Hidden Masters | The Jess Roden Anthology CD 5 – Eight Days On The Road

There are some... perhaps many... who would argue that an act or artiste recorded live is when their true colours really emerge; no last-chance studio-saloon for overdubbing, re-working those vocal harmonies that went horribly off-key, re-recording a guitar solo because said guitarist was playing with maximum fretwork enthusiasm but minimal concentration by soloing all over the intricate bass-line – thus ruining an otherwise cracking rendition of song Y... and so forth.

Well, that is unless unscrupulous producer Z decides to employ all the gadgets at his or her fingertips that have, far too often over the past few years, turned real live recordings into a travesty bearing the name whereby 'recorded live' actually means it was replicated in the studio but the applause came from the night in question (and very often thats dubbed in too).

So... what do we have here..? Actually, this is as pure as it gets.

Yes, we fixed a couple of things; on one track from the JRB's (now legendary) Marquee appearances, Pete Hunt's bass-drum mic became detached and, quite literally, moved right to left across the stage. Pretty obviously, this rendered the track – as it stood – unusable... but, 'cos the performance was outstanding, how to fix it?

We (that is Jess, self and Richard Whittaker) sat there in the windowless gloom of FX – no one should be under the illusion that studios are all glamour – one Sunday afternoon, chewing on sandwiches, drinking a lot of coffee and scratching our heads. There was a soloution and it was going to take at least three hours: Richard took one, simple, bass-drum 'thud' out of the same song, recorded the previous night, and back into the track we wanted to use. This was done by replacing one note after another. Thud... thud... thud... Was that cheating... nope, we didn't think so.

On another tune we wanted to use, Bruce Roberts' guitar lead wasn't plugged in properly for the first thirty seconds or so; how did we fix that – same methodology. Thank goodness that the multitracks actually survived.

And now ladeeeez and gentlemen..., for your delectation – here is Jess... recorded live as live is...

1. Intro / The Alan Bown – Sourced from the ¼” Master and recorded September 19th 1966 live at The Marquee Club, London… segues into…

2. Reason To Change / The Jess Roden Band – Previously Unreleased, sourced from the 2” Multitrack and recorded May 20th 1976 live at The Marquee Club, London… segues into…

3. It’s Growin’ / The Alan Bown – Sourced from the ¼” Master and recorded September 19th 1966 live at The Marquee Club, London (from the only known Alan Bown club recording, originally issued on Side 2 of the seminal 1966 London Swings | Live At The Marquee LP, the A side featuring Jimmy James & The Vagabonds – although their performance was actually captured on a different night)

4. The Ballad Of Big Sally / The Jess Roden Band – Previously Unreleased, sourced from the 2” Multitrack and recorded November 30th 1976 live at Birmingham Town Hall (from one of the two shows that were recorded – the other being Leicester university – during the last JRB UK tour from which, ultimately, the Blowin’ album was released)

5. You Can Leave Your Hat On / The Jess Roden Band – Previously Unreleased, sourced from the 2” Multitrack and recorded November 30th 1976 live at Birmingham Town Hall

6. Down In The Valley / The Alan Bown – Sourced from the ¼” Master and recorded September 19th 1966 live at The Marquee Club, London

7. Can’t Get Next To You / The Jess Roden Band – Previously Unreleased, sourced from the 2” Multitrack and recorded May 20th 1976 live at The Marquee Club, London (the third and final night of the JRB’s residency at The Marquee that May and on a night when the temperature rose to such a degree that water was running down the walls; a collosal early-Summer thunderstorm broke overhead right as the final notes of that night’s performance played out).

8. Get To Steppin’ / The Jess Roden Band – Previously Unreleased, sourced from the 2” Multitrack and recorded September 18th 1974 live at The Lyceum, London (a Robert Parker tune, ‘Steppin’ was recorded at one of the earliest JRB shows – pre-Billy Livesey joining on keyboards – supporting Georgie Fame’s band at London’s legendary Lyceum)

9. In A Circle / The Jess Roden Band – Previously Unreleased, sourced from the 2” Multitrack and recorded November 20th 1976 live at Leicester University

10. Me And Crystal Eye / The Jess Roden Band – Previously Unreleased, sourced from the 2” Multitrack and recorded November 20th 1976 live at Leicester University

11. You Better Believe It / Jess Roden And The Humans – sourced from the WAV Master and recorded November 1st 1996 live at The Robin, Merry Hill, Birmingham

12. Miss US Dream / The Jess Roden Band – Previously Unreleased, sourced from the 2” Multitrack and recorded November 20th 1976 live at Leicester University

13. The Boomerang / The Alan Bown – Sourced from the ¼” Master and recorded September 19th 1966 live at The Marquee Club, London

14 & 15. All Night Long & Friend Of Mine / The Jess Roden Band – Previously Unreleased encore, sourced from the 2” Multitrack and recorded November 30th 1976 live at Birmingham Town Hall (the penultimate night of their final tour)

(All track selections subject to change and final clearances. Recording dates listed have been sourced from tape box information).

Hidden Masters | The Jess Roden Anthology CD 1 – Town & Country

1. Baby Don’t Push Me / The Alan Bown Set – Previously unreleased mix; sourced from the 1” multitrack, recorded February 28th 1966

2. Headline News / The Alan Bown Set – Previously unreleased mix, sourced from the 1” multitrack, recorded September 14th 1966

3. Gonna Fix You Good / The Alan Bown Set – Previously unreleased mix, sourced from the 1” multitrack, recorded December 19th 1966

4. I Really, Really Care / The Alan Bown Set – Previously unreleased mix, sourced from the 1” multitrack, recorded March 1st 1967

5. All Along The Watchtower / The Alan Bown – Sourced from the ¼” Master, recorded June 3rd 1968

6. My Girl The Month Of May / The Alan Bown – Sourced from the ¼” Production Master, recorded June 3rd 1968

7. Amber Moon / Bronco – Sourced from the ¼” Cutting Master and recorded April 9th 1971

8. Lazy Now / Bronco – Previously unreleased mix, sourced from the 2” multitrack that was recorded August 21st 1970

9. All The Love I Sing (Love) / Bronco – Previously Unreleased mix, sourced from the ¼” Master, recorded April 19th 1970

10. Time Slips Away / Bronco – Sourced from the ¼” Cutting Master, recorded April 9th 1971

11. New Day Avenue / Bronco – Previously Unreleased Mix, sourced from the ¼” Master, recorded April 9th 1971

12. Bumpers West / Bronco – Previously Unreleased Mix, sourced from the ¼” Master, recorded September 2nd 1970

13. Sudden Street / Bronco – Previously unreleased mix, sourced from the 2” multitrack that was recorded March 19th 1971

14. Joys & Fears / Bronco – Sourced from the ¼” Cutting Master recorded March 15th 1971

15. Life / Jess Roden – Previously Unreleased Demo, sourced from the ¼” Master, recorded August 27th 1972

16. Song 3 / Jess Roden – Previously Unreleased Instrumental Demo with guide vocal, sourced from the 2” Multitrack recorded on February 10th 1972
(Take #2 of 2...)

(All track selections subject to change and final clearances. Recording dates listed have been sourced from tape box information – obviously, some relate to initial sessions while some are final-mix dates. Since some of the original multitracks haven't survived, this is the closest possible dating available). Further Anthology track listings to be announced shortly.