Emerson, Lake and Palmer in Concert (also known as simply In Concert) is a live album by Emerson, Lake & Palmer (ELP), recorded at their 26 August 1977 show at the Olympic Stadium, Montreal, Quebec, Canada which is featured on the album cover. It was released by Atlantic Records in November 1979, following ELP's breakup. It was later re-released and repackaged as Works Live in 1993. Some of the tracks were not from the Montreal concert. "Peter Gunn", "Tiger in a Spotlight" and "The Enemy God" were recorded in Wheeling, West Virginia, USA, in November 1977.
"Peter Gunn" was nominated for Best Rock Instrumental Performance at the 23rd Annual Grammy Awards.
Content
Similar to most live albums, In Concert showcased fan favourites of previously released material. However, "Peter Gunn", ELP's take on the classic TV theme song, was never released on any of their other albums (a slightly edited version of this live recording was included on the 1980 The Best of Emerson, Lake & Palmer compilation and released as a single in some countries). ELP frequently opened with this song on the Works Volume 2 tour.
The band hired a 70-piece orchestra for some concerts of this tour but eventually had to dismiss the orchestra due to budget constraints that almost bankrupted the group. On the original release, the orchestra performs on "C'est la Vie", "Knife-Edge", Keith Emerson's piano concerto, and "Pictures at an Exhibition". Works Live adds four other songs performed with the orchestra: "Fanfare for the Common Man", "Abaddon's Bolero", "Closer to Believing", and "Tank".
Release The original release of this album carried no producer credit; however, production and mixing of the album was largely carried out by Keith Emerson.
While Emerson intended to release In Concert as a double LP, the band's imminent dissolution meant ELP's label, Atlantic Records, limited it to a single album. The 1993 re-release of the album, as the double CD Works Live, restored Emerson's original intent to some extent.Macan, Edward (2006). Endless Enigma: A Musical Biography of Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Open Court, , p. 434.
The Montreal concert was also released on VHS in 1985 as Live '77, on DVD in 2002 as Works Orchestral Tour (paired with The Manticore Special) and as a double CD in 2013.
Track listing
In Concert
Works Live
Live '77 / Works Orchestral Tour (video)
Live in Montreal 1977
Personnel
Band members Keith Emerson – keyboards, mixing Greg Lake – vocals, bass, guitars Carl Palmer – drums, percussion A 70-piece orchestra on tracks 4, 6, 7 and 8 of In Concert, and tracks 4, 8, 9 of disc one and the entire disc two of Works Live.
Others Godfrey Salmon – conductor Michael Léveillée – sound engineer Neil Preston – inner sleeve photo François Rivard – cover photography Bob Defrin – art director
Release details 1979, UK, Atlantic/WEA K50652, Release date 17 November 1979, LP 1979, Japan, Atlantic/Warner-Pioneer P-10697A, Release date 21 November 1979, LP 1996, UK, Essential/Castle ESDCD362, Release date ? ? 1996, CD (double release called "Works Live") 1999, Japan, Manticore/Victor KVICP-60644, Release date ? ? 1999, CD 2002, US, Manticore, double sided DVD ("Works Orchestral Tour / The Manticore Special") 2013, US, Shout! Factory 826663-14432, double CD ("Live in Montreal 1977")
Singles Peter Gunn / Knife-Edge Peter Gunn / Tiger in a Spotlight (USA release)
Charts + Chart performance for Emerson, Lake & Palmer in ConcertChart (1979)Peakposition
+ Chart performance for Works Live Chart (2026) Peakposition French Rock & Metal Albums (SNEP) 84 Norwegian Physical Albums (IFPI Norge) 10
Notes