To mark the 45th anniversary of Bob Dylan's first Japan tour, the “Complete Budokan” will be released in Japan on November 15, 1978, featuring two performances at Tokyo's Nippon Budokan. After 15 years of negotiation, Japan spearheaded the reissue project. Those behind the project now share the untold behind-the-scenes story.When I first listened to “Budokan” on LP, the bright flute sound that opened the A-side with ‘Mr. Tambourine Man’ puzzled me; it seemed incongruent with Dylan's stoic image, and the arrangement, featuring Steve Douglas' saxophone, seemed to convey a vibe akin to the adult-oriented sound of the late ‘70s. Contrasting with the sharpness and potency of the live album “Hard Rain,” which I loved, “Budokan” was much mellow despite only a two-year gap. This shift made me feel somewhat distant from “Budokan.”
For those like myself who approached “Budokan” with preconceived notions, I highly recommend experiencing it through “Complete Budokan.” The performances from February 28 and March 1, 1978, were recorded in their entirety and newly mixed from miraculously preserved 24-channel multi-track tapes. The song order has been restored to its original sequence, and the album now includes the 11 songs omitted from the initial recording, along with other unreleased versions. The impact of the recent mixing is astounding: Dylan's voice and guitar take center stage, while each musical element gains enhanced clarity. With an unprecedented rawness, Dylan and the band come alive, delivering a wholly rejuvenated “Budokan” experience.
The important aspect to note is that a Japanese team spearheaded this reissue project entirely. Heckel Sugano, the former A&R responsible for the original “Budokan,” Tomoo Suzuki, the mixer, and Teruhisa Tajima, in charge of the artwork, reunited to breathe new life into this masterpiece. I spoke with Tetsuya Shiroki from Sony Music, who dedicated 15 years to this project, as well as Heckel Sugano and Tomoo Suzuki, to reflect on the long road that led them to the creation of the “Complete Budokan.”
The excavation project began in 2007 when Shiroki discovered a multi-track tape of “Budokan.”
Shiroki: In 2006, when I asked Tomoo Suzuki to mix Santana's “Lotus”—a live album from 1974, including his first concert in Japan, later reissued as the complete version in 2017—I began exploring to see if Dylan's “Budokan" multi-tracks exist similarly. While sifting through handwritten ledgers, I came across something that resonated with my gut feeling, appearing to be what I was searching for. Retrieving them from the warehouse, I discovered 20 analog tapes. That was in 2007. The tapes were remarkably preserved. I created a rough mix that turned out impressively well, but there was no response upon sending it to New York. Years passed until, suddenly, in April 2022, they greenlighted the project, and we began moving forward. Throughout this time, I consistently appealed at every opportunity, and finally, it seemed the persistence paid off.
Discovered 20 analog tapes from the warehouse
“Budokan” 1978 （At Budokan）Heckel Sugano had known about the tape since its discovery. After years of no progress, he was surprised to find out that their long-held dream, which they almost gave up on, had finally come true.
Sugano: Since it was decided to put out the original “Budokan” as a two-disc analog album, we had a tough task ahead, squeezing the tracklist down. We wanted tunes familiar in Japan but also to include ‘Is Your Love in Vain,’ which debuted in Japan (from “Street Legal", released four months after). We debated back and forth, leaving out 11 songs, not counting the different versions recorded over two days. Since then, we’ve been dreaming of sharing all these unreleased tracks with everyone.
Since those multi-tapes surfaced in 2007, I kept bugging Shiroki about putting them all out as a complete set (laughs). But honestly, I never really thought it would actually happen. I mean... 15 years, can you believe it?! Maybe all that persistent negotiation during that time managed to sway the US side. At the same time, Bob must've given us the green light because he was happy with how it all sounded and had no qualms about releasing it. So, we had to put it out exactly as it was, with no cuts or extras. It's amazing that the sound quality stayed intact, making it all possible.
