Kansas - Live - Very Rare - Lamplight Symphony (Full Version)

A live recording, in full, of one of my all time favorite Kerry Livgren masterpieces. Extremely hard to find! This is from the SONG FOR AMERICA album.I don't have any information as to date or venue.A very reliable source tells me that this performance is from the Cow Palace in San Francisco,California in 1975. I still can't find the date! Did anyone see Kansas at the Cow Palace in 1975? UPDATE! After discussing this with the very reliable source we believe that this recording is from The Cowtown Ballroom in Kansas City, Missouri from late 1973. We think that it is from the same recording as Death Of Mother Nature Suite which was included as a bonus track on the 1994 20th Anniversary Box Set.

When I first heard this the hair on the back of my neck stood up and I got goose bumps!

The song file is 11:39 long so I had to cut 1:15 from the keyboard solo at the beginning which sounds very sinister and spooky! I have included the keyboard intro in a separate vid.

Steve Walsh - Vocals, Keyboards
Kerry Livgren - Keyboards, Guitars
Robby Steinhardt - Vocals, Violin
Rich Williams - Guitars
Dave Hope - Bass
Phil Ehart - Drums

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Kansas
• Live
• 1975
• Very
• Rare
• Progressive
• Rock
• Steve
• Walsh
• Kerry
• Livgren
• Robby
• Steinhardt
• Rich
• Williams
• Dave
• Hope
• Phil
• Ehart
• Song
• For
• America
• Lamplight
• Symphony
• Cow
• Palace
• San
• Francisco
• California
• Cowtown
• Ballroom
• City
• Missouri
• 1973

[ambrs57]

I saw Kansas perform this at the Exit-In, Nashville, TN, around April or May of 1974, before it was released on Song for America. It was an intimate club atmosphere, I was at a table about 10 feet from the band, six guys crammed onto a small stage. I got to experience Kansas in their arena days, but nothing compares to this. Thanks for posting it. Wonderful performance, great memories.

[rickyon]

You're welcome.Count yourself as almost unimaginably lucky seeing them in so close up and intimate. I'll bet you didn't think they were going to be as big as they were!

[tinman3012]

I always loved the ending chord on this song. What a masterpiece this is. And you Rick are the master for collecting and sharing all this great music. Thanks buddy!

[rickyon]

You're welcome Ron! Did you see the most recent thread between me and Mulemusic? We may have figured out when and where this was from! He says that Kerry told him the Cow Palace. I told him it didn't fit but when he mentioned it might be from the same show as DOMNS from 1973 on the box set it made more sense. That was at The Cowtown Ballroom in Kansas City, Missouri. Can you imagine these guys playing this, before the 1st album?! What a show this must have been!

[rickyon]

Castagna says the last chord is the guy finally meeting up with his wife on the other side! Sounds good to me!

[rickyon]

That's the magic of Kerry Livgren and Kansas!

[kimsvision]

I have no words....... amazing, holy crap, it's amazing! The goosebumps...the tears. WOW!!

[dgcmusi]

@tinman3012 Hi Ron....Rick has it almost right ....What I always thought as a kid was the last chord is so different and off because the story does NOT END.....He has not died yet...

[rickyon]

It does fit doesn't it? It still blows my mind that this could be from a show that was done before the 1st album! If it is from the same recording as DOMNS then I would say that that show rivals the excellence of the 7/7/75 show at the Agora Ballroom in Cleveland which I believe to be the finest recorded performance of the original 6 and the source of a lot of the bonus material on the remasters.

[mulemusic]

@rickyon You may have finally figured this out! It has been a long time ago, but the venue could very well be COWTOWN BALLROOM... that makes sense... The quality of this clip sounds like it could be from the very show that DOMNS (boxed set version) is from. I saw the band at Grove City University when they were touring between the first album and Song For America. They opened with this! I have kicked myself since then for not taking in a recorder.. Thanks for possibly clearing this up!

[rickyon]

Is this Neil? Did they have this song written before the release of the 1st album? There is a version of this from a recording done in Sept. of 1974 that is nearly identical (although of vastly inferior quality) in structure and presentation. The quality of this is similar to the DOMNS on the box set so I certainly would accept that it could be from the same show. The box set DOMNS is listed as Cowtown Ballroom in Kansas City, Missouri. Maybe you confused that for Cow Palace.

[mulemusic]

@rickyon I think this came from the same concert that Death of Mother Nature came from that is on the 94 boxed set.. I was told by the Maestro that this was from the COW PALACE.. Wouldn't having this concert complete be a WONDERFUL THING!?