A pair of legendary club gigs that the Rolling Stones did in 1977, oft-bootlegged over the decades, will finally get its official release May 13, as “Live at the El Mocambo” arrives as a two-CD set and quadruple-LP as well as digitally.
The Stones have occasionally done “underplays” over the years, but probably none more notorious than their showing at a 300-capacity club in March ’77. Four of the songs were released on the “Love You Live” album that followed in September of that year, which mostly consisted of material captured earlier and in far bigger settings, even as fans wished they’d just gotten the full club set instead.
Two songs have been released — “Rip This Joint” and “It’s only Rock ’N’ Roll” — in advance of the full album, which arrives May 13.
The secret 1977 shows had the band billed as the Cockroaches for appearances March 4-5. The mystery group was supposedly opening for a then-huge Canadian band, April Wine, which turned out to be the actual opening act for the happily slumming Stones.
The new album includes the entirety of the latter show and three additional songs from the opening night, for a 23-song track list. It includes songs that have not appeared on previous “soundboard” bootlegs, many of which topped out at 14 numbers. The tracks have been freshly mixed for this release by Bob Clearmountain.
Several of the songs were from the then-new “Black and Blue” album, and one, “Worried about You,” would not be released until the Stones pulled together their odds-and-ends album “Tattoo You” four years in the future, in 1981. Others include classics from their long history. But of greatest interest is the generous inclusion of covers, mostly from the blues realm, including “Little Red Rooster,” “Mannish Boy,” “Worried Life Blues” and “Route 66.”
In his book “Rolling With the Stones,” Bill Wyman wrote, “Musically, our opening night at the El Mocambo was not good… The second night went very much better and we had a good time.” The makeup of the new album, taken primarily from night 2, reflects that believe that it took a warmup night for the group to tighten up.
The shows got plenty of media attention at the time, as Margaret Trudeau, the estranged wife of Canadian Prime Minster Pierre Trudeau, accompanied Mick Jagger to the gigs, somewhat scandalously.
The four-LP vinyl version of “El Mocambo” will come in two variants, black and a “neon” version with the discs in different hues.
The full rundown of tracks:
1. Honky Tonk Women (Live at the El Mocambo 1977)
2. All Down The Line (Live at the El Mocambo 1977)
3. Hand Of Fate (Live at the El Mocambo 1977)
4. Route 66 (Live at the El Mocambo 1977)
5. Fool To Cry (Live at the El Mocambo 1977)
6. Crazy Mama (Live at the El Mocambo 1977)
7. Mannish Boy (Live at the El Mocambo 1977)
8. Crackin’ Up (Live at the El Mocambo 1977)
9.DanceLittleSister(Live at the El Mocambo 1977)
10. Around And Around (Live at the El Mocambo 1977)
11. Tumbling Dice (Live at the El Mocambo 1977)
12. Hot Stuff (Live at the El Mocambo 1977)
13. Star Star (Live at the El Mocambo 1977)
14. Let’s Spend The Night Together (Live at the El Mocambo 1977)
15. Worried Life Blues (Live at the El Mocambo 1977)
16.LittleRed Rooster (Live at the El Mocambo 1977)
17. It’s only Rock ‘N’ Roll (But I Like It) (Live at the El Mocambo 1977)
18. Rip This Joint (Live at the El Mocambo 1977)
19. Brown Sugar (Live at the El Mocambo 1977)
20. Jumpin’ Jack Flash (Live at the El Mocambo 1977)
21. Melody (Live at the El Mocambo 1977)
22. Luxury (Live at the El Mocambo 1977)
23. Worried about You (Live at the El Mocambo 1977)
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