WCF does Tull – pt.3: ‘FLUTE CAKE” (a WCF copy, # FC-8888) + Freebooter / TMOQ / Ruthless Rhymes versions, Italy ’83 reissues and ‘DI, DI My Lovely’

Released around 1972 – 73

Source: Anaheim Convention Center, 19 October 1970 (often mis-dated to 1972, despite this being a 1970 set list, due to an error on the insert of a reissue – see below)

Track list:

A1 Nothing is Easy  (07:44)
A2 My God  (10:30)
A3 We Used to Know   (03:07)
B1 With You There to Help Me / By Kind Permission Of  (12:20)
B2 Song for Jeffrey  (04:56)
B3 Sossity, You’re a Woman  (05:20)

Typical Set list on this leg of the tour:

Nothing Is Easy
My God
With You There To Help Me/By Kind Permission Of…
A Song For Jeffrey
Sossity: You’re A Woman/Reasons For Waiting
Dharma For One

Encore:
We Used To Know
Guitar Solo
For A Thousand Mothers

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A copy of this release:

 

 

Matrix: S-2585/S-2586

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Two further releases that seem to be linked are the Freebooter and the TMOQ versions:

 

Silk-screened cover art.

The letter/number combination on the label is KW 215344, which happens to be the matrix for the TMOQ release. Based on TMOQ’s habit in ’71/’72 of giving their original releases a matrix consisting of initials identifying the artist and a 3-digit number, I tend to believe that this is a copy made by TMOQ. Their version dates to July of 1972.

 

And later editions:

 

Some of these copies with (smoking) pig labels have the new matrix 1828-A / B

Ruthless Rhymes/Vicky Vinyl re-issued this album from the TMOQ plates (Matrix KW-215344-A / B) in two different versions:

• on mcv but using the “plant & cake” insert of the FC-888 version but with an added stamp
• re-titled as JETHRO TULL MESS on black PVC with Ruthless Rhymes labels

 

 

In 1983, someone in Italy produced 300 red vinyl copies and about 50 in green with blank white labels, claiming TMOQ’s original pressing plate. The concert date was incorrectly stated as 1972.

 

Finally, in the late 1980’s, there was this rather tacky reissue:

From an auction description: “Cover is a black with xerox copies attached to front and back. The back of it has a xerox of Lady Di when her top fell down during some event, it doesn’t show anything, but the shock and horror of her expression says it all. The front has Ian backstage with 5 lovelies in female tuxedos with a plastic breast piece on each of them, one of the ladies appears to be Pamela Debarres (of 60’s rock groupie fame), but not positive on that. One of the back pics on the back is of Ian in make-up with the words “Jethro Tull Might Do Something Weird” on the bottom. Above that pic on the back is of 2 women where one is licking the others breast(whoever put this record out liked breasts apparently). I believe this is a reboot of the TMOQ release of Flute Cake. I like this one better personally.“

 

If you know the matrix number for this version or have any further info on any of the other versions, please leave a comment.

 

 

 

WCF does Tull pt. 2: ‘M Y G O D’ (a WCF copy, # 2253) + a round up of other versions

 

I would date this version to 1972/early 1973. However, there is another version with this matrix; it does not really look like a WCF product though:

 

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The origin of this album is well known. Following the success of LiveR Than You’ll Ever Be, Dub recorded Jethro Tull at the Long Beach Arena on 19 April 1970 and the performances of Sossity, You’re A Woman / Reasons For Waiting / My God (no exclamation mark) were mastered into the pressing plate for one side of Dub & Ken’s fifth ever production.

LONG BEACH ARENA ,CA.
APRIL 19, 1970

1 – TALK/TUNING
2 – NOTHING IS EASY
3 – TALK
4 – MY GOD
5 – TO CRY YOU A SONG
6 – WITH YOU THERE TO HELP ME
7 – SOSSITY, YOU’RE A WOMAN > REASONS FOR WAITING > SOSSITY, YOU’RE A WOMAN
8 – DHARMA FOR ONE
9 – WE USED TO KNOW > GUITAR SOLO > FOR A THOUSAND MOTHERS

Side two was filled with five pirated UK 45 B-sides. It was released around May of 1970 using colored vinyl and square labels with stamped covers.

At this pre-TMOQ stage, they still invented a new label name for each release and this was going to be Athapascan Records (the term originally refers to “a large family of indigenous languages of North America, located in western North America in three groups of contiguous languages: Northern, Pacific Coast and Southern (or Apachean)”. The matrix number was 20 1 / 2

The release was very successful and there were many copies, including on 8-Track. For some reason, most copies moved the live tracks to the second side.

Early CBM copy with matrix MG1

Dittolino renamed the album.

Here we have copies with matrix markings: MY GOD SIDE A / B

There are copies with Rutgers University labels adorned with a large stamp:

and a printed covers version with yellow labels bearing the number 63 122 (matrix markings: EL-A / B), which manages to misspell the name of the band:

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Back to TMOQ versions:

Ken reissued the album ca. 1973/4 with the matrix numbers  1819-1 70-246-M / 1819-B 1/2-2 70-247-M

These can be found with farm or smoking pig symbols. This is one instance where Ken’s claim that that ‘farm pig = not always a Dub made LP’ and ‘smoking pig = not always a Ken made album’ holds true, as the 4-digit prefix gives it away as a later Ken pressing. This title can be found as part of the generic cartoon reissue series as well.

When Dub reissued this album together with his other Tull release Nothing Is Easy, the matrix numbers were ATHAPASCAN RECORDS IN CONCERT 20½ A / B  -or- 20½ – 1 70-246 M / 20½ – 1 70-247 M

 

 

 

 

WCF does JETHRO TULL pt. 1: ‘U.S. Tour April 1972 Volume II’ (a WCF copy, # 901)

I was not able to find an image for # 2235 JIM HENDRIX – ‘SCUSE ME WHILE I KISS THE SKY so that one will have to be skipped for now.

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Three Tull copies, likely released by WCF in the 2nd half of 1972 – early 1973.

1. U.S. TOUR  APRIL  1972   VOLUME II

 

The cover art “borrowed” from CBM down to a ‘T’.

WCF’s detailed album track list:

A1 Wind Up / instrumental by Martin Barre
A2 Locomotive Breath / Hard-Headed English General / Wind-Up Reprise
B1 Thick As A Brick pt. 1
B2 Thick AS A Brick pt. 1 (cont.)

Source: The Scope in Norfolk, VA on April 22, 1972.

Below, the CBM original with matrix markings 3426 for Side 1, which is identical to Á1+2 on the WCF album above but Side 2 is different, playing Cross-Eyed Mary / A New Day Yesterday / Aqualung – and the matrix is ‘3436-B JTB Scope’.

 

 

The two segments of “Thick As A Brick” on WCF’s Side 2 appear to be identical to plate ‘3436-A JTA Scope’ as released on CBM’s ticketron.

CBM created two plates for “Cross-Eyed Mary / A New Day Yesterday / Aqualung”: ‘3436-B JTB Scope’ – used for the titles ticketron & U.S. TOUR APRIL 1972 VOLUME II and ‘JTB 3420 3436B’ also used on Side 2 of BALTIMORE AND AROUND NOVEMBER 1972

Around 1975, CBM created yet another master plate as they needed to pair down the Norfolk material to two album sides for the rare double album RETROROC, combining it with LIVE MAY 1973. Just over six minutes of “Wind Up” were extracted and tacked on to “Thick As A Brick” and issued with the matrix number 3436 A (side 2 had the usual C-E M/A N D Y/AQ).

 

” This is one of the most popular recordings from the “Thick as a Brick” tour and deservedly so: it’s a blistering and highly energetic performance captured on a great sounding audience tape.”Ticketron” was first issued with an edited version of part one of “Thick as a Brick” on side A and the “Wind-Up” encore section on side B. After a while, a second version of the LP with the same side A but with “Cross-Eyed Mary”, “A New Day Yesterday” and “Aqualung” on side B was pressed, liberating 25 minutes more from the show. ” (notes from a restoration project)

Track list:

01 Introduction
02 Thick as a Brick, Pt. 1 [cut during organ solo]
03 Jeffrey speaks
04 Cross-Eyed Mary
05 A New Day Yesterday
06 Aqualung
07 Ian speaks
08 Wind-Up [cuts in, piano intro edited out]
09 Instrumental by Martin Barre
10 Locomotive Breath
11 Hard Headed English General
12 Wind-Up (reprise)

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“The Norfolk concert and the Baltimore concert were both recorded by one of the earliest practitioners: R (who was from Baltimore).  Somehow he fell in with the people from the CBM (Contraband Music) label, which was the original issue of this material.  Sadly and most unfortunately R sent the master tape of Norfolk to them and did not make a copy.  He also sent them other shows.  He never got any of those tapes back.  Word has it they destroyed the masters when done, presumably to keep them “rare” or exclusive, which was misguided since other labels with better distribution soon repressed the material and sold a lot more records than they did.  TMOQ got to this one very quickly but it wasn’t their source and is unlikely they actually had a tape as labels did not cooperate with each other (if they do have tape someone should rescue the Norfolk one).  CBM unfortunately used cheaper noisier vinyl than some of the others so the only remaining sources of some of R’s material are those records (hopefully a lightly played one).  

R did keep the master of the Baltimore show and sent CBM a copy (that hometown show was much closer to his heart).

Other early Baltimore shows that hit vinyl (and some that didn’t) were his recordings as well.  He did get good sound for the day but he was just using built in mics on an old semi-portable cassette deck. “

 

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While I believe that the WCF version with the blue title/number labels comes in a single sleeve with a slip sheet, there was also this ca. 1973 reissue in a folder but without an artist image on the back yet, likely a transitional phase between the insert and the deluxe folder covers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JETHRO TULL ‘DARK HAITI’ 79–136 /137 /138 / 139 M

Below, a copy without a stamp, or perhaps it’s on the back.

And a black vinyl copy, so they do exist:

USA: 1979 – this was the start of a trilogy where they released three double albums recorded at the same venue within six or eight days; this one, Van Halen and Supertramp; the only bootleg label I have come across to have done this.

Source: Audience recording from the Seattle Coliseum, April 10th 1979. One of the last concerts featuring bass player John Glascock, who would take his final bow at the end of this leg on 1 May 1979, in San Antonio, TX.

Regarding the album’s title, was it an insider joke or an honest mistake? When introducing “Dark Ages” from the then still unreleased new Tull album STORMWATCH, Ian Anderson would draw out the pronunciation, so that it did sound like “Dark Haiti” but when listening to the song, it becomes clear that it’s “ages” (by the way, does Ian have the best on stage pronunciation or what? I could listen to him all day long). I do not suppose that the person(s) behind the 78/79-1XX label were Tull fans.At least, as all the first second generation bootleg labels had been put out of business and could no longer cover the latest Tull tour, as they had done so well in ’72, ’73 and after, at least these guys filled that gap quite nicely.

This used to be one of the most sought after & valuable titles by this label in the last decade, reaching a staggering $670 in 2008 for a lucky seller. Prices have more than halved since then though.

Side 1: One Brown Mouse / Heavy Horses / My God (including God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Kelpie and Bourée)
Side 2: Dark Ages  
Side 3: Cross-eyed Mary / Thick As A Brick  
Side 4: Quatrain, Aqualung (medley) / Locomotive Breath, The Dambusters’ March and Aqualung (medley)

 

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1979 tour poster