Aerosmith - "Gems 2". (Unreleased 1989 album).

 

In 1979 during the recording of the album "Night In The Ruts", the North American group Aerosmith was sunk in a strong crisis of existence, on the verge of separating, product of the consumption of drugs and lack of economic liquidity on the part of its members.

So Columbia sent them on tour to activate their income, but at the end of July the guitarist Joe Perry left the band, after a violent discussion with Steven Tayler.The album was finished as it could, without having the group control over it, with substitutes for Perry, like Jimmy Crespo.Even the producer Jack Douglas also had problems, he was divorcing his wife. While the use of drugs by Steven Tyler every day was worse, to the point of making impossible work with him and much less to register his voice in conditions.

Columbia made a “Greatest hits” lp on November 1980, with the conviction that the band without Joe Perry could not get ahead, and even less when after recording the single "Lightning Strikes", guitarist Brad Whitford also left Aerosmith in 1981. Replaced by Rick Dufay who helped to conclude the last album. "Rock in a Hard Place", was published in August 1982, with Aerosmith dissolved.

In 1984, with Steven Tayler, supposedly, detoxified; regained friendship with Joe Perry who had not had much success with: "The Joe Perry Project"; they reunited to the band again and returned to the studies to record "Done with the mirrors", this time with Geffen. In November of 1985 it went on sale and a new American tour was announced for January with 85 scheduled appointments. 

While the group was in the middle of the  tour, Columbia released in April, what would be the first part of a live album called: "Aerosmith Classic live". that in principle it should have been a double lp. Coinciding almost with the new studio work "Permanent Vacation", that had been recorded in Vancouver at the “Little Mountain Sound Studios” between March and May 1987, Columbia released the second part of “Classic live”.

This strategy of matching these opportunist discs with the new works of Aerosmith was repeated. In November of 1988, it was the first part of "Gems", a compilation album with studio themes that had not appeared in the "Greatest Hist"; also with unpublished material. This second part, scheduled for the following year, coinciding again with the return of Aerosmith to the studios to register "Pump". This vol.2 Bit.ly/88aRM was done by vote among the fans , to those who were asked which were the best songs that had not been released in the two previous compilations.

14 songs were selected and placed on the lp, following the order of voting, from highest to lowest, also included the unreleased track "Helter Skelter", and a couple of remixes for singles,that had not been used until then. This is the setlist:

Side A: (25:14)

1. No More No More. (4:34)

2. Toys In The Attic. (3:07)

3. Sick As A Dog. (4:14)

4. Uncle Salty (Unreleased single edit). (3:29)

5. S.O.S. (Too Bad). (2:51)

6. Combination. (3:38)

7. Movin´Out (Unreleased single edit). (3:18)

Side B: (25:37)

8.Make it (Unreleased single edit). (2:52)

9.Cheese Cake. (4:15)

10.I Wanna Know Why. (3:08)

11.You See Me Crying. (5:11)

12.Get The Lead Out. (3:41)

13.Walkin' The Dog. (3:11)

14.Helter Skelter (Unreleased in 1989). (3:16) 

But "Gems 2", scheduled for November 1989, was not published. The success of the singles: "Love in a elevator", "F.I.N.E" & "Janie's got a gun", from “Pump ", ended up burying this new Columbia compilation. Part of "Gems 2", ended in "Pandora's box".

That´s all. Enjoy it and see soon with more. 

Dire Straits – “In The Gallery”. (Original set list from 1st album).

 Hi!.., here we go again!. 

"Dire Straits" or in this case: "In the Gallery" better, was the debut studio album by the British rock band Dire Straits released on 7 October 1978 by Vertigo Records and by Warner Bros. Records in the United States. This work was recorded at Basing Street Studios in London from 13 February to 5 March 1978.

In this lp was included the hit: Sultans of swing”, wrote and composed by Mark Knopfler, The first version was recorded at Pathway Studios, North London, in July 1977. It was included on a five-song demo tape, with: "Water of Love", "Down to the Waterline", "Wild West End", and David Knopfler's "Sacred Loving".

This demo tape was took to influential DJ Charlie Gillett, who had a radio show called Honky Tonk on BBC Radio London. Its popularity soon led Dire Straits to get a contract with Phonogram Records. The song was then re-rmake in February 1978 during 1st album recording sessions. Produced by Steve Winwood's brother Muff Winwood, was released on May in a single and re-issue in January 1979 , but in an alternative version recorded in April 1978. The other version went to the album, provisional title “In the Gallery”, that already had a first set list: Bit.ly/78DS4 that was modified before it was published, without any title, although this alternate order was used for some cassette versions.

Side One: (21:11)

1.Sultans Of Swing. (5:48)

2.In The Gallery. (6:16)

3.Down To The Waterline. (4:02)

4.Lions. (5:03)

Side Two: (20:40)

1.Wild West End. (4:41)

2.Water Of Love. (5:26)

3.Setting Me Up. (3:19)

4.Six Blade Knife. (4:13)

5.Southbound Again. (2:59)

The fast success of “Sultans of swing” with the song “Eastbound Train” or “Southbound Again” on side B; led the group to a promotional tour which started on 9 June 1978 at the Lafayette Club in Wolverhampton, 26 shows around England, the last on 9 july at ATV Centre, Birmingham. The second leg, 31 shows more to promote the album started on 11 October at Morkhove, Herentals, Belgium to 18 November at Hitchin College of Further Education, Hitchin, England. Ten days after finishing the tour, they travel to Nassau, Bahamas to the Compass Point Studios to start recording their second album “Communique”. Meanwhile the 2nd single from the album: ”Water of love“/ “Down to the waterline” ,was released in some countries.

Coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the first Dire Straits album, I bring you this alternate 1st set list, with a bonus track, the B side “Eastbound Train”, recorded live. at Leeds Polytechnic, Leeds, England on 30 January 1978. From “Sultans of Swing” single.

Ok, “be-good”.., like Johnny and see you soon.