Jump to content

led zepplin master tape paris theatre 1971


queen fan

Recommended Posts

Hello everybody,i have amongst a recent queen auction collection i purchased a reel to reel tape(agfa magnetonband)which has been decribed as follows;

Led Zeppelin bbc master tape,john peel paris theatre 1971 66 minutes.Could anyone shed any light on it for me please,is it likely to be a home made recording onto a reel to reel back in the day as the only similar queen item i have was a tape sourced from a person who had actually worked at the bbc with queen,thank you any help is appreciated.martin.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Martin.

What a curious discovery. From your brief description it sounds like the same concert as featured on Zep's BBC Sessions 2CD release from 1997. I'd be very surprised if it was the actual master tape - more likely a copy of a master.

I suggest that you take a photo/scan of the reel and upload it here so that others can better assist you in identifying the reel.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hmmm my BBC Sessions 1971 is 78 Minutes long..

If my memory serves me correct which it MAY not but one of the Sessions shows took two takes, it was either that or the Supershow. If anyone could help me?

If im correct here you've stumbled upon something extremely rare.

Hello

Some pictures of the reel,inside it has the following:

Reel 1 time 66 mins sunday 4th april 1971 presented by john peel 15 lps?? or 15 ips or 15 1ps....not sure what the first letter is or what this means.

3 tracks are wriiten in the inside of the box:

1)immigrant song (missing from stereo version)

2)dazed and confused

3)stairway to heaven

Thank you for the help so far!

Martin.

*I have contacted the auction house and they have confirmed that it was sold by the vendor as a genuine master or it could not have been listed for sale as such,the one thing that i thought would be that there would be some kind of bbc logo like a transcription disc? Also told that it is 15 ips which is a professional analog tape for high resolution quality...

thanks again..

post-16299-0-96839400-1295005803_thumb.j

post-16299-0-77041400-1295005903_thumb.j

post-16299-0-18893400-1295006887_thumb.j

Link to comment
Share on other sites

March 25, 1971:

This initial date for the BBC Radio 1 'In Concert' broadcast was postponed on the day to give Robert's vocal cords a much-needed break from performing

April 1, 1971:

Paris Cinema, London

Rehearsal at 3pm, recording 9-10:45pm, performance for BBC Radio 1 'In Concert' broadcast on April 4th at 7pm and (possibly) again on April 7th 1971.

Setlist:

1. Immigrant Song

2. Heartbreaker

3. Since I've Been Loving You

4. Out On the Tiles / Black Dog

5. Dazed and Confused

6. Stairway to Heaven

7. Going to California

8. That's the Way

9. What Is and What Should Never Be

10. Whole Lotta Love

11. Thank You

12. Communication Breakdown

April 2, 1971:

Paris Cinema, London

Jimmy & Robert returned to supervise the editing of last night's performance into the one-hour format

May 11, 1971:

Kensington House - BBC Transcription Studios, Shepherds Bush

Jimmy oversaw the mono two-track to stereo mixing of their April 1st 'In Concert' performance

Documents found a few years ago revealed how Jimmy stepped in after Led Zeppelin and the BBC fell out over the sound quality. The day after the broadcast, Led Zeppelin withdrew their approval. They wrote to demand that the recording not be made available to the rest of the world. Jimmy eventually ended up remixing the recording. A BBC memo shows the group felt "this will be better technically both for the BBC and for us and it will cost the same amount of money".

Bootleg release reviews:

01-April-71 London

BBC In Concert (Forever Standard Series FSS99-005)

Disc 1: Intro, Immigrant Song, Heartbreaker, Since I've Been Loving You, Black Dog, Dazed & Confused, Stairway To Heaven

Disc 2: Going To California, That's The Way, What Is And What Should Never Be, Whole Lotta Love, Thank You, Communication Breakdown

When Boot Poisoning, the leading Japanese bootleg magazine, listed the top ten releases in 1999, this title was named number one. This title on a budget label beat out such titles as Divinity, Bonzo's Birthday Present, and Final Cut. And also, very curiously, it sold out quite quickly, making it difficult to obtain a copy. It has been said this is the definitive version of the April 1, 1971 In Concert appearance. The previous definitive releases, like BBC Zep on Antrabata (and its European clone Return to Paris Theater) were very good. The big drawback was, since they were from the pre-broadcast master, the stereo separation was very poor (the guitar in the right ear, the vocals in the left). This title on Forever Standard utilizes the tape used previously on Cobla's Stairway To Heaven, which has the stereo more centered. They further used some of the chat between songs, the intro, and the out of tune beginning of What Is., from the previous source giving the most complete and best sounding version of this show. Further, the "cut" in the Whole Lotta Love medley sounds much better. I'm not so sure it is a cut, simply the case of an anxious engineer turning up the applause making the effect sound very jarring. We can hear similar instances of anxious engineers in the beginning You Shook Me on the June 27, 1969 session and on the tape of Elvis Presley's debut on the Louisiana Hayride broadcast from October 16, 1954. The packaging is a double slimline jewel case using photos from the same 1969 BBC session used on the official release. (Gerard Sparaco Jan 02)

BBC Sessions (Last Stand Disc) 5CD 6/27/69 and 2 sources of 4/1/71

Sound Quality 9-10/10; Appeal 4/5

As everybody by now knows, this set features the Rock Hour show from 69 as well as two different versions of the Paris Theatre show from 71 (labelled new remix master and old original master). Mr Susumu Omi has posted in great detail previously about both the 69 and 71 show, so I'll concentrate here only on how this new LSD release compares to previous releases in terms of sound quality and completeness. The new remix master has previously only been out on Cobla's Stairway To Heaven, and both releases definitely used the 96 Japan FM broadcast as their source (albeit with the running order modified correctly). In terms of completeness, the LSD release is virtually identical to the Cobla release with the same number of cuts, etc. but it is not simply a knock-off of that title. In terms of sound quality, the LSD version is superior and even sounds better than my DAT clone of the aforementioned broadcast! Whoever was responsible for mastering this release really did an excellent job. The bottom end is superb (the bass on Cobla's release sound quite thin in comparison) without any compromise in the upper frequencies or overall sound quality Bonham's drums sound great (the high-hat and symbols are crystal clear as is Pages guitar). The mastering on the whole has an excellent ambient feel, clarity and warmth to it, possibly lending some credence to LSDs claim of 24-bit mastering. For most people this difference would probably be only minor, but if you have a decent ear I think you'll be surprised by the difference in sound quality between the LSD and Cobla release. The same can be said for a number of LSD releases where for a given title their releases sound punchier, smoother and more refined on the whole notable examples include the excellent 4CD set Live On Blueberry Hill, Cosmic Crazy, Live In Japan to name a few. Among previously released titles of the old original master source, BBC ZEPP from Antrabata is the best in terms of completeness and sound quality. The LSD release is similar in terms of completeness (ie. same cut) but again in terms of sound quality it is better with overall better clarity and definition as noted above. Of course the stereo spectrum of the old master can be a little harsh on the ears and most would prefer the new remix master version for this reason. Nonetheless, both sources earn definitive status and are probably as good as they will ever get sound quality wise. The only disappointment is the 69 show which does not seem to have benefited from LSDs unique mastering. Its not that it sounds any worse than previous releases, its just that it doesn't sound noticeably better than the best version which is Antrabata's Rock Hour. Strangely enough, the LSD version has a cut during White Summer and a minor tape problem during Dazed and Confused, as does Antrabata's, which shouldn't be there! (damn it!). So the best way to pick up the 69 show complete with all the songs, interludes, sketches, etc. and excellent sound quality is the title BBC 1969 (label unknown but advertised as no cut in White Summer, this also sports nice packaging). If it had not been for this problem, the entire package would have earned definitive status. (Lord Byron July 1999)

BBC Sessions (Last Stand Disc, 5CD)

Disk 1 - see BBC Playhouse June 69.

Disc 2 (51:17) & 3 (50:44): BBC "In Concert" 1.4.1971 - New Remix Master

Introduction (0:40), Immigrant Song (3:12), Heartbreaker (5:29), Since I've Been Loving You (7:36), Black Dog (5:33), Dazed and Confused (19:15), Stairway to Heaven (9:32), Going to California (5:14), That's the Way (6:27), What Is and what Should Never Be (5:08), Whole Lotta Love medley (21:13), Thank You (6:43), Communication Breakdown (5:59)

This "new remix master" is obviously sourced from the recent, almost complete radio broadcasts. The mix and edits are the same as on the Finnish FM broadcast I recorded off the air back in 1994. The same source was used for the better known Japanese broadcast in 1995 or 1996 and it has been previously released by Cobla label on "Stairway to Heaven" 2CD. On the broadcast, the running order was messed by moving Thank You and Communication Breakdown within the main set. The correct running order is restored on this release. There is, however, an edit in Whole Lotta Love medley on this source: the second verse of Honey Bee is completely removed. Some chatting by John Peel and Robert Plant has also been omitted. The sound quality of this source is excellent of course and personally I prefer this mix over the old one (see below).

Disc 4 (52:50) & 5 (53:26): BBC "In Concert" 1.4.1971 - Old Original Master

Introduction (0:36), Immigrant Song (3:44), Heartbreaker (5:24), Since I've Been Loving You (7:41), Black Dog (5:29), Dazed and Confused (18:51), Stairway to Heaven (11:05), Going to California (5:39), That's the Way (7:19), What Is and what Should Never Be (5:23), Whole Lotta Love medley (21:29), Thank You (7:27), Communication Breakdown (6:09)

As it says, the source for the version on discs 4 and 5 is the well-known "old original master" that has been around for a while and has been previously released as "BBC Zep" by Antrabata label in 1994. So far this has been regarded as the most complete version of this show even though there is a small cut in Whole Lotta Love medley again. The cut, however, is very slight, just about two seconds of applauses between Mess o' Blues and Honey Bee. I compared "BBC Sessions" to "Return to Paris Theatre 1971" (which is straight copy of Antrabata's release) and they were identical what comes to the sound quality and the cut in Whole Lotta Love medley. The sound quality itself is excellent, but the some listeners probably find the mix a bit annoying as it places vocals completely on left channel and guitar on the right.

General Comments: The CD's are hosted by a double-size jewel case. The cover is a clever imitation of the official "BBC Sessions" album. The only complain about the package is that the cover reproduces the old error concerning the date of the '71 session and claims it being from March 25th. I ordered this set assuming this would be the ultimate release of BBC material and I was a bit disappointed when I discovered that it did not contain any '69 BBC session material except "Sunshine Woman". The inclusion of "White Summer / Black Mountain Side" from Julie Felix show is a nice touch, but if the damn thing is titled "BBC Sessions", the lack of proper session material is, in my opinion, inexcusable. Of course better part of those sessions are now officially available, but still they could have include one more disc to the set and make it the definitive BBC presentation. Now it can be considered only as a definitive version of the 1969 and 1971 "In Concert" material. This raises again the question when will the bootleggers do it right - more so as this is already the second try with this material by Last Stand (they have released previously a 4CD version that included also three BBC '69 sessions but only one version of the Paris Theatre 1971 show). (Risto 'Rise' Pohjonen

Stairway to Heaven (2CD, Cobra Standard Series 014), 1/4/71, BBC, SBD

Obviously, this one is from recent Japan FM broadcast. I could recognize it from the mix and the edit. Sound quality is quite excellent. I don't own all of the boots from this show, but I guess this one is one of the best in terms of the sound quality. As I have already introduced the details of the FM broadcast, I don't think I have to make comment on this newly released CD. But for those who missed it, I revised my previous review and would like to introduce as follows:

Antrabata released most complete version of this show with best sound quality on "BBC Zep"(2CD) in 1994. So I'd like to compare the Japan FM version in question with this bootleg.

1. "BBC Zep" is the most complete bootleg of the show, but unfortunately, there is a cut between Mess 'o Blues and Honey Bee during the Whole Lotta Love medley. On the FM broadcast, though this portion contains no cut/drop out, this time, the 2nd verse of Honey Bee is completely edited out and the 1st verse was bridged to Guitar solo.

2. On "BBC Zep", just like the early stereo LPs of the Beatles, vocal is settled on the left channel, while the guitar on the right. On the FM broadcast version, it's stereo of course but, both the vocal and the guitar are centered.

3. On "BBC Zep", rare portions of the show, such as Bach's Bouree during Jimmy's solo on Heartbreaker and the out-of-tune beginning of What Is And What Should Never Be is available, and these portions are also aired on the FM. 4. On "BBC Zep", before they start Immigrant Song, Robert apologize to the audience for the postponement of the recording, caused by the trouble of his voice. However, this portion was omitted on the FM. The portion just before Dazed, where Jimmy's tuning his guitar, is also omitted. (thanks for the info, Mr. Asaga!)

5. On the FM, I don't know why but, Thank You and Communication Breakdown were inserted between Black Dog and Dazed, while original order is maintained on "BBC Zep" . On this newly released CD "Stairway---", these 2 songs are re-ordered to the original.

6. Robert chatted with John Peel just before Stairway on "BBC Zep", while this portion is just before Whole Lotta Love on the FM. I wonder which is the original... (Susumu Omi, Nov 96)

Return to Paris Theatre 1971 (2CD, no numbers on discs nor cover), BBC, 1/4/71

Seems to be a straight knock off of "BBC ZEP" (ARM25371). Timing program is the same. Sound quality is also almost the same. "BBC ZEP" is told to be the most complete (but still contains one cut in WLL medley) and most excellent in sound quality, so this one is also recommendable. But I don't know why, but one surprising thing about this newly released one is that sound quality of Communication Breakdown is almost equal to the rest of the part, while on "BBC ZEP", is it slightly but inferior to the rest. So even though it is the knock- off, Scorpio made effort to EQ the inferior portion of the original, I guess. One interesting thing is the message from the bootlegger on the back cover of "BBC ZEP" is also printed on the inlay card of "Return to---". In that massage, bootlegger proudly said, "Now twenty three years later this release is the 'Final Statement'" ("BBC ZEP" was released in 1994). Scorpio should have rewrite this portion as "twenty FIVE"... (Susumu Omi, July 96)>

BBC ZEP (Genuine Masters GM-LZ-01.04.1971-DVD-A-17) Hybrid DVD-A BBC Sessions, Paris Cinema, Lower Regent Street, London, 1 April 1971 Disc Time: 107:53 Stereo Soundboard. Pre-Broadcast. Tracks: 1. John Peel Band Intro 2. Immigrant Song 3. Heartbreaker 4. Since I've Been Loving You 5. Black Dog 6. Dazed And Confused 7. Stairway To Heaven 8. Going To California 9. That's The Way 10. What Is And What Should Never Be 11. Whole Lotta Love medley: Boogie Woogie/Bottle Up And Go/Truckin' Little Mama/Fixin' To Die/That's Alright/For What It's Worth/Mess O'Blues/Honey Bee/TheLemon Song 12. Thank You 13. Comunication Breakdown

There have been probably more releases of the BBC 1969 and 1971 broadcasts than any other shows of Led Zeppelin. It is easy to see why, as the sound quality has always been excellent. The broadcast for the 1 April 1971 Paris Theatre concert has been put out numerous times with differing results regarding sound quality and completeness. And of course the official 2 CD BBC Sessions from Atlantic gave us virtually all the concert. However there were gaps and cuts, notably in the Whole Lotta Love Medley. What Genuine Masters has done is to assemble the complete concert and release it in really excellent sound quality. There is a really great sound range, from sharp and crisp high end notes, to the low end sounds, although this low end is not over-emphasized. And of course it was introduced by the late, great, John Peel. Pundits have over the years slightly dismissed the playing on this show, but there is nothing wrong at all with it, and to have a complete early 1971 concert in perfect soundboard quality is a great addition to the Live repertoire. This is therefore a very welcome addition and well worth seeking out. (Jules McTrainspotter Nov 05)

BBC ZEP Hybrid DVD-Audio.Genuine Masters GM-LZ-01.04.1971-DVD-A-17

SOURCE: Paris Cinema, Lower Regent Street, London - April 1, 1971

FORMAT: NTSC, Region Free, Hybrid DVD-Audio

RUNNING TIME: 107:53 SOUND/SOURCE: Supreme Stereo Soundboard, PCM Audio

PACKAGING: Clear DVD Clamshell with High Resolution Color Insert Artwork

FEATURES: Multi-Media Menus, Scene Selection, High Resolution Slideshow VIDEO/SOURCE: High Resolution Slideshow utilizing over 300 Images

SOUND 10 / PACKAGING 9 / PERFORMANCE 9 / VIDEO 10

TRACK LIST: 1. John Peel Band Intro, 2. Immigrant Song, 3. Heartbreaker, 4. Since I've Been Loving You, 5. Black Dog, 6. Dazed And Confused, 7. Stairway To Heaven, 8. Going To California, 9. That's The Way, 10. What Is And What Should Never Be, 11. Whole Lotta Love Medley: Boogie Woogie/Bottle Up And Go/Truckin' Little Mama/Fixin' To Die/That's Alright/For What It's Worth/Mess O' The Blues/Honey Bee/The Lemon Song, 12. Thank You, 13. Communication Breakdown

REVIEW: Put your official copies of Led Zeppelin "BBC Sessions" away, file any previous versions you have of the ridiculously common Paris Theater 1971 recordings away - "BBC ZEP" from Genuine Masters has arrived and it warrants regurgitating the apt description "heavy as a led balloon". Thank you Keith Moon. Actually, that last phrase doesn't quite describe what is contained on this latest Hybrid DVD-Audio from GM. Not even close. It was relayed to me that the source tape used here was obtained a few years ago, transferred directly from the BBC reels. There is nothing presented on this new "BBC ZEP" title that could make anyone question the authenticity.

To attempt to set up how incredibly blown away I was let's refer back to the Spring of '05 when there was a supreme recording of this same show shared via the internet. It was complete, had depth and blew anything previously away. I found a new affection for this very familiar tape and played it for weeks repeatedly. Awesome stuff. The kind of surprise that has you wandering around with a grin, making people wonder what exactly you knew that they didn't. Jumping ahead 6 months or so...what we have been blessed with is a recording that literally feels like you have been inserted between John Peel and the band - or better yet, next to Jimmy, Robert, John Paul and Bonzo. You can feel the heat, the presence and the thickness. So thick a knife couldn't cut through it alone. You hear every click, bump, breath and movement with such clarity it will leave you speechless. If that tape earlier in the year gave the recording a 3D effect, GM's source is 5D. absurd? yes. You get the idea. I'm not going to get into the material here, we know it front to back. But I am going to state that the sequence of tracks from "Stairway To Heaven" through "That's The Way", as presented on this DVD-Audio disc, could be the best Led Zeppelin performances have ever sounded and will catapult this April 1st, 1971 tape to the top of the heap. Could we really have said this last week? I think not. And I'm not brushing off the rest of this show, good lord. It has to be experienced, seriously. If you haven't picked up a GM title before, I cannot urge you enough to snap up "BBC ZEP". This will be the final word on this show. (Though it deserves to be wrapped up in a special package and displayed prominently!) It contains every moment captured that evening and you will hear things going on that were completely lost along the way. That is until now. Even the subtle British News show or whatever it is, that seems to have been recorded on the same tape with this Zeppelin performance taped over it!

Don't get too worked up, it is audible during the very quiet moments of the show and is extremely subtle. Just a nod to real life and the way things were handled back in the day. See if you can hear what I am talking about. The visual slideshow continues to evolve in approach by Black Dog and Genuine Masters, finding new ways to handle both common and uncommon photos of the band. They have incorporated several screenshots from the 1970 Royal Albert Hall footage on the official "DVD" also. But these are scattered about and are used sparsely heading into the second half of the disc. Nice job sourcing some new photos, again there are a few I haven't seen before and the results are an interesting accompaniment to the incredible audio experience. Once again GM claims to have programmed over 300 high resolution images into the release and at the rate the images refresh, the claim is substantiated. One last pondering. Can anyone explain Robert's ramblings during the set where he says "has anyone else here been taking Mandrax, ha ha...in the roooom"...."Fifty-two million"... Every time I hear this I laugh and wonder what he is referencing? It certainly seems to come under the "you had to be there" category but I'm wondering if there was a story in the press that prompted the reference or what. Anyway, this is the best "secret" GM has pulled from the vaults yet. You have been told. The title is available on CDR through Genuine Masters as well. ("SVENGI" Webmaster HotWacks On-Line Nov 05)

BBC ZEP (Genuine Masters GM-LZ-01.04.1971-DVD-A-17) Hybrid DVD-A

BBC Sessions, Paris Cinema, Lower Regent Street, London, 1 April 1971

Disc Time: 107:53 Stereo Soundboard. Pre-Broadcast.

Tracks: 1. John Peel Band Intro 2. Immigrant Song 3. Heartbreaker 4. Since I've Been Loving You 5. Black Dog 6. Dazed And Confused 7. Stairway To Heaven 8. Going To California 9. That's The Way 10. What Is And What Should Never Be 11. Whole Lotta Love medley: Boogie Woogie/Bottle Up And Go/Truckin' Little Mama/Fixin' To Die/That's Alright/For What It's Worth/Mess O'Blues/Honey Bee/TheLemon Song 12. Thank You 13. Comunication Breakdown

What many of us were frustrated by with the official release "BBC Sessions" was its incompleteness. This is a welcomed challenge of GM to relieve such frustration of ours. Although there were some past titles which featured a complete tape of the band's BBC session on 1 April 1971, their sound quality was much inferior to the official release. In this new title, GM has neatly filled the gaps which existed in the official release and, with their "magic hands," lifted the sound quality of such gaps up to almost par with the official release, fulfilling our dream to enjoy the complete show in such an excellent sound quality as achieved by the official release. Since the sound mix of those portions which were missing in the official release is different from those portions which were included in the official release (e.g., Robert's voice exists only in the left channel in the mix of the former), by listening to this GM release, you will see which portions of the show were cut out in the official release, which itself is an interesting journey of exploration, especially in the medley part of "Whole Lotta Love." (It's a bit of regret, though, that we are able to note the difference in the tape speeds in some portions of the joints between those portions which were in the official release and those which were not... However, it might have been inevitable.) Moreover, the DVD medium used by GM gives more depth and range to the sounds than the official version which was released only in the CD format, providing a more lively atmosphere to the recording. In addition, it seems that GM attempted to further improve the sound quality of the official release! For instance, they seem to have attempted to reduce some strange noise which existed in "Stairway To Heaven" (in its portion just before Bonzo comes in) as featured in the official release. The still slide show accompanying the sound, which this time features numerous photos from the band's early days, is a "bonus" joy for our eyes, as was the case with many other titles from GM. A great item for those who are not completly satisfied with the official release, like myself! (Takemi Hiramatsu Nov 05)

The Complete British Broadcasting Corporation Radio Sessions (Empress Valley Supreme Discs, EVSD 410-413) 4 CD

What we in the collectors' circle were mostly frustrated with the official "BBC Sessions" release in 1997 was its incompleteness. To our joy, however, Empress Valley has released a 4 CD set covering chronologically all of the BBC radio sessions that the band had in its history. The set starts with the band's first radio session for John Peel's "Top Gear" recorded on 1 March '69 and finishes with its last radio session for John Peel's "Sunday In Concert" recorded on 1 April '71. It even covers Jimmy's appearance in "Julie Felix Show" recorded for TV on 23 April '70. As the title says, the materials included in it are very complete, covering every tune played and every interview or chat, if any, recorded at the respective sessions. In addition, the quality of the audios allegedly made from Pre-FM Master Reels is also of excellent quality, almost equal to that of the versions in the official release, except for the band's session for "Rhythm And Blues" recorded on 19 March '69 which is said to be rather made from an Aircheck Master. Even the audio of the "Rhythm And Blues" session as featured in the new title is a slight upgrade over that of the past title "Sunshine Woman." As especially noticeable from the deeper echoes of Robert's voice in "Immigrant Song," "Heartbreaker," et al. in "Sunday In Concert", the audio mix in the title is clearly different from the versions in the official release, which serves as an evidence that the title was not made by simply copying the official versions. Given the completeness and excellent sound quality of this new title from EV (combined with Genuine Masters' excellent past release of the "Sunday In Concert" show with its title "BBC Zep"), I can now almost do away with the official "BBC Sessions" release! The new title has been released with two different covers. The "Maxell is Pleased to Present" version has black artwork from a famous promo only radio LP, while the "Floating Pig Blimp" version has famous William Stout white artwork which has been used on many of previous LP and CD releases. I chose to get the version with the black "Maxell" cover, because it seemed more rare. However, the one with the white cover also looked cute. The title includes replicas of the "BBC Radio Transcription" jackets as inner sleeves to hold the disks. A great collectors' item. (Takemi Hiramatsu Dec 06)

The Complete British Broadcasting Corporation Radio Sessions ( Empress Valley Supreme Disc, EVSD 410-413)

Disc 1 (1:15:26): March 3, 1969, Playhouse Theatre, London, UK; March 19, 1969, Maida Vale Studio, Delaware Radio, London, UK; June 16, 1969, Aeolian Hall, Studio 2, Broad Street, London, UK; and June 24, 1969, Maida Vale, Studio 4, London UK.

Disc 2 (1:07:24) June 27, 1969, Playhouse Theatre, London, UK; and April 23, 1970 BBC TV Studios, Lime Grove, London, UK.

Disc 3 (56:57) April 1, 1971, Paris Cinema, Lower Regent Street, London, UK.

Disc 4 (53:30) April 1, 1971, Paris Cinema, Lower Regent Street, London, UK.

My first listen to the radio broadcast of Led Zeppelin's April 1, 1971 BBC show, as a teenager a couple of decades ago, forever changed my life in how I heard live music, and how I heard Zeppelin. The rendition of Communication Breakdown which the American broadcast incorrectly used as the opening track blew me away. To this day, this concert's performance of Heartbreaker remains the high water mark for this song's performance on stage. And then came their version of Dazed and Confused, which was, and is, so incredibly different, creative and, in all honesty, a bit scary to me at the time. The broadcast also provided a fair amount of the between song comments by Robert, referring to (among many others) Mandrex, Bridgette the Midget, and about feeling "a little looser now" with "the barriers down and everybody very nice and warm." An incredible recording of an incredible concert that I replayed countless times. I felt incredibly cheated when I purchased the official release of the "BBC Sessions," which excluded (!!) the April 1st version of "Communication Breakdown", most of Robert's between song talk, and included only a butchered version of Whole Lotta Love. Well, thankfully, Empress Valley have fully remedied this situation with this beautiful title. Discs 3 and 4 contain what seems to be the entire concert, with simply stunning quality and breadth of sound. I am once again able to fully enjoy this concert, as it was meant to be experienced.

Discs 1 and 2 of this title contain Zeppelin's multiple 1969 appearances, which I first heard (in part) many years ago on the K&S album curiously entitled "Knebworth Fair Volume One". The sonic quality of the tracks presented on that album, which I also played to death, do not compare to the superior sound Empress Valley has presented in this title, with Bonzo's ride cymbal sticking standing-out to me for some reason. K&S's release was also a grossly incomplete presentation of the band's 1969 performances, as is the official BBC Sessions release. To make Empress's title that much sweeter, Jimmy's stellar acoustic performance of "White Summer/Black Mountainside" on the Julie Felix show in 1970 (sans Bonham) closes out disc 2.

The 4 discs are in clear plastic sleeves placed into pumpkin colored "BBC Transcription Services" cases of heavy, paper stock. They are all housed in a classy box, with the version I've purchased bearing the "Maxell is Pleased to Present" image of that guy sitting on the lounge chair (with the floor lamp and cocktail) being blown back by a loud speaker presumably cranking live Zeppelin. Empress Valley's "The Complete British Broadcasting Corporation Radio Sessions" is quite simply the final statement for these important, historic shows. It is complete, beautifully presented, and a thoroughly wonderful listen. It is this reviewer's opinion, which is shared by others, that the official "BBC Sessions" (aside from its excellent liner notes) is a redundant and (sadly) irrelevant release in light of Empress Valley's title. I highly recommend this title for all collectors of live Led Zeppelin. (Symmetry101 Dec 06)

The Complete British Broadcasting Corporation Radio Sessions ( Empress Valley Supreme Disc, EVSD 410-413)

Disc 1 (1:15:26): March 3, 1969, Playhouse Theatre, London, UK; March 19, 1969, Maida Vale Studio, Delaware Radio, London, UK; June 16, 1969, Aeolian Hall, Studio 2, Broad Street, London, UK; and June 24, 1969, Maida Vale, Studio 4, London UK.

Disc 2 (1:07:24) June 27, 1969, Playhouse Theatre, London, UK; and April 23, 1970 BBC TV Studios, Lime Grove, London, UK.

Disc 3 (56:57) April 1, 1971, Paris Cinema, Lower Regent Street, London, UK.

Disc 4 (53:30) April 1, 1971, Paris Cinema, Lower Regent Street, London, UK.

I remember being excited wen the official BBC Sessions were released back in 1997, and I still cherish my Vinyl box set of the sessions, however the release was always a little flawed as far as I was concerned. There were parts missing and John Peel's "Sunday In Concert" recorded on 1 April '71 had been chopped around by JP during the creation of the set, especially WLL and the missing Communication Breakdown. I have to say that I will probably never play the official release again now that I have this set. Plenty of thought has gone into preserving the running order and the original flow of the programs as well as superb quality sound throughout. My only gripe is that the supplier had run out of the inner sleeves for the box set, so mine arrived with TMOQ sleeves, the same as the extra discs supplied with Days Confused and Snow Jobs. But despite this disappointment, the box itself is wonderfully produced, and its the contents that really matter. Definitive for now. (Adrian Jones Feb 07)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello everybody,i have amongst a recent queen auction collection i purchased a reel to reel tape(agfa magnetonband)which has been decribed as follows;

Led Zeppelin bbc master tape,john peel paris theatre 1971 66 minutes.Could anyone shed any light on it for me please,is it likely to be a home made recording onto a reel to reel back in the day as the only similar queen item i have was a tape sourced from a person who had actually worked at the bbc with queen,thank you any help is appreciated.martin.

Hey man I am the forums crap speller but to spell Led Zeppelin wrong on a Zep forum is either mighty brave or mighty stupid.....which one are you pal ? <_< ?? .

PS Qeen are a good band too :P

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for all the info and a fantastic post mr jones,i have managed to speak to the manager at the auction house who worked at christies in the past and he has 100% guaranteed the vendor and also added that if a false statement was made about any item they could be closed down so i will take his word for it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for all the info and a fantastic post mr jones,i have managed to speak to the manager at the auction house who worked at christies in the past and he has 100% guaranteed the vendor and also added that if a false statement was made about any item they could be closed down so i will take his word for it.

I have replied to your PM via PM. Suffice to say here it could well be a mastertape of a radio broadcast, but I don't think there's any question it is not a master tape from their original session. Ultimately without playing the tape it's impossible to know for certain and as such you will have to take a third parties word for it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That by the looks of the pictures is a legitimate pre-fm reel. Is it a master reel I couldn't tell you. That is definately a professional grade reel based on the shell type and hub hole. Consumer reels would usually be made of plastic and consumer machines would have a smaller spindle requiring an adaptor to play a professional reel like that because of the size of the hub hole. The other tip off is the speed it is recorded at which is 15 ips, that was the standard used for radio broadcasts and in the studios in the 70's. The real question is it an edited for broadcast pre-fim reel or unedited. It looks to be a nice find whatever it turns out to be. There are no master reel copies circulating for this broadcast contrary to what has been said in the past. What is passed off as a pre-fm master reel source is indeed a pre-fm prebroadcast reel source but it is definatively not a master reel since if you actually pay attention to these things the recording is sequenced wrong in 2 spots and can be clearly identified as reel splicing.

If you need someone to transfer the reel pm me, we handle these type of things all the time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can't tell from the picture but if it is possible can you measure the width of the tape on the reel, if it is larger than 1/4 inch then the chances of it being a real master are probably a lot greater. I am not sure what width reels radio stations would use for actual broadcast around that time but they would probably be smaller than a 1 or 2 inch width tape which a real master would most likely be recorded on.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...