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stonesmuziekfan
Over the years there have been a number of different releases of the famous Rolling Stones concert at the Altamont Speedway, at the conclusion of their 1969 US tour. As documented in the film "Gimme Shelter," there were numerous problems before and during the concert. I have attempted to assemble a complete version of the show from the best available sources, and have also included the lesser/alternate sources for reference starting with track 4 on CD2. This is not a matrix; it's only what I prefer, one at a time. Where multiple sources are used, all are smoothly cross faded together.
Here are the sources, in approximate order of when they began circulating:
Source 1, Gimme Shelter soundtrack, digitally extracted from DVD and downsampled to CD bitrate. This is lossy AC3 audio but still sounds great. Other sources have been added to fill its edits. This is the reference source for pitch correction. Reassembling "Gimme Shelter," CD1 track 16, was quite a challenge. Note that this source is used for music wherever possible, but Source 2 is used between songs to better capture what was going on in the crowd.
Source 2, low gen audience recording from an XLII-S cassette. This recording has been used on other bootlegs but this version is a little better and more complete. It includes the very end of Brown Sugar and the full introduction to Midnight Rambler missing from some versions. I've gone through a couple different cassettes and this is the best I've had. Unfortunately, every version is in "electronically reprocessed" stereo, which I left as-is. The very end of Brown Sugar is mono which is probably how it was recorded. As with the previous cassettes, this one has been equalized at some point. Side A sounds better so I EQ'ed Side B in an attempt to match it. This was transferred to PC using an Audiophile 2496 sound card. Complete versions of the music are on CD2.
Source 3, unmixed Gimme Shelter soundtrack from original silver boot CD, used to reassemble "Gimme Shelter." Excellent quality but not as crisp as the soundtrack which is better mixed and mastered. Extracted using EAC.
Source 4, soundboard recording from Internet in lossy mp3 quality which is all that's publicly available. The vocals are a bit loud. Apparently the sound man still has the tape.
Source 5, audience recording by unknown FM station from CDR, extracted using EAC, log included. I have no information other than what I can determine from listening: a radio station sent a guy to the concert with a hand-held tape recorder. He recorded parts of the concert and then the station broadcast them over the air, shortly afterwards. I assume it was a local station because the taper seems pretty familiar with the Hell's Angels. The tape recorder runs low on power causing speed fluctuations, and what's here is all there is. I rate the quality as slightly better than Source 2, except for the speed fluctuations. There was a short gap in "Sympathy" 2, which I patched from Source 2.
CD2 track 16 is the audio from a TV broadcast by KRON San Francisco 12/8/1969 from CDR, extracted using EAC, log included. It tells the story of the events leading up to the concert, what happened there, and the immediate aftermath. It also includes excerpts of parts of the concert from a third audience recording, which is worse than Sources 2 or 5. Someone previously edited out the commercials, and I edited it some more. This track is not the greatest fidelity but it's listenable. Not a big deal since it's mainly talking.
All tracks edited, pitch corrected, cross faded, etc., with Adobe Audition. Track splitting by CD Wave and tagging by foobar2000.
Presented in FLAC 1.2.1. Includes artwork plus art without text in case you can do a better job. I believe the tapers pictured are responsible for Source 2. The tape recorder is visible on top of one of the big monitor speakers on several occasions in the film.
First uploaded to HungerCity by watchit, November 2011.
Rolling Stones
Altamont Speedway 12/6/1969
Livermore, CA
CD1:
01. Sam's Plea (source 5)
02. introduction (source 4)
03. Jumping Jack Flash (sources 4 and 2)
04. Carol (source 2)
05. Sympathy for the Devil 1 (sources 2 and 1)
06. Sympathy for the Devil 2 (sources 2, 1, and 4)
07. The Sun is Shining (source 4)
08. Stray Cat Blues (sources 4 and 2)
09. Love in Vain (source 2)
10. Under My Thumb 1 (source 2)
11. Under My Thumb 2 (sources 2 and 1)
12. Brown Sugar (source 2)
13. Midnight Rambler introduction (source 2)
14. Midnight Rambler (source 2)
15. Live with Me (sources 2 and 3)
16. Gimme Shelter (sources 3, 1, and 2)
17. Little Queenie (source 2)
CD2:
01. Satisfaction (source 2)
02. Honky Tonk Women (source 2)
03. Street Fighting Man (sources 2 and 1)
---end of concert, begin alt. sources---
04. introduction (source 5)
05. Jumping Jack Flash (source 5)
06. Carol (source 5)
07. announcer (source 5)
08. Sympathy for the Devil 1 (source 5)
09. Sympathy for the Devil 2 (sources 5 and 2)
10. Sympathy for the Devil 1 (source 2)
11. Sympathy for the Devil 2 (source 2)
12. The Sun is Shining (source 2)
13. Stray Cat Blues (source 2)
14. Under My Thumb 2 (source 2)
15. Gimme Shelter (source 2)
16. Altamont news report