TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS – UTRECHT 1982 SOUNDBOARD FM (CD-R)

Description

Vredenburg, Utrecht, The Netherlands 4th December 1982
★Super high-quality soundboard!

　Tom Petty was at the height of his career during the ‘LONG AFTER DARK’ era, churning out top 10 hits across the US. Now, a soundboard album has arrived that lets you experience his live performances firsthand.

　This release documents the “December 4, 1982 Utrecht concert,” a stereo soundboard recording. Speaking of the European leg of the “LONG AFTER DARK Tour,” the recently released unearthed official album “LIVE IN EDINBURGH 1982: THE GENNARO TAPES” is still fresh in our memories. Of course, this is a different concert. To get a sense of the situation, let’s first look at the schedule from that time.

● June 6, 1982 : Performed at PEACE SUNDAY COMMITTEE BENEFIT
; September 1-19: North America #1 (4 shows)
; November 1: Paris performance
(November 2: “LONG AFTER DARK” released)
; November 30 – December 21: Europe (14 shows) ←★HERE★ ● January 17, 1983 – April 25: North America #2 (57 shows) ←※MILWAUKEE 1983 and others
; June 1-11: North America #3 (6 shows) ←※IRVINE 1983

　This is Tom Petty in 1982/1983. Our shop archives tours with as many classic recordings as possible, and the “European” leg is particularly competitive. Let’s take a closer look at the dates here.
■Details of the “European” leg
: November 30th + December 3rd (2 shows)
*December 4th: Utrecht show ←★This show★
December 7th + 8th (2 shows)
*December 9th: Official “LIVE IN EDINBURGH 1982”
December 10th: Coventry show
*December 12th “BRIGHTON 1982 MASTER”
December 14th-21st (6 shows)

[FM soundboard exuding the scent of the 80s]
　As you can see, both this release and the unearthed official “LIVE IN EDINBURGH 1982” are records of the “European” leg, and the Utrecht performance featured in this release was a concert held five days before the official release.

　Such shows were broadcast on the radio, and the FM soundboard recordings have long been widely known as a classic. This release is a masterpiece that has been remastered on CD from the best master. The source of this release is a first-generation master recorded from the FM broadcast at the time. The sound is superb, and while the tone, which is typical of 80s FM broadcasts, has a different nuance from the official “LIVE IN EDINBURGH 1982,” it is undoubtedly superb, with a rawness on par with the official release and a quality that comes very close. Tom Petty’s vocals capture even the nuances of his breathing in vivid detail, and Mike Campbell’s guitar is so clear that you can feel the vibration of each individual string. And above all, precisely because of the broadcast-like tone, the atmosphere of the time is felt more intensely than in the official release. It brings the feeling of sitting in front of the radio in 1982, holding your breath at the live broadcast, to your room in 2026.

[Experience the full show from their heyday with the same raw realism as the official release]
　This FM soundboard recording captures the full show, brimming with the energy of their prime. It has three fewer songs than the official “LIVE IN EDINBURGH 1982” released five days later, but this is said to be the complete version of the show from that day. Let’s take a look at the setlist here.

●SHELTER era (5 songs)
・American Girl: American Girl / Breakdown / Anything That’s Rock ‘n’ Roll (★)
・You’re Gonna Get It!: Listen To Her Heart (★) / I Need to Know
●BACKSTREET/MCA era (8 songs)
・Destruction: Don’t Do Me Like That / Refugee
・Hard Promise: A Thing About You (★) / A Woman in Love (It’s Not Me) (★) / Kings Road (★)
・Long After Dark: Straight Into Darkness (★) / Change of Heart (★) / You Got Lucky
●Others (4 songs)
・I’m in Love (★: Bobby Womack) / Louie Louie (★: Richard Berry) / Shout (★: THE ISLEY BROTHERS) / So You Want to Be a Rock ‘n’ Roll Star (THE BYRDS)
*Note: “★” indicates a song from the official album ‘PACK UP THE Songs you can’t hear at PLANTATION: LIVE!

…And that’s how it is. The 17 tracks showcase a wide range of their career, from early SHELTER classics to numbers from their latest album, ‘LONG AFTER DARK’. Covers like Bobby Womack’s “I’m in Love” and Richard Berry’s “Louie Louie” are also a treat only a live performance can offer.

　This soundboard album allows you to enjoy the highly anticipated “LONG AFTER DARK Tour,” an officially unearthed recording, in first-generation FM sound. The official “LIVE IN EDINBURGH 1982” was a limited LP release, only accessible to those with the right equipment, but this album allows anyone to experience a live performance of comparable quality and energy. More than just a supplement to the official release, this is a superb album that envelops you in an even richer 80s atmosphere. Please enjoy it to the fullest.

★A stereo soundboard recording of the “Utrecht concert on December 4, 1982.” This superb CD is made from the best-in-sight 1st generation master, and the unique sound of 80s FM broadcasting vividly conveys the atmosphere of that time. This live album allows you to experience a full show from their heyday.

01. American Girl
02. Listen To Her Heart
03. A Thing About You
04. Straight Into Darkness
05. I Need To Know
06. Don’t Do Me Like That
07. I’m In Love
08. Change Of Heart
09. You Got Lucky
10. Louie Louie
11. A Woman In Love
12. King’s Road
13. Breakdown
14. Refugee
15. Shout
16. So You Want To Be A Rock ‘n Roll Star
17. Anything That’s Rock ‘n Roll

Tom Petty – lead vocals, guitars
Mike Campbell – guitars
Howie Epstein – bass, backing vocals
Benmont Tench – keyboards, backing vocals
Stan Lynch – drums, backing vocals