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Hi Guys. You may (or may not!) recall that I was puzzled when Be Bop's performance on the OGWT, broadcast on the 16th November 1976, was actually recorded. BBD were in the USA in October, November and December 1976. According to the "Music In Dreamland" book, there was a two week break at the end of October during which Andy Clarke & Bill returned to the UK, while Simon Fox & Charlie stayed in the US. The band returned to live work on 10 Nov 1976 at the Civic Auditorium in Albuquerque.

I've now found out that the OGWT show was recorded on the 30th October 1976 - during that two week break. So Simon & Charlie didn't stay in the US for all of that break after all. At some stage they came back to the UK and recorded the OGWT.

I am now zipping up my anorak and returning to the search for more illusive BBD dates!

Hello Keef
Keep up the good work my Son!!
On the same topic..

Still waiting for Bill to consult his little black book for the missing dates from November/December 1972! (as published on page 16 of ''Practice of Everyday life'' booklet

All in all i would hope for all this research into tour dates to be published in one of Bill's ''PAINTED FROM MEMORY'' Volumes, as yet unwritten!

To save Bill the unenviable task!

I saw Be Bop Deluxe live only once, at the Palladium, in New York City. I've been trying to figure out which show I would have seen. I'm pretty sure it was after the release of Live in the Air Age, because I recall that being the first album I bought be BBD. But I find it unlikely that it was when they played with Styx; I probably would have remembered that. (It's fair to say that there's a lot I don't remember from the 70s.) It might have been the 78 show with Wet Willie, but I have no memory of Wet Willie at all (i.e., I don't recall ever hearing the name of the band, before seeing them on the gig list in this thread). I wish I had held on to more of my ticket stubs from back in the day.

Welcome Sir, if you stick around a while your visit will I'm sure be very enjoyable

In response to this and your subsequent post regarding 'Live!In the Air Age', this album was recorded during the UK tour, Spring 1977 so the live performance you saw would have been the 'Drastic Plastic' tour of '78 which was also my only concert attendance before Bill formed his 'Red Noise' band. This was the final Be Bop deluxe tour, unlike yourself I saw them play in the UK at the Grand in Leeds

Thanks for the welcome. I live in the UK now, and I hope to renew my interest in Bill Nelson's music; I've ordered a bunch of stuff from Amazon, realizing how much I've been missing this music.

If Live in the Air Age was recorded in 77, why are none of the songs from Modern Music on it? It must have been before that.

An aside: I really can't image BBD opening for Lynyrd Skynyrd, which they did in the 76 tour. I had been wondering if I had seen them then, because I know I did see Skynyrd once at the Palladium in New York, which was pretty much the standard venue for bands who hadn't yet reached arena status (when they did, they played at Madison Square Garden).

Bill could answer this I'm sure, but I'm thinking the live material was recorded prior to 'Modern Music' but was put on the back burner until it was felt the time was right for it's release

The Concert at the Grand in Leeds was recorded as I remember the mobile recording unit parked down the street at the side. I think some tracks from here were on the album.

Some info about recording of LITAA here:-

http://www.billnelson.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=20168
http://www.billnelson.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=16279&start=30

I think the Leeds Grand gig was on 14 February 1977 and i think the following night as well.

Geetar,

Thanks for that info.

I have a memory of the Palladium gig I saw that the band was using wireless guitar transmitters. That the first song started and they didn't work well, and they picked up some taxi dispatchers talking in the area. I remember the band having to stop for a few minutes and then starting again.

Bill, if you read this, does this ring any bells?

(It's weird, sometimes, what we remember from a given concert...)