For 29 years I've been idly searching for a recording, or even simply a track listing, of the songs that were played over the P.A. system in the stadiums and arenas of the 1981 tour between the time the last opening band left the stage and the "Take the A Train" snippet started to introduce the Stones. I'm guessing that this was a standard recording that was piped into the P.A. for every show, and therefore did not vary from night to night or venue to venue (although I'm not sure about that.) I think it consisted of a dozen or so songs, depending on the time they needed to kill between sets.

Given the relative scarcity of recordings of the Stones themselves playing during this era, I suppose it's too much to ask that somebody bothered to record--and save!--the piped-in P.A. filler tracks that provided the background ambiance between the opening act and the Stones. But if anybody did, well, my thinking is that they likely lurk in places like this forum.

So, anybody remember the tunes that were played in this PA recording? This is one of those sentimental things that isn't that important, but it would be cool to have just to satisfy my desire to simply go back in time and live it all again, as completely as possible. I remember there were some cool songs that I couldn't identify at the time, and now memory has failed me and I can't recall enough to even make a stab at what they were. I'm specifically thinking of the PA recording between sets at the Chicago shows on November 23, 24, 25--which I'm guessing was the same recording heard at most other venues on the tour as well.

Thanks for letting me go on about something so trivial.

Do you mean background music before the show?

As for Kansas City show in 1981, they played a lot of British invasion songs like the Pretenders, the Clash, the Who and Sex Pistols.
The last song was Anarchy in the U.K if my memory serves me well.
Lights went out after that.

>> Given the relative scarcity of recordings of the Stones themselves playing during this era <<

... if you're also looking for boots of 1981 shows, soundboard recordings of miles of them are in circulation.
you should ask over in the Hot Stuff forum

I was at the LA shows, and I remember 2 songs very distinctly:
LA Woman by the Doors and Hots On For Nowhere by Led Zeppelin.

Quote
Toru A
Do you mean background music before the show?

As for Kansas City show in 1981, they played a lot of British invasion songs like the Pretenders, the Clash, the Who and Sex Pistols.

British, yes, but I think only The Who would be considered a "British Invasion" band.

Hey, thanks for the replies. Yes, to clarify, I'm referring to the background music before the show. Very cool that some can actually clearly remember some of those songs!

[I've got most of the avaiable shows (I think) from 1981. Would love to get Chicago 11/25/81, which I don't think has ever been traded, even as the worst audience recording.]