Raw Power: Rare 1973 footage of Iggy and the Stooges

http://dangerousminds.net/comments/raw_power_1973_footage_of_iggy_and_the_stooges_escapes_right_into_your_livi

1973: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7u1I2d4Xas

1970: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oq6X37YpbOc

1969: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1L8uuT4LYyI

With thanks to the uploader: leonardo zidane.

Wow. Thanks for these. Interesting to see JW not playing the 'trademark' Les Paul Custom, though possibly understandable given the weight. lol.

iggy wrote:

1973: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7u1I2d4Xas

Thanks for posting this! Don't think I've ever seen that much of Ivan Kral's '73 footage before.

awesome , thx !

Here's what Paul Stanley wrote in his memoir about the Stooges NYC 12/31/73 gig:

When it was time for the Stooges to play, the band took the stage and started playing - without Iggy. Crew members had to carry Iggy down a flight of steps, drag him to the side of the stage, prop him up behind the curtains dangling there beside the stage, and then basically throw him onstage. Iggy could barely stand up, much less walk or jump.I suddenly realized why he did all those crazy contortions. Despite all the hype and legend, I thought the Stooges were awful.

Now it should be noted that the New York Dolls also thought in 1973 that KISS were awful. Yet a few years later one band was on the dole, the other in limousines. Now I'm not saying this proves anything only that contemporary bands are generally not very kind to each other.

But "Wet My Bed" was truly awful, while "I Got Nothin" was actually quite good. The other songs were borderline passable. But given Iggy's state of mind at this show it could have been soooo much worse. But being the consummate performer he is, he held it together somehow and gave a credible performance.

One of the lingering myths about the Stooges Academy Of Music show was that it was professionally recorded. But a number of years ago in this forum Stooges curator Robert Matheu poured cold water on this idea. He noted that the Stooges had already been dropped by Columbia Records at this time and thus would have no reason to have recorded them. Plus he also claimed to have spoken to the manager of Blue Oyster Cult (who were recorded)  who was adamant that the Stooges had not been recorded that night. Personally I'm happy with the audience recording which is fine quality and a lot better than the KISS recording of that same night.

But give Iggy credit. He rebounded nicely on the Bimbos gig a week or so later. I recently revisited the Heavy Liquid box set and was quite impressed. All the CDs are at least decent sounding and a lot of the material is previously unreleased. All in all a very good set.

Well, in my opinion Kiss were a good band in the 70s, but hearing their records now they are nowhere near the level of the New York Dolls LPs... Let alone the Stooges albums.

Although I was under the impression that Iggy - and maybe Ron - had said that this particular Academy of Music gig wasn't one of their greatest. It was released in the following two CDs:
https://www.discogs.com/Iggy-The-Stooges-Double-Danger/release/1779808
https://www.discogs.com/The-Stooges-Head-On/release/6850707

For some reason the "Head On" 2002 version seems a little bit slowed down compared to the one of "Double Danger". Or maybe the "Double Danger" one is a bit faster? Not entirely sure, but the latter surely sounds better.

Regarding the Academy show I always thought that during "Search And Destroy" it was one of the band members that started singing, presumably to cover for Iggy's ineptitude. But the video makes it clear that it was an audience member who was handed the mic. That would have never occurred to me otherwise. Interesting.

midnight frank wrote:

For some reason the "Head On" 2002 version seems a little bit slowed down compared to the one of "Double Danger". Or maybe the "Double Danger" one is a bit faster? Not entirely sure, but the latter surely sounds better.

Double Danger got it right. It is at the correct speed.