Earlier this month, live recordings of previously unheard Neil Young and Joni Mitchell tracks were uncovered after rumours of being lost.
The half-century-old recordings were unearthed by the Michigan History Project (MHP) and were only some of the many high-quality pieces found within the student ministry on the University Michigan campus in 1968.
Chris Goosman, a Michigan-based mastering engineer, noted that the quality of the recordings are a true rarity among early audio reels, particularly for young artists at the time.
“These from Canterbury House aren’t audience-recorded bootlegs but first-rate soundboard captures made on professional equipment. It’s an amazing collection with the rare combination of being well-recorded and also well-preserved, and that makes it even more historically significant.”
After being unearthed by non-profit group, Michigan History Project, the organisation is now seeking a reputable record label to release the concert recordings to the rest of world.
The lost audio reels recorded in Canterbury House featured many other highly esteemed artists including the likes of Odetta, David Ackles, Dave Van Ronk and Tim Buckley.
Alan Glenn, president of MHP, said that the recordings were previously in the possession of a private collector and for the last few years were thought to be lost.
“We were afraid they were gone for good. But a few weeks ago they resurfaced, much to our surprise and relief. Now our first priority will be to get them transferred to a digital format, then make sure that the original analog tapes are safely archived.”
Other artists including Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, Buddy Guy, Sun Ra, Richie Havens and many more have performed at the Canterbury venue, but recordings from those concerts are yet to be uncovered.
via Rolling Stone.
