LOS ANGELES – By 1967, Peter, Paul and Mary’s inspiring performances and memorable hits had earned Peter Yarrow, Noel Paul Stookey and Mary Travers fans all over the world, Japan in particular. In January of that year, the group returned to the island-nation for a tour marked by a string of emotionally stirring performances. Tapes were rolling during shows at Tokyo and Kyoto (January 16 and 17), recording music that would later appear on Deluxe: Live in Japan, an LP that was only available in Japan.
To celebrate Peter, Paul and Mary’s 50th anniversary in 2012, Rhino set out to rescue this historic recording from obscurity and began remastering it with co-producer Kevin Salem (who also worked on PPM’s The Prague Sessions). Much to everyone’s surprise, the original three-track tapes not only contained the 12 songs from Deluxe, but 12 additional songs, all previously unreleased anywhere. Rhino has compiled all 24 tracks on a double CD that allows American fans to experience these amazing rare and unreleased performances. LIVE IN JAPAN, 1967 will be available December 11 from Rhino as a double CD ($19.98) and digital download ($13.98).
Yarrow says, “In many ways, this album shows Peter, Paul and Mary at the zenith of our abilities. As a live recording, I believe it’s better than any we’ve ever made.” He adds, “Compared to the In Concert album released three years earlier, there’s a much greater sense of urgency in our performances.”
The original Deluxe (featured on the first disc) draws on the trio’s then-current The Peter, Paul and Mary Album for “The Good Times We Had,” “Sometime Lovin’” and “For Baby (For Bobby).” The group also mixed in several signature songs from its first two albums, including “Puff, The Magic Dragon,” “This Land Is Your Land” and the Grammy-winning “If I Had A Hammer.”
The unreleased recordings on the second disc of LIVE IN JAPAN, 1967 draw from PPM’s 1962 Grammy-winning, multi-platinum self-titled debut with “500 Miles,” “Lemon Tree” and “Where Have All the Flowers Gone.” Also featured are three songs written by Bob Dylan, “When The Ship Comes In,” “The Times They Are A’Changin’” and “Blowin’ In The Wind.” Two particular songs held special meaning for Japanese fans, the anti-war hit “Gone The Rainbow” and “Well, Well, Well.” Of the latter Stookey says, “That song had enormous impact in Japan. It spoke of nuclear annihilation, and given Hiroshima and Nagasaki, it had a lot of resonance.”
LIVE IN JAPAN 1967
Track Listing
Disc One
1. “Sometime Lovin’”
2. “No Other Name”
3. “Another Side Of This Life”
4. “The Good Times We Had”
5. PaulTalk (Japanese Version)
6. “Puff, The Magic Dragon”
7. “Serge’s Blues”
8. “For Baby (For Bobby)”
9. “If I Had My Way”
10. “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright”
11. “If I Had A Hammer”
12. “This Land Is Your Land”
Disc Two
1. “When The Ship Comes In”
2. “500 Miles”
3. “Lemon Tree”
4. “Gone The Rainbow”
5. “Hurry Sundown”
6. “Well, Well, Well”
7. “San Francisco Bay Blues”
8. “It’s Raining”
9. “When I Die”
10. “Where Have All The Flowers Gone”
11. “Blowin’ In The Wind”
12. “The Times They Are A’Changin’”
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