Rod Stewart
Sports Arena
San Diego, CA
June 19, 1979
Mike Millard First-Generation Tapes via JEMS
The Lost and Found Mike the MICrophone Tapes Volume 185


Recording Gear: AKG 451E Microphones (CK-1 cardioid capsules) > Nakamichi 550 Cassette Recorder

JEMS 2022 Transfer: Mike Millard First-Generation Cassettes > Nakamichi RX-505 (azimuth adjustment) > Sound Devices USBPre 2 > Audacity 2.0 capture 2496 > iZotope RX8 > iZotope Ozone 8 > MBIT+ resample to 1644 > Audacity > xACT > FLAC

01 Hot Legs
02 Born Loose
03 Tonight's The Night (Gonna Be Alright)
04 The Wild Side Of Life
05 Get Back
06 You're In My Heart (The Final Acclaim)
07 (If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want To Be Right
08 Big Bayou
09 I Just Want To Make Love To You
10 Blondes (Have More Fun)
11 Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?
12 Maggie May
13 (I Know) I'm Losing You >
14 Standin' In The Shadows Of Love >
15 Layla > Guitar Solo
16 Bass Solo > Drum Solo >
17 Standin' In The Shadows Of Love
18 Sweet Little Rock And Roller
19 Twistin' The Night Away
20 Stay With Me
21 Do Ya Think I'm Sexy? (Reprise)

Known Issues:
-None

Introduction to the Lost and Found Mike the MICrophone Series

Welcome to JEMS� Lost and Found Mike the MICrophone series presenting recordings made by legendary taper Mike Millard, AKA Mike The Mike, best known for his masters of Led Zeppelin done in and around Los Angeles circa 1975-77. For the complete details on how tapes in this series came to be lost and found again, as well as JEMS' long history with Mike Millard, please refer to the notes in Vol. One: http://www.dimeadozen.org/torrents-details.php?id=500680.

Until 2020, the Lost and Found series presented fresh transfers of previously unavailable first-generation copies made by Mike himself for friends like Stan Gutoski of JEMS, Jim R, Bill C. and Barry G. These sources were upgrades to circulating copies and in most instances marked the only time verified first generation Millard sources had been directly digitized in the torrent era.

That all changed with the discovery of many of Mike Millard�s original master tapes.

Yes, you read that correctly, Mike Millard�s master cassettes, long rumored to be destroyed or lost, have been found. Not all of them but many, and with them a much more complete picture has emerged of what Millard recorded between his first show in late 1973 and his last in early 1993.

The reason the rediscovery of his master tapes is such a revelation is that we�ve been told for decades they were gone. Internet myths suggest Millard destroyed his master tapes before taking his own life, an imprudent detail likely concocted based on the assumption that because his master tapes never surfaced and Mike�s mental state was troubled he would do something rash WITH HIS LIFE�S WORK. There�s also a version of the story where Mike�s family dumps the tapes after he dies. Why would they do that?

The truth is Mike�s masters remained in his bedroom for many years after his death in 1994. We know at least a few of Millard�s friends and acquaintances contacted his mother Lia inquiring about the tapes at the time to no avail. But in the early 2000s, longtime Millard friend Rob S was the one she knew and trusted enough to preserve Mike�s work.

The full back story on how Mike�s master tapes were saved can be found in the notes for Vol. 18 Pink Floyd, which was the first release in our series transferred from Millard�s original master tapes:

http://www.dimeadozen.org/torrents-details.php?id=667745&hit=1
http://www.dimeadozen.org/torrents-details.php?id=667750&hit=1

Rod Stewart, Sports Arena, San Diego, CA, June 19, 1979

We jump back to Millard's golden era and another show from one of Mike's favorites, Rod Stewart, who was crushing it at the time with his disco-influenced smash, "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?"

As Jim notes below, Rod the Mod was selling out multiple nights in arenas, including seven total in SoCal. Jim and Mike drove to San Diego for this one. While we've written before about the problematic acoustics at the Sports Arena there, this is one of the better pulls he made in San Diego, sounding up close and full. Samples provided.

Rod's 1979 sets were relatively generous by his standards, opening big with another smash, "Hot Legs" and featuring the then-current "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?" not once but twice in the show, including a reprise as the final encore.

Stewart's penchant for covers is also on full display in San Diego with visits to the Beatles' "Get Back," The Temptations' "(I Know) I'm Losing You," the Four Tops' "Standing In The Shadows Of Love" (which itself forms a medley with Derek & The Dominoes "Layla"), Chuck Berry's "Sweet Little Rock and Roller" and Sam Cooke's "Twistin' The Night Away." The set also includes the relatively little played "Big Bayou" from 1976's A Night On The Town.

Here's what Jim R recalled about Rod Stewart's 1979 Southern California campaign:

Mike and I went to several Rod Stewart shows in the SoCal area in June 1979. This recording is of the June 19 show at the San Diego Sports Arena, one of the last few nights of the worldwide "Blondes 'Ave More Fun Tour." Rod was so popular at the time, he played six nights at The Forum plus this gig in San Diego. By comparison, New York City got only four nights at MSG. What's up NY? Likely all the SoCal babes who frequented Rod's shows. Rod was a babe magnet.

In San Diego we sat on the floor Section B, Row 7, Seats 11&12, in other words, seventh row center, but on the aisle, so we picked up a bit more crowd noise.

By comparison, at the Forum show on June 28 (Vol 145) we sat in the sixth row on the floor, a little bit off center.

For this tour Rod utilized "clean stage look": No huge PA stacks on each side blocking your view as was the custom a few years before; the entire PA was hung from the ceiling creating a very wide and open stage for Rod to work and work he did. A sign of the times.

Any Rod Stewart concert in SoCal is a party scene, with lots of beautiful ladies. Not being sexist, just the truth. Rod is a non-stop, hard-working performer who knows how to win over his largely female audience. The setlist was varied with a few slower numbers to allow the audience to catch its breath. Of course, lots of good ol' rock 'n' roll, too.

In typical fashion, at the end of the show, Rod kicked a few soccer balls out to the audience.

Listening to this tape again reminded me that it was Rod Stewart, then fronting The Faces, who was the first band Mike recorded with his then brand-new Nakamichi 550 and AKG 451E microphone rig in March of 1975. A new era was born. The rest is history.

I hope you enjoy this one as much as Mike and I did.

Cheers to my buddy Mike. RIP.


###

JEMS is proud to partner with Rob, Jim R, Ed F, Barry G and many others to release Millard's historic recordings and to help set the record straight about the man himself.

We can't thank Rob enough for reconnecting with Jim and putting his trust in our Millard reissue campaign. He kept Mike's precious tapes under wraps for two decades, but once Rob learned of our methods and stewardship, he agreed to contribute the Millard DATs and cassettes to the program. Our releases would not be nearly as compelling without Jim's memories, photos and other background contributions. As many of you have noted, the stories offer an entertaining complement to Mike's incredible audio documents.

Contributions from the extended JEMS family are what make our weekly releases possible. Jim gave us some especially good photos; Professor Goody opined on pitch; and mjk5510 took his post production work on the road this week, cleaning this one up and designing the artwork. Thanks to you all.

Finally, here's to the late, great Mike the MICrophone. His work never ceases to impress. May he rest in peace.

BK for JEMS

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

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