Live on WMMR (1972)

Live on WMMR (1972)
Sigma Sound Studio Live at Carnegie Hall >>

This is a YouTube playlist (audio only) of the Live on WMMR concert at Sigma Sound Studios in 1972.
Click on the icon in the upper left corner to see the list of clips.

Songlist
(click on links for lyrics)

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1.   Falling of the Rain (live) (2:33)
2.   Travelin' Prayer (live) (3:11)
3. The Ballad of Billy The Kid (live) (5:36)
4.   She's Got A Way (live) (3:08)
5.   Everybody Loves You Now (live) (2:56)
6.   Nocturne (live)(2:46)
7.   Turn Around (live)(3:26)
8.   Long, Long Time (live) (4:46)
9.   Captain Jack (live) (6:56)
10. Josephine (live) (3:23)
11. Rosalinda (live) (3:03)
12. Tomorrow Is Today (live) (5:11)
[Note: The Amazon MP3 version has the spoken intro to each song listed as a separate MP3).

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Summary

Sony's Legacy Records division released a special 2-disc legacy edition of Piano Man in November 2011. The second disc was a live 1972 radio broadcast of early songs that Joel recorded for a mini-concert at Sigma Sound Studios aired on Philadelphia radio station WMMR. Disc jockey Ed Sciaky played a copy of 'Captain Jack' taken from the show's performance for over a year, making it the most requested song in that stations' history -- beating out 'Free Bird', 'Stairway to Heaven' and 'Hey Jude'. Listen to it here (the video posted above is a live performance from an Illinois television program a few weeks later). Listen to the YouTube playlist of the entire concert.

In addition to "Captain Jack," the radio broadcast included three songs ("Long, Long Time", "Josephine" and "Rosalinda") that were never previously released on any of Billy Joel's other albums, not even on his 2005 collection of B-sides and rarities, My Lives. So the Live on WMMR disc was a welcome addition to hardcore Billy Joel fans.

The WMMR session is very informal. In between songs, Billy banters with the audience and his band. The audience apparently included people he knew though it was in Philadelphia. Since then, every time Billy played in Philadelphia, "Captain Jack" was always a highlight of his concerts. There is a YouTube playlist for the radio concert.

In addition, just two weeks earlier, Billy had played at the Mar Y Sol Festival in Puerto Rico and gave a three-encore performance including a version of the Rolling Stones' "Jumping Jack Flash" and Joe Cocker's "The Letter." This performance and the live version of "Captain Jack" played by Sciaky on WMMR, got Columbia Records' interest and they sought to sign Billy Joel. They eventually found him in Los Angeles (playing piano at The Executive Lounge on Wilshire Boulevard as "Bill Martin") and signed him to a record deal after working out a compromise with Artie Ripp and his Family Productions.

Billy went on to record Piano Man on Columbia Records and eventually became one of the top-selling solo recording artists of all time. Billy's performance at the Mar Y Sol Festival is chronicled here at this Mar Y Sol Festival website, and can also be downloaded.

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Three members of Billy's early 1970s bands, Larry Russell (bass), Rhys Clark (drums), and Don Evans (guitar on CSH and Streetlife Serenade) (the guitarist on the WMMR session was Al Hertzberg) reunited in 2013-2014 as Long, Long Time and played a mini-concert of the songs from the famous WMMR session. They were joined by Elio Pace and David Clark on piano and vocals, and sold out The Bitter End. See a video of their performance, and webpage of photos.

This is a rare live performance of "Captain Jack" from a 1972 television program.

The Live on WMMR recording is the second disc on the Legacy Edition of Piano Man (2011)

Billy's touring band in 1972, with Al Hertzberg (guitar), Larry Russell (bass) and Rhys Clark (drums). Click on photo.

Disc jockey Ed Sciaky with Bruce Springsteen, Janis Ian and Billy Joel (1974). Backstage at the Philadephia Academy of Music. Credit: From the collection of Ed Sciaky. Photo uploaded by Jerry Klein on his server, click photo for link and full credit.