A 1974 episode of Soundstage, on PBS recorded in Chicago, featuring the music of New Orleans, hosted by the one and the only Dr. John, himself. The recording date of this particular concert was October 30th, 1974. The featured bands/artists are Dr. John & The Night Trippers, Professor Longhair, Earl King, and The Meters. There have been snippets, bits and pieces of it, on YouTube over the years, but this is the show in it's entirety. Here's the set list, by artist, in order of their appearance in the program.
Dr. John & The Night Trippers
1. Walk Right In
Professor Longhair
2. Shake, Rattle & Roll
3. Tipitina
4. Whole Lotta Lovin'
5. Everyday I Have The Blues
Earl King
6. Mama & Papa
7. Those Lonely Lonely Nights
The Meters
8. Look-ka Py Py
9. Jungle Man
Dr. John & The Night Trippers
10. Call A Doctor
11. Qualified
12. Quitters Never Win
13. Such A Night
14. Right Place, Wrong Time
Encore (Finale) (feat. Earl King: guitar):
15. Big Chief
Hello Skip,
ReplyDeleteHi -- This is a great set of performances. Thanks!
I'm confused about the recording date, though. Yours and the Youtube source say October 30, 1974, but some others available online say June 13, 1974.
And there are also discrepancies regarding the venue, though I think yours is right. Some online sources indicate that the Soundstage set was recorded at St. Bernard Cultural Center in Chalmette, Louisiana. I think that’s unlikely, since as far as I can figure out all Soundstage shows were filmed at the Chicago public TV studio. I also looked at other performers' Soundstage 1974 videos online and though the stage configuration is different from concert to concert (probably because of the band size), the audience seating configuration is roughly the same.
Here are sources citing the recording as being in Chalmette:
https://www.guitars101.com/forums/f145/dr-johns-new-orleans-swamp-1974-06-13-chalmette-la-flac-tv-535601.html
http://rickdog-bootlegs.rssing.com/chan-69767828/all_p4069.html
There ARE several recordings of Dr. John and the Meters at that St. Bernard-Chalmette venue on February 8, 1973 (or 1975), so if one of those is correct then perhaps that's the source of the confusion. The setlist for the Chalmette show is different than the Soundstage setlist, and it's only Dr. John and the Meters, not Professor Longhair and Earl King.
https://whoisthemonk.wordpress.com/2010/11/20/dr-john-st-bernard-cultural-center-february-8-1973/
https://www.guitars101.com/forums/f90/dr-john-st-bernard-cultural-center-chalmette-8-february-1975-fm-200494.html
https://www.concert-downloads.com/2019/05/dr-john-february-8-1975-st-bernard.html
VERY confusing.
Do you have a reliable source for the Soundstage recording date and location, and do you know anything about Dr. John performing in Chalmette, Louisiana?
Much appreciated.
RL. Very observant. This information was in the YouTube description of the video. It was said to be in Chicago, because I believe that is where Soundstage had their main production studio. But... I think you are right about the sources for this particular performance not being totally accurate. I don't have a reliable source for this recording, and I don't know about Dr. John performing in Chalmette, Louisiana. I can look it up and post that information, either as a comment, or, in a separate blog post.
DeleteSomeone posted this same video on their blog, but they don't give a source for the information. Still digging.
ReplyDeleteSoundstage was produced in Chicago, as you rightly point out, RL, and you are also correct that this particular episode was recorded in Chalmette, Louisiana. https://www.guitars101.com/forums/f145/dr-johns-new-orleans-swamp-1974-06-13-chalmette-la-flac-tv-535601.html
ReplyDeleteThanks for trying to sort it out.
ReplyDeleteDoing some more digging this morning, I'm concluding that it was filmed October 30 in Chicago, and that Chalmette location in Guitars101 and YouTube is incorrect. I know I'm being obsessive, but I was just trying to organize my recordings and it was mystifying me. And I was a history major, so I just can't help it!
This Chicago Tribune article about Soundstage's first season (1974) says that "The shows are shot at the WTTW studios on North St. Louis Avenue in front of live audiences. Put together from WBBM-FM listeners (the radio station and WTTW will simulcast the shows), these audiences range from 150 for an intimate performer like Harry Chapin to 550 for a big blues jam."
The stage is set for shoestring shows of musical alternatives: https://www.newspapers.com/image/383923757
But it says that interview sections from a couple of episodes had been filmed elsewhere. This segment didn't have interview sections, so there was no "on the road" component.
The article was dated October 13, 1974 and said that as of then six shows had been recorded, and they were slated for broadcast through December 17. Since it doesn't refer to the Dr. John New Orleans Swamp as one of those six, the October 30, 1974 recording date would make sense. The episode was aired on New Year's Eve. June would have been prior to the first season's debut.
One episode that it DOES mention in that first six is the series' debut earlier in the fall - a blues jam with Muddy Waters, Junior Wells, Mike Bloomfield, Johnny Winter, Buddy Miles, Willie Dixon, Dr. John and others. That one was issued on DVD and is on YouTube.
Here's a great article about the Dr. John New Orleans Swamp episode from the Chicago Tribune:
"Rockin' New Year's Eve: Dr. John and the voodoo and music of New Orleans"
"Rockin' New Year's Eve: Dr. John and the voodoo and music of New Orleans"
According to the TV listings, it was broadcast immediately before "New Year's Eve with Guy Lombardo"!
Given all of this, I think the Chalmette location is incorrect, and the June date is incorrect -- leading to the recording as being from October 30, 1974 in Chicago.
I think/hope this is correct and that it ripples out into posts elsewhere.
As Walter Cronkite used to sign off with every night, "And that's the way it is."
R.I.P. Dr. John. One of a kind.
RL
R.L. You are very welcome. I have been busy posting other things on the blog, and just now, came back to this post. Thanks for your help so I can do some verification and some digging on this recording. I do see the news articles but the source at newspapers.com, of course, requires a subscription to see all of it. That is some great information nonetheless, and I appreciate it a lot.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, it looks like the video for this Soundstage performance of Dr. John and the New Orleans Swamp, has been removed by YouTube for the accursed copyright infringement reason.
ReplyDelete