I know that the ABB played Wasted Words at a slower pace than they did on Brothers and Sisters, but I just came across the Wasted Words from 1972 in Milwaukee, and it seems on pace with the album version. Was this the only time they placed that song with the same pace as on Brothers and Sisters?
Keep in mind that album versions were often slightly sped up in the studio - Johnny Sandlin documented in his book that he sat down with Dickey to confirm the speed for "Ramblin' Man", but Dickey later complained about how high his voice is when he heard the released album.
I haven't heard the Milwaukee '72 show, but audience tape speed can also be slightly off.
Here are a few different takes from that period, they were usually pretty consistent, but Gregg often complained if songs were played too fast.
@porkchopbob Butch Trucks in recent years complained about Brothers and Sisters being sped up and how some of it, particularly Ramblin' Man, is unlistenable to Butch. To Butch what Johnny Sandlin did, especially to Ramblin' Man, made a song the band should have never done and will never do again, worse.
I always thought Brothers and Sisters was one of the band's better albums and I imagine largely because Ramblin' Man became a top single using many to buy an Allman Brothers Band album who had never bought one before and probably never bought another by the Allman Brothers, by far their best selling album. Brothers and Sisters sold 760,000 copies and went gold the very first week it was out and went on to sell over 4 million copies. The Allman Brothers never had an album to sell like that before or afterwards.
Gregg said he doubted Broth ers and Sisters would sell that well and wasn't as good as their previous albums so Gregg said he was caught off guard and very surprised how well that album sold and as their long 1973 tour continued, they found themselves with the number one album in the country and by October they were being told they were the number one band in the US. Gregg said they were not ready for all that and it was uncomfortable for some in the band.
Wasted Words on Wipe the Windows has Dickey adding a slide guitar volley near the end I never heard him do on any other version.
The bass guitar is a little different on Wasted Words on Brothers and Sisters because it's Berry Oakley. Does the 1972 Milwaukee show have Berry or Lamar?
There is no Milwaukee '72 show listed in the datebase. According to the database, "Wasted Words" made its live debut on NYE 1972 at the warehouse (which means Berry never played the song on stage). The show might have been genuinely mislabeled, but if the date and location are incorrect, it's likely someone was trying to pass it off as a unique show. Might be possible they even sped it up to make it harder to place.
There is no Milwaukee '72 show listed in the datebase. According to the database, "Wasted Words" made its live debut on NYE 1972 at the warehouse (which means Berry never played the song on stage). The show might have been genuinely mislabeled, but if the date and location are incorrect, it's likely someone was trying to pass it off as a unique show. Might be possible they even sped it up to make it harder to place.
I have a recording of a show remastered by Capt Skipper labelled as ... 11-30-72 - Milwaukee (venue unknown). Skip thought that it might have been the first show with Lamar on bass. Track listing as follows:
Wasted Words
Done Somebody Wrong
Statesboro Blues
One Way Out
Stormy Monday
Midnight Rider
Les Brers in A Minor
Mountain Jam // (cut)
Interesting. The live show database (which isn't always accurate) states that the band's first gig after Berry passed was 12/1 in Durham NC.
There is no Milwaukee '72 show listed in the datebase. According to the database, "Wasted Words" made its live debut on NYE 1972 at the warehouse (which means Berry never played the song on stage). The show might have been genuinely mislabeled, but if the date and location are incorrect, it's likely someone was trying to pass it off as a unique show. Might be possible they even sped it up to make it harder to place.
I have a recording of a show remastered by Capt Skipper labelled as ... 11-30-72 - Milwaukee (venue unknown). Skip thought that it might have been the first show with Lamar on bass. Track listing as follows:
Wasted Words
Done Somebody Wrong
Statesboro Blues
One Way Out
Stormy Monday
Midnight Rider
Les Brers in A Minor
Mountain Jam // (cut)
This is the show that I referring to. My copy has Wasted Words going at the same speed as its on the album. I personally enjoy it, but I do wonder if it's sped up or not.
There is no Milwaukee '72 show listed in the datebase. According to the database, "Wasted Words" made its live debut on NYE 1972 at the warehouse (which means Berry never played the song on stage). The show might have been genuinely mislabeled, but if the date and location are incorrect, it's likely someone was trying to pass it off as a unique show. Might be possible they even sped it up to make it harder to place.
I have a recording of a show remastered by Capt Skipper labelled as ... 11-30-72 - Milwaukee (venue unknown). Skip thought that it might have been the first show with Lamar on bass. Track listing as follows:
Wasted Words
Done Somebody Wrong
Statesboro Blues
One Way Out
Stormy Monday
Midnight Rider
Les Brers in A Minor
Mountain Jam // (cut)
I was the one who originally traded for this show and eventually sent it to Skip. It was many years ago and I no longer recall who I got it from. What I do remember is I'd never seen it listed elsewhere in my many years of trading. Usually that means either the person is trying to pass off an already traded show as a new, differently dated show or someone has rearranged an existing show, manufacturing a bogus show (a good example is knotheads who knew they had 12/1/70 Tampa Derek & The Dominos with Duane and tried to pass it off as the Syracuse show).
That didn't seem to be the case on the Milwaukee show. It has always appeared to be completely different from any other circulated audience sourced shows from '72 (or '73 for that matter). Was it the night before Durham? At this point who can say with certainty? The timeline is at least conceivable.
Original source was a cassette tape, Skip transferred it to CD-R.
"My friends say I'm ugly I got a masculine face." Tom Waits
There is no Milwaukee '72 show listed in the datebase. According to the database, "Wasted Words" made its live debut on NYE 1972 at the warehouse (which means Berry never played the song on stage). The show might have been genuinely mislabeled, but if the date and location are incorrect, it's likely someone was trying to pass it off as a unique show. Might be possible they even sped it up to make it harder to place.
I have a recording of a show remastered by Capt Skipper labelled as ... 11-30-72 - Milwaukee (venue unknown). Skip thought that it might have been the first show with Lamar on bass. Track listing as follows:
Wasted Words
Done Somebody Wrong
Statesboro Blues
One Way Out
Stormy Monday
Midnight Rider
Les Brers in A Minor
Mountain Jam // (cut)
I was the one who originally traded for this show and eventually sent it to Skip. It was many years ago and I no longer recall who I got it from. What I do remember is I'd never seen it listed elsewhere in my many years of trading. Usually that means either the person is trying to pass off an already traded show as a new, differently dated show or someone has rearranged an existing show, manufacturing a bogus show (a good example is knotheads who knew they had 12/1/70 Tampa Derek & The Dominos with Duane and tried to pass it off as the Syracuse show).
That didn't seem to be the case on the Milwaukee show. It has always appeared to be completely different from any other circulated audience sourced shows from '72 (or '73 for that matter). Was it the night before Durham? At this point who can say with certainty? The timeline is at least conceivable.
Original source was a cassette tape, Skip transferred it to CD-R.
I dug out my copy this morning Steve, and I still have a printout of your notes regarding the remastering lineage etc ... I gave it another listen and it certainly seems to (potentially) be legit, it certainly sounds like it was all recorded at the same show and not manufactured. Gregg's vocals are low in the mix throughout and Dickey's guitar is right in your face, so there is no doubt where the taper was sitting! As you said, it doesn't sound like anything else I have from that era and also sounds like a recording from the early days of that line-up, in fact Wasted Words is the only track from B&S on it.
With regards to the tape speed, it seems pretty normal throughout, and whilst Wasted Words is very similar in speed to the version on Brothers and Sisters, I think it is very slightly slower ... probably the speed they played it at when the B&S version was recorded before Johnny sped things up prior to release.
@harvey thanks for looking it up, it's a curious show for Lamar's debut ("Mountain Jam" and "Les Brers"!). I wonder why it never got entered in to database if the Capt worked on it.
We know Gregg was working on "Wasted Words" in August 1972 with Johnny Winter (and bass that Berry re-recorded), and the B&S version with Berry was in the can, so it's very possible that it would get road tested by then.
@porkchopbob just wondering why the band OK'd the final speeded version before pressing if they didn't like it? Or did Johnny do this on his own? I need to get Johnny's book. Been on my list for sometime now. What a talented guy he was.
Johnny Sandlin documented in his book that he sat down with Dickey to confirm the speed for "Ramblin' Man", but Dickey later complained about how high his voice is when he heard the released album.
@porkchopbob thanks for that quick answer PCB. Hope all is well with you.
@steved you too dude.
My guess as to why Dickey ok'd the speed of "Ramblin' Man" - cocaine is one helluva drug.
My thoughts exactly. LOL too funny.
They must have learned Wasted Words from the Brothers and Sisters version. This is FAST!
The Other Brothers Band.
Lonny Other, Homer Other, Buster Other, Clarence Other, Jefferson Other and Flake Other.
Dickey went to a Les Paul in 1974. First 4 or 5 times I saw the ABB in early to late spring 1970 Dickey was using a Fender Stratocaster. By summer Dickey was playing an SG. Late 1970 and all of 1971, 72 and 73 Dickey was playing what I thought were Les Pauls but apparently they were some other brand. He went through several until settling on Goldie which IS a Les Paul which I think he did buy at a Pawn Shop in Manhattan in 1974. It's a1957 and has a great tone. Don't think I've heard it in the bridge pickup. Dickey is noted for always using the neck pickup. That guitar is now red.
Goldie when it was a Goldtop.
P. S. Dickey saw Stevie Ray Vaughn in concert and supposedly it inspired him to add a whammy bar to Goldie but after just a couple of years it was removed.
