Jefferson Airplane - Long Beach CA 1975 - Big O

 Yesterday I found that Big O featured a concert from Jefferson Airplane from the vaults of Mike 'The Mic' Millard the legendary taper and as audience recordings go his are amongst the best. It is highly listenable at the least

Jefferson Starship - Long Beach CA 1975 - Big O

Big O says:

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Welcome to JEMS’ Lost and Found Mike the MICrophone series presenting recordings made by legendary taper Mike Millard, AKA Mike the MICrophone, best known for his masters of Led Zeppelin done in and around Los Angeles circa 1975-77.

Until 2020, the Lost and Found series presented fresh transfers of previously unavailable first-generation copies made by Mike himself for friends like Stan Gutoski of JEMS, Jim R, Bill C. and Barry G. These sources were upgrades to circulating copies and in most instances marked the only time verified first generation Millard sources had been directly digitized in the torrent era.

That all changed with the discovery of many of Mike Millard’s original master tapes.

Yes, you read that correctly, Mike Millard’s master cassettes, long rumored to be destroyed or lost, have been found. Not all of them but many, and with them a much more complete picture has emerged of what Millard recorded between his first show in late 1973 and his last in early 1992.

The reason the rediscovery of his master tapes is such a revelation is that we’ve been told for decades they were gone. Internet myths suggest Millard destroyed his master tapes before taking his own life, an imprudent detail likely concocted based on the assumption that because his master tapes never surfaced and Mike’s mental state was troubled he would do something rash WITH HIS LIFE’S WORK. There’s also a version of the story where Mike’s family dumps the tapes after he dies. Why would they do that?

The truth is Mike’s masters remained in his bedroom for many years after his death in 1994. We know at least a few of Millard’s friends and acquaintances contacted his mother Lia inquiring about the tapes at the time to no avail. But in the early 2000s, longtime Millard friend Rob S was the one she knew and trusted enough to preserve Mike’s work.

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Jefferson Starship - Long Beach Arena, Long Beach, CA; May 25, 1975

For Volume 75 of the Lost and Found series it only seemed right that we reach back to the year 1975 where we found this compelling document of Jefferson Starship at the Long Beach Arena.

This show was actually intended to take place in LA’s Griffith Park, paralleling the band’s gig at NYC’s Central Park 12 days prior. But it seems then Los Angeles Police Chief Ed Davis had other ideas and pulled the permit. This is the same Ed Davis who was accused of encouraging over-policing and harassment that led to 500+ arrests when Pink Floyd played the Sports Arena one month later.

Davis’ action forced Starship to relocate the show on short notice to the Long Beach Arena where Jim R and Mike procured third-row seats on the aisle, which Jim reminds “made it easy to get rid of the wheelchair once we were in.”

>From their sweet spot, Mike captured another recording that justifiably rates as “Millard” quality. It is up close, with clear instrument separation and an uncanny lack of audience noise.

While I am not particularly fluent in Jefferson Airplane or Starship other than the basic facts, I was pleasantly surprised by this performance which is a spirited mix of the latter’s current material and the former’s still meaningful songs. Grace Slick is in fine voice (especially on “Better Lying Down” and “Somebody To Love”), Papa John Creach is good fun and the playing is very strong indeed.

Like many mid-’70s rock shows, the long bass and drum solos feel out of date now, but the counter-culture spirit doesn’t. This one just might surprise you.

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