As a guy that is all about song titles and lyrics, I often get excited seeing a subject line in Bob Lefsetz’s regular email newsletter – something like “Rock Steady” for example, where I know that certainly he must be writing about Bonnie Raitt and Bryan Adams.

Those of you that read this site on a regular basis know that I dig Lefsetz, and our musical taste is mutual on a number of artists, while at the same time he often will uncover a piece of an artist’s career that I haven’t explored yet, or wasn’t aware of. And there’s always plenty of brain food, even if you don’t agree with all of it, to make you think.

When I saw the subject line “A Apolitical Blues,” I thought that chances were good that he might be writing about the Van Halen cover, a track that you could only get on the CD (and maybe the cassette, but I don’t think so) of OU812.

I should have known better.

Instead, Bob had been listening to various radio shows from Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, Jackson Browne, and Bonnie Raitt.

(check out the links to all of the shows that Bob wrote about, above – each artist name links to the particular show)

When I saw the Bonnie Raitt mention, I smiled because I knew the show he was talking about, and it was a really great show. But I didn’t remember “A Apolitical Blues” in the track listing, and when I pulled my copy of the CD out, I found that the show that I loved, was a different show!

And Bob was writing about something completely different and equally great. For this particular show, it was the dream team of Bonnie Raitt playing a set of songs accompanied by Lowell George and regular Raitt collaborator Freebo.

Bonnie responded to Bob’s item with the following typically classy response:

Bob,

You’ve touched me again..thanks, I needed it.
I think about Lowell all the time..never have stopped missing him.
Thanks for keeping what’s important about him alive, and for bolstering me as well.
Means a lot.

We’re listening,
Bonnie

How magical it must have been to live in a musical time like the 70s where all of the above artists ran in the same musical circles – they were all in it together. Musical moments like The Eagles backing up Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne writing songs with The Eagles, while trying to get some exposure for a musical friend he thought was talented named Warren Zevon – all of these were just another day in the music business during the 70s. Is there any musical synergy happening today that we can point to, that even comes close to what was going on then?

My love for Bonnie Raitt is well known, and it was my co-worker and former boss Greg who clued me in on Bonnie’s work from the 70s and early 80s that I needed to hear. I grabbed a ’72 Philly Raitt performance recorded at Sigma Sound Studios, knowing that he would love it. I burned a copy for him, but hadn’t listened to it, and he came in the next day very excited. Greg told me that the Raitt show that I had shared with him was one of the best sounding bootlegs he had ever heard. I really needed to listen to it, he told me.

And now, nearly two years later, I finally burned my own copy and put it on as I was hunting around for the various live shows that Bob had written about. At the same time, I sent Bob a copy of the show, and told him that in my opinion, it sounded a lot better than the show he wrote about. I thought he would dig it and performance wise, well, he’d have to judge on that.

Bob wrote back and was excited that one of his favorite Raitt songs, “Too Long At The Fair” was in the setlist. “Too Long At The Fair” was the track that had Greg smiling as well – a definite nugget. You can find the studio version on Raitt’s Give It Up album, and if you’d like some musical homework, pick up that CD and Bonnie’s 1982 studio release Green Light – they’re two of my favorites from the pre-Nick of Time Bonnie stuff.

I could talk Bonnie all day long, and have done just that – I’ve yet to meet a Bonnie Raitt album or live show that I don’t like. I just wish that she’d come spend some time in my zip code so that I can finally see her live again – it’s been nearly 15 years, 15 years too long! This Philly show ranks very high in my ever-growing list of favorite shows that I’ve shared with you under the category of good listening. In that category, this is another one that like the Jackson Browne show and similar, this one is pure gold.

Brilliant sound and performance – must hear stuff!

(LOVE the version of “Can’t Find My Way Home!)

Enjoy!

Bonnie Raitt
Sigma Sound Studios
Philadelphia, PA
2/22/72

Broadcast by WMMR-FM

Complete zipped download will be added later – here are the individual track downloads for now

Mighty Tight Woman
Rollin’ and Tumblin’
Any Day Woman
Women Be Wise
Thank You #
Bluebird
Finest Lovin’ Man
Big Road *
Too Long At The Fair
Under The Falling Sky
Walkin’ Blues
Can’t Find My Way Home
Richland Woman Blues
Blender Blues
Radio Jingle Promo
Since I Fell For You

Bonnie Raitt: Vocals, Guitar, Piano# , Freebo: Bass, TJ Tindell: Guitar, * John Davis: Harmonica

Original show notes that came with this show when I downloaded it originally:

Like any story passed on with some music this needs to be taken with a grain of salt. Here what was told to me and this is what I know. An intern at WMMR in the 80’s recorded this show to an analog source. Being such a tremendous recording this individual longed to re-record the master reel straight to a digital source as they became increasingly popular in the early 90’s. At this point the intern had moved on and no longer had this type of access. However, he remembered periodically that the studio or the station allowed access to the ‘records room’ for research activity. Posing as a university affiliate doing research on 70’s radio advertising this individual gained access to the master reels with a portable Sony DAT deck. The room was laid out with shelves with tables on the far end with cassette decks, reel to reel and ‘cart’ type recorders. Unplugging the cart recorder and connecting the DAT deck history was then digitized. If you look at the timeline it was more than likely recorded with a Sony TCD D3. This early DAT deck was actually graced with a very nice A to D chip. I believe the same chip found in the Panasonic SV3700. Therefore a very nice digital transcript was made that day. At this time I was working at a mail order facility selling DAT tapes. Which at the time were very expensive, $12 or more per tape. The individual with this Bonnie recording told us the story above. Is it true? Who knows but he use to buy DAT tapes from us regularly. He made us a cassette of this famous recording and we bugged him to make us a DAT copy for months. He did not have the means to do DAT to DAT. On a visit to the ‘store’ in Stamford in 1992 we finally were able to make 1 DAT clone. I subsequently cloned that DAT. Most likely the clone was made between a Panasonic SV3700 and a Sony 59ES. Possibly between 2 SV3700. At the ‘shop’ we had so many DAT decks with many configurations. I have no doubt this is direct from the Pre-FM Reels and one listen and you will have no doubt either. Easily one of the finest recordings by any musician at any time.

Relevant Links:

Bonnie Raitt official website

Big O Worldwide (lots of cool concert downloads here)

The Lefsetz Letter

The Bonnie Raitt Collection (great collection of her material from the 70s and 80s, pre-Nick of Time.)

Bonnie Raitt – Give it Up – CD or MP3

Purchase Green Light – CD or MP3

Purchase Nick of Time – CD or MP3