Saturday, December 25, 2010

ELP - 1977-06-12 - Des Moines


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2 comments:

Dr. Forrester said...

Emerson Lake & Palmer
Works Orchestra and Choir conducted by Godfrey Salmon
June 12, 1977 - Veteran's Memorial Auditorium, Des Moines, Iowa
Unknown mics>Uher Cr 34 Cassette Master>DAT 110 min.
Transfer: Nak BX2>Tascam Da-P1>Pioneer PRD555>EAC (Xact)>aiff>.flac

From the Collection of orangeboy
Transfer by orangeboy
Released on thetradersden, August 10, 2006

CD #1
Karn Evil 9, 1st Impression, Part 2
The Enemy God
From the Beginning
C'est La Vie
Pictures At An Exhibition
---tape flip---
Piano Concerto #1 1st Movement
Piano Concerto #1 3rd Movement
Closer To Believing
Lucky Man
Tank

CD #2
Knife Edge
Pirates
---encore---
Fanfare For The Common Man incl. Rondo

---------------------------------

After the massive Brain Salad Surgery tour of 1974, ELP took almost 3 years off from performing live. Keith recorded a piano concerto and Greg did a bunch of songs with an orchestra, as did Carl. At some point, they decided that instead of putting out 3 solo albums, that they would put out a double album with a solo side each and a group side, which also featured an orchestra. Works Vol. 1.

They decided to go out on tour with a 57 piece orchestra and a 6 person choir, each instrument individually mic'd. The whole thing was a massive undertaking with a tremendous overhead. From the beginning, they knew that it could be financially disastrous. Because of union contracts with the classical musicians, they could only play 3 or 4 shows a week and couldn't travel more than 100 miles a day. Everything had to go right for them to merely break even. But they so believed in what they were doing that they went ahead anyway. They knew it was mad but they didn't care, to them it was all about art, not finance.

As it turned out, things didn't end up going so well. They were relying on 3 massive outdoor shows to cover the costs of the rest of the dates of the first leg of the Works tour. The concert in Chicago was a great success, but another was cancelled because of a Led Zeppelin riot and the other because of poor ticket sales. They were bleeding money. I guess they were losing millions, in 1977 money.

The entire tour with the orchestra lasted only 12 dates. This is the final date. This is the day that the dream died. Before orangeboy shared this with us, there were only 4 recordings of this first part of the tour that have surfaced, and one of those is incomplete. This is by far the best recording of any of them. You can really tell that the sound of this concert in the auditorium was fabulous.

ELP took a week off from touring in Fort Wayne, Indiana and rehearsed intensely as a three piece again, then went back out on the road for the rest of the summer. They did keep paying the classical musicians during the time they were out recouping their losses (quite successfully) and they did bring the orchestra back for 3 shows in July in New York and a final triumphant concert in Montreal at the end of August, but this night in Des Moines Iowa is really the end of the orchestra tour.

This concert is extremely important not only in the history of ELP, but in the history of rock.

By the way, the classic ELP song From the Beginning (from 1972) was only ever performed in the 70's at these 12 concerts.

December 25, 2010 at 11:10 AM
Anonymous said...

A true sign of a great band is when they are not afraid to take risks. t This shows artistic integrity. Music for profit has drained the soul out of the performer for many years.

December 26, 2010 at 8:52 AM

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