Grateful Dead
Long Beach Arena
Long Beach, CA
December 13, 1980
Mike Millard First Generation Tapes via JEMS
The Lost and Found Mike the MICrophone Tapes Volume 127

Recording Gear: AKG 451E Microphones (CK-1 cardioid capsules) > Nakamichi 550 Cassette Recorder

Transfer: Mike Millard First Generation Cassettes > Nakamichi Cassette Deck 1 azimuth-adjusted playback > Sound Devices USBPre2 > Sound Forge Audio Studio 13.0 capture >  Adobe Audition > iZotope RX8 > iZotope Ozone 8 > MBIT+ resample to 16/44.1 > Audacity > TLH > FLAC

01 Feel Like A Stranger
02 Sugaree
03 C.C. Rider
04 To Lay Me Down
05 Minglewood Blues
06 Ramble On Rose
07 Lost Sailor
08 Saint Of Circumstances
09 Deal
10 Scarlet Begonias
11 Fire On The Mountain
12 Playing In The Band
13 Not Fade Away
14 Black Peter
15 Sugar Magnolia
16 One More Saturday Night

Known Faults:
-To Lay Me Down: tape drag
-Drums > Space: missing (sorry)

Introduction to the Lost and Found Mike the MICrophone Series

Welcome to JEMSâ€™ Lost and Found Mike the MICrophone series presenting recordings made by legendary taper Mike Millard, AKA Mike The Mike, best known for his masters of Led Zeppelin done in and around Los Angeles circa 1975-77. For the complete details on how tapes in this series came to be lost and found again, as well as JEMS' long history with Mike Millard, please refer to the notes in Vol. One: http://www.dimeadozen.org/torrents-details.php?id=500680.

Until 2020, the Lost and Found series presented fresh transfers of previously unavailable first-generation copies made by Mike himself for friends like Stan Gutoski of JEMS, Jim R, Bill C. and Barry G. These sources were upgrades to circulating copies and in most instances marked the only time verified first generation Millard sources had been directly digitized in the torrent era.

That all changed with the discovery of many of Mike Millardâ€™s original master tapes.

Yes, you read that correctly, Mike Millardâ€™s master cassettes, long rumored to be destroyed or lost, have been found. Not all of them but many, and with them a much more complete picture has emerged of what Millard recorded between his first show in late 1973 and his last in early 1993.

The reason the rediscovery of his master tapes is such a revelation is that weâ€™ve been told for decades they were gone. Internet myths suggest Millard destroyed his master tapes before taking his own life, an imprudent detail likely concocted based on the assumption that because his master tapes never surfaced and Mikeâ€™s mental state was troubled he would do something rash WITH HIS LIFEâ€™S WORK. Thereâ€™s also a version of the story where Mikeâ€™s family dumps the tapes after he dies. Why would they do that?

The truth is Mikeâ€™s masters remained in his bedroom for many years after his death in 1994. We know at least a few of Millardâ€™s friends and acquaintances contacted his mother Lia inquiring about the tapes at the time to no avail. But in the early 2000s, longtime Millard friend Rob S was the one she knew and trusted enough to preserve Mikeâ€™s work.

The full back story on how Mikeâ€™s master tapes were saved can be found in the notes for Vol. 18 Pink Floyd, which was the first release in our series transferred from Millardâ€™s original master tapes:

http://www.dimeadozen.org/torrents-details.php?id=667745&hit=1
http://www.dimeadozen.org/torrents-details.php?id=667750&hit=1

Grateful Dead, Long Beach Arena, Long Beach, CA, December 13, 1980

The Mike Millard time machine lands in 1980 and one of his two recordings of the ultimate taper's band, Grateful Dead, playing the first of two nights at the Long Beach Arena.

Mike's FOH recording is up-close, sparkling and clear, though the enthusiasm of the audience is audible in spots. There is also an issue with tape drag on "To Lay Me Down," though because this is a first-generation copy dubbed by Mike himself for Rob S, we can't confirm if the flaw is on the master or Rob's copy. That issue aside, it is hard to quibble with the audio quality Mike captures here, though whether you see the omission of "Drums/Space" a flaw or a bonus is up to you. Samples provided.

Here's what Rob S, who attended the show with Mike, recalled about seeing Grateful Dead at the Long Beach Arena, December 12, 1980:

I attended the December 13, 1980 Grateful Dead concert at the Long Beach Arena with Mike Millard on a (One More) Saturday Night. By way of context, the band played the Swing Auditorium in San Bernardino the night before, another great show including â€œHeâ€™s Goneâ€ for John Lennon four days after he was murdered.

For Mike and I, it was our first Dead show. Mike would ultimately see and record one more Dead concert in June of 1991 (Vol 69 in our series), along with a Jerry Garcia Band show at Irvine Meadows in 1989. I veered harder into the Dead, attending and taping over two dozen shows and a few Garcia Band gigs, qualifying myself as a â€œGrateful Dead Enthusiastâ€ but not quite a â€œDeadhead.â€ Anyone who loves the Dead can thank me for dragging Mike to this one.

Mike secured our tickets, and to the best of my recollection we were about six or seven rows back from the stage in the center section of cozy Long Beach Arena. From those seats, Mike was able to get a lot of direct PA sound, so the vocals are quite clear. Normally this might not be a good thing with the Dead, but they were in fine vocal form coming off the legendary Warfield, Sanger and Radio City Music Hall runs of three-set shows six weeks prior that what would prove to be the band's last gigs with acoustic sets. On a side note, I recommend the â€œDead Aheadâ€ video from Radio City 10-31-80, it is a must-watch, with the band doing some pretty hilarious sketches that were taped and played back between sets. The harmonies were particularly well executed on this short winter tour.

Back to Long Beach. I remember Mike nudging me early on, pointing to the mics in his hat and giving me a â€thumbs up,â€ his way of silently letting me know he was liking what he was hearing. Jerry was on fire, the band was tight and if I wasnâ€™t there already, I was now â€œon the bus.â€

One last recollection was performing my duty as Mikeâ€™s wingman, shielding him from the usual rush of non-floor-seat ticket holders rushing to the front of the stage at the end of the second set and encore. Mike elected to fit the show on two cassettes, so "DrumsSpace" was not included. Eleven years later at the 1991 LA Coliseum show, we knew to start a fresh tape at the beginning of the second set so the flip landed during "Drums/Space." We live, we learn. I hope you all enjoy this as much as I have.

###

JEMS is proud to partner with Rob, Jim R, Ed F, Barry G and many others to release Millard's historic recordings and to help set the record straight about the man himself.

We can't thank Rob enough for reconnecting with Jim and putting his trust in our Millard reissue campaign. He kept Mike's precious tapes under wraps for two decades, but once Rob learned of our methods and stewardship, he agreed to contribute the Millard DATs and cassettes to the program. Our releases would not be nearly as compelling without Jim's memories, photos and other background contributions. As many of you have noted, the stories offer an entertaining complement to Mike's incredible audio documents.

Thanks this week to Professor Goody for the pitch check, mjk5510 for post production and artwork and to Rob S for his transfer and notes.

Finally, here's to the late, great Mike the MICrophone. His work never ceases to impress. May he rest in peace.

BK for JEMS

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02 Sugaree.flac:7425d7b158cb2060dbe4bc419ba920ae
03 C.C. Rider.flac:2f1e1b166deaeab552bb33056dc8e66a
04 To Lay Me Down.flac:79e242f252cbf6637df32fc6e17bc8bc
05 Minglewood Blues.flac:cec45ebe1675bea3b32532dd184b76a8
06 Ramble On Rose.flac:abf7e7c4c7331b8aae12c101789a6886
07 Lost Sailor.flac:b62312a31baf77aec62bc003f1547978
08 Saint Of Circumstances.flac:f5a17af8be5f22d65a363e83c98d3e1b
09 Deal.flac:348d9b28a60beee26fed0c56afdcdf27
10 Scarlet Begonias.flac:8dde390d47de1e63ed78d55cde0d615a
11 Fire On The Mountain.flac:46421069d1be74c7cdc82c8c306e30ad
12 Playing In The Band.flac:4d09301ede983b3a3e1151135b98665b
13 Not Fade Away.flac:51fbc06afea4454ff476310cb9678eb8
14 Black Peter.flac:71db2a0e5202d16cb62dc3cc62be16c2
15 Sugar Magnolia.flac:67c8d1e06f35d71e6f4a4a271e60c4a6
16 One More Saturday Night.flac:cfdabefecf8278a3133e1d9d4b9b41cb


