Altes Casino,
Montreux, Switzerland
November 21st/22nd, 1970.
SBD > ?? > CDR
Funny Boot Records FBR 001/002
Quality: EX+
[ROGER: Good morning. This is called 'Astronomy Domine'.]
Astronomy Domine
[ROGER: Thank you.] ><
[ROGER: .. song of Dave's and it's called 'Fat Old Sun'.]
Fat Old Sun
[ROGER: Thank you. We've got a new album out at the moment and it's called 'Atom Heart Mother' and there's a track on it called 'Atom Heart Mother', which got some brass instruments and a choir on it, as well as us. But we do a version without the brass and choir and we're gonna do that now. Then we're gonna take a break.]
Atom Heart Mother ><
[ROGER: ... we recorded for a film called 'More' and the song is called 'Cymbaline'.]
Cymbaline
[ROGER: Thank you.] ><
[ROGER: This song is called 'The Embryo'.]
The Embryo > Blues
[ANNOUNCER: Thank you. Pink Floyd!] ><
[ROGER: Ok. It's a bit late for mind expanding so we're gonna play some music to calm down to.]
More Blues
Comments:
European Tour
November 6th-December 22nd, 1970
The most important thing is Disc2, Track 3 "Just Another Twelve Bar" It's the first available recording of this bluesnumber.
This information is taken from Ian and Glenn's wonderful book, In the Flesh. Everyone must own a copy!
21nov70 - Montreux AD, FOS, Cym, AHM, TE, GitC/CWTAE, StCftHotS, ASOS encore: IO
22nov70 - Montreux AD, FOS, Cym, AHM, TE, GitC/CWTAE, StCftHotS, ASOS encore: Just Another 12 Bar, Blues
"Both Montreux shows were recorded and EMI pressed white label acetates which included interviews with Gilmour in French. However, it it likely that these would have been intended as promotional tools, not for commercial release. 'Just Another 12 Bar' is a title shown on the acetate and is simply an improvised blues instrumental."
The CD roio Smoking Blues is apparently from these acetates and has tracks from both performances. - John
I think it was THE AMAZING PUDDING who wrote: *** live blues - recorded 1970 for the "ill-fated" Montreux ***
I think it was 1970 when the Montreux Casino was burning down and Deep Purple created "Smoke On The Water" so I'm not sure if the concert-date is correct.
This is a soundboard recording and well worth seeking out, but one can see why it was not released. Dave has one of his trademark laughing attacks during FOS. During the closing segment of Cymbaline (after the footsteps sequence) there is a particularly bad and prolonged problem with the sound system, causing Dave to burst into laughter once again.
Roger introduces the show with a 'good morning' and introduces More Blues with remarks about it being 'too late for mind expanding music, so we'll play some music to calm down by,' presaging his words years later before the concluding encore of the infamous Montreal '77 concert.
There is a minor amount of tape hiss, and a somewhat more annoying distortion during loud passages which prevent a Sup rating for this CD, but then again how often does a newly uncovered PF soundboard recording like this appear? The date must be 1970, rather than '69, because of the references to the AHM album. - THE HEDONIST
Listening to "Smoking Blues" again in a more conducive frame of mind, I think I overemphasized the intrusiveness of the tape hiss and level distortion present. Maybe it ought to get a Sup rating after all. Also, to see a cool reference to the CD title check out the little detail in Rick's left hand on the front cover. :-) - THE HEDONIST
It actually sounds better than Live At Montreux and they're not the same.
Here are the song intro's by Roger:
-AD (someone yells "Roger!") 'Good morning, this is called Astronomy Domine'
Astronomy Domine is great. Better than the UmmaGumma version, apart from some slightly ragged vocals. Some distortion at the start.
-FAS 'This one's Dave's and it's called Fat Old Sun'
Clearest vocals on any ROIO I have heard, though the stereo balance and vocal volume wanders a bit. Some distortion on louder passages.
-AHM 'We've got a new album out at the moment and it's called Atom Heart Mother and there's a track on it called AHM, which is got brass instruments and a choir, as well as us, but we do a version without the brass and choir and we're going to do that now and then we're going to take a break'
Drags a bit at the start (this seems to be a common live fault), but the vocal passages in the middle are excellent, and the ensemble playing really comes together.
-Cymbaline 'A song we recorded for a film called More. The song is called Cymbaline.
Nothing to add to existing comments
-Embryo 'This song is called The Embryo'
Best live version I have heard. Harder-edged than the Picnic/Works demo, but still has the other-worldly aspect I love. Dave does the Echoes seagulls here.
-Just Another Twelve Bar (no intro)
Fairly standard rock 12-bar. I am not so sure that "Just Another Twelve Bar" is actually PF. The fact that it fades in, and effectively runs into the applause and intro to "More Blues", means there are no band comments about it. The announcement after it is also a bit confusing. I can't really make it out, but it sounds like an American accent, shouting something like "Time to sit down. (something garbled, which might be a name) Thank you. Bill Clark" Then there are some guitar chords and an organ fill, which is definitely faded out, before Roger's announcement about being late for mind-expanding. More Blues definitely sounds like Dave, both in style and sound. A live blues recorded in 1970 for the ill-fated 'Live in Montreux' album (see TAP 6 of Best of 6-10).
-More Blues 'Ok, it's a bit late for mind expanding, so we're going to play music to calm down to' (song fades out before it's finished, so there are no further comments)
Another standard blues. Nice to hear these two though.
This is the _MOST IMPRESSIVE ROIO I HAVE ENCOUNTERED_ for a long time! A soundbord recording from an early 1970 show. Something I always dreamt of, the sound quality is amazing. Details are crystal clear. The quiet parts are easily comparable to Ummagumma. Definitely a Sup rating. Unfortunately, the tape is saturated in the louder parts which results in distortions. This is nothing more than EX-. Fortunately, this doesn't happen very often.
The crowd is quiet. VERY quiet. You simply don't hear anyone talking in the footsteps scene of "Cymbaline". Boy, what did I miss in those old days! After that, people come to life but don't spoil the record but instead give it a true feeling of being there. Incredible.
The most remarkable song "Just Another Twelve Bar" is unique. It is faded in, so the beginning is missing, as is the ending of "More Blues". This version of "Embryo" is also a must for every fan.
My suggestion: HUNT IT. Buy it. Put it next to Ummagumma. This one goes directly in the beginners guide. - HERWIG
From the A-Z (TAP) Just Another 12 Bar (uncredited) :
The Montreaux Smoke On The Water concert was a Frank Zappa performance on December 4, 1971, preserved on the roio "Swiss Cheese/Fire!" Hence, nothing on this roio can have any possible link to that concert, as was hypothesized by one commentator on this roio set.
Overall: cleanest ROIO sound I have yet heard (but I can't claim to be a connoiseur!). Although the tonal balance seems good for the music, it is a bit trebly on the audience (which isn't terribly intrusive anyway). I would definitely rate this as a must buy. The quality overall is easily the match of the UmmaGumma live tracks. - ANON
The first blues is not just a simple blues. In fact it is not a blues, it is "Biding my Time" ! But as the lyrics are edited out, you just have the bridge part and coda. But it is really. After the piece The Man & The Journey shifted out of the Floyd repertoire, BMT was sometime played as a single piece with an extra long jam after the verse (listen to Water's gate LP). - ANON
To me, this is the definitive 1970 RoIO! Of course, the BBC session (see "Libest Spacement Monitor") is also an excellent performance from that year (and with a little bit better sound quality). But, this time, we have a full concert. This is the best soundboard quality I ever heard for a concert from that year. It's particulary interesting to hear "Atom Heart Mother" without the brass section.
It seems to be a very rare RoIO, and I didn't find any X-ref for it. So, if you can buy it... don't hesitate!
BTW, the bass line of "Just Another Twelve Bar" is in fact the bass line from the second part of "Biding My Time". The song is slightly different. It's more bluesy, and there's no trombone. - MARC-OLIVIER