Derek and the Dominos' Fillmore East Performance

Thanks to Bossyman and rockclassics. Located and downloaded. On the playlist for tonight!

 

Enjoy!

 

We've had a few D&D Fillmore threads on here over the years, but this seems to be one of the most recent & I'm therefore posing this here:

There's a photo of Eric with Tom Dowd backstage, taken before/after the Late Show on 10/24/70,



Seeing this made me wonder - the old legend about the Fillmore East recordings was that the band were unaware they were being recorded & that Eddie Kramer allegedly did it by “stealth”. I’ve never been a subscriber to that theory – I’m sure it’s not easy to just wire up & go (especially back in those days, were they potentially running different mic feeds to PA/recording console) & we know that when Cream were being recorded in Oakland in October 1968 for example, the Atlantic Records team spent time with the band during the soundcheck, making sure the recording setup was working properly. Multitrack recording was also an expensive job back then, so the idea of the record company just sneaking in, setting up in secret & hoping that they capture the band properly seems absurd to me!

Anyway, does the presence of Tom Dowd backstage not confirm that the band knew that the tapes were going to be running? Why else would Tom specifically be there, if not to oversee the recording and check in with the band on setlists/song lengths/arrangements etc.?

This of course begs the question as to why were they recording in the first place – was this a band idea, or Atlantic Records? Was the original plan to make the Dominos’ second LP a live record, before the band started themselves on the aborted follow-up in England? And why, when the second studio LP didn’t appear, were the tapes sat on until 1973?

 

Dowd may have just been a guest, especially since the show was in New York. I actually question whether he would have been that dressed up had he been working.

Only one set of mics for the PA and recording.

Also, while it’s possible there’s something I’ve missed or it wasn’t documented, I don’t think Atlantic ever had anything to do with the recordings. They were mixed in London for RSO.

 

D+D was a live powerhouse. Another band that flamed out far too soon.

 

Jamming the 11-20-1970 show with Delaney today and this thread popped back up. I just love digging into the wealth of D and D boots at least once a year. This one is heavy and funky.

 

Thanks @lukpac for chipping in! Noted on the equipment front (which is why I only speculated on it).

Re Tom - I'd be interested to see his garb, when he showed up the Fillmore East in March 1971, to work with the Allman's. He DOES look dressed up here (especially compared to his casual dress in Miami during the Layla sessions), but I find it surprising that the band's erstwhile producer would show up at a gig that was being recorded and NOT somehow be in some very vague way involved or at least aware of what was happening regarding the recording.

Where do you stand on the circumstances of these recordings?

 

Honestly, I don’t know. It’s especially odd that nothing was done with the tapes for two years, and I’ve never heard of any plans for an album prior to that. The fact that Atlantic went through the Layla tapes for The History of Eric Clapton but not the Fillmore East tapes also makes me think Atlantic wasn’t involved in the recordings.

 

there's an very cool IG account with RARE pics in order... from the BB days to D&D, it's under the name 54ande . it posts everyday, it's very cool. Here's a pic from the Electric Factory gig , I updated my bootleg cover, with the pic, looks cool AF

olli o on Instagram: “Derek and The Dominos started their autumn 1970 USA tour at Rider College, Trenton, New Jersey (October 15, 1970). On October 16 and 17,…”

 

Thanks @hiterss - I follow that account myself (it's great, isn't it???), which is where I spotted the Dowd picture & was minded to share it.

 

The guy that runs the account posts in a bunch of Clapton related Facebook groups.

 

OH YEAH , amazing account!

Everyday I wake up looking for rare EC pictures on that account

 

YAYUH!!!!....'Nuff said!!!

 

My Dream bill from 1970 would have been Fleetwood Mac, the Allmans, and Santana. Derek and his band can open.

 

Looking some more...I'm still inclined to think that, but there's one oddity. This is a chronology of when Atlantic assigned master numbers. It's rough, however, because Atlantic didn't seem to note when the master numbers were assigned, just when they were originally recorded (usually). Master numbers were often not assigned at the time of recording, even if Atlantic had the tapes. So the dates are based on surrounding master numbers:

Second album tracks (via rough mixes) - May 1971

Layla outtakes - August/September 1971

I Ain't Got You & I Want To Know - February/March 1972

In Concert (stereo masters of the album, nothing more) - November 1972

This is the oddity:

Master numbers were assigned to a single 8-track reel from the Fillmore East (10/24 late show) in the fall of 1973. Well after In Concert was released, and I'm not aware that Atlantic ever did anything with that reel. I almost wonder if it was actually an 8-track dub, although it's not clear why Atlantic would want a dub of that specific reel, at that specific time. Whatever the case, that reel had already been used in late 1972 at IBC for mixing In Concert.

It's also interesting that somebody went through the Layla outtakes several months before The History Of Eric Clapton was released.

 

Just came across this thread and need some clarification/help. Is Ace of Strat considered the best version of the Fillmore East shows, or is there something better out there. All help most appreciated.

 

I think it is an individual matter of opinion what sounds best.

I believe @lukpac has said that all of the Fillmore East soundboard boots originate from the same source.

The different Fillmore boots were mastered differently by the different labels. Therefore they will all sound somewhat different and /or sound better or worse when compared.

Personally I do like the sound of Ace of Strat best compared to the boots I have heard.

 

All of the boots originate with the 1972 mixes made for In Concert (and in the case of Let It Rain from 10/23, Live At The Fillmore). Not only that, in most cases the bootlegs just copied existing bootlegs, adding more and more processing each time.

Some of the more recent boots have ceased relying on the the same old boots for sources, but any notes about sources should be taken with less than a grain of salt.

 

With respect to whether the band (or Clapton) knew the Fillmore shows were being recorded by RSO, I would be surprised if Clapton was not aware. There is planning and the expense of recording, so one would imagine the label would want the artist to know ahead of time, possibly to ensure a concentrated effort is captured on tape. Why the tapes were ultimately not issued for a couple of years, who knows. Maybe there were hopes Clapton would record a studio project or the thought a hits compilation ("History") would be more commercially viable at retail.

 

I own practically every bootlegged version of these shows. And I would say without a doubt, ace of Strat blows them all away.

 

Here's my ticket. 11:30 my xss. It was the latest late show ever. After 3 horrible opening acts (Toe Fat, May Blitz, and Hammer), Eric finally took the stage at 4 AM, played until 6:30, was incredible.

 

Hands down EC's best period for me.

 

4AM? Sounds like a 2000's era Guns N Roses start time.

 

In Concert is entirely from 10/24 except Got To Get Better and Bottle of Red Wine. LATF replaces 3 songs with performances from 10/23 and adds 4 more, 2 from each night.