Extended Notes on the Date Controversy:
Here we have yet another recording that often circulates with a mislabeled date, which needs to be corrected for the record.
November 1 in Montreal, or December 12 in Toronto? One of these date/venue combos is correct, and one is wrong. Assuming the December 12 date is correct, the earliest live recording of Anthem would be November 19 in Seattle. In the Seattle recording, Geddy clearly seems to still be breaking in the new song vocally, so I imagine they weren't playing it very long at that point. With this recording, Geddy sounds more comfortable with singing it, and sounds way closer to live recordings that followed and the album version. Unfortunately, I was unable to find an approximate date for when Anthem was written or first performed. Partly based on the inclusion of Anthem in the setlist, I think it is safest to assume this is the correct date and venue, as November 1 seems to be too early of a date for this recording.
However, there are a few other factors to note. Geddy also references that In The Mood will be released as a single sometime soon, which could also help verify the date of this performance. I have yet been able to figure out the date In The Mood was released as a single, although with the Electric Lady Studios recording on Dec 22, Geddy states it has
just been released. In The Mood was not performed during the Dec 16 recording in Cleveland, so the next recording to examine would be Nov 19 Seattle again, and Nov 28 at the Whisky A Go Go. In these recordings, Geddy just states In The Mood will be released as their next single, as the one here we're questioning he implies
soon. That could just be a choice of words that bears little meaning to help determine our date, but it is worth noting.
Lastly, a note about the guys who are recording the show. They constantly burp, blurt out random statements, call out for non-Rush songs, and make what could possibly be interpreted as heckling comments towards the band. Luckily, most of this annoying banter is in between songs, because despite it they seem to actually enjoy the music. One common theme of their banter is that they keep yelling for the David Bowie song "Suffragette City". Interestingly, "Suffragette City" is also heard being yelled out multiple times during the
25 June 1975 Toronto recording from the Fly By Night tour. It's pretty easy to be certain the group of people who recorded that 1975 show are among the same who recorded this one, their "heckling" comments and banter are nearly identical. You can also hear evidence that the guys in the June '75 recording have seen Rush perform live before, as they make references to Bad Boy (which wasn't played that night), and others like In The Mood and Working Man. It goes without saying they would've been more likely to have recorded several shows in Toronto, rather than take a trip to Montreal. These guys are known for having taped a lot of bands in general that came through Toronto during the 1970s.
Also, in the new book "
Wandering The Face of The Earth: The Official Touring History", which obviously had access to all of these early live recordings to denote setlists for particular dates, it also puts this recording's setlist down under December 12, and not November 1.
I am very comfortable with Dec 12 being claimed as the real date for this recording. That's all I have for now in regards to this one. If you have further details that either support or oppose this conclusion, please feel free to post it here.
