Description

Loreley Open Air Stage, St. Goarshausen, Germany June 22, 1997 *STEREO* SBD
Rockpalast Open Air Festival
★Super high-quality stereo soundboard!!

　Steve Winwood embarked on a tour in 1997 with his first solo album in seven years, “JUNCTION SEVEN.” Now, a completely official-quality FM broadcast soundboard recording of that tour has been released.

　This release documents the “Lorelei performance on June 22, 1997.” It’s a stereo soundboard recording of their appearance at the German music festival “Rockpalast Open Air Festival.” When it comes to the “JUNCTION SEVEN” era, our store’s masterpiece pro-shot “NORTH SEA JAZZ FESTIVAL 1997 (Uxbridge 2535)” is a well-known classic, but of course, this is a different performance. To clarify the situation, let’s first take a look at an overview of their activities at that time.

・April 10th + 17th: TV appearances
・April 26th – May 29th: Europe #1 (10 shows)
《June 2nd: ‘JUNCTION SEVEN’ released》
・June 9th + 11th: West Hollywood (2 shows)
・June 21st – August 16th: Europe #2 (12 shows) ←★HERE★
・September 20th – November 25th: USA (32 shows)

[Completely official-grade FM soundboard]
　This is Steve Winwood in 1997. The Lorelei performance on this release was the second show of “Europe #2”, and it was a stage that took place about three weeks (seven shows before) the masterpiece pro-shot ‘NORTH SEA JAZZ FESTIVAL 1997’.

　This recording, which captures the essence of such a show, is, quite frankly, “official-grade.” It could be officially released as is, and I’d even love to see it bundled with ‘JUNCTION SEVEN’ as a deluxe edition. While ‘NORTH SEA JAZZ FESTIVAL 1997’ also had official-grade sound quality, this recording surpasses it even further. The mix is precisely balanced, the scale is wide, and the dynamic range is significantly broader. Thanks to the polishing unique to FM broadcasting, it doesn’t have the raw, unpolished feel of a direct mix from a mixing console, and the overall balance possesses a beautiful harmony. It is an extremely high-quality musical work.

　Winwood’s vocals possess both a strong core and a rich, lustrous quality, and his transitions between guitar and organ are remarkably clear. Randall Brambrett’s saxophone and Hammond organ create a rich, expansive sound, and while each part of the large band, including horns and chorus, is meticulously arranged, the unique energy of a live performance remains intact. The sound is so perfect that you might wonder, “Is this really not a broadcast master recording!?” This full

live album serves
　as an official substitute, offering a treasure trove of great songs spanning approximately 91 minutes. ‘NORTH SEA JAZZ FESTIVAL 1997′ was about 70 minutes long, so this album is more than 20 minutes longer. Of course, you can also enjoy great songs not found on the acclaimed pro-shot version, so let’s compare and organize them.

● Solos (4 songs + 4 songs)
Junction Seven: Spy In The House Of Love (★★) / Gotta Get Back To My Baby / Family Affair / Just Wanna Have Some Fun
Others: Roll With It / Freedom Overspill (★) / Higher Love / Back In The High Life Again
● Classics (5 songs)
THE SPENCER DAVIS GROUP: I’m A Man (★) / Gimme Some Lovin’
BLIND FAITH: Can’t Find My Way Home
TRAFFIC: The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys / Glad
*Note: Songs marked with “★” were not included in the masterpiece pro-shot “NORTH SEA JAZZ FESTIVAL 1997”. Songs marked with “★★” were exclusive to 1997.

…and so on. The setlist is centered around new songs from “JUNCTION SEVEN,” interwoven with representative songs from THE SPENCER DAVIS GROUP, BLIND FAITH, and TRAFFIC. You can enjoy “I’m A Man” and “Freedom Overspill,” which weren’t played at the “NORTH SEA JAZZ FESTIVAL 1997,” and “Spy In The House Of Love” is a limited track that was only performed on the 1997 tour. The significance of capturing this precious track in full official-quality is immense. The setlist, which opens with “I’m A Man” and closes with a percussion jam of “Gimme Some Lovin’,” seems to condense Winwood’s career, from his sensational debut with THE SPENCER DAVIS GROUP to his successful solo period, into one night.

　While the visual impact of the video production “NORTH SEA JAZZ FESTIVAL 1997” remains immense, this live album surpasses it as a pure musical work. It’s a soundboard album that captures a full show from a precious era in a completely official-quality format. It’s a semi-official masterpiece that you should definitely add to your collection alongside “JUNCTION SEVEN.” Please enjoy it to the fullest.

★Stereo soundboard recording of the “Lorelei performance on June 22, 1997.” This is a completely official-quality new master digitized from the FM broadcast DAT master, and boasts a wide and dynamic sound that surpasses even the masterpiece pro-shot “NORTH SEA JAZZ FESTIVAL 1997.” This semi-official absolute live album lets you enjoy a full show of approximately 91 minutes, including the limited-edition song “Spy In The House Of Love.”

Disc:1 (46:32)
1. I’m A Man
2. Roll With It
3. Freedom Overspill
4. Spy In The House Of Love
5. Gotta Get Back To My Baby
6. Can’t Find My Way Home
7. Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys

Disc:2 (44:18)
1. Glad
2. Family Affair
3. Just Wanna Have Some Fun
4. Higher Love
5. Back In The High Life Again
6. Percussion Jam
7. Gimme Some Lovin’

Steve Winwood – Vocals, Guitar, Organ
Scott Firth – Bass
Tim Cansfield – Guitar
Randall Bramblett – Saxophone, Hammond Organ, Keyboards
Emma Whittle – Vocals
Val Chalmers – Vocals
Kevin Robinson – Trumpet, Keyboards
Walfredo Reyes, Jr. – Drums
Martin Verdonk – Percussion
Mike McEvoy – Keyboards, Guitar, Violin