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JEFFERSON STARSHIP
Long Beach 1975 [Mike Millard Master Tapes via JEMS, 2CD]
The Lost and Found Mike the MICrophone Tapes Volume 75. Live at the Long Beach Arena, Long Beach, CA; May 25, 1975. Very good audience recording.
Thanks to Mike Millard; Rob, Jim R; Barry G; JEMS; BK; and mjk5510 for sharing the show at Dime.
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Welcome to JEMS’ Lost and Found Mike the MICrophone series presenting recordings made by legendary taper Mike Millard, AKA Mike the MICrophone, best known for his masters of Led Zeppelin done in and around Los Angeles circa 1975-77.
Until 2020, the Lost and Found series presented fresh transfers of previously unavailable first-generation copies made by Mike himself for friends like Stan Gutoski of JEMS, Jim R, Bill C. and Barry G. These sources were upgrades to circulating copies and in most instances marked the only time verified first generation Millard sources had been directly digitized in the torrent era.
That all changed with the discovery of many of Mike Millard’s original master tapes.
Yes, you read that correctly, Mike Millard’s master cassettes, long rumored to be destroyed or lost, have been found. Not all of them but many, and with them a much more complete picture has emerged of what Millard recorded between his first show in late 1973 and his last in early 1992.
The reason the rediscovery of his master tapes is such a revelation is that we’ve been told for decades they were gone. Internet myths suggest Millard destroyed his master tapes before taking his own life, an imprudent detail likely concocted based on the assumption that because his master tapes never surfaced and Mike’s mental state was troubled he would do something rash WITH HIS LIFE’S WORK. There’s also a version of the story where Mike’s family dumps the tapes after he dies. Why would they do that?
The truth is Mike’s masters remained in his bedroom for many years after his death in 1994. We know at least a few of Millard’s friends and acquaintances contacted his mother Lia inquiring about the tapes at the time to no avail. But in the early 2000s, longtime Millard friend Rob S was the one she knew and trusted enough to preserve Mike’s work.
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Jefferson Starship - Long Beach Arena, Long Beach, CA; May 25, 1975
For Volume 75 of the Lost and Found series it only seemed right that we reach back to the year 1975 where we found this compelling document of Jefferson Starship at the Long Beach Arena.
This show was actually intended to take place in LA’s Griffith Park, paralleling the band’s gig at NYC’s Central Park 12 days prior. But it seems then Los Angeles Police Chief Ed Davis had other ideas and pulled the permit. This is the same Ed Davis who was accused of encouraging over-policing and harassment that led to 500+ arrests when Pink Floyd played the Sports Arena one month later.
Davis’ action forced Starship to relocate the show on short notice to the Long Beach Arena where Jim R and Mike procured third-row seats on the aisle, which Jim reminds “made it easy to get rid of the wheelchair once we were in.”
>From their sweet spot, Mike captured another recording that justifiably rates as “Millard” quality. It is up close, with clear instrument separation and an uncanny lack of audience noise.
While I am not particularly fluent in Jefferson Airplane or Starship other than the basic facts, I was pleasantly surprised by this performance which is a spirited mix of the latter’s current material and the former’s still meaningful songs. Grace Slick is in fine voice (especially on “Better Lying Down” and “Somebody To Love”), Papa John Creach is good fun and the playing is very strong indeed.
Like many mid-’70s rock shows, the long bass and drum solos feel out of date now, but the counter-culture spirit doesn’t. This one just might surprise you.
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JEMS is proud to partner with Rob, Jim R, Ed F, Barry G and many others to release Millard’s historic recordings and to help set the record straight about the man himself.
We can’t thank Rob enough for reconnecting with Jim and putting his trust in our Millard reissue campaign. He kept Mike’s precious tapes under wraps for two decades, but once Rob learned of our methods and stewardship, he agreed to contribute the Millard DATs and cassettes to the program. Our releases would not be nearly as compelling without Jim’s memories, photos and other background contributions. As many of you have noted, the stories offer an entertaining complement to Mike’s incredible audio documents.
Professor Goody weighed in to give this his pitch stamp of approval, while mjk5510 extended his streak of support on post production, artwork and song identification. We thank them both. We’ve kept the series operating weekly for over a year now, and that couldn’t happen without the help of our partners.
Finally, cheers to the late, great Mike the MICrophone. His work never ceases to impress. May he rest in peace.
BK for JEMS
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Lineage:
AKG 451E Microphones (CK-1 cardioid capsules) > Nakamichi 550 Cassette Recorder
Transfer: Mike Millard Master Cassettes > Yamaha KX-W592 Cassette Deck > Sony R-500 DAT > Analog Master DAT Clone > Focusrite Scarlett 6i6 > Sound Forge Audio Studio 13.0 capture > Adobe Audition > iZotope RX8 > iZotope Ozone 8 > Audacity > TLH > FLAC
Click on the highlighted tracks to download the MP3s (320 kbps). As far as we can ascertain, these tracks have never been officially released on CD.
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Kindly email us if you encounter persistent problems downloading the files. Also email us if you have any rarities you’d like to share with our readers.
Disc 1
Track 101. Intro 1:30
Track 102. Ride The Tiger 5:43
Track 103. Fast Buck Freddie 4:13
Track 104. The Witcher 5:59
Track 105. Devil’s Den + Bass Solo 12:01
Track 106. Caroline 7:48
Track 107. Driving Me Crazy 7:49
Track 108. Papa John’s Down Home Blues 6:48
Track 109. I Want To See Another World 6:03
Track 110. Play On Love 4:15
63 mins
Disc 2
Track 201. Better Lying Down 4:35
Track 202. Have You Seen The Saucers 5:52
Track 203. Come To Life 4:04
Track 204. White Rabbit 3:42
Track 205. Sweeter Than Honey + Drum Solo 16:15
Track 206. John’s Other 9:00
Track 207. Somebody To Love 7:53
Track 208. Wooden Ships 9:51
Track 209. Volunteers 7:39
69 mins
Click here to order Jefferson Starship releases.