Here's my attempt to document the known Whisky tapes! Per
June 1973: Whisky A-Go-Go, Los Angeles (A)
1) Raw Power (4:30)
2) Head On (5:35)
3) I Need Somebody (6:15)
4) Search And Destroy (4:30)
5) She-Creatures Of The Hollywood Hills (8:25)
Duration: 29 mins.
Comments: This is usually listed as being from September 1973, but it’s likely from the June engagement. For one thing, it doesn’t sound like Scott Thurston at the piano. A second indicator is “She-Creatures Of The Hollywood Hills,” which was regularly performed during the June stand according to press reviews.
It is noteworthy that this version of “She-Creatures Of The Hollywood Hills” is quite different lyrically from the version listed below. Iggy announces, “I wanna eat some pussy,” as the song is launched.
June 1973: Whisky A-Go-Go, Los Angeles (B)
1) Raw Power (5:40)
2) Head On (1:10) incomplete
3) Search And Destroy (1:25) incomplete
4) She-Creatures Of The Hollywood Hills (10:30)
Duration: 21 mins.
Comments: This is often listed as September 1973, but some copies actually have the date 22 June, which may be accurate as the Stooges played a five-night stand, 20-24 June. The recording is probably from the June engagement when they played “She-Creatures Of The Hollywood Hills” frequently. Incidentally, the title “She-Creatures Of The Hollywood Hills” is never sung by Iggy and the song appears to have been called “Dirty She-Creatures Of Hollywood,” possibly being a work-in-progress.
On the other hand, the long take on “Raw Power” (5:40 minutes) may indicate that it is in fact a recording from September 1973, when “She-Creatures Of The Hollywood Hills” could also have been performed. “Raw Power” was usually a minute or so shorter during the June/July 1973 gigs. If this “theory” is correct, then this version of “She-Creatures Of The Hollywood Hills” could be seen as a development of the song, with Iggy ad-libbing new lyrics instead of adhering to the earlier version. The fact that it was considerably longer, 10:30 minutes, than the version on the “A” tape above, which most definitely is from June 1973, may also indicate that this “B” show did in fact take place in September. Confusing, isn’t it?
September 1973: Whisky A-Go-Go, Los Angeles (C)
Gimme Danger (4:05) incomplete
Search And Destroy (3:15) incomplete
Johanna (2:15) incomplete
Open Up And Bleed (11:45)
Duration: 24 mins.
Comments: Bomp’s California Bleeding CD release lists the date of “Johanna” as 19 September, but that’s not correct since the September engagements were 3-7 September and 15-17 September 1973. The sound quality of this “C” concert is amongst the best of the eight Whisky A-Go-Go shows existing as audio recordings.
Someone in the audience shouts for “Johanna” after “Search And Destroy” and there is someone else going on about “the guy in the red pants.” Possibly referring to Johanna, Iggy says, “I hate you,” adding, “It’s just a song title.” Prior to “Open Up And Bleed,” Iggy says, “OK, ladies and gentlemen, if you bear with us…” and he asks for “liquid.” “Open Up And Bleed” begins very unusually, with the guitar and drums preceding the entry of the bass and harmonica. The usual opening of the song has only the guitar before the rest of the band members join in.
September 1973: Whisky A-Go-Go, Los Angeles (D)
Search And Destroy (4:20)
I Need Somebody (5:55)
Heavy Liquid (2:50) incomplete
Cock In My Pocket (1:20) incomplete
Open Up And Bleed (12:40)
Duration: 30 mins.
Comments: “Heavy Liquid” on Bomp’s California Bleeding is from 15 September 1973 according to the sleeve notes, which may be accurate. Very likely, this concert took place on the same night as concert “C” above as the general sound is remarkably similar, with the piano clearly defined and to the front of the sound mix (unlike most other 1973-74 recordings). The sound quality is on a par with the “C” show.
Most of the tracks are incomplete, thus lacking most of the in-between song comments. Before playing “Search And Destroy,” Iggy introduces Scott and Ron, “Mr. Rock Action on drums. Reichsfuhrer Ron Asheton on bass.” He then says, “We are a band. We can’t be bought, not even in this town. Not by all the faggots in the world, not by the money in Israel.” After the song, he asks, “Do you want any more?”
Before playing “Heavy Liquid,” Iggy says, “Do you feel it? Yeah… Yeah! Yeah, I do! ‘Heavy Liquid.’ Any more lights on the stage?” He introduces “Open Up And Bleed,” “There’s so much shit in this world, sooner or later you’re gonna step in it. And it makes you wanna open up and bleed.”
16 September 1973: Whisky A-Go-Go, Los Angeles (E)
1) Raw Power (5:05)
2) Head On (7:55)
3) Gimme Danger (7:00)
4) Search And Destroy (4:40)
5) I Need Somebody (6:00)
6) Heavy Liquid (6:00)
7) Open Up And Bleed (12:50)
Duration: 59 mins.
Comments: I have this listed as 16 September 1973. I’ve had the tape since 1978 or so, and I’m pretty sure the date is correct. This is a complete show. There are several configurations of the tape of this show (often with different dates), with slightly differing tape speeds and sound quality. The best versions of the recording are amongst the best Whisky A-Go-Go recordings quality-wise.
Following “Raw Power,” Ron tunes his bass guitar and Iggy says, “Let’s do it,” before they launch into “Head On.” “Turn his mike up,” Iggy says after “Head On,” continuing, “Problem! Allé, allé, allé. More, more, more…” “Gimme Danger” then begins. Following the song, Iggy requests, “Put my original mike on, please. Turn on the house lights. House lights on the stars. Let’s see the stars out here.” He asks, “Broken? I gotta use this little cord?” before demanding “house lights” once again.
“Yeah, alright, alright, alright!” Iggy exclaims as “Search And Destroy” climaxes. He then introduces Scott Thurston. There is a cut on the tape before Iggy continues, “Turn on those lights. Have you had enough? Should we come back next week too?” The show concludes with “Heavy Liquid.” An announcer says, “Let’s have another big round of applause for the Stooges!” They return for an encore of “Open Up And Bleed.”
On one configuration of the tape of the show, the announcer returns after “Open Up And Bleed,” once again asking for a round of applause for the Stooges before mentioning some upcoming gigs at the nearby Roxy: the Temptations, Linda Ronstadt, the Crusaders, Little Richard, Genesis, Three Dog Knight, and the O’Jays. According to a Genesis chronology, the band didn’t play at Roxy until December 1973, which seems a bit odd if the Stooges concert took place in mid-September.
September 1973: Whisky A-Go-Go, Los Angeles (F)
1) Raw Power (5:00)
2) Head On first attempt (2:42)
3) Head On second attempt (0:03)
4) Head On third attempt (5:44)
5) I Need Somebody (4:38) incomplete
Duration: 20 mins.
Comments: The band is introduced, “Iggy and the Stooges.” Iggy’s vocals cannot be heard during the first attempt at “Head On.” The second attempt is just a few seconds of Ron’s bass intro. The third attempt is the normal, albeit short, version. “Shake it, I’m gonna shake my little ass,” Iggy says over Ron’s bass intro. Audience members shout after “Head On,” but it’s difficult to hear what they say. Someone requests “more.”
One tape of this show adds on two songs from the “G” concert (see below), “Cock In My Pocket” and “Open Up And Bleed.” However, they are clearly from a different show, with a different sound texture and quality. Iggy’s intro of “Cock In My Pocket” and his comments after the song also identify the two songs as belonging to a different concert.
September 1973: Whisky A-Go-Go, Los Angeles (G)
1) Raw Power (5:30)
2) Head On (8:00)
3) Gimme Danger (7:30)
4) Search And Destroy (4:25)
5) I Need Somebody (5:15) incomplete
6) Heavy Liquid (5:55)
7) Cock In My Pocket (3:20)
Open Up And Bleed (11:55)
Duration: 56 mins.
Comments: The recording cuts off between most songs due to the fact that the guy who recorded the set wanted to save tape to make sure he captured all the songs. Apart from the breaks between songs, this is a complete concert. A tape containing the initial 27 minutes of the show is also circulating, but it’s just a shorter version of the original recording.
The date “17 October 1973” was scribbled onto the cassette by the guy who taped the show, but the date is questionable since I have no information that confirms that the Stooges played the Whisky in October 1973. According to gig listings in Los Angeles newspapers, they played there 20-24 June, 3-7 September, and 15-17 September 1973. Still, it is possible that they filled in for another act on 17 October.
This tape starts with some audience noise before it’s into “Raw Power.” The audience calls out for their favourites after “Head On”: “Your Pretty Face Is Going To Hell,” “No Fun,” “Gimme Danger,” and “I Wanna Be Your Dog.” Iggy decides to go for “Gimme Danger.” Following the song, Iggy says, “I want the house lights on the stars. House lights, house lights. No house lights, no music! Gotta be seen.” He announces “Search And Destroy” to wild audience response. After the song, he requests “water” and says, “Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. James Williamson.” There are cuts on the tape but it’s likely that he introduced all the band members.
The first few seconds of “I Need Somebody” are missing. Before playing “Heavy Liquid,” Iggy says something like, “Get your drumming hand up my mike cord. C’mon mister.” He also says, “What d’you want? Blood? I’d drink anything but blood. You had enough? Sounds made by idiots, all sound and fury, signifying nothing.” He introduces “Cock In My Pocket,” “This evening’s additional selection is entitled ‘I Got My Cock In My Pocket,’ before counting in the song, “One-two, one-two-three-four.” Following the song, he says something about “another mike stand, so many mikes.” He says over the final sounds of “Open Up And Bleed,” “You can’t buy a man’s soul.”
September 1973: Whisky A-Go-Go, Los Angeles (H)
1) Raw Power (4:50)
2) Head On (8:45)
3) Cock In My Pocket (3:15)
4) I Need Somebody (5:50)
5) Open Up And Bleed (11:50)
Duration: 36 mins.
Comments: Much like the preceding tape, this is sometimes listed as 17 October 1973. There are cuts on the tape between “Head On” and “Cock In My Pocket,” between “Cock In My Pocket” and “I Need Somebody,” and between “I Need Somebody” and “Open Up And Bleed.”
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Subject: Stooges live at the Whisky 
Thu Jan 22, 2009 10:35 pm
Wow!
I have for 1971 stuff and now it looks like EasyAction will release a set of stuff from that era! 
