Bootlegs

Info

[no title] (04 Dec 1980)
[no title] JEMS
Date: 04 Dec 1980
Location: Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, NY
Format: –
Duration: –
artwork available | original info file available
Disc 1:
01- BORN TO RUN
02- OUT IN THE STREET
03- TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT
04- TWO HEARTS
05- THE PRICE YOU PAY
06- FACTORY
07- INDEPENDENCE DAY
08- I FOUGHT THE LAW
09- PROVE IT ALL NIGHT
10- THE PROMISED LAND
11- RACING IN THE STREET
12- THE RIVER
13- BADLANDS

Disc 2:
01- THUNDER ROAD
02- CADILLAC RANCH
03- SHERRY DARLING
04- HUNGRY HEART
05- FIRE
06- CANDY'S ROOM
07- BECAUSE THE NIGHT
08- I WANNA MARY YOU
09- FOR YOU
10- THE TIES THAT BIND
11- WRECK ON THE HIGHWAY - STOLEN CAR
12- RAMROD

Disc 3:
01- YOU CAN LOOK (BUT YOU BETTER NOT TOUCH)
02- DRIVE ALL NIGHT
03- ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT)
04- SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN' TO TOWN
05- JUNGLELAND
06- I'M A ROCKER
07- DETROIT MEDLEY
08- RAISE YOUR HAND


Disc 1, track 09: 5 seconds patched with Recorder 2 (kshavo source)

mackeck master via JEMS

Recording Gear: handheld portable cassette recorder with built-in mic

2013 Transfer: Maxell UD-90 master cassettes > Nakamichi CR-7A (azimuth-adjusted) > Sound Devices USBPre2 (24/96 Audacity 2.0 capture) > iZotope RX 3 click removal and gap fixes > iZotope MBIT+ convert to 16/44.1 .wav > Peak Pro XT (patch / indexing) > xACT > FLAC

Tracked with no breaks, suggested breaks for burning to CD below.

Notes from info file:

Just a few days removed from the 33rd anniversary of Bruce's River stop in Buffalo, JEMS is pleased to present an uncirculated third source recording of the show from the master tapes.

d.j.mackeck reached out earlier this year to report that his dad had recorded several Bruce shows between 1978 and 1984 in their hometown of Toronto, as well as cities within spitting distance like Detroit and Buffalo. He was kind enough to ship an initial batch of three masters, from which we made fresh transfers here at JEMS South.

The shows were recorded on a small portable recorder with built in-mic (likely a Toshiba or Sony, but memories have faded) in mono. D.J. shared how this particular night went down:

"My dad couldn't make it to the Buffalo show, as he was going to be in the Bahamas during that time. So he gave his ticket and the task of recording the show to my uncle. My uncle was 18 at that time, and this was his first time seeing Springsteen. So he, another uncle, my aunt and my mother drove down from Toronto to the Memorial Auditorium.

When they were going in, security stopped my uncle because of the recorder. But he managed to sneak the recorder into his boot and got in through another gate. The rest is history! My dad kept the tapes along with other recordings he made. I came across the tapes, listened to them and sent them to JEMS. In my opinion, my uncle did a really good job of recording the show as far as getting all of the songs recorded and flipping the tapes over at the appropriate times. This is the first of my dad's tapes to be transferred to digital form. He may have dubbed a copy for my uncle, but other than that, none of my dad's tapes have ever been shared or traded."

Uncle Mackeck did do a really solid job. There's a remarkable lack of audience chatter or noise on the tape, and though the gear wasn't state of the art, the recording is clear, relatively close and the best of the now three known Buffalo recordings. Uncle Mackeck only cut one song, on his first flip during "Prove It All Night," which has been patched with Recorder 2 (Kshavo source).

The only material flaw in the new Buffalo recording was micro gaps. In 20-25 random spots across the three hours, the recorder cuts out momentarily leaving an audible gap. Having cut my teeth on a "basic handheld recorder" myself, I learned the hard way that they can be unreliable and if jostled or perhaps held in the wrong position, drop outs can occur.

On the Buffalo recording, the micro gaps were all well under a second in length, though absolutely noticeable. But happily for us, it isn't 1980 but 2013 and audio technology has come a long way. Using iZotope RX and its magical "Spectral Repair" plug in, JEMS was able to repair the gaps in a manner that should make them audibly invisible to all but the most committed and headphone-wearing trainspotter. The software uses an extrapolation algorithm to pull information from both sides of the gap and fill in like spackle. It worked like a charm.

To take this one the last mile and provide the patching is our comrade and the unchallenged king of multiple source recordings, MJK5510. Thanks to him for final finishing and prepping.

And a big thanks to d.j. mackeck and his dad for loaning JEMS their masters, and to Uncle for recording the show so well in the first place.

There are more mackeck masters to come.

BK for JEMS

Original info file

Download original info file.

Artwork

[click thumbnails to download full resolution artwork]