THE LOST PERFORMANCE: LIVE IN PARIS '70

This is an amazing find, and a piece of history I didn’t realize existed until I came across it in a record store not long ago. I was traveling and as usual didn’t bring enough music to fill the evenings in the hotel, so I managed to find a record store and picked up this and three CDs. It wasn’t until I got back to the hotel that it occurred to me that all the discs I had bought were live recordings. Go figure.

This is apparently some obscure and rather amateur video recorded at La Taverne de L’Olympia in Paris during the band’s 1970 European tour supporting the release of ‘A Question of Balance’. The club setting is actually a night club, with small tables of Parisians sitting around drinking and smoking while the band performs on a small stage at the front center of the room. There appear to be at least three cameras, one of which is clearly hand-held and wobbles a bit from the back of the room. Another is on or near the stage and shows some very close-up views of the band members, while a third is positioned behind Graeme Edge and shows several unoriginal shots of his back. Not sure what the thought process was behind that one. The quality of the video is marginal at best, with the close-up shots being pretty good and the ones further away a little washed-out due to the overhead lighting. The audio is quite good though, especially considering it was recorded thirty-seven years ago and sounds like it comes from positioned microphones and not the soundboard. The subtext narration is also primitive, just simple white lettering (Times New Roman I believe) with the names of the band members flashed at the beginning, and the song titles scrolling past as each one begins. At the opening the hand-held camera tracks the band as they carry their drinks and instruments from the dressing room and through the audience to the stage. Very laid-back, and kind of charming.

The accompanying notes are disappointingly sparse, with only a single sheet enclosed that lists the songs and gives a very brief history of the recording. Too bad, the package would have benefited from some photos and maybe a bit of background about the tour itself.

The song selection is quite good, even though there is quite a bit of overdubbed music, especially the vocals. But it includes what were probably the band’s best- known tracks at that time: “Never Comes the Day”, “Are You Sitting Comfortably?”, “Ride My See-Saw”, and “Don’t You Feel Small” among them. The crowd responds enthusiastically to a great rendition of “Nights in White Satin”, as well as to “Tuesday Afternoon”. Most of the songs are very faithful renderings of the studio versions, which is a bit surprising considering the modest and informal setting. Justin Hayward and Ray Thomas keep up a small bit of banter with the audience between tracks, while Michael Pinder mostly sets off to the side playing his keyboards a a bit of acoustic guitar.

This is a great snapshot of the band in their heyday, although it is quite unpretentious considering the simple packaging and pretty much nonexistent promotion behind its release. The closing “Question” is an excellent fadeout to an enjoyable sixty minutes of music. The surround-sound is also a nice touch but there really isn’t much benefit to it, at least not on my humble home sound system.

I have to give this three stars simply because it is a rare piece of footage from a classic band in their early days, and one which I didn't know existed until it surfaced only a couple years ago. Worth seeking out, especially if you are a Moody Blues fan, or simply enjoy early seventies live videos.

peace