We have just uploaded a National Health gig in The Netherlands from March ’79
This is a very tight mic recording close to the stage in a fairly acoustically dead venue. Buzzing and occasionally drop-outs notwithstanding the balance is excellent.
The Alan Gowen line up of National Health was a somewhat looser affair than the Dave Stewart led version. Phil and Alan’s compositions still had enough twists and turns to keep all the musicians in a constant state of insomnia inducing, buttock-clenching anxiety (I’d have thought) but the blowing sections are noticeably more liquid and jazzier in feel. These are my personal highlights…
I was extremely fortunate to have been invited to photograph the National Health gigs at Inroads on Bleeker St. I knew Phil and Pip through my dearest friends Richard and Heather Sinclair. Been searching through countless boxes of photographic rolls, many of which I processed myself. I had my own personal darkroom back since the 70’s. If I can locate the pictures, I will be happy to share with everyone on this site. Thank you for maintaining the site, I’ll be transferring a vintage National Health concert from another venue, one which Richard had given me on a Cassette tape. I just got a Cassette to USB transfer device, and look forward to sharing the music once I change the format to digital on my laptop. Cheers, Jonny Robins.
Hi Jonathan,thank you so much for writing in. We are very excited to get photographs from this era. Compared to the present time where everybody takes photos on their phones the whole time, photos like yours are as rare as hen’s teeth. If you can find them we would be thrilled to have them on our site. We would love to have your National Health concert as well. I’m glad you like the site. Since Phil died I have been doing my upmost to promote his music as this was something he did very little of while he was alive. He was always too busy with making the music itself!
Herm