Pink Floyd early-'70's concert streams (2021 and 2022)
Last month, in December of 2022, Pink Floyd quietly released 18 full-length concert recordings from 1972 to streaming services, along with a five-song EP containing alternate versions of songs from their landmark 1973 album Dark Side Of The Moon.
Why have they done this? Reportedly, the release of these recordings extends copyright ownership for a longer time, whereas the legal rights to the recordings would expire and fall into public domain if the owners did not make use of them before a certain date. A Sony representative told Rolling Stone magazine in 2013:
“The copyright law in Europe was recently extended from 50 to 70 years for everything recorded in 1963 and beyond. With everything before that, there’s a new ‘Use It or Lose It’ provision. It basically said, ‘If you haven’t used the recordings in the first 50 years, you aren’t going to get any more.’”
Pink Floyd did something similar the previous December in 2021, when they digitally released concert recordings from 1971, apparently for the same reason. But those 2021 digital releases have since been removed, so it is likely that this new batch also will be unavailable before long. So, check them out before they are gone. (Hint: If you are using Spotify, look under Pink Floyd's compilations tab, and scroll down to the year 1972). Here is the list of the current release titles:
These shows were sourced from unofficial bootleg recordings, so don't expect high-quality audio from them. In many cases, these concert recordings have a faraway sound; on one hand it is frustrating, but on the other hand, it does often give the recordings the feeling of a vague dream, which sometimes fits the music in a way.
These 1972 concerts generally document early live performances of songs from Dark Side Of The Moon, from the year before the album was released. It is interesting to hear the songs performed before they were finalized, as we can hear the band "fine-tuning" their unique prog-rock opus while they were on the road.
Also, these 1972 concerts generally document performances of songs which were studio-recorded during the four years prior, before DSOTM but after the band's early days with original Floyd founder Syd Barrett. The 1972 live performances of these songs usually show improvement from the performances from the earlier concerts documented in the 2021 digital releases, in terms of both tighter playing and more sophisticated use of sound effects.
What releases are those? These are the titles that the band issued on streaming services in 2021, but which have since been removed:
Generally speaking, these 1971 concert recordings tend to show the band in a slightly less arty psychedelic light, stretching out with lengthy versions of post-Barrett, pre-DSOTM selections such as "Echoes", "Careful With That Axe Eugene", and "Set The Controls for The Heart of the Sun". Unlike the Dark Side selections from the 1972 concerts, these songs were both fully formed and expanded upon, though they still had now-evident room for growth. Contrasting these 1971 performances with the 1972 performances of similar song selections shows the band's progress at a key phase of their evolution, just as they were entering their pivotal DSOTM period. Their ability to hold listeners' interest with these long psychedelic jams was remarkable.
As for the Alternative Tracks 1972 EP, it contains five alternative studio mixes of songs from Dark Side Of The Moon. Notice how the word "alternative" was used instead of "alternate". Does that mean anything? Maybe. The sound of these versions is very much in line with what we now categorize as "alternative rock", including contemporary-sounding trance remixes of "Breathe" and "Any Colour You Like", as well as "ultra rare alternative versions" of "Time" and "Us And Them", which basically come across like less-polished mono mixes. Here is the EP's track listing:
1. Speak To Me / Breathe (In The Air) - Trance Remix Version
2. On The Run - Demo Version
3. Time / Breathe (In The Air) (Reprise) - Ultra Rare Alternative Version
4. Us And Them - Ultra Rare Alternative Version
5. Any Colour You Like - Trance Remix Version
Devoted fans of the Floyd will find plenty in these recordings to hold their interest, although listening time may not be on their side.
If this pattern continues, perhaps we can expect official streams of 1973 Floyd concerts, from the year of Dark Side's release, this coming December of 2023.
Why have they done this? Reportedly, the release of these recordings extends copyright ownership for a longer time, whereas the legal rights to the recordings would expire and fall into public domain if the owners did not make use of them before a certain date. A Sony representative told Rolling Stone magazine in 2013:
“The copyright law in Europe was recently extended from 50 to 70 years for everything recorded in 1963 and beyond. With everything before that, there’s a new ‘Use It or Lose It’ provision. It basically said, ‘If you haven’t used the recordings in the first 50 years, you aren’t going to get any more.’”
Pink Floyd did something similar the previous December in 2021, when they digitally released concert recordings from 1971, apparently for the same reason. But those 2021 digital releases have since been removed, so it is likely that this new batch also will be unavailable before long. So, check them out before they are gone. (Hint: If you are using Spotify, look under Pink Floyd's compilations tab, and scroll down to the year 1972). Here is the list of the current release titles:
- Live at Southampton Guildhall, UK, 23 January 1972
- Live at Carnegie Hall, New York, 5 Feb 1972
- Live at the Rainbow Theatre, London 17 February 1972
- Live at the Rainbow Theatre, London 18 Feb 1972
- Live at the Rainbow Theatre, London 19 Feb 1972
- Live at the Rainbow Theatre, London 20 Feb 1972
- Live at the Taiikukan, Tokyo, Japan, 3 Mar 1972
- Live at Osaka Festival Hall, Japan, 8 Mar 1972
- Live at Nakajima Sports Centre, Sapporo, Japan, 13 Mar 1972
- Live at Chicago Auditorium Theatre, USA, 28 April 1972
- Live at the Deutschlandhalle, Berlin, Germany, 18 May 1972
- Live at the Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, 22 Sept 1972
- Live at the Empire Pool, Wembley, London, 21 Oct 1972
- Live at Ernst-Merck Halle, Hamburg, Germany, 12 Nov 1972
- Live at the Palais des Sports, Poitiers, France 29 Nov 1972
- Live at the Palais des Sports de L’Ile de la Jatte, Saint Ouen, France, 1 Dec 1972
- Live at the Vorst Nationaal, Brussels, Belgium, 5 Dec 1972
- Live at The Hallenstadion, Zurich, Switzerland 9 Dec 72
- Alternative Tracks 1972
These shows were sourced from unofficial bootleg recordings, so don't expect high-quality audio from them. In many cases, these concert recordings have a faraway sound; on one hand it is frustrating, but on the other hand, it does often give the recordings the feeling of a vague dream, which sometimes fits the music in a way.
These 1972 concerts generally document early live performances of songs from Dark Side Of The Moon, from the year before the album was released. It is interesting to hear the songs performed before they were finalized, as we can hear the band "fine-tuning" their unique prog-rock opus while they were on the road.
Also, these 1972 concerts generally document performances of songs which were studio-recorded during the four years prior, before DSOTM but after the band's early days with original Floyd founder Syd Barrett. The 1972 live performances of these songs usually show improvement from the performances from the earlier concerts documented in the 2021 digital releases, in terms of both tighter playing and more sophisticated use of sound effects.
What releases are those? These are the titles that the band issued on streaming services in 2021, but which have since been removed:
- They Came in Peace, Live, Leeds University 1970 Washington University 1971
- Live at Grosser Saal, Musikhalle, Hamburg, West Germany 25 Feb 1971
- Mauerspechte Berlin Sportpalast, Live 5 June 1971
- Live, Lyon 12 June 1971, Tokyo 16 March 1972
- Live in Rome Palaeur 20 June 1971
- Amsterdamse Bos Free Concert 26 June 1971 (Live)
- Live in Montreux 18 & 19 Sept 1971
- KB Hallen, Copenhagen, Live 23 Sept 1971
- KB Hallen, Copenhagen, Vol II, Live 23 Sept 1971
- Over Bradford Pigs on the Groove Bradford University, Live 10 Oct 1971
- Embryo, San Diego, Live 17 Oct 1971
- The Screaming Abdabs Quebec City, Live 10 Nov 1971
Generally speaking, these 1971 concert recordings tend to show the band in a slightly less arty psychedelic light, stretching out with lengthy versions of post-Barrett, pre-DSOTM selections such as "Echoes", "Careful With That Axe Eugene", and "Set The Controls for The Heart of the Sun". Unlike the Dark Side selections from the 1972 concerts, these songs were both fully formed and expanded upon, though they still had now-evident room for growth. Contrasting these 1971 performances with the 1972 performances of similar song selections shows the band's progress at a key phase of their evolution, just as they were entering their pivotal DSOTM period. Their ability to hold listeners' interest with these long psychedelic jams was remarkable.
As for the Alternative Tracks 1972 EP, it contains five alternative studio mixes of songs from Dark Side Of The Moon. Notice how the word "alternative" was used instead of "alternate". Does that mean anything? Maybe. The sound of these versions is very much in line with what we now categorize as "alternative rock", including contemporary-sounding trance remixes of "Breathe" and "Any Colour You Like", as well as "ultra rare alternative versions" of "Time" and "Us And Them", which basically come across like less-polished mono mixes. Here is the EP's track listing:
1. Speak To Me / Breathe (In The Air) - Trance Remix Version
2. On The Run - Demo Version
3. Time / Breathe (In The Air) (Reprise) - Ultra Rare Alternative Version
4. Us And Them - Ultra Rare Alternative Version
5. Any Colour You Like - Trance Remix Version
Devoted fans of the Floyd will find plenty in these recordings to hold their interest, although listening time may not be on their side.
If this pattern continues, perhaps we can expect official streams of 1973 Floyd concerts, from the year of Dark Side's release, this coming December of 2023.
Comments