The Tubes - Darted In My Own Armchair - 1976

My first memories of The Tubes, was hearing Radio Caroline play 'Don't Touch Me There' back in 1976, at a time when BBC Radio & the UK's fledgling commercial stations bent over backwards to ban anything that was remotely risque, or questionable... well anything!

A number of The Tubes band members were students at the same high school in Phoenix, Arizona, as Alice Cooper, what were they putting in the water back there and then?

This recording was made at a time when The Tubes were arguably moving towards their first creative peak, which was both visual and musical.

This then is The Tubes live at the Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, USA, on the 26th June 1976.

Source: Tricky one this. I thought it was definitely an expanded version of a King Biscuit Flower Hour recording, however their site partly contradicts this, any how it's a professionally mixed recording.

Sound Quality: Very good stereo soundboard quality @ 192kbps.

Genre: Rock, from Pop Rock to New Wave.

Set: Fifty minutes - predominately the latter part of the concert.

Set List:

1a. Young and Rich - Grandiose Instrumental Overture
1b. What do you Want From Life.
2. Tubes World Tour.
3. Love will Keep us Together.
4. Pimp.
5a. Mondo Bondage
5b. Don't Touch me There.
6. Boy Crazy.
7. Stand up and Shout.

Band:

Rick Anderson - bass
Michael Cotton - synthesizers
Prairie Prince - drums
Bill Spooner - guitar, vocals
Roger Steen - guitar, harmonica, vocals
Re Styles - vocals
Fee Waybill - lead vocals
Vince Welnick - keyboards

Links: Official Site HERE.

Comments: This bootleg recording originally circulated on a vinyl album entitled 'Darted In My Own Armchair' it was subsequently released on CD in Italy in 1991 as 'The Tubes In Concert 1976'.

The Intro to 'Love Will Keep Us Together' is the Captain Beefheart tune 'Gimme Dat Harp' featuring Roger on blues harp.

The band released their second album 'Young and Rich' in 1976, and following a one month residency at Bimbos, San Francisco, continued with 'The Tubes World Tour 1976'.

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Purchase: MP3's - The Tubes

Nils Lofgren - Pinkpop Festival 1977

It was the UK's NME (New Musical Express), that introduced me to Nils Lofgren, way back when I was a much, much, younger person in the second half of the 1970's.

I was so impressed I went about purchasing his earlier material with 'Grin', and feel a strange personal satisfaction that has been such a key member of Bruce Springsteen's 'E Street Band'.

This then is Nils Lofgren and band, back on the 30th May 1977, at the Pink Pop Festival, Geleen, Holland.

Source: Local FM radio broadcast.

Sound Quality: Very Good quality FM Stereo off air recording converted to 320kbps MP3.

Genre: Rock, Blues Rock, high quality guitar and vocals.

Set: Part of the festival set (as far as I know), for FM broadcast featuring key songs.

Set List:

1.Incidentally it's over.
2.Like rain.
3.Code of the road.
4.Keith don't go.
5.Moon tears.
6.I came to dance.

Total Playing Time 38:01

Links: Official Site (very good) HERE. Informative Wikipedia entry HERE.

Comments: Nils Lofgren's 1976 album release 'Cry Tough' remains a personal favorite of mine. The massive punk backlash emerging at the time here in the UK, was never aimed at the likes of Nils Lofgren, indeed he was considered amongst my peers at the time, as a great example of how rock music should develop.

In reality he was doing his own thing to a very high standard, which fared well, outside of all the music industry shenanigans, and struck a chord with your average rock music fan, tired of the self indulgence of those who had made a fortune playing the rock superstar.

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The Rutles - Rehearsals

Who can forget the legend that was Ron, Dirk, Stig, and Barry?

The 'Prefab Four' remain in our hearts forever, a legend in their own lunchtime, always to be remembered as The Rutles.

OK I hope you know the story, and some of the music, if not, and if you like The Beatles and love a good laugh this is the perfect parody.

This particular recording is from The Rutles pre tour rehearsals, not sure where, its great music though, and also known as 'Sweet Rutles Tracks'.

Source: Studio rehearsals 1978.

Sound Quality: Good quality stereo (studio rehearsal 'live' recording).

Genre: Parody, comedy, musically think The Beatles.

Set: Part of studio rehearsal's with some archive Rutles video soundbites.

Set List:

We've Arrived 3:25

Now She's Left You 1:41

Number One 2:40

Love Life 3:23

Goose-Step Mama 2:34

It's Looking Good 1:56

I Must Be In Love 2:17

Baby Let Me Be 2:44

Good Times Roll 3:08

Let's Be Natural 2:25

Get Up And Go 4:45

Blue Suede Schubert 2:35

Between Us 2:14

Piggy In The Middle 2:47

Living In Hope 2:39

Double Back Alley
Plenty Of Time

Touring Band.

Neil Innes — piano, guitar and vocals;

John Halsey — drums;
Mark Griffiths — bass guitar and vocals;
Mickey Simmonds — keyboards and vocals;
Ken Thornton — lead guitar
J.J. Jones — percussion.

Links: Official Site HERE. More factual stuff on Wikipedia HERE.

Comments: I always remember when I first watched Rutland Weekend Television (on BBC Two as it happens), itself in part a parody of then British commercial TV station London Weekend Television, and similar TV channels. As a fan of Monty Python I could not stop laughing at what seemed at the time to be a perfect antidote for Pythons TV demise.

The Rutles were first seen in the series during a 1975 sketch, that was in keeping with the overall parody of the comedy series.

It made sense that The Rutles continued both within the TV show and as a recording and performing act in their own right.

The musical takes on The Beatles are often sublime, to the point of record company litigation that led to John Lennon and Paul McCartney being credited as co-authors on some official music releases.

Free: (If you require it to play this) - Nero Music Player HERE.

Download link in comments below - or just click on the picture above.

Purchase: MP3's from Amazon UK, (there are some gems here) The Rutles

Rockpile - Live In Concert 1979

This Rockpile live in concert collection was originally circulated on bootleggers 'Great Live Records' (GLR 9235).

It is in fact an edit from two concerts, predominately the latter part of two gigs, both most likely to have been recorded in New York, USA, towards the end of Rockpile's fourth USA tour.

Source: Most likely from two FM broadcasts, King Biscuit Flower Hour recorded their final tour show, (however this specific concert does not appear on their site), so their is some guessing on the set list sources below, (any music detectives out there who know more?).

Sound Quality: FM stereo, all good listenable standard, you will note a change in audio levels on the last four tracks.

Genre: Rock, Rockabilly, Pub Rock.

Set: Ten songs split over two gigs.

Set List:

(Probable Palladium New York 20th August 1979)

1. Crawling From The Wreckage 3:03

2. Girls Talk 3:34

3. Cruel To Be Kind 3:07

4. I Hear You Knocking 2:29

5. Cracking Up 2:46

6. Jailhouse Rock 2:34

(Possibly Bottom Line New York 1979).

7. Deborah 2:46

8. No More Mr Nice Guy 2:48

9. Ju Ju Man 3:15

10. Heart Of The City 5:09

Links: Official Dave Edmunds Site HERE.

Comments: Rockpile were Dave Edmunds, Nick Lowe, Billy Bremner, and Terry Williams, the music very much good time rock'n'roll. That's the easy bit, finding out the background on this bootleg was a little tricky, and I am only still guessing the concert venues, still never mind, judging by the audience and band this was a great tour, and well worth a share.

Free: Nero Music Player HERE.

Download link in comments below - or just click on the picture.

Purchase: MP3's. Dave Edmunds