Stevie Nicks
Pacific Amphitheatre
Costa Mesa, CA
October 14, 1989
Mike Millard Master Tapes via JEMS
The Lost and Found Mike the MICrophone Tapes Volume 140
1644 Edition

Recording Gear: AKG 451E Microphones (CK-1 cardioid capsules) > Nakamichi 550 Cassette Recorder

Transfer: Mike Millard Master Cassette > Nakamichi Cassette Deck 1 azimuth-adjusted playback > Sound Devices USBPre2 > Audacity 3.1 capture > iZotope RX  > iZotope RX9 Advanced and Ozone 9 > MBIT+ resample to 16/44.1 > Audacity > xACT 2.50 > FLAC

01 Outside The Rain
02 Dreams
03 Rooms On Fire
04 Gold Dust Woman
05 Alice
06 No Spoken Word
07 How Still My Love
08 Beauty And The Beast
09 Drums
10 Stand Back
11 Whole Lotta Trouble
12 Two Kinds Of Love
13 Band Introduction
14 Edge Of Seventeen
15 Has Anyone Ever Written Anything For You?

Known Faults:
-Edge Of Seventeen: splice

Introduction to the Lost and Found Mike the MICrophone Series

Welcome to JEMS’ Lost and Found Mike the MICrophone series presenting recordings made by legendary taper Mike Millard, AKA Mike The Mike, best known for his masters of Led Zeppelin done in and around Los Angeles circa 1975-77. For the complete details on how tapes in this series came to be lost and found again, as well as JEMS' long history with Mike Millard, please refer to the notes in Vol. One: http://www.dimeadozen.org/torrents-details.php?id=500680.

Until 2020, the Lost and Found series presented fresh transfers of previously unavailable first-generation copies made by Mike himself for friends like Stan Gutoski of JEMS, Jim R, Bill C. and Barry G. These sources were upgrades to circulating copies and in most instances marked the only time verified first generation Millard sources had been directly digitized in the torrent era.

That all changed with the discovery of many of Mike Millard’s original master tapes.

Yes, you read that correctly, Mike Millard’s master cassettes, long rumored to be destroyed or lost, have been found. Not all of them but many, and with them a much more complete picture has emerged of what Millard recorded between his first show in late 1973 and his last in early 1993.

The reason the rediscovery of his master tapes is such a revelation is that we’ve been told for decades they were gone. Internet myths suggest Millard destroyed his master tapes before taking his own life, an imprudent detail likely concocted based on the assumption that because his master tapes never surfaced and Mike’s mental state was troubled he would do something rash WITH HIS LIFE’S WORK. There’s also a version of the story where Mike’s family dumps the tapes after he dies. Why would they do that?

The truth is Mike’s masters remained in his bedroom for many years after his death in 1994. We know at least a few of Millard’s friends and acquaintances contacted his mother Lia inquiring about the tapes at the time to no avail. But in the early 2000s, longtime Millard friend Rob S was the one she knew and trusted enough to preserve Mike’s work.

The full back story on how Mike’s master tapes were saved can be found in the notes for Vol. 18 Pink Floyd, which was the first release in our series transferred from Millard’s original master tapes:

http://www.dimeadozen.org/torrents-details.php?id=667745&hit=1
http://www.dimeadozen.org/torrents-details.php?id=667750&hit=1

Stevie Nicks, Pacific Amphitheatre, Costa Mesa, CA, October 14, 1989

Our women of rock wave continues this week with true Mike The Mike favorite Stevie Nicks. Millard was a fan of both Fleetwood Mac and Nick's solo work, recording both multiple times.

In October 1989 Nicks was on tour in support of her fourth solo album, The Other Side Of The Mirror released in May. It was a Top Ten, platinum-selling record that spawned the hit "Rooms On Fire." Nicks' thriving solo career was interrupted by the Mac's Tango In The Night, released in April 1987, the tour in support of which ran from September 1987 to June 1988, famously without Lindsey Buckingham who quit the band (as seems to be his habit) after the release of the album.

At this point Nicks was firmly established as a solo artist separate from her famous band, but she was having well-documented personal struggles including a prescription drug habit. The 1989 tour is the one that she refers to as not remembering at all as a result.

As to how that affects her performance, we'll let you be the judge. This might not be peak Nicks, but the show does have its moments. New songs seem to fare better than the familiar ones.

The Pac Amp is one of the venues we refer to as a home court for Millard having taped there so often. It was only a short drive from his home in Orange County and he seemed to always get tickets in his preferred taping location, with this being no exception.

Mike's capture is consistent with his other Costa Mesa recordings, up close and full. Perhaps because it is an outdoor venue, there's always a bit more audience noise on the tapes from Pac Amp than say a concert at the Forum, but nothing you're going to bump on. Samples provided.

###

JEMS is proud to partner with Rob, Jim R, Ed F, Barry G and many others to release Millard's historic recordings and to help set the record straight about the man himself.

We can't thank Rob enough for reconnecting with Jim and putting his trust in our Millard reissue campaign. He kept Mike's precious tapes under wraps for two decades, but once Rob learned of our methods and stewardship, he agreed to contribute the Millard DATs and cassettes to the program. Our releases would not be nearly as compelling without Jim's memories, photos and other background contributions. As many of you have noted, the stories offer an entertaining complement to Mike's incredible audio documents.

Once again JEMS is scattered across two continents but we're not letting that slow down our release schedule as we pass another milestone with Vol. 140. Thanks Rob S for the transfer, Professor Goody for his timely pitch work and the indispensable mjk5510 for keeping the trains running on time and providing his consistently tasty artwork.

Finally, here's to the late, great Mike the MICrophone. His work never ceases to impress. May he rest in peace.

BK for JEMS