Stevie Wonder - 1979-12-18 - Pasadena, CA (AUD/FLAC)

(Audience FLAC)

A Robert Collins Master Recording.

Lineage:
AUD> Nakamichi 350 (Master tape)
---> Playback on Nakamichi 550 / Nakamichi Dragon
---> Korg MR-1000 (capture at 96Khz, 24-bit)
---> Sound Forge (adjust levels, tear it into mono L,R channels)
---> iZotope RX spectrum editor to remove mic noise, squeeking chairs, etc.
---> Har-Bal (Harmonic Balancing Equalizer)
---> iZotope RX-Advanced (noise reduction, spectral editing)
---> Sound Forge (put it back together, adjust levels)
---> Adobe Audition 3.0 phase correction, spectral editing
---> iZotope Ozone 3 (stereo imaging)
---> iZotope RX-Advanced (downsample, dither)
---> CD Architect (CD Audio)
---> EAC
---> FLAC

Location: Pasadena Civic Auditorium, Pasadena, CA (USA)
Seats: See attached seating chart and ticket stub
Deck: Nakamichi 350
Mics: Nakamichi CM-300 (L, R), Sennheister MD-416 (Center)
Source: A:C Master Tape; 3-Mic Stereo
Sample Rate 44.1Khz, 16-bit (CD) (FLAC)
Rating: A- to B+
Length: 172 Minutes

Extras
* Ticket stub
* Seating chart
* Diagram showing microphone placements
* Concert program

Musicians:
Stevie Wonder: Keyboard, Vocals, Harmonica
Isaiah Saunders: Keyboards
Dennis Davis: Drums
Rick Zunigar: Guitar
Ben Bridges: Guitar
Nathan Watts: Bass
Earl Derouen: Percussion
Hank Redd: Sax
Nolan Smith: Trumpet
Alexandria (Alex) Brown: Background Vocals
Wendy Barnes: Background Vocals
Afro American Orchestra
James Frazier: Conductor

CD1:
01 - Earth's Creation
02 - The First Garden
03 - Voyage To India
04 - Same Old Story
05 - Venus Fly Trap
06 - Seasons
07 - Power Flower
08 - Send One Your Love (In
09 - Race Babbling
10 - Send One Your Love
11 - Outside My Window
12 - Black Orchid
13 - Ecclesiastes
14 - Come Back As A Flower
15 - A Seed's A Star, Tree

CD2:
01 - Fingertips
02 - Don't Touch Me
03 - For Once In My Life
04 - Uptight (Everything Is Alright)
05 - I Was Made To Love Her
06 - Signed, Sealed Deliver ed (I'm Yours)
07 - My Cherie Amour
08 - If You Really Love Me
09 - Superwoman
10 - Never Dreamed You'd Leave In Summer
11 - You And I
12 - Garden Of Love
13 - I Can't Help It
14 - Never Let You Down
15 - I Can See The Sun In Late December
16 - All In Love Is Fair

CD3:
01 - Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing
02 - Higher Ground
03 - Golden Lady
04 - Boogie On Reggae Woman
05 - Intro to Rock Like You
06 - Rock Like You
07 - Living For The City
08 - Sir Duke
09 - I Wish
10 - Sunshine Of Your Life
11 - Superstition
12 - As
13 - Visions
14 - Secret Life Of Plants (Reprise)
15 - Epilogue

The Concert
Late 1979, Stevie Wonder embarked on a 6-city tour to perform his live rendition of Journey Through The Secret Life of Plants -- complete with Orchestra. Only six concerts were ever performed of this entire material. There are only two known recordings of any of these shows (both made from this same Pasadena Civic show). The other known recording was made on better equipment than mine listed above. Tragically the original taper of the "other recording" is now deceased and his family does not allow access to any of his recordings. That makes this the only known recording that has ever been released to the public of any of these shows.

During the first hour of the concert, Stevie plays the full "Secret Life of Plants" album, sans one or two songs. After a break, he comes out dressed like "Little Stevie Wonder" and plays 30 of his top-10 hits for the next two hours. There's some very notable songs in this list. Stevie plays a few unreleased songs like "Garden of Love" and "Never Let You Down." He also does a great cover of "I Can See the Sun in Late December." But the most intersting song is an unreleased version of "Rock Like You." This is the same exact song, albeit with different lyrics, as "Do Like You" that would appear on his next (Hotter Than July) album. As you listen to the song, note the totally different lyrics.