Unleashed in the East: Live in Japan
Unleashed in the East is Judas Priest's first live album, released on 21 September 1979. It was taken from two nights in Tokyo in February 1979, during the Hell Bent for Leather tour, and arrived after Killing Machine in the band's run of studio records. It was the first Priest album produced by Tom Allom, who stayed with the band for the next decade, and the last to feature drummer Les Binks.
It became their best-selling album up to that point, reaching the UK Top Ten and the US Top 100, and it later went platinum in America. Its authenticity has long been debated, and some listeners nicknamed it Unleashed in the Studio. Rob Halford later said the music was live but that his vocals had been spoiled in the original recording and were redone in a studio set up to feel like a concert. Either way, it captures the band at a sharp, driving moment just before British Steel.
Unleashed in the East: Live in Japan: tracklist, credits and charts
9 tracks · 44:50Tracklist
- 1ExciterRob Halford and Glenn Tipton5:38
- 2Running WildGlenn Tipton2:52
- 3SinnerRob Halford and Glenn Tipton7:32
- 4The RipperGlenn Tipton2:42
- 5The Green Manalishi (with the Two-Pronged Crown)Peter Green3:18
- 6Diamonds and RustJoan Baez3:33
- 7Victim of ChangesAtkins, Downing, Halford, Tipton7:11
- 8GenocideDowning, Halford, Tipton7:21
- 9TyrantRob Halford and Glenn Tipton4:41
- Produced by
- Tom Allom, Judas Priest
- Mixed at
- Startling Studios
- Engineered by
- Neil Kernon, 鈴木良博
- Photography
- Fin Costello
- Recorded
- 10, 15 February 1979
- Labels
- CBS, Columbia
- Length
- 44:50
Line-up
- Les Binks · drums (drum set)
- Kenneth Downing · electric guitar
- Ian Hill · electric bass guitar, bass guitar
- Glenn Tipton · electric guitar
- Rob Halford · lead vocals
Singles
- “Diamonds and Rust” · December 1979 (US)
Peak chart positions
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart · 1979 | 10 |
| US Billboard 200 · 1979 | 70 |
| Japanese Albums (Oricon) · 1979 | 41 |
| Canadian Albums (RPM) · 1979 | 73 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification |
|---|---|
| Canada | Platinum |
| United States | Platinum |
From MusicBrainz, Wikipedia and Wikidata. Only what the sources record is shown.
Also released on 21 September
Every year →More from Judas Priest
Full discography →The best of 1979
All of 1979 →More on CBS
The label →Releases and pressings
How we know the release date wikipedia 1979-09-21; musicbrainz + wikidata 1979-09-17 (4 days apart, likely another territory)
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 17 September 1979 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | 21 September 1979 | |
| Wikidata | 17 September 1979 | |
| UK / Europe release | 17 September 1979 | earliest UK or European date |
19 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | ES | CBS | other | |
| 1979 | XE | CBS | other | |
| 1979 | JP | Epic | other | |
| 1979 | JP | — | other | |
| 17 September 1979 | GB | CBS | original | |
| 1986 | XE | CBS | 5099708385224 | other |
| 1986 | US | Columbia | 07464361792 | other |
| 21 March 1991 | JP | Epic Records | 4988010525323 | other |
| 1993 | MX | Sony Music | 7509908385224 | other |
| 21 August 1997 | JP | Epic Records | 4988010766627 | other |
| 2001 | US | Columbia | 888430170827 | other |
| 2001 | CA | Columbia | 074649156428 | other |
| 22 October 2001 | GB | Columbia | 5099750213025 | remaster |
| 6 November 2001 | US | Columbia | 696998618220 | other |
| 5 December 2001 | JP | Epic Records International | 4547366001365 | other |
| 2 June 2004 | JP | Epic Records International | 4562109406528 | other |
| 1 June 2005 | JP | Sony Records International | 4571191051721 | other |
| 15 February 2012 | JP | Sony Records International | 4547366063431 | remaster |
| — | — | Columbia | 5099750213025 | other |
Cover art sources
fanarttv · upscaled: major: best source 1000x1000, upscaled to 1500 (x1.50)
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| fanarttv ✓ | 1000×1000 | upscaled: major: best source 1000x1000, upscaled to 1500 (x1.50) |
| coverartarchive | 600×600 | upscaled |