Live recordings
Every surviving live recording preserves a performance that would otherwise exist only in memory.
This section brings together the currently known live recordings and studio sessions by The Runaways, documenting the surviving legacy of the band's live career.
Thanks to dedicated fans and collectors, as well as professional recordings made throughout the band's career, performances from nearly every tour have survived in one form or another. Some recordings were captured professionally, while many others were taped by audience members using the equipment available at the time.
Although the recording quality varies considerably, every recording has its own historical value. Whether it is a professionally recorded broadcast or a distant audience tape, each one captures a unique moment in the band's history and helps preserve performances that would otherwise have been lost.
Official releases
Only a handful of The Runaways' live performances have ever been officially released. While most surviving recordings continue to circulate unofficially among collectors, a small selection has appeared on commercial albums, singles, and compilation releases over the years. Each release is documented below together with information about its recording source, content, and historical background.
Live In Japan:
Released in 1977, Live In Japan remains the only official live album issued during The Runaways' active career. The album was compiled from recordings made during three concerts in Tokyo on the band's famous 1977 tour of Japan. Rather than documenting a single performance, it combines material from multiple shows to create the final album released by Mercury Records.
If you have ever wondered which songs originated from which concert, be sure to explore the Live In Japan analysis, where each track is matched to its original concert. Several tracks from Live In Japan were later reissued on various compilation albums.
Singles from the album:
Three promotional singles featuring tracks from Live In Japan were released in different countries. In Japan, All Right You Guys was issued as a commercial single with Blackmail as the B-side. In Italy, Queens Of Noise was released as a promo-only single featuring the same song on both sides, while in France, the promo-only single You Drive Me Wild was backed with Rock And Roll.
Flaming Schoolgirls & I Love Playing With Fire:
Several songs recorded during the Tokyo concerts but omitted from the final version of Live In Japan were later released on the compilations Flaming Schoolgirls and I Love Playing With Fire. Both albums were originally issued in the UK by Cherry Red Records. See the Live In Japan analysis for more details.
Born To Be Bad:
The Runaways' first-ever demo recording, made in August 1975, was originally released on LP by Marilyn Records in France in 1991. It was later reissued in the United States on both vinyl and CD.
Live At The Agora 1976:
In 2012, a CD featuring the radio broadcast of the famous Agora concert from July 19th, 1976, was available to order through the official Blackheart Records website.
Bootlegs
Over the years, many recordings have been released in various formats by numerous record labels and companies, but most of these are unofficial releases, commonly known as bootlegs. These bootlegs are typically sourced from soundboard recordings, radio broadcasts, studio outtakes, and audience recordings made by fans at concerts.
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