As much as I rail at completists in rock and the crimes I’ve imagined them committing, like any rock nerd, I’m a bit of a completist myself. We read of edited middle eighths and jams long enough, and sometimes we can’t help but wish they were available for us to hear. For instance, as a huge Beatles fan, I’d love to hear the supposed missing 18 minutes of the Waterga—er, “Helter Skelter.” Has a bootleg version ever existed?
As a Graham Parker and the Rumour fan and a skeptic, I’d love to hear the supposed original recordings of the band’s third album, Stick to Me. The generally DOA sound of that album is attributed to some story about Nick Lowe losing the masters for the original recordings on the tube and the band having to quickly re-record the whole thing. Or something like that. Come on, whoever found those supposedly superior masters, the value of Graham Parker recordings ain’t going any higher. Leak the tapes!
You’ve read the books. You’ve heard the rumors. What legendary recordings, edits, first recordings do you need to hear?
I heard there was an original DOS based version of Rock Town Hall coded on a Commodore 64 in the 80’s. Just a rumor, but I would love to see the comments section.
As a teenager who cut his decaying teeth on this Graham Parker album, Live at Marble Arch, and Howling Wind, I am shocked to find myself asking: Graham Parker, rock and roll porch of fame nominee?
Mikeydread, you’ve hit a nerve with me too! I’ll see that the RTH Foyer of Fame committee takes your nomination under consideration. Thanks, no matter how much it hurts this GP fan to face this realization.
being a completist is like mainlining.
i have enough beatles bootlegs to take me into the next millenium, and even as i’m listening to the AWESOME incomplete take of ‘day tripper’ recorded right before the comparatively safe sounding final take, it just doesn’t satisfy. i just KNOW there’s gotta be more out there.
i’d really like to get my hands on all the masters from the ‘piper at the gates of dawn’ sessions.
When I was a wee little tot running the streets of Memphis, I was shopping at the legendary Legba Records under the ownership of Greg (Oblivian) Cartwright. There on the wall, with a weird slab of cardboard covering it, was a very expensive peice of Jerry Lee Lewis vinyl. Greg had me take the cardboard out as I feast my eyes upon Jerry “getting his stripper on”. It looked like it was recorded sometime in the early 70s. The strippers were on the piano displaying full-frontal. It was a sight to behold.
I have not forgotten these images. If only I’d had about 50 or 60 bucks to drop on such a piece of curiosity.
Who knows? But I sure would love to hear it.
TB
I’d like to hear the aborted sessions for Blur’s second album produced by Andy Partridge.
Before settling on Scott Walker, Pulp tried to record We Love Life with other producers (including Chris Thomas, who produced their prior two albums). I’d like to hear those sessions.
Supposedly, Wilco’s Summerteeth was originally a much rawer, intense album, and they added all the mellotrons because Tweedy thought it was personal to the point of being unpleasant to listen to. I love the finished product with all my heart, but I’m curious all the same.
I always liked Stick To Me. Do you really want to hear these songs with full orchestra? For most of them, the rough and ready approach works great.
I listened to my vinyl transfer last night, and I probably hadn’t heard this album in a while. I agree with some of the back-pedaling on GP. The band sounds great, as always, but he’s such a one-dimensional singer. And the songwriting doesn’t impress as it once did. Without the Rumour the angry young man pose wouldn’t have sounded nearly so compelling.
There’s a way-out-of-print Buddy Holly box set — vinyl only — that has every single last damn thing Buddy ever recorded. It apparently includes a bunch of stuff that, even in this digital age, remains unavailable. I crave this set, though I have no real reason why. I mean, I really like Buddy Holly, but I *know* it would disappoint me.
You know, I want to put a word in about the brouhaha about extended versions, reinserted outros and whatnot.
I first heard “Sweet Jane” and “Rock ‘n’ Roll” when I was in high school. A few years later, during my freshman year in college, Peel Slowly and See came out. So I didn’t really live with those original versions for very long. And truth be told, I think this happens a lot now. The Velvets are one of those bands — like the Beatles and Dylan, but on a smaller level — who are always going to pick up new fans, and at this point, they’re probably not even aware of a version of “Sweet Jane” missing the “heavenly wine and roses” bridge. I’m sure this is all evident, but I just ask for a little perspective, and a little less crotchedy carping over very minor edits. (I mean those two extra bars of guitar on “Rock ‘n’ Roll” are really minor, people!)
In order to alienate people further, let me add that I have never heard a version of “Marquee Moon” with a fade, and it’s fine the way I’ve always heard it. I’d like it even more if the last note had a gong added!
But there are limits, and I’m really glad I’ve never heard this version of “Break on Through” with the “high”s. I always thought he was saying “Shake it!”
Andyr, didn’t you have this Holly box set at one point, or am I thinking of E. Pluribus Gergely?
I had the Holly boxset on LP, and it was beautiful, though it did have inessential stuff like radio interviews.
My legendary recording is something I’ve already heard but want to hear again, also from the same period. I used to have all of those Charly rockabilly reissues. The one on Billy Lee Riley had these great recordings from a later period, maybe early sixties, that are kind of demos. The LP said “unknown,” but I remember reading that it was Riley on all instruments. Riley supposedly claims that these recordings are not his, but the singer is obviously him, and they’re great post-rockabilly rock.
The songs are Nitty Gritty Mississippi, Tallahassee, a cool remake of Kay, and a song called San Francisco Lady. Later I got a 2-CD set (Bear Family?) that also had these recordings. But only one of the two CDs survived Katrina, and it was the other one, the one that had all of the songs you can find on any number of compilations.
Through the miracle of Amazon downloads, I’ve been able to replace all of these but the elusive San Francisco Lady. So if anyone has a copy, please let me know.
The legendary recording I’ve never heard but would most like to is the original version of Beefheart’s Bat Chain Puller album that was rejected by the label. The tracks were eventually reworked and the album came out as Shiny Beast. There were rumors that the original was going to come out, but it is somehow tied up in the Zappa estate.
As big a rock nerd as I am, I think way too much has been put out there by the bands I would care about extra stuff from (Beatles, Costello, Replacements, Tom Petty, Springsteen, Dylan, Byrds)and it goes on and on… With the exception of Springsteen and The Beatles, is there really anything you could not have lived without in these “extras” I got the 1st 4 Motohead CDs with bonus music and the new Replacements reissues and there is nothing that shuold have been put out (or at least they chose the right stuff to leave behind)
Even Costello, I would think that one “lost songs” CD could have done the job over the endless demos, alt versions and throways songs
Jungleland2, I agree that Costello, excepting a few demos and the alternate takes of songs that he released and that were already officially released on Taking Liberties, did not leave any gems off his albums.
One of the many great things I find about The Beatles is that they barely bothered recording outright lousy songs. If only they could have had the good taste to leave half of The White Album in home demo form and in the can for some future anthology.
This thread reminds me that I just bought four CDs of Mark Eitzel/AMC demos and rehearsals. I came across them when I was looking at the American Music Club website the other day. They were relatively cheap, and I want to support him/them, so I bought them direct from their online store.
They’re very interesting, but a lot of this stuff seems almost like study assignments. You’re not going to listen to them often, but if you wanted to spend time tracing a song through several versions you could. Is it ‘fun’? Hard to say.
The new Dylan bootleg series release is mostly early or alternate versions. But it’s nothing like the earliest one, which had unheard Dylan songs in fully realized versions. Those I would say fall into the category of “couldn’t live without.”
BigSteve
I’ve got that Bat Chain Puller version on MP3s. I’ll get it up on the G-mail account in the near future. It is not essential; John French did a lot of the Guitar work and his guitar chops certainly lacked some of the finesse of the guitarists on the final version, but it does have a slightly different track listing, including some stuff that didn’t get out until Ice Cream for Crow.
Thanks for the info on Bat Chain Puller, geo. I recently bought a Drumbo album I didn’t know existed, called City of Refuge. It’s very nice, but it does have Bill Harkleroad (Zoot Horn Rollo) on guitar. I’ve sung the praises of Zoot’s own album (We Saw a Bozo Under the Sea) before, but do not, repeat do NOT, be tempted by the Rockette Morton solo album. He sings.
people’s demos and shit takes are no good to listen to.
Anthology had some neat stuff on it, but no versions that i would rather hear than the album cuts. for all the shitty music I like, I want to listen to versions that people wanted on their albums.
not for any ethical reason, just because finished, produced, overdubbed rock is better.
except for Let It Be Naked.
From the February issue of Mojo comes the news of “the EMI label’s comprehensive reissue campagin of the band’s back catalogue, starting in April with expanded two-disc versions of English Settlement, Skylarking, and Oranges & Lemons…In March, Partridge’s Ape label will also release expanded versions of 25 O’Clock and Psonic Psunspot…and later, XTC rarities set Rag & Bone Buffet and…Explode Together and Beeswax, plus vinyl versions of the expanded XTC LPs.”
My question is this:: can there be anything at this point that can be classified as an XTC rarity?
Al asks:
New material?
I just saw some quote from Andy Partridge the other day saying there shan’t be any new material or XTC reunion, that he’s had a falling out with Colin Moulding, as if reuniting that duo would count as an XTC reunion. Instead, Partridge is planning the release of a box set of alternate mixes of his XTC demos.
The thing about the Costello reissues (the Rhino ones that is) is the presentation. I like the two-disc for the price of one idea. You’ve got the original album, all gussied up for reissue. Then you’ve a bonus disc of stuff that you can live with or without. Most of that stuff is tedious, but at least it’s there for the taking. I like this method better than just randomly sticking some loose crap onto the end of the proper album. I’m all for history, but, to me this practice (albeit finacially sound) disrupts the flow and intent of the original record. The “bonus disc” method actually lets that extra stuff be just that: extra. Now, if you can get away with only charging a dollar or two for that “deluxe” edition, then you’re in the money.
I just can’t decide that I want to pay 25-30 bucks for yet another copy of Murmur (I own three as it is). Essentially, I’ll be paying for that live disc. Decisions decisions…
Now, if you want to go overboard with the completist thing, try collecting all the music released by They Might Be Giants…
TB
Extra tracks tacked onto the end don’t necessarily disrupt the flow, since you can always turn it off after the original tracks have played. remember those XTC reissues that put the bonus tracks in the middle of the running order, between what would have been side one and side two?
I’ve been reading up on the Clash lately, and I’d like to hear the double album mix Mick Jones did called Rat Patrol from Fort Bragg that was cut down to make Combat Rock.
Mod said:
Instead, Partridge is planning the release of a box set of alternate mixes of his XTC demos.
I ask:
Are you *serious*?
I wasn’t being serious, HVB, but that doesn’t mean it won’t come true.
I also prefer the separate bonus disc to the tack-on approach, although now that I’m Mr. iPod and listening to stuff in shuffle mode I guess none of this will matter.
Another completism curse: This new Kinks box set that came out in the UK. I feeel like I should have it, but I don’t think I want it.
Oats, I’d only get it if it has an alternate, German, true stereo version of “Mountain Woman.”