Linda Ronstadt
The Troubadour
West Hollywood, CA
March 17, 1976
late show
JF Archive Series No. 2 via JEMS

Taper: JF

Source: unknown recorder > unknown stereo microphone

Original 1970's Transfer: JF master cassette > Toshiba Cassette Deck > Teac reel-to-reel (3-3/4 IPS)

JEMS 2014 Transfer: JF first-generation reel copy (3-3/4 IPS) > Otari 5050 mkII azimuth-adjusted transfer > Sound Devices USBPre 2 > Audacity 2.0 (24/96) capture > iZotope RX4 > Peak 6.0 with iZotope Ozone 5 > iZotope RX MBIT+ resample 16/44.1 > Peak Pro XT (edit / index) > xACT 2.21 > FLAC


01 Colorado
02 That�ll Be The Day
03 Love Has No Pride
04 Silver Threads and Golden Needles
05 Willin'
06 Someone to Lay Down Beside Me
07 It Doesn't Matter Anymore
08 Dialogue (Prop 15 Nuclear Waste Safeguards)
09 When Will I Be Loved?
10 Lose Again
11 Faithless Love
12 Heartaches in Heartaches (sung by Andrew Gold)
13 Long Long Time
14 I Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love With You)
15 Desperado
16 Band Introduction
17 Love Is A Rose
18 You're No Good
19 Heatwave
20 Rivers Of Babylon (Melodians Cover)
21 Heart Like A Wheel


THE JF BACKSTORY
JEMS loves a vintage taper series and we're pleased to offer another one, this time from the archive of our new friend JF, who taped in and around Southern California in the '70s and later resumed taping in Boston in the '80s. He frequented smaller venues, like the Troubadour and the Roxy, leaving arenas to others and leaning more towards the folksier, jazzier and eclectic sides of rock.

Most of his '70s tapes were made on what I would describe as the kind of rectangular, portable, C-cel powered cassette recorder that my family and surely many others had in the '70s, either a Panasonic or a Sony. While I used ours to record myself, my friends and my sister around the house, the teenage JF figured: Why not try taking it into concerts?

I only learned what recorder JF used after I had heard some of his tapes and I have to say I was mildly shocked. Given the gear, his tapes are remarkably clear and judging by his recordings from the Troubadour, he knew the right place to set up.

You might have noticed above that JEMS transferred from a reel-to-reel source. That's because JF, due to tight budgets at the time, routinely transferred his master tapes to reels in order to save money. Because he recorded the masters in mono, he would dub the finished recording onto a single track of a reel, allowing him to fit four or more shows on a single 7" tape and reuse the cassette for the next show. That wasn't true in all instances, but it is for most. And yes, in hindsight, he is still kicking himself about it.

And yet, based on the tapes we've transferred so far, JF did a fine job dubbing off his masters, and the Waits reel doesn't sound any worse for wear despite the one-generation loss.

JF was also an active trader at the time and we've already found a few uncirculated gems from the early '70s in his archive that we'll be getting in the series as well.

THIS SHOW
Our second serving of JF's fine work at the Troub is a one-off show by the incomparable Linda Ronstadt. Like our first installment from Tom Waits, it is another appealing, you-are-there sort of recording that balances music and ambiance, though the crowd (perhaps even our intrepid taper and his pals) are a bit more boisterous. But it is that kind of show, as Ronstadt has plenty to say throughout the night and mentions how nice it is to be playing the Troubadour again, which was home court before she broke big. The recording is in stereo, which means JF used different gear (likely borrowed) than he did for Tom Waits. Samples provided.

I couldn't find a single mention or listing for this concert anywhere on the web, though I suspect it was one in a series of "Yes On 15" benefit concerts held around Southern California at the time. Prop 15 aimed to put nuclear power safeguards in place and at one point in the set, Linda gives a fairly detailed lecture on the issues surrounding radioactive waste disposal and the safety risks of nuclear power plants. If one of you can fill in any details, please do.

Not surprisingly then, given no records of this gig, we have an uncirculated performance and recording. Linda's set is consistent with what she was playing towards the end of 1975 with a couple notable exceptions, adding "Someone To Lay Down Beside Me" as a second Karla Bonoff-penned tune (joining "Lose Again") and having bandmate Andrew Gold step to the mic and perform his hit, "Heartaches in Heartaches."

Thanks to JF, who reached out on DIME (you could be next!) and offered us his archive, which had been sitting in boxes, 6000 miles away from where he lives today, for 20+ years. Like so many early tapers, he had great stories to tell and the memories flooded back as we sorted through tapes. We are pleased to be able to bring his work to all of you. Please let him know through your comments that you are, too.

JF also sent along a photo of Linda from the show taken by his friend Laura Greenspan and we�ve included that, too.

mjk5510 also played a big role in helping make the JF series happen and he's handling the last mile on this one again. Much appreciated.

BK for JEMS

Images for all shows as well as full size images for this show.

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