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PETER GABRIEL
West Hollywood 1978 [Mike Millard Master Tapes via JEMS, 2CD]
The Lost and Found Mike the MICrophone Tapes Volume 97. Live at The Roxy, West Hollywood, CA; September 30, 1978 (Late Show). Very good audience recording.
Thanks to Mike Millard; Rob, Jim R; Barry G; JEMS; BK; Goody; 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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Peter Gabriel - The Roxy, West Hollywood, CA; September 30, 1978
We continue the Millard March to 100 with Volume 97 and yet another of Mike the Mike’s favorite artists, Peter Gabriel. The former Genesis frontman began his solo career in 1977 and played multiple shows at The Roxy in West Hollywood on both his ‘77 and ‘78 tours. These are legendary gigs for Gabriel fans and collectors given the club only seats 500. Mike and Jim were there for all of the Roxy shows both years.
Volume 14 of our series was a first-gen compilation made for Jim R of Mike’s favorite performances from Gabriel’s early and late sets on September 30. In the Millard archive, there are a handful of Mike-authored, multi-show compilations, including Led Zeppelin ‘77, the Rolling Stones ‘75 and The Who ‘80 in addition to Gabriel. All have unique artwork and probably served a practical purpose to give to people who wanted tapes of the shows. Instead of dubbing them multiple nights, he would give them his curated collection of the best performances. Who could complain?
This week we supplant that compilation with Mike’s full cassette master from the excellent late show, the setlist for which features several rarities and songs only performed on this tour, among them a cover of Procol Harum’s “Whiter Shade of Pale.” Gabriel also gives the audience a slice of the Genesis favorite “The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway.”
As Jim R explains below, holding tickets for both the early and late shows gave you a seating advantage for the second performance, which explains why Mike’s late show Roxy recordings are usually superior to his early show work. Here he is is right up front and captures an appealing mix of club atmosphere and up-close sound.
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Here’s what Jim R recalled about Peter Gabriel’s late show at the Roxy:
I went with Mike Millard to the Peter Gabriel concert at The Roxy in Hollywood on Sept 30, 1978, the late 11:30 pm show. The Roxy is a small club with a bar and tables. Very intimate.
Mike and I had been big Gabriel fans since the Genesis days. We went to the early show so we could move up between shows to a table against the stage. In those days, after the first show ended and the Roxy staff were clearing out the place, if you had a late show ticket they let you stay in the venue between shows and get first dibs of the empty tables.
Having a table against the stage in the middle meant we could reach out and touch Peter if we wanted to. We were that close. The stage and tables were about the same height.
Beyond back-to-back sets on the 30th, we also went to both shows the following night, resulting in four sets in just over 24 hours. That’s dedication!!! And exhaustion.
Peter is a unique performer. He can change the sound of his voice on command and he connects with his audience as he draws you into each song. His fantastic backing band was a tight unit as expected.
The sound at The Roxy can be hit or miss. As I listen to Mike’s tape as I type this, it’s a hit.
I was able to smuggle in my camera bag, but was able to take only one roll of 36.
I hope you enjoy this as much as Mike and I did.
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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 did extra work this week while some of the JEMS team was otherwise occupied. Thanks to him for stepping up. As always, mjk5510 managed the production process, including designing the cover art with Jim R’s photos from the show.
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
JEMS 2020 Transfer: Mike Millard Master Cassettes > Nakamichi RX-505 (azimuth adjustment; Dolby On) > Sound Devices USBPre 2 > Audacity 2.0 capture > 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.
Please Do Not Hammer The Links. Due to the size of some of the files, please be very patient when downloading the tracks. It could be that the server was very busy. The tracks should still be around. Please try again later.
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. On Presuming To Be Modern 2:57
Track 102. On The Air 4:34
Track 103. Moribund The Burgermeister 5:10
Track 104. Perspective 4:03
Track 105. Humdrum 4:42
Track 106. A Wonderful Day In A One-Way World 3:43
Track 107. Home Sweet Home 5:00
Track 108. D.I.Y. 3:49
Track 109. Waiting For The Big One 7:53
Track 110. A Whiter Shade Of Pale 4:54
47 mins
Disc 2
Track 201. Mother Of Violence 4:22
Track 202. Slowburn 5:12
Track 203. Flotsam And Jetsam 4:09
Track 204. I Don’t Remember 5:14
Track 205. Solsbury Hill 5:47
Track 206. Modern Love 5:01
Track 207. Here Comes The Flood 3:39
Track 208. The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway 5:48
Track 209. Animal Magic 4:37
Track 210. White Shadow 5:22
50 mins
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