Santana
Pacific Amphitheatre
Costa Mesa, CA
September 6, 1991
Mike Millard Master Tapes via JEMS
The Lost and Found Mike the MICrophone Tapes Volume 164
1644 Edition

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

JEMS 2022 Transfer: Mike Millard Master Cassette > Nakamichi Cassette Deck 1 azimuth-adjusted playback > Sound Devices USBPre2 > Audacity 3.1 capture > iZotope RX > iZotope RX9 Advanced and Ozone 9 > MBIT+ resample to 16/44.1 > Audacity > xACT 2.50 > FLAC

01 Peace On Earth...Mother Earth...Third Stone From The Sun
02 Save The Children
03 It's A Jungle Out There
04 Somewhere In Heaven
05 Batuka
06 No One To Depend On
07 Unknown
08 We Don't Have To Wait
09 Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen
10 Oye Como Va
11 The Healer (with John Lee Hooker)
12 Mandela
13 Life Is For Living
14 Right On
15 Savor
16 Agua Que Va Caer
17 Stripped Me Naked (with John Lee Hooker)
18 Angels All Around Us > Spirits Dancing In The Flesh
19 Soul Sacrifice > A Love Supreme > Drums
20 Europa (Earth's Cry, Heaven's Smile)
21 Jin-Go-Lo-Ba

Known Faults:
-The Healer: start cut
-Jin-Go-Lo-Ba: end cut

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

Santana, Pacific Amphitheatre, Costa Mesa, CA, September 6, 1991

This week our second Mike "The Mike" Millard master recording of Santana at the Pac Amp, taking place almost exactly one year after Vol. 90 in the Lost and Found series, which was recorded in September 1990.

This summer 1991 show was still in support of Santana's 1990 album Spirits Dancing In The Flesh, though the setlist changes between the two shows a year apart are material, with this set being considerably longer at 21 songs compared 1990's 15, and featuring more songs from the album.

Set highlights include two guest appearances by blues legend John Lee Hooker on album-standout "The Healer" and "Stripped Me Naked." The set also features fine covers of Bobby Womack ("Save The Children"), John Coltrane ("A Love Supreme") and Marvin Gaye ("Right On").

Mike's seats are in row DD of the front section for this one, resulting in a full, rich recording with just a little bit of distance, venue ambience and a lively audience. Samples provided.

As is often the case with rock concerts from this era, the occasional use of period synthesizers sounds particularly dated and out of place in what is otherwise an impressive and generous musical performance.

###

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.

Happy Thanksgiving to all and especially the extended JEMS family: Professor Goody, for his pitch work, Rob S for his fine transfer and mjk5510 for post production and artwork.

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.

Images for this show:

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