Big Brother & The Holding Company (with Janis Joplin)
1966-xx-xx (late in year) San Francisco, California Avalon Ballroom (M?-AUD Mk1 44.1 kHz NO EQ)
1244 Sutter Street (or alternate entrance at 1268 Sutter)
"Unissued Avalon Volume #1 Mk1"
~*~ Meticulously remastered repairing blemishes - Mk1 version without equalisation ~*~
NOTHING here ever commercially released to my knowledge. Detailed comparisons made (notes below).
01-[03:33]- I Know You Rider
02-[02:09]- It's A Deal
03-[03:16]- Call On Me
04-[06:06]- Combination Of The Two
05-[04:03]- Farewell Song
06-[06:47]- Coo-Coo
07-[05:16]- Easy Rider
08-[03:07]- Down On Me
09-[07:35]- All Is Loneliness//
10-[12:06]- ...Hall Of The Mountain King
11-[06:04]- Blow My Mind
12-[00:42]- Harry
13-[08:16]- Ball & Chain
Total Time ::: 1:09:01
::: Chunky, consistent, non-hi-fi mono AUD with some distortion, but quite enjoyable. Check samples for illumination and/or joyful jolts.
::: Warts: Tapes in great shape overall. Taper shut off deck 'tween many trax. SLIGHT overload/bass distortion thruout but NOT a problem except #6 when master levels were likely too high. #9 cuts (after 7&1/2 minutes!). #10 starts late (tape flip?), has 2 ~1 second splice/glitches & 1st 1&1/2 mins had some extreme volume fluctuations, now fixed(!) but left a bit of xtra hum/hiss in places. Completely fixed most dropouts&dullspots but surely missed a few.
::: JOYFUL sounds, mind-boggling performance, sublimely psychedelic. The INTENSE almost 12(!) minute (incomplete!) "Hall Of The Mountain King" is a FIRST CLASS tutorial of what Bay Area psychedelic music was all about, including ragas & feedback dimentia. Let yr hair down!
::: These "exact dates unknown" recordings came as a set titled "Avalon Shows Late 1966".
::: More volumes forthcoming assuming they're all really unissued & don't duplicate other common ROIOs. Quality varies.
::: NOT the same Avalon late 1966 version of "Down On Me" as on the "Blow All My Blues Away" collection.
::: Janis Joplin debuted live with Big Brother & The Holding Company either June 10 or 24, 1966.
::: Possible set change between 6&7 (or recording level reduction) but clearly seems the same source & location.
::: I'd be happy to see an upgrade surface, however, this remaster fixes a lot of the recording's issues.
::: VERY detailed comparison notes to commercially released (OTHER!) versions of these songs noted below.
::: Nothing found duplicating any other NON-commercially released sources online or in my collection. If you know different, do tell.
::: This one goes out to who offer their thanks and/or upload. Hats off to you.
Recording Information ::: unknown mono recording equipment -> master mono AUD (almost certainly a reel) -> unknown analog generations (not many!) -> unknown (low) generation Maxell MX-90 cassette, Dolby B on.
Playback 2014-01-06 ::: unknown (low) generation Maxell MX-90 cassette on Nakamichi 680ZX cassette deck, Dolby B on, azimuth & speed adjusted (pitched!) for individual recording, heads cleaned & demagnetized -> Sony Linear PCM Recorder PCM-M10 (96kHz/24bit WAV files) -> computer -> Audacity [normalisation to remove DC offset, channel/phase alignment, fades, manual one-at-a-time glitch, bump, pop, click, dropout & dullspot repairs, volume adjustments, further speed fix -%1.8 single pass after spectral analysis & with pitchpipe verification, NO equalisation], dithered down to 44.10kHz/16bit WAV files (CD-R burnable) -> CD Wave (track splits) -> flacs (Trader's Little Helper) -> yr ears. First uploaded week of 2014-04-12.
Nothing here ever commercially released to my knowledge. If I'm wrong, please advise & I'll take the offending trax offline.
Line-up ::: Janis Lyn "Pearl" Joplin - vocals // Sam Houston Andrew III - electric guitar // "Saint" James Gurley - electric guitar // Peter Albin - electric bass // David Getz - drums.
DimeTravel 040 ::: Thanks to the original taper & traders! ::: Corrections welcome ::: This is one MIGHTY fine ball o' fiery, hallucinatory, experimental, tripped out, consciousness-expanding, psychoactive Big Brother, with Janis shining gloriously like some shimmering star over psychotomimetic layers of stupendous musical exuberance. It should shiver some of Mr. Natural's timbers, lay some pedal to some easy rider metal & leave some drooling, half-crazed hippies with their roaches smoldering on their clips while they gaze at brilliant rainbow-colored explosions in far-off never-never-lands in other galaxies well beyond the physical explorations of humankind. °X°X°X°X°X°X° Some music notes made during mastering... "It's A Deal" REALLY sounds a lot like the pre-Dead Warlocks! The RIPPIN'(!) "Combination Of The Two" has some lovely, VERY demented psychedelic guitar (and great vocal barking noises about 3:50 in). The version of "Hall Of The Mountain King" is TRULY EPIC & mind-blowing (more notes above) & is almost twice as long as the commercial CD version from another show. "All Is Loneliness" has a very cool FULL MINUTE intro before the lyrics with a couple of unusual parts. "Blow My Mind" has an extremely fun, heavy guitar jam & is MUCH longer, slower & far more interesting & psychedelic than the issued, different show, version on "Cheaper Thrills". Overall this material leaves the commercially released "Cheaper Thrills" wallowing in the proverbial dust for performance intensity. This is Big Brother at Mach 1000 acid speed. Be sure to install new window wipers, charge yr batteries, suspend yr cognitive mind & have yr guide channel a little of Leary's ghost before the trip. Remember, "You can not grow a tree, only plant a seed." What'd he say? His noodles are on fire, his ears are inside out, his fingers are fish sticks on parade, he ain't travelin' on no sanity highway. It's the cosmic feather for that headcase & this is just what should tickle his fancy. I done walked over the Golden Gate Bridge & do you remember which SF 60s musician was flyin' a LITTLE too hIgH at 3AM goin' home from a gig & tried to order a hamburger at the tollbooth? Listen, enjoy, show appreciation, share, give, spread peace. Yers truly, Knees
Support the artists and/or their families! www.bbhc.com -- www.davegetz.com -- www.janisjoplin.net
Do whatever you want with it except sell it, 'cause that ain't cool!
* COMPARISONS * COMPARISONS * COMPARISONS * COMPARISONS * COMPARISONS * COMPARISONS *
All "Unissued Avalon Volume #1" songs carefully compared & are NOT the same as the commercially released versions below.
# "Ball & Chain" 2009 Charly CD/DVD release of KQED April '67 is live in studio with no audience.
# NOT the same as any Monterey Pop live versions from afternoon or evening shows from CD collections, movie or DVD & DVD bonus trax.
# Wolfgang's/Concert Vault 1967-05-27 SF Fillmore (now pulled). ONLY overlapping title was "Combo Of The 2"(6:58) but this is 6:06 with no cut after it & followed by a different song.
# None of the live tracks on the "Janis" OST overlap.
*NOTE: "Cheaper Thrills" (California Hall 1966-07-28) was issued 1984, then released as "Live In San Francisco 1966" & later as "The Lost Tapes" CD2.
01-[Official live version on: "Cheaper Thrills"* aka "Live In SF 1966" & "Lost Tapes CD2"] COMPARED-NOT THE SAME.
02-[Official live versions on: "Lost Tapes CD1, "Live At The Carousel Ballroom 1968"] BOTH COMPARED-NOT THE SAME.
03-[Official live versions on: "Box Of Pearls"box (Avalon 1967-05-17), "Janis"(3CD box 1967-05-17 Avalon), "Live At The Carousel Ballroom 1968" (x2 versions)] ALL COMPARED-NOT THE SAME.
04-[Official live versions on: "Cheap Thrills" (live), "Live At The Carousel Ballroom 1968", "Live At Winterland '68"] ALL COMPARED-NOT THE SAME.
05-[Official live versions on: "Live At Winterland '68", "Farewell Song" different Winterland '68 version)] COMPARED-NOT THE SAME
06-[Official live versions on: "Live At The Carousel Ballroom 1968", "Cheaper Thrills"* aka "Live In SF 1966" & "Lost Tapes CD2"] BOTH COMPARED-NOT THE SAME.
07-[Official live version on: "Live At Winterland '68"] COMPARED-NOT THE SAME.
08-[Official live official versions on: "Live At Winterland '68"(x2 versions), "Live At The Carousel Ballroom 1968", "In Concert" (1968-03-02 Detroit Grande Ballroom) AND on "Cheaper Thrills"*,"Live In SF 1966","Lost Tapes CD2"] ALL COMPARED-NOT THE SAME.
09-[Official live versions on: "Lost Tapes CD1", (Also a MUCH later/shorter 1970 live version on "In Concert"] BOTH COMPARED-NOT THE SAME.
10-[Official live version on: "Cheaper Thrills"* aka "Live In SF 1966" & "Lost Tapes CD2"] COMPARED-NOT THE SAME.
11-[Official live version on: "Cheaper Thrills"* aka "Live In SF 1966" & "Lost Tapes CD2"] COMPARED-NOT THE SAME.
12-[Official live version on: "Cheaper Thrills"* aka "Live In SF 1966" & "Lost Tapes CD2"] COMPARED-NOT THE SAME.
13-[Official live versions on: "Cheap Thrills", "Live At The Carousel Ballroom 1968", "Live At Winterland '68", "Janis" (3CD box 1967-06-17 Monterey Afternoon Show), "Cheaper Thrills"* aka "Live In SF 1966" & "Lost Tapes CD2"] ALL COMPARED-NOT THE SAME.
DETAILED COMPARISONS WITH RELEASED VERSIONS (ways to compare quickly) :::
01. Completely diff. version/arrangement. On "Live In San Francisco 1966" Janis starts singing lyrics directly at start & on this she scat sings first.
02. This & "The Lost Tapes" version start VERY similarly but last 2 verses are sung in reverse order (screw-up or early work-in-progress song).
03. On last vox right before main guitar break Janis sings "I don't care,no,no,no,no,no" on this, whereas "Box Of Pearls" Avalon 1967-05-17 she only sings "I don't care" & then they go into entirely different guitar solos. "Live At The Carousel Ballroom 1968" is about 30 seconds longer actual music & Janis says "All right, I said" as the last lyric ends & on this she ends singing "Call On Me".
04. Intro & rest obviously very different than "Cheap Thrills" (live), "Live At The Carousel Ballroom 1968", "Live At Winterland '68" & then no question thruout.
05. This has COMPLETELY different 20 second musical intro bit & is clearly not the same as "Live At Winterland '68" or "Farewell Song".
06. Janis yells a few times in 1st instrumental part & lyrics start at 38 seconds, whereas Carousel '68 lyrics start after 1 minute, & on "Cheaper Thrills" 11 seconds in - very different!
07. Lyrics here start 23 seconds into song, whereas "Live At Winterland '68" vox start 7 seconds into actual song. Also Janis starts her intro overlay vocal at completely different points.
08. 1st verse "It looks as if everybody in this whole wide world" line. In the 3 issued '68 versions all screams after "world" are unique. The "Cheaper Thrills" '66 version Janis doesn't say anything until she sings the next "Down On Me", but on this version she sings "Yeah" & screams before "Down On Me".
09. Nothing to do with 1970 "In Concert" album version, different era & sound altogether (& MUCH longer here). "The Lost Tapes CD2" goes right into the regular melodic jam at song start with vox starting at 20 seconds. This one has a cool full minute very different intro before vox.
10. VERY different (more interesting & psychedelic!) & much longer (11&1/2 minutes of actual music) than issued "Cheaper Thrills" version at 6:51.
11. Lyrics start after 11 seconds of music instead of after only 3 on released version. This is a VERY DIFFERENT 6 minute version whereas the issued version on "Cheaper Thrills" is only 2:35.
12. Quite different. This starts IMMEDIATELY with a vocal noise & the "Cheaper Thrills" version does not (and has a spoken bit before it starts).
13. Quite different than all official versions. Intro & 1st few notes quite unique. "Cheaper Thrills"'66 version has 6:44 music & lyrics start at 45 seconds, whereas this has 8+ minutes of music & lyrics start at ~54 seconds. The 3 live '68 released versions all clearly different right from the opening notes (and longer). Sounds nothing like the Monterey Pop material.