Yes – 1977.08.15 – Take Two – Providence Civic Center – Providence, RI – AUD 4CDS B++

In 2009, the Lampinski team set out to make available many master tape recordings from the Dan Lampinski collection. One of these recordings was made in Boston on June 18th, 1975 at the performance of Pink Floyd. Steve Hopkins was also at that event and recorded the show as well. PRRP has provided a remastered version of each recording along with a written account of the similarities and differences between the two. Now, we have that same opportunity again. PRRP 034 was our initial remaster of Barry Rogoff’s outstanding recording of Yes performing in Providence, Rhode Island on August 15th, 1977. In 2009, as part of the Lampinski project, the Dan Lampinski recording of the same show was made available. This, again, gave PRRP a rare opportunity to remaster both recordings and offer the unique listening experience of the same concert, from two different points of view.

Barry Rogoff tells us that he was in the 5th row for this concert while the ticket stub from Dan Lampinski shows that he was in section 2, row J, a bit further back. Both were experienced tapers using almost identical equipment -as noted in our info files. With both recordings, the gaps in each could be filled using material from the other. This was done to provide the most accurate audio document of the events of that evening. For example, the original PRRP remaster of Rogoff’s recording did not patch the missing section at the first tape flip. This has now been done as a new remaster of Rogoff’s tapes has been completed for this project. Further, there is over 5 minutes of thunderous applause after the song Roundabout at the end of the concert. This segment was not only restored to the Lampinski recording but was tracked as a separate segment for both recordings to highlight its importance. The length of this applause must have forced the band back on stage for one more song, Yours is no Disgrace, You can sense the audience practically demanding that Yes return to the stage as the applause continues and builds. For those who have actually experienced this type of event, it can be as moving as the music itself.

The presence of both recordings also allows proper judgments to be made about EQ and the speed of the tapes. Both characteristics were corrected by comparing one to the other and comparing the end result to commercial live and studio references. These adjustments were not made during the PRRP 034 remaster of Rogoff’s tapes. There has been discussion on the DIME forum of synchronizing the two tape sources for a matrix recording. Given that Barry Rogoff was very close to the stage and Dan Lampinski was quite a distance away, this would make most sense in a 5.1 surround project with the Lampinski source in the back channels. Still, completely synchronizing these two tapes would be an extensive task. For this PRRP offering, the two recordings were speed corrected and matched for runtime down to the second; but no attempt was made to match them to the millisecond. All track times are identical for the show except the first track which is longer in the Rogoff recording than in Lampinski’s by about 80 seconds. Mr. Rogoff began his recording before Mr. Lampinski but both men terminated their recordings at almost the exact same time, within 2 seconds of each other. Ironic. More details on the two remasters and the differences between the PRRP 034 Rogoff remaster and this new version can be found in the info files.

Below is the original description of the show from Barry Rogoff.

As hockey rinks go, the Providence Civic Center has good acoustics. However, the PA system levels and the mix were all over the place. Later on, I read that Yes had a substitute sound man on that tour. He had high-end hearing loss which explains why the mix is so bright. (PRRP: we fixed this is the remaster process) As far as levels, the Firebird opening was okay, but when the band started playing Parallels, you could hardly hear them. The sound man was trying to let people get used to the volume slowly and overdid it. He kept nudging up the volume during All Good People. It actually got a little too loud at one point, then came back down. I was taking photographs and had an experienced friend (a Deadhead) monitoring the levels on my deck. He did his best to compensate for what was happening. Close to the Edge and Wondrous Stories were okay but the sound man jacked up the volume for the silly tour song (Colours of the Rainbow) and then dropped it way back down for Turn of the Century. (PRRP: Again, fixed in the remaster process) I think my friend was wasted by then. The levels were a little on the low side for the rest of the show.

When the show started, the ushers allowed all the rowdys from the cheap seats to rush down to the stage and jam themselves into every inch of space. They were all jumping up and down, the whole building was literally shaking, and the crowd noise was unbelievable. Then, the people in the front row decided to stand up on their rickety wooden chairs, which was completely unnecessary. You can hear the people behind them yelling at them to sit down.

In spite of all that, the band was on fire that night. Steve played wailing solos on Starship Trooper and Yours Is No Disgrace. I think they’re the best versions I’ve heard other than the Close To The Edge tour in 73. Rick was superb on Close to the Edge and Awaken. Awaken was recorded on a C120 tape so it’s a complete, uncut version. I’ve also been told by several Yes traders that it’s one of a very few 100% complete Going For The One concerts with no side change in Awaken .

I was standing on a rickety wooden chair trying to hand-hold a 300mm telephoto lens for close-ups while the whole building was literally shaking throughout the night. Towards the end of the show, I had run out of film and was watching through binoculars, again, from the fifth row. Jon nudged Chris and pointed at me, laughing at the crazy guy who just couldn’t see enough Yes up close. I miss those days.

PRRP Staff

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Master audience recording taped by Dan Lampinski

Yes
Providence Civic Center
Providence, RI
15 August 1977

Nakamichi 550 Tape Recorder
Two Nakamichi CM-300 Microphones
Maxell cassettes

Master Cassette -> Nakamichi CR-3A cassette deck with azimuth correction ->
M-Audio Firewire Audiophile 2496 -> CDWAV 24-bit/96-KHz wav files ->
Goldwave (normalizing and crossfades) -> CDWAV (track breaks) -> FLAC Front End

Disc 1
1.01 Firebird Suite (1.33)
1.02 Parallels (6.26)
1.03 All Good People (7.18)
1.04 Close To The Edge (19.39)
1.05 Wondrous Stories (4.43)
1.06 Colours of the Rainbow (1.23)
1.07 Turn Of The Century (8.31)
1.08 And You And I (10.26)
Total Time 59:59

Disc 2
2.01 Flight Jam (4.14)
2.02 Awaken (18.42)
2.03 Starship Trooper (with intro drumming) (14.06)
2.04 Roundabout (8.18)
2.05 Never Ending Applause (5.40)
2.06 Yours Is No Disgrace (with extended intro) (14.33)
Total Time 65:33

Remaster
1. Click and pop repair
2. Minimize and repair claps during music segments
3. Gentle Hiss reduction
4. Repair tape flips and cuts in recording using Rogoff source, restoring missing segments.
5. Dynamic adjustments to correct for peak suppressions, particularly due to loud claps
6. Adjust tonality/EQ. Taper location caused excess bass and other tonal imbalances that needed correcting
7. Reduce whistles, claps and yells by audience members
8. Speed correct and match to recording by Rogoff
9. Tracking set to be consistent with Rogoff recording with no fadeout at end of disc 1

Notes:
“sit down, sit down” much less noticable than Rogoff version.
Bass distortion during And You and I
loud clapper to the left of taper.

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Master audience recording taped by Barry Rogoff

Yes
Providence Civic Center
Providence, RI
15 August 1977

Nakamichi 550 cassette deck and Nakamichi CM-100/CP-1 microphones

Disc 1
3.01 Firebird Suite (2.51)
3.02 Parallels (6.26)
3.03 All Good People (7.18)
3.04 Close To The Edge (19.39)
3.05 Wondrous Stories (4.43)
3.06 Colours of the Rainbow (1.23)
3.07 Turn Of The Century (8.31)
3.08 And You And I (10.26)
Total Time 61:17

Disc 2
4.01 Flight Jam (4.14)
4.02 Awaken (18.42)
4.03 Starship Trooper (with intro drumming) (14.06)
4.04 Roundabout (8.18)
4.05 Never Ending Applause (5.40)
4.06 Yours Is No Disgrace (with extended intro) (14.33)
Total Time 65:33

Remaster
1. More advanced noise reduction for clicks, pops and hiss than previous remaster.
2. Patch tape flips using Lampinski source.
3. Speed correct and match runtimes of both sources using commercial references as a guide.
4. Adjust dynamics, as with previous remaster.
5. Repair clipping.
6. Tonality/EQ adjustments made.
7. No end disc 1 fadeout.
8. Tracking matched to Lampinski recording.