What can you say about all these fantastic recordings Mr. Peach worked so hard to capture? I’ll leave it with an all encompassing “Holy cow!” Words fail when taking it all in. Just the cost and logistics of recording all over Japan must have been very high. And then all this for an amazing collection he never seems to have shared for decades.
There were two kinds of tapers. Those that traded their tapes relatively soon after the shows – Mr. Freezer, Steve Hopkins, Mike Millard, come to mind – and those that did not until an opportunity presented itself decades later “Mr. Peach and Dan Lampinski”. I’d love to find out more about the person behind the tapes. There are short interview bits here (http://bootleg.cdmuseumpb.com/?eid=4) but the only thing I could decipher was that he was/is a Tokyo resident, which I already knew based on the concert listing I had collected (49 shows recorded at the Budokan alone, so far). He is also the only taper I have known to smuggle in more than one recording device and come out with two recordings from the same concert. Did he have someone helping him? I wonder how strict security was in those days and what the policy was in regards to bringing in recording equipment. If anyone knows more about him, do leave a comment.
I have compiled a list of all known Mr. Peach recordings as of December 31st, 2013 (supposedly he has around 300 masters?) with quality comments from collectorsmusicreviews.com added. They might get a bit tedious after a while but I believe they add enough information to make it worthwhile. (The often somewhat daft) Name of CD title in brackets; it was not my goal to promote the CD bootleg label that has ‘contracted’ his master tapes, these were just added for reference purposes. Their release policy mirrors that of the early and mid-1970s Japan bootleg vinyl releases, which were usually limited to around 200 copies.
Overall, his recordings tend to be very loud and “in your face”. He still seems to have been at the mercy at whatever seat he could get once tickets went on sale, so I doubt he was connected to Udo Presents or another concert promoter but many of his recordings have littel intrusion from other patrons sitting close by. I also doubt he wrote for Music Life or some other publication and ad a professional reason to go to these concerts.
Mr. Peach hit his stride and a first peak in 1976 with the excellent documentation series of the Neil Young and Rainbow tours and just kept going, still dependent on the position of his seat in the arenas, of course, until changes in how drums were miked and amplified via the PA introduced some extra distortion here and there but his recordings usually always come out on top.
From 1976 onwards, Mr. Peach used this Sony portable recorder:
and upgraded in the Spring of ’77 to the latest Technics model, the 686d:
It is not known what type of microphones he used. Images of some of his master cassettes are pictured below.
****
– LED ZEPPELIN Festival Hall, Osaka – September 29th, 1971 (LIFE IN THE FAIRY TALE) “The recording done by Mr. Peach is very good plus, it sounds like he was close to the stage and used good equipment. The sound is clear, detailed and well balanced with just a small bit of hiss one would expect, yet is sadly incomplete. There are a few cuts and based upon what is written on the back cover, Peter Grant somehow busted Mr. Peach and confiscated the third tape so the recording finishes during Moby Dick.”
– TEN YEARS AFTER Festival Hall, Osaka – May 7th, 1972 (I’M COMING ON) “…distant from the stage and there is an abundance of echo…”
– HUMBLE PIE Shibuya Kokaido, Tokyo – May 16, 1973 (FOR ALL YOU DO, THIS BUD’s FOR YOU)
“good to very good but is noticeably distant from the stage. The recording also emphasizes the lower frequencies. At times the bass is distorted, but never to excess.”
– ERIC CLAPTON Budokan, Tokyo – November 1st, 1974 (ON TOUR 1974 BUDOKAN 2nd NIGHT) “…clear but distant from the stage… still much nicer than anything else available for this date…”
– ERIC CLAPTON Budokan, Tokyo – November 2nd, 1974 (LOVELY PEOPLE) “This tape source is distant, muffled and hissy. An incomplete soundboard recording exists for this show… Tarantura has the advantage of being more complete, but unfortunately this tape also runs a tad too slow…”
– QUEEN Bunka Taiikukan, Yokohama – April 30, 1975 (IN HAMA)
“…it is substantially more clear and powerful than the YouTube tape and has the missing encores. The only negative against this release are the cuts right after “Bring Back That Leroy Brown” (eliminating some of Freddie’s introduction to “Son And Daughter”) and at the beginning of “In The Lap Of The Gods…Revisited” omitting the introduction and opening lines…”
– ERIC CLAPTON Festival Hall, Osaka – October 23rd, 1975 (#1619 ROYAL HOTEL) “Whereas the old tape was fair, this new recording is very good bordering on excellent. It is clear, well balanced and has a tremendous amount of presence capturing a vivid record of the show. It doesn’t capture the complete show however and Tarantura use the older tape source for a few seconds at the very beginning, a three minute gap in “Blues Power” between 12:55 to 15:55 and at 1:24 in “Further On Up The Road” straight to the closing announcements. There is also a non-destructive cut after “As The Years Go Passing By.”
– ERIC CLAPTON Sogo-taikukan, Kita-Kyusyu – October 27, 1975 (QUIET GYMNASIUM) “…an improvement over the older recording ranking in the good range. The taper was still far from the stage and there is evident distortion in the bass during louder passages. The instruments also tend to get lost in the mush in many songs. The tape runs only about .5% too fast and is hardly noticeable.”
– ERIC CLAPTON Budokan, Tokyo – November 1st, 1975 ( THE GUITAR MAN WAS HERE) [on box set TOUR 75] “…emphasizes the bottom end with a slightly rumbling bass, but it does not detract from the clarity of the tape. There is a cut after “Badge,” after “I Shot The Sheriff,” and a small cut after the final song of the main set “Tell The Truth.””
– DEEP PURPLE Budokan, Tokyo – December 15, 1975 (MADE IN TOKYO) “…very good recording that at times borders on excellent. There are times where it sounds a little muffled but most of the time the instruments are well balanced and discernible, the vocals are nice and clear and it sounds great at loud volumes. “
– SANTANA Budokan, Tokyo – February 20th, 1976 (TOKYO AMIGOS) “The recording sounds slightly more distant than most Mr. Peach tapes and is a bit boomy in places but is still very enjoyable with a nice big atmosphere. Some minor “near by” audience noise is picked up at times but for the most part they are polite and non-intrusive. In comparison, Masterport may be a little sharper as far as detail goes but Tarantura is definitely louder with an overall fuller sound.”
– NEIL YOUNG Aichiken Taiikukan, Nagoya – March 3th, 1976 (WET SHOW) “The sound quality is simply stunning. It is a three dimensional stereo audience recording taped right in front of the stage. The balance between the instruments and audience is perfect, and is detailed enough to pick up Young’s off-mic comments.”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwOgHWWFxZQ
– NEIL YOUNG Festival Hall, Osaka – March 4, 1976 (OHKINI!) “…excellent sound”
– NEIL YOUNG Festival Hall, Osaka – March 6th, 1976 (BEST CHAW?) “…excellent sound quality…in an acoustically challenged hall. … only flaws on the tape, and duly noted by the label on the track listing on the back, are two instances of tape damage in the encore “Cinnamon Girl,” between 3:58 ~4:00 and 04:07 ~04:09.”
– NEIL YOUNG Budokan, Tokyo – March 10th, 1976 (WE LOVE YOU) “…sounds very similar to the Nagoya tape on Wet Show. It has the same clarity, balance and dynamics. The only distraction is several Americans by the tape who make comments to Young throughout the performance. The do not speak during the music so their intrusion is kept to a minimum.”
– NEIL YOUNG Budokan Hall, Tokyo – March 11th, 1976 (ARENA OF GOLD)
– QUEEN Budokan, Tokyo – March 22, 1976 – (GET YOUR KNICKERS OFF) “Compared to other Peach recordings it is slightly distant from the stage but still very clear and detailed.”
– QUEEN Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium, Nagoya – March 23, 1976 (MOET & CHANDON BREAKFAST)
– QUEEN Shiritsu Kohseinenkin-Kaikan, Himeji – March 24, 1976 (PRINCESS ROAD) “The sound is slightly distant but very clear and dynamic, capturing the atmosphere of the show very well. A tape flip after “Son And Daughter” eliminates some of the band introduction and one after “Liar” eliminates Brian May’s speech and the opening notes to “In The Lap Of The Gods…Revisited,” but is otherwise complete.”
– QUEEN Kyuden Kinen Taikukan, Fukuoka – March 26, 1976 (late show) (A NIGHT AT THE Q-DEN) “…an amazing sounding, clear and powerful tape… The sound quality places this among the best sounding documents from Queen’s second tour of Japan. ” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMfBcEIR2Do
– WISHBONE ASH Nakano Sun Plaza, Tokyo – October 2, 1976 (SILVER SHOES) “very clear and enjoyable, capturing the atmosphere […] that evening perfectly.”
– WISHBONE ASH Kokura Shimin Kaikan, Kita-Kyusho – October 11, 1976 (LOCKED OUT) “…excellent quality, all instruments are crisp and clear with the vocals just a tad low”
– RAINBOW Taiikukan, Tokyo – December 2nd, 1976 (LEGEND OF THE ADDITIONAL PERFORMANCE) “…significantly upgraded audio sourced from Mr. Peach’s master cassettes. However, where there were gaps in Peach’s recording, Tarantura filled them with Aquarius’s master tapes. As a result, the listener is furnished with the ability to appreciate the expansive, beautiful dimension that makes Peach’s recordings so precious. “
– RAINBOW Koseinenkin-Kaikan, Dai-Hall, Osaka – December 5, 1976 (THE DESTROYER IN THE WEST) ”recorded with his Sony Cassette TC-3000SD unit, from seat number 35 in row K of the second floor of the venue. Peach nailed it with remarkable clarity, balance, and driving power. “
– RAINBOW Nagoyashi-Kokaido, Nagoya – December 7, 1976 (FOLDBACK, MARSHALL MAJORS) “Multiple other Peach recordings of Rainbow have been released by Tarantura since Ave Maria, all in similarly great quality, but none that quite reached the peaks of the amazing Hiroshima tapes. That is, until release of the Nagoya tapes used on Foldback, Marshall Majors, which may rightly be placed atop the podium beside Hiroshima.”
– RAINBOW Koseinenkin-Kaikan, Dai-Hall, Osaka – December 8, 1976 (LIVE IN OSAKA) “…a stunning stereo audience recording of the highest quality, the sound is almost as good as a soundboard recording with a wonderful ambiance that has the perfect blend of vocals and instruments.”
– RAINBOW Koseinenkin-Kaikan, Dai-Hall, Osaka – December 9, 1976 (PURPLE HAZE) “…The recording is in fact superb, well balanced with all instruments well captured and clear, although the audience is very into the performance it does not interfere with the recording only adding the final element of atmosphere. Mr. Peach managed to capture so many great sounding recordings and this one is no different and is among the best of the tour.”
“For me, this release ranks amongst the greatest of Tarantura’s Rainbow recordings by Mr. Peach, with Ave Maria; Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring; and Close Encounters of the Third Kind being other standouts. Osaka is particularly impressive in how fully the bass and keyboards were recorded, and without a hint of distortion. I first heard this during the rhythm pattern coming out of Blackmore’s solo in “Kill the King”, which in some other recordings was apparently a bit too powerful. Here it is smooth, driving and very heavy. The same can be said about the instruments during Blackmore’s extended solo in “Stargazer”. “
– RAINBOW Kyoto-Kaikan Dai-Ichi Hall, Kyoto – December 10, 1976 (APACHE – PLAYING THE SHADOWS) “It is no exaggeration to say that with each successive listening of this recording, further, impressive detail is revealed.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bpxuh-iqB0Q
– RAINBOW Kyuden Kinen-Taiikukan, Fukuoka – December 13, 1976 (JESU, JOY OF MAN’s DESIRING) “A pristine recording from the audience of a concert that, if heard only via soundboard, would not allow a listener to more fully experience the uniqueness of what happened in the concert hall.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wu9spo5JdmQ
– RAINBOW Hiroshima-shi Auditorium, Hiroshima – December 14, 1976 (AVE MARIA) “…this recording is deep, powerful, and balanced with only trace, minor levels of fleeting distortion in some of Dio’s comments between some tracks. There is, however, absolutely no distortion in any of the music. … The sound quality is quite simply amazing. “
– RAINBOW Budokan, Tokyo – December 16, 1976 (1st show) (LIVE IN THE AFTERNOON) ” …recording is excellent, full of detail with little interference close to the recorder and full of ambiance
– RAINBOW Budokan, Tokyo – December 16, 1976 (2nd show) (THE CLOSING NIGHT) “…an excellent recording done close to the stage with a wonderful ambiance that captures the excitement and passion of both band and audience members.”
– LYNYRD SKYNYRD Sun Plaza Hall, Tokyo – January 21, 1977 (TOKYO CROSSROADS) “…a nice loud recording with a decent balance between the instruments and has a really great live atmosphere to it.
– AEROSMITH Sports Center, Maebashi Gumma – January 29, 1977 (THE WANDERER) “…excellent recording … Even though it is a bit distant.”
– Aerosmith Kyoto-Kaikan Dai-Ichi Hall, Kyoto – February 6, 1976 (GOOD CONDITION IN KYOTO) “…fifth show of the tour and is the third Mr. Peach source to surface and just may be the best sounding so far. Like most Mr. Peach sources it is punchy with an overall decent mix of what’s happening on the stage. It may lack a bit of clarity in the bass guitar but the sound is generally excellent with very little crowd interference. “
– AEROSMITH Budokan, Tokyo – February 9, 1977 (BORE UP UNDER STRAIN) “…sound quality is very good to bordering on excellent in places. It picks up all instruments with the bass a bit muddy in the mix but almost no crowd interference.”
– KISS Kaikan Dai Ichi Hall, Kyoto – March 26, 1977 (KABUKI BEASTS) “…very good sound quality, very little audience interference with a nice balance of instruments.”
– KISS Aichi-Ken Taiiku-Kan, Nagoya – March 28, 1977 (CRAZY KILLER WHALES ALIVE) “…recorded very close to the stage, at times you can feel the audience at your back but there is very little interference directly by the recorder. The balance between instruments and vocals is excellent, everything is clear and well defined with a little bass in to boot and over all a very good to near excellent recording that is a pleasure to listen to.”
– KISS Budokan, Tokyo – April 2, 1977 3PM & 7PM show (THE BURNING HELLFIRE) “For the early show Peach used his primary rig that would give the best results, the Technics RS-686D. The recording is very good and borders on the excellent region, it has somewhat high levels and is very in your face as Peach was obviously close to the stage, there is some crowd noise to be expected but nothing that interferes with the recording, just adds that wonder mix of ambiance. … For the 2nd evening show, Peach managed to bring in two recorders, this is referred to as the sub recording, the deck used is a Sony TC-3000SD. The sound is somewhat more muffled but clear and enjoyable, it has good bottom end and is in the very good range. If taken on its own merits you would have no problems putting it on and cranking it up, it does not compare to the main recording, however. … done with the trusty Technics RS-686D and it would be interesting to know what kind of microphones he was using. This recording is similar sounding to the first show, if anything it is a little fuller sounding thanks to better bottom end and again is very good to excellent, and well balanced with all instruments and vocals coming through clearly. … the video does not really do these shows justice as the real ambience of the music is lost, thankfully Mr. Peach’s recordings give us the true feeling of these concerts.”
– KISS Budokan, Tokyo – April 4, 1977 (SNAKE ATTACK BUDOKAN) “…on this eve Peach brought two recorders to the venue and we are treated to both of these recordings ! The first is on discs 1 and 2 and is from a source labeled as Technics RS-686D. The sound is wonderful and clear with just a bit of crowd noise at times but is well balanced with wonderful atmosphere and is over all very good to excellent sounding. The second source is labeled Sony TC-3000SD and is slightly inferior in quality. The sound is clear and well balanced and has a much better bottom end but the middle and high frequencies are not as pronounced making the recording not as bright. it however easily falls into the very good category and most people would be very pleased with it…”
– DAVE MASON Shibuya Kokaido, Tokyo – May 19, 1977 (LET IT FLOW)
– RUNAWAYS Koseinenkin Kaikan, Tokyo – June 5 & 6, 1977 (QUEENS OF NOISE IN JAPAN)
– ROY BUCHANAN BAND Korakuen Hall, Tokyo – June 12, 1977 (SWEET HOME TOKYO)
– GREGG ALLMAN BAND Budokan, Tokyo – June 29, 1977 (EAT THE PEACH)
– ERIC CLAPTON Okayama-Ken Taiikekan, Okayama – September 27, 1977 (YUME-BANCHI) “…an excellent audience tape without cuts…”
– ERIC CLAPTON Kyoto Kaikan Daiichi Hall, Kyoto – September 29, 1977 (YORU-NO-MADO) “…fantastic audience quality for the era, better than everything else that has surfaced before…”
– ERIC CLAPTON Makomanai Ice Arena, Sapporo – October 4th, 1977 (Makomanai Better) “…very little crowd interferences, a superb audience quality for the era…”
– RORY GALLAGHER Shinjuku Koseinenkin Hall, Tokyo – November 3, 1977 *afternoon & evening show* (NOT THE ROLLERS’ MANIAC) “…excellent well balanced recording that sounds fairly close to the stage… / …excellent punchy recording with a nice balance and sounds like it was recorded from the same spot as the afternoon show.”
– FLEETWOOD MAC Budokan, Tokyo – December 5th, 1977 (SONG BIRD) “…uniformly well-balanced, detailed, …phenomenal sound quality…”
– RAINBOW Nagoya-Shi Kokaido – Wednesday, January 11, 1978 (CAPTAIN AMAZING & MR. CORNFLAKES)
– RAINBOW Hiroshima Keruitsu Tiikukan, Hiroshima – Thursday, January 12, 1978 (SWAN LAKE) “… excellent quality… one of the better recordings from the tour.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQb7XcZN5HY
– RAINBOW Koseinenkin-Kaikan Dai Hall Osaka – Monday, January 16, 1978 (IN THE HALL OF THE MOUNTAIN KING) “excellent recording full of life and ambiance, at times there is slight distortion on the vocals but I believe it is from the PA system and not the recording equipment.”
– RAINBOW Dai-Ichi Hall, Kyoto – Wednesday, January 18, 1978 (RITCHIE IS A BLUE BELL) “Well balanced, clear and detailed superb sounding with a most wonderful atmosphere, simply an excellent recording for the period and most enjoyable when played at a loud volume although there is a small amount of tapes hiss and minor overload during the very loud parts it does not detract from the recording…”
– RAINBOW Budokan Tokyo – January 21, 1978 (SIGN OF INCIDENT) “…excellent with a superb balance of instrumentation and vocals plus an incredible ambiance that cannot be gained from a soundboard recording.”
– RAINBOW Budokan Tokyo – January 22, 1978 (COZY POWELL ON STAGE) “…very in your face, well balanced and clear with all instruments being clear in the mix, there can be at times a very minor amount of distortion in the upper frequencies and a small amount of hiss in the quieter sections but all is minor compared to the wonderful atmosphere captured.”
– RAINBOW Kohriyama Shimin-Kaikan, Fukushima – January 24th, 1978 (SHORT BUT HARD AND HEAVY) “… at least very good, and largely excellent, sound quality.”
– RAINBOW Kenmin-Kaikan Dai Hall, Niigata – January 31, 1978 (THIRD STONE FROM THE SUN) “…recording is good to very good, slightly distant…”
– RAINBOW Budokan, Tokyo – February 3, 1978 (WHO HAS SEEN THE RAINBOW) “…fantastic Mr. Peach source recorded very close to the stage and is a dynamic, well balanced excellent source that is a phenomenal listen. There is a very small amount of tape hiss in quiet parts but does not interfere and very little interference around the recorder.”
– BOZ SCAGS Festival Hall, Osaka – February 5, 1978 (Endless Night To OSAKA) (final song only)
– BOB DYLAN Budokan, Tokyo – February 20th, 1978 (LIVE IN JAPAN VOL. 1)
– BOB DYLAN Budokan, Tokyo – February 21st, 1978 (LIVE IN JAPAN VOL. 2)
– BOB DYLAN Budokan, Tokyo – February 22nd, 1978 (LIVE IN JAPAN VOL. 3) “…excellent stereo…”
– KISS Budokan, Tokyo – March 28, 1978 (HEART-BREAKER FROM HELL) “The recording is very good and recorded very close to the stage directly in front of Ace Frehley’s amp. His guitar is slightly higher than the other instruments but just by a little, you can still hear the bass, drums, and vocals clearly but Paul’s guitar is hard to decipher in the mix hence my grading of very good and not excellent.”
– KISS Budokan, Tokyo – March 29, 1978 (MAKIN’ UP MAKIN’ LOVE) Opinon 1: “…excellent sounding well balanced throughout with all instruments and vocals coming through nicely with virtually no audience interference close to the microphones, another superb document.” … Opinion 2: “I was very happy with the first 78 Japan Tour Tarantura released but was slightly disappointed by this one. Although it is really nice it’s worse than the excellent Heartbreaker From Hell release. That one was clear and well balanced, but this is a different experience. It’s not bad but inferior to the other 3 Peach releases.”
– KISS Budokan, Tokyo – March 31, 1978 (FAB FOUR FROM HELL) “…best of the 3 available 78 shows…” “…superb sound !” “…excellent audience recording from very close to the stage and all instruments and vocals are cleanly heard, the mix does favor Paul Stanley’s guitar and thus has a nice raw sound.”
– KISS Budokan, Tokyo – April 1, 1978 (APRIL FOOL FROM HELL) “Peach has seats in the same section for the KISS shows so this show has sound similar to the other four, overall excellent sound nicely balanced with some mid and top end distortion present, making it not as clear as the others.”
– KISS Budokan, Tokyo – April 2, 1978 (MAIKO GIRLS FROM HELL) “Peach was in the same row as the first and third nights and his seat was in a position between the two, […]. The quality is what we have come to expect from Peach, full dimensional recording with excellent sound. The recording is well balanced with all instruments and vocals being clearly heard, the recording does have some upper frequency distortion, it affects the vocals more than the music. The recording has that perfect balance of music versus audience and the crazy atmosphere is perfectly captured.
– SCORPIONS Nakano Sun-Plaza, Tokyo – April 23, 1978 (PERFECT TOKYO TAPES VOL. 1) “…sound is very good, clear with all instruments clear but the bass frequencies are overpowering, not distorted but giving a muffled sound. … there is virtually no interference by the recorder,
– CHEAP TRICK Budokan, Tokyo – April 28, 1978 (THE REAL BUDOKAN) “…Like most of his tapes, this is very loud, clear, detailed and exciting.” Note: This is one of the rare cases of a Mr. Peach recording that’s now available as an officially release.
– VAN HALEN Koseinenkin-Kaikan Dai Hall, Tokyo – June 17, 1978 (1st BLITZ OVER TOKYO) “…a good and at times very good sounding tape. It is a bit more distant than other tapes from his collection but captures guitar and vocals well.” “It is not one of Mr. Peach’s best recordings.”
– JUDAS PRIEST Shinjuku Koseinenkin Hall, Tokyo – July 31, 1978 (LEASHED IN THE EAST) “…The clear sound on this title is simply excellent. There is a full, virtually surrounding balance to the overall recording, with Les Binks’ china cymbal or splash cymbal accents as clearly audible as Rob Halford’s freaky-great vocals. All guitars and bass equally coexist with the audience’s participation and reaction throughout. Unfortunately for the recording device, though, it couldn’t handle some of his crazy vocal highs, causing minor distortion at times. ” “…probably the best audience source from the era.”
– PETER FRAMPTON Budokan, Tokyo – October 25 1978 (FRAMPTON COMES ARENA) “The sound quality is very good to excellent, being clear and detailed, and captures a superb atmosphere.” “This Mr. Peach source is superb and a real joy to listen to.”
– GENESIS Kosei Nenkin Kaikan, Shinjuku, Tokyo – November 27th, 1978 (DARYL’s BIRTHDAY PARTY) “generally excellent stereo but with slight distortion in very loud and busy passages.”
– JEFF BECK & STANLEY CLARK Budokan, Tokyo – November 30th, 1978 (THE SUPREMACY NIGHT) “…extremely clear, detailed, powerful…” “The recording’s incredible…”
– JEFF BECK & STANLEY CLARK Bukokan, Tokyo – December 2, 1978 (FINAL FREEWAY JAZZ) “…an awesome, balanced recording…”
– JUDAS PRIEST Shinjuku Koseinenkin Hall Tokyo – February 9, 1979 (KILLER EMPLOYEE’s PENSION) “The recording itself is very good and boarders excellent, if anything it is not as bright as his Rainbow recordings I am so used to hearing but is clear, well balanced and detailed recording of an excellent performance…”
– JUDAS PRIEST Shinjuku Koseinenkin Hall Tokyo – February 10, 1979, afternoon (TYRANNY UNLEASHED IN THE EAST) “…an incredible audience source, fully three dimensional with all instruments and vocals clear and fully enjoyable but with that touch of ambiance that cannot be found on many soundboard’s and is certainly among the best of Peach’s recordings, it is that good.”
– JUDAS PRIEST Shinjuku Koseinenkin Hall Tokyo – February 10, 1979, evening (TYRANNY UNLEASHED IN THE EAST) “As with the previous show the sound quality is simply perfect, clear and atmospheric and sound excellent at loud volumes. …incredible sound for audience recordings…” [Portions of the official Unleashed In The East live album were recorded on this day.]
– QUEEN Budokan, Tokyo, April 14th 1979 (BOOTLEG RACE) “Like other Peach tapes, it is very close to the stage and picks up the charisma and force of the band at this time. Queen sounds too loud for the recorder since the tape has slight distortion. It’s not too serious an issue, however… Since Freddie’s voice is quite alright in this show and given the sound quality, this is perhaps the best show to obtain for this era.”
– JOURNEY Shibuya Kokaido, Tokyo, April 15th 1979 (THE MAJESTIC FIVE)
– BOSTON Budokan, Tokyo – April 18th, 1979 (SAKURA …)
– BOSTON Budokan, Tokyo – April 19th, 1979 (TRIBUTE TO BRAD DELP) “The recording sounds nice and bright with some minor upper end distortion and sounds like it was taped fairly close to the stage. This is definitely the best recording from the three nights in Tokyo being much punchier and clearer than the other tapes.”
– QUEEN Budokan, Tokyo, April 23rd 1979 (DEDICATE TO GREAT TITS, GREAT ASS)
– HEART Enoshima, Kanagawa – August 4th, 1979 (RAMSA-ENOSCHIMA ROCK AND ROLL)
– BEACH BOYS Enoshima, Kanagawa – August 4th, 1979 (unreleased)
– VAN HALEN Budokan Dai Hall, Tokyo – September 13, 1979 (FIRECRACKERS IN THE ARENA) “It is a very good/excellent sounding tape with guitar and vocals somewhat dominating the recording with only the bass guitar slightly lower in the mix.”
– EAGLES Budokan, Tokyo – September 17, 1979 (FUJIYAMA MOUNTAIN WAY) “…a very good and clear audience recording taken from the Eagles second trip to Japan. There is some distortion in places that mainly affects some of Don Henley’s drums and the background vocals but isn’t enough to distract the listener.” “Adding some EQ greatly adds to some of the lower or almost missing frequencies in this mix and makes this almost a excellent sounding release…
‘
– THIN LIZZY – Korakuen, Tokyo – September 29, 1979 (DANGEROUS KORAKUEN)
– ERIC CLAPTON Budokan, Tokyo – December 3rd, 1979 (JUST ONE NIGHT ON 3rd) “…another sterling Mr. Peach tape… and the work on the remastered tape is absolutely brilliant too!!”
– RAINBOW Budokan, Tokyo – May 9, 1980 (CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND) “It’s of soundboard quality, but with perfect atmosphere from the audience.”
– RAINBOW Budokan, Tokyo – May 12, 1980 (TONIGHT’s THE NIGHT)
– BLACK SABBATH Tokyo Sun Plaza Hall, Tokyo – November 16th, 1980 (early show) (MELOIK IN JAPAN) “About Appice’s sound in this recording, it’s worth the price of aDmission for me alone. Although a bit buried or distorted at times, it’s also captured perfectly in its pounding and tasteful complement to Butler and Iomni. And the deep thwack sound of his snare is killer. This is another great Mr. Peach recording and Tarantura masterpiece.”
– BLACK SABBATH Nakano Sun Plaza Tokyo, – Sunday November 16, 1980 (Late Show) (EVIL IN THE EVENING) “The recording for the late show featured here is clear and very powerful with an excellent well balanced sound and could easily be mistaken for a soundboard recording, it is very similar in tone to the afternoon show and is another Peach masterpiece. You have no real problem picking out the instruments in the recording, there is wonderful separation between the bass and guitar and is a real joy to listen too. The crowd is very quiet and respectful and there is no interference by the taper…”
– BLACK SABBATH Nippon Seinen Kan, Shinjuku-Ku Tokyo – November 17, 1980 (GOSPEL OF THE WITCHES) “…very good to excellent quality, all instruments and vocals are well balanced and come though clearly.”
– BLACK SABBATH Kyoto-Kaikan Daiichi-Hall Sakyo-Ku Kyoto – November 20, 1980 (THE LIGHT BRINGER) “The recording is very good but Mr Peach must have been close to the stage and directly in front of Iommi as his guitar dominates the sound with the rest of the instruments and vocals in the back ground, although the vocals and drums can be faintly heard.”
– BLACK SABBATH Festival Hall, Osaka – November 21, 1980 (CHILDREN OF THE GRAVE) “The recording is very good, slightly distant but well balanced with all instruments and vocals clear in the mix.”
– JEFF BECK Budokan, Tokyo – December 4, 1980 – 6:30PM (HERE AND GO) “…the Mr. Peach tape sounds closer, much more dynamic and overall has a much punchier sound to it being the best sounding version of this show to surface, thus far. It’s hard to imagine that a better sounding source could surface after this as the three dimensional characteristics of the recording make for a nearly perfect listening experience.”
– AC/DC Budokan, Tokyo – February 4th, 1981 (ELECTRIC ATTACK) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ie9gH9Nlqnc
– AC/DC Budokan, Tokyo – February 5th, 1981 (ELECTRIC ATTACK)
– QUEEN Budokan, Tokyo – February 13th, 1981 (NEED YOUR LOVING TONIGHT) “Compared to the older tape […], this is closer to the stage and much louder.”
– QUEEN Budokan, Tokyo – February 16th, 1981 (THE MIRACLE GAME) “…a phenomenal sounding, three dimensional stereo audience tape with capturing the entire performance. The Mr. Peach recording is […] the best sounding tape from all five shows in Tokyo on this short tour.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drYZKhMN6GY
– QUEEN Budokan, Tokyo – February 17th, 1981 (TEO TORRIATE) “The recording sounds a bit more compressed than previous releases of Mr. Peach tapes and suffers especially when the band is pushing really hard. Other than that minor complaint, the recording is still very enjoyable. When compared with [another CD-pressed source tape] Teo Torriatte sounds a good deal closer to the stage and has a much bigger range of frequencies making this a definite upgrade to what’s been available before.”
– QUEEN Budokan, Tokyo – February 18th, 1981 (FINALE) “…the recording is very clear, powerful and loud. At times it’s too loud that it distorts, but it is generally very enjoyable…”
– SAXON Nakano Sun-Plaza, Tokyo – May 4th, 1981 (TOKYO 6:30PM) “…the recording is very clear, powerful and loud. At times it’s too loud that it distorts, but it is generally very enjoyable…”
– IRON MAIDEN Koseinenkin-Kaikan Dai-Hall Tokyo – May 21, 1981 (MAIDEN JAPAN VOL. 1) “The sound quality on this new release is slightly distant and bass heavy, which leads to distortion and times but is overall a nice and clear recording.”
– IRON MAIDEN Koseinenkin Kaikan, Nagoya – May 23, 1981 (MAIDEN JAPAN VOL. 2) “The sound quality is similar to the Vol. 1 recording, slightly distant and muddy but the bass is not as prominent, virtually no tape hiss present and it totally captures the atmosphere of the show.”
– IRON MAIDEN Sun Plaza Hall Nakano, Tokyo – May 24, 1981 Afternoon Show 3:00PM (MAIDEN JAPAN VOL. 4) “The recording is similar to the two previous releases, very good and atmospheric but does has some fault, in his detailed review of the Ozzy title Paranoid in Nagoya 1982 (Tarantura TCDOZ – 2 – 1,2) Hager summarizes that the distortion present was caused by drummer Tommy Aldrige’s mounted toms. The distortion found on this Iron Maiden recording seem to be caused by the same phenomena as the other instruments and vocals are very clear and during the drum solo the same distortion is present but a phenomenal performance easily make up for its short comings.”
– IRON MAIDEN Sun Plaza Hall Nakano, Tokyo – May 24, 1981 Evening Show 6:30PM (MAIDEN JAPAN VOL. 5) “Based upon the scans of the tickets found on the gate-fold interior, Peach was sitting in the exact same seat for both performances, assuming the tickets were his, and recorded the concert onto two Sony Duad90 cassette tapes, no mention is made of what rig he was using. Same gear, same location, same venue, same taper equals a similar sounding recording to the early show. The recording is clear enough where all instruments can be heard, Steve Harris’ bass is slightly loud in the mix but overall very good recording that certainly reeks of atmosphere. Like many of their releases, the volume is boosted to an unnecessary volume, I do not mind a bit of mastering but like many I feel the recordings would benefit from a tad lower volume.”
– WHITESNAKE Asakusa Kokusai Gekijo, Tokyo – June 22, 1981 (THE ROCK SPIRIT IN ASAKUSA)
– WHITESNAKE Nakano Sun-Plaza, Tokyo – June 25th, 1981 (STORMBRINGER)
– MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP Nagoyashi-Kokaido, Aichi – August 14, 1981 (THE DESCENDANT OF GOD) “The quality, clarity, and balance of the recording is excellent, at least, and at times superb.”
– RAINBOW Budokan, Tokyo – August 26, 1981 (DIFFICULT TO LEAVE A RECORD)
– RAINBOW Budokan, Tokyo – August 27, 1981 (CRUSH THE KING) “…an excellent audience recording from Mr. Peach. It sounds like it was recorded close to the stage with all instruments being well detailed and clear with good balance throughout.” “…this 1981 Peach recording is as good as it gets (including any soundboard). Expansive, particular, and dynamic are immediate concepts that come to mind.”
– RAINBOW Budokan, Tokyo – August 28, 1981 (FRIDAY NIGHT) “Excellent well balanced full three dimensional sounding recording… The recording was done very close to stage and has the perfect blend of music and audience participation that the Peach Rainbow recordings are known for…” ”
– ERIC CLAPTON Bunka Taiikukan, Yokohama – December 8, 1981 (WHAT A FOOL BELIEVES) “…up front, clear and detailed…”
– KING CRIMSON Shibuya Kokaido, Tokyo – December 9th, 1981 (DISCIPLINE IN SHIBUYA) “The DGM source is a bit thin on the bass, but Mr. Peach is extremely bass heavy, perhaps too much so. There are times when the bass becomes too loud and distorted. But it is the best sounding recording of this important show…”
– KING CRIMSON Asakusa Kokusai Gekijo, Tokyo – December 14th, 1981 (DISCIPLINE IN ASAKUSA)
– SIMON & GARFUNKEL Korakuen Stadium, Tokyo – May 10th, 1982 (KORAKUEN FIRST NIGHT) “The tape is marred slightly by a couple of loud conversations from the audience but it’s nothing that’s too overbearing & the fact that the bass is a little bearing which can sometimes cause a little ‘seasickness’ – the CD is best listened with the bass turned down but it does get better as the concert goes along.”
– TOTO Budokan, Tokyo – May 17, 1982 (JAPANESE EYES) “… an excellent well balanced clear document that runs just slightly hot. The audience can be heard but the music is much louder in comparison and the crowd is really never intrusive. Even the annoying clapping that plagues many Japanese tapes is only audible in the background. Dynamic passages in the music where it may drop to just one or two instruments still come through very clear and the band sounds very powerful as if the taper was close to the stage.”
– AC/DC Budokan, Tokyo – June 10, 1982 (ELECTRIC SHOCK)
– OZZY OSBOURNE Festival Hall, Osaka – July 9th, 1982 (LET’s GO CRAZY) “…very good clear and sounds like it was recorded in front of Rudy Sarzo as his bass is slightly dominate but not overpowering. It is a very atmospheric recording just shy of excellent that perfectly captures the mood of the show and does sound good at loud volumes, if anything just slightly muddy.” (better quality than July 11)
– OZZY OSBOURNE Nagoyashi-Kokaido, Aichi – July 11, 1982 (PARANOID IN NAGOYA 1982) “Similar to Peach’s recording of Van Halen’s 1978 concert presented on Tarantura’s 1st Blitz Over Tokyo, there is noticeable distortion in this Ozzy recording. It comes from Aldridge’s mounted toms, as evidenced during the drum solo when only the toms were distorting. But it appears that this was a problem with the venue’s sound system, and not Peach’s equipment, because all other aspects of the performance are clearly and powerfully audible in the recording. All instruments, including Aldridge’s snare and hi-hats, are equally up front in the mix.”
– GARY MOORE Nagoyasi-Kokaido, Aichi – February 28, 1984 (KIMI-GA-YO ANTHEM) “…a very good Mr. Peach recording. The tape is slightly muffled and lacks a bit of detail in the top end but is still very enjoyable.
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– DEEP PURPLE Bodokan, Tokyo – May 14, 1985 (unreleased?)
THE AMAZING KORNYFONE LABEL 