VARIOUS ARTISTS - VARIOUS ARTISTS - British Rock At The BBC 1967-1973 (2LP) - UK Maida Vale / Verne LIMITED Press - LISTEN - VERY RARE
price: 170,00 PLN / 42,50 EUR
Each of the four thematic parts of 'At The BBC' contains 120 minutes of what I consider superb material recorded live by the individual artists (with only very few overdubs) during several-hour sessions at the Maida Vale studios in London. The BBC employed the best British sound engineers, and as a result almost every band recording there sounded sensational - often better and more dynamic than on their records! Besides, many of them played tracks never released on vinyl or sometimes very surprising covers of other artists' recordings. The sound quality is fantastic - simply perfect! Only in a dozen or so cases (out of nearly 130 recordings) were fragments of slightly poorer, but definitely acceptable, quality used. Note! Almost all the recordings have never before appeared on vinyl, and only a few appeared on CDs, and generally with much poorer sound quality! The vast majority of the tracks came from very rare promotional records intended for foreign radio stations. The tracks on them were enriched with short, emotional introductions by the brilliant DJ Brian Matthew, who genuinely added a special flavour to these recordings! I am a great fan of his! In my opinion the stunning gatefold sleeves, with wonderful late 70s designs by Rodney Matthews, contain every detail about the individual recordings: exact recording dates, apt photographs and the line-ups of all the bands, and even short, one-sentence and really spot-on comments assigned to each track. Believe me - you cannot tear yourself away from these records! Please do not suggest to yourself that they are 'some compilations' or products of inferior quality! Hardly anyone will believe me, but as a great fan (and collector) of recordings from the BBC archives, hand on heart I consider these 4 titles (and especially "Psychedelic Rock" and "British Rock") the best vinyl reissues of the last 10 or 15 years! AN ABSOLUTE MUST!!! NEW, SEALED. .......................................
The English text below I received from the publisher. It may be hard to read, but with some concentration it is genuinely very helpful! I especially recommend the short comments! ........................
Limited to 500 copies, double black vinyl edition released in beautiful cover with cool pictures and line ups of ALL bands inside the gatefold.
This splendid, 120 minute/34 tracks collection (a real labour of love) not only offers an exeptional and often superior renditions of a tracks familiar through the band's original vinyl output, but also a plenty of cracking performances that they never recorded outside the BBC Maida Vale studios.
During the 60s and early 70s the BBC was committed to air a substantial amount of live music within its radio broadcasting and as a result, hundreds of popular or less-known British artists were employed to fill that standards. BBC Transcription Service used some of these sessions for promotional-only albums pressed on a weekly basis (supposedly in a quantity of 100 copies) and destined for radio stations all over the world. It was a vinyl LP with yellow-green record labels, housed in a rather plain, yellow sleeve and filled with paper sheets with song titles, time durations and a running order for the show. Most of the tracks included on this release came from long-running 'Top Of The Pops' compilation series (unconnected to the popular TV show) and short-lived 'Pick Up The Pops For Your D.J.’ LP releases, which took radio performances mostly from the prime pop shows of the time like 'Top Gear', 'Saturday Club', 'Sounds Of The Seveties', that aired live and specifically recorded music. All tracks were also adorned with a fresh commentary from (now legendary) DJ Brian Matthew.
Aside from BBC promotional discs, in a very few, fully justified cases an unique, home taped, off-air recordings (expertly remastered and restored and marked below as *) were used. The inner gatefold features a band photos and specific line ups.
ALMOST ALL TRACKS PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED ON VINYL!....
SIDE 1: (29:38)
1. Eric Burdon & The Animals - Monterey 4.15
(Burdon/Briggs/Weider/McCulloch/Jenkins) Recorded on 20th December 1967.
Perfectly produced, very dynamic version of a classic single by the "new" Animals.
2. Jeff Beck - (I Know) I'm Losing You 2.15
(Grant/Holland/Whitfield) Recorded on 7th March 1967.
An unique radio broadcast of very heavy remake of classic The Temptations song.
3. Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich - Hold Tight 2.50
(Howard/Blaikley) Recorded on 16th May 1967.
Fantastic radio performance with a lot of heavy fuzz guitar! Better than a 7" single!
4. Procol Harum - Morning Dew 3.19
(Dobson/Rose) Recorded on 14th June 1967.
An exclusive, great R'n'B version of a Tim Rose song done by an original line up.
5. Jeff Beck - Tallyman 2.52
(Gouldman) Recorded on 4th July 1967.
Rare radio version of hard rock/pop single sung by Beck himself. Great guitar work!
6. Traffic - Paper Sun 3.04
(Winwood/Capaldi/Mason/Wood) Recorded on 27th September 1967.
Unique BBC version of a great psychedelic debut single by Stevie Winwood & Co.
7. Eric Burdon & The Animals - Connection 2.25
(Jagger/Richards) Recorded on 30th January 1967.
The Rolling Stones cover. An exclusive performance never released on vinyl record.
8. Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger & The Trinity - This Wheel's On Fire 3.31
(Dylan) Recorded on 8th April 1968.
Rare version with a new arrangement - with Hammond organ in a place of mellotron.
9. The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown - Fire 2.27
(Brown/Crane) Recorded on 8th April 1968.
Unreleased, rare radio version (with brass) of that haunted, psychedelic masterpiece.
10. Simon Dupree & The Big Sound - Beg, Borrow Or Steal 2.54
(McNally/Chesterton) Recorded on 16th October 1968.
A kind of heavy boogie rock with good guitars. In 1970 they turned into Gentle Giant.
SIDE 2: (29:09)
1. Joe Cocker & The Grease Band - Can't Be So Bad 4.12
(Miller) Recorded on 4th October 1968.
Crazed-out heavy boogie. Truly fantastic, devastating version of Moby Grape classic.
2. Love Sculpture - Sabre Dance 4.05
(Khachaturian) Recorded on 16th November 1968.
Completely unknown, 2nd BBC version with additional piano. Heavier than on 7-inch!
3. Strawbs - The Battle 6.08
(Cousins) Recorded on 10th December 1968.
An early, spirited and truly wonderful version of an epic tale. Rick Wakeman on organ!
4. Ten Years After - Crossroads 2.18
(Johnson) Recorded on 13th December 1968.
Rare session with rather conservative performance of Robert Johnson's blues classic.
5. Love Sculpture - Farandole 3.52
(Bizet) Recorded on 28th January 1969.
Another superb rendition of a classical work. Some says it's better than 'Sabre Dance'!
6. Status Quo - The Price Of Love 2.56
(D. & P. Everly) Recorded on 31st March 1969.
The Everly Brothers cover. It was a band's true, killer first step into heavy rock territory.
7. Elton John - Lady Samantha 3.05
(John/Taupin) Recorded on 7th July 1969.
One of the earliest and best Elton's songs performed here with a help from Hookfoot band.
8. Trapeze - Another Day 2.32
(Galley/Hughes/Jones) Recorded on 30th December 1969.
Much improved radio version (with mellotron) of 'Beatles-inspired' song from their 1st LP.
SIDE 3: (29:47)
1. 'Top Of The Pops' Trailer From July 1969 0.55
A funny piece with DJ Brian Matthew recorded by the BBC just after moon landing.
2. Humble Pie - Desperation 4.19
(Kay) Recorded on 17th August 1969.
Steppenwolf cover. A superb, early heavy rock track which opened the band's 1st album.
3. Fairport Convention - Sir Patrick Spens 3.44
(Traditional) Recorded on 23rd September 1969.
An unique BBC version of beautiful English traditional song with Sandy Denny on vocal.
4. Juicy Lucy - Who Do You Love 3.43
(McDaniel) Recorded on 29th December 1969.
Bo Diddley cover. Fast, driving and heavy radio version with incredible steel guitar parts.
5. Honeybus - Story 3.19
(Cane) Recorded on 18th February 1970.
Radio version of beautiful, McCartney-like ballad which opened the band's only album.
6. Sweet - The Juicer 2.52
(Stewart) Recorded on 11th February 1970.
A superb driving hard rock track. Originally a single B-side but this one is much better.
7. Faces - Flying 4.07
(Stewart/Wood/Lane) Recorded on 10th March 1970.
Nicely produced, unique BBC performance of beautiful song from the band's debut LP.
8. Mott The Hoople - Thunderbuck Ram 3.41
(Ralphs) Recorded on 3rd February 1970.
Unique radio version of probably the best and heaviest song that band ever recorded!
9. Taste - Morning Sun 3.11
(Gallagher) Recorded on 2nd July 1970.
Unreleased radio broadcast - much heavier than studio version on their 2nd LP.
SIDE 4: (29:20)
1. C.C.S. - Whole Lotta Love 3.14
(Page/Plant/Jones/Bonham) Recorded on 19th October 1970.
Led Zeppelin cover. Fantastic heavy-rock-jazz instrumental with flute and brass parts.
2. Sweet - Paperback Writer 2.18
(Lennon/McCartney) Recorded on 16th February 1971.
Very dynamic and well executed radio version of The Beatles' psychedelic classic.
3. Humble Pie - Four Day Creep 3.17
(Cox) Recorded on 1st March 1971.
Unique, radio version of excellent heavy rock killer never released on a studio album.
4. Slade - Move Over 3.40
(Joplin) Recorded on 9th May 1972.
A superb hard rock cover of the Janis Joplin song - even heavier than on 'Slayed' LP.
5. Babe Ruth - King Kong 7.23
(Zappa) Recorded on 3rd January 1973.
The Mothers Of Invention cover. A forceful version of the classic Zappa instrumental.
6. Manfred Mann's Earth Band - Bubble Gum And Kipling 4.19
(Mann/Rogers) Recorded on 3rd April 1973.
Completely unknown, hard progressive track which was never released on a band's LP!
7. Thin Lizzy - The Rocker 5.10
(Lynott/Downey/Bell) Recorded on 29th August 1973.
What a suitable title! Most probably the heaviest track this great band ever recorded!
