Albums That Should Exist: Joan Armatrading - BBC Sessions, Volume 1: Sight and Sound, Hammersmith Odeon, London, Britain, 11-5-1977

Monday, March 3, 2025

Joan Armatrading - BBC Sessions, Volume 1: Sight and Sound, Hammersmith Odeon, London, Britain, 11-5-1977

When I first posted some Joan Armatrading BBC albums, I skipped this one. I was aware of this 1977 concert, but I decided not to post it mainly because the sound quality wasn't that good. However, it turns out I had an inferior copy that also had fewer songs. I recently found a much better version, so I'm posting it after all.

I tend to think of Armatrading as someone who made it big in the 1980s, but she began performing music in public in the late 1960s, and her first album was released in 1972. In 1976, she had her first hit with "Love and Affection." It only made the singles chart in Britain. But in the U.S. she was popular enough to appear on the "Saturday Night Live" TV show in 1977.

This unreleased concert was part of BBC's "Sight and Sound" series, which meant it was broadcast on TV. (Thus the "sight" as well as the "sound.") I believe the first song wasn't included in the abroadcast, as it isn't on most bootleg versions of this concert, and it makes the whole concert longer than an hour. But I did find one version with it included, and it seems to have been performed in the actual concert.

This album is an hour and two minutes long.

UPDATE: On April 25, 2025, I updated the mp3 download file. The music is the same, but I changed the album title, after making an earlier volume of BBC music by her that I'd missed.

01 talk (Joan Armatrading)
02 Help Yourself (Joan Armatrading)
03 talk (Joan Armatrading)
04 Never Is Too Late (Joan Armatrading)
05 talk (Joan Armatrading)
06 Show Some Emotion (Joan Armatrading)
07 talk (Joan Armatrading)
08 Willow (Joan Armatrading)
09 talk (Joan Armatrading)
10 Opportunity (Joan Armatrading)
11 talk (Joan Armatrading)
12 Won't You Come on Home (Joan Armatrading)
13 talk (Joan Armatrading)
14 Steppin' Out (Joan Armatrading)
15 Love and Affection (Joan Armatrading)
16 talk (Joan Armatrading)
17 Cool Blue Stole My Heart (Joan Armatrading)
18 talk (Joan Armatrading)
19 Mama Mercy (Joan Armatrading)
20 talk (Joan Armatrading)
21 Kissin' and a Huggin' (Joan Armatrading)
22 Tall in the Saddle (Joan Armatrading)