Re: DVD footage from '78 tour
Date: October 28, 2007 22:15
From what I understand, here's the low-down on 1978 Tour footage:
** CIRCULATING FOOTAGE**
FT. WORTH
The only complete, _professionally_ _filmed_ concert was the Ft. Worth one. The first six songs from this film circulate. The rest is deeply vaulted. I know one collector who received a complete film copy from a high-ranking Stones' official at the time (i.e. not a band member)and has transferred it to VHS. The film copy is in seriously decaying condition and would need to be baked (HA!) to be of any use.The 6-song video that circulates is rumored to be from his VHS copy that he gave someone under the condition that he not share it. (See how that works out?)
This concert filming was set up to be a closed-circut broadcast to various theatres across the U.S. -- much like they showed many high profile boxing matches in pre-cable TV days, from what I am told.
For reasons very few outside of the principals involved know, The Stones decided not to go through with the deal. So the film has sat in limbo since. There may also be some payment issues involved with its lack of release as well (i.e. the Stones refused to fork over the cash after the filming, or have money issues with the production company -- who you can see listed in the credits -- and thus it sits.)
NEW ORLEANS
The New Orleans show was videotaped on what looks to be an in-house two camera system. Possibly with band approval, possibly without. Could have been a Bill Graham inside job too, if he was involved in promoting that gig. The circulating videotape is a terribly difficult viewing experience as it contains many 'glitches' and drop outs. The "SB" recording that circulates is taken from the glitchy videotape. As I recall, this "SB" switches between audience and SB. The quality is marginal. The tape may have been purposely made glitchy in order to make it less appealing to share (this is the same with the bootleg 'workprint' copies of the Rock N Roll Circus that circulated for years before the official release - it was purposely rendered semi-useless and 'fingerprinted' in case it was shared, which it was). A brief portion of "Let It Rock" did end up in an NBC-TV news special report on the tour.
CHICAGO
Portions of the Chicago show were filmed by network TV in the U.S. (Probably NBC). The raw footage, that circulates, is apporx. 15 - 20 min., shot from a distance (possibly near the top of Soldier's Field, at about the 20-30 yard-line) with several tight zooms. The songs include: "Let It Rock," "Miss You," "Jumping Jack Flash," and "Satisfaction." All are incomplete. The footage later turned up in various news reports about the Stones tour. This footage has circulated for many years and can be found in decent quality. Additional, extremely brief professional footage from backstage and throughout the day can be seen in the PBS Centerstage special on the band Journey, who opened the show, and were filmed in performance by PBS on July 9.
TUSCON
Brief portions of this show were filmed for local/national television coverage. "Tumbling Dice," with Linda Rondstat, is included in the footage, along with "Happy" and one or two others. I have never seen the raw footage in circulation, but a few of the news reports containing it have circulated for many years, in multi-generation quality.
ANAHEIM
There are two short, choppy silent films taken from the Anaheim shows, I'm not sure which is which show -- but the shoe-throwing incident is captured on at least one of them. Both are super-8 private/amateur films. One of them has the sound from the KBFH dubbed over it. They are short (4 - 8 min) and have circulated widely.
Additionally, there is some professional footage from one of the Anaheim shows used during a MJ interview for U.S. TV.
**RUMORED FOOTAGE**
ATLANTA
There is reported to be a private film of part or all of this show. I have only seen it listed one time on a trader's list, who also had the Ft. Worth footage, so I presume this person knew it was different footage.
Most probably the Ft. Worth footage has been mis-labelled as Atlanta somewhere along the way. Anyone have any additional information?
MEMPHIS & LEXINGTON
Professional films of these shows are reported to exist. However, this may be confused with the footage shot for the Norman Gunston interviews (excerpts were seen in "Video Rewind"). The Gunston footage is reported to include him roaming the crowds during one of these shows and actually approaching the stage at one point. Beyond the "Rewind" footage, there is a copy of Gunston's interview with MJ in a hotel room in circulation -- which is also on YouTube. Any other evidence of professionally shot footage of either of these shows has eluded my radar in the last 22 years.
HOUSTON
Another rumored professionally shot film. I have never heard of any authentic Houston footage being in circulation, or existing. beyond the potential mis-labelling of the Ft. Worth footage once again.
ANAHEIM and/or OAKLAND
A professional film of the Oakland show is rumored to exist. This, and possibly the Anaheim shows, most-probably stem from Bill Graham filming the show/s for his own pirvate archives. I have never seen or heard of any of this footage existing outside Graham's private stash. I am aware that Graham's archives suffered a major fire at one point and he lost much of the footage he had stored (including film of the Oakland 1969 shows FYI). I am unsure if the fire occurred before or after the 1978 tour though.
PASSAIC
There are, apparently, local news reports that contain portions of "Honky Tonk Women" and "When The Whip Comes Down" from this show. I have never seen them, nor have I seen them in circulation. I'm fairly certain they exist.
As far as I know, or have seen, or have learned, that's it for 1978. I am sure there are several local news outlets that filmed 1-3 songs for their local news reports, but niether the broadcasts or the raw footage have escaped as far as I know.
There is about 15 min. of hand-held, news footage from the Oshawa C.N.I.B Benefit concerts that includes several incomplete New Barbarians and Stones songs (including Prodigal Son and @#$%&) that also circulates widely in near-excellent quality.
Obviously, anyone with proven evidence of any other footage, or additional, proven, information about the rumored footage above, is welcome to offer it up!
J