Finally, it was decided to open the doors on some of the many cassettes recorded
by both myself, and our soundman Vinnie Schmid, whilst I perform the lightshow with
Nektar. I realized that these shows (originally archived for my film and video editing
as well as reference purposes) contained elements only heard by those who were in
attendance of these particular concerts thirty off years ago.
This first CD is a compilation from a 1974 German tour, NOT a complete concert (although
some later releases will seem to be) mainly because many great live versions of
so many Nektar songs are already available on Electics’ two official live concert
CD packages, professionally recorded at The London Roundhouse and The Academy of
Music in New York, around these same peak touring years.
This CD contains five unreleased pieces, plus some unique versions of others. We
open with The Devils Door, a tune derived from earlier jams with Royes’ lyrics now
added in this recording from Bielefeld on June 12. I’m sure that if Devil’s Door
had evolved further, a searing guitar solo might have been added to Taffs’ solo
verse and the remaining lyrics may have been slightly amended before it wound up
in the studio… also my humble apologies for the one remaining unironable
tape twist as you listen to this, it is from a 1974 cassette!
Next up is Nelly the Elephant where Roye is the solo fuzz master AND ringmaster
for the night. Nelly was never played live again until our reunion at Nearfest 2002!
Track 3 is Cast Your Fate (from Sounds Like This!), a staple of our early Nektar
repertoire that disappeared from the live set, once we curtailed our three hours
with an intermission and no opening act concerts. This was a performance that I
thought worthy of inclusion, Mos’ intermission announcement (in German) included.
Now on to track 4, an "acoustic interlude ", where new ballad ideas came
forth as two songs incorporating prominent vocal harmonies, given working titles
of Anyway and Sorrow before Roye launches into Little Boy from Down To Earth, all
from the Bielefeld show. Little boy was rarely played live after being released.
Odysee was originally performed when I first united the lightshow with "Prophecy
" for a month in the summer of ’69, it was enhanced with Royes’ added touches
once Nektar was born later that year. The earlier jazz influence is barely evident
in this curtailed segment used to segue in She’s so Heavy the working title of what
would become Fidgety Queen on Down To Earth. Ron then gets his chance for a drum
solo in Ron’s On… a workout for me too, as the lightshow had to visualize
every beat and cymbal crash… although the drum solos were different every
night!. Thank God that sound IS much slower than light OR the human eye!
We could slide into anything at this point, and in Beitigheim it was Show Me the
Way, included here because it melted into another jam with two more working titles
I Need Love intertwined with Tomorrow. Taff was lead vocal on Tomorrow, and his
Ray Charles style came through nicely here, neither song made it into the studio.
The Finale is a Nektar classic version of Remember the Future parts two & three
(actually) parts 7, 8, 9, & 10 on the original album) demonstrating how open
riff jamming could add delectable stanzas when the gig was feeling just right. The
introductory jam into the opening line of Smile If You Want To (Tomorrow Never Comes)
is one of our longer ones… then, once Let it Grow was over, the famous ending…
(titled Termination here) where detuning, high fretwork, wailing keys and Mos’ boosted
fuzzwah bass combined to bring the Nektar audio/visual show to a thunderous finish.
Next time for the 1975 American tour tapes, I may just write in a visual perspective
instead, and attempt to describe what you might have seen, if you had attended a
live Nektar show in the mid seventies.
Many thanks to everyone who collaborated in this clandestine venture, firstly, Eddie
Paskor who quietly transferred my tape collection onto master CDs with the utmost
precision and care, before they became mere coasters many moons ago! To Dawn and
Rob at Marimasutico for the artwork/collage at such short notice, To Sandy Peticolas
for his persistence that these versions actually be released, To Vinnie Schmid for
his great live mixes and 32 years of loyalty, To Pete Lango for a lifetime of stage
lighting, assistance and camaraderie, then ultimately Roye, Mo, and Ron who gave
the green light to this compilation idea. This is for all Nektar fans, past, present
and those behind ANY door to the future.
~ Mick Brockett, March 2005