Article on Unreleased Audio/Video

Really good read on some current whereabouts of known and unknown unreleased material. Specifically at the very end where Ben Blackwell of Third Man Records allegedly has a full Dave Alexander era set from soundboard tapes that he says is easily the best sounding original Stooges live set available. Stoked to hear if it ever happens

https://longreads.com/2019/04/29/the-enduring-myth-of-a-lost-live-iggy-and-the-stooges-album/

stinkynimrod wrote:

Really good read on some current whereabouts of known and unknown unreleased material. Specifically at the very end where Ben Blackwell of Third Man Records allegedly has a full Dave Alexander era set from soundboard tapes that he says is easily the best sounding original Stooges live set available. Stoked to hear if it ever happens

https://longreads.com/2019/04/29/the-enduring-myth-of-a-lost-live-iggy-and-the-stooges-album/

That's actually a really good article.

Of course, when we are discussing 'unreleased' Stooges material there are always questions to be asked. Even former band members often don't remember all the details, as is proven in the article. James Williamson is sure that the instrumental on the 'Etiqueta Negra de Lugo' bootleg was not recorded at the Raw Power sessions. Sorry, but he is certainly wrong about this. The overall sound on this track is identical to established Raw Power tracks, and why else would it turn up among several other confirmed tracks from that album? James also states that CBS recorded the Stooges in rehearsal. I don't believe this either. Some of the 'CBS Rehearsals' have been released officially (for example on the Heavy Liquid box set) and they were clearly recorded by the band. The idea of a record company spending money to record a band in rehearsal sounds unlikely in itself, but even if CBS had recorded this stuff, we would have to assume they would have had the necessary equipment to produce a far higher-quality sound than what has been released.

So, apart from the recently announced live recording with Dave Alexander (assuming it really does exist) what do we know for certain is still out there? Well, Michael Tipton has stated that he has an audience recording of the Michigan Palace '74 gig with additional material. There is certainly a better version of the often-released Whiskey show from 1973 hiding somewhere. I know this because a bootleg single of 'Open Up And Bleed' from that show has clearly been taken from an upgraded master tape. There are the 'Embassy Reels' mixes of Search & Destroy and Gimme Danger (which have not had an official release since the first pressing of Raw Power in 1972).

Everything else is just hearsay or possibilities. It is possible that James still has a few forgotten cassettes somewhere (Iggy once told Bomp Magazine that the Stooges "recorded our shows from time to time"). It is possible that Bomp Records still has the odd tape that remains uncatalogued (James sold a number of such tapes to Bomp, many of which were unlabelled).

Unfortunately, I think the only way to make sure more tapes are unearthed is for someone to offer serious money. The thought of a large wad of cash will normally be enough incentive for people to rummage around in attics, cupboards, garages and storage boxes for that elusive tape that they can just about remember! Perhaps there should be a crowdfunding campaign for such a search!

Think in the mid seventees James sold all his tapes to Bomp.They must have unreleased stuff. So Bomp, go for it !!

What was the Velvets reel to reel that he also found?

I wonder how early it could have been? If he started A&R work in '68 could the tape be Cale era?