Portobello Belle MFN comp

[Jules]

I think its Hal

[JF]

Yes it's Hal.
Mark starts soloing at 8:09 with the red schecter strat. he switchs to the sunburst strat during the sax bridge between end of PB and beginning of TOL

in 80-81 Hal's solo was awful, almost out of tune.
in 82-83, I find that his playing improved a lot and fits more with the band's sound.
like he says in the oldfield book : Before Dire Straits my style was to crank up the amp and that was all. Mark helped me to "smooth things" ("arrondir les angles" in french)

I agree that the MFN comp was great at the time because of this unreleased material, but he should have include more, for example the complete portobello belle, live stuff from BIA tour, B-sides like eastbound train or badges, etc...
and one of my holy grail is to listen one day to the entire communique demos, like this WDYTYG version.
in the Oldfield book, it's explained that the band recorded all songs in London during fall 79, and this version comes from these sessions, and Barry Beckett says :"the album is already done, we just have to do it again"

[Stiglar]

Thanks for clearing that up!

[Montandon]

yes you are right most likely rerecorded in studio 88, my first idea of another night is not right

I agree about Alchemy, but again, why did he choose to edit the vocal intro in TOL ? just two lines he didn't like ?

Interesting...i was thinking they used some pieces from another concert. But for shure they could be record it in studio.
We all know that he did it on Private Investigation comp when he re-does all the Darling Pretty vocals...

[Justme]

I was wondering if there is a remastered version of this compilation. sS all other DS records are available with remastered sound, I'd guess there may be some contractual issue.

[dmg]

I'm not really fond of PB on the LOG tour and think the edit was really a necessity.  The complete version may be fine when you are actually there, but listening at home it is a bit tedious.  The thing doesn't get going until about 1:45 - 2:00 in, then the outro is a bit hit and miss.  The Paris version (link this thread) is quite repetitive and doesn't have any real merit.  In fact, Mark's playing is a little rough at the start of his solo but I don't think it would've been included at full-length anyway.

[Ingo]

Yes it's Hal.
Mark starts soloing at 8:09 with the red schecter strat. he switchs to the sunburst strat during the sax bridge between end of PB and beginning of TOL

and one of my holy grail is to listen one day to the entire communique demos, like this WDYTYG version.
in the Oldfield book, it's explained that the band recorded all songs in London during fall 79, and this version comes from these sessions, and Barry Beckett says :"the album is already done, we just have to do it again"

PB was a black Fender Strat, tuned to open G with a capo at 3rd. There was a thread about it here in the forum somewhere.
I also would love to listen to the other Communique demos one day, from all the stuff we know it was recorded this would be my number one wish, plus more of the Hope & Anchor gig (where Eastbound Train was recorded, it has such a great sound). You mean fall 78!

[the visitor]

I stand corrected : interesting to hear it is from Paris : there's a whole gig lurking in the archives then which could find release one day then. Not for now then.

[Terry82]

The record i have labeled as Paris 23/06/83 is completely different to the link of YT that really is Paris 23/06/83..
Can anyone share with me the real Paris 23/06/83?

[Lis]

Does anyone have some gum?   

[dmg]

The record i have labeled as Paris 23/06/83 is completely different to the link of YT that really is Paris 23/06/83..
Can anyone share with me the real Paris 23/06/83?

http://tracker.knopflertk.net/torrents-details.php?id=1180

[JF]

You mean fall 78!

yes of course. what was I thinking about 

PB was a black Fender Strat, tuned to open G with a capo at 3rd. There was a thread about it here in the forum somewhere.

ah thanks for the info.
the only reference I had was you old page 
http://ds.mk-guitar.com/songlist.htm

so it means that PB was played in open tuning in 82-83 ? if memory serves, the song was played on the national on the first leg of the tour and it didn't feature the long outro nor the link with TOL (e.g. gigs from december 82), and then he switched for eletric later (early 83 ?)
if we count that the song was playd also in open tunning in 80-81, in 91, and in studio, it means that the only time he palyed it in standard tunning was Barbarella's 78 and the second half of 79

[JF]

I'm not really fond of PB on the LOG tour and think the edit was really a necessity.  The complete version may be fine when you are actually there, but listening at home it is a bit tedious.  The thing doesn't get going until about 1:45 - 2:00 in, then the outro is a bit hit and miss.  The Paris version (link this thread) is quite repetitive and doesn't have any real merit.  In fact, Mark's playing is a little rough at the start of his solo but I don't think it would've been included at full-length anyway.

so different tastes !

indeed the lick is repetitive, but the background growing (Hal's rhythm for example) makes a crescendo/tension/climax and I like it
I find the lick far more complexe than the sultans ending for example, and I far prefer the harmony with sax on this song than on sultans in 85 and 92
I also love the intro with mark explaining the musical ambiance from the west end
in the intro each instrument is introduced and joines in for the song, and in the outro each musician says "goodbye" by stopping to play after being introduced
almost each member has his moment : Tommy plays the leitmotiv irish line, Hal and Alan have a solo, the Sax is gorgeous, and the rhythmic section Terry-John changes from reggae-claypso-ballad-rock
and last but not least, if you listen to it in a row with TOL, it gives you an almost 30 min piece of amazing music, of course, all in my humble opinion 

I find that this song version blends romantism and energy, ballad and lyrism, etheral guitar and slow pace, well can't find the words, but I like it   

[Terry82]

Notice that i compared both versions (the portobello mfn compilation and the recording from Paris 23/06) and, in my opinion, are different recordings

[JF]

Notice that i compared both versions (the portobello mfn compilation and the recording from Paris 23/06) and, in my opinion, are different recordings

the only differences are small vocal edits that wildstraits pointed out

all the rest is 100% identical, with a different sound/mixing of course