Yume-Banchi (Tarantura TCDEC-65-1,2)
Okayama-Ken Taiikekan, Okayama, Japan – September 27, 1977
Disc1. Opening – The Core – I Shot The Sheriff – Double Trouble – Badge – Marcy Levy On Stage – Nobody Knows You When You’re Down & Out – Alberta.
Disc2. We’re All The Way – Sign Language – Tell The Truth – Stormy Wednesday (Monday) – Layla – MC – Further On Up The Road – Announcement.
I thought there was no life beyond “Yoru-No-Mado“…. but Tarantura proved me wrong!! “Yume-Banchi” is yet another uncirculated tape from the Japan Tour of 1977. This time we get the second show of the tour and again, in a quality that is much better than you may expect from a 30+ year old tape.
An scorching version of The Core is the show opener. EC shares the vocals with Marcy Levy and the lead guitar with George Terry. I Shot The Sheriff debuts on this tour and to my enjoyment, it features a very extended guitar outro that stretches the song up to nearly 12 minutes!!! Next is the first blues number of the night: an excellent version of Double Trouble. I once read Clapton is the only guitar player that is able to play the same notes repeteadly without boring the audience, and I can’t agree more. Badge is a gem. The first solo is pure Clapton and leaves me speechless. If you like Clapton you will want to activate the A-B repeat function of your stereo player to listen to the passage from 03:50 to 04:10 quite a few times before continuing listening to the rest of the tape!! The second half sees George Terry on another great lead guitar…. How I miss those times when both solos on Badge were guitar solos….
After this, the remaining ten minutes of Disc1 sound dispensable to me. EC introduces Marcy Levy to the audience and she greets them by saying something in Japanese before singing the predictable Nobody Knows You. With EC on acoustic guitar, the electric work is handled by George Terry who saves the rendition of the traditional Alberta that closes Disc1.
With the help of Marcy Levy on vocals on the chorus, We’re All The Way is a beautiful serenade. Sign Language is the fourth and last song to see EC in unplugged mode. EC delivers a very good vocal performance on Tell The Truth but it is outshined by the terrific extended jam that closes the song much to the crowd’s ovation. For some reason, EC introduces Stormy Monday as Stormy Wednesday. Clocking at 15+ minutes, it’s the longest song of the night and a hell of a highlight with a very passionate guitar playing by EC!! Layla is very intense and I don’t miss the coda at all. EC says “Domo arigato!” to the audience and the show is gone. All four minutes of clapping from the audience asking for the encore are present on the tape. When the band returns to the stage Marcy Levy says something in Japanese before the band starts to the play Further On Up The Road, a number that let every member in the band have their share of the spotlight, including Marcy Levy on the harmonica. The tape ends with an announcement over the PA.
Badge only is worth the price of admission but also you get a beautiful artwork with a couple of pictures from the show and from the ticket stub too. “Yume-Banchi” is an excellent audience tape without cuts , so it goes without saying that this can’t be anything else but another must-have from Tarantura. RECOMMENDED!!
3 Comments
Excellent review Slowhander!!!!!!!!!! Another brilliant output by Mr. Peach. It seems as if Eric virtually always plays with “Top Form” in Japan!
Another excellent AUD recording from the Mr. Peach collection. This source is clear and balanced. Very enjoyable performance!
Slowhander is dead on in this review. Another excellent, previously unreleased tape from 1977. I really appreciated this show’s version of “The Core.” It’s extremely dramatic and a great way to kick off a concert.