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I heard the TJB original band twice and the brass 2.0 and 3.0 each once. I'm sure they played Zorba the first time at McCormick Place in Chicago as it was just prior to the What Now My Love album coming out. If I remember correctly, each time they played the 45 version and not the LP version, eliminating that slow part in the middle. It was their "showstopper" and finale, never part of a medley.Since these shows were pre-recorded onto videotape, it's likely that Herb & the boys were playing live on all of these songs except "Zorba The Greek". With videotape, if something went horribly wrong, they could just do it again until they got it right. Then the editing room would put the whole show together with the good takes.
"Zorba The Greek" presented a special problem. It was difficult to get right, so on a national television show, it needed to be mimed to the record. The record itself was legendary in that it took many, many takes in the studio before they got it the way Herb wanted it. In fact, the two "halves" of "Zorba the Greek" are actually the same recording. The first minute and fifteen seconds is the basic recording. Then the slow part comes in. That's all original too. But when it gets back to the fast part, the recording is actually a repeat of that main section from the first part of the record.
It was such a bear to record, that they must have decided to use that clever editing technique to make sure it was indeed perfect.
On the single, they masked some of the duplication with the audience hoots and hollers.
When the Brass played live though, they had to trudge through "Zorba" and do the best they could. I believe most of the time they just went through the main part of the song once, and moved on, usually relegating it to a medley of hits.
I heard the TJB original band twice and the brass 2.0 and 3.0 each once. I'm sure they played Zorba the first time at McCormick Place in Chicago as it was just prior to the What Now My Love album coming out. If I remember correctly, each time they played the 45 version and not the LP version, eliminating that slow part in the middle. It was their "showstopper" and finale, never part of a medley.
Probably my brain was thinking of this Midnight Special medley that included "Zorba The Greek", albeit at the end.
Back in 1969, Herb & The Brass were at London's Royal Festival Hall and this is the audio of "Zorba" from that concert. It's not exactly a stellar performance of this difficult to play song, made even more difficult by the fast speed at which they played it!
Based on the late '69 Royal Festival Hall footage that has survived, it's clear Tonnie's on lead with Herb supplying harmony. On Zorba, Tonnie nails the high parts -- though as Cap'n D (Hello!) pointed out they don't play the famous 16th note pattern (Tonnie plays the first one, then just simply steps down staccato on each quarter note while Herb lays out with the harmony until Tonnie's nearly done. Herb flubs this a few times; at other times he's obviously playing "wrong" notes. He's struggling, which is most likely why they re-worked the arrangement at that time -- and why he made the decision to switch the lead/harmony parts with Tonnie.Yes, I believe that the tour which included the Royal Festival Hall was probably the one where Herb came to face his difficulties in playing.
Thank you for solving a mystery: For many years I've noticed some nuances that sounded the same way on both go-rounds that just seemed too perfect. Now I know why!In fact, the two "halves" of "Zorba the Greek" are actually the same recording. The first minute and fifteen seconds is the basic recording. Then the slow part comes in. That's all original too. But when it gets back to the fast part, the recording is actually a repeat of that main section from the first part of the record.