This series presents the shows in which Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts teamed
up in 1983 to support a string of charity concerts (2 in London and 9 in the
US). The original intention was to present the A.R.M.S. shows but since the
players and the songs played were almost the same for the charity gala
organized for the Prince Of Wales Trust on September 21 it was decided to
include it in this series.
In 1983,
Ronnie Lane’s girlfriend Boo Oldfield contacted
Glyn Johns
with a view to organizing a
concert to help fund
Action for Research into Multiple Sclerosis
. Johns was already
arranging Clapton's Command Performance for
Prince Charles
so they decided to book the
Royal Albert Hall
for a further two
nights and host a
benefit concert
. The first
ARMS Charity Concerts
that was
initially planned to be the only event took place at the
Royal Albert Hall
on September
20, 1983, with subsequent dates
occurring in the United States, with slightly different lineups of musicians.
Here the line-up was: Charlie Watts on drums, Bill Wyman on bass, Eric
Clapton on guitar and vocals, Jimmy Page on guitar Jeff Beck on guitar and vocals,
Steve Winwood on organ, harmonica, vocals and guitar), Kenney Jones on drums, Andy
Fairweather Low on guitar and vocals, Chris Stainton on keyboards and backing vocals,
Tony Hymas on keyboards, Ray Cooper on percussions, Simon Philipps on drums and
Ronnie Lane on vocals
on the last 2 songs.
Additional
musicians for the Steve Winwood-set,
the Jeff Beck-set and the Jimmy Page-set:
Fernando Saunders on bass and James Hooker on keyboards. Ian Stewart also had
his hand in the production/organization.
The whole show was professionally filmed (directed by
Stanley Dorfman)
and
telecasted on US MTV in late May 1984 (repeated in December 1984). It was also
released on video in August 1984 as
The Ronnie Lane Appeal For A.R.M.S.: The Royal Albert Hall Concert
(Videoform VFV 16&17). Both videos were later re-released as A.R.M.S. - The
Complete Concert (Channel 5 CFV 00482) in 1986
and on DVD in 2005.
A professional audio recording was made by Glyn Johns with The Rolling
Stones Mobile Recording Unit with sound engineer: Mick McKenna.
Several audio versions
circulate half-officially on the grey market, often as Eric Clapton &
Friends, and often in lossy form.
For this project were planned
3 different versions
(only with lossless material)
- Vol 01a: a complete audience recording
- Vol 01b: the incomplete soundboard
version (but not the half-official brickwalled one)
- Vol 01c: a 'Frankenstein version': the
most complete recording as a merging of the 2 previous versions.
The one reviewed here is the third one, whose aim was to get the complete
recording in the best sound: merging the different sources when possible and
completing it with the audience recording.
All the sources here have been reworked.
‘1’ is is the audience source (cf. Vol 01a)
‘2’ is the soundboard source (cf. Vol 01b)
‘3’ is coming from an incomplete version of the Westwood One radio show but
lossless and not over-boosted
‘4’ is the ‘grey-market’ version (‘Eric Clapton & Friends’) here in
lossless sound
In detail, on Disc One the Band introduction (1&2 merged), except for the last 6 seconds which are solely coming from 1,
Everybody Oughta Make A Change (1&2 merged) except for the last 13 seconds
which are solely coming from 1, Lay Down Sally (1&2 merged), Wonderful
Tonight (1&2 merged) except for the last 8 seconds which are solely coming
from 1. Ramblin’ On My Mind/Have You Ever Loved A Woman (1&4 merged) except
for the last 40 seconds which are solely coming from 1, Rita Mae (1&4
merged) except for the last 13 seconds which are solely coming from 1, Cocaine (1&2
merged). Man Smart, Woman Smarter (1&2 merged) except for the last 13
seconds which are solely coming from 2 following by a short gap. Hound Dog comes
solely from 1 like Doin’ The Best I Can while Road Runner and Slowdown Sundown (1&2
merged) except for the last 4 seconds which are solely coming from 1; Take Me
To The River (merged 1&2) except for the last 19 seconds which are solely
coming from 1, Gimme Some Lovin’ (merged 1&2).
On Disc Two Star Cycle (merged 1&2) except for the last 23 seconds
which are solely coming from 1, The Pump (merged 1&2), Goodbye Pork Pie Hat
(merged 1&2) except for the last 34 seconds (the band introduction which
are solely coming from 1 Led Boots (merged 1&2), People Get Ready (Andy
Fairweather Low on vocals) (merged 1&2), HI-Ho Silver Lining (Jeff Beck on
vocals) (merged 1&2). At the end the intermission (1’54) is solely coming
from 1
Prelude (merge 1&2) except for the last 43 seconds which are solely
coming from 1, Who’s To Blame (Steve Winwood on vocals) (merged 1&2) City
Sirens (Steve Winwood on vocals) (merged 1&2), except for the last 51
seconds which are solely coming from 1, Stairway To Heaven (solely from 1).
The encores with all musicians together: Tulsa Time (merged 1&2) except
for the last 17 seconds which are solely coming from 1 Wee Wee Baby (merge
1&3), Layla (merged 1&2), except for the last 33 seconds which are
solely coming from 11(merged 1&2) except for the last 85 seconds which are
solely coming from 1, Bombers Moon (Ronnie Lane on vocals) (merged 1&2), Goodnight
Irene (Ronnie Lane on vocals) (merged 1&2).
Note: Bill Wyman
plays only on tracks 1-8 of Disc One and on tracks 11-15 on Disc Two.
Charlie Watts
plays on all tracks of Disc One and on tracks 11-15 on Disc Two.
