Right from the start, I knew I was onto something good with this tape. It’s a curious one to say the least. The concert is spliced together from two different sources with the first four songs and “White Light, White Heat” (which sadly has the intro cut) in the middle of the show coming from source 1 which helps piece together the rest of the previously incomplete show. The concert was recorded on a Teac recorder with TDK tapes and, whilst picking up a good deal of crowd noise, it doesn’t spoil the show at all. Actually, the crowd in some ways, add a bit of charm because they are all a bit “wild west” if you know what I mean yeah? I’d suggest even that this is one of the better concert tapes from the entire Serious Moonlight Tour of 1983.
As was the norm with a lot of shows from this tour, Bowie didn’t say a great deal between songs. He simply moves from one classic to another in his typical effortless way. Letting the songs do the talking you might suggest? Either way, I was caught up in the concert from start to end unlike some shows where you kind of lose a bit of interest during sections, in part because Bowie obviously wasn’t on song during the particular night and you can certainly pick up that vibe. Not with this show thankfully. He delivers everything you could want and more. The very first time I came along a cassette of this show was back in 2000 on a visit to Camden Market. I didn’t buy it because the seller wanted £20 which I felt was a bit of a rip off and, back in those days, a lot of tape sellers at markets recorded tapes at high speed which took a lot of the gloss away. And, there was also the chance that is wasn’t even the correct show as was another common problem back then. Very few market sellers I came along in the 90’s and early 2000’s were genuinely interested in the bootleg tapes they were selling. More often than not, they were just keen to rip off fans with impulsive purchases. Grubs!
A sure fire highlight is “Station To Station”. Earl Slick had a habit of getting a little experimental during this song on tour and I absolutely love how he plays around with the feedback intro on this occasion. It’s hard to imagine that Slick was brought into this tour at the last minute with very little time to prepare. He delivers some of the best guitar work of his career and it’s in full evidence on this night in Richfield. Back in 2003, I met Earl Slick in Dublin and he was a very quiet soul. Didn’t say much and when he did talk, he was very softly spoken. I wanted to ask him about his time working with John Lennon but got a little tongue tired and waffled on about Australia. Daft, I know.
After “Young Americans”, there is a decidable increase in sound and quality of the recording as if the taper of the show has re-adjusted his recorder. You hear a girl inquire, “Is that it?” to which a man comes back to say, “I got another tape in” suggesting he has just switched to a new tape to capture the remainder of the concert starting with a blistering version of “Fame”. I wonder where this taper is now? He sounds pretty young on the recording so I would hazard a guess that he would in his late 50’s today. Does he still have his tape collection? Is he a member of the regular concert trading sites? Is he still a fan? So many unanswered questions. Sorry, for going off track a little here. My mind is always drifting into other trains of thought.
The energy by the time the show roles into “TVC 15” is brilliant. It’s been building and building all the way through. Simmering like a good broth. There is a slight break before the encore kicks in and you can hear a lot of crowd conversation. Some very happy people and, as is the case with concert going, people tend to jostle their way down towards the front when the encore rolls around. By the time the encore comes along, nobody wants the show to finish as Bowie belts into raucous renditions of “Stay”, “The Jean Genie” & “Modern Love”. Bowie had just come off three consecutive nights at Madison Square Garden in New York and the energy from those shows has definitely transcended into this concert.
And with that, comes the end of yet another great concert tape from “The Serious Moonlight Tour” of 1983. The tour would travel onward some 175 miles the next day for two consecutive shows in Detroit, Michigan. No rest for the wicked.
SET LIST
1 Jean Genie Intro*
2 Star*
3 Heroes*
4 What In The World [incomplete starts late]*
5 Golden Years
6 Fashion
7 Let’s Dance
8 Breaking Glass
9 Life On Mars
10 Sorrow
11 Cat People
12 China Girl
13 Scary Monsters
14 Rebel Rebel
15 White Light White Heat [Slight cut on intro tape flip]*
16 Station To Station
17 Cracked Actor
18 Ashes To Ashes
19 Space Oddity
21 Band
22 Young Americans
23 Fame
24 TVC 15
25 Encore Break
26 Stay
27 Jean Genie
28 Modern Love
The Traveling Red 