Riot "The Official Bootleg Box Set Volume 1 - 1976-1980 (Boxed Set, Hear No Evil Recordings, HNEBOX091)"

Riot formed in 1975, in New York City, when Kon-Tiki guitarist Mark Reale and drummer Peter Bitelli teamed up with bassist Phil Feit and vocalist Guy Speranza. Recording a four-track demo, they added Steve Costello on keyboards, and were subsequently picked up by New York producers Billy Arnell and Steve Loeb, who owned the independent label Fire-Sign Records.

Adding second guitarist Louie Kouvaris, whilst replacing Feit with Jimmy Iommi on bass, they released their debut “Rock City” in 1977. But by 1979, on the verge of splitting up, they were thrown a lifeline by highly influential New Wave Of British Heavy Metal DJ, Neal Kay, who set about promoting Riot in the UK. Re-engerized, the band issued second LP, “Narita” in 1979, at which point Kouvaris was replaced by their roadie, Rick Ventura.

Signing to major label Capitol Records, this subsequently led to a UK tour in 1980 supporting Sammy Hagar (from where the Bristol show here was taken), and eventually a slot at the legendary “Monsters of Rock Festival” at Castle Donington the same year, on a bill featuring Saxon, Judas Priest, Scorpions and headlined by Rainbow.

Mastered from tapes in the collection of the estate of founder member and guitarist Mark Reale, “The Official Bootleg Box Set Volume 1” captures the band at their formative, early club stages in 1976, where much of their repertoire included songs by the bands that had influenced them, such as their covers on Montrose’s ‘I Got the Fire’, ‘Good Rockin’ Tonight’ and ‘Rock Candy’, to UFO’s ‘Shoot Shoot’ and Deep Purple’s ‘Highway Star’, included amongst Riot originals, ‘Angel’, ‘Overdrive’ and ‘Tokyo Rose’. This 6 disc set concludes with their aforementioned Castle Donington slot in 1980.

Track List:

CD1

Red Foxx, New Jersey 1976 (First Set) 51:25   

1. Angel
2. Teenage Love Affair
3. Desperation
4. Rock Candy
5. Sweet Felicia
6. Rock City
7. Sweet Jane / Fox On The Run / Department Of Youth (Medley)
8. Counting On You
9. Twenty Flight Rock
10. I Got The Fire
11. Teaser

Recorded at Red Foxx, New Jersey 1976

CD2

Red Foxx, New Jersey 1976 (Second Set) 44:09  

1. Keep Playin' That Rock'n'Roll
2. Teenage Love Affair
3. Sweet Felicia
4. Good Rockin' Tonight
5. Shoot Shoot
6. Counting On You
7. Angel
8. Rock City
9. Sweet Jane / Be My Lover / /Fox On The Run / Department Of Youth / Bass Solo / Drum Solo (Medley)
10. I Got The Fire (Excerpt)

Recorded at Red Foxx, New Jersey 1976

CD3

Ohio 1978 53:01  

1. Angel
2. Open Fire
3. White Rock
4. 49er
5. Kick Down The Wall
6. Overdrive
7. Rock City
8. Starliner
9. Solos
10. Warrior
11. Highway Star

The Agora Ballroom, Painesville, Ohio 1978

CD4

Atlanta & Boston 1980 46:54   

Atlanta, Georgia 1980

1. Angel (Excerpt)
2. White Rock
3. Waiting For The Taking
4. Narita
5. Overdrive
6. Rock City
7. Road Racin' (Excerpt)

Boston 20th September 1980

1. Waiting For The Taking
2. Overdrive

CD5

Bristol, England 1980 49:53

1. Angel
2. Do It Up
3. Road Racin'
4. Narita
5. Tokyo Rose
6. White Rock
7. Overdrive
8. Rock City
9. Warrior

Recorded at Colston Hall, Bristol 22nd April 1980

CD6

Castle Donington, England 1980 38:47   

1. Angel (Excerpt)
2. White Rock
3. Waiting For The Taking
4. Overdrive
5. Rock City
6. Road Racin'
7. Warrior

Recorded at Monsters Of Rock, Castle Donington 16th August 1980

Total Time:  04:44:09

Mastered from tapes in the collection of the estate of founder member and guitarist Mark Reale.

Recording information:

Disc One: Recorded at Red Foxx, New Jersey 1976 (first set).

Disc Two: Recorded at Red Foxx, New Jersey 1976 (second set).

Disc Three: Recorded at Agora Ballroom, Ohio 1978.

Disc Four: Recorded at Atlanta, Georgia 1980.

Disc Five: Recorded at Colston Hall, Bristol, 22nd April 1980.

Disc Six: Recorded at Monsters of Rock, Castle Donington 16th August 1980.