Blue Murder/Tokyo,Japan 1989 & more

A must-have edition for all metal enthusiasts will be released as a permanent preservation version! From the 1989 Japan tour in which John Sykes' BLUE MURDER made their shocking debut in Japan, the August 25th performance at Nippon Seinenkan in Tokyo is revived with a completely remastered version and newly discovered sound sources! This work includes the stereo soundboard master leaked by the people involved, the treasured demo sound source newly unearthed from "Cozy Tapes", and the finest audience shots (synchronize the soundboard sound source!). Enjoy the invincible 1989 BLUE MURDER with this 2-CD and DVD set! John Sykes, who left WHITESNAKE, started his own leader band BLUE MURDER. In addition to bassist Tony Franklin, Cozy Powell and former BLACK SABBATH member Ray Gillan initially collaborated. , which was attracting a lot of attention from heavy metal/hard rock fans. After many twists and turns, Ray was not able to participate and Cozy also left, so the lineup was solidified with Carmine Appice as his successor on drums. In the end, recording was done with John serving as both the guitar and vocalist, and BLUE MURDER set out as a three-piece band. On stage, this three-piece formation allowed the band to fully demonstrate their advanced musicianship, and became the basis for fans to praise BLUE MURDER's live performances as amazing, even more than their albums. Speaking of the presence that represents the BLUE MURDER live, it is Tokyo on August 25, 1989. Performance at Nippon Seinenkan. ``INNOCENT CRIME'', which was completely recorded with official ultra-high quality stereo sound board recording, is highly praised by enthusiasts as a ``treasure collector's item''. Furthermore, the video title "TOKYO 1989", which synchronized the sound board sound source with the highest-quality audience shot of the same day, was a collector's item that surprised fans, asking, "Why is this treated as a bonus?" However, more than seven years have passed since "INNOCENT CRIME" was first released, and a limited re-release with the video version "TOKYO 1989" added as a bonus was several years ago. Nowadays, it is difficult to obtain these items, and fans who have newly started collecting BLUE MURDER items are constantly asking us if they want them. Therefore, this time, both the sound source and video are of the best quality ever! The sound source has been remastered to remove the noise found in the original material and give a calmer sound while giving a realistic close-up of the performance. The resolution and clarity of the images have also been further improved, and the synchronization accuracy with the sound source has been further improved. And the bonus of the sound source version uses a newly discovered demo sound source from the tapes owned by Cozy Powell. This is literally a permanent release with all points upgraded (significantly!)! Discs 1 and 2 contain the stereo soundboard sound source leaked by the people involved, which was also used in "INNOCENT CRIME", and has been remastered using the latest professional equipment. From the opening songs "Riot" and "Vally Of The Kings", the musical sounds mixed with sparkling clarity and clear separation are as powerful and listenable as the official live sound source. The lively live performance will knock out any listener! Even more amazing than the sound quality is the performance! The three-person play, led by Sykes, Tony and Carmine, has a ``band-like cohesiveness,'' while showing off each member's battle as if to say ``I'm the main character.'' In "Out Of Love," Sykes' Gary Moore-like sobbing guitar and the solid rhythm section created a wonderful sense of unity, but the band's instrumental that follows is a thrilling one backed by their respective techniques. You can listen to the performance, and the sharpness of the scene is also wonderful. Sykes plays the guitar passionately with a thick and firm tone, Carmine beats out the rhythm from the drums with his unique style, and Tony plays a funky line even though he carved the bass notes in a professional manner.These three players play. "Billy", "Ptolemy", and "Jelly Roll", which are harmoniously integrated, are all the best. Although the live composition is mainly composed of songs from ``BLUE MURDER'', it is interesting to be able to listen to each member's own songs and favorite numbers during solo time, which is typical of ``a band where all members are equal.'' Carmine's solo is a familiar pattern that makes the audience sing, followed by ROD STEWART's "Hot Legs" being played. Also, in Tony's solo, LED ZEPPELIN's "Rain Song" is inserted, and in the encore, THE FIRM's "Closer" is played. These are "BLUE MURDER versions" that are more than just covers, performed properly by the entire band. The classic “Still Of The Night” is a great listening spot. The opening song, Mistone, is a dynamic and speedy performance that has a charm that is very different from that of WHITESNAKE from the same period (at this point, I even get the impression that it is a "song brought in by Sykes", on par with the cover song above). Following JIMI HENDRIX's "Purple Haze," the last song is "Blue Murder," a passionate performance that lasts over 13 minutes! I can't think of any other item that allows you to enjoy a 115-minute live performance with such good sound quality, where the quality of the songs and the splendor of the performance mesh perfectly! Furthermore, from the second half of Disc 2 of this work onwards, a total of 6 songs and approximately 35 minutes of demo takes from the production of the 1st album are recorded. Early BLUE MURDER's studio demo "INNOCENT CRIME" was also enjoyable with high quality material, but this time it surpasses any similar material in the past! You can enjoy it in what can be declared the best ever from the tape master owned by Cozy. In the very early versions of "Ptolemy" and "Riot," Cozy's linear drumming touch is overwhelming. Be sure to listen to the unreleased songs "Rockin' And Rollin' Our Lives Away" and "Lady Luck" (Sykes is in charge of vocals for all of these songs). The arrangements of all the songs are still in the process of development, but the room for growth is what makes demos so interesting. If you're a fan, you won't be able to take your ears off for even a second! The studio demo take of BLUE MURDER in which Koji participated has been around for some time, but the fact that the same sound source reappeared in 2014 with such excellent sound quality is truly an "incident" for enthusiasts all over the world. I can assure you that this is a very important event. Please enjoy the vivid demo take of Sykes, Powell, and Franklin's fantastic performance.Furthermore, the disc closes with "It's Too Late" (formerly "OUT OF") with Ray Gillan on vocals. MY TREE" (which was said to be a demo at the time, but was actually an early recording of the band) has a quality that makes you wonder why it was never officially released. Ray's singing is also overwhelming, and you won't regret getting this work just for this one song! ! Disc 3 is the definitive version of the footage from the same day, which has also been carefully remastered to create the long-awaited press DVD for fans. Even when this video was circulated in some places in the past, it was praised as "a very stable and easy-to-see video for an audience shot at that time." In this work, this video is synchronized with a line sound source, completing the video in a way that further enhances the appeal of the excellent video. The clarity of the screen has improved compared to the materials released as bonuses in the past, and the coloring derived from the master is also clearer and more natural. The difference in video quality clearly exceeds the previous release. In the opening song "Riot", there is a slightly unstable scene, perhaps because the camera's posture and position were not fixed. However, after “Vally Of The Kings” and “Out Of Love” where the screen composition is determined, the video and image quality can be said to be top level for audience shooting more than 20 years ago. The soundboard sound source superimposed on the video enhances the band's actions, and you will never get tired of it even after listening to the sound source version. After all, the amount of information and entertainment that videos contain is on a whole other level. The truth of the live performance that cannot be known from the sound source alone, such as the interplay between Sykes and Franklin as they strut around the stage, and Carmine's drumming that captivates fans with his dynamic play, is revealed with the persuasive power of video. The effect of synchronizing the video and soundboard sound source is outstanding, such as Carmine's drum solo that involves the audience in a familiar pattern, and Sykes' performance in "Still Of The Night", which excited the venue. Fans are sure to watch with a fresh feeling from the beginning to the end, "Blue Murder"! Even though everyone knows that their live performances were amazing, seeing is believing. What kind of movements did they show during their live performances, and how did they stir up the fans? Scenes that you could only understand after listening to the audio several times can be understood instantly and intuitively with this video. At a time when the heavy metal boom was undergoing a change, BLUE MURDER was a truly unique band that had both the flashiness of the '80s and the performances of the '70s. You can check out the live performances they left behind in sound and video, as well as their early demos on "Cozy Tapes." This work was made possible because it is a collector's item, and it is truly a gem! Even if you're a fan who already owns the same-day sound source or the already-released "INNOCENT CRIME," you must get this work! Live at Nihonseinenkan, Tokyo, Japan 25th August 1989 STEREO SBD(UPGRADE) Studio Demos (from "Cozy Tapes") Disc 1 (78:49) 1. Riot 2. Valley Of The Kings 3. Out Of Love 4. Boogie On The Good Foot 5. Tony Franklin Solo 6. Billy 7. Ptolemy 8. Jelly Roll 9. Carmine Appice Solo 10. Hot Legs Disc 2 (65:38) 1. Still Of The Night 2. Closer 3. Purple Haze 4. Blue Murder John Sykes - Guitar & Vocal Tony Franklin - Bass Carmine Appice - Drums Studio Demos Taken from the original cassette tape (TEAC MR60) belonged to Cozy Powell John Sykes - Guitar & Vocal Tony Franklin - Bass Cozy Powell - Drums 5. Ptolemy 6. Riot 7. Out Of Love 8. Rockin' And Rollin' Our Lives Away 9. It's Too Late (feat. Ray Gillan) STEREO SOUNDBOARD RECORDING DVD Live at Nihonseinenkan, Tokyo, Japan 25th August 1989 1. Riot 2 Valley Of The Kings 3. Out Of Love 4. Boogie On The Good Foot 5. Tony Franklin Solo 6. Billy 7. Ptolemy 8. Jelly Roll 9. Carmine Appice Solo 10. Hot Legs 11. Still Of The Night 12. Closer 13. Purple Haze 14. Blue Murder John Sykes - Guitar & Vocal Tony Franklin - Bass Carmine Appice - Drums COLOR NTSC Approx.115min.