KNEBWORTH 90 – IT WAS 31 YEARS AGO/ LZ NEWS/OVER EUROPE 1980 -IT WAS 42 YEARS AGO/ROBERT PLANT GLASTONBURY 2014/ALAN LEWIS RIP/VINYL BARN/DL DIARY BLOG UPDATE
Knebworth 90 – It was 31 years ago:
Thoughts on the Record Store Day Robert Plant Live At Knebworth 12 inch single…
The recent Record Store Day Robert Plant Live At Knebworth 12 inch single was a timely reminder of a remarkable performance and it brought back many warm memories of what was something of a golden summer all of 31 years ago.
To backtrack on it all – it was certainly memorable for us herere for a number of reasons – not least the arrival some six weeks early of our daughter Samantha Elizabeth Lewis on Monday June 4, 1990.
I was due to see Robert Plant at the Hammersmith Odeon that night and in something of an astonishing series of events, witnessed the birth of our daughter at 2.30pm and some five hours later made it on time to see Robert’s opening number -I also attended the second show the next night.
Looking back those were quite crazy decisions – however there was to be a reprise of this gig going activity when it was announced that Robert Plant would be joining an all star line up of Silver Clef award winners at Knebworth on Saturday June 30. Robert had just received the award – I was toying with the possibility of attending the show and my decision was swung when I had it on good authority that Jimmy Page would be appearing as a guest with Robert.
So once again I was on my travels. Gary Foy secured two tickets at late notice and we found ourselves back at Knebworth on a rather windy and dull Saturday.
The bill includeed Status Quo, Cliff Richard, Genesis, Phil Collins, Dire Straits, Pink Floyd and Paul McCartney.
Robert Plant was introduced by Radio One’s Gary Davies (the event was broadcast live on Radio One) as “A singer who is no stranger to big crowds – he played to 380,000 on his last visit here eleven year ago”. Plant hit the rather the windswept stage at 4.45p.m. The first part of the set ran as follows: ‘Hurting Kind’, ‘Immigrant Song’, ‘Tie Dye On The Highway’, ‘Liars Dance’, ‘Going To California’, and ‘Tall Cool One’.
Before bringing on his special guest Robert stated : “Well, this little award given to me last week, not particularly for anything I’ve done but for what has happened between 1966 when I made my first record and today. I’ve been working for the last four years with these guys and it’s been a wonderful time and I owe a good portion of this to these chaps behind me. I also owe a major proportion to my good friend who has just joined me on stage… Jimmy Page.” With cherry red Gibson in hand, Jimmy Page proceeded to add vast influence to enthusiastic work outs of ‘Misty Mountain Hop’, a superb ‘Wearing And Tearing’ (never before played live) and a rousing ‘Rock And Roll’.
Jimmy Page said afterwards : “We were having a really good time. We’d had a rehearsal before we did it and that was great fun. It’s really good playing all the old numbers… especially ‘Wearing And Tearing’… it really was on a wing and a prayer that we went on with that at Knebworth. We were back to living dangerously again.”
It was incredibly exciting to see the pair back on stage and the performance of Wearing And tearing remains one of my all time greatest gig going moments.
So to the Record Store Day 12 inch single. It comes packaged in a low key black sleeve with minimal artwork – a generic design also used for similar Live At Knebworth Record Store Day 12 inch singles featuring Status Quo and Genesis. and that
It’s pressed on vivid yellow vinyl – the credits are retained from its previous release as part of the multi artist LP and CD set Knebwortht 90 – this has Jimmy Page listed as being courtesy of Geffen Records –back in 1988 his solo album Outrider had been released on that label.
It kicks off with Hurting Kind (I’ve Got My Eyes On You) – the rockabilly flavoured up-tempo opening track of the Manic Nirvana album and also the first UK single. It’s a good representation of where Robert and the band were at during the turn of the 90s. Manic Nirvana released earlier in the year was an enjoyable romp – harder edged than Now And Zen – a full on production with some heavy choruses of which this track was one.
Live on stage it was always a crowd pleaser and here Robert’s echoed vocal soars above it all and there’s a panache and swagger throughout. This version of the Plant band were well melded now Chris Blackwell’s elaborate drumming and Charlie Jones steadfast bass holding it together over the flamboyant keyboards of Phil Johnstone and the delightful guitar playing of Doug Boyle. He really was such a quality player. As for the singer he was perhaps in the last throes of his full on golden god phase – with lots of Zep like vocal gymnastics in evidence – he would refine this style with the emergence of the Fate Of Nations era and beyond.
On stage at Knebworth in 1990 with the wind blowing he cut an impressive figure.
Next up Liars Dance preceded by some Plant words about the days of festivals of old. This was a brave set list choice on the day – to perform an acoustic duo between him and Doug could have gone right over the heads of many in attendance – on the day it certainly didn’t feel like that and on record here the intensity of the performance shines though. Doug is exquisite on this and lyrically it’s another throwback with that repeated ”lady who’s sure” refrain.
Over on Side Two Tall Call One arrives in a barrage of Led Zep samples. This was another on stage crown pleaser of the time delivered here with total conviction and complete with Phil Johnstone’s Kylie Minogue I Should Be So Lucky insert. The finale see’s them zip into a slice of Custard Pie and ends with a decisive blast of The Ocean riff.
There’s a burst of crown applause and Wearing And Tearing kicks in. What a delight this was and is with Jimmy in total full on speed riff mode. Again there’s a total conviction in the playing and for a brief moment we had a Led Zep for the 90s. Outside of the 02 reunion this has to be right up there as one of their finest post Zep moments. ”Robert Plant and Jimmy Page” says the announcer who if I recall was the late Dave Dee.
This Record Store Day 12 inch single is welcomed reminder of a truly great performance. However, it does feel a bit of a missed opportunity – it would have been preferable to issue the whole Robert Plant Knebworth 90 set as a fully fledged album – Pink Floyd took that stance with their recent Live At Knebworth release covering their performance that day.
Finally I’d like to dedicate this piece to the recently departed Phil Johnstone – RIP…
Dave Lewis – June 30,2021
……………………………………
LZ News
Led Zeppelin News Update:
For all the latest Zep and related news check out the Led Zeppelin news website at:
…………………………
It was 41 years ago – Led Zeppelin Over Europe 1980:
This month marks the 41st anniversary of the first dates of the final Led Zeppelin tour – a low key 14 date trek taking in Germany, Belgium, Holland, Austria and Switzerland. I was lucky enough to attend five of those gigs. This is all chronicled in my Led Zeppelin Feather In The Wind Over Europe 1980 book
Here’s is a further extract – my on the road account written at the time and first featured in TBL issue 5…
TBL Retro Archive: Led Zeppelin Over Europe 1980:
Concluding the TBL retro archive features on the final Led Zeppelin tour as chronicled in the Feather In The Wind Led Zeppelin Over Europe 1980 book.
This is my overview of the gigs that I caught – this extract picks up the on stage action in Munich on July 5, 1980 for what would be their penultimate show with John Bonham…
When the house lights dim some 15 minutes later, I get the most incredible buzz from hearing the Wembley-like roar that echoes around the Olympic Hall. And there they are, walking the 30 yard stretch from the dressing room area up on to the stairs that lead to the stage. Ushered by torchlight and led as ever by manager Peter Grant. Bonzo is flanked by the ever present Rex. He’s shaved his beard (“I always do for the summer” he tells me later) and looks very much like he does in the concert part of the movie. He also looks nervous, and at this moment I can’t blame him.
Jimmy is stumbling his way through, once again wearing that baggy suit I first saw in Cologne. Robert strides forward head aloft, a bottle of orange juice in his hand, smiling. John Paul Jones does an Ali-like shuffle up to the stairs.
Seconds later Munich sees Led Zeppelin and the roar is frightening.
So too is the awesome power of the opening numbers Train Kept A Rollin’ (“And it kept on rollin’ ”) and Nobody’s Fault But Mine. It’s when they crunch down on numbers like these that you get into perspective the power that they can create.
Something like Nobody’s Fault with all its stop-gap acappella and soloing, has to be punctuated by the rhythm section at just the right moments. If Bonzo or Jonesy drop one or stitch one it would totally throw out the up-front euphoria of Jimmy and Robert… but they get it right every time and it makes me gasp in amazement. That power, which so easily could weigh them down, is manipulated with effortless ease, and it sounds so right. “No-no-no-no-no-no-no-no body’s fault.” Crunch! Jimmy winds it up, but then Jimmy winds it up every night.
Of course, one of their great assets is the ability to balance that power and shift into passionate, emotion-filled diversity. After Black Dog and In the Evening, they display this perfectly when performing Rain Song with all its shimmering double neck virtuoso playing from Jimmy, and on All My Love too, probably the best received song throughout the tour. You can actually hear the audience singing along on the chorus tonight. Of course, they’ve all got the album, and the dream of it being performed live is turning to reality with every movement of Robert’s outstretched arms, Jonesy’s string symphony, Jimmy’s emotive solo and Bonzo’s anchor man drumming.
“Eye thank yew” says Robert, taking this particular crowd through an unfamiliar sketch. Hot Dog has the boy doing his barn dance speciality and John Paul Jones adds some accurate piano work. During Trampled Underfoot Jimmy really lets loose. Pulling the most incredible notes from the Gibson, steely solos, juicy wah wah effects, you know, the whole works, and Robert loves it. Dancing his two-step across the stage, grinning and looning. “Push” indeed. Since I’ve Been Loving You is another Jimmy showpiece and it’s apparent how well this song has matured over the years, having been written something like a decade ago.
“James Patrick Page guitar! This is the first tour we’ve done in three years and it’s been quite an interesting sketch actually.” (Roars from the audience) “One more night then… who knows; maybe we’ll do this again very quickly; maybe not.”
Achilles Last Stand follows that speech. I close my eyes and it’s like being in a 1976 time warp. It’s got that sort of atmosphere having been recorded here in forced circumstances, and it still retains a sense of melodrama (right down to the point Robert echoes the “Atlas” line and leaves Jimmy to stalk the stage in time with the revolving, closing chord passage, flanked by a blue spotlight). After Jimmy’s White Summer/Black Mountain Side interlude, Kashmir explodes forth and Robert unleashes every ounce of drama from within the lyrics. Other highlights include that marvellous “Woman talkin’ to ya” ad lib; the combination of the two front men’s visual tactics; and finally Bonzo’s drumming – “Moby Dick, Dick, Dick, Dick” Robert teases.
Unannounced as usual, Jimmy plays two chords and as those two chords echo around the Olympic complex they’re soaked up by the Munich people and thrown back with a most volcanic-like roar that signals the anthem. “Does anybody remember laughter?” asks Robert on cue and, judging by the reaction, I think they do. Soon after, he’s thrown the tambourine and stands there arm outstretched in classic pose. Behind him Jimmy rips out that solo. By the end of Stairway to Heaven, Zeppelin receive an ovation that sounded like they’d scooped gold, silver and bronze in every event going.
“München… Goodnight!”
The band leave the stage, and Phil from Bad Co. and Mick Hinton proceed to set up Simon’s drum kit to the side of the stage near John Paul Jones’ keyboards. The audience look puzzled. Back come the group for the obligatory encore of Rock And Roll which crushes the hall.
After this, Robert announces to the crowd: “Please welcome an old friend of ours from Bad Company, Simon Kirke!” Simon walks on, takes to the kit, does a few snare beats and before we know it the five man Led Zep are into Whole Lotta Love. This, I haven’t seen before. Incredibly though, it works! Even though this jam had been totally unrehearsed, Simon gets all the breaks right, with eyes fixed on Bonzo, and the sound is sizzling hot. Jimmy joins in on the vocals for the chorus, and then proceeds to fiddle about on theremin, battling with Robert’s vocal interplay. The famous five grind on into the Let That Boy Boogie segment and then it’s on to the home straight, Simon filling in, complimenting Bonzo’s hammerings.
At the close they all take a bow – “Thank you… oh, and welcome back on stage Simon!” Finally they leave the stage, grinning, sweating and satisfied. While the Munich mania continues, the band are already speeding towards the Hilton hotel.
A couple of hours later, the Hilton’s plush bar is doing hectic business in trying to satisfy the thirst of the Zeppelin entourage. Everyone’s here tonight. Bonzo, Robert and Jonesy are already propping up the bar, and not long after, Jimmy completes the line up. “Where’s Robert?” exclaims James, ambling down the stairs anxious to find his buddy.
Robert is holding court. His energy is phenomenal. Even after tonight’s exhausting show he’s still full of life. He holds up his hand to me forming a circle with his thumb and finger, signifying that the evening had been spot on. “Great tonight wasn’t it?… and Simon, well it was such a driving rock ‘n’ roll, I couldn’t believe it. Two drummers, I mean really!”
John Bonham is also well pleased. “Overall, everyone has been dead chuffed with the way the tour’s gone. There were so many things that could have gone wrong. It was a bit of a gamble this one, but it’s worked really well.” I enquire what the next move will be. “A holiday!” replies the beardless Bonzo. “We wanna keep working. There’s lots of possibilities and of course we want to do England. It’s down to a management decision really and we will have to talk about that when we get back.”
As the night progresses, the booze continues to flow, and everything gets a little hazy. Before I crawl back to my room, I can dimly recall Robert singing along to the chorus of Walking On The Moon, cries of “Eye Thank Yew” at regular intervals, and rapping with him about time, the wheel that rolls on… long into the night.
Sunday: the tour is winding to a close. Just one more gig in Berlin tomorrow and then it’ll be back down to the Golden Lion and a bit of English sanity. For me, today is a leaving day. The Spirit of Albion is calling once again. Down in the lobby just as I’m checking out, I literally bump into Jimmy Page as he’s trying to open a loo door! Last words, then James: “Yeah last night was the nearest feeling to that of the big American shows. Just so much energy there – How long did we play for? I tell him 2 ½ hours. “That’s about right isn’t it? We had to get rid of some of the effects really, I mean, it was difficult trying to get a leak in during Dazed And Confused!. I thought it was really exciting last night, really exciting.”
So that’s it. Fond farewells have been exchanged, luggage packed and the taxi ordered. Just as I’m about to leave I notice Fritz Rau again. He’s greeting the Santana crew who are booking in for their gig. For Fritz it’s just another rock ‘n’ roll band from where-ever… I’ll tell you one thing though; I bet he never thought Led Zeppelin were just another rock ‘n’ roll band, during their tour. Led Zeppelin are never just… anything. That’s why they’re special. That’s why they’re here still.
But earlier in the year, even I was beginning to wonder if they were ever going to get back on the road after the silence that followed Knebworth. This tour though, has taken them into the 1980s. Things may change for Zeppelin, but it’s their ability to retain the essence of their existence (ie. their roots), that helps keep it fresh.
Led Zeppelin Over Europe 1980 has been a return to the people. It’s a period of intense activity they all desperately needed. It’s been a rejuvenation, and above all it’s been fun.
It leaves Led Zeppelin in a very healthy position. They’ve still got it and they still care.
Boys… ”Eye Thank Yew… ”
Dave Lewis, July, 1980.
………………………………………
One more Led Zeppelin Over Europe 1980 post:
It was 41 years ago…the only UK review of the Led Zeppelin Over Europe tour – filed by Steve Gett for the Melody Maker from the Munich gig on July 5. I was with him at the gig and he said he would get a plug in for Tight But Loose which he duly did.
‘’Quite often the playing was short of perfection but there was such a raw energy feeling to the concert that one never worried about the odd bum note from Page –‘’Tight but Loose’’ (the name of Zeppelin’s number one fanzine incidentally) summed it up’’
I was well pleased when I read that in the next week’s issue of Melody Maker – the review took up the entire back page – I showed it to all and sundry here as I was so proud to see them receiving such positive coverage – I can still recite whole chunks of it.
Dave Lewis, June 30,2021
…………………………….
Robert Plant and The Sensational Space Shifters at Glastonbury 2014:
it would have been the Glastonbury Festival last weekend but for the second year running the pandemic weekend forced the cancellation of the event. Here’s some reflections from Robert Plant and The Sensational Space Shifters 2014 appearance…
Robert Plant – Glastonbury Appearance Feedback:
Here’s a couple of reviews from Robert’s very well received Glastonbury appearance:
‘A whole lotta love for Robert Plant’ On the evidence of Glastonbury 2014 –
Robert Plant’s still got the vocal chops as well as the stadium charisma. By Neil McCormick
There was a whole lotta love for Robert Plant earlier on Saturday evening, although I suspect more than a few were secretly wishing he’d turned up with former compatriots Led Zeppelin, who never played Glastonbury.
His new band, the Sensational Space Shifters, concoct a fascinating hybrid of dub, jazz, afrobeat and blues well suited to such an eclectic festival, and an appreciative audience swayed in the setting sun to blissful world grooves. Still, it’s when they hit those familiar power chords and Jimmy Page riffs at the end of the set that everyone got to their feet.
It may have been a long, lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely time since he rock and rolled, but on this evidence Plant’s still got the vocal chops and stadium charisma, even with Gambian musician Juldeh Camara unconventionally soloing on a single string African fiddle.
Robert Plant at Glastonbury 2014 review – no Stairway, but storm-summoning moods from rock hero
Plant balances his own swampy blues with a handful of Zep classics for an affecting set from a man remoulding his history by mark Beaumont
Where and when: Pyramid stage, 5.30pm, Saturday.
Dress code: Guru shirts and wizardly beards
What happened: For a second, it really feels like he might do it. As the opening flamenco flurries of Joan Baez’s Babe, I’m Gonna Leave You – covered by Led Zeppelin on their 1969 debut – give way to a burst of pastoral arpeggios, a field full of blues-rock space cadets psychically will it as one: “make it Stairway …” Even Robert Plant himself, staring reverently at the whirling fingers of Liam “Skin” Tyson – a man with a beard James Hetfield might hunt – seems to want it to happen so he can forget all the mystical world-blues guff and pile into a full-throttle Zep-only set that would upend the Tor.
Instead, Plant grabs a shallow drum and announces “a jam of country and eastern music”, but one with enough twists to stop it being banished forthwith to the West Holts stage. On exotic instruments strung, bowed, plucked and thumped, Plant and his Sensational Space Shifters build storm-summoning moods on Tin Pan Valley, carve out affecting Afrobeat pop on the new track Rainbow and tinker with a handful of Zep classics. Black Dog becomes a dark, hippy vision of Glastos of yore, Going to California a mandolin meander, and What Is and What Should Never Be fracks directly into the ley line and syphons off the stone circle’s elemental charge. And just as the swampy blues numbers, played on guitars encrusted in actual moss, are getting to be too much, Plant ploughs into Whole Lotta Love – mashed into an Afrobeat Who Do You Love? – like a man at one with remoulding his own history to suit his whims. Hero.
High point: The crowd chant Plant back onstage for “One! Last! Song!” only for him to announce they’ll do an “old English folk song”. It’s Rock and Roll. The cad.
Low point: When Plant launches into a precise and pretentious handclap solo, as if his palms were hand-carved by Stradivarius.
In a tweet: No Stairway!
http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/jun/29/robert-plant-at-glastonbury-2014-review
…………………….
Alan Lewis RIP:
I am very sad to hear the passing of the renowned music paper/magazine editor Alan Lewis.
I first met Alan in 1978 when he was editor at Sounds and he liaised with Geoff Barton and myself on the four part Led Zeppelin ten year anniversary special I contributed to.
Many years later in the early 2000s, I hooked up with Alan again when he became editor of Record Collector. During this period Alan commissioned various Led Zeppelin features for me to write –this included front cover features on the Led Zeppelin debut album, Led Zeppelin II and Presence.
Alan also gave me the scope to write about other artists giving the nod to features in Record Collector I wrote about the making of the Nick Drake Five Leaves Left album in 2009 and an extensive front cover feature on The Who’s Live At Leeds album in 2010.
I had many a phone conversation with Alan checking over text and design and he always had a quiet authority about him – it was such a pleasure to work with him.
I have much to thank him for, not least for giving me a crucial platform for my written work.
Thanks Alan – RIP…
Alan’s involvement in Sounds, Melody Maker, NME, Kerrang! and Uncut all adds to his status as a giant of music publishing.
There’s more tributes to Alan here –
……………………….
Goodbye to seven years of mid-week Vinyl Barn treats…some thoughts…
As can be seen by this report in the local newspaper, it all started seven years ago.
On Friday July,11 2014,my very good friend and fellow record collecting comrade Pete Burridge rang me to tell me there was a new record stall on Bedford market. So I immediately got on my bike rode into town to check it out.
There across from where I sold many a record in my former days as a record seller myself at WH Smith and the old Our Price site, was the Vinyl Barn.
I had actually seen Darren running this stall at the nearby Hitchin Market a few months before where and I recall buying a copy of The Rutles album. He had now decided to try and establish himself in Bedford.
On that first visit there was a reporter from the local press present enquiring about this new arrival on the market. The following week’s the local paper carried the story and I duly had a quote – getting a plug for the TBL mag of course adding and ‘’it’s great that Bedford has a place where you can buy records again apart from charity shops’’
Was it ever…
Darren had also been a dealer at Bedpop – the occasional pop up record shop that was staged at that time – now he was set up for a regular Friday stint on Bedford market…thus began what has been a regular highlight of my week for the past seven years. I am not sure I bought anything on that first visit but as can be seen by the pic, I know that my purchasers on the second week were The Strawbs From The Witchwood and Bobby Womack’s The Poet album – it would be the first of many…
The Vinyl Barn was a big hit in Bedford because it stocked a variety of LP’s CDs and singles – in an ever changing stock profile all very well presented
It was a big hit with me because Darren constantly comes up with interesting items from my era of collecting which is the 1960s and 70s. Regular viewers to this page will have seen my ‘’Friday treats at the Vinyl Barn’’ posts and rarely has a week go by when a gem or two ( or more) have not been added to the expansive DL collection – as the good lady Janet would know only too well!
Darren is also responsible for my revival in buying 45RPM seven inch singles – this began in a quest to buy all the late 1960s and early 1970s singles that I could not buy at the time due being at school with limited funds. Darren’s stall offered that opportunity as singles such as Fleetwood Mac’s Green Manalishi , Jethro Tull’s Living In The Past, Family’s In My Own Time and Humble Pie’s Natural Born Boogie = all of which were eagerly snapped up amongst many others – my singles collection at the latest count clocks in at over 3,000.
There’s also been a fair few Led Zep captures at the Vinyl Barn over the years as can be seen at the pic here…
Darren has also supplied me with a couple of record players and more recently an original 8 Track Cartridge player
All of that has been delightful enough but there’s more to all this – much more.
My weekly visits to the Vinyl Barn have done much for my own wellbeing – as has been documented on my posts, I’ve had many a battle with depression and anxiety. Visiting this place of record buying sanction has become an important part of my routine. The early morning dialogue I’ve had with Darren has often lifted my spirits. Over these past seven years he has become a great friend.
Darren has been very supportive to the good lady Janet and I – he was at the end of the phone very early the week Janet broke her leg in December 2019 offering support and guidance. When I had a fainting incident at the Vinyl Barn last autumn, Darren showed massive concern ringing Janet and making sure I got home safely.
The Vinyl Barn has also been an important hub in the sharing of this passion – my fellow record collecting comrades Steve Livesley, Pete Burridge, Mat Roberts and Dave Crane have been constant fellow supporters of the stall.
Darren has made no secret that the last two years have been very tough – with difficult market conditions and the challenges of the Covid pandemic , therefore it was no surprise when he told me he is ceasing doing the midweek markets he operates in Bedford and Northampton. He has found full time employment in an area he wants to move into. He is also a regular excellent radio presenter on Harborough FM 02.3 HFM with his own show – a showcase for his vast musical knowledge. Check out
Running a stall like the Vinyl Barn is not easy –particularly in the adverse weather conditions. Indeed I have been with Darren through some terrible winter conditions – not least the snow that once had us packing up early (see pic!) and the wind that on more than one occasion has nearly had the unit blowing down the street.
I’ve also shared many a light hearted moment with him as he dealt with the eccentricities of various visitors to the stall –often with caustic wit!
So it’s good luck ahead Darren – and as George Harrison once sang all things must pass… but it’s not quite all over as he intends to appear at Bedford Market once a month on a Saturday.
Thanks Darren for all the midweek Wednesday and Friday treats…
I now look forward to future Saturday treats at the Vinyl Barn …
Dave Lewis, June 30 2021
……………….
DL Diary Blog Update:
Friday June 25:
It was 49 years ago today…
Loading up the brilliant Led Zeppelin bootleg 3 CD set Burn That Candle – this one a CDR presentation of their amazing LA Forum show as taped on this day in 1972 – one of the all-time great Zep performances.
Friday June 25:
Friday treats here at home…
I was well pleased to take receipt of The Yardbirds Roger The Engineer Super Deluxe Edition on the Demon label -released today…
This has the classic 1966 studio album remastered from archival tapes –overseen by producer Paul Samwell Smith, 2 x 180gm LPs featuring the complete stereo and mono mixes. 3 CDs including the album mixes and a bonus disc of rarities which includes the excellent Keith Relf 1966 solo singles, an an A2 fold out Over, Under, Sideways, Down poster, a 24 page booklet with rare memorabilia and photos, an introduction by Jeff Beck, testimonials from Thurston Moore and Wayne Kramer plus an extensive essay by David French based on new interviews with Jim McCarty, Simon Napier- Bell Jimmy Page and Paul Samwell Smith.
And there’s more -, a print hand signed by Jim McCarty and Paul Samwell Smith – and a seven inch single of the classic Happenings Ten Years Time Ago/Psycho Daises (both sides featuring Beck and Page). One of my all time fave singles, the original of which I paid £5 for to own in 1974 – which was a fair bit of cash back then for a 17 year old on £14 a week wages.
Now that is what I call a re issue package put together with love and care for the artist…and boy am I looking forward to delving into the contents of this amazing set…
It’s going to be something of a Yardbirds weekend on the player around these parts…
Saturday June 26:
Just investigated the contents of the new Yardbirds Roger The Engineer Super Deluxe Edition – this really is a thing of sheer beauty –magnificently put together – this has to be one of the best packaged and presented re issues ever produced…it really is something to behold…
Saturday June 26:
Saturday is platterday – on the player The Yardbirds Roger The Engineer album – mono mix from the new Super Deluxe Edition – and sounding rather super indeed …
Saturday June 26:
I was well pleased to find the 1969 Quintessence single Notting Hill Gate at the always excellent Slide Record Shop this morning thus adding to the 123 singles I have on the Island Records label…you can of course never have too many records on that very fine label…
Saturday is platterday – on the player the 1987 Robbie Robertson solo album co-produced by Daniel Lanois and sounding mighty fine…
Saturday June 26:
Satuday is platterday – as it’s a big day for Wales -some Welsh rock on the player namely the excellent 1972 album by Man, Be Good To Yourself at Least Once a Day…thanks Russ for this one…
Saturday June 26
Well done Denmark…hard luck Wales…
Sunday June 27:
Sunday sounds on CD – loading up the excellent 3 CD Led Zeppelin How The West Was Won 2018 remastered edition with recordings from June 25 at the LA Forum and June 27 Long Beach Arena all of 49 years ago today… always loved this live set which got lost a bit when it was issued first time out along with the five hour DVD in 2003.
Sunday June 27:
Sunday sounds on CD – loading up the CD bootleg set Led Zeppelin Definitive Beach Party on the Graff Zeppelin label –this has recordings from their superb performance at the Long Beach Arena on this day in 1972 -49 years ago
Sunday June 27:
It was 44 years ago today:
Sunday sounds on CD – loading up the 3 CD bootleg set Led Zeppelin Farewell To LA on the Rabbit Records label –this captures the sixth and final night of their LA Forum run of concerts as recorded on this day June 27 in 1977 – another excellent performance from a period where they were on top of their game…
Sunday June 27:
It’s a Happy Birthday to the legendary scriber of great words Charles Shaar Murray – and the man responsible for one of the best TBL interviews I have ever conducted – back in 2013 we chatted for hours in a lovely West Hampstead pub garden on a hot July afternoon. A wonderful memory..
During the interview we discussed his early writing career at the underground magazine Oz, how he got to play on the Oz benefit single in the company of John Lennon, his reviews of Led Zeppelin in the NME, Rolling Stones, Who, Beatles etc. He also added great insight into the times he saw Zep in LA in 1973 and at the Kezar stadium gig. All fascinating stuff and a huge thrill for me to meet and interview a writer whose work was such an inspiration to me in first wanting to put pen to paper and write about rock music myself when I was a mere teenager back in the 1970s.
As Robert Plant advised from the Earls Court stage in 1975 ‘’Charles Shaar Murray –keep taking the pills’’…have a great day CSM…
Sunday June 27:
It’s a Happy Birthday to my very good friend, long time TBL supporter, massive Zep collector and all round top man Graeme Hutchinson – pictured here by me with Jason Bonham – Happy Birthday form Janet and I have a great day mate!
June 28:
It was 51 years ago today…
Marking the 51st anniversary loading up the 2CD bootleg Led Zeppelin Bath 1970…an atmospheric audience tape that captures the essence of one of the pivotal Led Zeppelin performances…and what a performance it was ..and 51 years on it still sounds amazing.
My they were good that day –I was a bit too young to go but reading about in the music press only heightened my passion for this band and a year later at the Empire Pool Wembley I got to see for myself what all the fuss was about – oh and I still quite like them…
Tuesday June 29:
It was 41 years ago…
Loading up the excellent 2 CD soundboard and audience recording of the Hallenstadion Zurich show from the Led Zeppelin Tour Over Europe 1980 Part 2 bootleg box set. A vibrant performance –one of the best of the tour as recorded 41 years ago today …
Tuesday June 29:
Well done England…
Wednesday June 30:
On the player remembering that amazing Robert Plant/Jimmy Page Knebworth appearance of 30 years ago today…the brilliant 1988 Robert Plant album Now And Zen –every track on this album ignites a wonderful memory for me of that particular era when things were so much simpler…and I was so much younger…
Wednesday June 30:
Loading up the excellent 3 CD bootleg set Led Zeppelin Blitzkrieg Over Europe –Tour Over Europe 1980 on the Tarantura label – this has the full concert soundboard recording of their June 30 1980 performance at the Festhalle in Frankfurt all of 41 years ago today…
I was lucky enough to be in attendance at that show viewing it all from the side of the stage – it was an awesome night
Wednesday June 30:
The final Wednesday treats at the Vinyl Barn…
At the Vinyl Barn this morning for the final time on a Wednesday, I was well pleased to find a copy of the excellent 1972 Linda Lewis Lark album on Reprise, plus The Everly Brothers Rock’n Soul album, an original US Warner Bros pressing and a white label pressing of The Best Of Buffalo Springfield – all top stuff for the July playlist …Thanks Darren and good luck!
Wednesday June 30:
I took a trip back to the Vinyl Barn this morning to meet up with fellow record collecting comrades and supporters of Darren’s stall Steve Livesley, Pete Burridge, Mat Roberts and Dave Crane so we could give him a good send off at his final mid week appearance on Bedford Market.
I handed over a framed photo I took of Darren at a snow bound stall in January 2017 which will be a permanent reminder of what he won’t be missing too much…
We will of course all miss the man who during the past 7 years has brought more great records to the town since the days in the 1990s when Pete worked in Andy’s Records and I was at the Our Price store.
Thankfully Darren is still making a once a month appearance of the Vinyl Barn on Saturdays and will all be looking forward to that ahead…
Thursday July 1:
It was 43 years ago today…DAVID BOWIE – EARLS COURT JULY 1, 1978
I had hoped to see the Station To Station tour in 1976 but missed out – so when this date was announced in the February of 1978 I made it a mission to get tickets.I went to this with Dec Hickey, Yvonne Salim and Barry Farnsworth. This was the tour that would be chronicled on the Stages album. All sparse tubed lighting and low …key spotlights. Of course he was fantastic – it was actually the first ever rock show that I attended that had an interval. And what a return to the stage for the second half. Six straight numbers from Ziggy Stardust…and an encore of TVC15, Stay and Rebel Rebel. A truly wonderful night…and an ambition completed. I had finally seen David Bowie live on stage…
Some particular inspirations these past few days…
A great catch up on the phone with Russ Rees…
Watching Andy Murray’s spirited first and second round late night Wimbledon triumphs…
The Euros unfolding with such drama…
The special Coming Home beers Adam arranged to be delivered here on the day of the England v Germany match…here’s hoping it is – thanks Adam!
Update here:
A week of checking text and planning ahead and of course keeping up with the Euros – Wales could not raise it for the Denmark encounter but England’s win against Germany was just tremendous – it all leads to Rome on Saturday night for the quarter final match against Ukraine – that one will not be easy and here’s hoping Gareth’s boys can make further progress – we will be watching here with much anticipation …
Thanks for listening – stay safe and well you very lovely people…
Dave Lewis – June 30,2021
TBL website updates written and compiled by Dave Lewis
Follow TBL/DL on Facebook:
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading...
Leave your response!