David Bowie 1973-03-01 Detroit ,Masonic Temple Theater (JEMS master).
Sound Quality Rating
01. Prelude.flac
02. Hang On To Yourself.flac
03. Ziggy Stardust.flac
04. Changes.flac
05. Moonage Daydream.flac
06. Panic in Detroit.flac
07. Five Years .flac
08. Watch That Man.flac
09. Aladdin Sane.flac
10. The width of a circle (end applause spliced).flac
11. Space Oddity.flac
12. Time (cuts).flac
13. Suffragette City.flac
14. Encore break .flac
15. Jean Genie > love Me Do.flac
16. Rock ‘n’ Roll suicide.flac
Label: No label >
Audio Source: audience
Lineage: Off JEMS Master > Recording Gear: Lloyd’s 8-Track Cartridge Recorder with Lloyd’s external stereo mics
Total running time: 1:09:38
Sound Quality : Not good ,much Noise ,very dull
Attendance: 4.856
Artwork: None.
The second 8-track master in our series is an historic one to be sure, Bowie on tour in support of Aladdin Sane. It’s one of Tapeboy’s earliest recordings and in the encore break you can hear him and friends loud and clear talking sarcastically about the show, which only adds to the strong you are there vibe of this audio document. (Tapeboy asks his friend, Do you think David Bowie is any good? His friend responds, No, I think heís terrible. Heís outrageous. To which Tapeboy replies, A well-respected man talks about David Bowie.)
The recording has issues to be sure, as the loud PA overloaded the levels at times (in the notes on Vol. One you’ll see
that while the Lloyd’s recorder had an adjustable level control, it had no meters, so Tapeboy was flying blind to set proper levels), and there are minor dropouts and occasional bleed-through (a chronic problem with 8-tracks) due to the age and condition of the tape.
But despite distortion and other surface issues, the recording has an electric dynamism too, which one can only presume enhances the sense of what it would have been like to see this tour at that time. Samples provided.
This is a fresh transfer of the original 8-track cartridge, rebuilt and restored for one last proper capture.
Not surprisingly, beyond the issues noted above, there is a meaningful 20 or so seconds of Suffragette City. that was beyond repair. Happily, Tapeboy made a first-generation cassette copy of the 8-track back in the mid-70s (the source of any circulating copy of the show), so we’ve patched in the missing bit from his cassette.
We believe this is the best this wide-stereo recording can sound and it should be superior to extant copies.
Tapeboy shared his memories of the show and the recording:
‘I thought Pink Floyd at Cobo Arena in Detroit was the first show where I used my 8-track recorder,
but after going through all the cartridges and checking dates, I see now that this David Bowie show was the first.
Where the Floyd show was quite over-recorded and distorted, Bowie fared somewhat better.
With no VU meters on the deck to measure levels, it was still trouble, but luck was always a factor with the 8-tracks!
Bowie had played the Fisher Theater in Detroit about seven months earlier on the Ziggy Stardust tour, and that show signaled a change in the air. It was the only rock show I ever saw at the Fisher Theater, which was usually reserved for Broadway plays, and the audience was a real eye-opener to me.
I was a high school junior in bell-bottomed blue jeans and a sweatshirt in the midst of one of the best dressed rock audiences I had ever seen. Where did these people come from? Where did they find satin suits in Detroit??
The Ziggy set at the Fisher Theater was a great show, including an encore of the then-unreleased Jean Genie dedicated to Iggy Pop. I loved the Ziggy Stardust album (which then sent me working backwards through Honky Dory and Space Oddity), and I bought tickets to Bowie’s Detroit return for the first of two shows at the bigger Masonic Auditorium supporting Aladdin Sane.
This show was a much bigger production and featured a larger band, with The Spiders still at the heart of it, and more costume changes. (Who had costume changes in rock in 1973? For that matter, who had costumes in 1973?). Oh, and even taller platform shoes!
I was recording a 90-minute show on less than 90 minutes of tape, so sacrifices had to be made, which is why “Time” is intentionally cut just a few seconds in.
Other missing bits are down to the instability of the 8-track recorder. The show the next night, which I didn’t go to, had the same set-list, according to a friend of mine who went, with the addition of ëLet’s Spend The Night Together in the encore.
Thanks to J for having the audacity to tape on 8-track in the first place and for the persistence in figuring out how to get these shows transferred after 40+ years. And to glasnostrd19 for his assistance in post production and torrenting to get it into your ears and keep our 8-track series going.
David Bowie Tour Band – The Ziggy Stardust Tour
David Bowie – vocals, guitar, harmonica
Mick Ronson – guitar, vocals
Trevor Bolder – bass
Mick “Woody” Woodmansey – drums
Matthew Fisher – piano (20 Apr 1972 – 27 May 1972)
Robin Lumley – piano (2 Jun 1972 – 15 Jul 1972)
Nicky Graham – piano (1 Aug 1972 – 7 Sep 1972)
Mike Garson – piano, mellotron, organ (22 September 1972 – end of tour)
John Hutchinson – rhythm guitar, 12-string acoustic guitar (8 Apr 1973 – 20 Apr 1973 – 3 July 1973)
Aynsley Dunbar – additional drums (8 Apr 1973 – 20 Apr 1973)
Geoffrey A. MacCormack – backing vocals, percussion (19 January 1973 – end of tour)
Ken Fordham – saxophone (19 January 1973 – end of tour)
Brian Wilshaw – saxophone, flute (19 January 1973 – end of tour)
Crew
Robin Mayhew ,Will Palin ,Mick Hince ,Dean Heiser – Sound ,Ground Control ,Front of House Engineer ,Stage hands
Nigel Olliff, Nick Gilbey, Paul Normand and crew – Lights ,1972 Heavy Light ,1973 See Factor Industries NY Bob See ,Steve Hurston ,Mick Fussey
Peter Hunsley – Stage Equipment
Suzi Fussey – Wardrobe, Makeup and Hair
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