Rock Music News: 38 Special Live at Rockpalast 1981 released 30th June 2023 (2024)

Fans of Southern rock are in for a treat this month as a celebrated live performance by 38 Special is released on CD and DVD for the first time.

As part of the band’s 1981 world tour following the release of their Wild-Eyed Southern Boys studio album at the start of that year, 38 Special performed at the Freilichtbühne Loreley amphitheatre in St. Goarshausen, Germany on 29th August 1981. The concert was recorded by the popular Rockpalast German music television show. While it has lain in the archives for the past four decades, the concert will finally get an official release when 38 Special – Live at Rockpalast 1981 comes out on 30th June this year. 

The 11-song collection will be available as a CD/DVD set and on digital streaming services. Tracks on the album include live versions of band classics like ‘Turn It On’, ‘Hold On Loosely,’ ‘Wild-Eyed Southern Boys’ and ‘Rockin’ Into The Night’ as well as covers of Chuck Berry’s ‘Around and Around’ and Creedence Clearwater Revival’s ‘Fortunate Son’, the latter serving as the band’s encore.

Founding member, Don Barnes, who co-founded 38 Special with Donnie Van Zant in 1974 and still performs around 100 gigs a year with the band, commented:

“We are very proud and happy to see this historic live concert finally getting released. We had such a rockin time! It was a memorable experience for 38 Special and our first time in Germany.”

“Every song, every solo, all the energy was balled up in an explosive presentation. It felt like we had strapped ourselves in and the crowd took us up higher and higher. It was an exhilarating experience! After our full set and before the encore, I remember being soaked and toweling off before we went back out and took them for that last ride.”