Academy of Music 31dec73 recording

I've just been listening to the above recording, as released on 'Night of the Iguana', 'Double Danger' and probably lots of other places besides. What struck me is that, unlike a lot of the '73 live recordings, it doesn't seem to be sourced from an audience bootleg tape - true, the sound is a bit murky but there are none of the usual audience noises, mic knocks etc that you'd get from someone standing in the crowd with a tape machine. Listen to the way the crowd noise is very well captured between songs, but goes right down when the music starts. It's obviously not a desk recording (compare with Metallic KO), but it sounds like it might possibly have been recorded on professional equipment with a couple of overhead mics above the stage.

What I'm wondering is whether this means there's any truth to the long-held urban myth about this show being recorded by CBS for professional release, only to be scuppered when Iggy got into an utter mess before being hauled onstage.

Also - is every single circulating copy of this show sourced from the 'Night of the Iguana' LP, complete with the abrupt cut during Heavy Liquid? Where's the master tape?

Very interesting questions you have posed mark. I too would like to know the answers to these questions?

Mark,

The story I heard is that the show was recorded by Columbia, but the performance by Iggy was considered too bad for release so the tapes were junked. There are a few variations of this story in common circulation.

I am 99.9% certain the bootleg was recorded on cassette from the audience. As you say, the audience sound virtually disappears when the music starts, and this suggests the recording was made via a 'condenser' system designed to prevent tape overload. The majority of portable cassette recorders of that time had such a system, I suspect because it was cheaper to include than a conventional manually-operated recording level.

Also, the fact that the last song cuts out fits the theory of the bootlegger's tape running out. Finally, check out the length of the recording. If I remember correctly, this fits nicely with standard cassette length.

StoogesFan wrote:

The story I heard is that the show was recorded by Columbia, but the performance by Iggy was considered too bad for release so the tapes were junked. There are a few variations of this story in common circulation.

Yes, that was the story I'm referring to. Damned if I can find the source of it though.

Quote :

I am 99.9% certain the bootleg was recorded on cassette from the audience. As you say, the audience sound virtually disappears when the music starts, and this suggests the recording was made via a 'condenser' system designed to prevent tape overload. The majority of portable cassette recorders of that time had such a system, I suspect because it was cheaper to include than a conventional manually-operated recording level.

I don't think automatic level control would get rid of audience noise during the songs though. I think what you're talking about is basically a compressor, which wouldn't get rid of any sounds - it'd just squish everything down to the same volume. If the taper had been in the midst of the audience, you'd still be able to hear the usual shouting, talking, people knocking past the microphone etc - as with the Whiskey/Max's tapes. I'm not saying it's impossible for it to be an audience tape, but the taper must have had a very good vantage point.

Quote :

Also, the fact that the last song cuts out fits the theory of the bootlegger's tape running out. Finally, check out the length of the recording. If I remember correctly, this fits nicely with standard cassette length.

Yep, it cuts out after 45 minutes. But as every copy we have access to (I think?) is sourced from the boot LP, we don't know that the master tape is like that. It might be that the master has the full show but it was dubbed onto one side of a C90, losing everything but the first 45 minutes in the process, and that's the source for what we have. Who knows.

I doubt that Columbia recorded Academy of Music, as they had already dropped the Stooges by then, hadn't they?
Per

I don't know. They were dropped by Mainman around, what, June 1973 (between the gig with Tornado Turner and the Max's residency), but I'm not clear on when Columbia actually dropped them.

pernil wrote:

I doubt that Columbia recorded Academy of Music, as they had already dropped the Stooges by then, hadn't they?

Actually, Per, the first place I saw the claim that Columbia recorded this show was in your book, "The Wild One". On page 67, 2nd edition it says:-

"The Academy of Music concert was recorded by Columbia for a possible live album, but Iggy's performance was simply too bad. Clive Davis, who had signed Iggy to the label, had left Columbia, and when the Stooges' contract came under review in early 1974, it was terminated."

Guilty, but that's 22 years old. I had revised it for the planned edition in 1990-91 which never saw the light of day. Anyway, I think Paul Trynka has much more detail on this and other things since his book is the most authoratative on the Stooges. Per

I have the Double Danger CD with this Academy of Music concert containing 8 tracks.
BUT. There is a double cd called "Head On" released in 2002 on Pilot records PILOT142 which has this concert on the bonus disc.
The cover lists nine tracks, the extra track listed is "Head On" as track two, replacing "Rich Bitch", that song is the last and nineth track on the cd.
Does anyone have the Pilot release and can confirm "Head On" is on the disc and from this show?

gazatthebop wrote:

I have the Double Danger CD with this Academy of Music concert containing 8 tracks.
BUT. There is a double cd called "Head On" released in 2002 on Pilot records PILOT142 which has this concert on the bonus disc.
The cover lists nine tracks, the extra track listed is "Head On" as track two, replacing "Rich Bitch", that song is the last and nineth track on the cd.
Does anyone have the Pilot release and can confirm "Head On" is on the disc and from this show?

According to this post, 'Head On' is not on the disc, but the disc does run at the right speed, unlike Double Danger, so I guess that could make it worth getting.

Hey hl - what's the sound quality like on that Head On CD? Is it any different from Double Danger, other than being the correct speed? Presumably it's the same vinyl source, cutting during the final track?

THE DISCS ARE THE SAME SHOW,SAME SONGS.ONE OF THE CDS MADE AN ERROR WHEN WRITING THE SETLIST
ONE OF THOSE CDS COMES FROM '' THE NIGHT OF THE IGUANA''BOOT LP,THE OTHER FROM TAPE,BUT THE TAPE SPEED IS NOT RIGHT.
DON'T KNOW ANYMORE WHICH CD COMES FROM TAPE.

I would totally avoid this release, don't waste your money, it's practically unlistenable. California Bleeding, Live in LA and Max's 7-30-73 are much much better.

I agree. It's unlistenable.