, though it's still hardly a mainstream pop record. There was more material, however, that could make them seem something like a Latin rock band, hipper Chicago or Tower of Power, which is not the greatest of goal posts. New lead singer Willie Garcia, a veteran of recording who had done many records with underrated Latino Los Angeles soul-rock band thee Midniters in the '60s, was a key pivot to their direction, although it turned out to be the only album he did with Malo. The romantic, love-will-save-the-world lyrics got heavy-handed at times, and there was less of the jazzy, multi-sectioned riffing that had typified much of their prior work. Occasionally there was a funk pop tint, particularly to the keyboards, that seemed to be emulating then-current soul sounds by Stevie Wonder, Dr. John, and Billy Preston, though this did more to make Malo's identity less distinctive than it did to get them into the charts. Plenty of Latin roots, however, came through on tracks like "Offerings," which gives much room for speedy percussion and guitar soloing, and "A La Escuela." The album has been reissued on CD as one of the discs in Rhino Handmade's Celebracion box set, with the addition of single edits of "Love Will Survive" and "Think About Love."

Malo - 1973 - Evolution

Malo 
1973
Evolution



01. Moving Away 7:20
02. I Don't Know 6:07
03. Merengue 7:05
04. All For You 4:07
05. Dance To My Mambo 4:40
06. Entrance To Paradise 5:11
07. Street Man 5:02
08. I Don't Know (Single Version) 3:09
09. Merengue (Single Version) 3:58

Arcelio Garcia - vocals, percussion
Pablo Tellez - bass, vocals
Francisco Aquabella - bongos, congas, timbales, percussion, vocals
Ron DeMasi - electric piano, organ, clavinet, vocals
Tony Smith - drums, vocals
Jorge Santana - guitar
Carlos Federico - piano (on track 3)
Al Zulaica - piano (on track 5)
Steve Sherard - trombone, vocals
Forrest Buchtel - trumpet
Ron Smith - trumpet

Tracks 3-1 to 3-7 taken from Warner Bros. BS 2702  released 13 March 1973
Tracks 3-8 and 3-9 taken from Warner Bros. single 7692 released 21 March 1973




Evolution was Malo's third album within a year. Perhaps because of that rapid pace and another shift in supporting players around the core trio of Jorge Santana, Pablo Tellez, and Arcelio Garcia, the band was starting to sound more formulaic and anonymous. There was a heavier reliance on fusion jazz keyboards and a lower fire in Jorge Santana's guitar than there had been on the band's initial two albums. It's still competent and often pleasing Latin rock/jazz, given as ever to lengthy but taut, well-structured instrumental sections. And there was, again, a soul-slanted romantic song that seemed more pointed toward the singles market than most of their repertoire, "I Don't Know." The most Latin-oriented facets of the band came to the fore on "Merengue" and "Dance to My Mambo," as their sappiest pop leanings did on "All for You." When set against tougher, funkier items like "Street Man," the band did not seem to be maintaining their eclecticism as much as starting to lose some of their focus. The album has been reissued on CD as one of the discs in Rhino Handmade's Celebracion box set, with the addition of single edits of "I Don't Know" and "Merengue."

Malo - 1972 - Malo Dos

Malo
1972 
Malo Dos



01. Momotombo 5:10
02. Oye Mamá 6:02
03. I'm For Real 6:36
04. Midnight Thoughts 3:58
05. Helá 5:54
06. Latin Bugaloo 9:28
07. I'm For Real (Single Version) 3:10
08. Oye Mamá (Single Version) 3:12
09. Latin Bugaloo (Single Version) 2:50

Tracks 2-1 to 2-6 taken from Warner Bros. BS 2652  released 10 October 1972
Tracks 2-7 and 2-8 taken from Warner Bros. single 7668 released 3 October 1972
Track 2-9 taken from A-side Warner Bros. single 7677 released 16 November 1972

Arcelio García, Jr.: Vocals, percussion
Jorge Santana: Guitar
Abel Zarate: Guitars, vocals
Pablo Tellez: Bass guitar, percussion
Richard Kermode: Keyboards, electric piano, organ, piano, percussion
Francisco Aquabella: Conga, bongos, percussion, vocals
Hadley Caliman: Tenor & baritone saxophones, flute
Leo Rosales: Timbales, congas, bongos, drums, percussion, vocals
Forrest Buchtel: Trumpet
José Santana: Violin
Alex Rodrigues: Trumpet
George Bermudez: Congas, percussion
Rick Quintanal: Drums
Bobby Ramirez: Drums
Mike Heathman: Trombone
Bill Alwood: Trumpet
Tom Poole: Trumpet
Raul Rekow: Congas
Richard Spremich: Drums



Malo's second album was cut with a lineup that had been reorganized following their debut. It's a little slicker than their first LP and the material isn't as strong. It's nonetheless a strong and invigorating rock/Latin jazz fusion, boasting some really hot playing, both in the ensemble work and improvisation. The six cuts, save one, all run more than five minutes, the closing "Latin Boogaloo" approaching ten minutes in length. Often this is closer to rockified salsa music than it is to the salsified rock music of lead guitarist Jorge Santana's brother, Carlos Santana. Occasional dives into sentimentality, as on the opening part of "I'm for Real," with its floating violin and percussive tinkles, are more than compensated for by some smoking Santana leads, particularly on the hyperactive "Held." "I'm for Real" was the cut most likely to follow up on the success of their "Suavecito" single, both because it was sung in English and because it had traces of the same kind of smoochy soul. Again, it wasn't too typical of the album as a whole, which combined several tributaries of pop with imagination and high levels of musicianship. Sometimes this was stretched out with jamming much more intelligent and fully thought-out than most lengthy, instrumental-oriented rock cuts, particularly on "Latin Boogaloo." The album has been reissued on CD as one of the discs in Rhino Handmade's Celebracion box set, with the addition of three bonus tracks, though those are merely edited single versions of songs on the LP.

Another great album by Malo they were at their best! Malo Dos kept the latin sound alive! Very talent group of musicians and their amazes me even now. Some albums put out one or two good songs and the rest are just there taking up time, this album is good from first to last. I enjoyed it in the seventies and I enjoy it now ( goes to show I was paying attention)! Anyone looking for that latin rock sound and awsome horn section and not to mention the rythm section this is it! Do It Man!

Malo - 1972 - Malo

Malo
1972
Malo



01. Pana 6:54
02. Just Say Goodbye 7:53
03. Cafe 7:19
04. Nena 6:30
05. Suavecito 6:35
06. Peace 9:21
07. Suavecito (Single Version) 3:29
08. Nena (Single Version) 3:13
09. Cafe (Single Version) 3:30
10. Peace (Mono Single Version) 3:40
11. Pana (Single Version) 3:05

Arcelio García, Jr. — vocals, percussion
Jorge Santana — guitar
Abel Zarate — guitars, vocals
Pablo Tellez — bass guitar, percussion
Richard Kermode — keyboards, electric piano, Hammond organ, piano
Richard Spremich — drums, percussion
Coke Escovedo — timbales, percussion
Victor Pantoja — conga, bongos, percussion
Luis Gasca — trumpet, flugelhorn, vocals
Roy Murray — flute, trombone, trumpet, soprano sax
Richard Bean — vocals, percussion, timbales

Recorded and mixed at Pacific Recording Studios, San Mateo, California
Additional Recording at Funky Features, San Francisco, California
Front Cover Credits: Reproduced with the permission of Galas De Mexico, S.A.

Note “We would like to acknowledge our special thanks to Coke Escovedo & Victor Pantoja for their beautiful feeling and contribution to this album.”—Malo

This album is dedicated to Linda Rogoff with our appreciation.

Tracks 1-1 to 1-6 taken from Warner Bros. album BS 2584 released 11 January 1972
Tracks 1-7 and 1-8 taken from Warner Bros. single 7559 released 24 January 1972
Tracks 1-9 and 1-10 taken from Warner Bros. single 7605 released 31 May 1972
Track 1-11 is previously unreleased and taken from an assembled, but never released Warner Bros. single



The youngest of three brothers, Jorge Santana had his greatest musical success as the leader of an early-'70s Latin rock band, Malo. Their self-titled debut album, released in 1972, included the Top Twenty hit, "Suavecito." Initially drawn to blues, Santana began playing guitar shortly after moving, with his family, to San Francisco in the early '60s. After playing with a four-piece high school blues band, he was invited to join the Malibus, a popular nine-piece blues band known for its horn-driven arrangements. The band, which evolved into Malo in 1971, featured former Janis Joplin's Kozmic Blues Band keyboardist Richard Kermode and trumpet/flügelhorn player Luis Garca. After recording Malo's final album, Ascension, in 1974, Santana performed, at New York's Madison Square Garden, as a special guest of the Fania All-Stars. The performance marked his last public appearance for three years as Santana retreated to his Mill Valley home, where he did little but eat, sleep, and play guitar. Although he released two solo albums -- Jorge Santana and It's All About Love -- neither sold well. Planning to take a year-long sabbatical from music, in 1982, Santana remained out of the public eye for seven years. Santana's return to music was sparked by an invitation to join his brother, Carlos's management company as director of artist relations. In addition to working on production, music clearances, and publishing, he toured with his brother's group. In 1994, the two brothers collaborated on an album, Brothers.

Malo were formed in San Francisco by ex-members of the Malibus and Naked Lunch. Led by vocalist Arcelio Garcia and guitarist Jorge Santana (brother of Carlos Santana), the band signed to Warner Bros. in 1971 and recorded its debut with David Rubinson, producer of fellow California-based acts the Chambers Brothers and Moby Grape, and a future close associate of Herbie Hancock. The album, self-titled, was released in early 1972 and was successful due to "Suavecito," a mellow romantic groove written by members Richard Bean, Pablo Tellez, and Abel Zarate that peaked at number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100. It became a low-rider classic.

Malo shed several members, including Bean and Zarate, and were unable to sustain that level of popularity. Dos, released later in 1972, and Evolution, released in 1973, were also produced by Rubinson and appealed to a declining crop of listeners who appreciated bold fusions of soul, rock, jazz, and Latin music. Both albums charted but sold poorly compared to the debut. Ascención, the final release of the band's first phase, followed in 1974 and continued the downward commercial trend, despite co-production from Fred Catero, who was known most for his work on Santana's Abraxas.

Later incarnations of Malo recorded and performed on a sporadic basis for the next few decades. Six albums were released on as many labels during the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s. Meanwhile, "Suavecito" remained alive, included on numerous compilations and referenced in Sugar Ray's Top Five pop hit "Every Morning." Additionally, Rhino Handmade released ¡Celebración!: The Warner Bros. Recordings -- a four-CD box set that included all four Warner albums and single versions. Garcia continued to lead the band into the 2010s.

Malo's debut album remains their best and best-known work, primarily for the inclusion of the hit single "Suavecito." That track managed to make a Chicago-like pop-soul song sound hip with its smooth integration of Latin rhythms and irresistible "la la la" chorus. However, it represented just one facet of a band who, despite some expected similarities to Santana, played some of the most exciting and exuberant fusions of rock, soul, and Latin music. The six extended tracks (all clocking in at over six minutes apiece) leaned more heavily on hot Latin jazz brass than Santana did, though Jorge Santana himself generated plenty of friction with his burning electric guitar. It's not an exaggeration to state that by the time this came out in 1972, Malo's Latin rock blend sounded fresher than Santana's, if only because they sound hungrier and less formulaic than Santana did by that point. The Santana comparisons are unavoidable, though in this case it's to Malo's credit, as they too boasted a deft balance of improvisatory instrumental passages, solid multi-layered percussive rhythms, and emotional, romantic singing in both Spanish and English. The album has been reissued on CD as one of the discs in Rhino Handmade's Celebracion box set, with the addition of five bonus tracks, though those are merely edited single versions of songs on the LP.

At a time when brother Carlos turned spiritual and got ready to release Caravanserai, Jorge Santana became a member of this band, Malo. Malo, the debut album from 1971/72, continued with the formula from the first three Santana LPs which had made them world-famous: fusing Latin percussion, Rock and West Coast Pop. The album mainly consists of uptempo songs complete with wahwah guitars, excellent brass and percussion sections and great arrangements. Peace is a suite beginning with a heavy Rock vamp leading into a swinging Jazz improvisation by the trumpet; a quiet guitar improvisation leads back to the Rock vamp from the beginning.

Tuesday, January 11, 2022

Moira - 1984 - Moira

Moira
1984
Moira


01. Reise nach Ixtlan
02. Oase
03. Kristall
04. Einsame Schatten
05. Resumé

Martin Ziegler / keyboards
Gino Samele / guitar
Michael Stoll / bass, flute, vocals
Eberhard Bronner / drums

Matrix / Runout (Side A runout, handetched): 0025-A
Matrix / Runout (Side B runout, handetched): 0025-B


MOIRA were a German band who released two albums six years apart with two completely different lineups creating some controversy when it comes to how legit this second album is. Well check out Tom Hayes article on Discogs for more about that while I stick to the music. I reviewed their debut almost 2 years ago and was left feeling a little underwelmed considering Hofmann from EMBRYO and Fischer from MISSUS BEASTLY were a part of that. This recording has no big names although the main composer Michael Stoll the bass and flautist would become a main stay with FAUST starting back in 1997 or so. This second album is so much better in my opinion. Released in 1984 it certainly bucked a trend with how it sounds and for me it's a solid 4 stars.

"Reise Nach Ixtlan" gets us started and it begins slowly with jazzy guitar and bass as it slowly builds. Synths and drums join in then organ around 3 1/2 minutes. Great sound when that organ arrives boiling away. The bass is outstanding throughout this track. The guitar starts to solo over top after 7 minutes and it sounds pretty amazing. So fluid. It stops around 9 minutes. Very busy drumming here with the bass and organ helping out. The tempo slows after 10 minutes and synths will return. "Oase" is a 3 1/2 minute tune of drums and flute throughout.

"Kristall" opens with some depth and nasty organ here and I like it! The guitar is just as good too as it starts to solo after a minute. Okay the bass and drums impress as well. It then settles back before 5 1/2 minutes but then it kicks back in 2 minutes later. One of my favourites along with the opener. "Einsame Schatten" opens with bass, drums and organ before we get some nice guitar work after 2 minutes along with synths. I like the way the guitar and keys trade off briefly followed by a calm. Vocals in German for the first time on the album 4 minutes in. "Resume" is the just over a minute closer with spoken German words along with experimental sounds.

1984 wasn't exactly a stellar year for adventurous music so this is a breath of fresh air.


Moira - 1978 - Crazy Countdown

Moira
1978
Crazy Countdown



01. Para Jofrey (8:05)
02. Crazy Countdown (5:55)
03. Smile (5:41)
04. Mata Meme (5:45)
05. Gemini (4:12)
06. Always Later (6:34)
07. Spain Mandala (5:01)

- Jörgen Kanwischer / guitar
- Doctor Bogarth / keyboards
- Edgar Hofmann / soprano saxophone, flute
- Rainer Frank / bass
- Butze Fischer / drums
- Geoffrey Ramos / percussion

Recorded May 1977, Remixed May 1978.
Made in Germany by Schneeball Records
Glazed single sleeve, with 4 page leaflet "Moira News".
Most copies also come with a Schneeball label poster and catalogue.



Moira were formed in June 1975 as a melting pot of jazz and rock musicians from southern Germany.

Certainly one of the more obscure bands from the Gunderground, Moira were a fascinating progressive fusion collective formed by veterans of the Krautrock scene including Edgar Hoffman (Embryo) and Butze Fischer (Missus Beastly, Guru Guru, Embryo). Both their albums were recorded for the Schneeball label, the record consortium setup by members of Embryo and Missus Beastly. Musically, Moira fit snugly into the label’s distinct school of fusion and are part of the German “M” scene of jazz rock groups (Morpheus, Missus Beastly, Munju).

For the debut, “Crazy Countdown”, Moira explored many of the areas that were popular at the time, including Latin-tinged jazz fusion (“Para Jofrey”, “Spain Mandala”), Eastern meditation journeys with sitar and flute (“Smile”), acoustic seriousness (“Gemini”), acid cosmic space rock (“Always Later”), lounge funk (“Mata Meme”), even post-Miles Davis intense jamming (title track). During this era, the band were clearly lead by guitarist Jorgen Kanwischer, who is credited with scoring all the compositions as well as being the sole instrumentalist on “Gemini” and “Always Later”.

Six years later the group had completely changed hands (see below for more explanation) and actually took on an older, more retro sound when absolutely no one was doing that in 1984. In an era when every band had the most tin-sounding, Casio-like, digital keyboard and every guitarist was going for the pig-squeal guitar hero motif, could a band possibly put an album out with Hammond organ, Moog and wah-wah guitar as its main ingredients? ...

...There’s been quite a bit of debate about this second album and its origins/authenticity. Anyone from Ultima Thule’s Cosmic Egg professors to Schneeball label owner/Embryo icon Christian Burchard have shrugged their shoulders and said “no idea?”. But the label clearly says Schneeball with a yellow background. The catalog number of 0025 was presumably used by polit-rockers Hammerfest on Hier Bei Uns, though careful steady shows that album was also on the Maulschnauz label, causing even more confusion. Then there was the small matter that neither album shared similar members. However there is a link: Some copies of Crazy Countdown come with a detailed Moira newsletter. The then current lineup of the band (1978) had already evolved and included one Eberhard Bronner on drums, who is in fact on Reise Nach Ixtlan.

Both are absolute must owns for the serious Krautrock fusion collector.

James Tatum - 1980 - James Tatum Live

James Tatum
1980 
James Tatum Live - At Orchestra Hall & The Paradise Theater




01. The Theme
02. Lotta Chant Part I (Spiritualotta)
03. Lotta Chant Part II (Spiritualotta)
04. Lotta Blues (Spiritualotta)
05. To A Rose
06. Zoombah Lu

Bass [String Bass] – William Austin
Flute – Deblon Jackson
Percussion – Isaac Daney
Percussion – Joe Aikens
Piano – James Tatum
Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Joe Thurman
Trumpet – Gordon Camp



Tatum’s independent second release Live at the Orchestra Hall & Paradise Theater. Another breathtaking long-form vocal jazz composition, Tatum intended Live… to take the listener on a trip through the deep history of African-American music, expressing the spirit and sound of the past through the medium of jazz music and song.

James Tatum - 1974 - Contemporary Jazz Mass

James Tatum
1974
Contemporary Jazz Mass




01. Introduction / Lord Have Mercy 6:17
02. Glory To God 3:54
03. Alleluia 3:59
04. Offertory 4:36
05. Holy, Holy, Holy 2:42
06. Amen 2:17
07. The Lord's Prayer 3:45
08. Rite Of Peace 3:17
09. Lamb Of God 2:20
10. Communion 6:23

Bass – Joe Williams
Piano – James Tatum
Congas, Bongos – Ronald Stewart
Percussion – Bert Myrick
Soprano Saxophone – Theodore Buckner
Tenor Saxophone, Alto Saxophone – Louis Barnett
Trombone – Norman O'Gara
Trumpet – Judge Gray
Vocals – Conwell Carrington (tracks: A1, A2, B5)
Vocals – Ursula Walker (tracks: A2, B1, B3)

Recorded live at St. Cecilia, Detroit, Michigan.

The labels credit the group as James Tatum Trio Plus.



James Tatum was born in Mineola, Texas, in a home that encouraged him to play the piano. He was educated receiving both a Bachelor of Arts degree from Prairie View A&M University and a Master's degree in Music from the University of Michigan. After receiving his degrees, he moved to Detroit and was hired as a teacher in the Music & Fine Arts Department in the Detroit Public School System and became a department head at Murray Wright High School

Mr. Tatum became involved with music and jazz education in the Detroit public schools, local colleges and universities including Wayne County Community College District, Oakland University, Oakland Community College, and Macomb Community College. He was recognized for his mastery and became a member of several leading music organizations, the International Association of Jazz Educators, the National Committee of the Black Jazz Caucus, the Music Educators National Conference, and the International American Federation of Musicians. Mr. Tatum dedicated his life to the arts and has been an educator, jazz pianist, composer, a music lecturer, a philanthropist and a patron of the arts. He is distinguished in the world of classical music education and jazz. In his role as educator and lecturer he presents a variety of music subjects in a lecturer format including "The History of Jazz," "How to Listen to Jazz," and "Elements and Improvisation of Jazz Expressions." Tatum has composed many compositions: “Contemporary Jazz Mass," "Jubilee Jazz Suite," "The Return of Joshua,” “Great Detroit Renaissance" and many others. His CD recording called “A Tribute to Nelson Mandela" was released in 2013.Twenty nine years ago, James Tatum founded the James Tatum Foundation for the Arts, Inc. when he was divinely guided to create a way to help talented youth pursue their dreams. As part of the foundation, he created the following programs; the Scholarship Program, the Jazz Lecture Performance Program, the Give-A-Toot Program, the Annual Classical/Jazz Concert, and the Volunteer Recognition Awards Ceremony. He has diligently worked to keep his vision alive for decades by providing scholarships to talented youth in the arts. To date, the foundation has given over $377,000 in scholarships to over 500 graduating local and metropolitan area high school students. Over 95% of past James Tatum Foundation for the Arts recipients have received their college degrees. From 2004 to 2006, Tatum was a weekly talk show host of Tune into Artistry on WDTR-FM 90.9 FM. In 2005, Tatum was the first jazz musician to receive the People Choice Michigan Artist Award presented by the Governor of Michigan Jennifer Granholm and sponsored by Arts Serve of Michigan. And, in 2006, James Tatum Trio Plus performed on Wayne State University's WDET.FM National Public Radio Destination Jazz Show, hosted by Ed Love. He has also performed with jazz legend Billy Taylor and many others at the 21s Annual Jazz Forum and Concert hosted by Honourable John Conyers, Jr. in Washington, D.C. on September 22,2005.In 2009, he was interviewed on National CNN Headlines Newsmaker. In the same year he was inducted into the First Historical Museum in his hometown of Mineola, Texas. The Mayor, City Council, Museum Board of Director and many civic leaders honoured Mr. Tatum. His memoirs of his lifetime achievements are on display. In 2010, Tatum received the highest Humanitarian Award from the University President Dr. George C. Wright of the Prairie View A& M University, because of his distinguished alumnus. In 2012, James Tatum was honoured twice. He was invited to Grenada, West Indies to perform in a Jazz Lecture Performance Celebration Festival, sponsored by the U.S. Embassy and Grenada Music Film Industry. Tatum shared the Jazz Education performance with a wide audience on two television stations. Thousands of Grenadians were able to see James Tatum perform and lecture on a special 30-minute show. Mr. Tatum received the Spirit of Detroit Award given to the James Tatum Foundation by the Mayor and City Council of Detroit. In 2015, Mr. Tatum performed at the Tuesday Musicale of Detroit Second Annual Classical to Jazz Concert at the Congregational Church of Birmingham in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. He also signed a five-year contract with Jazzman Records LTD of London UK, reissuing two of his LP recordings: "The Contemporary Jazz Mass" (74) and the "Spiritualotta Jazz Suite (81)

Owning a copy of the original Contemporary Jazz Mass LP takes time, effort and money. Depending on condition, getting hold of a copy will probably set you back somewhere in the region of £200 – £300 and may take several months of searching online.

For those of you who don’t want to wait or spend the heightened price tag then fortunately Jazzman Records have re-issued Contemporary Jazz Mass on Vinyl, Digital and CD. The latter includes Tatum’s second album, ”Live at Orchestra Hall & the Paradise Theater” as well.

I have a fairly pragmatic approach to re-issues; providing the sound quality is good enough then I’m prepared to accept the compromise. Of course, Jazzman has a proven track record when it comes to these types of releases, providing detailed liner notes to help contextualise the artist and the release as well as the music itself.

Tatum was commissioned by St Cecilia’s Roman Catholic Church, Detroit to compose the Mass. His inspiration came from Duke Ellington’s Sacred Concerts performed some years earlier. At the time Ellington’s Concerts were quite controversial. Whilst they contained scriptural references they did not follow liturgical form and whilst Ellington did not intend this religious conservatives responded poorly to what they saw as a syncretistic amalgamation of faith and jazz. Broadly speaking however the Concerts were received positively and in the following years a number of similar projects combined elements of liturgical structure and/or content with jazz. Examples include Paul Horn and Lalo Schifrin’s “Jazz Suite on the Mass Texts”, Mary Lou Williams’ “Mary Lou’s Mass” and “Black Christ of the Andes”, but gospel/choral influences are also evident in work by others – Donald Byrd, Archie Shepp, Andrew Hill and Max Roach, for example.

Tatum’s Mass avoided the controversy of these quasi-religious compositions by sticking to the liturgical text.

The Mass was first performed at St Cecilia’s in May 1973, and released as an album on Tatum’s own JTTP Record label in 1974. The band comprised of Tatum’s regular trio plus additional local Detroit musicians drafted in for the occasion. Conwell Carrington and Ursula Walker provided vocals with choral support.

Music helps create and heighten the tone of ceremony and ritual. It’s important to understand that this music was written for a church service, but nonetheless this tone, and the emotional response it evokes, can resonate in the secular world as well, whether we call it Spiritual or Gospel Jazz.

The opening bars of “Introduction/Lord Have Mercy” are solemn, with horns calling the listener to attention and acting as a clarion call. The track has a distinct, dramatic quality, signifying the transformation from the mundane to the spiritual. When Carrington’s voice first enters, towards the end of the composition, it instills a slightly unnerving sense of foreboding in his passionate baritone.

“Lord Have Mercy” aside the rest of the album has a lighter tone, a mixture of songs and instrumentals, rich in melody and harmony.

For me the vocal roles are quite defined and both are equally appealing. Carrington’s style is worldly, knowing, paternal even, Walker’s no less powerful but filled with optimism. These different means of expression are most apparent on the devotional “Gloria” which features both leads. “Holy, Holy, Holy” is mellifluously light and uplifting, and “The Lord’s Prayer”, well we all know the lyrics, don’t we?

Tracks like “Amen” and “Alleluia” feature the 13-piece choir, The Motif. The latter opens slowly, with a deliberate pulse-like rhythm lifted by soft harmonies and Tatum’s embellishments on keys. This meditative calm is dispelled when the tempo picks up and the musicians come to the fore, not in an act of ego, but to exult the congregation.

Throughout, the intention of the music is not to showcase the virtuosity of the musicians involved, but at different times to stimulate contemplation, devotion and praise. The results are both reverent and enriching. Taylor’s delightfully meandering lines on the electric piano lift the melodies; take my favourite instrumental track, “Communion” for example.

As much as the music arouses an emotional response centred in the spiritual sound and messages, for me it is also conjures up the structure it is was performed in as well. The sound is wonderfully open, to the extent that you can imagine it reverberating around the expanse of the church.

A gem of independent Detroit jazz, reissued for the first time. James Tatum's stunning, spiritualized Contemporary Jazz Mass is one of the only true jazz masses ever released. Inspired by Duke Ellington's Sacred Concerts, Tatum's masterwork was recorded during its first-ever performance at St Cecilia Church in Detroit, and released on Tatum's own private label in 1974. A professional music educator and jazz composer, Tatum had been working as a teacher in Detroit, and in the long aftermath of the 1967 riots he began teaching music to local children in St Cecilia's. The church commissioned the mass in 1972, and Tatum put together an ensemble of singers from within the church, backed by his own trio and local jazz musicians. Looking toward the great sacred works of Ellington, but with lyrics drawn straight from liturgy, Contemporary Jazz Mass is a unique work of sanctified vocal jazz -- nourishment for the spirit and soul, brought back to you by Jazzman Records as part of its esteemed Holy Grail Series. The CD version also includes Tatum's independent second release, Live at the Orchestra Hall & Paradise Theater (1980). Another breathtaking long-form vocal jazz composition, it was conceived as a trip through the deep history of African-American music, expressing the spirit and sound of the past through the medium of jazz music and song.

James Tatum's stunning, spiritualised Contemporary Jazz Mass is one of the only true jazz masses ever released. Inspired by Duke Ellington's Sacred Concerts, Tatum's masterwork was recorded on its first ever performance at St Cecilia Church in Detroit, and released on his own private label in 1974. Professional music educator and jazz composer Tatum had been working as a teacher in Detroit, and in the long aftermath of the 1967 riots he had started to instruct local children music in St Cecilia's. The Church commissioned the mass in 1972, and Tatum put together an ensemble of singers from within the church, backed by his own trio and local jazz musicians.

Looking toward the great sacred works of Ellington, but with lyrics drawn straight from liturgy, the Contemporary Jazz Mass is a unique work of sanctified vocal jazz - nourishment for the spirit and soul.

Sunday, January 9, 2022

Led Zeppelin - 2012 - Ascension In The Wane

Led Zeppelin
2012
Ascension In The Wane: The January 1973 Soundboards


The Godfather Box – G.R. BOX 13


Oxford Blues
January 7th, 1973
New Theatre, Oxford

101. Rock And Roll
102. Over The Hills And Far Away
103. Black Dog
104. Misty Mountain Hop
105. Since I've Been Loving You
106. Dancing Days
107. Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp
108. The Song Remains The Same
109. The Rain Song

201. Dazed And Confused
202. Stairway To Heaven
203. Whole Lotta Love


One For The M6
January 14th, 1973
Empire Theatre, Liverpool

301. Over The Hills And Far Away
302. Black Dog
303. Misty Mountain Hop
304. Since I've Been Loving You
305. Dancing Days
306. Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp
307. The Song Remains The Same
308. The Rain Song
309. Dazed And Confused

401. Stairway To Heaven
402. Whole Lotta Love
403. Heartbreaker
404. The Ocean


Groovin' In The Garden
Trentham Gardens, Stoke

501. Rock And Roll
502. Over The Hills And Far Away
503. Black Dog
504. Misty Mountain Hop
505. Since I've Been Loving You
506. Dancing Days
507. Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp
508. The Song Remains The Same
509. The Rain Song

601. Dazed And Confused
602. Stairway To Heaven
603. Whole Lotta Love


The Black Hole Of Calcutta
January 23rd, 1973
Southampton University, Southampton

710. Rock And Roll
702. Over The Hills And Far Away
703. Black Dog
704. Misty Mountain Hop
705. Since I've Been Loving You
706. Dancing Days
707. The Song Remains The Same
708. The Rain Song
709. Dazed And Confused

801. Stairway To Heaven
802. Whole Lotta Love
803. Heartbreaker
804. Thank You
805. How Many More Times
806. Communication Breakdown


Odds And Ends

St. George's Hall, Bradford, January 18th, 1973

901. Dazed And Confused
902. Whole Lotta Love
903. Immigrant Song . Immigrant Song

Caird Hall, Dundee, January 27th, 1973

1001. Whole Lotta Love
1002. Heartbreaker
1003. Communication Breakdown

Gaumont Theatre, Southampton, January 21st, 1973 - Soundcheck

1004. Drums & Mellotron Tuning Love Me
1005. Love Me
1006. Frankfurt Special (Aka Station Blues)
1007. King Creole
1008. Love Me (Reprise)




Led Zeppelin’s ascension to super stardom was so fast that, even early in their career, they were 
challenged by the British press to match their current champions. The most well known was in 1977 and 1978 when they were pitted against the punk movement in the UK. Believe it or not, there was a time when progressive bands like Yes were the new guard, and the press wondered if Zeppelin could match them in creativity and popularity.

This was the atmosphere in which Zeppelin planned their largest UK tour to date. Ascension In The Wane is a box set containing soundboard recordings from the second half of their UK tour. The first half, during December 1972, ended with two shows in London. In January 1973 they continued with shows in northern England and Scotland.

Many Zeppelin fans and collectors believe early 1973 (especially the European dates in March) are among the band’s greatest all-time performances. All of the tapes have been released before. Most surfaced in the early nineties and they all sound as good as the best versions in current circulation. This is a good way for those who do not own any of these shows to obtain them.


Oxford Blues (G.R. BOX 13A/B)
New Theatre, Oxford, England – January 7th, 1973



After Zeppelin’s brief break for the Christmas and New Year’s holiday, their first show in the new year was on January 2nd in Sheffield. Robert Plant caught the flu hitchhiking in the cold winter after his jeep broke down. His voice affected that performance (which exists in a poor audience tape) and caused the rescheduling of shows in Bradford and Preston.

The next show was on Sunday, January 7th at the 1,800 capacity New Theatre in Oxford. Zeppelin’s only show in Oxford, it is captured in a nearly complete soundboard recording. It cuts in right at the beginning of “Rock And Roll,” has a big cut in “The Rain Song,” and cuts out during the theremin solo in “Whole Lotta Love.”

The soundboard first surfaced in 1991 on Oxford Blues (Flying Disc Music CD 6-800). Tarantura included “The Song Remains The Same,” ” The Rain Song,” “Dazed And Confused” and part of “Whole Lotta Love” on the compilation Nasty Music (Tarantura T3CD-011-1-2-3).

“Dancing Days” and “Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp” appear on Best Of Tour 1973 (Forever Standard Series FS 99-008) and the best version came out after that on Oxford 1973 (The Diagrams Of Led Zeppelin TDOLZ Vol. 75). The latest release is on the poorly edited and ghastly sounding British Story (Wendy WECD-82/83) where it is paired with the Dundee soundboard and the Southampton rehearsal as a bonus.

Godfather use what sounds like the Diagrams version of the tape. It’s very clear and enjoyable, one of the best to surface from this part of the tour. The guitar is unfortunately mixed down, but the rhythm section is very powerful. There is a small cut 3:13 in “The Rain Song” and the tape cuts out during the theremin solo in “Whole Lotta Love.”

It starts right at the drum fanfare of “Rock And Roll” and it’s obvious from the first song that Plant is going to struggle this evening. He compensates by trading the high notes for low and low growls for high shrikes. It’s somewhat effective and very creepy at certain points.

Aafter the new song “Over The Hills And Far Away” Plant apologizes for the delay. He jokes “since we’ve joined the common market this area’s gone down the nick” (Britain joined the European Market on January 1st, 1973, a full week before this gig). “Somebody threw an iron bar onto the electric railway line, and the trains have stopped. Alright, this is one for the guy who did that” before starting “Black Dog.”

At the end of the song someone makes a strange comment to Plant, prompting him to reply “well, I used to be Jethro Tull” and dedicates “Misty Mountain Hop” to “everybody who ever got waylaid when they were going somewhere.”

Early in the set is the short, one song acoustic set “Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp.” Plant expands on the song’s meaning, saying it’s “really about a dog who refuses to be bathed, washed, brushed, and spends a lot of his time doing nothing…sounds reasonable!…You can be of assisstance with the mitts, you know” urging the audience to clap along.

Plant’s mellow vocals put a damper on “The Rain Song.” He moans instead of shouts over Bonham’s thunderous drums in the song’s latter half. They are also subdued for “Dazed & Confused.” He minimizes the vocal gymnastics with Page’s guitar. Instead, Page is quite creative inventing riffs and melodies. The most memorable is a haunting melody played in the violin bow segment.

“Whole Lotta Love” is “for any of our road manager who didn’t get arrested in Sheffield. This is a number that really is a little bit hedonist on a Sunday night. It’s a number that, in America, creates much frenzy. In fact, it’s got us a lot of good things. Gentlemen?”

I.t’s a shame it cuts out without the medley. Page again is very aggressive in his guitar playing and the therermin solo and it would have been interesting to hear how he handles the heavy blues without Plant’s vocals as a foil. But this is a great sounding document of an interesting show.


One For The M6 (G.R. BOX 13C/D)
Empire Theatre, Liverpool, England – January 14th, 1973


A week later Zeppelin return with a show in Liverpool. Since they didn’t play since Oxford, Plant’s voice is well rested and much more dynamic and powerful. A fragment of the soundboard containing the “Whole Lotta Love” medley and the encores first surfaced on the vinyl disc Trouble At The Front / Death Wish II Outtakes (TROPO 411A-D).

The first compact disc title to document Liverpool was Elvis Presley Has Just Left The Building which has the same material as the LP plus the Bradford soundboard fragment and the Southampton rehearsal. Tarantura included “The Ocean” on the compilation Nasty Music (T3CD-011-1-2-3). Tangible Vandalism, on both Goblin and Ukinel, also have this material.

Subsequently a longer soundboard tape surfaced in the early nineties. This one misses the first song “Rock And Roll,” cuts out 5:45 in “The Rain Song” and the first two verses of “Dazed And Confused” are missing. There is a cut in “Whole Lotta Love” at 11:23 during “Baby I Don’t Care.” The Fabulous Four (FF-1/2) and its speed-corrected clone Days Of Heaven (Tattytura) contain this tape with clicks after the cut in “Whole Lotta Love.” Live In Liverpool ’73 (The Diagrams Of Led Zeppelin Vol. 4) and One for the M6 (Crazy Dream CDZ-73001/002) edited the vinyl source to avoid the clicks, and this is the tape Godfather uses.

With “Rock And Roll” missing, the tape starts with the opening strums of “Over The Hills And Far Away.” Speculation has it that the band actually dropped “Rock And Roll” because of the perceived strain it might have on Plant’s damaged vocal chords. It would have been strange for the band to open the show with a song that hadn’t even been released yet, but one can never know.

The alternative theory would be “Rock And Roll” just not being recorded, or that the tape was damaged for one reason or another.

After a gentle version of “Over The Hills And Far Away” Plant says, “good evening. Another Sunday night. Everything stops at ten to ten. Amazing. This is about somebody who didn’t stop” before they start “Black Dog.” Plant’s voice is much stronger than in Oxford. Liverpool is a much more effective show as a result. The small audience lends much more intimacy to the performance.

“This is one that … I don’t know how it was conceived, but it’s about what you should do if you go walking through the park” he says to introduce “Misty Mountain Hop.” There is a short delay before the song starts and he jokes, “with a few bass pedal tune-ups.”

After an excellent “Dancing Days” he complains, as they set up for “Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp,” that “we used to play a half hour of acoustic songs” and mentions trouble in Germany. He turns away from the mic so it’s difficult to understand exactly what he’s saying.

Before “The Song Remains The Same” Plant seems to anticipate the criticims Houses Of The Holy will receive by saying that Led Zeppelin “were a blues group when we started. White blues” and calls the new song a real blues song because they ahd to travel aroundt he world in order to conceive it.

It’s a shame “The Rain Song” cuts out because it is truly devastating. “Dazed And Confused,” picks up right when Page is heating up, playing a blistering early solo before they cover Scott Mackenzie. The violin bow solo sounds very faint, light, airy and mysterious in this recording. During the improvisation, before the return to the third verse, Page samples some far eastern Asian sounding melodies.

Plant tells the audience that “Stairway To Heaven” came in “a moment of light a half hour after ‘Black Dog’.” The “Whole Lotta Love” medley has the same numbers as the others with a nasty blues improvisation in the middle. “Heartbreaker” is the first encore and they end the show with “The Ocean.” It’s the only known version this month and a rare peformanced without the Bonham count-in.

Liverpool is a great show and is unfortunately rarely pressed onto silver disc. Except for the titles pressed in the nineties, it’s been ignored for almost fifteen years. Godfather’s version of One For The M6 is perhaps the best version available.


Groovin’ In The Garden (G.R. BOX 13E/F)
Trentham Gardens, Stoke, England – January 15th, 1973



Following Liverpool the band traveled to Stoke-On-Trent for a show in the Trentham Garden. This soundboard recording is one of the most popular from this month with many different releases in the compact disc era. Earlier releases include Live In Stoke, England Vol. 1 (LZ-007), Live In Stoke, England Vol. 2 (LZ-008), Trentham Gardens (Music With Love MWL 009-010), Stoker (Stoke-1, 2) on Tarantura, Broken Fingers (IQ-001/2) the underrated Image Quality label’s first release, and soon after that on Dedicated To Rizzlers (Equinox EX-00-008/009) in the summer of 2001.

Stroke In Stoke was released about the same time as Equinox with the same sound quality but with the songs out of proper running sequence.

As good as the tape sounded on these releases an improved version of the tape was released on Soul Brothers (Tarantura TCD-37-1,2)simultaneously with Live At Trentham Gardens (Empress Valley EVSD-394/395) both with significant ungraded sound quality. Stoke 1973 (no label) has the same excellent and improved sound quality as the two. The sound is very clear with a touch of hiss. The vocals, drums and bass are up front with the guitars pushed somewhat back in the mix.

Godfather utilize the same tape generation as teh latter three releases in excellent sound quality. There is still the gap cutting out the latter part of “The Song Remains The Same” and the first two verses of “The Rain Song”, and one at the very end of “Stairway To Heaven” which also eliminates the very beginning of “Whole Lotta Love.” Overall Stoke is a beautifully laid back, very loose performance. Zeppelin’s shows in the UK are virtuoso yet low key performances.

The show starts off with “Rock And Roll” and the segue into “Over The Hills And Far Away.” Plant is recovering from a nasty flu that affected his voice, so he takes it easy in the opening numbers. He is sipping lemon tea while introducing ”Black Dog,” claiming it’s about ”a Labrador who used to come with us when we went shooting people. We don’t shoot animals.”

“Misty Mountain Hop” is dedicated to Rizlas (a brand of rolling paper for sale in the UK), and that number segues into “Since I’ve Been Loving You.” Page’s guitar goes out of tune during the following song “Dancing Days.” After “Bron-Y-Aur Stomp” Plant reminiscences about their visit to Wales several years prior when they wrote the song. “Actually, we’re very fortunate to be playing in Aberystwyth tomorrow night, which is where all them things came from, locked far away in the National Trust of Snowdonia. What a gas place that was. Sold to a stockbroker in the end folks.”

The set ends with “Whole Lotta Love.” While it reaches seventeen minutes long, it is significantly shorter than in other shows on this tour where it reaches almost twenty-give. Plant’s vocals seem to be come weak by the end, so when they complete “Let’s Have A Party,” instead of going into the demanding “I Can’t Quit You,” he goes straight to the closing verse of “Whole Lotta Love.”

Unfortunately the tape ends right when Plant is saying good night. The encores aren’t present. Eyewitnesses to the event said they played “Four Sticks” as an encore. It is possible although unlikely since Zeppelin rarely played unrehearsed songs live. But, it would be an event if it were to surface.


The Black Hole Of Calcutta (G.R. BOX 13G/H)
The Old Refectory, Southampton University, Southampton, England
January 22nd, 1973



In The Old Refectory is the latest incarnation of the January 22nd, 1973 Southampton University gig that surfaced on multitrack in 2007. Previous releases of this tape include The Great Lost Live Album (Nasty Music NM-1973-01/02/03), Live At Southampton University Working Tapes (EVSD-493/494), Any Port In A Storm: The Lost Soundboard Show (Godfather GR223/224) and Tarantura’s prior release of this show Swastika (Tarantura TCD67-1,2).

Southampton University 1973 (no label) was released in the spring of 2008 and had the tape speed adjusted, slowing the tape down 1.5% compared to all of the other releases making this one two minutes and ten seconds longer than the others and sounding at the correct pitch. This tape was used on In The Old Refectory (Tarantura TCD-96-1,2) and again by Godfather for this release.

A review of this concert appeared in the Wessex News afterwards in an article titled “Rock And Roll” sounds a bit sluggish, but the following song “Over The Hills And Far Away” is very good with an animated solo by Page in the middle.

Before “Black Dog” Plant says, “And it’s a good evening. I believe we came here before. I don’t know if it was as warm then. We’re going to have a good time tonight. This is about a Labrador who became rather – rather dodgy with lumbago.The only thing he could do was boogie. He was a black dog. Black Dog!” The “Misty Mountain Hop” and “Since I’ve Been Loving You” pairing follows immediately afterwards.

Before “Dancing Days” Plant explains, “This is a bastard actually. This is a track from the new album. It’s a track that was written in the height of last year’s summer on July 6th. It’s a song about school days and little boys that never grow up. It’s called ‘Dancing Days’.” This is usually a great live piece but this version sounds tired with Page playing a bland solo at the song’s conclusion.

“Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp,” which normally follows “Dancing Days,” is dropped: “we don’t know it to be honest,” Plant explains. “Besides we can’t maneuver about.”

The band play another new song, “The Song Remains The Same” instead. The right channel of the stereo flickers at eleven seconds into the track and becomes a bit weak at twenty-two seconds, but improves soon afterwards with another flicker at 2:51 at the end of “The Rain Song” Plant says, “That was John Paul Jones, ably assisted by the Haleigh Orchestra which we managed to press into this small 3 X 26 box.”

A power surge can be heard on the tape and there is a short delay while the roadies work on wiring onstage. Page plays a bit of the Tarantella while Plant caution “you can get a shock you know, Cerano.” Plant jokes with the audience about the show the previous evening at the Gaumont Theater before the band play a twenty-eight minute version of “Dazed And Confused.”

The recording preserves the dynamics of the piece and the song is very enjoyable in this show. Plant is out of tempo during the “San Francisco” section and Page takes his time finding his violin bow. Bonham plays the cymbals under Plant’s moans in the interim before the violin bow section begins. The sounds are soft, reminiscent of the Liverpool tape, but also very creepy.

“Whole Lotta Love” lasts for a half hour and the medley is typical for this tour with no surprises. There is a small cut on the tape at 19:47. They play the longest set of encores of the tour. “Heartbreaker” is first followed by the John Paul Jones mellotron arrangement of “Thank You,” this is an experiment he first introduced in Nagoya the previous October and played it several times since, but this is the best recording we have of this unusual piece.

At the song’s end Page plays some pretty figures on the guitar before Plant introduces the next number. “This is one of our early tunes and God knows if we can remember it.” They play an eight minute version of “How Many More Times” for the first time in two years which segues directly with the final encore of the night “Communication Breakdown.”



Odds And Ends (G.R. BOX 13G/H)



Odd And Ends contains several soundboard fragments from the latter days of the UK tour. The first disc has a fifity minute section of the January 18th show in Bradford. The sound is excellent and contains most of “Dazed And Confused,” the “Whole Lotta Love” medley and the final ever (known) performance of “Immigrant Song” by Led Zeppelin.

The Bradford soundboard has been released many times before. “Dazed And Confused” and “Whole Lotta Love” first surfaced on Heartattack (Toasted / Condor 1997) and April Fool’s Day (LZ05) and later on Fallin’ In Love With The Fallin’ Angel (Led Note LCD 1507) and The Great Lost Live Album (Nasty Music NM-1973-01/02/03). (The poor sounding audience source can be found on Bradford UK 1973 (The Diagrams Of Led Zeppelin TDOLZ Vol.020)).

“Dazed And Confused” contains some variations unique to the performance. Page’s lead into the “San Francisco” interlude sounds different, and he gets into a funk groove in the start of the long improvisation. The “Mars” section before the return to the final verse is also extremely intense. The soundboard is much more clear, but the echo in the audience recording lends the air of mystery lacking in the professional recording. Bradford ranks among the best performances of the epic piece of the UK winter tour.

The long ”Whole Lotta Love” medley continues the variations. While Page is spiting out his sledgehammer riffs, Plant gives a parodic nod to The Rolling Stones’ “Let It Bleed,” singing “we all need someone to cream on.” During the boogie section Page spits out some nasty, hostile sounding heavy-metal riffs, and after “(Baby You’re So Square) I Don’t Care” Plant continues the Elvis impersonation with the beginning of “Blue Suede Shoes” (“one for the money / two for the show / three to get ready / go, cat, go / stay off of my blue suede shoes”) as the rest follow along.

The Dundee fragment on disc two is even more short and more rare than Bradford. About a half hour long, it cuts in right before the theremin solo leading into the “Whole Lotta Love” medley and the two encores. It first surfaced in the early nineties on From Boleskine To The Alamo (Flying Disc Music CD 6-818), Nasty Music (Tarantura T3CD-011-1-2-3) and several years ago on A Soundboard Platter (Scorpio LZ-07005-01~04).

Plant is overtly concerned about security during the improvisations and “Everybody Needs Somebody To Love” mentioning them several times. Bonham bashes the hell out of the drum kit, and the Scottish punters are so enthusiastic their cheering can be faintly heard in the recording.

At the start of “Boogie Chillun'” Plant sings how he remembers the trouble in the front of the stage when they last visited (in November 1971) and doesn’t want to see it again.

Godfather include the January 22nd Southampton rehearsal tape as a bonus. Ascension In The Wane is packaged in a deep box with individual sleeves for the five shows along with a miniature tour poster and one of their thickest booklets ever produced, over fifty pages with many photographs from the era and essays about each show. It is one of their most detailed and best sounding boxes produced.