Oasis: "...There and Then" (Unreleased live album).

"(What´s The Story),Morning Glory?", it´s one of the best albums from all times.The second studio work by Oasis. Recorded March to June 1995 at Rockfield Studios, Monmouth, Wales. It was released on 2 October 1995 by Creation Records and produced by Owen Morris and Noel Gallagher.

The world tour to promote the album began on 22 June 1995 with a pre-Glastonbury festival warm-up gig at the 1,400 capacity Bath Pavilion,which featured the debut of new drummer Alan White in replacement for Tony McCarroll; and several new songs as: "The Swang song"; "Hello", "Roll with it" and "Morning Glory".

The tour went through different festivals from Glastonbury in the UK to Rokskilde in Norway, Slane in Ireland or Aixion Beach in Belgium to tv performances "Tops of The Pops" or "MTV", to concerts all over Europe from Italy, France, Switzerland, Germany to Spain; and a mini summer tour of Japan during the month of August and diferents concerts by US and Canada. 

It was a tremendously successful tour with all sold out, but at the same time it was a difficult period for the band. On September, bass player Paul McGuigan walked out on the group after he was subjected to a flurry of verbal abuse from Liam while doing interviews in Paris. 'Guigsy' cited nervous exhaustion as the reason for his departure. 

Shortly after Scott McLeod of The Ya-Yas was brought in as his replacement. But The problems continuing, during the concert at Virgin Megastore, London, England, on october 1, liam leaves the stage in the middle of "Rocking Chair". Noel and Alan White too. The Show stopped, which caused serious disturvious. In Boston at Orpheum Theatre on October 14, Liam leave the stage after "Chamoagne Supernova" and didn't return after the acoustic set, Noel had to finish the show as a solo singer. A few days after, Mcleod quit the band and returning to home in Manchester,because he was unable to adapt to the frenetic Oasis´s lifestyle. The band played a few dates, including an appearance on David Letterman Show, as a four piece, before McGuigan was convinced to return for the group's Earls Court shows in early November.The two concerts at Earls Court were recorded for the film and a possible live album.

The tour had many interruptions and cancellations, because the fights between brothers up and down the stage, or with the audience, in the middle of a performance or even before this, were ruining relationships and the shows. Liam refuses to attend promotional engagements with the different European radio stations and it is Noel who will do it alone,.and neither will it at some late year concerts. Noel got tired of the little brother stupid attitude and announced that he was leaving the band indefinitely. April 10,1996, Canada The band left the gig after only six songs, because some fans threw items onto the stage, angering the band. 

The two concerts at Maine Road, Manchester, England on April 27 & 28.1996, were recorded for the film and a possible live álbum; like a the concerts at Knebworth on August 10 & 11.But the fights between the brothers continued, a few days later, after Philadelphia concert, bit.ly/2L0gN Liam quits Oasis once again. The band reappears without he at Royal Festival Hall, England, on American TV Show "MTV Unplugged". After this concert Oasis broke up for a brief time, several US tour dates and the entire Australia and New Zealand leg had to be cancelled. Finally the tour ended on 4 December 1996 at the 11,800 capacity Mayo Civic Centre in Rochester, Minnesota, USA.

Two months earlier, the tour film: "...There and Then" was released on VHS, but the doublé LP that has to accompany it was canceled and summed to a three-song cdsgl. One year later on November 1997 the film was re-released on DVD and the posibility of made the album returned again, for which a number of tracks were chosen, but unfortunately it was not compiled and some of these tracks appeared in "(What´s The Story" Morning Glory? and "Be Here Now" Deluxe editions.

Here´s the reconstruction of that lost álbum:

Side A: (20:31)

1.The Swamp Song.(4:18)

2.Acquiesce.(3:50) 

3.Hello.(3:12) 

4.Some Might Say.(4:56)

5.Roll With it.(4:14)

Side B:(21:43)

6.Morning Glory.(4:24)

7.Round Are Way. (5:09) 

8.Cigarettes and Alcohol.(4:32)

9.Chapagne Supernova.(7:37)

Side C: (18:01)

10.Cast no Shadow.(4:10)

11.Wonderwall.(acoustic).(3:50)

12.The Masterplan.(5:05)

13.My Big Mounth.(4:55) 

Side D: (19:02)

14.Live Forever.(4:28)

15.I Am The Walrus.( 9:08)

16.Cum on Feel The Noize.(5:25)

All songs bt Noel Gallagher except;

15 by Lennon & McCarftney. 16: by Holder & Lea

Track: 14 at Glastonbury Festival, Worthy Farm, Pilton on 23 June 1995. // Tracks: 3,4,5 & 6 at Roskilde Festival, Denmark on 30 June 1995. // Tracks: 1,2 & 11 at Earls Court, London, England on 4 November 1995. // Tracks: 8,10,15 & 16 at Maine Road, Manchester, England on 28 April 1996. // Tracks:9,12 & 13 at Knebworth Park, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England on 11 August 1996. // Track: 7 MTV Unplugged. Royal Festival Hall, London on 23 August 1996.

See you soon with more and better.

Steve Miller Band - "Greatest Hits II - 1981 - 86" - (Canceled).

Although the Steve Miller Band's songs are well known in Europe and feature a large number of fans; their concerts, on European territory, can be counted on the fingers of one hand, as they only visited the United Kingdom in February 1972; in July 1975 during Knebworth Festival; plus a mini tour of a couple of concerts during the second half of July 1982; and one last concert in Germany on August 20, 1983 for Rockpalast.

Faced with the possibility that the group began a new tour as a promotion for their recent album "Living in the 20th Century", released in November 1986 and it began in Europe, there was talk of a couple of concerts at the Royal Albert Hall in London; Mercury Records prepared a compilation album of their latest hits, which was to be called "Steve Miller Band – Greatest Hists 1981-86".

Side A: 25:07

Keeps Me Wondering Why.3:44

Cool Magic.4:25

Abracadabra.5:08

Heart Like a Wheel.4:01

Give It Up.3:38

Macho City (edit).4:09 (unreleased)

Side B: 24:48

I Want To Make The World Turn Around.4:24

Shangri-La.3:04

Italian X Rays.4:37

Bongo Bongo.3:13

Nobody But You Baby.4:04

Circle Of Love (edit). 3:23 (Unreleased)

Although the project was intended to be distributed mainly on CD, given the reception success that this new format was having; some of the songs were edited so that there were no problems when it came to presenting it also on Lp and cassette. bit.ly/Gh87SmB For this purpose, some singles were remastered, especially from the early years, in addition to including the last that sounded on the radios "Nobody but you baby".

But after assembling the album, Steve Miller decided to make it more commercial for the European market and restructured it leaving on the side A a broad summary of the original 1978 "Greatest Hits", which so many sales records had been giving; albeit by space problems,the Lp was revised again and some songs were changed by others.

The final result was called: “Greatest Hits 1976-86”: A Decade of American Music”; with this new line-up:Side One: 1.Space Intro - 2.Fly Like An Eagle – 3.Bongo Bongo - 4.Rock 'N Me – 5.Jet Air Liner – 6-Take The Money And Run. 7.Mercury Blues. Emplazando a la cara contraria algunas de las canciones incluidas en la lista anterior. Side Two: 1.Swing Town – 2.Shangri-La – 3.Abracadabra – 4.Italian X Rays – 5.Out Of The Night – 6.5Who Do You Love. – 7.Harmony Of The Spheres.

But unfortunately the long-awaited European tour never materialized, if by the United States and Canada in 1988. Despite this,,Mercury Records decided to carry out the edition of the album to cover at least the costs of production, publishing it first in the United Kingdom and later in the Netherlands, Greece, Portugal and Spain.

Finally the cassette version was aborted, being distributed mostly on Lp accompanied by a lower number on CD. Only in Greece things were somewaht different when changing the Lp edition by the cassette, accompanied by the CD. Be that as it may, there was no more than an edition; except in Holland because first was distributed CD and subsequently, on LP. After the Spanish edition distributed at the end of 1987 by Mercury/Polygram Iberica S.A," This record was immediately discontinued and never recovered for the Steve Miller Band catalog.

The Tommy Steel's cover design,overseen by Steve Miller, also did not help; it was considered, among all existing, one of the least graceful. Ugly. This design, modified,  was taken advantage for another compilation album released in 1991, called "The Very Best of Steve Miller Band".

Here you have the original project along with the remixes that were made of the songs "Macho City" and "Circle of Love" for this compilation work. Forgotten in time. but recovered and rebuilt, now.

Enjoy it.

The Rolling Stones: "Still Life" - (Unreleased expanded edition).

One of the great tours of the first half of the 1980s was undoubtedly the one that the Rolling Stones performed in promotion to their latest studio work: "Tattoo You", released on August 24.1981 The album's release was preceded by the single "Start Me Up / No Use In Crying" on August 14. Single that quickly climbed to the charts reaching number 2 in the United States and Canada.

Between June 30 and July 2, 1981: The Rolling Stones shoot straight studio-performance video clips in New York City for "Start Me Up", "Hang Fire" and "Worried About You". "Neighbors" at the Taft Hotel in New York City and . "Waiting on a Friend" on the streets of Greenwich. 

After promoter Bill Graham and Keith Richards convinced Mick Jagger of the need to embark on a new world tour, the band met at Long View Farm, North Brookfield, Massachusetts, from August 14 to September 25 to rehearse. But before starting rehearsals Mick and Keith hold a meeting to discuss the tour and tell Ron Wood he will have to curb his cocaine habit if he wants to join them. 

August 26, 1981: Mick Jagger holds a press conference at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, announcing the Rolling Stones' 1981 Tattoo You U.S. Tour. Worcester on September 14 in front of 11,000 fans, the tour began in Philadelphia on September 25 at John F.Kennedy Stadium, with all tickets sold out, with 181,564 spectators. The tour grossed $50 million in ticket sales when the average ticket price was $16. The Stones were estimated to have reaped about $22 million after expenses.Roughly three million attended the concerts, but unfortunately, this was the Stones' last tour of the United States until 1989.

October 15, 1981: A fan dies at a Stones concert in Seattle after falling 50 feet off a railing. The New Jersey concerts are filmed by director Hal Ashby for the indoor show portion of the film Let's Spend the Night Together. December 13perform at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe (Pheonix), Arizona, where the outdoor part of the film Let's Spend the Night Together is shot. Next day,Kansas City, ick Taylor joins in on the first night and stays through the whole set. The Rolling Stones end the 1981 Tattoo You U.S. Tour with two arena concerts in Hampton, Virginia, with the first concert (on Keith Richards' 38th birthday) telecast across the country on pay-per-view TV. During the show, Keith swings his guitar at a fan rushing the stage during Satisfaction.

February 1982: Mick Jagger and Keith Richards join director Hal Ashby in Los Angeles to start work on the concert film "Let's Spend the Night Together" and on the soundtrack for the film at the Power Station in New York City: a double lp. Ordered Bob Clearmountain and David Hewitt to mix a live album. Mixtures that were made at the Record Plant studios in New York, with the idea that the album coincided with the start of the European tour on June 2, 1982 in Rotterdam.

The original project was to be a double album, where three of its sides were recorded live during this successful American tour Bit.ly/82RsSL and the last one would feature some tracks from Chicago's Checkerboard Lounge with Muddy Waters, the night of November 22,1981..A DVD-CD of the performance is released in 2012. Something similar to what had been done a years ago with "Love You Live". With the next line-up:

Side A: (19:06)

1. "Intro: Take the 'A' Train". (0:26)

2. "Under My Thumb". (4:18)

3. "Let's Spend the Night Together". (3:51)

4. "Shattered".(4:08) 

5. "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)". (5:18)

6. "Twenty Flight Rock". (1:45)

Side B:  (18:06)

1. "Going to a Go-Go" (3:13)

2. "Let Me Go". (3:30)

3. "Time Is On My Side". (3:37)

4. "Beast Of Burden". (4:53)

5. "Little T& A". (3:33)

Side C: (20:33)

1. "Tumbling Dice". (4:24)

2. "Honky Tonk Women". (3:42)

3. "Brown Sugar". (3:37)

4. "Start Me Up". (4:19)

5. "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction". (4:23)

6. "Outro: Star Spangled Banner" (0:48)

Side D: (19:34)

(A.k.a: The Lost Checkerboard Lounge Side).

1. "Introductions". (1:13)

2. "Hoochie Coochie Man" (4:13)

3. "Mannish Boy".(10:27)

4. "Got My Mojo Workin' (3:41)

But finally the project is edited between March and April 1982, Because the documentary film was delayed until February 1983 and what should have been his soundtrack  was changed and matched with the start of the European tour, because of the need.to make it as commercial as possible summarizing its contents to a single Lp, changing the order of some songs and relocating others to B-sides.

"Let´s spend the night together" film was filmed at the Brendan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey (5–6 November 1981) and at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona (13 December 1981). 26 tracks, most of them edited. with slightly different footage and the additional song "When the Whip Comes Down" for European version.

May 7-24, 1982: The Rolling Stones hold tour rehearsals at Shepperton Studios in London, England. The European tour begins, on June 2, 1982, the first of the two singles "Going To A Go Go" was released, with one of the discarded songs of the double albuim: "Beast Of Burden". which became a Top 30 hit in the United Kingdom and United States; the follow-up single, "Time Is on My Side" / "20 flight Rock", this last song instead of "Little T&A";;reached the lower part of the UK charts. Still Life was a commercial success, reaching #4 in the UK and #5 in the U.S., and going Platinum in the U.S. and Canada, as well as Gold in the UK, but was not critically well-received.

The cover had several designs one of them was this, but it was finally that of the one made by the Japanese artist Kazuhide Yamazaki, whose work inspired the tour's stage design. Years later it was recovered in part, inside the series "From The Vault", as the cover of the double CD/DVD - "live at Hampton Roads, Virginia. 1981".

Ok.., enjoy it!. and see you son.

Joni Mitchell - "Blue" - Early Version. March 1971.

We continue with another great album of the early seventies: "Blue", the fourth studio lp by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell. Released by Reprise Records on June 22 1971. It was  number 3 on the UK Albums Chart, 9 in Canada and 15 on the Blllboard 200. Regarded by music critics as one of the greatest albums of all time made by a woman

Here´s the less known version, from March 1971, shortly before being restructured as we know it today.

January 1970, Joni Mitchell make a decision to break from performing. A few months later,she set off on a vacation around Europe. While staying on the island of Crete and Malta she wrote some of the songs that appear on Blue, as:“Carey”;“California”;“My Old Man” or “River”. Songs inspired in old sentimental relationships that she had with David Crosby and in those moments with Graham Nash and shortly after with James Taylor.

When she returned to the United States from Spain ended the relationship with Graham Nash but because she had begun another with James Taylor. Joni Mitchell was accused, on more than one occasion, of using personal relationships to promote her musical career, as had happened with David Crosby in the past; thanks to him she got Reprise Records interested in his music. behind the sweetness and innocence appearance, there was always an interested woman., true or not?, what do you think?. 

Good.., we continue with this quick story. This new work start it to record on january 1971 at A&M Studios, Hollywood, Los Angeles C.A  and finalize in March, the same month when James Taylor broke off the relationship with her. This personal disappointment caused that Joni to change the line-up of the álbum. Bit.ly/71JMbl Next the original “Blue” 

Side One: (16:38)

1.Carey.(3:03)

2.Little Green.(3:27)

3.A Case Of You.(4:23)

4.Hunter.(2:38)

5.Blue.(3:04) 

Side B. 19:26)

1.California.(3:49)

2.My Old Man.(3:34)

3.Urge For Going.(5:05)

4.This Flight Tonight.(2:52)

5.River.(4:04)

There were three old songs that had not found their way onto any of her previous albums. At the last minute, Mitchell decided to remove two of the three so that she could add the new songs:"Urge for Going" was rejected by "All I Want" and “Hunter” (The Good Samaritan) by "The Last Time I Saw Richard". Leaving the album as follows:

Side One: (16:30)
1.All I Want.(3:32)
2.My Old Man.(3:33)
3.Little Green.(3:25)
4.Carey.(3:00)
5.Blue.(3:00)

Side:B. (18:31)
1.California.(3:48)
2.This Flight Tonight.(2:50)
3.River..(4:00)
4.A Case Of You.(4:20)
5.The Last Time I Saw Richard.(4:13)

All songs written by Joni Mitchell, but on the disc there was also the shadow of the plagiarism, when it was said that the singer had included part of "Jingle Bells" in "River". "Blue" was about to be retired and the song "River" replaced in futures editions  by one of the other two themes that Joni had eliminated in March. Everything was solved between lawyers with an economic agreement and recognizing that it had been done in an innocent way, because since the original song was released in 1857, it was believed that the copyright had expired.

This work is short, maybe Joni Mitchell should have been more generous and have kept all the selected songs better because there was space on the album.or maybe not, possibly that's why it's so good in itself. The content of it is so explicit that even Kris Kristofferson when he heard an advance copy of it said to she: "Joni! Keep something of yourself!".

The title was "Blues", but the art director: Gary Burden changed it by the name of the color,.when he was commissioned to design the cover. Two singles were extracted from the álbum: “Carey” / “This Flight tonight  & “California” / “A Case Of You”.

It was discontinued in U.S in 1977 and did not return to the catalog until 1990 in which it was released on CD, although it was Canada who took the honors by releasing it in digital format three years before.

That´s all friends. Enjoy it.

Paul McCartney: "Return To Pepperland" - (Unreleased 1987/88 double album) - (2nd version & definitive).

“Return to Pepperland“ was a cancelled Paul McCartney album, originally scheduled to be released in late 1987.

Officially the recording sessions for this project, inspired by the 20th anniversary of Sgt.Pepper's album, began in June at Hogg Hill Mill studios in Sussex, England with Phil Ramone as a producer. Although some songs had already been recorded previously during “Once Upon A long Ago” sessions March/April 1987, others came out from the Paul´s archives, home demos and outtakes recorded shortly before the release of the soundtrack: ”Give my regards to Broad St.” in October 22.1984 and "Press To Play" Era.

The most interesting part of this project was going to be the collaboration of Freddie Mercury and possibly Queen, at least in one of the themes: "Once Upon A Long Ago", a duet between Freddie and Paul, as he had done in the past for example with Michael Jackson. But the agenda Queen´s singer prevented it and it was not possible something that saddened quite to Paul McCartney.

At the beginning of July 1987 a first compilation of the album was made with this provisional setlist: 1.Once Upon A long Ago.-  2..Lindiana. - 3.I love this house.-  4.We Got Married. - 5.Beautiful Night. -  6.Loveliest Thing. -  7.Squid. - 8.Big Day. - 9.This One. - 10.Love Come Tumbling Down. - 11.Christian Pop. - 12.Atlantic Ocean. - 13.Love Mix. - 14.P.S.Love Me Do. - 15.Back On My Feet. - 16.Return To Pepperland.

In addition to selecting a single formed by the song "Once Upon A Long Ago / Back On My Feat.",that would should go on sale like anticipation of the album at the end of summer. In July overdubs were add to this song with George Martin on production and Abbey Road as new location. The album, bit.ly/87PMPP it was produced by Paul McCartney and Phil Ramone.

In September, after listen “Once Upon A Long Ago” final mix, Paul considered that some of the songs from “Return to Pepperland”, could probably be improved with a simple re-mix, but others needed to re-record again. and delayed its publication to improve it and thus avoid bad reviews. He still had in mind the cold reviews received for his previous album "Press To Play"" and he did not want to repeat the story.

Paul took an extra time to improve the project; but as the release of a new album was already signed, one year without lp, since “Press To Play”, to avoid economic losses to the production company; “Return to Pepperland" was changed by another valid alternative, a double album called: "All the best", Although the single "Once Upon A Long Ago / Back On My Feat." remained; and it would be released fifteen days before of “All the best” album, on November 2.

Meanwhile, Paul continued to restructure "Return to Pepperland" and selecting new themes. So, between December 21 and January 21 the project was re-built, with more sessions and songs as:”Rough Ride” or “Figure of Eight”. The new album version was compiled on January 21.1988 with this final line-up:

Side A: (18:17)

1. Return To Pepperland. (Remixed). (4:47)

2. Love Come Tumbling Down. (4:21)

3. Christian Pop. (2:19)

4. Atlantic Ocean. (6:48)

Track 1: June 2-30 1987. Hogg Hill Mill studio,Sussex, England. Track 2: March 1987 Hogg Hill Mill studio,Sussex, England. with additional recording: June 2-30 1987. Track 3 & 4: March 1987. Hogg Hill Mill studios in Sussex, England.

Side B: (18:09)

5. Lindiana. (Remixed). (5:44)

6.I Love This House. (3:47)

7. We Got Married. (1st version). (Remixed). (3:54)

8. Rough Ride. (1st version). (Remixed). (4:42)

Tracks 5, 6 & 7: Sep. to Dec. 10 1984. Hogg Hill Mill studios, Sussex, England. Track 8: Dec´87 & Jan´88. Hogg Hill Mill studios, Sussex, England.

Side C: (17:50)

9. Figure Of Eight. (1st version). (Remixed). (5:09)

10. Squid. (Remixed). (3:58)

11. Big Day. (Remixed). (2:34)

12. Beautiful Night. (1st version). (6:08)

Track 9: Dec´87 & Jan´88. Hogg Hill Mill studios, Sussex, England. Tracks 10 & 11: Dec´1986. Hogg Hill Mill studios, Sussex, England. Tracks 12 & 13: Power Station Studios. N.Y. US. August 1986; with additional recordings June 1987. Hogg Hill Mill studios, Sussex, England.

Side D: (17:51)

13. Loveliest Thing. (3:53)

14. Love Mix. (3:54)

15. Peacocks. (6:46)

16. This One. (Demo). (3:25)

Track 14:  April 1987. Hogg Hill Mill studios, Sussex, England. Track 15: March 1987. Hogg Hill Mill studios in Sussex, England. Track 16: Feb..2.1987, Audio International Studios, London, England.

But the result did not end either of convince to Paul and after a brief rest and reflection, in April of 1988, he abandoned the project definitively and began the recording sessions of what would be his next studio album: "Flowers in the dirt". Many of the songs from “Return to Pepperland” came out as B-sides or were included in their next works as “Flaming Pie”.

Ok, that´s all friends. See you soon with more and better.