Needed: Sleuths to unearth Oakland '81

[Va Beach VH Fan]

I thought I'd start a new thread on this, we have another one in Bootleg, but this is something, if ever found, would be a monumental discovery....

Feel free to keep the research on until we unearth the HOLY GRAIL !!!

I pasted what I posted back in February, the last time the frequently asked question concerning the Oakland '81 show comes up...

http://www.rotharmy.com/forums/show...ghlight=oakland

I actually did a little research on it about a year ago...

If you watch the FULL Unchained video (not the MTV version, which basically cuts off after the final note), it lists several things not commonly found on a basic music video... It first lists the names of the band members, then it lists several staff members, like Don Landee and some others.... Then, most importantly for this conversation, it states this:

A SOMERS, FIELDS, AND FLATTERY PRODUCTION

COPYRIGHT 1981

VAN HALEN PRODUCTIONS

THAT to me is the clearest indication that this was filmed as a full concert, and not just a few videos...

I did a Google search on those names and was able to send an email to one of the companies affiliated with them, but they weren't much help at all...

But you do find some interesting stuff when you search for something like, "Van Halen Oakland 1981"...

Like this, here's the link;

http://experts.about.com/q/632/1887495.htm

Topic: Van Halen

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Expert:Andrea Murphy
Date:9/26/2001
Subject:Videos of early years

Question
I can't seem to get hold of anything of van halen playing live on vid before 5150. My mate bought a really dodgey one years ago of 1984 tour but = it was such bad quality and cost a mint. I saw a clip of them playing 'Here about it later' on Tv a year or so ago on an 80's rock prog on chanel 4. What is that and where can I get a copy of it without getting ripped off?!

Answer
Hi again Jason,

There are very few good tapes of pre-5150 era stuff. Most are late generation and/or taken using questionable gear. The stuff you are talking about is the famous Oakland, CA footage that was pro-shot. It is nice stuff, but only bits and pieces have ever surfaced. Just an idea on how desired the full show is...someone on e-bay claimed to have this full show about a year ago...and bids exceeded $250 prior to the auction being shut down.

What I can do for you...I have a copy of that vid and all the released footage from that show (a few more vids...Unchained, Jamie's Cryin', a few others). On the same tape is also all the 1984 and previous vids in pristine condition. It is dubbed off of some master so it is great quality. Send me your address, give me some good feedback on all experts, and it is yours. No charge. One condition...don't go running to ebay selling it.

If you are into stuff like this...join up with www.vhtrading.com. You can get more ideas on what audio and video is good...and if you can make copies of the tape I send...you will be well on your way as a trader. One rule...don't buy stuff...and don't sell stuff. You can get it all free at this site and make some friends along the way.

Andrea
amurphy1@mediaone.net

LOL, you realize Andrea is fibbing a little, Jamie's Cryin' is not one of the three videos....

Of course I'm preaching to the wrong choir, but they're Hear About it Later, So This is Love, and my all-time favorite version of my favorite VH song, Unchained....

“ Originally posted by Va Beach VH Fan
Just an idea on how desired the full show is...someone on e-bay claimed to have this full show about a year ago...and bids exceeded $250 prior to the auction being shut down. ”

I wonder if any of us fanatical idiots were included in those who bid ?? I don't recall seeing that, nor hearing about it....


And this;

http://www.vhtrading.com/vault/archive11.jpg

That last one would indicate to me that the complete show was taped....

[kennyboy]

Thing is Eddie is an asshole and we'll never see this until Wolfie runs out of money after Ed's dies from smoking or liver failure.

[Lou]

Good luck trying to find that. And if anyone has that in the world you think they'll share it?

[Va Beach VH Fan]

OK, dug a little deeper...

Did a shitload of Google searches, and I think I may have done a typo on the production company on my last post...

The company is actually GOWERS-FIELDS-FLATTERY.... Those three men, Bruce Gowers, Simon Fields, and Paul Flattery, are all well known producers in the film and music industry..... Fields produced LWAN....

That search does come up with several hits, although only one specifically mentioning Van Halen in 1981....

Went to a site called http://www.lippsync.com/videography.htm, which lists a Van Halen concert in 1981 that was produced by Gowers-Fields-Flattery....

Google searches for all three men for a company email address went unfounded....

I did send an email to the contact address on the lipsync.com site to see if they had any way to contact that company, so we'll see what happens....

[EbDawson]

Good luck. It doesn't seem logical that only 3 videos were shot from that show. I heard somewhere that the band (Edward) only reluctantly released the 3 videos. If the thing does exist, Edward would probably have to give consent which is doubtful. With today's technology, that thing could be cleaned up and remastered to look very good. Wish someone would ask Dave about this.

Good dectective work there VH Beach Fan!

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Well thanks, but I'm slowly but surely hitting a deadend again....

My email last night was replied to today, stating they didn't have any further information for me....

So, we'll see what else I can come up with....

[dave_is_vh]

Originally posted by kennyboy
Thing is Eddie is an asshole and we'll never see this until Wolfie runs out of money after Ed's dies from smoking or liver failure.

LMFAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Rebel]

I can say, I've heard from a couple of folks I consider reliable, that the complete vid doesn't exist, at least not from that show, but I've also heard that the complete audio from the show does exist. It doesn't make sense to only record part of a show (I wouldn't know personally how that stuff works), but it's what I've heard.

Also, VH played a few nights in Oakland, apparently cameras were there all of those nights.

The video is out there, maybe not of that particular show in complete form, but more video than we could want, especially from the 84 tour.

Some early stuff is in the vaults, the complete show from 79 where the Dance the Night away live vid was taken from does exist, complete and uncut. That's the one I would LOVE to have. The really sad thing is, it exists outside of the VH and Dave vaults, but he can't give it up. Totally sucks.

Hopefully a new 84 complete soundboard audio will be out before too long, gotta wait and see on that one.

Ok, I've spilled enough beans tonight lol :D

[EbDawson]

Originally posted by Rebel
the complete show from 79 where the Dance the Night away live vid was taken from does exist, complete and uncut. That's the one I would LOVE to have. The really sad thing is, it exists outside of the VH and Dave vaults, but he can't give it up.

So who does have it and why can't they release it? Legal matters?

[Rebel]

Can't say who, but legal matters would arise if they released it into the trading world, because the band would know where it came from. There are a few copies of it out there, I know one of them who has it. I heard the copies are numbered somehow on the video, so if a copy leaked, the source would be known. It would seem to me that technology nowadays could fix that (erase the number), but apparently not.

[EbDawson]

Originally posted by Rebel
Can't say who, but legal matters would arise if they released it into the trading world, because the band would know where it came from. There are a few copies of it out there, I know one of them who has it. I heard the copies are numbered somehow on the video, so if a copy leaked, the source would be known. It would seem to me that technology nowadays could fix that (erase the number), but apparently not.

So neither Edward or Warner Bros. has this?

[Rebel]

I'm sure they do have copies, it's just other copies are out there, and if they leaked everywhere, that wouldn't be good if a future release was made.

If Ed or WB didn't have a copy, they probably wouldn't care if it was traded because they wouldn't release it anyway.

[EbDawson]

Originally posted by Rebel
I'm sure they do have copies, it's just other copies are out there, and if they leaked everywhere, that wouldn't be good if a future release was made.

In that case the smart thing to do would be to do a professional job of remastering the sound, cleaning up the video then officially releasing it. Make some kind of compilation video or something. That way even if bootlegs are traded, the quality wouldn't be as good. I've got that DTNA video on the compilation VH bootleg that's floated around. The quality's not bad, similiar to the Oakland stuff but I'm sure it could be improved on.

[Terry]

Don't think legal matters would complicate it's release into trading circles. As long as nobody is out-and-out trying to sell the material.

And it wouldn't have much of an impact on any future professional release, since even the best quality classic VH boots out there won't even come close to the standards of an official release, digitally cleaned up from the source tapes. Even the classic stuff being traded on DVD format was converted from VHS. Put it this way: a lot of people were trading the stuff that wound up on the Zep DVD for years, but even those traders ended up buying the DVD because, just quality-wise alone, it blew away the bootlegs out there.

Sticking with tracking down the original production companies who were hired to film the shows seems the best way to go about it, or at least finding out who the principals involved were, since many of the aforementioned companies probably no longer exist.

I have live cuts from the 79 show in addition to DTNA (You're No Good, Bottoms Up!), and I believe those cuts originally aired on a television show called Don Kirschner's In Concert/Rock Concert series. Have also read that the Oakland 81 vids aired on the same program.

If material from either of those shows other than what we've seen is out of the vaults, would have to believe they would have surfaced by now. I also believe if Warner Brothers had the material and the sole ability/legal discretion to release it, it would have already happened, just from a business standpoint.

Best of luck in your search.