Raw Power rare tracks - any advice?

Hello Everyone,

I have four tracks from the WABX radio broadcast of the very first mix of 'Raw Power'. I came across them many years ago. I know that this stuff has been released on 'Rough Power' but has been average quality and in mono. A version of 'Hard To Beat' was also released on the Easy Action release 'Extended Play' which is slightly better quality but also in mono (and fades out before the ending).

The four tracks that I have ('Shake Appeal'' 'Search & Destroy', 'Raw Power' and 'Hard To Beat') were obviously recorded on cassette from the radio broadcast, but are better quality and in STEREO. I have just about every Stooges release on the market and can say with 99.9% certainty that these versions have never been officially released before.

My point is that I now want to do something with these tracks as I think they deserve a proper release. I offered them to Bomp many years ago but did not get a reply (or perhaps my letter did not reach Greg Shaw - we only had snail mail in those days).

I have been advised to release them officially on a limited CD-EP (obtaining the required MCPS-PRS license and paying the required royalties). With my personal debt now equivalent to a year's salary, I could certainly do with the money!

However, while I am certainly willing to take this course of action, I really do not have the resources for adequate distribution. I am therefore wondering if there are any other labels out there that would be interested in these tracks.

I would ask for a credit on the subsequent release for supplying the recordings - plus if there was a small amount of money heading my way I would not turn it down! But I think the most important thing is to get these versions properly released. However, I do not want to see another label sit on them for months or years. I would expect progress to be made fairly quickly.

Of course, it could be that many others have these versions also. But if this is so, how come they are still unreleased?

If anyone has any advice I would be grateful ("send the tracks to me" will not count).

Send Easy Action an email even if they have one of those songs already, they're quick to respond and always on the look out for new Stooges songs (or versions) to release. Bomp don't seem to make new Stooges releases anymore, just occasionally reissue their old ones.

StoogesFan wrote:

The four tracks that I have ('Shake Appeal'' 'Search & Destroy', 'Raw Power' and 'Hard To Beat') were obviously recorded on cassette from the radio broadcast, but are better quality and in STEREO.

I think these four tracks first appeared in bootleg form on the Iggy & Bowie "Duet At The Mantra" bootleg, but I don't know what the quality is like on there. I think this boot may have been the source for the "Shake Appeal" 10 inch bootleg ep. The quality on there is compromised, but possibly better overall than the "official" releases (I haven't really compared it though) and there is a skip in "Search And Destroy".

Isn't it possible that the master tapes of these mixes still exist in the recording studio archives? In which case maybe they'd be candidates for inclusion on the supposedly forthcoming Raw Power boxed set.

Andrew

Andrew

Hello Andrew,

I'm not sure of the source that my four tracks were taken from, but they are certainly not from the 'Shake Appeal' 10" bootleg. Whoever put that bootleg out tried to disguise the quality by adding reverb to the recording. My tracks are simply as broadcast on the radio - and better quality.

To be honest, I doubt if these mixes still exist anywhere. The story goes that they were just dubbed onto cassette direct from the multi-track masters. Nobody knows how many copies existed - possibly it was just the one copy. The radio station DJs did refer to it as a "stolen tape".

The proposed 'Raw Power box set' sounds intriguing - but I will believe it when I see it!

here's some better quality raw power mixes from Chazz, check the 'notes' for specifics http://beatlesource.com/web/iggy/rp/

I'm interested in how your tape compares.

mc wrote:

here's some better quality raw power mixes from Chazz, check the 'notes' for specifics http://beatlesource.com/web/iggy/rp/

I'm interested in how your tape compares.

Hello MC,

thanks for the link.

Quality wise, my tape is pretty much identical to what you have provided. A marginal difference if any.
However, I believe the WABX tape provided in the link runs slightly too fast. There is certainly not much in it, but just enough to be noticeable.

Well, this gives me hope that there is enough stuff out there to make the proposed Raw Power boxset a reality.

In the meantime, if Easy Action will be seriously interested in my stuff....

The backwards on WABX Death Trip mix is Penetration.