Is there interest in a re-release of Pete Townshend's "Deep End Live" 1985 show on DVD/Blu?

I was wondering if I am alone in lamenting that this awesome 1980s VHS and laserdisc has never made it to DVD. I am borrowing some of Mark Winstanley's information from the awesome "Who - Album by Album" thread. With the recent discussion of this set, I pulled out my VHS and to my surprise it still plays and I thoroughly enjoyed watching this after not seeing it for a long time.

Performed on November 1, 1985, this show has quite a release history. A four track EP was released to promote the forthcoming video in 1986 and apparently because of high demand (The back of the album says so!) the "Deep End Live!" album was released in August, 1986 - but still only included a short portion of the show - 10 songs. The video release included 18 songs. There were several more songs released on the King Biscuit radio shows and Westwood One concert series.

Finally, in 2004 Pete himself on his "Private Label" releases put the entire 27 track show out on CD, but there was a major problem with the release in that the bass track was missing!

I'm putting this poll up to gauge how much interest there is in a re-release and if we get enough participation, maybe I will forward the results to Pete Townshend or the label.

The show was awesome in my opinion-Pete played some sections acoustically, some sections with this huge band, and Dave Gilmour also played a few songs. The band was stellar and besides November 1st & 2nd - they only regrouped again in early '86 for a France show - which was released a few years back.

Let me know what you think - I'd like to hear from as many people as possible.


Live album by
Pete Townshend
Released August 1986
Recorded 1-2 November 1985
Venue Brixton Academy, London
Genre Rock
Label Atco (United States)
Producer Matt Kent Nick Goderson Pete Townshend

Deep End Live! is an album containing excerpts of the live performance by Pete Townshend's Deep End band, at the Brixton Academy in London, England on 1/2 November 1985.[1] In addition to Townshend, the band included Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour, drummer Simon Phillips, keyboardist John "Rabbit" Bundrick, percussionist Jody Linscott, harmonica player Peter Hope Evans, and the horn section.[1] The album was originally released in the U.S. in August 1986 by Atco Records.[1]

• Backing Vocals – Billy Nicholls, Chris Staines, Coral Gordon, Gina Foster, Ian Ellis, John (Rabbit) Bundrick*
• Bass – Chucho Merchan
• Drums – Simon Phillips
• Executive-Producer – Bill Curbishley
• Guitar – David Gilmour, Pete Townshend
• Harmonica – Peter Hope-Evans*
• Horns – The Kick Horns
• Keyboards – John (Rabbit) Bundrick*
• Mixed By – Bill Price
• Percussion – Jody Linscott
• Recorded By – Bill Price
• Vocals – David Gilmour, Pete Townshend

The full concert was later released, as Live: Brixton Academy '85.[1]

1. "Barefootin'" (Robert Parker) - 3:09
2. "After the Fire" - 4:36
3. "Behind Blue Eyes" - 3:40
4. "Stop Hurting People" - 5:09
5. "I'm One" - 2:36
6. "I Put a Spell on You" (Jay Hawkins) - 4:03
7. "Save It for Later" (Roger Charlery, Andy Cox, Everett Morton, David Steele, Dave Wakeling) - 4:10
8. "Pinball Wizard" - 3:00
9. "A Little Is Enough" - 5:20
10. "Eyesight to the Blind" (Sonny Boy Williamson) - 3:02[2]

Bonus tracks

1. "Magic Bus" - 4:03
2. "Won't Get Fooled Again" - 6:08

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Live: Brixton Academy '85


Live album by
Pete Townshend
Released 16 November 2004 (UK)
Recorded 1985
Genre Rock
Label Eel Pie

Live: Brixton Academy '85 is a live album by Pete Townshend. In 2004 Townshend released the complete 1985 Brixton Academy concert, including all of the songs that were on Deep End Live! plus the David Gilmour solo classics "Love On the Air" and "Blue Light", and other songs.[1] The album was released 16 November 2004 in the UK through Eel Pie Recording Productions Ltd.[2]

Recorded November 1, 1985 at the Brixton Academy, London, England

1. "Mary Anne with the Shaky Hand" Pete Townshend 2:50
2. "Won't Get Fooled Again" Townshend 5:36
3. "A Little Is Enough" Townshend 5:22
4. "Secondhand Love" Townshend 5:07
5. "That's All Right, Mama" Arthur Crudup 3:00
6. "Behind Blue Eyes" Townshend 4:25
7. "The Shout" Townshend 5:34
8. "Harlem Shuffle" Bob Relf/Earl Nelson 5:43
9. "Barefootin’" Robert Parker 3:35
10. "After the Fire" Townshend 5:51
11. "Love on the Air" David Gilmour, Townshend 5:45
12. "Midnight Lover" John Bundrick 5:13
13. "Blue Light" Gilmour 10:11
14. "I Put a Spell on You" Jay Hawkins, Herb Slotkin 4:18
15. "I'm One" Townshend 2:46
16. "Driftin' Blues" Charles Brown, Eddie Williams, Johnny Moore 2:21
17. "Magic Bus" Townshend 4:09
18. "Save It for Later" Dave Wakeling 5:10
19. "Eyesight to the Blind" Sonny Boy Williamson II 4:20
20. "Walkin'" Richard E. Carpenter (disputed) 5:28
21. "Stop Hurting People" Townshend 5:33
22. "The Sea Refuses No River" Townshend 6:56
23. "Boogie Stop Shuffle" Charles Mingus 7:46
24. "Face the Face" Townshend 8:18
25. "Pinball Wizard" Townshend 7:22
26. "Give Blood" Townshend 4:02
27. "Night Train" Oscar Washington, Lewis P. Simpkins, Jimmy Forrest 7:12

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pete Townshend ‎– Deep End - Live



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I voted option #1 - yes indeed.. I'd LOVE to have this on BluRay!

 

I'd certainly buy it. I wish he would re-release those livealbums from around 2000-2001 as well (La Jolla 2001, The Empire 1998, Psychoderelict Live BAM 1993, Sadlers Wells 2000, Fillmore 1996). You could buy them from Eel Pie back in the days, but I believe they're OOP now. Shame, really.

 

Whatever show this is from, yes, blu-ray please ......

 

The real question is why this hasn't been done already? Maybe there was issues related to collapse of Miramax? Considering this usually to be easily obtainable on VHS, it's inexplicable that it's never been on DVD/Blu Ray.

Pete's also devoted most of his attention to The Who over last few years. This shouldn't be that much of a diversion. Get it done!

 

I have the old LP, and the DVD/CD from Cannes. I’d love to see a release of the whole set from Brixton.

 

OMG Yes. I have several of the Eel Pie CD releases from Pete and they're wonderful. OOP now.
I have seen the entire concert that was broadcast and I believe I have the Live: Brixton Academy '85 set but hmm... I haven't seen it for a long time (maybe I don't?)
Pete's band with the energetic Simon Phillips on drums and David Gilmour was strong and spirited... Pete's vocals were in fine form.
IMO Pete's Sadler's Wells Lifehouse Concert 2CD package on Eel Pie is an essential buy for all Pete and Who fans. Seek it out. It's unfortunate that these haven't been available for sometime.

 

Didn't this show or a something from this era come out a few years ago?

 

Fantastic band. Not sure Pete has ever been better live. Done right, I would definitely snap
It up.

 

Cannes ‘86. Filmed for Rockpalast.

 

What an interesting setlist.

 

As the OP mentioned the Live Brixton Academy '85 CD on Eelpie is horrid, avoid it like COVID-19. No bass, lots of treble.

I have the KBFH radio show that sounds great, but it is not complete.

 

I watched my VHS tape the other day. Wonderful sound on the Hi-Fi stereo track.

I kinda like that there are rock things that do not reappear on DVD or BluRay. Sometimes it's nice when there are little bonuses for us collectors to enjoy.

It's a Harvey and Bob Weinstein production. So that right there might now be an issue.

Personally, I think that the Faces concert films / videos deserve a fresh release before this one.

 

I love the Deep End show. Somewhere I have my notes when I tried to track down the ownership/licensing issues. The fundamental problem is that the master tapes of the show were originally recorded (and owned) by the King Biscuit Flower Hour organization, and later sold to the Wolfgang's Vault people, who jacked up the licensing fee Pete had to pay to use them. This is merely my unproven theory, of course, but it would explain the several odd releases and spotty availability of the of the video from this show over the years, as well as the fact that the "Deep End Live!" album is now not only out of print, but has been "replaced" by the 1986 "Face The Face" concert--same tour, different show.

 

No need to choose let's go for both!

 

Oh I'm sure Atlantic had access to the real master mixdowns when the did the album on CD and LP or EP. And Pete retains ownership of them.

I think that the issue is the original VHS did not sell that well at the time. Demand for Pete solo is not exactly white hot believe it or not.

 

Well, it's not something that I'm inclined to debate point-by-point, but whether Pete had access to the masters at any time is not at issue.

According to his autobiography, the 1985 Brixton gigs were originally intended as charity concerts. For whatever reason, Pete also wanted to film them. I'm not sure that there was any sort of pay-per-view and/or live broadcast of the 11/2/85 show, but, as happened with the Who's 1982 Toronto pay-per-view video, the contract apparently called for the King Biscuit people to film and record the show, and (again, this is my best guess) as part of the deal, they also owned whatever audio master recordings they produced. These contracts were not unlike many other deals signed back in the 1980's which failed to predict the evolution of home video into what it would later become.

In the specific case of the 11/2/85 show, it was released as a long-form video, but also showed up on VHS as a half-hour "Mini-Concert" that I remember picking up in a bargain bin in 1989. I don't know the retail price of the original, full-length VHS release, but pre-recorded videos at this time were considered a luxury item--as was the idea of TV in stereo.

According to the original packaging of the "Deep End Live!" album, it was originally released as a promo, only to be officially released "By Popular Demand". This was produced using the audio masters, and under whatever contract agreement existed at that time.

Ownership of the master audio recordings was never an issue until the 2000's, when Wolfgang's Vault was created and bought out the King Biscuit archives, and immediately jacked up the cost of the licensing fees. Part of the reason they were able to do this was the emergence of online streaming, an audio/video platform not at all contemplated (at least in the US) under existing copyright protections and agreements.

In the particular case of the Who, I'm guessing that this was the reason why the "View From A Backstage Pass" album cost $50 a pop, and the reason the 1970 Tanglewood video was dumped from DVD reissues of the "Thirty Years Of Maximum R & B" DVD. In addition, there is the OOP Eel Pie 2-disc release of the full Brixton show on CD, plus the release of the Who's "Live In Toronto" and Daltrey's "Daltrey Sings Townshend" on the European "Immortal" label, all of which reportedly used the audio feed from the original PPV video. (Many insist that "Live In Toronto" and "Daltrey Sings Townshend" are bootlegs, but I'm not so sure.)

The bottom line is that this is my theory as to why the "Deep End Live!" album is now out of print, and why the full Brixton show is currently streaming at Wolfgangs.com. Obviously, I don't have access to the actual, existing contractual agreements, but this is my best guess. Rest assured, however, that I looked into all of this a few years back for the same reason this thread was started--I consider the Brixton show to be a career highlight for Pete.

For the record, I'd also love to see the original "White City" music movie released on Blu-ray. (And throw in the "All The Best Cowboys..." videos as a bonus feature.)

 

Why wasn't Simon Phillips the replacement for Keith Moon in The Who? He could have taken over without missing a beat.

 

I always wondered why the '86 show was released rather than this clearly, far superior show.

 

He eventually became that. In ‘89.
I remember pitching a reissue of this concert to Eagle Rock back in 2012. No interest whatsoever.

 

Yes or even restored and put on Amazon for digital streaming.

 

Rockpalast releases are a completely separate thing.

 

I had the cassette tape when it came out and rented the video a few times. But I don't think I've listened to any of it since. Hasn't aged well with me, maybe because of the horns.

 

Pete wanted to take the band in a different direction.

 

The Psychoderelict and "Face the Face" DVD'sanaged to get out, and both have far less widespread appeal. So, more likely something to do with Miramax/Weinstein.