Love - Live At The Fillmore West 1970

Love started out playing the L.A. club scene in April 1965, and by the time of this concert in 1970, had already experienced a turbulent history, with line up changes, problematic tours, and the ravages of drug excesses.

The one constant was the late Arthur Taylor Lee, along with some superb sixties albums and singles.

This then is Love with both the early and late shows at the Fillmore West, San Francisco, USA, back on the 21st November 1970.

Source: Concert soundboard.

Sound Quality: Very good, 320kbps stereo (a few glitches due to age, that do not distract).

Genre: Psychedelic rock, garage rock, sixties west coast.

Set: Early and Late show performances.

Set List:

Early Show:

01 Product Of The Times
02 Stand Out
03 Keep On Shinning
04 Andmoreagain
05 Singing Cowboy / Good Times

Late Show:

06 Stand Out
07 Product Of The Times
08 Bummmer In The Summer
09 Gotta Find Somebody
10 Signed D.C.
11 Slick Dick
12 Always See Your Face
13 Singing Cowboy

Links: Excellent fan site HERE. Official Arthur Lee and Love site HERE.

Comments: This live concert material shows off the rockier edge of Love, and the style was quite different to the early performances, much tighter, less tune ups between songs, and overall a much more polished live act.

I was surprised how much I liked this, as I tend to associate the band to songs such as Alone Again Or, and The Red Telephone, which have a much gentler feel to them. This is well worth a listen, and again a nice piece of Fillmore West history.

Download links in comments below or.

Purchase: MP3's (DRM free) from Amazon - Love

Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash - Sessions 1969

This is hardly making it's Internet bootleg debut here, however the Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash sessions from 1969, remain elusive for many collectors, and I am happy to do my bit to help.

The often asked question regarding these sessions is, why have they never been officially released ?

The musically historical importance, audio quality, and perhaps the actual performances themselves, make that a reasonable question, however in all honesty forty years on, the 'cats out of the bag' if you get my drift?

The contents of the sessions are detailed in track lists below, if you have just passing interest in either of these two artists, I would suggest that the recordings are well worth a listen.

Source: Taken from an early generation silver CD.

Sound Quality: Very good stereo soundboard, studio and auditorium.

Genre: In all fairness Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash will suffice.

Track List:

BS studios, Nashville, TN, USA - February 17th -18th, 1969.

01 Good Ol' Mountain Dew (Lunsford / Wiseman)
02 I Still Miss Someone (J Cash / Roy Cash)
03 Careless Love (Trad)
04 Matchbox (Carl Perkins)
05 That's Alright Mama (A. Crudup)
06 Big River (J Cash)
07 Girl Of The North Country
08 I Walk The Line (J Cash)
09 You Are My Sunshine (Davis / Mitchell)
10 Ring Of Fire (Carter / Kilgore)
11 Guess Things Happen That Way (Clement)
12 Just A Closer Walk With Thee (Trad)
13 Blue Yodel #1 (T for Texas) (J Rodgers)
14 Blue Yodel #2 (J Rodgers)

Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN May 1st, 1969.

15 I Threw It All Away
16 Living The Blues
17 Girl Of The North Country

Nashville Skyline Quadraphonic Mixes.

18 Nashville Skyline Rag
19 I Threw It All Away
20 Peggy Day
21 Country Pie
22 Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You

Unknown source - not on all bootleg versions.

23 One Too Many Mornings (1)
24 One Too Many Mornings (2)

Links: Official Bob Dylan HERE, official Johnny Cash HERE,

Comments: The very thorough Bobs Boots site had the following to say regarding this material.

'The outtakes are great fidelity studio recordings, but the performances are very loose, first time trys. This is a 'must-have' disc for historical reasons, but it will probably not be one that you will want to play every day'.

That is a reasonable summary, however I played a few tracks again earlier today, and my first thought as I went on to other matters (work as it happens), was I must listen to this all the way through again!

The studio sessions were of course linked to Bob Dylan's work on his ninth 9th proper studio album 'Nashville Skyline'.

Quoting wikipedia verbatim:

When sessions resumed on February 17, "Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You" was the primary focus, and a master take was selected from a total of eleven takes. An instrumental, titled "Nashville Skyline Rag", was also recorded at the beginning of the session, and it was later included on the album.
Sometime during that session, country legend Johnny Cash stopped by to visit. A friend and label-mate of Dylan's as well as an early supporter of his music, Cash had been recording next door with his own band. The two wound up recording a series of duets, covering Dylan's "One Too Many Mornings" and "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" as well as Cash's own "I Still Miss Someone." None of these were deemed usable, but Cash returned the following day to record more duets.
The session on February 18 was devoted exclusively to duet covers with Cash. "One Too Many Mornings" and "I Still Miss Someone" were revisited, and rejected, yet again. "Matchbox", "That's All Right Mama", "Mystery Train", "Big River", "I Walk the Line", and "Guess Things Happen That Way", all made famous by celebrated Sun recordings performed by Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley, and Cash himself, were all attempted on February 18, but none of these were deemed usable. Covers of Jimmie Rodgers' "Blue Yodel #1" and "#5", Cash's "Ring of Fire" (written by his wife, June Carter and Merle Kilgore), "You Are My Sunshine", "Mountain Dew", the traditional ballad "Careless Love", the traditional hymn "Just A Closer Walk With Thee", "How High The Water", and "Wanted Man" (a song written by Dylan specifically for Cash) were also attempted, and all were rejected. There was little enthusiasm for any of these tracks, but one duet of Dylan's, "Girl From The North Country" (which originally appeared on The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan), was ultimately sequenced as the album's opener.

Reloaded - 29/May/2015 - download link in comments. 

Purchase: MP3's (all Amazon DRM free) - Bob Dylan and of course Johnny Cash

Curtis Mayfield - Live & Studio Rarities

This is a wonderful collection of Curtis Mayfield rarities, that was released as a bootleg entitled 'Keep On Keepin' On'.

I think the original version came into circulation on silver disc, not that long after Curtis passed away ( ten years, this coming December).

Since 2003 it has appeared predominately on a limited number of Soul, R&B, and Funk enthusiasts web pages.

However Curtis Mayfield had a message that went way beyond just musical style or genre.

Part of the Wikipedia entry for him states:

'Curtis Mayfield is remembered for his introduction of social consciousness into R&B and for pioneering the funk style in the 1970s. Many of his recordings with the Impressions became anthems of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, and his most famous album, Super Fly, is regarded as an all-time great that influenced many and truly invented a new style of modern black music'.

It is the case that his 'social consciousness' in the 1970's drew me to his music.

Radio Caroline played 'We Got To Have Peace' on a good number of occasions, the presenters on board the radio ship at the time, clearly supporting that aspiration, as they struggled to remain on air, for simply having the audacity to play music the limited number of 'other' UK radio stations chose to ignore.

Source: From the CD edition (Original Silver), ripped via WAV to MP3 in this case, the original material was either studio soundboard, or FM radio broadcast.

Sound Quality: Stereo (extremely good) @ 192kbps.

Genre: Soul, R&B, Funk, Chicago Soul, Psychedelic Soul.

Track list:

Old Grey Whistle Test London England, January 1972:

01. Keep On Keepin' On
02. We Got To Have Peace (Omitted from this rip - see below)
03. Curtis on Discovery (interview)

Radio City Music Hall, New York NY, July 6, 1972:

04. Stone Junkie
05. Pusherman

In The Studio - 1972:

06. Freddie's Dead
07. Eddie, You Should Know Better
08. Curtis on Songwriting (interview)

The Push Expo - Chicago 1972:

09. We People Who Are Darker Than Blue
10. Give Me Your Love

The Midnight Special - Los Angeles CA, 1972:

11. Superfly
12. Freddie's Dead
13. Curtis on Superfly (interview)

The Midnight Special - Los Angeles CA, June 8, 1973:

14. Superfly
15. Back To The World
16. Curtis on Politics (interview)

1st Annual Black Caucus Benefit, Washington DC, September 25, 1974:

17. Give Me Your Love
18. Curtis on Curtis (interview)

The original source for this specific copy of the boot, has deleted track two, as this was released on the 'Old Grey Whistle Test DVD Vol. 1' in 2001. That's fine as the whole thrust of this bootleg was the rarity of the material.

Links: Wikipedia is to the point, and well edited on this occasion, it's a good reminder on the legacy of Curtis Mayfield - HERE.

Comments: What you have not got, you cannot pass on, ironically 'We Got to Have Peace' was a key track in my own personal discovering of Curtis Mayfield.

Sadly Curtis Mayfield was badly injured and suffered many health problems for much of the last decade of his life.

His music for me however, fits comfortably in to the very limited and hard to gain entry 'timeless' category.

Replacement download link in comments below - October 2011.

Purchase: A wondeful selection of over one hundred and fifty DRM free MP3's - Curtis Mayfield

Groucho Marx - I Never Kissed An Ugly Woman

This is wonderful, a bootlegged vinyl album of Groucho Marx, predominately singing songs, as only this comedy legend could have (no apology for using the over used legend word, in this case).

As I understand it, the actual vinyl bootleg album is very rare, so if you have one keep hold of it!

If you were a fan of The Marx Brothers, or indeed just Groucho, then this is a must have.

If you just like nostalgia, or appreciate comedy old and new, then this is a must have.

If you are just someone who must have, must haves then this is a...

Source: I do not know the specifics, I am guessing mainly from CBS radio programmes.

Sound Quality: Direct vinyl rip (1st generation), warm and old, with a few crackles, and so very, very listenable for fans, and interested parties a like (its stereo in places).

Genre: Comedy and musical styles from a bygone era.

Track list:

Hooray For Captain Spaulding
Just Wait To I Get Through With It
I Want My Shirt
Omaha, Nabraska
The Country's Gone To War
Go West Young Man
Dr Hackenbush
I'm Against It
Everybody Say's I Love You
Lydia, The Tattooed Lady
Fathers Day
Show Me A Rose

Links: Groucho Marx article from Wikipedia HERE. More free mp3 material available at the excellent Internet Archive Organisation HERE.

Comments: Ripped from the 'Amazing Kornyfone Record Label's' vinyl release, this really is pure comedy nostalgia.

A small amount of the material has also surfaced on a CD release entitled 'Gratuitously Groucho', back in 1993, however the audio quality is no better than this material.

My thanks to Mark for this wonderful (weird) rarity.

Free: You might need this, most players can handle the format, however - Free Nero Music Player HERE.

New file link in comments below - Re-uploaded 2012 (Stealth project).

Midnight Oil - Wembley Arena, London, 1990.

This is the second Midnight Oil live recording presented on 'Beehive Candy', this one a 'full on electric gig' that captures the band live in concert at The Wembley Arena, London, back in 1990.

Source: FM stereo recording from the Westwood One Show, broadcast on WHFS Annapolis, MD, USA, in 1990.

Sound Quality: Very good FM stereo, this is first generation from the TDK Cassette SA76 Dolby C recording (WMA 9.1 Rip CBR @ 96kps).

Genre: Rock, Alternative Rock.

Set: Majority of live concert.

Set List:

01 King Of The Mountain
02 Dream World
03 River Runs Red
04 Warakurna
05 Read About It
06 Read About It Cont.
07 The Dead Heart
08 Best Of Both Worlds
09 Kosciusko
10 Power and The Passion
11 Beds Are Burning
12 Bedlam Bridge, Forgotten Years
13 What's So Funny About Peace Love And Understanding
14 Hercules
15 Know Your Product
16 Blue Sky Mine

Links: The official (record label) site HERE.

Comments: Keeping it up to date in 2009:

By ROD McGUIRK, Associated Press Writer – Thursday March 12th 2009.

CANBERRA, Australia – Australia's environment minister swapped the political stage Thursday for one he trod in a former incarnation — as the country's loudest anti establishment rock star.

Peter Garrett, the front man for Midnight Oil, broke up the band in 2002 and pursued a career in politics that brought him into government just under two years ago.

But band members have come together to perform at a concert to raise funds for victims of Australia's worst wildfires, which killed more than 210 and destroyed thousands of homes in southern Victoria state last month.

Once known as champions of Aboriginal rights and the environment, Midnight Oil has not played a gig since their singer became a minister. Garrett has toed his Labor Party's center-left policy line, and tries to avoid questions about his former views.

Now, Garrett may have a dilemma on his hands because lyrics in some of the band's most popular songs do not fit comfortably within the political mainstream.

"Can Midnight Oil field 20 whole minutes of material that wouldn't get Mr. Garrett sacked if he were to read it out in Parliament rather than shrieking it while twitching violently to guitar music?" Sydney Morning Herald columnist Annabel Crabb wrote recently.

The band's 1987 breakthrough album "Diesel and Dust" called for Australia to be handed back to the Aborigines. U.S. and British imperialism were also favorite targets during the band's 26 years together.

They famously played an impromptu concert on a flatbed truck outside the Manhattan headquarters of Exxon Mobil Corp. in 1990 to protest the company's response to the ecological disasters caused by one of its tankers in Prince William Sound.

Standing six foot four inches (193 centimeters) tall and with a head shaved bald as it was throughout his music career, Garrett still stands out from his government colleagues even when in a gray suit and tie.

Garrett has insisted there will be no compromise on the play list.

"We won't be choosing songs on the basis of whether or not they're considered by political commentators to be political songs or not, we'll play songs for the fans," he told Australian Associated Press Wednesday.

Gary Morris, a longtime manager associate of the band, said Thursday there will be no satisfying some fans who contend the songs will have been picked specifically to keep the government happy.

The band opened a warm-up concert Thursday with the uncontroversial "Redneck Wonderland" from the 1998 album of the same name and Garrett played harmonica for a rendition of "Blue Sky Mine," a song about asbestos miners suffering lung disease.

Midnight Oil will perform another warm-up Friday. Two big concerts take place Saturday — one in Sydney, with Coldplay headlining, and the other in the Victorian capital of Melbourne, featuring Garrett's band.

Garrett's new career has created some friction with the band. Instead of rehearsing in Canberra on Wednesday, Garrett was representing Australia at coral conservation talks in Papua New Guinea.

Morris said that when he had recently protested about the double-booking, Garrett had replied: "I don't work for the Oils anymore. I work for the Australian government."

"I used to be able to persuade him after about an hour of discussion to do various things that he was reluctant to do, but when he pulled that line on me, I couldn't beat that one," Morris laughed.

Garrett flew into Canberra on Thursday morning and attended the final session of Parliament for the week before making the short journey to the theater.

Thursday's concert was the first time he has sung in public since 2005 when the band performed at a fund raiser for victims of the 2004 Asian tsunami.

Download link in comments below or click the picture.

Buy DRM free mp3's at Amazon.co.uk - Midnight Oil