One of the world’s most beloved bands even now, five decades after they broke up FACES – whose occasional reunions past the turn of the millennium only prove this point – never fail to produce rapturous reaction when there’s an archival release in the pipeline. That’s what happened twenty years ago, when the five-disc comp “Five Guys Walk Into A Bar…” saw the light of day, revealing more than a few previously unheard cuts, and if the "Had Me A Real Good Time" LP, which hit the shelves part of Record Store Day 2004, didn’t elicit such furor, the reason was its format, a vinyl platter. Still, those who perceived it as a precursor to something bigger are in for delight which should exceed everyone’s expectations.
The “At The BBC – Complete BBC Concert & Session Recordings 1970-1973” box set that will be out on September 6th is comprised of no less than eight CDs and a Blu-ray housing a lot of earlier unissued material which were remastered under the watchful eyes of Rod Stewart, Ronnie Wood and Kenney Jones, the ensemble’s three surviving members (not counting Tetsu Yamauchi). Don’t get fooled by the “complete” descriptor, though, as, while there are only some cuts missing from the audio portion of the collection – an understandable thing, given how many precious broadcasts had been lost, – placing but a single concert as the visual portion is unforgiveable, as there are more videos floating around. A treat in any case.
At The BBC
CD 1 – John Peel’s Sunday Concert
Broadcast July 5th, 1970:
1. You’re My Girl (I Don’t Want To Discuss It) *
2. Wicked Messenger *
3. Devotion *
4. It’s All Over Now *
5. I Feel So Good *
Broadcast November 29th, 1970:
6. Country Comfort
7. You’re My Girl (I Don’t Want To Discuss It)
8. Too Much Woman (For A Henpecked Man) / Street Fighting Man
9. Maybe I’m Amazed
10. Around The Plynth / Country Honk / Gasoline Alley
CD 2 – John Peel’s Sunday Concert (Broadcast May 23rd, 1971):
1. You’re My Girl (I Don’t Want To Discuss It) *
2. Cut Across Shorty
3. Love In Vain
4. Bad ‘n’ Ruin *
5. It’s All Over Now *
6. Had Me A Real Good Time *
7. (I Know) I’m Losing You *
8. I Feel So Good *
CD 3 – Sounds For Saturday (Broadcast April 1st, 1972):
1. Three Button Hand Me Down *
2. Maybe I’m Amazed
3. Too Much Woman (For A Henpecked Man) / Street Fighting Man *
4. Miss Judy’s Farm
5. Love In Vain *
6. Stay With Me
7. (I Know) I’m Losing You
CD 4 – John Peel’s Sunday Concert (Broadcast February 26th, 1972):
1. Intro / You’re My Girl (I Don’t Want To Discuss It) *
2. Three Button Hand Me Down *
3. Miss Judy’s Farm *
4. Memphis, Tennessee *
5. Give Me The Moonlight *
6. Too Bad *
7. Last Orders Please *
8. Devotion *
9. That’s All You Need / Country Honk / Gasoline Alley *
10. (I Know) I’m Losing You *
11. Stay With Me *
12. Had Me A Real Good Time *
13. Underneath The Arches *
14. Every Picture Tells A Story *
CD 5 – In Concert (Recorded February 8th, 1973) – not originally broadcast:
1. Silicone Grown *
2. Cindy Incidentally *
3. Angel *
4. Memphis, Tennessee *
5. True Blue *
6. I’d Rather Go Blind *
7. You’re My Girl (I Don’t Want To Discuss It) *
8. Twistin’ The Night Away *
9. It’s All Over Now *
10. Miss Judy’s Farm *
11. Maybe I’m Amazed *
12. Three Button Hand Me Down *
13. (I Know) I’m Losing You *
At The BBC
CD 6 – In Concert (Broadcast April 21st, 1973):
1. Silicone Grown *
2. Cindy Incidentally *
3. Memphis, Tennessee *
4. If I’m On The Late Side *
5. My Fault *
6. The Stealer
7. Borstal Boys
8. Angel
9. Stay With Me
10. True Blue
11. Twistin’ The Night Away *
12. Miss Judy’s Farm
13. Jealous Guy
14. Too Bad
CD 7
Top Gear (Broadcast March 28th, 1970):
1. Wicked Messenger *
2. Devotion
3. Shake, Shudder, Shiver
4. Pineapple And The Monkey *
Dave Lee Travis (Broadcast March 15th, 1970):
5. Three Button Hand Me Down *
6. Flying
7. Wicked Messenger *
Top Gear (Broadcast September 19th, 1970):
8. Had Me A Real Good Time *
9. Around The Plyth / Gasoline Alley
10. Country Comfort *
Top Gear: John Peel’s Christmas Carol Concert (Broadcast December 26th, 1970):
11. Away In A Manger – Rod Stewart *
12. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen / Good King Wenceslas / Silent Night / O Come All Ye Faithful – FACES & Choir *
CD 8
Sounds Of The Seventies (Broadcast May 3rd, 1971):
1. Had Me A Real Good Time *
2. Love In Vain *
3. Oh Lord I’m Browned Off *
4. Maybe I’m Amazed *
Top Gear (Broadcast October 6th, 1971):
5. Stay With Me
6. Miss Judy’s Farm
7. Maggie May
Blu-ray – Sounds For Saturday (Broadcast April 1st, 1972):
1. Three Button Hand Me Down *
2. Maybe I’m Amazed*
3. Too Much Woman (For A Henpecked Man / Street Fighting Man *
4. Miss Judy’s Farm*
5. Love In Vain *
6. Stay With Me*
7. (I Know) I’m Losing You*
* previously unreleased
