THE PRETENDERS
Sunday, 29 July 1984 7:30PM
Merriweather Post Pavilion
10475 Little Patuxent Parkway
Columbia, Maryland 21044
USA
FLAC master, 25 March 2020, by elegymart:
Analog audience recording (mono) {recorded by Gene Poole}: unknown mics/recorder > 1980-82 US Maxell Epitaxial UDXLII 90 (Type II CrO2) analog audio cassette {from the Gene Poole collection} > Sony TC-WE435 (azimuth adjustment) > Roland R05 (24/96) > Cool Edit Pro 2.0 (audio cleanup, convert to 16/44) > SHNtool (fixed SBE) > CD Wave (track splits) > TLH (WAV > FLAC8).
Created this text file.
Total running time [1:25:07]
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01 introduction [0:28]
02 Time the Avenger [4:31]
03 Message of Love [3:38]
04 The Adultress [4:08]
05 My City Was Gone [5:52]
06 Show Me [4:22]
07 Talk of the Town [2:39]
08 I Go to Sleep [2:57]
09 Thin Line Between Love and Hate [4:18]
10 Stop Your Sobbing [2:42]
11 Back on the Chain Gang [3:59]
12 Bad Boys Get Spanked [4:15]
13 The Wait [2:51]
14 Mystery Achievement [5:41]
15 Up the Neck [5:42]
16 Middle of the Road [5:09]
-- encore 1 --
17 Thumbelina [4:08]
18 Room Full of Mirrors [5:57]
-- encore 2 --
19 Brass in Pocket [3:04]
20 2000 Miles [3:28]
21 Precious [5:09]
Band line-up:
Chrissie Hynde - rhythm guitar, vocals, harmonica
Robbie McIntosh - lead guitar, backing vocals
Malcolm Foster - bass, backing vocals
Rupert Black - keyboards
Martin Chambers - drums, percussion, backing vocals
-- special guest --
Jim Kerr - guitar on t14
Notes:
THE GENE POOLE COLLECTION VOL. 50
Here's the latest installment of the Gene Poole Collection, a random wellspring of recordings which have recently surfaced. To paraphrase Lou: This is gonna go on for a while, so we should get used to each other, settle back, pull up your cushions, whatever else you have with you that makes life bearable to kick off the decade...
Some of Gene's handiwork has probably been heard by your very ears before, for the most part via the Stonecutter Archives, but this is the first major unearthing of tapes direct from the legend himself. As promising as that may seem, it's best to let the surprises hit as they are shared. The trade-off to the prolific taping on Gene's part is that the expectations for a perfect track record would be unrealistic and unfair. There will be instances of incomplete recordings, caused by late arrivals to gigs, recorder and mic malfunctions, and other assorted foibles as would befall any mortal taper. There will be times where a master from another source exists which could be superior. For the most part, Gene recorded with a variety of mics and recorders, and many shows suffered from wire dropouts, so that only one channel was extant in the capture. Due warning about the past imperfect given and out of the way, credit should be given where due as well -- for many shows thought lost forever, it's exciting to discover that many of these even in incomplete form have now cropped up.
The transfers, the audio fixes, and the research all have required some lead time -- many tapes had scant info (sometimes just the name of the artist/band, with no date listed for the performance). Needless to say, gear documentation is virtually nil -- if we wait around for that precise detail to be forthcoming, nothing from the collection would probably see the light of day.
This edition takes us back to the summer of '84, when Gene went to Maryland to pay a visit to John C (RIP), his best friend and fellow army brat from junior high. John drove them over to Symphony Woods to see the Pretenders on their US "Learning to Crawl" tour, and it sounds like Gene brought along the rig with the faulty left-channel mic once again, so we present yet another recording here in two-channel mono.
After Simple Minds' opening set, the Pretenders take to the stage to the fading strains of "Das boot." Chrissie announces to the standing lawn only crowd her pregnancy; she'd married Jim Kerr back in May, and was a month into carrying her second daughter Yasmin at this time, whereas the album they were promoting was titled in reference to her first daughter with Ray Davies.
Chrissie is sometimes off mic, like during the start of "Stop Your Sobbing" -- otherwise Gene's recording picks up the outdoor amphitheater sound well, excessive mic fumbling on the opening number and intermittent points later notwithstanding. No surprises here on the setlist, it's the typical one from this tour. Her husband joins the band on guitar for "Mystery Achievement" and as per Gene's observation to his pal John, the Pretenders are using a lot of equipment from the husband's band on stage.
"Now it's time to play Find the Car!" Gene exclaims when the show ends -- ah, the fun of outdoor music sheds in the summer, when you'd forget to make the mental note of where you parked.
Enjoy,
elegymart
PRIOR EDITIONS OF THE GENE POOLE COLLECTION:
VOL. 1: ROMEO VOID - 1982-10-30 Peppermint Lounge, NYC
VOL. 2: CYNDI LAUPER - 1986-12-19 Madison Square Garden, NYC
VOL. 3: THE GO-GO'S - 1984-06-30 Jones Beach, Wantagh
VOL. 4: PALE FACE OF YOUTH - 1987-03-00 CBGB, NYC
VOL. 5: X - 1987-10-04 The Ritz, NYC
VOL. 6: WARREN ZEVON - 1987-10-04 The Ritz, NYC
VOL. 7: FRIGHTWIG - 1986-11-30 Maxwell's, Hoboken
VOL. 8: LINDA RONSTADT - 1982-11-07 Radio City Music Hall, NYC
VOL. 9: PATTI SMITH GROUP - 1977-07-26 late show, Syncopation, Hartsdale
VOL. 10: SPURS - 1984-01-24 CBGB, NYC
VOL. 11: THE PRETENDERS - 1980-08-23 Mosport Park, Bowmanville
VOL. 12: THE B-52'S - 1980-08-23 Mosport Park, Bowmanville
VOL. 13: TALKING HEADS - 1980-08-23 Mosport Park, Bowmanville
VOL. 14: THE RUMOUR - 1980-08-23 Mosport Park, Bowmanville
VOL. 15: GRAHAM PARKER & THE SHOT - 1985-08-03 Pier 84, NYC
VOL. 16: ROBYN HITCHCOCK & THE EGYPTIANS - 1993-05-19 The Ritz, NYC
VOL. 17: ROBYN HITCHCOCK - 1988-07-22 Pier 84, NYC
VOL. 18: 10,000 MANIACS - 1988-07-22 Pier 84, NYC
VOL. 19: COMATEENS - 1984-12-26 The Ritz, NYC
VOL. 20: VIOLENT FEMMES - 1994-07-21 Roseland, NYC
VOL. 21: LENE LOVICH - 1988-06-16 The Ritz, NYC
VOL. 22: THOMPSON TWINS - 1984-08-14 Jones Beach, Wantagh
VOL. 23: THE PRIMITIVES - 1990-03-13 Beacon Theatre, NYC
VOL. 24: DAVE EDMUNDS - 1987-01-30 The Ritz, NYC
VOL. 25: GEORGE THOROGOOD & THE DESTROYERS - 1982-02-20 Madison Square Garden, NYC
VOL. 26: ROBERT GORDON - 1982-05-10 Lone Star Cafe, NYC
VOL. 27: TOM ROBINSON - 1985-01-18 The Ritz, NYC
VOL. 28: BILLY BRAGG - 1985-01-19 The Ritz, NYC
VOL. 29: HOLLY BETH VINCENT - 1988-05-31 The China Club, NYC
VOL. 30: IGGY POP - 1987-01-20 The Spectrum, Philadelphia
VOL. 31: THE PRETENDERS - 1987-01-20 The Spectrum, Philadelphia
VOL. 32: PATTI SMITH GROUP - 1977-07-03 My Father's Place, Roslyn
VOL. 33: PATTI SMITH GROUP - 1979-04-08 The Factory, Staten Island
VOL. 34: DEXYS MIDNIGHT RUNNERS - 1983-02-10 The Savoy, NYC
VOL. 35: BONNIE AND THE LADS - 1986-10-02 Tramps, NYC
VOL. 36: GABRIEL ROTELLO'S DOWNTOWN DIVAS - 1985-02-14 The Ritz, NYC
VOL. 37: LENNY KAYE & THE NUGGETS - 1980-02-16 Squat Theatre, NYC
VOL. 38: 10,000 MANIACS - 1988-04-28 Beacon Theatre, NYC
VOL. 39: JOE JACKSON - 1981-07-08 The Savoy, NYC
VOL. 40: EXENE CERVENKA AND THE WHITE TRASH WIVES - 1990-12-09 Maxwell's, Hoboken
VOL. 41: VIOLENT FEMMES - 1991-11-04 The Ritz, NYC
VOL. 42: DEBORAH HARRY - 1990-07-11 Jones Beach, Wantagh
VOL. 43: RAMONES - 1990-07-11 Jones Beach, Wantagh
VOL. 44: TOM TOM CLUB with JERRY HARRISON AND THE CASUAL GODS - 1990-07-11 Jones Beach, Wantagh
VOL. 45: TALKING HEADS - 1982-08-20 Paramount Theater, Staten Island
VOL. 46: HOODOO GURUS - 1986-04-02 The Ritz, NYC The day after their Maxwell's gig.
VOL. 47: GREEN ON RED - 1985-09-06 Irving Plaza, NYC
VOL. 48: ROBYN HITCHCOCK & THE EGYPTIANS - 1986-03-29 Irving Plaza, NYC
VOL. 49: FRIGHTWIG - 1986-12-01 Pyramid Club, NYC