For 45 years fans of the Rolling Stones have been sharing and downloading bootleg copies of an unofficial album. The band’s Live At The El Mocambo came from two legendary shows they performed in 1977. But you won’t have to go looking for it in the dark corners of the internet any longer. The band has announced it’s finally giving those memorable nights their own record. And this fully mixed deluxe edition should make the long, long wait worth it.
This spring the Rolling Stones will make something very old new again. (News we first heard about at Variety.) Live At The El Mocambo marks the official release of an album that has only previously existed as a bootleg. It features performances from the group’s two infamous secret shows held at the 300-person Toronto club in March of 1977. Radio listeners who won tickets to the show had no idea who’d they really be seeing on stage. The real April Wine did actually open the show as advertised. But the mysterious Cockroaches ended up being one of the most famous rock bands in history.
A pretty good prize for a radio contest! And also for any contest!
Previously four songs from those shows ended up on the group’s Love You Live album released in September 1977. The new record will include the band’s full set from March 5. Along with three bonus tracks from the night before. All newly mixed by Bob Clearmountain. And fans will be able to get theirs in one of three formats. That includes a deluxe two-CD release ($18.99), a 4LP edition on classic black vinyl ($111.99), and a limited-edition neon vinyl 4LP edition ($124.99). Each is available to pre-order at the band’s official site.
Each will be available on May 13. But you can already listen to two tracks, “ Rip This Joint” and “ It’s Only Rock ’N’ Roll,” now. (They sound fantastic. Imagine being in that crowd? No, we can’t either.)
In total the album features 23 live renditions of iconic hits. That includes signature songs like “Brown Sugar” and “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.” Even those who have been swapping unofficial versions of these songs for decades will want to hear them in their full glory.
You can find the full tracklist for this new Rolling Stones album below.
1. Honky Tonk Women
2. All Down The Line
3. Hand Of Fate
4. Route 66
5. Fool To Cry
6. Crazy Mama
7. Mannish Boy
8. Crackin’ Up
9. Dance Little Sister
10. Around And Around
11. Tumbling Dice
12. Hot Stuff
13. Star Star
14. Let’s Spend The Night Together
15. Worried Life Blues
16. Little Red Rooster
17. It’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll (But I Like It)
18. Rip This Joint
19. Brown Sugar
20. Jumpin’ Jack Flash
21. Melody
22. Luxury
23. Worried About You (Live at the El Mocambo 1977)
