Emerson, Lake and Palmer in Concert
Encyclopedia
Emerson, Lake and Palmer In Concert is a live album by Emerson, Lake & Palmer
(ELP), recorded at the 26 August 1977 show at the Olympic Stadium, Montreal
, which is featured on the album cover. It was released by Atlantic Records
in November 1979, following ELP's breakup. It was later re-released and repackaged as Works Live in 1993.
Similar to most live albums, In Concert showcased fan favourites of previously released material. However, "Peter Gunn
", ELP's take on the classic TV theme song, was never released on any of their other albums (a slightly edited version of this live recording was included on the 1980 "Best of" compilation and released as a single in some countries). ELP frequently opened with this song on the Works Volume II
tour.
The band hired a 70-piece orchestra for some concerts of this tour but eventually had to dismiss the orchestra due to budget constraints that almost bankrupted the group. On the original release, the orchestra performs on "C'est la Vie", "Knife Edge", on Keith Emerson
's piano concerto, and on "Pictures at an Exhibition". Works Live adds other four songs performed with the orchestra: "Fanfare for the Common Man", "Abaddon's Bolero", "Closer to Believing" and "Tank".
Original releases of the album carried no producer credit, but production and mixing of the album were largely carried out by Keith Emerson
. Emerson's vision was to release In Concert as a double LP, but ELP's label, Atlantic Records
, would not allow this given the band's pending dissolution; the album's later repackaging as Works Live somewhat restores this intent.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Emerson, Lake & Palmer, also known as ELP, are an English progressive rock supergroup. They found success in the 1970s and sold over forty million albums and headlined large stadium concerts. The band consists of Keith Emerson , Greg Lake and Carl Palmer...
(ELP), recorded at the 26 August 1977 show at the Olympic Stadium, Montreal
Olympic Stadium (Montreal)
The Olympic Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve district of Montreal, Quebec, Canada built as the main venue for the 1976 Summer Olympics...
, which is featured on the album cover. It was released by Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
in November 1979, following ELP's breakup. It was later re-released and repackaged as Works Live in 1993.
Similar to most live albums, In Concert showcased fan favourites of previously released material. However, "Peter Gunn
Peter Gunn
Peter Gunn is an American private eye television series which aired on the NBC and later ABC television networks from 1958 to 1961. The show's creator was Blake Edwards...
", ELP's take on the classic TV theme song, was never released on any of their other albums (a slightly edited version of this live recording was included on the 1980 "Best of" compilation and released as a single in some countries). ELP frequently opened with this song on the Works Volume II
Works Volume II
Works Volume 2 is an album released in 1977 by Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Unlike Works Volume 1 , Volume 2 was a single album which seemingly was a compilation of leftover tracks from other album sessions that had not made those albums...
tour.
The band hired a 70-piece orchestra for some concerts of this tour but eventually had to dismiss the orchestra due to budget constraints that almost bankrupted the group. On the original release, the orchestra performs on "C'est la Vie", "Knife Edge", on Keith Emerson
Keith Emerson
Keith Noel Emerson is an English keyboard player and composer. Formerly a member of the Keith Emerson Trio, John Brown's Bodies, The T-Bones, V.I.P.s, P.P. Arnold's backing band, and The Nice , he was a founder of Emerson, Lake & Palmer , one of the early supergroups, in 1970...
's piano concerto, and on "Pictures at an Exhibition". Works Live adds other four songs performed with the orchestra: "Fanfare for the Common Man", "Abaddon's Bolero", "Closer to Believing" and "Tank".
Original releases of the album carried no producer credit, but production and mixing of the album were largely carried out by Keith Emerson
Keith Emerson
Keith Noel Emerson is an English keyboard player and composer. Formerly a member of the Keith Emerson Trio, John Brown's Bodies, The T-Bones, V.I.P.s, P.P. Arnold's backing band, and The Nice , he was a founder of Emerson, Lake & Palmer , one of the early supergroups, in 1970...
. Emerson's vision was to release In Concert as a double LP, but ELP's label, Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
, would not allow this given the band's pending dissolution; the album's later repackaging as Works Live somewhat restores this intent.
In Concert
- Side One
- "Introductory Fanfare" (Emerson, Palmer) – 0:53
- "Peter Gunn" (ManciniHenry ManciniHenry Mancini was an American composer, conductor and arranger, best remembered for his film and television scores. He won a record number of Grammy Awards , plus a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously in 1995...
) – 3:37 - "Tiger in a Spotlight" (Emerson, Lake, Palmer, Sinfield) – 4:06
- "C'est la Vie" (Lake, Sinfield) – 4:12
- "The Enemy God Dances with the Black Spirits" (ProkofievSergei ProkofievSergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor who mastered numerous musical genres and is regarded as one of the major composers of the 20th century...
) – 2:49 - "Knife Edge" (Emerson, FraserRichard FraserRichard Fraser was a lyricist for the British progressive rock band Emerson, Lake & Palmer .He is notable for receiving credit for their 1970 debut album's third track, the hit "Knife Edge" and for his lyrical contributions to Pictures at an Exhibition...
, JanáčekLeoš JanácekLeoš Janáček was a Czech composer, musical theorist, folklorist, publicist and teacher. He was inspired by Moravian and all Slavic folk music to create an original, modern musical style. Until 1895 he devoted himself mainly to folkloristic research and his early musical output was influenced by...
, Lake) – 5:14- Side Two
- "Piano Concerto No. 1, Third Movement: Toccata con Fuoco" (Emerson) – 6:35
- "Pictures at an Exhibition" (Emerson, Lake, MussorgskyModest MussorgskyModest Petrovich Mussorgsky was a Russian composer, one of the group known as 'The Five'. He was an innovator of Russian music in the romantic period...
, Palmer) – 15:43
Works Live
- Disc One
- "Introductory Fanfare" (Emerson, Palmer) – 0:52
- "Peter Gunn" (Mancini) – 3:34
- "Tiger in a Spotlight" (Emerson, Lake, Palmer, Sinfield) – 4:08
- "C'est la Vie" (Lake, Sinfield) – 4:14
- "Watching Over You" (Lake, Sinfield) – 3:59
- "Maple Leaf Rag" (JoplinScott JoplinScott Joplin was an American composer and pianist. Joplin achieved fame for his ragtime compositions, and was later dubbed "The King of Ragtime". During his brief career, Joplin wrote 44 original ragtime pieces, one ragtime ballet, and two operas...
) – 1:14 - "The Enemy God" (Prokofiev) – 2:46
- "Fanfare for the Common Man" (CoplandAaron CoplandAaron Copland was an American composer, composition teacher, writer, and later in his career a conductor of his own and other American music. He was instrumental in forging a distinctly American style of composition, and is often referred to as "the Dean of American Composers"...
) – 10:54 - "Knife Edge" (Emerson, Fraser, Janáček, Lake) – 5:03
- "Show Me the Way to Go Home" (Campbell, Connelly) – 4:20
- Disc Two
- "Abaddon's Bolero" (Emerson) – 6:02
- "Pictures at an Exhibition" (Emerson, Lake, Mussorgsky, Palmer) – 15:40
- "Closer to Believing" (Lake, Sinfield) – 5:28
- "Piano Concerto No. 1, Third Movement: Toccata con Fuoco" (Emerson) – 6:40
- "Tank" (Emerson, Palmer) – 12:36
Band members
- Keith EmersonKeith EmersonKeith Noel Emerson is an English keyboard player and composer. Formerly a member of the Keith Emerson Trio, John Brown's Bodies, The T-Bones, V.I.P.s, P.P. Arnold's backing band, and The Nice , he was a founder of Emerson, Lake & Palmer , one of the early supergroups, in 1970...
-- keyboards, mixing - Greg LakeGreg LakeGregory Stuart "Greg" Lake is an English musician, songwriter and producer, best known as a vocalist and bassist of King Crimson, and the bassist, guitarist, vocalist, and lyricist of Emerson, Lake & Palmer.-1960s: King Crimson:...
-- vocals, bass, guitar - Carl PalmerCarl PalmerCarl Frederick Kendall Palmer is an English drummer and percussionist. He is credited as one of the most respected rock drummers to emerge from the 1960s...
-- drums, percussion - A 70-piece orchestra on tracks 4, 6, 7 and 8 of In Concert, and tracks 4, 8, 9 of disc one and the entire disc two of Works Live.
Others
- Godfrey Salmon -- conductorConductingConducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
- Michael Leveillee -- soundSoundSound is a mechanical wave that is an oscillation of pressure transmitted through a solid, liquid, or gas, composed of frequencies within the range of hearing and of a level sufficiently strong to be heard, or the sensation stimulated in organs of hearing by such vibrations.-Propagation of...
engineerEngineerAn engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,... - Neil Preston—inner sleeve photo
- Francois Rivard—cover photographyPhotographyPhotography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
- Bob Defrin—art director
Release details
- 1979, UK, Atlantic/WEA K50652, Release date 17 November 1979, LP
- 1979, Japan, Atlantic/Warner-Pioneer P-10697A, Release date 21 November 1979, LP
- 1996, UK, Essential/Castle ESDCD362, Release date ? ? 1996, CD (double release called "Works Live")
- 1999, Japan, Manticore/Victor KVICP-60644, Release date ? ? 1999, CD