I read a fascinating piece once about their experiences at the Long View Farm but can't find it now.
It sounds like there was a lot of rehearsing and hanging out playing pool and coming down to breakfast mid-morning. Didn't sound like a wild and crazy partying time.
I think somebody in Wyman's family died during that time and Mick surprised and comforted him by sliding a condolence note under his door.
Keith and Ronnie were spilling drinks on the floor.
They were playing at some club at the end of that time and Mick drove around the block a few times before committing to play. Somebody said, 'Keith's not here,' and Mick said something like, 'Oh, he'll be there. I don't worry about that. He always shows up to play.'

It is my understanding that Mick had grave concerns about Woody for this tour because Woody had entered his freebasing period and was not seen as reliable. Keith vouched for Woody but was hardly a model of sobriety himself. Some of these issues plagued the rehearsal period. It is true that the band was woefully under-rehearsed when they began at JFK. I attended the Orchard Park NY show (Buffalo) 35 years ago on this date (it was a Sunday) on a very windy afternoon. While the playing was definitely ragged, the band found their mojo in the second half of the set beginning with Tumbling Dice. As they neared the end of their set, they caught fire and ADTL, BS, JJF and the encore of SFM were all strong. The next weekend in Boulder, the first show was as ragged, or more so, than even Philadelphia but the second show was much better. I maintain that one of the strongest shows of the tour followed in San Diego which was the first night time stadium show of the tour and this was probably the first show where the band put it all together. It was also Ernie Watts' first show.

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wonderboy
I read a fascinating piece once about their experiences at the Long View Farm but can't find it now.
It sounds like there was a lot of rehearsing and hanging out playing pool and coming down to breakfast mid-morning. Didn't sound like a wild and crazy partying time.
I think somebody in Wyman's family died during that time and Mick surprised and comforted him by sliding a condolence note under his door.
Keith and Ronnie were spilling drinks on the floor.
They were playing at some club at the end of that time and Mick drove around the block a few times before committing to play. Somebody said, 'Keith's not here,' and Mick said something like, 'Oh, he'll be there. I don't worry about that. He always shows up to play.'

What us "normal" folks would call partying was probably just a way of life for certain members of the Stones. If you believe Keith's book - as well as many other sources, doing coke and drinking liquor were the same to them as how lots of other people get through their days with coffee and cigarettes. Now, when it came time to party, God only knows to what levels they went....

"Gonna find my way to heaven ..."

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dcba

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stanlove

I grew up in Rochester n.y. I know probably 40 people who saw them in Buffalo or Syracuse that year ( me being one of them ) and not one of them didn't say that both shows sucked.

What you fail to grasp is if you saw one of the very 1st shows of the tour you didn't see the 1981 tour, you saw the "1978 tour part two".
What do I mean? The 1981 found its form and substance when they added a sax player : first Lee Allen then the superb Ernie Watts.

None of the Sept. 81 gigs featured a sax and it shows : the band played like it was 1978 all over again and it sounded and felt wrong. And the band acknowledged that, it felt too much like duplicate of the 1978 sound.

So if you saw the band in Philie or Buffalo you saw a sax-less band. And the sax made the identity of the 81 tour (whether you like Ernie Watts or not).

All I know was the Buffalo show was the first time I had ever seen the Stones (they didn't come back to Montreal until Steel Wheels) and for a kid in high school who had discovered them when Some Girls came out I was in heaven. Maybe it wasn't the best show or tour or set list or whatever but the emotional impact on me was something I will never forget. Seen them a few times since but nothing will replace that first time. It was an amazing experience (and a very long bus ride home!).

If you don't enjoy the '81-'82 tour then I feel bad for you. I love it!

I don't compare it to other tours. I love the Stones live and there are some of my favorites from that world tour. "Let It Bleed," "Under My Thumb." "Let's Spend the Night Together." "Go-Go," "Time is on my side," "Just My Imagination" and "Neighbors" in particular.

Hampton and Leeds are most enjoyable. Imagination in Italy ("Shattered in Europe" boot).

Sometimes I think it's better that I never learned to play guitar so I don't notice minor things that annoy some people.

I like the promo videos "Go-Go," "Time is on My Side" and "Satisfaction where Keith hits the guy over the head! Love it!

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Shantipole

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dcba

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stanlove

I grew up in Rochester n.y. I know probably 40 people who saw them in Buffalo or Syracuse that year ( me being one of them ) and not one of them didn't say that both shows sucked.

What you fail to grasp is if you saw one of the very 1st shows of the tour you didn't see the 1981 tour, you saw the "1978 tour part two".
What do I mean? The 1981 found its form and substance when they added a sax player : first Lee Allen then the superb Ernie Watts.

None of the Sept. 81 gigs featured a sax and it shows : the band played like it was 1978 all over again and it sounded and felt wrong. And the band acknowledged that, it felt too much like duplicate of the 1978 sound.

So if you saw the band in Philie or Buffalo you saw a sax-less band. And the sax made the identity of the 81 tour (whether you like Ernie Watts or not).

All I know was the Buffalo show was the first time I had ever seen the Stones (they didn't come back to Montreal until Steel Wheels) and for a kid in high school who had discovered them when Some Girls came out I was in heaven. Maybe it wasn't the best show or tour or set list or whatever but the emotional impact on me was something I will never forget. Seen them a few times since but nothing will replace that first time. It was an amazing experience (and a very long bus ride home!).

Your initial Stones experience will always be emblazoned in your mind. My first time was Philly 1978, a gig that got bad reviews, but I was thrilled to be seeing the Stones - from half a stadium away - in person! My second experience was the real kicker, Philly 1981, another sub-par performance, but right down in front of the stage I had the time of my life. I could literally see the whites of their eyes. And to be fair, the show was not the total disaster it often gets panned as. People write as if every song was falling apart. Not true. I recently listened to a recording you can find on youtube and much of it is enjoyable. Yep, there were mistakes, Let It Bleed fell apart, the start of Street Fighting Man was a debacle, Somebody lost it in Shattered....These are things that seem galling when you listen to a recording in your living room but in the excitement of a live show, you can forgive such things. At least I and the crowd all around me seemed pretty happy. And after the show, what I seemed to be hearing from loads of people walking out of the stadium, was things like, "Oh My God, we've just seen the Stones and it was awesome!'

"Gonna find my way to heaven ..."

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wonderboy
I read a fascinating piece once about their experiences at the Long View Farm but can't find it now.
It sounds like there was a lot of rehearsing and hanging out playing pool and coming down to breakfast mid-morning. Didn't sound like a wild and crazy partying time.
I think somebody in Wyman's family died during that time and Mick surprised and comforted him by sliding a condolence note under his door.
Keith and Ronnie were spilling drinks on the floor.
They were playing at some club at the end of that time and Mick drove around the block a few times before committing to play. Somebody said, 'Keith's not here,' and Mick said something like, 'Oh, he'll be there. I don't worry about that. He always shows up to play.'

Chet Flippo did a bit about them rehearsing that was quite entertaining (the whole book is outstanding).

< the band played like it was 1978 all over again and it sounded and felt wrong. And the band acknowledged that, it felt too much like duplicate of the 1978 sound.>

But what was the 1978 sound? It was the sound of The Rolling Stones, stripped down and raw; nothing wrong with them continuing being themselves in 1981. Sure, the sax made a difference later but it was still the Stones being the Stones, much more so than in 1975 with Ollie Brown and the excesses of Billy Preston..

"Gonna find my way to heaven ..."

Link to the website where the owner of Longview Farms posted essays about the Stones '81 rehearsals. VERY interesting. If the link works correctly, it will take you to his introduction page. The links on the left of the page are his various essays on the Stones stay. If you read them in order, they will form a basic narrative of that summer and what led up to it.

Enjoy! I did!

Diary of A Studio Owner

Peace,
Mr DJA

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mr_dja
Link to the website where the owner of Longview Farms posted essays about the Stones '81 rehearsals. VERY interesting. If the link works correctly, it will take you to his introduction page. The links on the left of the page are his various essays on the Stones stay. If you read them in order, they will form a basic narrative of that summer and what led up to it.

Enjoy! I did!

Diary of A Studio Owner

Peace,
Mr DJA

That's it! Thank you.

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wonderboy

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mr_dja
Link to the website where the owner of Longview Farms posted essays about the Stones '81 rehearsals. VERY interesting. If the link works correctly, it will take you to his introduction page. The links on the left of the page are his various essays on the Stones stay. If you read them in order, they will form a basic narrative of that summer and what led up to it.

Enjoy! I did!

Diary of A Studio Owner

Peace,
Mr DJA

That's it! Thank you.

You're welcome

Peace,
Mr DJA

That's a great read!

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exilestones
If you don't enjoy the '81-'82 tour then I feel bad for you. I love it!

I don't compare it to other tours. I love the Stones live and there are some of my favorites from that world tour. "Let It Bleed," "Under My Thumb." "Let's Spend the Night Together." "Go-Go," "Time is on my side," "Just My Imagination" and "Neighbors" in particular.

Hampton and Leeds are most enjoyable. Imagination in Italy ("Shattered in Europe" boot).

Sometimes I think it's better that I never learned to play guitar so I don't notice minor things that annoy some people.

I like the promo videos "Go-Go," "Time is on My Side" and "Satisfaction where Keith hits the guy over the head! Love it!

Well said! Especially the part about feeling sorry for people who don't appreciate the 81-82 tour. For me it was one of the most vital, exciting and fun periods of the band's career. Just one afterthought regarding the posts about audiences being "dead" for those shows. Just speaking for myself, I've never been one to jump around and dance at concerts. I'm sure if I had been filmed in the audience I would be looking still as a rock. But I was LISTENING - hanging on every note, and in my head fireworks and explosions of joy were going off! I never felt more alive...

"Gonna find my way to heaven ..."

The King Biscuit Flower Hour had some great 1981 recordings. "Waiting on a Friend" is great. Great KBFH sound of that song on DAC-069.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-09-28 18:29 by exilestones.

My memory goes back to Friday the 4th of June 1982 in the Feijenoord Stadium:
The upper tribune was moving under the weight of the dancing crowd when The Stones performed, I was in there dancing and glad the steel could hold the weight.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-09-29 16:33 by runaway.

I was determined and lucky enough to see 14 shows up and down the east coast from Philly to Hampton. I also met and remain friends to this day with a great group of hardcore Stones fans. The non-musical highlight was weaseling my way into Keith's (and Bobby's) backstage birthday party after the Hampton pay-per-view show. Still have the frozen piece of birthday cake. . . . sort of silly at this point. I posted my story about that several years ago.

[iorr.org]

HBK

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exilestones
The King Biscuit Flower Hour had some great 1981 recordings. "Waiting on a Friend" is great. Great KBFH of that song on DAC-069.

Yes! I had recorded that on cassette and cherished that tape for about 25 years! Alas, it was eventually eaten by a demonic tape machine....How I would love to have these recording again! If this was the recording I'm thinking of, it had a great version of YCAGWYW that really showcased how the band could click and improvise onstage. Ron Wood's solo started off a little bit weak and you wondered where it was going to go. Then Ernie Watts started wailing on the sax, which seemed to kick everyone into gear and they locked into an explosive jam. Even Keith threw in a tasty solo, on a tune where he usually didn't. It was magic!

"Gonna find my way to heaven ..."



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-09-28 17:46 by HonkeyTonkFlash.

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HonkeyTonkFlash

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exilestones
The King Biscuit Flower Hour had some great 1981 recordings. "Waiting on a Friend" is great. Great KBFH of that song on DAC-069.

Yes! I had recorded that on cassette and cherished that tape for about 25 years! Alas, it was eventually eaten by a demonic tape machine....How I would love to have these recording again!

You might want to check out This Website. They may have what you're looking for. Or possibly at least a link to it.

Peace,
Mr DJA

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mr_dja

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HonkeyTonkFlash

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exilestones
The King Biscuit Flower Hour had some great 1981 recordings. "Waiting on a Friend" is great. Great KBFH of that song on DAC-069.

Yes! I had recorded that on cassette and cherished that tape for about 25 years! Alas, it was eventually eaten by a demonic tape machine....How I would love to have these recording again!

You might want to check out This Website. They may have what you're looking for. Or possibly at least a link to it.

Peace,
Mr DJA

Thanks!

"Gonna find my way to heaven ..."

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lem motlow
the audience weren't "dead" -there was actually,believe or not, an era when the fans were actually listened to the band play.
you jumping around and waving your hands and [since you're probably white]attempting to "dance" doesn't really add to the show.

..

NO the audiences were dead. You can basically see the disappointment. Check out a Springsteen audience for example. What I am seeing alot on this thread if people saying they loved the 81 tour because they had such a great time at the concert. I had a great time also. But the Stones were weak and everyone I know who saw them in Buffalo or Syracuse agreed with me.


Music wise I enjoyed street performers in Virginia Beach much more. The movie LSTNT and Still Life basked out how weak they played for most of that tour. The dead crowds from almost every video you see also backs it up.

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stanlove

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lem motlow
the audience weren't "dead" -there was actually,believe or not, an era when the fans were actually listened to the band play.
you jumping around and waving your hands and [since you're probably white]attempting to "dance" doesn't really add to the show.

..

NO the audiences were dead. You can basically see the disappointment. Check out a Springsteen audience for example. What I am seeing alot on this thread if people saying they loved the 81 tour because they had such a great time at the concert. I had a great time also. But the Stones were weak and everyone I know who saw them in Buffalo or Syracuse agreed with me.


Music wise I enjoyed street performers in Virginia Beach much more. The movie LSTNT and Still Life basked out how weak they played for most of that tour. The dead crowds from almost every video you see also backs it up.

I don't care how the audiences looked or acted. It's a shame if you can't appreciate how the Stones were cooking in 1981. Both the film and the live album have great performances. That's all that mattered.

"Gonna find my way to heaven ..."

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HonkeyTonkFlash

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stanlove

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lem motlow
the audience weren't "dead" -there was actually,believe or not, an era when the fans were actually listened to the band play.
you jumping around and waving your hands and [since you're probably white]attempting to "dance" doesn't really add to the show.

..

NO the audiences were dead. You can basically see the disappointment. Check out a Springsteen audience for example. What I am seeing alot on this thread if people saying they loved the 81 tour because they had such a great time at the concert. I had a great time also. But the Stones were weak and everyone I know who saw them in Buffalo or Syracuse agreed with me.


Music wise I enjoyed street performers in Virginia Beach much more. The movie LSTNT and Still Life basked out how weak they played for most of that tour. The dead crowds from almost every video you see also backs it up.

I don't care how the audiences looked or acted. It's a shame if you can't appreciate how the Stones were cooking in 1981. Both the film and the live album have great performances. That's all that mattered.

I like Hampton. They had it together at that point even though we can't tell what the audience heard.

AS for LSTNT or Still Life only a die hard Stones fan would say they were not week. I have watched the movie with non die hard fans and they were not impressed with the playing at all. If someone lies Still Life I would love to hear what live Stones they don't like.

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stanlove

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lem motlow
the audience weren't "dead" -there was actually,believe or not, an era when the fans were actually listened to the band play.
you jumping around and waving your hands and [since you're probably white]attempting to "dance" doesn't really add to the show.

..

.... What I am seeing alot on this thread if people saying they loved the 81 tour because they had such a great time at the concert. I had a great time also. But the Stones were weak and everyone I know who saw them in Buffalo or Syracuse agreed with me.

You might need some more soundboards in your collection. ??

I referenced specific solid performances by the Stones on the '81 tour. Just some of them as examples. There were more.

I also provided a very feasible explanation as to why some people may have had a bad experience at the Syracuse Carrier Dome in '81 which very likely might not have been a result of the Stones actual quality of performance but more a result of the acoustics of the venue and / or the sound system.

Most everyone agrees that the Buffalo '81 show featured worse performance by the Stones on most of the songs than concerts that would follow as the tour moved along into October,November,and December. So,the Buffalo '81 concert is not a good representation of a typical 1981 Stones concert.

Here is what I posted earlier :

" Some very solid performances in 1981 after the Buffalo concert.

"When the Whip Comes Down" in Seattle , "Neighbours" in Tempe , "Time is On My Side" in Lexington , "Waiting On a Friend" ,"Imagination" , and "Let it Bleed" in Hampton to name a few.

Not to mention some of the great soundboard recordings of solid performances in places such as Saint Paul , Hartford etc. . A lot of good music was played by the Stones in '81.

There could have been sound problems in Syracuse at the Carrier Dome. It wasn't the best venue they played on the tour for acoustics. Remember,they had not played many domed stadium venues to that point. "

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stanlove

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lem motlow
the audience weren't "dead" -there was actually,believe or not, an era when the fans were actually listened to the band play.
you jumping around and waving your hands and [since you're probably white]attempting to "dance" doesn't really add to the show.

..

NO the audiences were dead. You can basically see the disappointment. Check out a Springsteen audience for example. What I am seeing alot on this thread if people saying they loved the 81 tour because they had such a great time at the concert. I had a great time also. But the Stones were weak and everyone I know who saw them in Buffalo or Syracuse agreed with me.


Music wise I enjoyed street performers in Virginia Beach much more. The movie LSTNT and Still Life basked out how weak they played for most of that tour. The dead crowds from almost every video you see also backs it up.

you could not be more wrong. I saw 17 shows and every one of them was insane..in a GREAT way

My first Stones show, 17 year old in high school, what a memory.

Seen them 9 times since, have taken my now 15 year old son twice.

Having started going to Stones shows in 1978, and having seen them a lot of times since, if I could go back in time and re-live any concert, it would be the one from 1981.

"Gonna find my way to heaven ..."

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stanlove

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HonkeyTonkFlash

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stanlove

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lem motlow
the audience weren't "dead" -there was actually,believe or not, an era when the fans were actually listened to the band play.
you jumping around and waving your hands and [since you're probably white]attempting to "dance" doesn't really add to the show.

..

NO the audiences were dead. You can basically see the disappointment. Check out a Springsteen audience for example. What I am seeing alot on this thread if people saying they loved the 81 tour because they had such a great time at the concert. I had a great time also. But the Stones were weak and everyone I know who saw them in Buffalo or Syracuse agreed with me.


Music wise I enjoyed street performers in Virginia Beach much more. The movie LSTNT and Still Life basked out how weak they played for most of that tour. The dead crowds from almost every video you see also backs it up.

I don't care how the audiences looked or acted. It's a shame if you can't appreciate how the Stones were cooking in 1981. Both the film and the live album have great performances. That's all that mattered.

I like Hampton. They had it together at that point even though we can't tell what the audience heard.

AS for LSTNT or Still Life only a die hard Stones fan would say they were not week. I have watched the movie with non die hard fans and they were not impressed with the playing at all. If someone lies Still Life I would love to hear what live Stones they don't like.

Many of the cuts on Still Life are from Hampton, which was a great performance.

You catched them in the beginning of the tour, when they were underrehearsed.

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DandelionPowderman

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stanlove

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HonkeyTonkFlash

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stanlove

Quote
lem motlow
the audience weren't "dead" -there was actually,believe or not, an era when the fans were actually listened to the band play.
you jumping around and waving your hands and [since you're probably white]attempting to "dance" doesn't really add to the show.

..

NO the audiences were dead. You can basically see the disappointment. Check out a Springsteen audience for example. What I am seeing alot on this thread if people saying they loved the 81 tour because they had such a great time at the concert. I had a great time also. But the Stones were weak and everyone I know who saw them in Buffalo or Syracuse agreed with me.


Music wise I enjoyed street performers in Virginia Beach much more. The movie LSTNT and Still Life basked out how weak they played for most of that tour. The dead crowds from almost every video you see also backs it up.

I don't care how the audiences looked or acted. It's a shame if you can't appreciate how the Stones were cooking in 1981. Both the film and the live album have great performances. That's all that mattered.

I like Hampton. They had it together at that point even though we can't tell what the audience heard.

AS for LSTNT or Still Life only a die hard Stones fan would say they were not week. I have watched the movie with non die hard fans and they were not impressed with the playing at all. If someone lies Still Life I would love to hear what live Stones they don't like.

Many of the cuts on Still Life are from Hampton, which was a great performance.

You catched them in the beginning of the tour, when they were underrehearsed.

I don't get how anyone can trash Still Life. The whole first side is exhilarating in itself, especially the first three songs. Then you've got the frenetic adrenaline rush of Let Me Go, a beautiful take on Time Is On My Side and a soaring jam on Just My Imagination. I'll concede that Start Me Up sounds a bit weak, but Satisfaction cooks. It's one of my favorite live albums.

"Gonna find my way to heaven ..."

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DandelionPowderman

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stanlove

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HonkeyTonkFlash

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stanlove

Quote
lem motlow
the audience weren't "dead" -there was actually,believe or not, an era when the fans were actually listened to the band play.
you jumping around and waving your hands and [since you're probably white]attempting to "dance" doesn't really add to the show.

..

NO the audiences were dead. You can basically see the disappointment. Check out a Springsteen audience for example. What I am seeing alot on this thread if people saying they loved the 81 tour because they had such a great time at the concert. I had a great time also. But the Stones were weak and everyone I know who saw them in Buffalo or Syracuse agreed with me.


Music wise I enjoyed street performers in Virginia Beach much more. The movie LSTNT and Still Life basked out how weak they played for most of that tour. The dead crowds from almost every video you see also backs it up.

I don't care how the audiences looked or acted. It's a shame if you can't appreciate how the Stones were cooking in 1981. Both the film and the live album have great performances. That's all that mattered.

I like Hampton. They had it together at that point even though we can't tell what the audience heard.

AS for LSTNT or Still Life only a die hard Stones fan would say they were not week. I have watched the movie with non die hard fans and they were not impressed with the playing at all. If someone lies Still Life I would love to hear what live Stones they don't like.

Many of the cuts on Still Life are from Hampton, which was a great performance.

You catched them in the beginning of the tour, when they were underrehearsed.

3 songs on "Still Life" from the first Hampton '81 concert and 1 song from the second Hampton '81 concert.

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HonkeyTonkFlash

I don't get how anyone can trash Still Life. The whole first side is exhilarating in itself, especially the first three songs. Then you've got the frenetic adrenaline rush of Let Me Go, a beautiful take on Time Is On My Side and a soaring jam on Just My Imagination. I'll concede that Start Me Up sounds a bit weak, but Satisfaction cooks. It's one of my favorite live albums.

It's most likely because :

1) The raw soundboards sound better for most,if not all of the tracks. The sound mix could have been better.

Shattered sounds better on "Twenty Flight Rock" EVA Records HB 2-2902 A/B and on "Hippy Happy Keith" as an example.

2) The track list. Signature songs from the tour are missing such as "Let it Bleed" and "Waiting On a Friend".

3) The sources of the tracks. "Twenty Flight Rock" from Largo,Maryland was not the best rendition they performed of the song.

4) Edits. "Imagination" was heavily cut (and poorly mixed). Once again,there are better soundboards out there.