Xavier Birtwich's Collection
The Who 06/27/1980
L. A. Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
| Source | Mike Millard master via JEMS (16-44) xavierbirtwich@hotmail.com outlook account 5 GB |
| Media | FLAC 2 discs |
| Notes | Mike Millard master via JEMS (16-44) xavierbirtwich@hotmail.com outlook account 5 GB |
| Tech Notes | The Who Sports Arena Los Angeles, CA June 27, 1980 Mike Millard Master Tapes via JEMS The Lost and Found Mike the MICrophone Tapes Volume 181 1644 Recording Gear: AKG 451E Microphones (CK-1 cardioid capsules) > Nakamichi 550 Cassette Recorder JEMS 2023 Transfer: Mike Millard Master Cassettes > Nakamichi Cassette Deck 1 azimuth-adjusted playback > Sound Devices USBPre2 > Audacity 3.1 capture > iZotope RX > iZotope Ozone > MBIT+ resample to 16/44.1 > xACT 2.50 > FLAC 01 My Wife 02 Sister Disco 03 Behind Blue Eyes 04 Music Must Change 05 Drowned 06 Who Are You 07 5.15 08 Pinball Wizard 09 See Me, Feel Me 10 Long Live Rock 11 My Generation 12 I Can See For Miles 13 Sparks 14 Won't Get Fooled Again 15 Summertime Blues 16 The Real Me Known Issues: First three songs of the set ("Substitute," "I Can't Explain" and "Baba O'Riley" missing due to presumed late arrival) 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 The Who, Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA, June 27, 1980 From back in the high life last week to back with the High Numbers. The Who's seven-show LA stand in 1980 marked a moment of triumphant return for the band following the death of Keith Moon in 1978. It's worth pointing out that their extraordinary rise back to the top of the rock heap is at least due in part to the power of cinema. The year 1979 saw the release of two Who-related films: the career-spanning documentary The Kids Are Alright (released in June) and Quadrophenia (released in November). In the pre-video rental, pre-cable television era, the appearance of rock music programming at the movie theater was something special. The powerhouse FM-rock radio stations that invented the classic rock format promoted those films heavily in markets across the country. Surely many of us of a certain age saw those films at our local theater. The release of Quadrophenia on film also explains the return of songs like "5.15," "Drowned" and "The Real Me" to the set, as The Who had effectively stopped playing songs from the album after touring it 1973-74. On their previous tour in 1975-76, they focused on songs from another successfully album-to-film project, Tommy. The Who's 1980 setlists drew from both rock operas, recent material like "Who Are You," "Music Must Change" and "Sister Disco," plus the resurrection of rarities like "Long Live Rock" and "I Can See For Miles," both of which featured on the Kids Are Alright soundtrack. This is the fourth of five Who '80 shows recorded by Mike "The Mike" Millard. The band's June 20 show at The Forum was released on Vol. 95; June 23 at the Sports Arena was Vol. 24; and June 24 came out on Vol. 151. On this night it would appear that Mike and Jim arrived late, missing the first three songs of the night, before commencing recording with the introduction of The Ox, John Entwistle ahead of his Who's Next classic, "My Wife." From there, the band plays a tight show, perhaps missing some of the improvisation found on other nights of this run, but compelling just the same. Mike's positioning to the PA feels just a bit further back than his normal sweet spot, but he is still well positioned to make an excellent recording. 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. JEMS can't function without the on-going support of our allies. Thanks this week to Rob S for the transfer, Professor Goody for the detailed pitch check and to mjk5510 for post-production and 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 |
| Trades Allowed | Yes |
| Ratings | Sound: AUD |
| Reference / Generation | xavierbirtwich@hotma |
Owned by Xavier Birtwich
· Last Updated Mar 11, 2026
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