The Velvet Forum

A query for the experts (I'm a novice). Please do help if you can.

A copy I've sighted of Sweet Sister Ray has 4 songs over 2 CDs, and I'm arguing with a friend about the dates. The CD set has this track listing:


CD 1 Track 1 24.11
CD 1 Track 2 21.52
CD 2 Track 1 39.22
CD 2 Track 2 25.47

We believe it's this little treasure, but with tracks supplied in weird order by the seeder:
SWEET SISTER RAY 2 CDs, SRI-001A/B, Japan, 1996

CD1: T1 Sweet Sister Ray (39:22) 1: La Cave, April 30, 1968
CD1: T2 Sister Ray (25:47) Boston Tea Party, December 12, 1968
CD2: T1 Sister Ray (24:11) Boston Tea Party, March 15, 1969
CD2: T2 Sister Ray (21:50) Boston Tea Party, July 11, 1969

But web text is confusing: one source says SRI-001A/B is ?The other indispensable VU boot of recent years, this captures the band doing the long-rumored 40 minute hypnotic "Sweet Sister Ray" intro to "Sister Ray". It follows that with a great loud/soft "Ray" from Philadelphia in 1970 [another web source says 1969], and bums the house down with the guitar amp "Sister Ray" from the Tea Party 15 Jan. 1969. Sadly, the vinyl is all gone, but this tape carries all the punch.?

Another source has it that "Sides 3 and 4 are both Sister Rays, among the best of the live bunch. Side 4 is the closest to a match to the end of side 2, a great version from Second Fret in Philadelphia in 1969. Side 3 is the incredible Legendaly Guitar-Amp version." The web info about the Legendaly Guitar Amp CD tells me that Sweet Sister Ray is from 28 April not 30 April 1968.

Can anyone confirm the dates and locations of the CD I am arguing with my friend about please?

1969 or 1970? 2nd Fret or 4th Fret? And if this is a 30 April 1968 recording, does this really mean that there is a 28 April 1968 version also in circulation?


This is my first post. Please be kind if my question is really dumb.

PS I reckon any board where Sal Mercuri posts has to have a lot going for it

My copy of "Sweet Sister Ray" is the same, only the CD numbers are reversed (the tracks you have listed on CD1 are on my CD2, and vice versa).

Here's the ID's I have for the material:

Disc 1 (my disc 2)
24:11 - March 15th, 1969, Boston Tea Party, Guitar Amp Tape
21:51 - July 11th, 1969, Boston Tea Party

Disc 2 (my disc 1)
39:22 - April 28th, 1968 La Cave (often misdated April 30th)
25:47 - December 12th, 1968, Boston Tea Party

This is pretty much what you figured above. I'd ignore a lot of the web info - and CERTAINLY ignore a lot of the info found on bootlegs, which often misidentify the recordings in an attempt to separate the consumer from his/her money. Everyone else comfortable with these dates?

ignore my post, mr sulpy's above is far better
Peter

http://www.velvetforum.com/viewtopic.ph ... 4bd692befa

Thanks for the comments. So that must mean that the 30/4 referred to on the thread (link posted), is actually 28/4, but fans call it 30/4 because the error is so widespread?

... and so there's only one Sweet Sister Ray.

Yep, there's only one Sweet Sister Ray. A show featuring Sweet Rock n Roll - which from the snatch of reported lyrics appears to the same improv - was taped in July 68 in San Diego according to Sterling http://members.aol.com/olandem5/lostsong.html. The tape, if it still exists, does not circulate.

Rob

Oh, and one other thing the 28th April date isn't absolutely certain either, it's a best guess based on the evidence. From Oliviers site:

April 26-28, 1968
La Cave, Cleveland, Ohio

"April 30" (misdated, maybe April 28)

documented by Live '68 bootleg LP liner notes: "Recorded Sun, Apr 30, 1968 [Ed. note: Er... sorry but April 30, 1968 wasn't Sunday but Tuesday...].

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