Iggy Live LA 30.11.79 - stereo recording???

Hi there

I thought there was thread on this already but can't find one...

I've long liked this show, but eventually my love for it was superceded by the San Francisco 27.11.79 show, particularly when the California Hitch-hike CD came out, with most of that show in the best quality yet.

However both of these shows have a lot to recommend...my question is for now, was the LA 30.11.79 show recorded and broadcast in mono?

This is something I've tried to fathom for years...I've just got the Heroin Hates You CD and it's hard to tell...on this CD it sounds like it's either an 'almost' stereo mix (mild panning of instruments), or this was done when it was remastered for CD.

The remastering is not major...the hiss is still there, even radio hum towards the end.

Judging by the DJ's comments, the show does seem to be live to air, so possibly the sound guys just did the best they could, and as they were mixing straight to air, perhaps stereo seperation wasn't the highest on their priorities when they had to mix the sound that was going out to the venue at that moment?

I'm intrigued anyway, and any comments on the matter of whether it was recorded or broadcast in stereo are welcomed.

By the way, the Heroin Hates You CD sounds better than the authorised Easy Action release on the Faces Shine vol 1 box set by the way, having sampled HHY on amazon.com, that's why I ordered it.

thanks for any help.

I've just mailed KROQ.

"Encouragingly" their email address is "Likewecare@kroq.com"!

This is what I mailed them -

"KROQ broadcasting question"

"Hi there

Your radio station gets mentioned on a CD that has been released twice in the last decade, as the CD concerned is taken from a KROQ broadcast, one by Jed The Fish.

The most recent release of the CD is part of the Iggy Pop "Where The Faces Shine Volume 1" box set.

Now, as you might have worked out by now, this is a historical question, but I hope you can bear with me, and possibly help.

What I would like to know is any biographical information you may have on the concert - it was at Los Angeles Stardust Ballroom, on the 30th November 1979. A long time ago, I admit, but since your station is announced and mentioned by the presenter on the CD, I hope you may possibly be able to provide any information to share with the Iggy Pop "community", which is probably even bigger nowadays after those insurance ads!

Here goes :

1. The concert was broadcast live, as is, by your presenter at the time, who admitted being nervous about Iggy's swearing. Did you get any complaints, particularly any noteworthy / amusing ones?

2. How was the broadcast arranged? Through Iggy's management, or was it KROQ's idea, or a bit of both?

3. The concert appears to have been broadcast in mono, or narrow stereo. Have any mastertapes been kept?

4. Do you have any listening figures, or record of any general reactions to the broadcast?

These questions may seem a little detailed for something so long ago.

However, given the concert has been bootlegged, and finally released on an authorised CD, with little mention in print of your part, KROQ, in bringing this concert to the public in the first place thereby ensuring its preservation and enjoyment by Iggy fans worldwide, I am sure many of those fans would welcome any feedback or comment you may have about the broadcast.

Thank you in advance for any help.

Kind regards"


http://kroq.radio.com/

I've also given this a whirl....

I won't put the email addy here - still a generic one that may not be answered by him personally but I don't want to necessarily encourage spamming.

"Jed The Fish show question

Hi there Jed

Your voice is heard on a CD that has been released twice in the space of a decade, the most recent release of the CD is part of the Iggy Pop "Where The Faces Shine Volume 1" box set.

Now, as you might have worked out by now, this is a historical question, but I hope you can bear with me, and possibly help.

What I would like to know is whether you have any or many recollections of the broadcast of the show.

It was an Iggy concert at the Los Angeles Stardust Ballroom, on the 30th November 1979. A long time ago, I admit, but since you are heard on CD releases of the show CD, I hope you may possibly be able to provide any information to share with the Iggy Pop "community", which is probably even bigger nowadays after those insurance ads!

Here goes :

1. The concert was broadcast live, as is, and you admitted being nervous about Iggy's swearing. Did you get any complaints, particularly any noteworthy / amusing ones?

2. Any idea how the broadcast was arranged? Through Iggy's management, or was it KROQ's idea, or a bit of both?

3. Aside from any possible complaints, did you get any general reactions to the broadcast that you can recall?

4. A very cheeky question, but since the recordings of this that have emerged seem to be in mono or very narrow stereo, did you get a backup copy yourself, as you seem to allude to having seen some Iggy shows yourself?
I ask as while I don't work for them, who knows, if better recordings surfaced just maybe Easy Action or any company affiliated with Iggy might consider using them!

These questions may seem a little detailed for something so long ago.

However, given the concert has been bootlegged, and finally released on an authorised CD, with little mention in print of your part in bringing this concert to the public in the first place thereby ensuring its preservation and enjoyment by Iggy fans worldwide, I am sure many of those fans would welcome any feedback or comment you may have about the broadcast.

Thank you in advance for any help.

Kind regards"

I have done further research on this matter.

According to the wiki, some of KROQ's broadcasts were very narrow or weak stereo.

On listening through the (Heroin Hates You) CD, I looked out for the clearest signs of stereo seperation.

They are very slight and one might argue they are non existant or an effect of the transfer to tape or some other wear / distortion with age.

I used headphones, and quite possibly to add to the confusion, while they are good ones (Sennheiser), they are old ones without left and right channels labelled. So I cannot be sure if what I call left channel is the left or right channel...anyway here goes :

Real cool time - in the middle part, it becomes noticeable that the guitar is slightly to the left channel and the synth slightly to the right
Knockin' em Down in the city - there seem to be handclaps at the start - these are very much to the left channel, also the backing vocals are towards to the left channel.
Take Care of Me - the drum seems to be stereo mic'd in many songs, and the snares in this one give a stereo sound.
You Really Got Me - rhythm guitar towards the right channel, lead guitar towards the left
New Values - the guitar is slightly to the left channel and the synth slightly to the right. Also drums stereo in the the slower "yes, you you you you are all criminals" bit towards the end.
I wanna Be Your Dog - again stereo sound to the drums
One For My Baby - starts in stereo, the clearest of the whole gig!
China Girl and No Fun - drums sounds stereo, also the final clatters and claps, and the annoucer Jed after No Fun suggest stereo too.

All this is very subtle and arguably open to conjecture...the reason I mention it anyway is if anyone ever were to work on this to broaden the "stereo picture" (there is very good software around to do this, I heard some used 6 years ago, and it was very advanced then), such notes might help.

I hope some mastertapes turn up some time, but if not...

ON EDIT : I meant to add this bit in...

a quote from Amazon.com (from a review of the Heroin Hates You CD) from a guy who was at the gig...

"I saw this show.....Checking my tape recording off KROQ the next morning. Couldn't believe it was the show I had just seen. The sound at the show had been unbelieveable. This mix was awful in comparison. I've gotten over it as the years have gone by, and this is no doubt the best representation of the show thats available. A GREAT IGGY performance. What you can't see as you are listening to this would boost the approval to a 10. The stage slowly sinking lower and lower as the band disappears before your eyes. The stage and band on the verge of total collapse thru out. Iggy engaging/confronting the audience like it was the Grande Ballroom in 1969. Punks hanging from the ceiling gurders at the Stardust, upside down , having midget fights. Spit, gobs and insults flying everywhere. I can clearly hear meself and partner in crime Rusty at points thru out this recording. What a treat this cd is from a personnal stand point. What a vital RnR document of Iggy on the edge from a historical stand point. As I slumped to the sidewalk outside the Stardust after this gig and gazed towards the stars, there it was! The local L.A. t.v. station that at that point, Connie Chung was doing the news for. The beauty and the beast indeed!! "

I was thinking maybe the pandemonium on stage also accounts for the sound of the mix to radio...ie the sound guys had enough to concentrate on getting the sound right for the venue alone in the chaos.
Many gigs I have gone to have featured little in the way of stereo separation in the venue - it's rarely been a consideration let alone a priority : I think many FM radio gigs featured a good mix when the broadcast occurs after the event, when there has been time to do some mixing, as opposed to straight to air like this one.

By the way, aside from the fact I was planning a poll comparing the LA and SF November gigs (tried posting it the other day and lost the post by accident - bet you can't wait for me to have another go, ha! ), anyone who is interested in the creation of or further definition of stereo sound from mono (or mono-ish mixes), I was just reading this piece on a Four Seasons record, which has some details on creating stereo mixes : -

http://movementbureau.blogs.com/chameleon/2009/03/the-four-seasons-ds-remixes.html