Live'r Than You'll Ever Be
Encyclopedia
Live'r Than You'll Ever Be is a bootleg recording
of a Rolling Stones concert in Oakland, California
from 9 November 1969. It was one of the first live rock music
bootlegs, and was made notorious as a document of the The Rolling Stones American Tour 1969
whose popularity forced the Stones' label Decca Records
to release the live album Get Yer Ya-Yas Out! The Rolling Stones in Concert. Live'r is also one of the earliest commercial bootleg recordings in rock history, released in December of 1969, just two months after the Beatles
' Kum Back
, released in September, and five months after Bob Dylan
's Great White Wonder
. Like the two earlier records, Live'rs outer sleeve is plain white, with its name stamped on in black ink.
using a shotgun microphone and a reel-to-reel tape recorder and was the first audience-recorded bootleg to be mastered
and distributed; some sources consider it the first live bootleg. Though the sound is not nearly as clear as the official release of Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out!, the recording is considered to be very strong for an audience recording, especially one of that era. The Rolling Stones performed two sets that night and it is the second concert that was more heavily bootlegged and has sharper sound.
The recording was made available about one month after the concert, and it became popular enough to spur speculation that the Stones released Ya-Ya's as a response to the bootleg and the quality was high enough that it was rumoured that the band had even released the bootleg themselves. The recording has been released through several bootleg labels, including the original release by Trademark of Quality (catalogue number 71002), Swingin' Pig, and Sister Morphine, usually documenting only the second set. The Swingin' Pig release even replace performances of "Jumpin' Jack Flash
" and "Under My Thumb
" with different recordings from the band's 10 November performance in San Diego and their two-night stint in New York City.
in the 7 February 1970, issue of Rolling Stone
. In his review, Marcus praises the sound of the album and speculates that it may have been recorded from the stage; footage from this concert was recorded by ABKCO Records
for the film Gimme Shelter. The album also received praise as a more authentic example of the Stones on stage because Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out! was heavily overdubbed in many places. Richie Unterberger
has noted that the recording is inferior to the sound quality of Ya-Ya's, but displays a spontaneity that the official recording lacks and this helps to explain its long-lasting appeal to fans. Reviewing the album in 1970, Wim Wenders
called it "the best Rolling Stones record." The album would eventually sell enough copies to qualify for a gold record
RIAA certification
.
, except where noted
Side one
Side two
Disc 1 – Early Show
Disc 2 – Late Show
Additional musicians
Bootleg recording
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
of a Rolling Stones concert in Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
from 9 November 1969. It was one of the first live rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
bootlegs, and was made notorious as a document of the The Rolling Stones American Tour 1969
The Rolling Stones American Tour 1969
The Rolling Stones' 1969 Tour of the United States took place in November 1969. Rock critic Robert Christgau called it "history's first mythic rock and roll tour", while rock critic Dave Marsh would write that the tour was "part of rock and roll legend" and one of the "benchmarks of an...
whose popularity forced the Stones' label Decca Records
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
to release the live album Get Yer Ya-Yas Out! The Rolling Stones in Concert. Live'r is also one of the earliest commercial bootleg recordings in rock history, released in December of 1969, just two months after the Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' Kum Back
Kum Back
Kum Back is the first bootleg album by The Beatles, released in September 1969. The album is an early mix of what would become 1970's Let It Be, taken from an acetate prepared by the groups's producer, Glyn Johns...
, released in September, and five months after Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
's Great White Wonder
Great White Wonder
Great White Wonder, or GWW, is the first notable rock bootleg album, released in July of 1969 and containing unofficially released recordings by Bob Dylan. It is also the first release of the famous bootleg record label Trademark of Quality...
. Like the two earlier records, Live'rs outer sleeve is plain white, with its name stamped on in black ink.
Recording and release
Live'r Than You'll Ever Be was recorded by "Dub" from Trademark of QualityTrademark of Quality
TMQ, TMOQ or TradeMark Of Quality was a bootleg record label that originated in the Los Angeles, California area during the late 1960s and early 1970s. The label was responsible for many underground records of Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, Jefferson Airplane, Devo, Grateful Dead, The Beatles, Frank...
using a shotgun microphone and a reel-to-reel tape recorder and was the first audience-recorded bootleg to be mastered
Audio mastering
Mastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
and distributed; some sources consider it the first live bootleg. Though the sound is not nearly as clear as the official release of Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out!, the recording is considered to be very strong for an audience recording, especially one of that era. The Rolling Stones performed two sets that night and it is the second concert that was more heavily bootlegged and has sharper sound.
The recording was made available about one month after the concert, and it became popular enough to spur speculation that the Stones released Ya-Ya's as a response to the bootleg and the quality was high enough that it was rumoured that the band had even released the bootleg themselves. The recording has been released through several bootleg labels, including the original release by Trademark of Quality (catalogue number 71002), Swingin' Pig, and Sister Morphine, usually documenting only the second set. The Swingin' Pig release even replace performances of "Jumpin' Jack Flash
Jumpin' Jack Flash
"Jumpin' Jack Flash" is a song by English rock band The Rolling Stones, released as a single in 1968. Called "supernatural Delta blues by way of Swinging London" by Rolling Stone, the song was perceived by some as the band's return to their blues roots after the psychedelia of their preceding...
" and "Under My Thumb
Under My Thumb
"Under My Thumb" is a song written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards for The Rolling Stones. Its first appearance was as an album track on 1966's Aftermath...
" with different recordings from the band's 10 November performance in San Diego and their two-night stint in New York City.
Reception
Live'r Than You'll Ever Be was reviewed by Greil MarcusGreil Marcus
Greil Marcus is an American author, music journalist and cultural critic. He is notable for producing scholarly and literary essays that place rock music in a much broader framework of culture and politics than is customary in pop music journalism.-Life and career:Marcus was born in San Francisco...
in the 7 February 1970, issue of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
. In his review, Marcus praises the sound of the album and speculates that it may have been recorded from the stage; footage from this concert was recorded by ABKCO Records
ABKCO Records
ABKCO Music & Records, Inc. is a major independent record label, music publisher, and film and video production company. It owns and or administers the rights to music by Sam Cooke, The Rolling Stones, The Animals, Herman's Hermits, Marianne Faithfull, The Kinks as well as the Cameo Parkway label,...
for the film Gimme Shelter. The album also received praise as a more authentic example of the Stones on stage because Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out! was heavily overdubbed in many places. Richie Unterberger
Richie Unterberger
Richie Unterberger is a US author and journalist whose focus is popular music and travel writing.-Life and writing:Having worked as a DJ at WXPN in Philadelphia, he started reviewing records for Op magazine in 1983...
has noted that the recording is inferior to the sound quality of Ya-Ya's, but displays a spontaneity that the official recording lacks and this helps to explain its long-lasting appeal to fans. Reviewing the album in 1970, Wim Wenders
Wim Wenders
Ernst Wilhelm "Wim" Wenders is a German film director, playwright, author, photographer and producer.-Early life:Wenders was born in Düsseldorf. He graduated from high school in Oberhausen in the Ruhr area. He then studied medicine and philosophy in Freiburg and Düsseldorf...
called it "the best Rolling Stones record." The album would eventually sell enough copies to qualify for a gold record
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
RIAA certification
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
.
Track listing
All songs written by Jagger/RichardsJagger/Richards
The songwriting partnership of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, known as Jagger/Richards , is a musical collaboration whose output has produced the majority of the catalogue of The Rolling Stones....
, except where noted
Side one
- "CarolCarol (song)"Carol" is a song written by Chuck Berry, first released by Chuck Berry in 1958. It was later covered by The Beatles for a live BBC performance during 1963, this version was released on the 1994 compilation album Live at the BBC. It was also recorded by The Rolling Stones and released on their...
" (Chuck BerryChuck BerryCharles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
) – 3:44 - "Gimme ShelterGimme Shelter"Gimme Shelter" is a song by English rock band The Rolling Stones. It first appeared as the opening track on the band's 1969 album Let It Bleed. Although the first word was spelled "Gimmie" on that album, subsequent recordings by the band and other musicians have made "Gimme" the customary spelling...
" – 4:18 - "Sympathy for the DevilSympathy for the Devil"Sympathy for the Devil" is a song by The Rolling Stones which first appeared as the opening track on the band's 1968 album Beggars Banquet. It was written by Mick Jagger credited to Jagger/Richards...
" – 6:23 - "I'm FreeI'm Free (The Rolling Stones song)"I'm Free" is a song by The Rolling Stones written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, first released as the final track on the UK Out of Our Heads album on 24 September 1965...
" – 5:07 - "Live with MeLive With Me"Live with Me" is a song by the Rolling Stones from their classic album Let It Bleed, released in November 1969. The song is unique in a number of respects: It was one of the first recorded contributions by guitarist Mick Taylor, who joined the band in June, 1969...
" – 3:33
Side two
- "Love in VainLove in Vain"Love in Vain" is a 1937 blues song written by Robert Johnson.The song is noted for its sad lyrics, tone, and style. In the 1991 documentary film The Search for Robert Johnson, John P. Hammond plays Robert's recording of "Love in Vain" for the elderly Willie Mae Powell, the woman for whom it was...
" (Robert Johnson) – 5:24 - "Midnight RamblerMidnight Rambler"Midnight Rambler" is a song by the English rock band The Rolling Stones, released on their 1969 album Let It Bleed.The lyrics take the point of view of a roaming rapist/murderer; some of the words are reportedly quotes from Albert DeSalvo's confession to the Boston Strangler's crimes. Keith...
" – 7:40 - "Little QueenieAlmost Grown (song)"Almost Grown" is a song written and performed by Chuck Berry. It was released as a double a-side with "Little Queenie". The song is featured in the 1973 film American Graffiti...
" (Berry) – 4:13 - "Honky Tonk WomenHonky Tonk Women"Honky Tonk Women" is a 1969 hit song by The Rolling Stones. Released as a single on 4 July 1969 in the UK and a week later in the US, it topped the charts in both nations.-Inspiration and Recording:...
" – 4:04 - "Street Fighting ManStreet Fighting Man"Street Fighting Man" is a song by English rock and roll band The Rolling Stones featured on their 1968 album Beggars Banquet. Called the band's "most political song", Rolling Stone ranked the song #295 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.-Inspiration:Originally titled and recorded...
" – 4:10
- Different version of the bootleg include different track listings. The Tarantura Records release includes both concerts performed on this date in their entirety and is represented here.
Disc 1 – Early Show
- Band introduction – 1:36
- "Jumpin' Jack FlashJumpin' Jack Flash"Jumpin' Jack Flash" is a song by English rock band The Rolling Stones, released as a single in 1968. Called "supernatural Delta blues by way of Swinging London" by Rolling Stone, the song was perceived by some as the band's return to their blues roots after the psychedelia of their preceding...
" – 4:51 - "Prodigal Son" (Robert WilkinsRobert WilkinsRobert Timothy Wilkins was an American country blues guitarist and vocalist, of African American and Cherokee descent....
) – 4:03 - "You Gotta MoveYou Gotta Move (song)"You Gotta Move" is a song written by Fred McDowell and Rev. Gary Davis. Being a well-known song of McDowell's as "You Got to Move", it was most famously recorded by the British rock and roll band The Rolling Stones and is featured on their 1971 album Sticky Fingers.The song has a haunting and raw...
" (Fred McDowellFred McDowellFred McDowell known by his stage name; Mississippi Fred McDowell, was an American Hill country blues singer and guitar player.-Career:...
and Reverend Gary DavisReverend Gary DavisReverend Gary Davis, also Blind Gary Davis, was an American blues and gospel singer and guitarist, who was also proficient on the banjo and harmonica...
) – 3:18 - "Carol" (Berry) – 3:33
- "Sympathy for the Devil" – 6:55
- "Stray Cat BluesStray Cat Blues"Stray Cat Blues" is the eighth song on the Rolling Stones' album Beggars Banquet. It was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards and produced by Jimmy Miller...
" – 4:18 - "Love in Vain" (Johnson) – 5:13
- "I'm Free" – 5:08
- "Under My ThumbUnder My Thumb"Under My Thumb" is a song written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards for The Rolling Stones. Its first appearance was as an album track on 1966's Aftermath...
" – 3:15 - "Midnight RamblerMidnight Rambler"Midnight Rambler" is a song by the English rock band The Rolling Stones, released on their 1969 album Let It Bleed.The lyrics take the point of view of a roaming rapist/murderer; some of the words are reportedly quotes from Albert DeSalvo's confession to the Boston Strangler's crimes. Keith...
" – 8:17 - "Live with Me" – 4:00
- "Little Queenie" (Berry) – 3:56
- "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" Satisfaction" is a song by the English rock band The Rolling Stones, released in 1965. It was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards and produced by Andrew Loog Oldham. Richards's throwaway three-note guitar riff — intended to be replaced by horns — opens and drives the song...
" – 6:56 - "Honky Tonk Women" – 4:17
- "Street Fighting Man" – 4:03
Disc 2 – Late Show
- "Jumpin' Jack Flash" – 4:05
- "Carol" (Berry) – 3:44
- "Sympathy for the Devil" – 6:23
- "Stray Cat Blues" – 4:13
- "Prodigal Son" (Wilkins) – 3:59
- "You Gotta Move" (McDowell and Davis) – 3:12
- "Love in Vain" (Johnson) – 5:24
- "I'm Free" – 5:07
- "Under My Thumb" – 3:23
- "Midnight Rambler" – 7:40
- "Live with Me" – 3:33
- "Gimme Shelter" – 4:18
- "Little Queenie" (Berry) – 4:13
- "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" – 6:04
- "Honky Tonk Women" – 4:04
- "Street Fighting Man" – 4:10
Personnel
The Rolling Stones- Mick JaggerMick JaggerSir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
– leadLead vocalistThe lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes... - Keith RichardsKeith RichardsKeith Richards is an English musician, songwriter, and founding member of the Rolling Stones. Rolling Stone magazine said Richards had created "rock's greatest single body of riffs", and placed him as the "10th greatest guitarist of all time." Fourteen songs written by Richards and songwriting...
– rhythmRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists... - Mick TaylorMick TaylorMichael Kevin "Mick" Taylor is an English musician, best known as a former member of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and The Rolling Stones...
– lead guitar - Bill WymanBill WymanBill Wyman is an English musician best known as the bass guitarist for the English rock and roll band the Rolling Stones from 1962 until 1992. Since 1997, he has recorded and toured with his own band, Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings...
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Charlie WattsCharlie WattsCharles Robert "Charlie" Watts is an English drummer, best known as a member of The Rolling Stones. He is also the leader of a jazz band, a record producer, commercial artist, and horse breeder.-Early life:...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
and percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
Additional musicians
- Ian StewartIan Stewart (musician)Ian Andrew Robert Stewart was a Scottish keyboardist, co-founder of The Rolling Stones and inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...
– pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...