Gil Scott-Heron - "Live in Bremen" (1983)

"We Almost Lost Detroit" (excerpt)



"Angola Louisiana" (excerpt)

Over two hours of Gil Scott-Heron and his Amnesia Express, live at the Kulturzentrum Schauburg in Bremen, Germany, April 18th, 1983.

Worth it alone for the Gil's opening solo voice-and-rhodes performances of "We Almost Lost Detroit", "Angola Louisiana" and "Three Miles Down", the last of these featuring a similar singalong to one I remember taking part in when I last saw him perform in 1998.

There's an intimacy in these three tracks that I haven't picked up from the other bootlegs. So this now becomes my second favourite GSH bootleg after the Bottom Line show.

Considering this has gone through a cassette generation, there's a good clarity to the recording of his voice throughout, even if he does complain at one stage that he must have "left his voice on Lufthansa". Bass guitar is a little far back in the mix from the recorder position, which probably explains the title that the original DIME seeders gave the set.

"The Bottle" (excerpt)



"Washington D.C." (excerpt)

In the band tracks, the reed and brass particularly shine through in the arrangements. There's a really superb, understated flugelhorn solo from Alonzo Bailey in "Better Days Ahead".

Lots of talk from GSH between tracks - he's still the only guy who can merge from spoken word to poetry to song without you noticing the joins, where the setup is all part of the song.

The seeders added a few other GSH songs from TV broadcasts, and a bonus live performance from Dana Bryant of Scott-Heron's "The Revolution Will Not be Televised" from Jazzfest Berlin. Fantastic stuff! 

CD 1

1 Intro 1:26

2 We Almost Lost Detroit 5:42

3 Intro 2:13

4 Angola Louisiana 5:19

5 Intro 4:10

6 Three Miles Down 4:34

7 B Movie 16:28

8 Intro 1:03

9 A Legend In His Own Mind 5:14

10 Intro 0:30

11 Winter In America 7:49

12 Band Intro 3:27

13 Intro 1:26

14 Shut 'em Down 6:21

CD 2

1 Intro 1:24

2 Washington D C 4:39

3 Intro 1:29

4 The Bottle 14:00

5 Intro 1:08

6 Better Days Ahead 11:06

7 Intro 4:39

8 Johannesburg 7:12

bonus tracks:

9 Winter In America 4:34

"Ohne Filter" German TV March 1984 (broadcast date):

10 Not Needed / Statement 4:03

from "Keynote" (SAT1 - German TV) 1994

11 The Revolution Will Not Be Televised 5:18

Dana Bryant

Jazzfest Berlin, Traenenpalast, Oct 28 1993 (FM recording)

MUSICIANS

Gil Scott-Heron - vocals, keyboards

Alonzo Bailey - trumpet, flugelhorn

Vernon James - alto and soprano sax, flute

Ron Holloway - tenor sax

Larry McDonald - percussion

Kenny Powell - drums

Ed Brady - bass

Glen "Astro" Turner - keyboards, harmonica

CREDITS & BOOTLEG HISTORY

FM broadcast to cassette, cleaned and de-glitched by Langtang and Wolf.

Originally seeded at DIME by Langtang and Wolf.

Cover art by Wolf.

WAV download 

MP3 download

Also at 'Never Enough Rhodes'

Gil Scott-Heron - "Live at the Village Gate" (1976)

Gil Scott-Heron - "Live at the Bottom Line" (1977)

- start here!

Gil Scott-Heron - "Live at Berkeley" (1978)

Gil Scott-Heron - "Live At Glastonbury" (1986)