Over 30 years old, the original UK press ad for Knock On Wood.
I don’t wanna lose the good thing that I’ve got…
I was trailing through some David Live stuff on my hard disc earlier today, (in preparation for some of the things coming up, like the listening party competition at Abbey Road and such) when I stumbled upon a brief Tony Visconti Q&A I did exactly a year ago today, but for some reason had never used…sorry Tony.
Anyway, most of it is still relevant, though the final tracklisting we talk about has now been restored to the original running order for both David Live and Stage (with some persuasion from this quarter) as outlined in my last news piece. (08/25/04 NEWS: DAVID LIVE AND STAGE REISSUE DETAILS)
So here it is, but please bear in mind that this Q&A is 365-days-old while reading it…
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Tony Visconti answers a few questions regarding David Live.
BLAMMO: Early pressings of the original vinyl version of David Live state that the recordings were made over two days, the 14th and 15th of July 1974 at the Philadelphia Tower Theater. These dates were “corrected” for later pressings to the 12th and 13th, even though the five-night stint at The Tower only ran from the 8th to the 12th. What’s the truth? Do we know which shows were actually recorded? And, is there any way you can indicate which songs came from which show for this latest edition of David Live?
TV: I wished you asked me when I was mixing them, because the dates were on the tape boxes. I can confirm that the shows came from two nights only and they would be the last two nights, making it the 11th and 12th. It is logical to record the end of the run rather than the beginning.
I understand that you plan to include all of the songs that were recorded in some form or other. The Ryko reissue already had bonus tracks of Here Today, Gone Tomorrow, Time and the Band Intro. There is also the version of Panic In Detroit that appeared on the b-side of Knock On Wood. Presuming we get at least these tracks on this version, will we also see the inclusion of the likes of Space Oddity and any others we may not be aware of? On the same subject it is rumoured that Here Today, Gone Tomorrow was taped at a soundcheck… can you clear that one up too?
I have remixed every song played on those nights, including Space Oddity and Panic In Detroit. I can’t remember if Here Today was a sound check, honestly.
Staying on that same subject, I know there can’t be a strict running order for this as it was taped at more than one show, but what is the final running order?
I would have to refer to the analog masters to determine what the exact running order of the show was, but they have been returned to the vaults. The DVD sequence is the same as the original, except there is one long side on a DVD. The album’s sequence was different from the live show in one respect, because we eliminated Space Oddity from the original release because David sang into a telephone onstage and the sound was naff. We were able to clean it up with today’s technology. The new running order is the same as Rykodisk, except that Panic follows Time and Space Oddity follows Panic and ends the DVD.
(NB: Since the decision to return the running order to the original setlist, this answer is no longer accurate. Please also note that when TV says DVD, he is referring to DVD audio, not an actual DVD of the show!)
You’ve done a 5:1 mix for this version of David Live. Have you placed the listener in the audience for this one, or the band around the listener?
The band is wrapped around the listener with more emphasis on the front and the audience is also wrapped around the listener with the emphasis on the back. You can say that the band and the audience overlap. This is not unrealistic because in most big rock concerts speakers are placed alongside the walls of the venue. I also got the bass and drums really kickin’ this time around.
You’ve never made a secret of how poorly you thought this album was recorded, but still it remains a firm favourite with the fans. Despite your misgivings regarding the technical shortcomings, what do you think of it as a live album and a snapshot of David at that time?
With modern technology we were able to make this album sound 500% better than the original mix. We had the tapes transfered to Pro Tools and we were able to correct virtually all the technical faults. I mixed only in 5.1, but I derived an even better stereo mix from it, more kick ass than the original.
We know that some backing vocals were added after the fact, due to the loss of theater mics. It’s also common knowledge that Mike Garson re-recorded his solo for Aladdin Sane. Was there much else added after the event?
Most of the backing vocals were augmented by the original singers. Some of the time I was able to use the live vocals and the overdubbed vocals together. Mike did rerecord that solo but the original was wiped, it was only 16 track so I guess that was the only way it could be done then. I can’t remember why the solo was rerecorded. Also, most of the saxophones were rerecorded, I was surprised to learn. I think this was due to the way they were recorded live, it just wasn’t good enough quality. I was not the live recording engineer.
Were there any surprises when you went back to the tapes this time, or was it all pretty much how you remembered it?
Memories galore flooded back to me as the tapes unwound. I found it ironic that Garson and Slick are still in David’s band 30 years after the Tower album. Slick must’ve played hooky from high school to be on that tour.
Were you actually at any of the Tower shows yourself? What are your memories of this period Bowie?
I wasn’t at the Tower shows, but I attended a show in New York to get a feel for it. I think it was at Radio City. I was pleased and surprised that my friend Michael Kamen was in the band.
I’d just like to add that I think this presentation of David Live is a vast improvement over the original. Everything possible was done to preserve the integrity of the analog recording, but the realism of 5.1 is such an added bonus I recommend that everyone hears it in this form. I have attended several Reality concerts and the Tower album sounds almost as modern and vibrant as if it were recorded in 2004.
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Thanx for that Tony. Stay tuned for more David Live news shortly, folx.
