Bruce Springsteen 1981-01-20 Toronto (mackeck Master via JEMS).txt
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
Maple Leaf Gardens
Toronto, ON
January 20, 1981
mackeck master via JEMS
Recording Gear: handheld portable cassette recorder with built-in mic
JEMS 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 > mjk5510 > Peak Pro XT (manual click removal / edit / patch /index / subtle tweak) > xACT > FLAC
Patch source: 1980's alternate source tape trade > Marantz PMD430 > MacBook Pro > Audacity > Peak Pro XT (subtle tweak) > main show patch
101 Prove It All Night
102 Two Hearts
103 Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
104 Darkness On The Edge Of Town
105 Independence Day
106 Factory
107 Who'll Stop The Rain
108 The Promised Land
109 Out In The Street
110 Racing In The Street
111 The River
112 Badlands
113 Thunder Road
201 Cadillac Ranch
202 Sherry Darling
203 Hungry Heart
204 Fire
205 Candy's Room
206 Because The Night
207 4th Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)
208 For You
209 Stolen Car
210 Wreck On The Highway
211 Point Blank
212 The Ties That Bind
301 Ramrod
302 Backstreets
303 Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
304 I'm A Rocker
305 Jungleland (13 second patch)
306 Born To Run
307 Detroit Medley - I Hear A Train
Known Faults:
-Jungleland: 13 second patch with alternate audience source
JEMS is pleased to present a previously uncirculated and complete master recording of the first night of Toronto '81. It's also the third release from the work of the taper(s) mackeck.
To recap: d.j.mackeck reached out earlier last 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. As with the second night recording, mackeck manages to avoid most audience chatter or noise, yielding a recording that is clear, relatively close, consistent and highly listenable. Samples provided.
The only material flaw in this new recording was again micro gaps, like those found on the other mackeck masters. On Toronto 1, the micro gaps are all well under a second in length, though absolutely noticeable. But happily for us, it isn't 1981 but 2014 and audio technology has come a long way. Using iZotope RX and its magical "Spectral Repair" plug-in plus some good old fashioned editing, JEMS and MJK5510 were able to repair the gaps in a manner that should make most of them inaudible to all but the most committed and headphone-donning trainspotter.
The first night in Toronto is well known to many of us, at least 90 minutes of it. That's roughly what exists in soundboard form--the last 12 songs of the show. If you don't know the story of how that tape leaked, it is one for the ages. Read about it here:
http://brucebase.wikispaces.com/1981#200181
What most of us haven't heard is the rest of the show. Note that 1/20/81 is not only the first 1981 show and opening night on the second leg of The River tour, but it is also the next show after the legendary New Year's Eve epic at Nassau Coliseum. Suffice it to say that despite a three-week layoff, the E Street Band doesn't skip a beat, turning in a great performance that's more a continuation of what we got in December than what would come later in the new year. While the set is somewhat "standard," any show that opens with "Prove It All Night" is OK in my book. "Who'll Stop the Rain" continues from its December debut, as part of a rock-solid first set. The second set we're all well versed in and there's just no denying the sheer majesty of "Stolen Car" into "Wreck on the Highway" into "Point Blank."
There are 2 audience recording sources available for this night and 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.
Big big thanks to d.j. mackeck and his dad for loaning JEMS their masters and recording the show in the first place.
BK for JEMS
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