Japan: 1983 or early ’84 – this used to be one of the highest selling ETS bootlegs at auctions, sometimes selling for $300+. Godfather Records picked this recording for CD release in 2013, as they play really well at this show, subsequently this may have impacted the resell value. On the other hand, Kiss fans have always enjoyed their vinyl bootlegs, so it may not.
Source: Universal Amphitheater, Los Angeles, 27 March 1983
Value: Kiss vinyl bootlegs count among the ones achieving and keeping a high value but the sky is not the limit. Recently, this title was offered at set sale for a rather over optimistic $550 and has now been changed to auction with a starting bid of $199; past auction results show it having achieved between just over $100 and $400 (not counting the autographed copy; shown as the 1st image).
Source: The Animalize tour stop at Long Beach Arena, 1st night. Another recording from this venue released by XL, makes you wonder if XL had a close contact in Southern California supplying them with tapes. However, on the 17 of February ’85 and not the 22nd as stated on the back cover (as corrected by the kissbootlegged website). Definitely not a Japanese concert in disguise as Kiss was in the middle of a 10 year Japan tour abstinence in ’85.
1611 A: Detroit Rock City / Cold Gin / Creatures Of The Night / Fits Like A Glove
1611 B: Heaven’s On Fire / Paul Stanley guitar solo – Under The Gun / War Machine / Eric Carr drum solo
1612 A: Young And Wasted / Gene Simmons bass solo / I Love It Loud / I Still Love You
1613 B: Paul talking / Love Gun / Black Diamond (incl. Oh Susanna) / Lick It Up [ fades out ]
This is the actual corrected set list. The back cover smuggled in such nowhere to be found mystery tracks as “I’VE HAD ENOUGH (INTO THE FIRE)” (end of side 1), “BURN BITCH BURN” (on side 2 – see the title label above, could have been a quote from Paul Stanley’s onstage banter). “TRAD” on side 4, refers to “Oh Suzanna”. 74 minutes
I really need better images for this but this still quite an in demand bootleg and is hard to find. This triple set has usually sold for big money at auction: $261 in 2011 and $553 in 2013.
Japan: 1984
Source: Stated as being from Long Beach Arena, 27 January 1984 and it probably is due to the 10 year Japan Tour hiatus the band was in the middle of at this time.
1576 A: Creatures of the night / Detroit rock city / Cold gin / Fits like a glove 1576 B: Firehouse / Guitar Solo – Paul / Gimme more / Guitar Solo – Vinnie 1577 A: War machine /I love it loud / Bass Solo / I still love you 1577 B: Drum Solo / Young and wasted / Love gun 1578 A: All hell´s breaking loose / Black diamond 1578 B: Lick it up / Rock´n roll all nite
Quality rating: Audience recording rated very good plus
Finally, we come across this release, which differs from the others.
All previous XL matrix numbers followed the same formula: XL 15XX/XX A/B 111 + I – but not this one, which has 99K A/B/C/D
This is the first XL release also found with blank white labels.
This is the first Japanese bootleg since David Bowie’s Don’t Touch That Dial that was copied abroad (at least partially in this case) under the grammatically more correct title EGOS AT STAKE (unless I’m wrong and a different tape was used but there-use of the the title and the quality degradation of the copies speaks against this).
First pressing label – Japan: 1984. Japan was in the middle of a KISS drought that would last exactly 10 years. It appears that demand for KISS remained strong as XL would release another KISS title soon after this one (World Tour 1984) and yet another a bit later (Kissing In The Pink).
The source listed here is actually correct for a change: London, Wembley Arena – 2nd night on 9 September 1980
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I do believe that these worse sounding single LP copies with wrap around (five different variations as seen on http://www.kissbootlegged.com/bootlegs1979_1980.html ) or single sheet paper inserts were produced in Europe. I will show a variation that cannot be seen on kissbootlegged:
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In 2012, bootleggers went back to the Japanese original but with their own simplified version of an XL label and pressed 300-500 copies on black and four different vinyl colors (yellow, a dirty yellow that I have seen described as “beer-colored” and 1 green + 1 blue disc):
Source: Audience recording of the first Budokan Tokyo performance, 01 April 1977
Side 1: Mama Weer All Crazee Now (Slade) / Introduction – Detroit Rock City / Take Me / Let Me Go R & R / Ladies Room / Firehouse / Makin’ Love / I Want You / Cold Gin Side 2: Do You Love Me? / Nothin’ To Lose / God Of Thunder / Rock ‘n’ Roll All Nite / Shout It Out Loud / Beth / Black Diamond
HOTWACKS quality rating: “Vgs”
What made the bootleggers include the Slade song? Was this played over the PA or is this just the original single/album track? What is the message – apart from using the title for this bootleg?
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Kiss played four shows at the Budokan as part of their first Japan Tour, one each on April 1st and 4th and two on April 2nd. At least three of these were recorded by Mr. Peach and released on the Tarantura label. It appears that both of the shows on the 2nd were filmed for the Young Music Show / HBO edited 50 minute special, which the band has since released as part of their KISSOLOGY series.
This makes this bootlegs still quite desirable – unless a Mr. Peach recording is released (no less than five of the tour’s performances have already been released and it has to be assumed that he wet all out as usual and recorded every single concert).
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1st of April ticket stub, confirming the date quoted on the back cover
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Vicky Vinyl copied this title as part of her Dragonfly label by removing the Slade track, spreading the songs over three LP sides and filling the remaining fourth with six songs recorded at the L.A. Forum on 27 August 1977:
Released by Vicki Vinyl in late 1977 or 1978 – Matrix: K 1322 A/B
Later reissued as part of the 3 LP KISS KARTON box set.
Cover image by Bob Gruen, taken on the band’s off day following their Kyoto show 1977/03/27 at Ryozen Kannon – a war memorial commemorating the War dead of the Pacific War, featuring a statue of Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara (Kannon). I doubt the band knew it at the time but “The shrine beneath the statue contains […] images of the god of wind and god of thunder. ”
The first appearance of the London ’76 tape had been on her FRIED ALIVE (IMP 1113) title, when ‘Rock’n Roll all Night (Party Everyday)’ was tacked on to the end of side 2 and misidentified as being from San Diego. The track would not be included again on any of the versions of BLITZ LONDON.
Available in the 1970s with Dragonfly and Ruthless Rhymes labels and in the ’80s with GLC ones.
“Copyright 1981 Great Live Concerts (GlC) Produced by Clarence White 6012-4299.” [This particular version used to sell in the $200 – $300+ range ]
and with Hot Tub Records custom labels ‘borrowed’ from the Rolling Stones San Diego 1981 double Light Up The Town.
Quality rated as Vg minus “…source is a very good audience recording that is clear and very enjoyable with a good balance of instruments and vocals. There are some sound fluctuations through out but does not distract from the listening experience.”
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KISS BLITZ LONDON
A Japanese issue with fake Idle Mind labels, an I.M.P. number borrowed from the original Kiss Destroys Anaheim release (IMP 1120) and a wrap-around style insert was released ca. 1978 and includes the introduction as well as the first song, “Deuce”.
Length: 46min. Quality: B-
“… this comes from the Japanese vinyl bootleg which is far better than the other vinyls. The common vinyl versions called Blitz London runs too slow and does not include Deuce, whereas the Japanese version called KISS Blitz London has the intro, Deuce and a normal pitch.
The show is not complete, missing Gene’s solo / 100,000 years / Peter’s solo right before Black Diamond, and also missing Rock and roll all nite and Let me go rock’n roll (if the last one was played). Here’s a smashing piece of info some of you old vinylcollectors might not have thought of then. On the vinylboot called Fried Alive there’s a track supposedly recorded in “San Diego 1976″, the track is Rock and roll all nite. To my ears it’s the exact same recording as this London-show, which in all probability means we really DO have Rock and roll all nite from Lonon as well. The sound, the ambience and the audience noise sounds exactly like London. It’s most certainly NOT San Diego in any case, as KISS didn’t play there in 1976 :)”
01. -tuning up- 02. Deuce 03. Strutter 04. Flaming youth 05. Hotter than hell 06. Firehouse 07. She / Ace – solo 08. Nothin� to lose 09. Shout it out loud 10. Black diamond 11. Detroit rock city
Another reissue (described as Japanese in two auctions I found but that may be incorrect) going for big $$$ in the past – this is known as Lesco R K 1322
And on and on… the title is still sold today as a vinyl bootleg as a picture disc, on colored PVC, …
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UK Tour ads
16 May at the Hammersmith Odeon, their last performance in the UK
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The original release probably sounded worse than what you can hear on this YT clip:
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Sides 1- 3: Very good audience recording from one or more of the three shows performed at the L.A. Forum on 26/27/28 August 1977, as part of the Love Gun Tour, that were recorded and released as Alive II .
Quality: “The audience recording was issued early on vinyl as Sneak Attack on such labels as Ruthless Rhymes, Dragonfly Records and GLC and as KISS My Axe on Canyon Records. The audience source is very good bordering on excellent, there is a nice mix of audience noise present that captures the party atmosphere perfectly.” (collectormusic.com)
The double set was also re-issued in 1984 on GLC labels and colored PVC as part of the LXXXVI resissue series (# 07 and limited to around 100 copies) and also with Full Tilt labels:
This title is also still in production to this day but it tends to sell for modest prices over the years (with the exception of the colored copies, of course). with the fact that the official live album was culled from these shows having an effect.
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How do you spell L.A. again? The poster and the Tee currently on eBay with minimum asking prices of close to $1000
Finally, combined and hawked as a box set. I don’t know which release came first. Blitz London and Sneak Attack may still have come out in 1977 and the box in the following year.
Also available on Ruthless Rhymes, GLC and Canyon Records.
Side 4 is actually not from the Budokan in Tokyo, 2 April 1977, like the first three sides but from the L.A. Forum on 27 August 1977 (according to kissbootlegged.com).
This album can only be found with three type of labels: Dragonfly – I would say these are the original versions; Ruthless Rhymes came next and finally the green & red GLC labels.
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A copy of this Japanese bootleg on the Cartoon label (with some changes applied):
I am interested in the question when this TV special was first broadcast. So far, I have found the following:
“The broadcast was filmed by the Japanese NHK Company and the soundtrack was recorded by Eddie Kramer for a never released “Alive” album for the Japanese market. Later these recordings were used for the “Alive 2” album where they were mixed with the recordings of the August 1977 L.A. Forum shows. They shot it for Kiss who produced a film of it on Casablanca Records and Filmworks titled “Kiss live in Japan”. The NHK Company released it to its television audience in Japan in late 197 as “The Young Music Show”. Unfortunately the print they used was not of the quality of the original print. The original print, after Casablanca used it for “Kiss live in Japan”, was sold to HBO in the summer of 1979 for a US broadcast.”
I then hit pay dirt in a (translation) of a Japanese blog:
“Finally KISS has come to Japan, want to see them” The young Wildman didn’t know how to buy the ticket for Rock Concert And even didn’t have way to pay for more than 3,000 yen. So unbelievable But Wildman didn’t go to the very first Tour of KISS. But there was something more to ease These Boys and Girls who Could not go. Good that the NHK broadcast HAS Planned to air on the Live of KISS. Many People Their Life had changed by the Legend TV program called “The Young Music Show” was broadcast on May 7th 1977 at 15:50 on national television. Broadcast to the home of Wildman which changed the Life of Young Wildman. “
Setlist: 01. Introduction 02. Detroit Rock City 03. Let Me Go, Rock and Roll 04. Firehouse 05. Makin’ Love 06. Cold Gin 07. Ace Frehley solo 08. Nothin to Lose 09. Gene Simmons solo 10. God of Thunder 11. Peter Criss solo 12. God of Thunder (cont) 13. Rock and Roll All Nite 14. Encores 15. Black Diamond intro 16. Black Diamond
Edited out were “Take Me”, “Ladies Room”, “I Want You”, “Shout It Out Loud” and “Beth”.
The ‘label’ shown here is a sticker the previous owner added; the other side has a This Little Bird Productions label.
This specialized Kiss Bootlegs website has done a great job listing all the different variations – much better than what I could come up with – so I will just send you there and just contribute these large images of a sealed copy of Part 2:
The original plan was simple, create two new releases numbered 507 and 508 and put the same number on the slip sheets to match the matrix numbers. And then someone got mixed up…
Record Matrix: 508 A/B; mostly found with cat & dog labels. Also exists listed as death records
Side 1: Dance with the Dragon riff->Ride the Tiger, Fast Buck Freddie, That’s for Sure->solos Side 2: Play on Love, Better Lying Down, Somebody to Love, Have You Seen the Saucers
Source: The Inglewood Forum, 30 September 1976 with Heart opening, which was also recorded and released as the rare LP Frostbacks Live, L.A. Forum on the Wizardo sister label death records 520. See it here.
Update: Research by a very dedicated individual (see below) has led to a new date & venue: 1975-11-05 Los Angeles, California, Shrine Auditorium
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Rare insert version below with corrected release number. Found with the rare green Von Grossenshuss / Teufel Folk Songs label.
Jefferson Starship 1976 Tour Dates (probably not complete but more complete than anywhere else on the net):
Super Jam with Jefferson Starship, Fleetwood Mac, Ted Nugent, Jeff Beck, Jan Hammer – Busch Memorial Stadium (St. Louis, MO) – June 29, 1976
Boston Gardens (Boston, MA) – July ?
Milwaukee Arena (Milwaukee, WI) – July 1
Washington Park (Homewood, IL) – July 4
Central Park (New York, NY) – July 7 (WNEW-FM simulcast)
Niagara Falls Convention Center (Niagara Falls, NY) – July 9
Providence Civic Center (Providence, RI) – July 13
Colt Park (Hartford, CT) – July 14
w. Country Joe & The Fish and Stoneground – Greek Theater (Berkeley, CA) – July 27
w. Jeff Beck – Capital Centre (Largo, MD) – August 21
Nassau Coliseum (Long Island, NY) – August 26
w. Jeff Beck – Richfield Coliseum (Cleveland, OH) – August 30
w. Jeff Beck – Richfield Coliseum (Cleveland, OH) – August 31
Riverfront Coliseum (Cincinnati, OH) – September 1
Pine Knob Music Center () – September ?
Winterland (San Francisco, CA) – September ?
w. America, Doobie Brothers & The Beach Boys – Veteran’s Memorial Stadium (Erie, PA) – September 2
The Summit (Houston, TX) – September 22
Tarrant County Convention Center Arena (Fort Worth, TX) – September 24
w. Heart – The Forum (Los Angeles, CA) – September 30
Kemper Arena (Kansas City, MO) Aladdin Theatre (Las Vegas, NV) – October 3
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“* MORE DATE & LOCATION INFO ::: For 4 decades this boot has circulated under an incorrect hall & dates. […] Now thanks to my listening to every little comment, the internet & the investigative wonders of DIMER gv0000, we can rest assured the mystery has been solved.
Online & elsewhere this has always been referred to as the Los Angeles (Inglewood) Forum, dated 1976-09-30, 1975-09-xx, 1976-08-24 & 1976-08-15 (& possibly others). However, there are a number of clues in the dialogue. Grace starts with, “Let’s go L.A.” & then makes a comment about Flo & Eddie’s merchandise & several remarks about Mark Volman (including while singing!), as well as talking about the lighting equipment & lighting technician, whom they are using courtesy of Flo & Eddie. There is also a comment by Marty far more fitting to the Shrine than the Forum about the hall size. Thanks to classy research by DIMER gv0000, we are now able to pinpoint the date & location. He found ads for a show not in the Starship lists – 1975-11-05 Los Angeles Shrine Auditorium with Flo & Eddie opening – & this most certainly is that. There was a Starship gig on 1976-09-30 at the Forum, but Heart was the opener.
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Called the rarest Kiss vinyl bootleg in existence as almost all found copies play the Jefferson Starship master – supposedly only 10 copies exist that actually play the Kiss recording.
The originally intended album was probably created by borrowing Vicky Vinyl’s tape released earlier on Destroys Anaheim/ Part Two on her Idle Mind label and creating a new master that also included a track by opening act Starz (creating some kind of a record by only ever having one song bootlegged out of your whole career and on top of that have the actual record misprint and become incredibly rare).
Track list:
A 1. Detroit Rock City A 2. King of the Nighttime World A 3. Let me go Rock´n Roll A 4. Strutter A 5. Deuce
B 1. Bass Solo B 2. God Of Thunder B 3. Drum Solo B 4. God of Thunder reprise B 5. Pull the Plug (Starz)
A copy playing the intended Kiss tracks just sold for over $700 in March of 2013 (the copy with the cat & dog records went unsold at $33 this June, while a blue Wizardo label copy – still a mismatch containing JS – achieved $280 in November of 2012, go figure). The owner could only quote the the haphazardly written track list off the insert: ‘Get Up, Get Down’ [this is obviously ‘Detroit Rock City’]/ She [not performed at this show, so that raises some doubts]/ Strutter / Deuce / Let Me Go Rock’n Roll/ ‘Rock’n Roll Thunder’ [obviously God Of Thunder] and a song by Starz, who may also have been on the bill.