For Badgeholders Only (Tarantura TCD-233,4,5 SGT)
The Forum, Inglewood, Los Angeles, CA, USA – June 23, 1977
With the discovery and release of Jon Wizardo’s master tapes of Led Zeppelin’s incredible June 23, 1977 concert at the famed L.A. Forum in Inglewood, California, the Tarantura label has released a stunning box set to mark the occasion.
The set came of five different cover art boxes, Special Edition, YUZUKI, Jimmy Page, Badgeholders, and SGT. Page’s. All sets had the same content featuring three unique version of the concert, the Wizardo recording, a source merge using the Wizardo recording as a foundation, and a source merge using Mike Millard’s recording as a foundation. All three sets are house in a tri gatefold sleeve and are adorned with pictures from the event and other historic items.
There are some nice items in the box as well, liner notes in both Japanese and English, a cardboard stand-up featuring the album artwork, and a stage pass again featuring the artwork. Each of the individual boxes was limited to 40 copies only and the set sold out quickly. Thankfully I was able to obtain a copy, my choice was the SGT. Page’s version featuring artwork from the SGT Pages Badgeholders Club Band (Tarantura TCD-YUZUKI 3-1/2/3).
The Badgeholder show is famous for good reason, it is an incredible performance by the band that certainly equals the 6/21/1977 L.A. show and is among the very best of the entire 1977 tour. The appearance of The Who’s legendary drummer Keith Moon is something of legend and one of the most interesting and unique mash ups in Led Zeppelin history. There have been a multitude of releases of both Wizardo’s and Millard’s recordings on both vinyl and CD, too many to list here, certainly a recording in most boot collectors collections.
For Badgeholders Only Jon Wizardo Master Tape (Tarantura TCD-233-1,2,3)
Disc 1 (69:06) Introduction, The Song Remains The Same, The Rover / Sick Again, Nobody’s Fault But Mine, Over The Hills And Far Away, Since I’ve Been Loving You, No Quarter
Disc 2 (61:24) Ten Years Gone, The Battle Of Evermore, Going To California, Black Country Woman / Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp, White Summer, Black Mountain Side, Kashmir, Trampled Under Foot
Disc 3 (63:31) Over The Top / Moby Dick, Guitar Solo / The Star Spangled Banner, Achilles Last Stand, Stairway To Heaven, Keith Moon Speech, Whole Lotta Love, Rock And Roll
The first set features the Wizardo source only and has little mastering, sounding close to the original torrent. Jon was certainly close to the action and pulled an excellent recording documenting the concert. The famous For Badgeholders Only (Dragonfly 1/2/3/4 and LZ7 A-D) was certainly one of the greatest vinyl boots of all time. When I compare this raw version to SODD which is a vinyl rip, this new master cassette version is much better, clearer, brighter, and more lively on all marks. The interior of the gatefold has a picture of the master cassette cases, the source is listed as Stereo Uher-Non-Dolby. There are also pictures of Jon and the LP artwork for the Dragonfly and Ruthless Rhymes releases. The CD’s have a picture of the Uher machine and a JVC M-201 Stereo microphone, certainly Jon’s rig for this recording.
The Dynamic Loonies Jon Wizardo Source Merge (Tarantura TCD-234-1,2,3)
Disc 1 (70:08) Introduction, The Song Remains The Same, The Rover / Sick Again, Nobody’s Fault But Mine, Over The Hills And Far Away, Since I’ve Been Loving You, No Quarter
Disc 2 (61:39) Ten Years Gone, The Battle Of Evermore, Going To California, Black Country Woman / Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp, White Summer, Black Mountain Side, Kashmir, Trampled Under Foot
Disc 3 (65:32) Over The Top / Moby Dick, Guitar Solo / The Star Spangled Banner, Achilles Last Stand, Stairway To Heaven, Keith Moon Speech, Whole Lotta Love, Rock And Roll
The second three disc set features a fourth source merge using the Jon Wizardo recording as a basis with the Barry Goldberg recording filling in portions of the first disc and the Mike Millard and Carl Gabe tapes filling in the gaps on the second and third disc. This set features the most complete version of the famous Badgeholders concert. The patches are seamless and well handled, the slight differences in sound are well handled and mastered by Enigma.
I have a few titles with source merges for the Wizardo recording. For Badgeholders Only (Graf Zeppelin LZSC-623) is a 6 disc set featuring merges of both Wizardo and Millard’s recordings. For Badgeholders Only (LZSC-623WZD) features a source merge using the Wizardo master and the other 3 recordings to complete it. The sound quality between the Tarantura and Graf is similar, both are excellent with Graf’s being slightly louder and Tarantura’s being a bit warmer and more natural sounding.
Three Hours Of Lunacy Mike Millard Source Merge (Tarantura TCD-235-1,2,3)
Disc 1 (70:08) Introduction, The Song Remains The Same, The Rover / Sick Again, Nobody’s Fault But Mine, Over The Hills And Far Away, Since I’ve Been Loving You, No Quarter
Disc 2 (61:43) Ten Years Gone, The Battle Of Evermore, Going To California, Black Country Woman / Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp, White Summer, Black Mountain Side, Kashmir, Trampled Under Foot
Disc 3 (65:33) Over The Top / Moby Dick, Guitar Solo / The Star Spangled Banner, Achilles Last Stand, Stairway To Heaven, Keith Moon Speech, Whole Lotta Love, Rock And Roll
Like the second set, the third three disc set uses the Mike Millard recording with gaps filled by the Wizardo recording and Carl Gabe recording, the Barry Goldberg source was used for a portion of the introduction only. Like the second set source merge, this also presents a complete version of the Badgeholders show although slightly redundant. Also like the second set the patches and mastering by Enigma are flawless.
The Millard source is sadly incomplete. A DAT transfer of Mike’s master made in the early 2000’s was released a few months back on the Lost and Found Mike the MICrophone Tapes Vol. 227, sadly the torrent did not elude to why the recording was incomplete, one could guess they arrived late. Since this Tarantura set was released prior to Vol 227, the version here comes from a first gen off Millard’s master and like many of the first gens of Millard’s tapes, it is of stunningly excellent quality, so much that despite a generations lost, the sound is superb and any hope of an upgrade is simply not to be.
For me Mike’s recording is the best of the audience sources, it trumps the Wizardo recording by a hair. It has a bit wider frequency range making for better instrumental clarity with much better bottom end, one only wishes it was as complete as his other 1977 recordings. For Badgeholders Only (Graf Zeppelin LZSC-623) features the Millard source using three other sources, the Wizardo source comes from vinyl. For Badgeholders Only (Graf Zeppelin LZSC-623MLD) features a mix using the Millard master DAT source, a Millard first gen as the foundation with the Wizardo master, Source 3 and 4 to fill the gaps. This title also features the Barry Goldstein master on the fourth CD and a CDR set of Carl Gabe’s source as a bonus.
Again the mastering of the Millard merge is very close on both Tarantura and Graf, to my ears I hear similar mastering, again Graf is a touch louder, Tarantura warmer and wonderful. Both companies do an excellent job but I find this Tarantura hard to beat, it’s stunning.
Simply put this Tarantura set is a work of art, both visually and sonically. The packaging is unique and deserving of such a historic performance. The audio is perfect, Enigma has put his stamp on the Tarantura label, to my ears he is the premier sound engineer on the market. A flawless release by the Tarantura label.
