Live Aid DVD due November 10th

[reechie]

Look for me, I was the guy in Philly standing towards the back, by the mid-field video screen!
;)

http://www.billboard.com/bb/daily/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=10005 78499

Live Aid DVD Due In November

The historic 1985 Live Aid concert will finally be released on DVD in the fall. Earlier this year, the Band Aid Trust agreed to auction the global rights for the concerts for the first time, after pirated copies were found for sale on the Internet.

Warner Vision International won the bidding and has set a Nov. 10 release date for a four-disc DVD package. The iconic Live Aid, held at London's Wembley and Philadelphia's JFK Stadium, raised more than $70 million for famine relief in Africa.

Among the acts that performed were a reunited Led Zeppelin, U2, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Madonna, Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Neil Young and Queen. The DVDs will feature a documentary, "Food, Trucks & Rock'n'Roll," plus performances from related Live Aid events around the world.

"Twenty years ago they not only played 'real good for free,' they took an issue that was nowhere on the agenda of the political world and placed it at the very top," says concert organizer Bob Geldof. "By buying the Live Aid DVD, that day continues far off into some distant but hopefully better future for all those people in whose name those great artists played."

-- Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.

[-=Rudy=-]

I'll be interested to see if this includes the entire event, and not just a sampling. Considering it was an all-day event, four DVDs don't seem like enough. (Might be a close call--would four DVDs be about 16 hours, going dual layer?)

Regardless, I'm buying it!! All I have are the snippets I taped on VHS way back then (and I didn't even have MTV...just spotty local TV coverage, and radio. Rich, don't think I'm buying it just to pick you out of the crowd either! :D :laugh:

[reechie]

It'll be interesting for me, as the only time I've ever seen any extended footage of the event was a week after the actual show, when my cousin ran a Betamax video tape of her favorite sets for me. Haven't seen anything apart from the odd clip here and there since.

[JonUrban]

This again will be a must buy. I still have original VHS tapes I made of the broadcast. It will be interesting to see what gets left off due to licensing.

[reechie]

Another thing to look for, will they use the original sound of Paul McCartney's performance, with the mic turned off for the first verse of "Let It Be", or use the overdubbed vocal he cut a couple of days later?

[Danny]

A friend of mine video-taped the entire thing, while I audio taped the radio simulcast. I've never been able to go back and watch or listen. I remember it as a fun day.

[JorgeGvb]

I recorded 6-hours worth on VHS.

[Danny]

I recorded 6-hours worth on VHS.

Did you ever watch it a second time? If I remember some of the supergroups sounded pretty bad.

[Evan L]

VH1 reran a number of segments for the 10th anniversary in 1995, and I have a VHS tape of that.

Evan

[Chris R]

It'll be interesting for me, as the only time I've ever seen any extended footage of the event was a week after the actual show, when my cousin ran a Betamax video tape of her favorite sets for me. Haven't seen anything apart from the odd clip here and there since.
On the 10th anniversary in July 1985 Much Music in Canada ran a whole day of Live Aid performances. I was unable to record it as I had other commitments that day.

[Doug Sclar]

I recorded the whole thing and on Beta-hifi which was just released prior to that. I found the raw MTV feed from the C-band satellite in stereo so it was pretty cool. I remember the excitement of Phil Collins playing in England and then flying over on the Concord. It was like a precursor to OJ or Kobe as there was coverage of his travelling.

I did have a friend who was playing keyboards with Kenny Loggins and I remember making him a recording of this for him at the time. I remember I was pretty excited that I could record it in stereo hifi which was a huge improvement over standard vhs stereo which was pretty limited. I also remember that it took me a while to get the correct audio decoding, as they use non standard satellite frequencies in a stereo matrix mode. I don't think I watched it again since I made that dub. I'll surely buy the dvd the day it comes out.

I do seem to also remember that the supergroups were pretty bad. I think there was a pretty bad Led Zeppelin reunion of sorts, but it's been a while.

It is for this show and a very few other things that I still have a beta hifi machine. I figured someday to transfer them to some other form, but it looks like I won't have to now.

[-=Rudy=-]

I know Live Aid was for a good cause, but a secondary effect it had (on me anyway) was to expose a lot of people to different music they'd ordinarily never listen to. I know I made a lot of CD purchases as a direct result of watching and listening to Live Aid.

The only time I left the house was to get pizza. :D I taped only my favorites on a morning broadcast, plus the three-hour mess that ABC broadcast in the evening.

[bartels76]

I missed pretty much all of Live Aid. I have no idea what I was doing as I was 9.
I will snap this up though. Looking forward to seeing it.

[reechie]

I'll be interested to see if this includes the entire event, and not just a sampling. Considering it was an all-day event, four DVDs don't seem like enough. (Might be a close call--would four DVDs be about 16 hours, going dual layer?)
Well, if I remember, there was a lot of down time between acts, if they cut out a lot of the dead weight, it'll cut down on at least some of the time.

[Murph]

I hope the DVD's have Queens entire performance.They stole the show and showed the world why Freddie Mercury was one of the best frontman in RNR. Next best-U2. Funniest moment Joan Baez telling the crowd "This is your Woodstock" while the kids are screaming OZZZZZY!!!! in the background - Waiting for Sabbath to go on at 10:00 am- War Pigs with your morning coffee!


Murph

[JorgeGvb]

Did you ever watch it a second time? If I remember some of the supergroups sounded pretty bad.

I do not even recall the last time I watched that tape, maybe 10+ years. I had forgotten all about it, I just had stumbled acrossed it a couple months ago cleaning out some old boxes of junk. :eek:

[ascot]

VH1 reran a number of segments for the 10th anniversary in 1995, and I have a VHS tape of that.

Evan

Same here. I think I have 3 or 4 tapes from VH-1.

I know I taped a few performances off the radio in 1985 but I have no idea where those tapes are. Maybe they'll turn up in a suitcase on a beach somewhere.

[Burningfool]

I've got nearly the whole thing on audio CD-R's. Some enterprising fans assembled the most complete version. It sounds great!

The DVD's will be most welcome. And I agree - Queen and U2 were the best!

Chris

[teaser5]

Look for me, I was the guy in Philly standing towards the back, by the mid-field video screen!
;)



Reechie: I thought that was you!
:laugh:
Peace-
Norm

[Andrew]

Funniest moment Joan Baez telling the crowd "This is your Woodstock" while the kids are screaming OZZZZZY!!!! in the background


Yeah, I remember ole Joan being trotted out like royalty and thinking "Most of the kids have no idea who the hell she is!"

Was the lamest moment having Power Station come on with Micheal Des Barres instead of Robert Palmer on vocals?

[Bobo U2]

I was at the London show...Amazing day!!! My favs were The Rats, Ultravox, Nic Kershaw, U2, Dire Straits and Bowie/Thomas Dolby. When Queen played Radio Ga-Ga the crowd(70,000+) did that Hand/arm thing and not seeing it before was a sight to see.
I thought the Who was the weakest band that day/night. I do remember Pete falling on his a** during the set . I hope it is the complete show but if it isn't I will always have the memories...

I wonder if it will be remixed for 5:1??
And if they will include the video of the Cars "Drive" Every one in Wembley cried...myself included

[-=Rudy=-]

Well, if I remember, there was a lot of down time between acts, if they cut out a lot of the dead weight, it'll cut down on at least some of the time.

Yeah, I was thinking that myself. With four DVDs, I think we could count on at least eight hours of coverage. I did some Googling and they had the entire event pegged at about 16 hours, but IIRC, there was some overlap in US and UK concerts during mid-day here. I just hope as many of these bands as possible agree to having their performances on this set. :thumbsup:

[rpd]

"I don't Like Mondays" was one highlight for me...

[Uncle Al]

Yeah, I remember ole Joan being trotted out like royalty and thinking "Most of the kids have no idea who the hell she is!"

Was the lamest moment having Power Station come on with Micheal Des Barres instead of Robert Palmer on vocals?

I also remember that Joan Baez opened the US stage show - a "go to" moment for MTV. Unfortunately she stepped on Elvis Costello's set on the UK stage (something that wasn't supposed to happen). A warbling Joan gets broadcast all over the planet, and EC gets shut out. Doesn't seem right, then or now. :realmad:

[reechie]

Yeah, I remember ole Joan being trotted out like royalty and thinking "Most of the kids have no idea who the hell she is!"
More of the audience knew the next act, The Hooters, than knew Joan. They got on the bill mainly because they were the hot hometown band (just before they hit with "And We Danced")

I remember reading that Geldof looked at the Philly schedule and asked "Who are The Hooters?"
:laugh:


I was at the London show...Amazing day!!! My favs were The Rats, Ultravox, Nic Kershaw, U2, Dire Straits and Bowie/Thomas Dolby.
One big memory for me is walking in to JFK Stadium early that morning to Midge Ure singing "Vienna" at the UK concert playing on the big screens. Gave me a real sense that it was going to be quite a day.


I thought the Who was the weakest band that day/night. I do remember Pete falling on his a** during the set .
Roger fell too, at the same time, didn't he? And the power went out mid-way through their set! Just a disaster from the start.
:laugh: