David Bowie - LA 1974 Diamond Dogs Gig Audio Reels x 3

$

204

David Bowie Diamond Dogs/Soul Tour 1974

Los Angeles Universal Amphitheater Concert

5th September 1974

Set of 3 x 5inch reel to reel audio tapes of live LA concert

Plus copies of the TV broadcast cue sheets & period publicity pictures from Diamond Dogs

Original Set List:

Intro                               

1984                            

rebel rebel                     

moonage daydream    

sweet thing                   

changes                        

sufragette city              

aladdin sane                 

all the young dudes      

cracked actor              

rock ‘n’ roll with me     

knock on wood              

it’s gonna be me           

space oddity                  

future legend                

diamond dogs               

big brother                    

time                               

jean genie                     

rock ‘n’ roll suicide       

john I’m only dancing (again)            

According to the press releases coming out of MainMan’s US office in ‘74 David Bowie would be undertaking the longest US tour ever beginning in June “….performing with a new band, The Spiders having split, he will be taking along with him a completely new concept in Rock ‘N’ Roll …! a set designed by Jules Fisher which will transform each stage he plays on into a ruined city….”

Throughout the entire spectacle the band were back hidden behind the towering skyscrapers, having little or no function other than to serve as an orchestra would in an opera, to provide the music… gone were The Spiders from Mars and their guitarist, Mick Ronson, duelling with the ‘star’ for attention on stage… this was Bowie’s party and nobody else was getting in on it.

But by the time the production pulled into LA’s Universal Amphitheater four months later on the 5th September, the Diamond Dogs show had been aborted and along with fundamental changes to the stage set the music was startlingly different too.  Tracks like It’s Gonna Be Me, Young Americans and the reworked 8 minute mega medley of John I’m Only Dancing (Again) 

By now British TV producer, Alan Yentob, had commissioned the Omnibus TV programme to follow Bowie over the final leg of the now rebranded David Bowie Soul Tour. The result was to be the famous BBC TV documentary Cracked Actor aired in 1975 exclusively in the UK.

According to the David Bowie Illustrated Discography published by Omnibus Press in 1980, aside from the BBC film, a totally separate tape existed of the Universal Amphitheater concert.

You are bidding on a set of three 5 inch reel-to-reel (7.5 ips) audio tapes of David Bowies Universal Amphitheater concert from 5th September 1974. Sound quality is exceptionally good for an archive recording which in original form is now over thirty years old! We are approved members of eBay’s own reel-to-reel user group and have auditioned the tapes in question.

The set list on this archive has been altered and the lot includes copies of original hand written TV broadcast cue sheets used for foreign sales purposes by broadcasters, dated July 11th  1975, but this date probably refers to a collation date and not a broadcast date (set lists are often edited for later TV broadcast use, radio or publishing purposes i.e. original ‘David Live’ and original ‘Stage’ vinyl issues) and probably originates from Canada as PROCAN and BMI Canada are visible on foreign sales section. The source of the tapes will also be provided to the auction winner for their records.

Reel 1 Side 1 (with red safety tape)

Intro/ 1984/ Its Gonna Be Me/ Rebel Rebel/ Moonage Daydream/

Reel 1Side 2

All The Young Dudes/ Cracked Actor/ Rock ‘N’ Roll With Me/ Knock On Wood/

Reel 2 Side 1 (green safety tape)

Sweet Thing/ Changes/ Suffragette City/ Aladdin Sane/

Reel 2 Side 2

Space Oddity/ Future Legend/ Diamond Dogs/ Big Brother/

Reel 3 Side 1 (turquoise safety tape)

Jean Genie/ Rock ‘N’ Roll Suicide/ John I’m Only Dancing (Again)/

The sets have audio breaks between tracks and theatre mike contact loss in a few places (similar to ‘David Live’) but the particular highlights of this concert for David Bowie collectors must be:

(i)                   David’s announcement and massive 8:02 minute performance of

              new John I’m Only Dancing (Again) soul version.

(ii)                  Full 9:53 minute futuristic Diamond Dogs introduction piece played before David enters stage.

(iii)                 Massive 7:05 minute Soul Tour rendition of It’s Gonna Be Me with Luther Vandross singing backing vocals

(iv)                 Several amazing pieces of Anglo Italian joking on mike to the LA crowd

(v)                  This gig was used by BBC TV for the soundtrack to the famous Cracked Actor documentary, listen especially to Big Brother and Moonage Daydream which BBC aired showing with clips of Bowies lyric ‘cut ups’.

(vi)                 Also included in this lot as a FREE BONUS very rare art paper quality copies of the original broadcast cue sheets to accompany the reels and period publicity photo’s from the early Diamond Dogs Tour (not the LA gig as the skyscraper set in the photos was already dismantled to the Soul Tour rendition by September of 1974).

Please send any questions prior to bidding. Shipping can be arranged worldwide with or without insurance. Shipping costs illustrated below are without insurance. Payment preferred by PayPal please but will also accept others according to country of auction winner. Please settle your purchase within 14 days. No refund accepted on this lot due to consideration of copying. Track running times are those published on cue sheets and approximated for those not published on cue sheets.  Please examine our 100% customer satisfaction and feedback. General terms and information is published on our store page.