Welcome To New York Rolling Stones

The Madison Square Garden performance on July 26, 1972 is one of those fine moments in Rolling Stones live recorded history. Perhaps it's the fact that it was Jagger's 29th birthday that made such a difference. The energy and delivery of the performance is captured in an incredible "line" soundboard stereo recording. The "wide" stereo separation features Richards and keyboards on the left, Taylor on the right, drums and vocal in the middle, and horns split between the two channels. Interestingly enough it's the original vinyl discs that provide the basis for sound benchmarks of the CD recordings. The reason for this is that the tape source for the incredible vinyl LP's first issued by Trade Mark of Quality (TMoQ) out of greater Los Angeles county has never turned-up in tape trading circles. With this in mind one can only look for the finest sound reproduction on CD's made from the old LP's. The finest CD copy of the original "Welcome To New York" LP ends up on an unusual recording and not The Swingin' Pig as one might expect. The original LP's were issued by the TMoQ label in several variations with matrix numbers that identify original mono issues from later "wide" stereo issues. The running order of the songs also varies from the original RS-546 matrix number.

Record Jacket: White

"Happy Birthday, Mick!!"

Frontside

Wrap Around Insert - Cut Open Along Line To Get To The LP!

Mfr.: First generation TMoQ

Matrix Number: RS-546-A/B

Vinyl: Issued on Orange & Purple

Label: Silver writing on a dark green "Sideways" pig logo.

Insert: Says * Wizardo Rekords * and has a cartoon picture of a little girl carrying a cake with the caption "Happy Birthday, Mick!!".

Record Jacket: White

Song Order:

Side 1:- All Down The Line- /You Can't Always Get What You Want- /Midnight Rambler

Side 2:- Bye Bye Johnny- /Rip This Joint-/Love In Vain- /Sweet Virginia- /Jumpin' Jack Flash:
Note that this is last song of the side and it fades early because it ends-up close to the record label. The song order is rearranged in later wide stereo versions, but the fade remains even though the song is in the middle of a side.

The European Variation - No Southern CA TMoQ LP!

Title: "Welcome To New York!"

Matrix Number: TMQ 71080 A/B

Mfr.: All indications from packaging would lead you to believe that this is TMoQ, but it isn't for one good reason: The writing of 1's and 7's on the matrix number is European style and bears no resemblance to the writing on TMoQ matrix numbers. Possibly early Swingin' Pig as this is the same type of work as the RSGL "Philly Special" LP's which also look to be early TSP stuff.

Vinyl: Gray, Blue, Black Marble

Label: Picture labels: Jagger circa '72 and "Street Thugs" scene

Record Jacket: Deluxe B&W laminated cover

Backside

Second Generation in "Wide" Breath-Taking Stereo

Title: "Welcome To New York"

Mfr.: First generation TMoQ

Matrix Number: RS-546-A/B REI

Vinyl: Black and Red issues

Label: Black writing on white. "Sideways" pig logo

Record Jacket: Deluxe printed cover with the street thug artwork. Covers with titles written on the spine are particularly desirable.

Comment: REI matrix editions maintain the same running order as RS-546 except that the sound is wide stereo. This is a key trait to remember when tracing the roots of the CD's made from vinyl sources.

also found on:

Title: "Welcome To New York"

Mfr.: Box Top Records

Matrix Number: RS-546-A/B REI

Vinyl: Clear

Label: Black writing on orange. "Sideways" pig TMoQ labels!

Record Jacket: Color photo of Jagger circa 1981. Back cover photo is Jagger circa 1968 with a Gibson Les Paul.

Third Generation

"Mick's Birthday Party"

Disc One: Reissue of TMoQ's "Play With Fire" LP Matrix: 2815-A/B

Disc Two: Reissue of "Welcome To New York"

Mfr.: Second generation TMoQ

Matrix Number: 2815-C/D

Vinyl: Black

Label: Black writing on orange. "Smoking" pig logo

Insert: Salmon colored paper with Jagger/Richards on stage in 1972

Record Jacket: White

New Song Order also with "Wide" Stereo Mix

Side 1:- Bye Bye Johnny- /Rip This Joint- /Jumpin' Jack Flash- /Love In Vain- /Sweet Virginia

Side 2: - You Can't Always Get What You Want- /All Down The Line- /Midnight Rambler

Fourth Generation

Title: "Welcome To New York"

Mfr.: Second generation TMoQ.

Matrix Number: Matrix 2815-C/D scratched out. Replaced with 71080-A/B.

Vinyl: Black

Label: Plain white.

Insert: Multicolor with basic color bright pink. Street thug artwork.

Record Jacket: White

Title: "Welcome To New York"

Matrix Number: Matrix 2815-C/D scratched out. Replaced with 71080-A/B.

Vinyl: Black

Label: Black writing on light blue. "Smoking" pig logo.

Insert: Insert cover of Keith on stage with a Gibson guitar and a bottle in his right hand.

The wrong song order is listed on the cover (The listing is the same as first generation TMoQ).

Record Jacket: White

Reissue LP's:

"Rolling Stones Tour '72"

Berkeley Records

Matrix Number: 2004A/B

Vinyl: Black

Label: Plain white.

Record Jacket: Deluxe printed black and white cover of Jagger on stage vintage 1972 throwing water into the crowd.

Comment: This is in mono with a prominent right channel mix (Taylor side). This is the one for Mick Taylor fans who want to hear Mick Taylor! The slide on All Down The Line is "chilling".

Title: "Madison"

Mfr.: Contraband Music (CBM)

Matrix Number: HH ST MSG Side A/B

Vinyl: Black

Label: Black writing on orange. Says "Madison", and includes track listings.

Insert: Black and white glossy of the New York skyline

Record Jacket: White

Comment: The song list is consistent with TMoQ 2815-C/D, but the sound lacks clarity.

Note: There are mis-pressed versions of this disc that feature Led Zeppelin on Side 2. Songs are: Whole Lotta Love intro./Medley: Let That Boy Boogie/Travlin' Mama/Fixin' to Die/Mess of Blues/Lemon Song and completion of Whole Lotta Love. This is from a BBC broadcast on June 24, 1969.

"Welcome To New York"

Backside

Mfr.: The Swingin' Pig

Matrix Number: TSP-038 A/B

Vinyl: Jade, Gray, and Black Marble

Label: Silver writing on black.

Record Jacket: Deluxe printed replica of TMoQ Deluxe Edition.

Sticker: Gold TSP

Comment: Limited edition of 250 copies.

Title: "Rim Shout"

Mfr.: ?

Matrix Number: Matrix 2815-C/D scratched out. Replaced with 71080-A/B.

Vinyl: Black

Label: Plain Blue

Insert: Black and white drawing of Farrah Faucet "sitting on the can"

"Tour 72"

Mfr.: Not Identified

Matrix Number: MZE 5075/A/76

Vinyl: White Splash. This is an OBR looking disc...

Label: Plain White

Insert: Printed color cover of Jagger/Taylor '69 US Tour

Compilation LP's

Record Jacket: White

Title: "Renny's Album"

Mfr.: Ze Anonym Plattensplieler

Matrix Number: ZAP 7886-A/B

Vinyl: Black

Label: Silver writing on black. Label says Worlds Records.

Insert: Jagger and a trophy picture also used on the TMoQ "Play with Fire" LP cover.

Record Jacket: White

Comments: This compilation disc has WTNY songs on Side 1: You Can't Always Get What You Want/All Down The Line

"Co**sucker Blues"

The Kornyphone Records for the Working Man

Matrix Number: TKRWM 1822-A/B

Vinyl: Black

Label: Black writing on yellow. "Spunk" labels

Record Jacket: Deluxe printed black and white Jagger in the glitter jacket and Richards from "Burning at the Hollywood Palladium".

Comments: This compilation disc has WTNY songs on Side 1: Jumpin' Jack Flash/Love In Vain/Sweet Virginia, and Side 2: You Can't Always Get What You Want/All Down The Line/Midnight Rambler.

Title: "Stray Cat Blues" 2LP

Mfr.: Toasted

Matrix Number: Disc 1: TKRWM 1822-A/B scratched out. Add 2S-914-A/B (Co**sucker Blues)

Disc 2: ZAP 7886-A/B scratched out. Add 2S-914-C/D (Renny's Album)

Vinyl: Black

Label: Black writing on orange.

Record Jacket: Deluxe color cover of a nude lady with wavy blond hair swimming after "gummy" fish. Back photo is Jagger 1973 with his favorite glitter headband.

Comments: WTNY songs are the same as "Renny's Album" and "Co**sucker Blues", so You Can't Always Get What You Want and All Down The Line are repeated twice!

Title: "Nasty Music" and "Nasty Songs" (reissue) 2LP

Mfr.: Singers Original Double Disks (SODD)

Matrix Number: SODD 2-012-A/B/C/D and for "Nasty Songs" 24409-A/B/C/D (the SODD matrix is scratched out)

Vinyl: Black

Label NM: Silver printed "Worlds Records" on black with bogus song lists.

Label NS: "Spunk" and "Monique D'ozo"

Insert NM: Red print on orange paper lips and lipstick shot.

Record Jacket NM: White

Record Jacket NS: Deluxe cover with black and white shots of Jagger circa '75 and '72.

Comments: WTNY songs are All Down The Line/(no band intro.)/Bye Bye Johnny/Love In Vain/Sweet Virginia

Title: "Jean-Clarke Mamorial Sonic Barbecue"

Mfr.: The Amazing Kornyphone Record Label

Matrix Number: TAKRL 1919-A/B

Vinyl: Black

Label: Typed Side 1 and Side 2 on yellow paper

Insert: The front side insert is the Nazi scene from Guy Peellaerts "Rock Dreams" and the other is a photo of Jeane-Clarke (?) "trying to get the knack".

Record Jacket: White

Comments: WTNY song is Sweet Virginia

"Midnight Ramblers"

Haaappyyy

Frontside

Backside

Phoenix Records

Matrix Number: Disc 1: 44785-A/B (Live'r than You'll Ever Be)

Disc 2: 44785-C/D (Welcome To New York)

Vinyl: Black

Label: Black writing on yellow Phoenix label with track listings.

Record Jacket: Deluxe color Jagger/Richards 1972 sharing the mic. Back photo is Jagger '72 with a different shot of the glitter head band. This is the same photo as used on the CD "Vintage But Vigorous".

Comments: The song order is the same as 2815-C/D, but the disc is in mono

Compact Discs

The CD's of the "Welcome to New York" recording are made from LP sources. One of the first CD versions to surface was:

"Welcome to New York"

(TSPCD 038)

The Swingin' Pig

The cover of this CD is a black and white reproduction of the TMoQ "street thug" artwork. The back inlay reproduces the writing from the back cover of the deluxe edition TMoQ LP, but not the Jagger photos from 1972.

1. All Down The Line (4:12): Keith in the left channel. Taylor ripping Gibson humbuckin' tone in the right. There is a sound drop-out at 1:31. You don't hear Jagger growling the vocals like this anymore, it's a wonder the guy could get through two shows a day at this pace.

2. You Can't Always Get What You Want (7:37): Keith left channel. French horn right. Vocal in the middle. Taylor comes in the right channel with arpeggios at 1:38 as the tempo picks-up. Classic Taylor solo at 4:16. At 5:11 Taylor flips the pick-up toggle switch and changes the tone and feel of the solo.

3. Midnight Rambler (12:12): Long harp tease before the song starts. Taylor is playing the right channel counter-rhythms. At 2:23 the song shifts into high gear with Taylor playing a repetitive riff in the right and Richards playing lead lines in the left. Taylor slips in an ingenious rhythm change-up in the song at 3:02. This is reminiscent of the same type of change-up he plays in Bitch from Leeds March 13, 1971 when Keith is playing the solo. The vinyl pedigree of the sound source is revealed at 4:56 with a single "pop". Part I ends at 5:47. A snaking tapestry of solos from Mick Taylor for the slower center section of the song. Richards plays Hendrix like rhythm vibrato starting at 7:32. A "pop" can be heard at 8:36. There is a "wow" flaw during this song at 11:18 when it transitions to Part III that is clearly heard in the original vinyl. This has been cleaned-up with a "tight" splice.

** A tight tape splice at 12:15 marks the end of the track and a change in record sides.

4. Bye Bye Johnny (3:49): The band rips into one of the finest renditions of this Chuck Berry number that you'll ever hear. Taylor plays silky smooth lines all over the intro. in the right channel. Keith pours on the double stops for the solo in the left channel at 2:06. Different horn pieces come across in both channels.

5. Rip This Joint (2:11): It's amazing that this song could successfully be pulled-off in live performances. A clear saxophone comes in at :56 in the left channel.

6. Love In Vain (5:54): A firecracker goes off at :02. Robert Johnson is brought to the electronic age in fine fashion by true fans who do him justice. Peter Greenbaum's replacement from the Bluesbreakers is in his element on this one. Listen for the fat guitar tone cleanly played. The second solo is played with fingers and not a slide as in the first. It is difficult to tell the difference at times!

(Can you believe that Jagger makes reference to the same lines he said at MSG some three years earlier as documented in both "Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out!" and the "Gimme Shelter" movie!)

You're not still moving people to, you all right down there now, all right, okay

7. Sweet Virginia (4:13): There is a very subtle bass drum going on during Jagger's harp played opening. The harp pans from the left to right channel. There are "pops" in the right channel at :33 and :34. Another vinyl "pop" is heard in the left channel at 2:32. Bobby Keys plays his heart out during the sax solo.

8. Jumpin' Jack Flash (fades at 3:11): A guitar laden energized version of JJF complete with Taylor's patented switch toggling effect at 1:13 and 2:42. There is a vinyl "pop" at 2:06 in the right channel. The song fades-out early just like the original LP that ran too close to the label.

This is the same song running order as the classic TMoQ LP "Welcome to New York" with matrix number: RS-546. Except that it is in wide stereo, so this would make the source RS-546 REI. This CD was made from a TMoQ disc with a Deluxe Printed Cover!

There is a lot of "NoNoise" sound treatment on this recording. It adds a phasing sound (coloring) to the recording in places.

Comments: This disc was made from the same made-from-LP tape master as the "Swingin' Pig" version as evidenced by matching random vinyl pops and the tape "wow" correction in Midnight Rambler. The difference is that the "NoNoise" treatment seems to be missing. There is no phasing effect and the sound is clear unlike its "Swingin' Pig" counterpart. It's possible that the "Pig" acquired the tape from the "Lobster" and added the "NoNoise". This is the finest digital recording of the disc.

"Jumping Jack Flash"

(RSC012)

Oil Well

Low budget "Spaghetti" CD reissue of "Welcome To New York!"

"Welcome to New York"

(VGP-312)

Madison Square Garden, New York, July 26, 1972

Sound Quality CD 1: Fair (Crappy) Audience Recording of the soundboard show (distant, no drum sound)

CD 1: Brown Sugar/Bitch/Rocks Off/Gimme Shelter/Happy(Poor Quality Splice)/Tumbling Dice/Love In Vain/Sweet Virginia/You Can't Always Get What You Want/All Down The Line/Midnight Rambler/Intros/Bye Bye Johnny/Rip This Joint/Jumpin' Jack Flash/Street Fighting Man

Sound Quality CD 2: Familiar old soundboard from worbilly overly NoNOISE'd Swingin' Pig CD

CD 2: Love In Vain/Sweet Virginia/You Can't Always Get What You Want/All Down The Line/Midnight Rambler/Intros/Bye Bye Johnny/Rip This Joint/Junpin' Jack Flash/Audience - Happy Birthday Mick (w/Stevie Wonder) - Uptight - Satisfaction

Comment: Historically interesting, but what a disappointment. This should have been mastered from a clean RS-546 REI Trade Mark LP. It would have been a worth while effort. The definitive CD version. Opportunity lost.
You have the LP's!
You have the technology!

"Welcome To New York" First Issued by VGP on 5CD "American Tour 1972"

(VGP-259)

VGP-259 First Issued as 4CD "Plug In-Flush Out" - No "Welcome To New York"

This Makes VGP-312 a Reissue of a Reissue of a Reissue...

"Welcome To New York"

(SODD-022-SS & bonus CD-R)

Singer's Original (Double Disk)

Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, July 26, 1972

Sound Quality: Excellent Soundboard

CD: Love In Vain 6:51/Sweet Virginia 4:41/You Can't Always Get What You Want 7:43/All Down The Line 3:58/Midnight Rambler 12:14/Band Introductions 0:47/Bye Bye Johnny 3:19/Rip This Joint 2:17/Jumping Jack Flash 3:14

Comment: The track listing is in the correct running order of 1972 shows, unlike both REI and non-REI versions of the Trade Mark of Quality LP releases. The Swingin' Pig recording is made from an TMoQ REI LP source. The splice at part 3 of Midnight Rambler has also been cleaned-up in the best possible way. The opening tracks on this one have too much noise reduction for my taste. The silent passages are somewhat "colored". Overall noise reduction leaves it a bit compressed. Less high end (treble) than The Swingin' Pig CD but also less overall impact with respect to color added to the sound by the NONOISE sound reprocessing used by TSP. You can best assess the sound impact with the guitar tuning bits in between the songs. Listen for pitch and color. Maybe this is the best effort yet at bringing the classic analog recording into the CD age.

"Nasty Music"

Brussels & Wembley 1973

Sound Quality: Excellent Soundboard/Broadcast

CD-R: Brown Sugar 3:48/Happy 3:08/Gimme Shelter 5:57/Tumbling Dice 4:50/Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker) 5:02/You Can't Always Get What You Want 10:52/Dancing With Mr. D. 4:26/Angie 4:33/Honky Tonk Women 3:08/Midnight Rambler 12:54/Rip This Joint 2:02/Jumping Jack Flash 3:16/Street Fighting Man 5:20

Comment: There you have it. The best two Stones recordings and performances ever and always all in one package. See this web site for the whole story on Nasty Music at:
http://rollingstonesnet.com/Brussels.htm

"Nasty Songs"

(TTCD-5930 DAC-065-1/TTCD-5931 DAC-065-2)

Dog n Cat Records

Wembly-Empire Pool September 8, 1973 1st Show

Sound Quality: Very Good Audience.

CD 1: Brown Sugar 4:01/Gimme Shelter 5:51/Happy 3:10/Tumbling Dice 5:12/Star Star 4:44/Angie 4:48/You Can't Always Get What You Want 9:53/Dancing With Mr. D. 4:28/Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker) 5:17/Midnight Rambler 13:39/Honky Tonk Women 3:12/All Down The Line 4:20/Rip This Joint 2:12/Jumpin' Jack Flash 3:35/Street Fighting Man 4:55

Madison Square Garden, New York, July 26, 1972

Sound Quality: * Good Audience and Excellent Stereo Soundboard (Best Ever on CD)

CD 2: Brown Sugar 3:40*/Bitch 5:00*/Rocks Off 4:36*/Gimme Shelter 5:52*/Happy 4:03*/Tumbling Dice 4:59*/Love In Vain 6:48/Sweet Virginia 4:34/You Can't Always Get What You Want 8:04/All Down The Line 4:05/Midnight Rambler 12:36/Band Introductions 0:47/Bye Bye Johnny 3:17/Rip This Joint 2:28/Jumping Jack Flash 3:23

Comment: See above comments from "Comeback To England" for CD 1. CD 2 a.k.a "Welcome To New York" is NOT made from old TSP recordings. It's a fine sounding remaster the way it should have been done since the dawning of the CD age. Change you can believe in!

Mick's 29th Birthday Party!

A great inspired performance captured in the sterile confines of soundboard wire connected directly to the instruments and closely mic.'d brass and vocals. It provides a revealing look at the true musicianship of all the players in the band who put on a flawless performance for the New York crowd. A wonderful time capsule of the band, with this configuration of musicians, arguably at it's peak.