Miami Heat (Godfather Records GR680)
Thee Image Club, Miami, FL – November 16th, 1968
(73:53): Let Me Love You, I Can’t Hold Out, Jeff’s Boogie, Sweet Little Angel, Shapes Of Things, Hi Hi Silver Lining, Beck’s Bolero, Rock My Plimsoul, Oh Pretty Woman, Morning Dew, Instrumental Mother’s Old Rice Pudding, Sun Is Shining. I’m Not Superstitious
Miami Heat documents the second of Jeff Beck Group’s three nights at Thee Image Club in Miami. It is a very clear audience recording, perfectly capturing the atmosphere of the event. Jeff Beck himself is on fire throughout the night. This is also a rare audience tape from the era that acheives an almost perfect balance between the guitar and vocals, so the talent of Rod Stewart is also very audible.
The setlist includes several interesting songs such as the Elmore James cover “I Can’t Hold Out.” It was never recorded in studio, but was pretty common since the first shows of the Jeff Beck Group in 1967.
It is rumored that Jimmy Page was in attendance, and even jammed with the band on the previous evening. There is no evidence this occurred. Of course Page did return several months later with his new band Led Zeppelin on their first visit to the US. According to the Rock Prosopography 101 website: “Thee Image was Miami’s biggest and best known psychedelic rock club, even though it was only open for about 13 months. It was located in a former 32-lane bowling alley at 18330 Collins Avenue, just North of Miami in Sunny Isles Beach. It was principally operated by a band from Tampa, FL, originally called The Motions, who had changed their name to Blues Image in an homage to The Blues Project. Blues Image were reputedly hip Florida’s best live band, with twin drummers and a funky, swinging sound. Besides helping operate the club, they were the house band and apparently played just about every weekend there, whether or not they appeared on the bill.
“Thee Image opened on March 15, 1968 with The Mothers of Invention, and the last gig that I can find was April 26, 1969 with Ten Years After. The club had three stages and multiple rooms, along with a wall of Ampeg speakers, so it wasn’t just a converted building. The club seems to be remembered fondly by performers and fans, but there is very little in the way of photographs or live tapes, and only a few posters circulate.”
Miami Heat is packaged in the Godfather style trifold cardboard sleeve and is a very good effort.
