Gunfight at Carnegie Hall
Phil Ochs' final live album, from a bomb-threat-shortened 1970 show.
Gunfight At Carnegie Hall, a live album by Phil Ochs, came out in Canada and Japan on A&M Records in 1974. It was his last album released while he was alive. Recorded at Carnegie Hall on March 27, 1970, it captures the first of two shows that day. Ochs wore a gold lamé Nudie suit and performed covers and rearranged versions of his own songs with a rock band. A bomb threat cut the first set short. He later broke into the box office to let angry fans in for free, injuring his hand. The second show lasted three hours until the venue cut the power. Ochs was banned from Carnegie Hall afterward.
Quick Facts
- Artist
- Phil Ochs
- Released
- 1974
- Recorded
- March 27, 1970
- Venue
- Carnegie Hall, New York City
- Genre
- Folk
- rock
- country
- Length
- 47:19
- Label
- A&M
Facts from the source article.
Background
The album comprises songs from Phil Ochs' first show at Carnegie Hall on March 27, 1970, which was infamous for his gold lamé Nudie suit, modeled after Elvis Presley's, and his covers of songs by Presley, Conway Twitty, Buddy Holly, and Merle Haggard, along with re-arranged versions of his own songs. Some fans loved the new direction, but others were unhappy, wanting only to hear older material. Between shows, angry fans confronted Ochs at dinner; he took their names and promised free entry to the second show. When the box office was locked, Ochs smashed the glass, severely cutting his thumb. He appeared at the second show with a bandaged hand and told the story. On the album, before a medley of Buddy Holly songs, Ochs describes Holly's influence on his own famous songs, saying Holly's songs were "just as much Phil Ochs as anything else. When some audience members booed, Ochs admonished them not to be like Spiro Agnew, calling their prejudice against certain music bigotry. Many in the audience cheered. The second show started at midnight and lasted over three hours; when Carnegie Hall cut power to the microphones during an Elvis medley, Ochs shouted and the audience chanted "We want power!" until the microphones were turned back on. The chant from the second show is included on the album, though the album is composed of performances from the first show.
Release and legacy
Ochs begged A&M to release an album of his Carnegie Hall performances in late 1970, but the label refused. The tapes sat in the vaults for four years until A&M relented, releasing fifty minutes of material, mostly cover versions: five of seven covers were included, compared to only four of sixteen originals. The album was released only in Canada and Japan; it did not appear in the United States until Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab issued it on compact disc in the late 1980s. No complete release of either show has been made, though an acoustic version of "Crucifixion" appeared on the 1976 compilation Chords Of Fame and the 1997 box set Farewells & Fantasies, and a cover of Chuck Berry's "School Days" was included on the 1997 British anthology American Troubadour. Copies of the entire second show circulate among fans. The cover of Tom Morello's 2011 album World Wide Rebel Songs is a homage to Gunfight at Carnegie Hall.
Frequently Asked Questions
What genre is Gunfight at Carnegie Hall?
Gunfight at Carnegie Hall is classified as Folk, rock and country.
How long is Gunfight at Carnegie Hall?
Gunfight at Carnegie Hall runs 47:19.
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