In
December 1981, Genesis wrapped their four-month tour of Europe and
North America to support the release of their eleventh studio album:
"Abacab".
During
the first months of 1982 the group selected recorded material during
this tour for a new work.The result ,the third live album released as a
double lp on 4 June 1982, on Charisma Records in the United Kingdom and
by Atlantic Records in the United States; with a movie, wich was
released on Betamax and VHS sistems.
This is a reconstruction of how this project was initially conceived to make it coincide with the content of the film.
"Abacab"
was released on 18 September 1981 by Charisma Records, after their 1980
"Duke" World Tour. The album recorded at The Farm, a studio bought by
the group in Chiddingfold, Surrey. The recording sessions were brief but
very profitable; it began in May and ended shortly after in June. It was a commercial success for the band, reaching No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart and No. 7 on the US Billboard 200.
The
Abacab Tour was a European and North American concert tour, that began
in September 25 1981 in Barcelona “Plaza de Toros – La Monumental” and
ended with four shows in Birmingham,England at Resorts World Arena, the
last one in December 23 1981. A short world tour but very, very
intensive with 65 shows, practically one daily. The pace of work of the
group was very intense, partly to forget the disastrous private life
that the members of the band were going through, with divorces,
separations and economic problems and health problems.
The tour also marked the first appearance of the Vari-Lite automated lighting system. It
was filmed by Stuart Orme and a movie was made with songs from two
shows: 28 and 29 November 1981 at the Savoy Theatreand Nassau Coliseum,
New York, respectively, but Some of the featured songs are incomplete
due to editing. At the same time an live album was made following of the
film sequence, Bit.ly/Gen3sl81 but adding a concert more recorded at
National Exhibition Center. Birmingham, England on 23 December 1981
being as follows:
Side A: (19:11)
1.Behind The Lines. (5:28)
2.Duchess. (6:24)
3.Dodo / Lurker. (7:17)
Side B: (18:44)
4.Abacab. (8:42)
5.Me & Sarah Jane. (6:00)
6.Misunderstanding. (4:01)
Side C: (20:28)
7.No Reply At All. (4:50)
8.Man On The Corner. (3:45)
9.In The Cage Medley. (11:51)
"In the Cage" "The Cinema Show" "The Colony Of Slippermen"
Side D: (19:17)
10.Afterglow. (4:45)
11.Turn It Again. (5:12)
12.I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe). (9:20)
1,2 & 11 - at Nassau Coliseum. Uniondale, New York on 29 November 1981.
3,4,5,9,10 & 12 - at National Exhibition Centre. Birmingham, England on 23 December 1981.
6,7 & 8 - at Savoy Theatre. New York City, New York on 28 November 1981.
The
project was later altered to make it more commercial, changing the
original positions of the songs..There´s two versions: with “Evidence of
autumn” and “Open Door” outtakes from “Duke”; and “Paperlate", "You
Might Recall", and "Me & Virgil", outtakes from “Abacab”, with “
were included on the North American edition and other with: “One For The
Wine”, “Fountain of Salmacis” and “"it."/"Watcher of the Skies”,
recorded on tour between 1976 and 1980.
Some
of the songs from the original project that were rejected as: “Man On
The Corner” or “No Reply At All” were included years later in Genesis
Archive 2: 1976-92”. .Others are yet to be published: “I Know What I
Like (In Your Wardrobe)”. And
it's a shame that this last song was left out, because the interaction
that takes place with the audience makes it perhaps one of the best
songs on the tour.
Even so, "Three Sides Live" reception was a commercial success, peaking
at No. 2 on the UK Albums Chart and No. 10 on the US Billboard 200,
where it sold 500,000 copies.
Ok!.., That´s all, see you soon, If you want, with more and better, I hope.
