New York, NY -- Supertramp, in 1979, was one of the biggest bands in the world, following the release and extensive accompanying tour for the album Breakfast In America. Their complete set at the 8,000-seat Pavillon de Paris in December of that year, on the third of four sold-out nights, will be released as “Live In Paris ‘79” on 3LP for the first time, as well as a standalone 2CD package, the first time the audio has been available without the video.

 

Filmed and recorded on December 1 & 2, 1979, the classic lineup of members Rick Davies (singer-songwriter-keyboardist) and Roger Hodgson (singer-songwriter-guitarist-keyboardist) with John Helliwell on sax, woodwinds, vocals and keyboards and a rock-steady rhythm section of bassist Dougie Thomson and drummer Bob Siebenberg capturing Supertramp performing at the peak of their career.

Unlike the previously released 1980 “Paris” live album, featuring selections from earlier shows of this Paris run, the triple LP and double CD soundtrack to the film features the audio of the home video release, recorded during the two December shows.

 

Having been on the road for almost ten months throughout America, Canada and Europe in support of Breakfast in America, 1979's top selling album, which sold in excess of 20 million copies, producing several hit singles and went on to win two Grammy awards. For a London based band that started in 1969 and, with a new line-up, reached stardom in 1974 with the release of its third album Crime of the Century and within five years to have now reached the very pinnacle of music success, it must have felt sweet.

Performing such Supertramp favorites as “Bloody Well Right,” “The Logical Song,” “Breakfast In America,” “Goodbye Stranger,” “Asylum,” “Even In The Quietest Moments,” “Give A Little Bit,” “Dreamer,” “Rudy,” “Take The Long Way Home,” “Fool’s Overture” and others amounted to nothing short of a celebration. Plus, Supertramp punctuated the proceedings with theatrical flair including moments of pure insanity including a gorilla, a banana, filmed projections of some of history’s most evil characters, and silent film star Charlie Chaplin himself actually walking out onstage!

 

Drummer Siebenberg says, “looking back at that period, it really was the experience of a lifetime…the best of times.” Saxophonist Helliwell notes “those Paris shows were a definite high point for us because you could feel the audience reaction. You can actually hear the volatility in the French crowd. They sound a little mad!”