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Were all 5 nights at Earls Court Videotaped and/or Multitrack Taped?


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The Final Option releases of 5/18 5/23 by EV are IMO  the best we have now. I've been listening to both of them a lot and 5/18 never sounded better .

I would have to agree that somewhere lies Soundboards for all of the EC shows, I'm assuming the video exists too but you have to wonder what kind of shape it's in . From what I've read it's was a pretty tough and risky task to get the video used for official release.

Who knows EV may already have them. When I was putting the discs away I noticed that I have a minimum of three different EV releases for each show. They are very popular. Whenever my buddy gets a hold of any Earl's Court "Imports" (cough...boots)  they fly out of the shop.

Perhaps EV is milking it to death and then will come the 1,500.00 (retail) super deluxe box set including all the soundboards and poor quality video . Then a year later the video will improve and on and on it goes....  

 

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Of the five shows, which is considered the best performance wise? So far I only have heard In the Court of King James and the performance is very strong, are the other four nights as good? Better?

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2 hours ago, IpMan said:

Of the five shows, which is considered the best performance wise? So far I only have heard In the Court of King James and the performance is very strong, are the other four nights as good? Better?

The 23rd and 24th are considered to be the best, they certainly are the most coveted of the 5, although there are highlights to be heard in all shows. It would be a treat to have a compendium of all nights to make one show.

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I also believe that all 5 nights of Led Zeppelin at Earl's Court were pro-filmed because they used the filming of the concerts to be seen on the large screen behind the stage.  Led Zeppelin wanted everyone in the venue to be able to see the band.  Thus the use of the large video screen.  In order for that to happen, the shows had to be filmed. 

I have the 24th and the 25th shows on very good quality bootleg dvds.  I have had them for at least 10 years. 

nIXdJRpDQEs?list=PLa1mxam5uCo6gtasEMVuJ6

 

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3 hours ago, kingzoso said:

I also believe that all 5 nights of Led Zeppelin at Earl's Court were pro-filmed because they used the filming of the concerts to be seen on the large screen behind the stage.  Led Zeppelin wanted everyone in the venue to be able to see the band.  Thus the use of the large video screen.  In order for that to happen, the shows had to be filmed. 

I have the 24th and the 25th shows on very good quality bootleg dvds.  I have had them for at least 10 years. 

nIXdJRpDQEs?list=PLa1mxam5uCo6gtasEMVuJ6

 

Need to clear up the difference between 'filming' and 'live video'. 

If you say 'pro-shot' this can encompass film or video.  I know this may sound a little nit-picky, but it's very important to differentiate between film and video.

If you 'film' an event the film needs processing before it can be watched.  You can't watch 'film' live as the event happens.   If the events had been filmed, then yes there would definitely have been a permanent record of all of the concerts, but you would not have been able to view that film, in real-time, on the video screens behind the band.

Live video on the other hand does not need to be recorded to tape to be viewed on the screen.
For the concerts the feeds from a number of video cameras would have been sent to a real-time video mixer.  The guy behind the video mixer then decided, in real-time, what would be seen on the large video screen. 
I reiterate that there is no requirement, at any point, for the video seen on the screens to be recorded in any way.
The fact that the video for any of the nights was recorded at all would have been the choice of the band.  Bearing in mind that in 1975 colour video recorders were huge, very expensive, required a trained operator and were very unreliable, add that to the fact that the only circulating video is of the 24th and 25th, and also considering that all of the video from Earls Court that appears on DVD is sourced solely from the 24th & 25th I think it's fair to assume that they only taped the video feed on those two nights.

Yes - there was a video screen for all the 5 nights, but it does not follow that all the nights were actually recorded.

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As I understand it, all five nights were filmed for the sake of the overhead screen but only at least two nights (the 24th and 25th) were actually recorded.  All of the five nights were multi-tracked but the tape cut out early on the first night and Bonzo's kick drum wasn't recorded on the second night.

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14 minutes ago, The Old Hermit said:

As I understand it, all five nights were filmed for the sake of the overhead screen but only at least two nights (the 24th and 25th) were actually recorded.  All of the five nights were multi-tracked but the tape cut out early on the first night and Bonzo's kick drum wasn't recorded on the second night.

Not doubting you for a second, but do we have any first hand evidence for this from, say, either Page or Shirley? I've read it here before, but I don't know where that comes from. If it's from an interview I'd love to read it.

The one that bothers me is 23rd. We know the multitrack exists (see Garden Tapes), but almost none of it got used on the DVD. The obvious answer is that for some reason there's no recorded video before 24th. So an audio-only EC release could make heavy use of 23rd, probably the best night.

Whether there's multitrack audio of 17th/18th I think is an open question. None was used on DVD. Those gigs were added later, and they may not have had the arrangements in hand to record them.

But it's all kinda guesswork, hopefully of the informed variety. It's like Bath/Reykjavik 70 or Japan 71. Frustrating... we can infer their existence, but there's no proof that anything viably exists at this point in time.

 

 

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6 hours ago, kingzoso said:

I also believe that all 5 nights of Led Zeppelin at Earl's Court were pro-filmed because they used the filming of the concerts to be seen on the large screen behind the stage.  Led Zeppelin wanted everyone in the venue to be able to see the band.  Thus the use of the large video screen.  In order for that to happen, the shows had to be filmed. 

I have the 24th and the 25th shows on very good quality bootleg dvds.  I have had them for at least 10 years. 

nIXdJRpDQEs?list=PLa1mxam5uCo6gtasEMVuJ6

 

Faaaaaarq. I am only up to TSRTS. Already - once again - blown away that the raw - but top quality audio/video is so amazing.

This to me reinforces - there MUST be an Earls Court release in the future. How far away - who knows. I just hope to God/Alluh/Bhuda/Zeus/Ra that I am around to buy and enjoy it.

It's just so freakin amazing what this band did........

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Wasn't it the 23rd where Bonham's drums weren't recorded properly?  Actually just listened to this show today, it's an underrated performance, although overall the EC shows are not as good as the West Coast North American shows from that year.

 

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2 hours ago, JohnOsbourne said:

Wasn't it the 23rd where Bonham's drums weren't recorded properly?  Actually just listened to this show today, it's an underrated performance, although overall the EC shows are not as good as the West Coast North American shows from that year.

 

TBH I have never hears any of the west coast gigs from the 75' tour, I always wanted to, especially the famed gigs of 3-12 & 3-21. Though if they are better performances than the 24th EC show, they would be amazing shows indeed because I have watched ITCOKJ several times and that performance is a damn monster. The playing is so damn good with the only weak point being Roberts voice on occasion.

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I will vouch as well for the balance of the West Coast gigs outdoing the EC shows. There is great stuff from the EC shows,

but the 3/12 and 3/21 shows(US) just have a furious power and intensity almost thruout. Whereas the EC gigs are

still worthwhile , but mainly a bit erratic in consistency. Don't misunderstand, many great moments.abound.

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Just a question for everyone and anyone; would you actually want  an Earl's Court official live release if Jimmy Page was seriously considering one, or do you think that HTWWW  should be the last word in Zeppelin live albums, recorded as it was when they were still an unstoppable force of nature and before the drugs and darkness started taking their toll?

I've made no secret here that I would kill for an EC live album, but at the same time, another part of me thinks that it's entirely appropriate that the definitive Zeppelin live release was recorded on the tour for what is arguably their masterpiece - namely IV  - but again, another part of me argues that Physical Graffiti  was also they're other masterpiece and that album and it's tour was in many ways the last rays of the golden age, before the dark times made their entrance, and thus it's entirely appropriate for the rightly iconic and justifiably legendary EC shows from that tour to get an official release rather than be gathering dust (so to speak) in the archives, unheard and unused for the most part... the only problem with them, seeing as they've already been digitized and transferred to 24/96 files back in 2002, is fixing Robert Plant's occasional vocal problems, and that wouldn't be so difficult with today's technology.

I'm very much on the side of an official EC live release - it would make a nice live trilogy alongside the aforementioned HTWWW  and TSRTS  (both versions) if nothing else - but I would be interested to hear the pros and cons of such a release from others...

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6 hours ago, The Old Hermit said:

Just a question for everyone and anyone; would you actually want  an Earl's Court official live release if Jimmy Page was seriously considering one, or do you think that HTWWW  should be the last word in Zeppelin live albums, recorded as it was when they were still an unstoppable force of nature and before the drugs and darkness started taking their toll?

I've made no secret here that I would kill for an EC live album, but at the same time, another part of me thinks that it's entirely appropriate that the definitive Zeppelin live release was recorded on the tour for what is arguably their masterpiece - namely IV  - but again, another part of me argues that Physical Graffiti  was also they're other masterpiece and that album and it's tour was in many ways the last rays of the golden age, before the dark times made their entrance, and thus it's entirely appropriate for the rightly iconic and justifiably legendary EC shows from that tour to get an official release rather than be gathering dust (so to speak) in the archives, unheard and unused for the most part... the only problem with them, seeing as they've already been digitized and transferred to 24/96 files back in 2002, is fixing Robert Plant's occasional vocal problems, and that wouldn't be so difficult with today's technology.

I'm very much on the side of an official EC live release - it would make a nice live trilogy alongside the aforementioned HTWWW  and TSRTS  (both versions) if nothing else - but I would be interested to hear the pros and cons of such a release from others...

Biggest pro - Jimmy would mix it to get the best from all available nights and produced a polished release

Biggest con - Jimmy would mix it to get the best from all available nights and produced a polished release

That's a bit cheeky, I'll leave it to others to properly comment. I'd just damn LOVE it.

I'd want a box set with all the Earls courts gigs as they stood. DVD Blu-Ray where there was footage, and CD's for the nights without footage. But that's not how Jimmy rolls.

But you just never know. Even if Jimmy was to do something new / inspired and release a single DVD and then accompany it with high quality digital "source" files (ALL the Earls Court raw footage/audio) on ledzeppelin.com for the fans for free. Something that would get attention as something new in how great bands release past material and reward fans. THAT my friends, would be awesomesauce.

Having said that, I would be in the shops on the day of release throwing my money at some hapless store employee like a mad man no matter what gets released in the future. Just like I always do.

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I think the most we can hope for is a three-disc live CD set a la HTWWW... which is fine by me if it happened;  I think it's fair to say the old video reels of EC are as about as used as they're ever going to be, but with all five nights multi-tracked, there's an absolutely dynamite live album in the making there, once they 'fix' Percy's flu-recovering vocal problems in the mix, the rest of the band were on fire those five glorious nights and would more than justify an official live release.

If only they had the Rolling Stone Mobile parked outside the L.A. Forum for the June '77 shows, we could have had the greatest live Zeppelin album imaginable, but I'll take Earl's Court '75 as a consolation... and then Jimmy can mosey off into the sunset, job (more than) well done.

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People  get down on Jimmy for doing a live album exactly how every other producer does a live album. Of course they are gonna take out flubs, enhance the mix for the best possible sound, splice a bit here and there and even mix dates to sound like one show. There is not enough room for me to post all of the live albums produced in such a way so I don't understand why there is issue when Jimmy does it. Take Journey Captured. That is one serious Frankenstein monster of an album if there ever was one, Wheel In the Sky alone is spliced from three different nights and Journey have always been a very technically prefect band live yet even they do this. This is also why Geddy Lee prefers All The Worlds A Stage to Exit...Stage Left because their first live release is warmer and more honest vs. the cold, modified Exit release.

I would love if Jimmy put a compilation of the best of Earls Court, made to sound as good as possible because the fact is, if you were there live, it always sounds better than a recording does. In the audience, due to ambient sound, most guitar mistakes go un-noticed unless they are playing acoustic or clean with no overdrive. The fact is, even the less than stellar Zep shows from 77 - 80 most likely sounded flawless and killer in a live setting compared to the honesty of a soundboard boot.

So, in the spirit of a "true" live experience, make that shit pretty, clean up Plant's vocals, use the best versions of songs from the best nights and release baby release the ultimate live Earls Court experience. I would go so far as to use Millards recordings of the 77' Forum run and do the same thing and release a best of. Those were great recordings and with the technology we have today could easily sound as good as an official release.

 

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IPMan, I get and agree with points you make about a live release. I still would love the plantations in there and the song order maintained. The imperfections cleaned up - no probs, like you say, that's how it's done. As long as it's not over done. (No Quarter on first TSRTS release with the adjustments to Plant's notes, so obvious, so out of place).

And I reckon if it was done, an accompanying set of raw files from the entire EC set as a bonus would be incredible. A kind of.. Here's Earl's Court Live as a release, and here is the underpinning performances raw, as they were, for the fans to enjoy. Official release like that would be a MONSTER.

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^ Oh yes, I agree, Plantations must stay in. Don't know why Page likes to edit those out, it's not like Springsteen where the between song banter is 30 minutes. Good points and good ideas you made.

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Yeah m2551 that is a great answer, have the sanitized version(s), then the accompanying "raw files". However Jimmy

and even other members of the band always prattled on how they're live without a net, so saying they are just like

the Eagles or Journey, well then Jimmy is contradicting himself. As good as HTWWW is, I can't listen to it because if

you go to the boots for those shows, Jimmy has actually dubbed in 2nd guitars and solo parts for the release. And

Jimmy knows at this point that his live playing was sometimes erratic, and fans know it , this is not 1980 when Jimmy

was an immortal rock god without flaw. This whole thing is so stupid, We all still love Jimmy, and there is great playing

in the EC shows.. Just put the stuff out, no one is judging Jimmy the way he may think.

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On 22/05/2016 at 8:07 AM, rm2551 said:

IPMan, I get and agree with points you make about a live release. I still would love the plantations in there and the song order maintained. The imperfections cleaned up - no probs, like you say, that's how it's done. As long as it's not over done. (No Quarter on first TSRTS release with the adjustments to Plant's notes, so obvious, so out of place).

And I reckon if it was done, an accompanying set of raw files from the entire EC set as a bonus would be incredible. A kind of.. Here's Earl's Court Live as a release, and here is the underpinning performances raw, as they were, for the fans to enjoy. Official release like that would be a MONSTER.

I'd love them to do that for TSRTS too... put out all three nights in full as a companion piece.

Much as a decent Earls Court audio release would be really great to have, I don't see it happening any time soon unfortunately.

 

 

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As painful as this may be for us to accept, I don't think there is sufficient demand for another Zep live release.  Yes, the die-hard Zepheads would buy it, but as a commercial venture, it would most likely not be worth the work and production costs involved.

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