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the american
composers
Composers: Kerr / Burchill / MacNeil / Forbes / McGee
Authors: Kerr
(Earlier sleeves simply state:- Lyrics: Kerr: Music: Simple Minds)
publisher
© EMI Music Publishing: (1981 - 2007)
© JKMC-Bucks Music Group Ltd / Hornall Music / EMI Music Publishing Ltd: (2008 - 2014)
© BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd / Sony-ATV Music Publishing Ltd / EMI Music Publishing Ltd: (2015 -)
background
"In some ways this is one of my favourite tracks, lots of great
ideas and Jim finds the
context to pull them all together." - Charlie, 24th March 2015
It's difficult to determine when The American was actually written. Apparently it was inspired by
the bright colours of an exhibition of modern American art that Jim visited,
being written in the back of a van while driving through the East Coast of America.
However, dates on the tapes disagree. The demo was first
cut at CaVa studios, Glasagow, on the 14th February 1981; and the first formal recording of the song had been committed
to tape at The Manor with Steve Hillage later that month. So,
The American had already been written and recorded before the band
briefly toured America in 1981. Perhaps the genesis of the song went
back further to the band's first trip in 1979?
The first mix at The Manor wasn't right, so Steve Hillage remixed the
master at The Townhouse on the 4th March 1981, creating the final album mix. More work at Odyssey in early
April yieled the 7" edit and the extended version - a simple fusion of the album track, acapella chorus and instrumental.
With League Of Nations complete from the February Manor sessions,
Virgin had now enough material for the first single, and the production master for
The American was created on the 14th April 1981 at The Townhouse.
Selected as the first single from the forthcoming album, The American
was the first song completed during the Sons And Fascination sessions.
"Dortmund was "The American's" finest hour. I will never forget that day or my special bass line."
Derek Forbes
www.derekforbesmusic.com
June 2016
JE: What was the first moment when you two looked at each other, or what song was it, and went
"We've got this?"
CB: It was probably Alive And Kicking about ten years later.
JE: That late on?
CB: No, it would've been...
JK: I thought when Charlie and Mick came up with
The American, the noise of that. I thought this is it. This is a
Simple Minds thing. There was a swagger there. I think we just knew.
Interview with Jamie East
Virgin Radio
17th November 2019
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see also:
The American (Demo)
lyrics
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Here comes the shake,
The speed-decade wake.
I see you wake,
Shake,
Fit on those overalls,
What do you know about this world anyway?
I see a man,
With an airfield plan.
I caught a boy fall out of the sky.
What do you know about this world anyway?
Ameri-Ameri-Ameri-Ameri-Amer-American,
In collective fame.
Ameri-Ameri-Ameri-Ameri-Amer-American,
Nassau club day.
Ameri-Ameri-Ameri-Ameri-Amer-American,
Across a curved earth,
In collective fame.
Ameri-Ameri-Ameri-Ameri-Amer-American,
The eventful work-outs,
Nassau club days.
Here comes the flag,
I'm walking in the black.
Every time you touch this place,
It feels like sin.
Every time the handshake starts,
The face draws thin.
What do you know about this world anyway?
Here comes the sun,
The american sun,
In here the sun shines so bright,
Eyes blind.
What do you know about this world anyway?
Ameri-Ameri-Ameri-Ameri-Amer-American,
The eventful workouts,
Nassau club days.
Here comes the flag.
Hand-shake.
This world.....
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discography
Edit (3:32)
Producer: Steve Hillage
Engineer: Hugh Jones
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Album Version (3:49)
Producer: Steve Hillage
Engineer: Hugh Jones
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Extended (6:55)
Producer: Steve Hillage
Engineer: Hugh Jones
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Live Version (28th February 1984) (7:14)
Recorded: Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow, UK
Engineer: Steve Lillywhite
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Interference Mix (7:19)
Producer: Steve Hillage
Engineer: Hugh Jones
Remixed by: Interference
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Interference Dub Mix (6:03)
Producer: Steve Hillage
Engineer: Hugh Jones
Remixed by: Interference
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Demo (4:03)
Producer: Mick MacNeil
Mastered by: Simon Heyworth
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Live Version (3rd November 2009) (5:05)
Recorded: Arena, Vienna, Austria
Mixed By Concert Online
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Live Version (5th November 2009) (5:09)
Recorded: Saschall, Florence, Italy
Mixed By Concert Online
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Live Version (6th November 2009) (5:06)
Recorded: Neon Concept Club, Ancona, Italy
Mixed By Concert Online
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Live Version (7th November 2009) (5:04)
Recorded: Atlantico, Rome, Italy
Mixed By Concert Online
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Live Version (8th November 2009) (4:54)
Recorded: Gran Teatro Di Padova, Padova, Italy
Mixed By Concert Online
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Live Version (18th November 2009) (4:58)
Recorded: La Riviera, Madrid, Spain
Mixed By Concert Online
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Live Version (30th November 2009) (4:58)
Recorded: Metro Arena, Newcastle, UK
Mixed By Concert Online
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Live Version (2nd December 2009) (5:03)
Recorded: NEC, Birmingham, UK
Mixed By Concert Online
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Live Version (7th December 2009) (5:00)
Recorded: Arena, Wembley, UK
Mixed By Concert Online
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Live Version (9th December 2009) (4:57)
Recorded: 02, Dublin, Ireland
Mixed By Concert Online
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Live Version (10th December 2009) (4:59)
Recorded: Odyssey, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Mixed By Concert Online
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Live Version (11th December 2009) (4:58)
Recorded: SECC, Glasgow, UK
Mixed By Concert Online
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Live Version (12th December 2009) (5:00)
Recorded: AEC, Aberdeen, UK
Mixed By Concert Online
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Live Version (17th December 2009) (5:01)
Recorded: Popcentrum, Tilburg, Netherlands
Mixed By Concert Online
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Live Version (16th July 2011) (5:19)
Recorded: City Rocks, Inverness, UK
Mixed By Concert Live
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Live Version (25th July 2012) (5:01)
Recorded: Riviera Rock Festival, Gould Arena, Antibes, France
Recorded by: Olivier Gerard
Mixed by: Olivier Gerard
Engineered by: Rudy Coclet
ISRC: GB01A1201418
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Live Version (30th November 2012) (4:56)
Recorded: Palais Theatre, Melbourne, Australia
Produced by: Zach Bair
Recorded and Mixed by: Matt Dever
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Live Version (1st December 2012) (4:55)
Recorded: Rochford Wines, Yarra Valley, Australia
Produced by: Zach Bair
Recorded and Mixed by: Matt Dever
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Live Version (2nd December 2012) (4:56)
Recorded: Entertainment Centre, Adelaide, Australia
Produced by: Zach Bair
Recorded and Mixed by: Matt Dever
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Live Version (4th December 2012) (4:57)
Recorded: Kings Park and Botanic Garden, Perth, Australia
Produced by: Zach Bair
Recorded and Mixed by: Matt Dever
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Live Version (7th December 2012) (4:56)
Recorded: Entertainment Centre, Sydney, Australia
Produced by: Zach Bair
Recorded and Mixed by: Matt Dever
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Live Version (8th December 2012) (4:52)
Recorded: Bimbadgen Winery, Hunter Valley New South Wales, Australia
Produced by: Zach Bair
Recorded and Mixed by: Matt Dever
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Live Version (9th December 2012) (4:58)
Recorded: Sirromet Wines, Mount Cotton, Australia
Produced by: Zach Bair
Recorded and Mixed by: Matt Dever
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Live Version (12th December 2012) (4:59)
Recorded: Entertainment Centre, Wollongong, Australia
Produced by: Zach Bair
Recorded and Mixed by: Matt Dever
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Live Version (29th March 2013) (5:15)
Recorded: Sands Centre, Carlisle, UK
Mixed By Concert Live
Remastered By Derrick Carter
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Live Version (6th April 2013) (5:09)
Recorded: Civic Hall, Wolverhampton, UK
Mixed By Concert Live
Remastered By Derrick Carter
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Live Version (15th April 2013) (5:08)
Recorded: O2 Academy, Bournemouth, UK
Mixed By Concert Live
Remastered By Derrick Carter
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Live Version (20th November 2013) (4:58)
Recorded: Heineken Music Hall, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Mixed By Concert Live
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Live Version (27th November 2013) (4:58)
Recorded: Hydro, Glasgow, UK
Mixing: Olivier Gerard (GG) at Jet Studios, Brussels
Sound Engineer: Rudy Coclet
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Live Version (28th November 2013) (4:52)
Recorded: Arena, Manchester, UK
Mixed By Concert Live
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Live Version (30th November 2013) (4:53)
Recorded: O2, London, UK
Mixed By Concert Live
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Live Version (26th January 2014) (5:06)
Recorded: Palladium, Riga, Latvia
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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Live Version (27th January 2014) (5:10)
Recorded: Circus, Helsinki, Finland
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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Live Version (29th January 2014) (5:07)
Recorded: Circus, Stockholm, Sweden
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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Live Version (30th January 2014) (5:08)
Recorded: Sentrum Scene, Oslo, Norway
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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Live Version (31st January 2014) (5:06)
Recorded: Vega, Copenhagen, Denmark
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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Live Version (1st February 2014) (5:08)
Recorded: Huxleys, Berlin, Germany
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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Live Version (3rd February 2014) (5:08)
Recorded: Docks, Hamburg, Germany
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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Live Version (4th February 2014) (5:07)
Recorded: Docks, Hamburg, Germany
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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Live Version (5th February 2014) (5:10)
Recorded: Jovel Music Hall, Munster, Germany
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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Live Version (7th February 2014) (5:07)
Recorded: Stadthalle, Bremerhaven, Germany
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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Live Version (8th February 2014) (5:13)
Recorded: Sparkassen Arena, Aurich, Germany
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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Live Version (9th February 2014) (5:08)
Recorded: Ringlokschuppen, Bielefeld, Germany
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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Live Version (11th February 2014) (5:07)
Recorded: Tollhaus, Karlsruhe, Germany
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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Live Version (12th February 2014) (5:06)
Recorded: Europahalle, Trier, Germany
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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Live Version (14th February 2014) (5:09)
Recorded: Palladium, Köln, Germany
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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Live Version (15th February 2014) (5:10)
Recorded: Konzerthalle, Olsberg, Germany
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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Live Version (16th February 2014) (5:08)
Recorded: Capitol, Hannover, Germany
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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Live Version (18th February 2014) (4:54)
Recorded: Phönixhalle, Mainz, Germany
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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Live Version (20th February 2014) (5:07)
Recorded: Werfhalle, Göppingen, Germany
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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Live Version (21st February 2014) (5:08)
Recorded: Stadthalle, Fürth, Germany
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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Live Version (23rd February 2014) (5:08)
Recorded: Stadthalle, Singen, Germany
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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Live Version (25th February 2014) (5:08)
Recorded: Alcatraz, Milan, Italy
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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Live Version (26th February 2014) (5:07)
Recorded: Festhalle, Berne, Switzerland
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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Live Version (28th February 2014) (5:07)
Recorded: Incheba Arena, Prague, Czech Republic
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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Live Version (1st March 2014) (5:08)
Recorded: Sala Ziemi, Poznan, Poland
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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Live Version (2nd March 2014) (5:07)
Recorded: Stodola, Warsaw, Poland
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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Live Acoustic Version (February-May 2015) (3:49)
Recorded: Big Music Tour 2015
Recorded By: Olivier Gerard
Mixed By: Olivier Gerard at Jet Studios
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Acoustic (4:29)
Producer: Andy Wright, Gavin Goldberg and Simple Minds
Recorded By: Gavin Goldberg
Mixed By: Gavin Goldberg
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Live Version (24th October 2018) (4:41)
Recorded: Orpheum Theatre, Los Angeles, California, USA
Recorded by: Olivier Gerard
Produced by: Andy Wright
Mixed by: Gavin Goldberg
Assisted by: Lewis Chapman
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videography
sessions
downloads
Live Version (3rd November 2009) (5:05)
Recorded: Arena, Vienna, Austria
Mixed By Concert Online
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Live Version (5th November 2009) (5:09)
Recorded: Saschall, Florence, Italy
Mixed By Concert Online
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Live Version (6th November 2009) (5:06)
Recorded: Neon Concept Club, Ancona, Italy
Mixed By Concert Online
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Live Version (7th November 2009) (5:04)
Recorded: Atlantico, Rome, Italy
Mixed By Concert Online
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Live Version (8th November 2009) (4:54)
Recorded: Gran Teatro Di Padova, Padova, Italy
Mixed By Concert Online
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Live Version (18th November 2009) (4:58)
Recorded: La Riviera, Madrid, Spain
Mixed By Concert Online
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Live Version (30th November 2009) (4:58)
Recorded: Metro Arena, Newcastle, UK
Mixed By Concert Online
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Live Version (2nd December 2009) (5:03)
Recorded: NEC, Birmingham, UK
Mixed By Concert Online
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Live Version (7th December 2009) (5:00)
Recorded: Arena, Wembley, UK
Mixed By Concert Online
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Live Version (9th December 2009) (4:57)
Recorded: 02, Dublin, Ireland
Mixed By Concert Online
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Live Version (10th December 2009) (4:59)
Recorded: Odyssey, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Mixed By Concert Online
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Live Version (11th December 2009) (4:58)
Recorded: SECC, Glasgow, UK
Mixed By Concert Online
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Live Version (12th December 2009) (5:00)
Recorded: AEC, Aberdeen, UK
Mixed By Concert Online
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Live Version (17th December 2009) (5:01)
Recorded: Popcentrum, Tilburg, Netherlands
Mixed By Concert Online
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Live Version (29th March 2013) (5:04)
Recorded: Sands Centre, Carlisle, UK
Mixed By Concert Live
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Live Version (26th January 2014) (5:06)
Recorded: Palladium, Riga, Latvia
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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Live Version (27th January 2014) (5:10)
Recorded: Circus, Helsinki, Finland
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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Live Version (29th January 2014) (5:07)
Recorded: Circus, Stockholm, Sweden
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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Live Version (30th January 2014) (5:08)
Recorded: Sentrum Scene, Oslo, Norway
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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Live Version (31st January 2014) (5:06)
Recorded: Vega, Copenhagen, Denmark
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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Live Version (1st February 2014) (5:08)
Recorded: Huxleys, Berlin, Germany
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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Live Version (3rd February 2014) (5:08)
Recorded: Docks, Hamburg, Germany
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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Live Version (4th February 2014) (5:07)
Recorded: Docks, Hamburg, Germany
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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Live Version (5th February 2014) (5:10)
Recorded: Jovel Music Hall, Munster, Germany
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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Live Version (7th February 2014) (5:07)
Recorded: Stadthalle, Bremerhaven, Germany
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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Live Version (8th February 2014) (5:13)
Recorded: Sparkassen Arena, Aurich, Germany
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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Live Version (9th February 2014) (5:08)
Recorded: Ringlokschuppen, Bielefeld, Germany
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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Live Version (11th February 2014) (5:07)
Recorded: Tollhaus, Karlsruhe, Germany
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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Live Version (12th February 2014) (5:06)
Recorded: Europahalle, Trier, Germany
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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Live Version (14th February 2014) (5:09)
Recorded: Palladium, Köln, Germany
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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Live Version (15th February 2014) (5:10)
Recorded: Konzerthalle, Olsberg, Germany
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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Live Version (16th February 2014) (5:08)
Recorded: Capitol, Hannover, Germany
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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Live Version (18th February 2014) (4:54)
Recorded: Phönixhalle, Mainz, Germany
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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Live Version (20th February 2014) (5:07)
Recorded: Werfhalle, Göppingen, Germany
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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Live Version (21st February 2014) (5:08)
Recorded: Stadthalle, Fürth, Germany
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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Live Version (23rd February 2014) (5:08)
Recorded: Stadthalle, Singen, Germany
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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Live Version (25th February 2014) (5:08)
Recorded: Alcatraz, Milan, Italy
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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Live Version (26th February 2014) (5:07)
Recorded: Festhalle, Berne, Switzerland
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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Live Version (28th February 2014) (5:07)
Recorded: Incheba Arena, Prague, Czech Republic
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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Live Version (1st March 2014) (5:08)
Recorded: Sala Ziemi, Poznan, Poland
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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Live Version (2nd March 2014) (5:07)
Recorded: Stodola, Warsaw, Poland
Mixed By Bleecker Street
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demo discography
live history
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