Speed Connection II – The Final Chapter (Live in Paris 85)


Speed Connection II – The Final Chapter is a live album by the Fleshtones. The album was recorded live at The Gibus Club, Paris, France on March 7, 1985. The band were booked to play nine shows at the club over a two-week span, in two segments. The opening band for these shows were Les Playboys.
The band had recorded the first show and – at the urging of the French division of I.R.S. Records' vice-president Henri Padovani – subsequently rush-released it to sell at the venue during their two-week stay. The record was titled Speed Connection: Live in Paris 85 and was only released in France. However the band was unhappy with the record as lead singer Peter Zaremba had a severe case of laryngitis the night that show was recorded.
The band owed the American I.R.S. Records one more record to fulfil their contractual obligations. In September 1985 the label released Speed Connection II – The Final Chapter – a recording of their third night at the Gibus Club. "Return to the Haunted House" was actually an unreleased demo recording produced by Pakulski with canned applause added later. The same recording also later appeared on the Angry Years 84–86 compilation album on Impossible Records in 1993.
The album contained many cover versions of songs by other artists. "Trouble" and "Haunted House" by the Kingsmen, "Wind Out" by R.E.M., "La La La La Reprise" by the Blendells, "When the Night Falls" by the Eyes, "Twelve Months Later" by The Sheep and "Hide & Seek" by Bunker Hill.
The cover artwork was by Peter Zaremba.
AllMusic note about the album, "it comes close enough to be one of their most purely enjoyable albums."

Track listing

All songs by Peter Zaremba and Keith Streng, except as indicated.
Side one
  1. "Hide & Seek" – 2:36
  2. "Watch This" – 2:19
  3. "Kingsmen-Like Medley" – 4:16
  4. * "Trouble "
  5. * "Hauted Castle"
  6. * "Twelve Months Later"
  7. "Return to the Haunted House" – 2:15
  8. "Hope Come Back" – 1:52
  9. "B.Y.O.B. – 2:22
Side two
  1. "One More Time" – 2:58
  2. "The Dreg" – 3:23
  3. "Extended Super Rock Medley" – 9:14
  4. * "Stop Fooling Around"
  5. * "Theme from the Vindicators"
  6. * "Hexbreaker"
  7. * "Roman Gods"
  8. "When the Night Falls" – 3:10
  9. "Wind Out" – 2:17
  10. "La La La La Reprise" – 1:55

Personnel

;The Fleshtones
  • Bill Milhizer – drums
  • Jan Marek "Buck" Pakulski – bass, vocals
  • Gordon Spaeth – saxophone
  • Keith Streng "The Beautiful Angel" – guitar, vocals
  • Count Peter Zaremba – vocals, harmonica, organ and cover illustration
;Additional personnel