Beastie Boys - The Paul's Boutique Companion

The Beastie's Paul's Boutique is one of my favorite albums of all time. It's an easy desert-island disc pick and should be heard by everyone. I like to tell my girlfriend that when we have kids I intend to play Paul's Boutique as often as possible. I might have to make a clean edit of the disc as I wouldn't want them hearing all the dirty language, but I honestly believe Paul's Boutique is an album that can be enjoyed by young and old alike. I genuinely find the album enjoyable from start to finish and can't imagine my life without it. That said, I'm sure you can imagine how psyched I was when a deluxe reissue was announced last year. Initially, the official Beastie's website featured the cover of their Love, American Style EP and a vinyl-only remix of Shadrach. I, like everyone else, assumed that the album's reissue would have a second disc featuring all the b-sides and remixes featured on the Boutique-era singles, but we were all pretty disappointed when the reissue only contained the album. That said, the reissue was fantastically remastered, featured amazing packaging restoring the photos from the original gatefold vinyl release, all versions came with a free audio commentary by the band themselves and the deluxe digital release came with all the music videos for the album and a high-quality pdf with the album art. All of this was really great, but those non-album tracks are really needing a reissue. Information started circulating about the lack of bonus material and it may stem from legal issues surrounding the samples used in the album. It's been said that the album, if reissued, would not be able to contain any bonus material if a lawsuit was to be avoided. I'm not a lawyer but this sounds plausible enough, so we probably won't see an official reissue of these great non-album tracks, at least not officially.

The official part is what makes services like the internet so great, as people with the necessary technology can now make beautiful, digital replicas of great items like these Paul's Boutique leftovers. I've had a good number of these tracks for some time but decided it was time to put them together for my collection. Of course, one of the first things I thought about posting when I started this blog was this collection of Paul's Boutique rarities and so, finally, I'm posting an abridged version here for the time being. Sometime in the near future I will be posting a significantly larger, mostly lossless version of this collection on a popular torrent site. That version will feature a lot of goodies that can't be included here due to space limitations, and I will let everyone know as soon it is made available and where to find it, but until then, I'm sure you will find this a very enjoyable collection.

I can't take credit for transferring these tracks myself, but I have done a little bit of work to some of the instrumentals and show vinyl. As for the original sources, part of the torrent version is provided courtesy of Miscreant Productions (sorry, not included here), but the instrumentals are taken from the Flavor For Your Ear compilation that is quite popular within the Beastie community. No one seems to be able to find the person who actually compiled the set, but I bought mine from him directly quite a while ago so my copy is second generation to his, which is probably third or fourth. They are said to be taken from a promo cassette that Capital Records produced to possibly be included as a bonus with a reissue of the album in 1989, but nothing came of it and I can't seem to find a better quality copy of them anywhere, apart from the versions on the show vinyl. To make them sound a little nicer I normalized both channels so they would be as close to equal as possible. Now, for purists, I'm sure I've messed up the chain of custody from the original source to now and I've done all this with a lossy copy of the recording, but beggars can't be choosers and I'm sure you'll agree, if you've heard the original mp3s, these sound much better. As for the Show Vinyl, I tweaked it slightly as well due to some skips in the recordings. I won't bother noting these changes as I don't believe you'll notice them, which is how it should be. They were taken from Professor D's site and are lossy sourced, but they sound very nice. You should check his site for other Beastie rarities. As for the rest of the recordings, the b-sides and remixes are taken from excellent quality FLAC rips of the singles that were posted on Oink back in the day. I can't be any more specific than that, sorry, but if you were responsible for posting those, thanks a million! Otherwise, there are slight tweaks on the Hey Ladies composite and the Country Club version of Shadrach, but everything else is untouched.

It's worth noting that the original demo tape presented to Capital is most likely featured as part of the first disc of this collection. The demo consisted of Shake Your Rump, then titled Full Clout, and Car Thief, then titled Dust Joint. These tracks are in the zip but I'm posting them separately in case anyone wants to check these out without downloading the whole set, although you'll want to grab them all after you check these two out!

One last thing, if you're as in love with Paul's Boutique as I am, you should get Dan Leroy's excellent contribution to the 33 1/3 series of books and is dedicated to Paul's Boutique and it's creation. You can find it at Amazon or order it at any of your favorite book stores. Don't think, just buy it! You'll thank me later!


Beastie Boys - The Paul's Boutique Companion (Abridged Edition)
Part One
Part Two
Part Three


Disc 1: Demos and Rough Versions
01 3-Minute Rule (Rough Version)
02 Hello Brooklyn (Rough Version)
03 Johnny Ryall (Demo with Mike D Scratch Vocal)
04 Johnny Ryall (Rough Version)
05 Looking Down The Barrel Of A Gun (Rough Version)
06 Egg Man (Rough Version)
07 The Sounds Of Science (Rough Version)
08 33% God (Get Off The Mic)
09 Full Clout (Shake Your Rump Demo)
10 Dust Joint (Car Thief Demo)
11 Car Thief (Rough Version)

Disc 2: B-Sides and Rarities
01 Shake Your Rump (Video Version)
02 Hey Ladies (Single/Video Composite)
03 33% God
04 Dis Yourself In '89 (Just Do It)
05 Shadrach (Live @ The Country Club)
06 Ask For Janice Pt. 2
07 Caught In The Middle Of A 3-Way Mix
08 And What You Give Is What You Get
09 Some Dumb Cop Gave Me Two Tickets Already
10 Shadrach (Live @ Soul Train)
11 Your Sister's Def
12 Ask For Janice Pt. 3
13 Some Dumb Copy Gave Me Two Tickets Already (45 RPM Version)

Disc 3: Instrumentals
01 Shake Your Rump
02 Johnny Ryall
03 Egg Man
04 High Plains Drifter
05 The Sounds Of Science
06 3-Minute Rule
07 Hey Ladies
08 Looking Down The Barrel Of A Gun
09 Car Thief
10 What Comes Around
11 Shadrach
12 59 Chrystie Street
13 Mike On The Mic

Disc 4: Show Vinyl
01 Shake Your Rump
02 Johnny Ryall
03 Egg Man
04 High Plains Drifter
05 Time To Get Ill
06 The Sounds Of Science
07 3-Minute Rule
08 Hey Ladies
09 Hold It Now, Hit It
10 Untitled



Beastie Boys - Capital Records Demo
Full Clout
Dust Joint

Michael Jackson Dead Of Heart Attack At Age 50 - Last Photo

Pop star Michael Jackson has died. He was 50 years old.

The singer was found unresponsive at his home in California Thursday afternoon. He was rushed to the UCLA medical center but could not be revived. A Los Angeles Fire Department source told reporters that Jackson was in full cardiac arrest when rescue units arrived on scene.

Aides told a doctor that Jackson collapsed after receiving a shot of the drug Demerol. His breathing grew weaker and weaker and suffered a heart attack. Police have opened an investigation into the arrest but stress they do not suspect criminal activity.

His mother, sister Janet Jackson, and other family members rushed to the hospital. This sad news comes the same day we learn that actress Farrah Fawcett has passed away.

Michael was best known for his signature moon walk, thriller video and album, the smash hit song Billy Jean, massive plastic surgery, and his encounters with law enforcement for suspected child molestation at his now famous Neverland Ranch.

Jackson was planning to appear in a sold-out series of concerts in London next month that would have run until March. Promoters of the concerts had recently said that the singer had passed a physical examination to remove any concerns about his health.

Michael is survived by his three younger children, Prince Michael Jackson, Paris Michael Katherine Jackson, and Prince Michael Jackson II.
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The Micronauts - Love

The Micronauts, the musical ones at least, initially consisted of Christophe Monier and George Issakidis making truly spacey, acid flavored house music. They were championed by the Chemical Brothers, got to remix people like Underworld and Death In Vegas, and got a contract with SCIENCE, a subsidiary of Virgin (they were signed to Astralwerks in the US, another Virgin subsidiary). This is all circa 1999/2000, when electronic dance music was at it's commercial peak, so one would be hard-pressed to think that they didn't have the world by the balls, but apart from a single for The Jag and an EP, which was more-or-less a very long remix single, for Baby Wants To Rock, nothing else came of the union. Issakidis left shortly after, but whether he was fired or quit is not clear. What is clear is that while there were still occasional Micronauts remixes, no more singles were released and it appeared that Monier was retiring the name.

A few years ago, much to my surprise, Monier resurrected the Micronauts name, which he apparently owned the rights to in regards to his musical endeavors, and started churning out remixes, EPs and eventually a complete album, Damaging Consent. Unfortunately, little or none of the additional output from the late 90's and early 2000's ever saw the light of day and none of the releases from Baby Wants To Rock back are still available, and they, or at least the ones I've heard, are monsters! Filled with low-ass bass and ridiculous high-frequencies, these early releases are dance floor killers that shouldn't be missed. Their lack of availability has less to do with Monier's feelings about the tracks and more to do with Virgin holding the rights, which is probably the same with their unreleased recordings from that era.

The only verifiably unreleased track from that era that I've been able to find is called Love and I found it in one of Monier's solo dj sets. Apparently, an instrumental portion of the track appeared as part of a long dj set released on an alternate version of a later Micronauts EP, but the full track is yet to see an official release otherwise. The quality of the recording isn't as nice as I'd like it to be, but it's better than not having it. I've also included the single for The Jag which features an insane remix courtesy of Speedy J as well as the Micronauts' remix for the Chemical Brothers' Block Rockin' Beats. If there is enough interest in these tracks I'll also post the Baby Wants To Rock EP, but that's all I've got of the early Micronauts stuff unless someone would be kind enough to provide me with copies of their first two singles prior to The Jag.

The Micronauts - Love

The Micronauts - The Jag
01 The Jag
02 The Jag (Speedy J Remix)

The Chemical Brothers - Block Rockin' Beats (The Micronauts Remix)

Jungle Brothers - Crazy Wisdom Masters REVISITED!!!

Since my last post about the JB's Crazy Wisdom Masters I received several very interesting responses, most notably from David Williams, a studio-man from the original sessions and my pal Skiz who runs WordSound and knows all about the JB's, Sensational and Bill Laswell. A lot of light was shed upon elements of the story which may not have been reported upon correctly, but most of this information has only created more questions. For instance, Mr. Williams reported his involvement in the creation of the basic, sample-sourced tracks for the album and the use of Stockhausen and related samples, yet Skiz insists that Bill and Afrika were the main forces behind this direction in the album's sound. Mr. Williams also reported that he was the source of the Iggy Pop sample featured in "I'm In Love With Indica", stating that it's from the Stooges' Dirt, but there has been a dispute about this as it's been noted that the source track was actually the intro of TV Eye. All of this said, I don't want to make it sound as though I'm doubting Mr. Williams' involvement in the album's production, but as he never responded directly to me I haven't been able to discuss these details with him any further. Maybe this post will bring him back and we can discuss the album further with him, but until then, I have pretty interesting details for you, the fine reader!

A very kind soul, who shall remain nameless, was nice enough to contact and provide me with the opportunity to hear the album. I'm sure this goes without saying but nonetheless, to this wonderful individual I am eternally thankful! That said, even though I can't play you the album, I can discuss details of the album! YAY!!!!!!! Yeah, I know, it's not the same thing, but as I mentioned previously there is still hope the album may see the light of the day in the near future. I'm hoping I might be able to make the near future a little closer, but I'm not trying to give myself props so I'll just get to the details.

First off, it's important to note that the copy of the album I've heard did not contain the title track. I only got to speak with Matt Stein once but he said the title cut was included in the version of the album that was mastered. Of course, this could be a mistake, especially since the title track was to be removed per instructions from Warner Brothers, but until someone else can discuss these details no one can say for sure.

Another important detail, one which has been pointed out by several others who have heard the album, is that the copies in circulation also contain the EP that was created prior to the completion of the album. This appears to be accurate, which brings up questions as to whether Matt Stein was involved in the EP's production.

The biggest details lie in the album and EP as a whole and the differences between them and the versions that appeared on the J. Beez Wit The Remedy album. The first thing I noticed was the difference in production and mixes. As I understand it, Bill Laswell did the final mixes and it shows, as they feature a spacier sound with echo and occasional elements of dub. Laswell's mixes are definitely not radio friendly, which is perfectly fine with me, but it adds to the reasons that Warners declined to release the album as it was. Bob Power's mixes are nice enough and fit better with the sound of early 90's rap, but they lose a lot of the individuality of Laswell's mixes. This said, the flourishes provided by Laswell, Afrika, Stein and everyone else involved add so much to the album's personality, and while I feel there are tracks on ...Remedy that do a good job of this, CWM does it from start to finish.

Before I get to the track by track details of the album, I want to note that Torture, better known as Sensational, is not nearly as involved in the vocal duties as he has been noted in the past. As far as I could tell, Torture only appeared on two tracks, Troopin' On The Down Low and Ra Ra Kid, although I haven't heard anyone dispute his presence with the group. I vaguely recall reading a blurb from an interview with Mike G where he stated that Torture was never a real Jungle Brother, but they wanted to give him a chance at the spotlight. As I said, this is a vague recollection so forgive me if I'm mistaken, but this would speak volumes as to Torture's lack of a presence on the album.

And now..., drum roll please! The track by track breakdown!

01 Simple As That
This is exactly the same as the version from Bill Laswell's first Excavation album. The only difference is the track starts clean with Afrika saying "Goodness!" rather than what sounds like rushing water fading out as he says it.

02 Good Ole Hype Shit
This track is a good example of the most obvious differences between tracks on both the Remedy and CWM albums. On this track in particular, synth lines buried in the Remedy mix are far more audible and give the track a funky vibe. The big difference here though is this version ends far more abruptly than the Remedy one.

03 Book Of Rhyme Pages
This track features lots of interesting percussion samples not featured in the Remedy version. On top of that, some of the sounds that echoed in the Remedy mixes are flat an unembellished here making for a nice, clean sound overall. The only thing I miss from the Remedy version is the breaks in the chorus, but here they're replaced by a funky baritone sax line. Very funky. Also, this one ends with an acapella rendering of the chorus. This should have been a single.

04 JB's Comin' Through
05 Spittin' Wicked Randomness
There two tracks are exactly the same as the versions from the 10" EP. That said, the master sounds a little clearer than the version on Remedy. Also, to avoid confusion, it's worth noting that while on the Payback EP the track was listed only as Spittin' Wicked Randomness it is actually both of these tracks together.

06 Spark A New Flame
This has always been one of my least favorite tracks on Remedy, but here it's quite a standout. The lyrics are so much clearer in the CWM mix and the echo and dubby vibe really make the track. The only part of the CWM mix that doesn't work as strongly as the Remedy mix is the "organ" reference as the actual organ isn't as up front in the mix, but that's a small loss in a version which is SO MUCH STRONGER than the version released.

07 Mysterious Monkey
After a short intro of distorted, confusing voices, Afrika yells out "Somebody fuck me!", followed by he and Mike G having a good laugh. This track seems to be based off the beat from Simple As That but features Afrika and Mike yelling about the "Motherfuckin' Mysterious Monkey". Sometimes they're saying mischevious in place of mysterious. This isn't really a song as much as an experiment with what are probably leftover vocal tracks, but that doesn't make it any less fun. There are a lot of spacey effects in the mix and it sounds like everyone was having a damn good time while they were recording this.

08 Battle Show
Same as the leaked version.

09 I'm In Love With Indica
This version starts with the conversation Afrika is having with "Indica" which appears at the end of the Remedy version. It has an "Egtyptian" or "African" sounding keyboard line which isn't present in the Remedy version at all. The "freak-in-out" part from the beginning of the Remedy version only appears in this version once near the end of the track. There is even an extra final verse! Much stronger than the Remedy version.

10 Ra Ra Kid
11 Peace Ahki
There tracks are exactly the same as the versions circulating, although here you can hear how perfectly they connect with each other.

12 Trials Of An Era
Trials... would be the second song on the EP, following Simple As That. This is the spiritual cousin of Troopin' On The Down Low. The beat changes a few times and it's quite disorienting. The big difference between this and Troopin... is the lack of live instrumentation and how short this track is. Trials... is less than two minutes long. I can see how this would scare the shit out of the label just like Troopin... likely did.

13 Book Of Rhyme Pages (Remix)
This is where things get a little confusing. This doesn't seem to be any different from the other CWM version. There might be a slight difference with the position of the baritone sax in the mix, but that's negligable.

14 Troopin' On The Down Low
15 Hedz At Company Z
These two tracks are exactly the same as the previously leaked versions. It's worth noting, no one seems to know who the other person rapping on Troopin'... is. Any guesses?


I don't know if the EP would have been included on the final release of the album, but it should have been. If the album ended after Peace Ahki it would be about 40 minutes long, making it a little short. Overall, the EP might be a little more experimental than the album on it's own, but all the tracks on Crazy Wisdom Masters are more "out there" than the Bob Power mixes. That said, I'm assuming that tracks like Blahbludify and Man Made Material were Afrika-created leftovers from the later, Matt Stein helmed sessions, but who knows? I would still love the opportunity to speak with Bill Laswell, Afrika and Mike G directly, as well as David Williams and again with Matt Stein, so if you guys are out there and want to chat about this EXCELLENT album, PLEASE DROP ME A LINE!!! This album is far too good to sit in a vault and should be heard by anyone and everyone interested! Let's do something about it!

One more thing before I go, I just wanted to wish Nolan Micron, the fellow who runs the amazing Castles In Space blog, the very best. He has decided to close Castles In Space which is really a shame. It was a site I checked regularly and always had something interesting to listen to and read about. He didn't explain in depth why he's closing it down, but let's hope it's just onward and upward for him and his family. Maybe he'll come back and create another great blog in the near future, but even if he doesn't, I've gotta thank him for running Castles In Space and I hope everything goes his way.

Miles Davis - Panthalassa

Okay, this isn't unreleased, but it's kinda slept on and you should definitely check it out, especially if you enjoyed the other Miles stuff I posted. Also, Bill Laswell is the man!

Sorry for not being around this week. I've been looking at cars, buying a car, arguing about cars, returning the car, getting crap about how large my payment is, getting crap about how I won't get approved anywhere else by an angry salesperson, giving crap about the return of my money and just plain being tired of thinking about cars. Also, "Cars" was the worst Pixar movie but "UP" and "WALL-E" are both excellent. None of that has anything to do with "Panthalassa", but that shouldn't make you wait to download it, so grab it and enjoy!

There will be another Jungle Brothers and CWM-related post real soon. No new music, sorry, but some information that I think everyone will find very interesting.

Oh, one more thing. I'm not going to go on any rants about "I do so much work but don't get any thanks" or any stupid crap like that. I think if you're gonna run a site then you should post your stuff and be happy if people come to check it out. I don't wanna put ads on here and I don't want to put anyone through any crap when downloading the stuff I post. That said, if anyone would like to let me know if they download stuff and what they think about it, I would really appreciate that. Essentially, I just want to know what stuff people have enjoyed and if they found it interesting. I love my readers and truly appreciate your input, so if you've got a hot minute to spare I'd really love it if you'd let me know what you think of some of the stuff that's posted. Also, I do take requests if I have them or can get them, so feel free to ask!

Miles Davis - Panthalassa: The Music Of Miles Davis 1969-1974

01 In A Silent Way / Shhh/Peaceful / It's About That Time
02 Black Satin / What If / Agharta Prelude Dub
03 Rated X / Billy Preston
04 He Loved Him Madly

"Year One" - Review And Trailer - Jack Black And Michael Cera

Summer is here and school is out. That means the beginning of the summer movie blitz - starting with Apatow's "Year One."

Starring Jack Black and Michael Cera you can imagine the type of humor in store. Directed by "Ghost Buster's" Harold Ramis, this film explores what happens when two cavemen are kicked out of their tribe.

In year 1, Zed (Jack Black) and his caveman friend, Oh (Michael Cera), are two bungling cavemen just trying to survive. Zed is a bad hunter with no skills, and Oh is a plant gatherer. Zed is thrown out of his village after he eats the forbidden fruit, and Oh decides to travel with Zed on his heroic journey to the end of the earth.

They find a much different world outside of their prehistoric village. They find themselves wandering in Bible country meeting Cain, Able, Abraham, and other Bible people along the way, and are sold into slavery ending up in Sodom.

There is a definite "Monty Python" look and feel to the film, and the jokes seem to come at breakneck speed at times. Most are funny. Some take a minute to sink in. And others are downright sacrilegious.

You can imagine what happens when they encounter Adam and Eve (Harold Ramis and Rhoda Griffis), Cain and Abel (David Cross and Paul Rudd), and Abraham (Hank Azaria).

In an interview with MTV, Cera described it as a comedy set in Biblical times with Black's character, Zed, looking for some kind of meaning for his life.

Overall, Black and Cera pull it off, and seem to have a summer smash hit on their hands - and probably a cult following.

The movie is rated PG-13 for crude and sexual content throughout, brief strong language and comic violence. This is a last minute change as the original rating had been "R".

Watch "Year One" Movie Trailer


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Miles Davis - 70's Sessions

I love Miles' stuff from the seventies. This isn't to say that I don't like his earlier stuff, but I've always found his electric period to be the most fulfilling. Miles' electric era stems from 1968 through 1976, the year he took an extended break/early retirement. At the time, many people said that Miles was out of his comfort zone and didn't know what he was doing, but time has brought a lot of the naysayers around realizing that he really was on to something and clearly inspired in doing so.

It's easy enough to say that you can take "Bitches Brew" as an introduction to electric Miles, but "Panthalassa", a Bill Laswell conceived compilation covering this era, is far more accurate. Laswell took the original masters and remixed them to make them as clear as possible without losing the vibes of the original releases. He did this brilliantly, even including a few unreleased pieces from the "On The Corner" sessions, but best of all he didn't try to modernize the sound by including any techno or drum'n'bass sounds. There was a companion remix album to "Panthalassa" which did just that, bringing in Jamie Myerson, Doc Scott and King Britt, among others, to make more "club-friendly" tracks, which was an utter failure, but at least an additional Laswell production was included making it worthwhile for the extra fifteen minutes of "On The Corner" extracts.

If you're not familiar with Miles in the seventies, go get the two albums I mentioned above and see how much further you want to explore. For me, I wanted to dive in as deep as I possibly could, which meant spending a lot on expensive imports, at least until Columbia started issuing their beautiful box-sets covering the periods of "Bitches Brew", "On The Corner", "In A Silent Way", "A Tribute To Jack Johnson" and the "Cellar Door Sessions" which were used for "Live-Evil". These sets normally feature the word "Complete" in their names which is generally inaccurate. Don't get me wrong, they're great sets, but when you have to include six or seven discs in a set surrounding an album which was created from sessions upon sessions where the tracks are essentially remixes of these recordings, it becomes really hard to feature everything. It's a shame as these already incredible sets would be beyond belief if they did contain every take, mix and edit created, but it's hard to get people to pay three or four hundred dollars for a set of that size. It sounds like an argument in favor of a digital subscription service where you pay a yearly flat-fee for all the downloads you could want, but until someone can get me a meeting with Rick Rubin I'm sure this won't go anywhere. That said, there are some really nice unreleased recordings from all of these eras in circulation among fans and traders which are as good as it gets until an official release may occur, which is great if, like me, the six or seven discs of each individual box-set isn't enough Miles for you.

It's hard to include everything I've found, which is a lot, especially since some of the material has been released elsewhere, so I've compiled a disc's worth of recordings which have not been officially issued as of yet. Alternate takes of some of the tracks have been issued here and there, but everything in today's post is completely unavailable through standard, official sources, so prepare to get your Miles-fix!

Before I go any further, I want to give a shout to the fabulous Miles Ahead website which has been the source for session dates and band line-ups featured here for each of the tracks. If you want to learn more about Miles, what releases may contain versions of some of these tracks or about some of the available bootlegs featuring unreleased sessions, you definitely want to pay them a visit.

One last note, if you have any additional Miles session recordings and would like to discuss or share them, please drop me a line as I would love to hear from you. I'm especially interested in hearing the complete 1976 recordings and 1978 comeback sessions.

Miles Davis - 70's Sessions
PART ONE
PART TWO
NOTE: The original files have been deleted since they're included in a much larger post located HERE.


March 20, 1970, Columbia Studio, New York
01 So What (incomplete take)
Miles Davis (Trumpet)
Steve Grossman (Soprano Saxophone)
John McLaughlin (Guitar)
Herbie Hancock (Organ)
Dave Holland (Electric Bass)
Lenny White (Drums)

April 7, 1970, Columbia Studio, New York
02 Untitled Original
Miles Davis (Trumpet)
Steve Grossman (Soprano Saxophone)
John McLaughlin (Guitar)
Herbie Hancock (Organ)
Michael Henderson (Electric Bass)
Billy Cobham (Drums)

November 6, 1974, Columbia Studio E, New York
03 Sound (Take 2)
04 What They Do (Take 13)
Miles Davis (Trumpet, Organ)
Sonny Fortune (Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Flute)
Pete Cosey (Guitar, Drums, Percussion)
Reggie Lucas (Guitar)
Dominique Gaumont (Guitar)
Michael Henderson (Electric Bass)
Al Foster (Drums)
James Mtume Forman (Conga, Percussion)

February 27, 1975, Columbia Studio B, New York
05 Turn Of The Century
Miles Davis (Organ)
Sonny Fortune (Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Flute)
Pete Cosey (Guitar, Percussion)
Reggie Lucas (Guitar)
Michael Henderson (Electric Bass)
Al Foster (Drums)
James Mtume Forman (Conga, Percussion)

May 5, 1975, Columbia Studio B, New York
06 Minnie (Takes 3 and 4)
07 Minnie (Take 6 Remix)
10 Untitled Original (Take 2)
Miles Davis (Trumpet, Organ)
Sam Morrison (Tenor Saxophone)
Pete Cosey (Guitar, Percussion)
Reggie Lucas (Guitar)
Michael Henderson (Electric Bass)
Al Foster (Drums)
James Mtume Forman (Conga Percussion)

March 30, 1976, Columbia Studio, New York
08 Untitled Original (Take 3)
09 Untitled Original (Take 5)
11 Song Of Landa (Take 6)
Miles Davis (Organ)
Sam Morrison (Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Flute)
Mark Johnson (Electric Piano)
Pete Cosey (Guitar, Percussion)
Michael Henderson (Electric Bass)
Al Foster (Drums)

December 27, 1976, Unknown Studio
12 TDK Funk (incomplete take)
Miles Davis (Organ)
Pete Cosey (Guitar, Percussion)
Michael Henderson (Electric Bass)
Al Foster (Drums)
NOTE: This session was for a TDK commercial, hence the track's name although it's most-likely a fan or bootlegger attributed name. The trumpet solo is from the issued version of "Calypso Frelimo" recorded September 17, 1973. The rhythm track is an excerpt of "What They Do", take 14, from November 6, 1974. Miles may not have been directly involved in the session that created this track.



NOTE: I erroniously listed track ten as Mother, Dearest Mother, a track from a 1976 session. It is actually an untitled piece from May of 1975, the same session which Minnie is taken from. I haven't changed the file's info but I did correct it on this page, so if you're wondering why track ten is listed out of order here, that's why. It'll be further corrected in a future post which will be expanding upon this topic.

Phil Spector Bald Mug Shot

What do you get when you take the wigs off of flamboyant killer Phil Spector?

A creepy looking 69-year-old killer ready to spend the rest of his life behind bars.

Spector was convicted of second-degree murder in the 2003 death of actress Lana Clarkson at his castle in Alhambra.

He is being processed and evaluated at North Kern State Prison before being sent to his final prison destination. Regulations prohibit wigs and hairpieces unless they are deemed medically necessary.
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The Unheard Music's June 2009 Mixtape

From the moment I started this blog I thought it would be cool to do a mixtape every month or two with interesting stuff that I wouldn't be doing full posts about. This is the first one and I feel pretty good about it. Please let me know what you think about it and, if you like it, I'll try to make sure I post one every month or two. Enjoy!


The Unheard Music - June 2009 Mixtape

01 Liz Phair - White Babies (Answering Machine Version)
Liz's twisted take on "My Bonny" was initially recorded for her Girly-Sound demo tapes. Those recordings are essential but this answering machine recording of the track is a fun alternative. As for the circumstances behind the recording, I've never heard an explanation, so if you know one please let me know.

02 Vanity 6 - Vibrator
We all know that Prince and Vanity were freaks, and this is the kind of track that would have furthered that reputation if it had seen release. Recorded during the early stages of the "Purple Rain"-era sessions that encompassed albums by Sheila E., The Time and Prince himself, Vanity was suppossed to be in the film and another Vanity 6 album was planned for release but Vanity made it clear she wanted more money from Warner Brothers or else she would leave. They didn't give her the money so she left and Prince got Apollonia to take her place in the film and the band, rechristening them Apollonia 6.

03 Beastie Boys - I'm Down
The Beasties and Rick Rubin recorded this tongue-in-cheek cover of the Fab 4's b-side of the "Help" single, but Michael Jackson, who owned a massive chunk of the Beatles' catalogue at the time, declined their request on the premise that he felt their version was a devaluation of the original. Eventually, a slightly different version ended up being leaked to a California radio station, but this was the version intended for "Licensed To Ill".

04 Ween - Where'd The Cheese Go? (Pizza Hut Demo 1)
Believe it or not, Pizza Hut came to Ween asking them to write a jingle for their cheese filled crust pizza. Despite making a rather catchy jingle, Pizza Hut turned it down flat. For a while this was available via the official Ween site.

05 Beck - Death Is Coming To Get You (Folk Version)
This is a funny Beck song in the vein of "Satan Gave Me A Taco". Two recordings of this exist, this being the folkier of the two. This appeared on the "Golden Leftovers" tape.

06 Pizzy Yelliot - Could You Be Loved (Mungolian Jet Set 303 Acid Mix)
It's rather unclear who Pizzy Yelliot is, although I've heard it may be another pseduonym for the Mungolian Jet Set. Regardless, this is a seriously freaky cover of the Bob Marley song. For those unfamiliar with the Mungolian Jet Set, their album is far jazzier than their remixes which are often rather long and trippy, but both sides of their styles are irresistible. If this is your first taste of MJS, you've got to get their remix of the Kreeps "I Just Wanna Break Some Hearts" and their debut album, "Beauty Came To Us In Stone".

07 Autolux - Future Perfect
Title cut for Autolux's first album that doesn't actually appear on the album. This song appeared on their "Demonstration" cd in slightly rougher form, but this version was included as the b-side of their "Here Comes Everybody" single. Great song!

08 J*Davey - Let It Bleed
It's pretty unclear what is up with J*Davey these days. Their two EPs, the first of which was described as a very rough demo despite being lush, dreamy and as sonically deep as anyone could hope for, are the only documents of their studio work as of right now. They signed to Warner Brothers records but nothing has come of that deal yet, so I guess we'll just have to keep waiting, but there are a few great songs they've recorded which don't appear on either of their releases and this is one of them. Let this groove hit you and get next to someone special.

09 Blackalicious - Cheezit Terrorist
This was featured on the original pressings of Blackalicious' "Melodica" EP but was dropped from later pressings due to sample clearance issues. The fidelity of the track is due to it having been taped from a live radio freestyle just as it sounds like it was, not from the track being copied from a bad source.

10 Ween - Where'd The Cheese Go? (Pizza Hut Demo 2)
After being turned down by Pizza Hut with their initial version of this jingle, Ween turned in this significantly more sarcastic version. I don't think I need to tell you what didn't happen next.

11 Steely Dan - The Second Arrangement
Recorded during the "Gaucho" sessions, the majority of the masters of the original version of this song were accidentally erased by an engineer. Becker and Fagen were devestated and initially decided to forget the song, but they were pressed to try to re-record it. They buckled and recorded this fabulous version, but they didn't feel it lived up to the quality of the original and decided not to release it. A sad decision, as this is a heluva song!

12 Cibo Matto - Know Your Chicken (El Diablo Version)
This version of "Know Your Chicken" was most likely a great part of the impetus for the creation of Butter 08, a Cibo side project with Russell Simins, drummer for the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, and their friends. Simins plays drums on this great version recorded for El Diablo Records. It was initially released on a 7" and eventually reissued as part of a cd featuring both of Cibo Matto's El Diablo singles and their then-unreleased improv "Crumbs".

13 Wordsound I Powa - Bury Dem
I'm a fan of my pal Skiz's label, Wordsound Records. This is from a Wordsound super-group, Wordsound I Powa. This did receive an official release and is still available at least digitally as part of their "Transmitting Live From Planet Crooklyn" album. This track is a little crazier than some of the other stuff on the album, but if you like spacey electro-dub stuff, you should definitely check Wordsound I Powa out. I can't seem to find this on iTunes but it is available via Amazon's excellent MP3 site.

14 DJ Brokenwindow - Shit On My Side
DJ Brokenwindow does manual mash-ups, rarely using computers to assist him in assembling his tracks. This is from his "Parallel Universe #1" compilation, of which a sequel is also available via kid606's Violent Turn label. I don't know if this is still in print, but the first volume is tons of crazy fun. This track is a meeting of the Thompson Twins and Eminem's crew, D-12.

15 The Pharcyde - Ya Mama (Matt Dike Remix)
I don't know for certain that this ever received an official release, but if it did I don't know how they got away with it! This is a Matt Dike remix very much in the spirit of "Paul's Boutique" and it tons of fun.

16 Nirvana - Onward Into Countless Battles (aka Dave's Meat Song)
This is basically a Dave Grohl solo track that he recorded during a Nirvana session in Januaryof 1993 while in Rio. Everyone always paints Kurt Cobain to have been rather gloomy, which is confusing since there was a lot of evidence to the contrary, but it's clear that Dave and Krist were always pretty up-beat guys. This is a funny and goody track that I wish had been released on the "With The Lights Out" box-set, but as it's pretty much just Dave, I can see why it would have been ignored.

17 Beck - Death Is Coming To Get You (Hip-Hop Version)
This is the second version of "Death..." and appeared on Beck's "Fresh Meat and Old Slabs" tape which he made for his mother. I don't know that anyone would call this proper hip-hop, what with walls of guitar feedback and pounding percussion, but there is a funky drum loop running under the track and Beck's flow is far more rhythmic than it normally is.

18 Ween - Where'd The Cheese Go? (All Request Live Version)
Ween recorded this nutty version of "Cheese..." during an online performance that was comprised completely of requests. This is easily the funniest and goofiest version of the song and should be enjoyed by all. The "All Request Live" show received an official release and is available via iTunes.

19 Marilyn Chambers - Benihana
This is the late Marilyn Chambers' attempt to enter the disco market alongside Andrea True and her classic "More, More, More". This track didn't really go anywhere and is kind of rare, but it's been mentioned quite a bit since her death earlier this year. I like this one and it should get more props for being what it is, a fun and catchy dance song with a good dose of sexuality. In fact, it might be too sexual, but it's still a great tune.

20 The Clovers - The Rotten Cocksuckers Ball
I learned of this song through a compilation of R&B singles that influenced the young Frank Zappa. It's just as dirty as it's name should make you think it is, which is still pretty dirty these days and had to be insanely dirty when it was originally released. So, if you're easily offended, skip this track. If you can laugh at obscenities, please check this out!

Adam Lambert Admits He Is Gay

American Idol runner up Adam Lambert has finally come clean with what most of us already suspected - he is gay.

Lambert tells Rolling Stone Magazine:

"I don't think it should be a surprise for anyone to hear I'm gay. I've been living in Los Angeles for eight years as a gay man. I've been at clubs drunk making out with somebody in the corner."

As for the scandal over photos of him in drag that appeared on the Internet this spring, he says he forgot to take down photos from his profile on a social network for the Burning Man festival in Nevada. He admits, "I've only dressed in drag three or four times. ... I don't tuck and wear breasts, that's not me."

Lambert also told the magazine that at age 21 he was in a European tour of Hair for six months. That was when he dyed his hair black and started smoking pot and doing Ecstasy. But he says he does not like cocaine.

Ah yes, a good clean American boy.
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IMPORTANT!!!: WE INTERRUPT YOUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAM

Ladies and Gentlemen, if I could have but a minute (or two) of your attention...

We here at The Unheard Music, well, really just me, are dedicated to posting rare and unreleased creations by artists we know and love, are fascinated with, and, in the case of Sheryl Crow, are rather disgusted with and want to mock with much joy in our hearts. The disgust line only refers to Sheryl Crow, as I wouldn't run a site of this sort if I didn't love the music I was talking about. All of this said, what would you say if there was a possibility of one or more of the releases discussed here seeing an official release? I'm looking into the potential release of one of the discussed albums if not several of them via an official channel but I first want to know if there is enough interest to proceed forward. I would like you, the reader (hopefully there is more than one of you) to reply to this post and let me know if you would be interested in seeing any of the albums that have been posted here officially released.

As of right now, I'm starting to look into details surrounding the Jungle Brothers "Crazy Wisdom Masters" and Juliana Hatfield's "God's Foot". None of this is to say that I will necessarily be successful, but if you don't try you never know what could have happened. Please drop me a line either in this topic or via e-mail and let me know how you feel about the pursuit of an official release of either of these albums or anything else that has been posted here on the blog. Your input is VERY IMPORTANT and GREATLY APPRECIATED! Thank you!

Another post will be appearing either later tonight or early tomorrow, so...

WE NOW RESUME OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAM

Steven Colbert Shaves His Head For Iraq Shows

Comedy Central comedian and funnyman Steven Colbert is off to Camp Victory in Baghdad this week to tape his shows and entertain the troops.

After weeks of super secrecy, a little bit of news has leaked out - the host of "The Colbert Report" has shaved his head military style!

That's right. The ultra conservative comedian, wearing a camouflage suit, had General Raymond Odierno shave his head during the first show.

The four shows are being taped in the domed marble hall at Saddam Hussein's former Al Faw Palace will air this week starting Monday.

Colbert has promoted the trip for weeks, but only vaguely because the military urged caution and would not let him divulge much information.

Instead, he introduced segments with the theme: "Where in the World and When in Time is Stephen Colbert Going to Be in the Persian Gulf?"

The shows are the first ever cable comedy show to be broadcast and transmitted from a war zone.

Way to go Steven!
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Public Image Limited - Commercial Zone

Public Image Limited is difficult to explain even when you know the facts. Started with John Lydon, after leaving the Sex Pistols, and his buddy Keith Levene, an early member of The Clash, PiL, as it was abbreviated, was said to be a company, not a band. Despite this statement, they nonetheless performed and toured as a band and wrote songs which were released for public consumption. Jah Wobble, a childhood friend of Lydon's, was brought on as the bass player despite lacking any knowledge of how to play the instrument, although he did rather well for himself. Martin Atkins later became the drummer and blew people away on a regular basis. Jeanette Lee was also a member of PiL, although she worked with visual aids rather than writing music or performing. Eventually, everyone got fired or left on their own volition leaving Lydon the sole active member. PiL went from being corporate minded to being what would generally be identified as a late-eighties and early-nineties alternative rock-band. The band, or company, or Lydon, depending on how you like to think of PiL, hasn't recorded or released any new material since the early nineties, leading many to believe that it is over and finished, although Lydon has went on record to state that PiL is on "hiatus" and may eventually return. Since said "hiatus", he has released one solo album, in which he played just about every instrument and wrote every song, and is working on a second one when he's not doing whatever he normally does.

I hope I didn't come off rough about Lydon in my brief history of PiL as I actually like the guy. I think he's genuinely creative, interesting and intelligent, despite what many people say or what his "public image" says about him. That said, as obvious as it may be that PiL would never have existed without him, the participation of ex-members Keith Levene, Jah Wobble and Martin Atkins is just as important and should not be discounted. Keith is just as essential, if not more so, to the origins of PiL than Lydon, and his playing and use of then-new technologies like samplers inspired a lot of the post-punk and post-rock sounds coming out of the early eighties. He is also the party responsible for the existence of "Commercial Zone" as we know it.

In 1981 and 1982, PiL had reconvened to begin recording a new album. Lydon had a role in a film called "Copkiller" starring Harvey Keitel and began writing a piece named "The Slab" which was later renamed "The Order Of Death" to possibly be used in the film, or at least that's what is commonly accepted at the truth. During this period, Lydon and Atkins were doing more of the writing and production on the new recordings, leaving Levene out or removing his contributions. Levene, understandably, was not happy with this and decided to leave the band, but not before making off with a copy of the masters for the then unfinished album. He tried to get Richard Branson, head of Virgin Records, to release the material as the new PiL album, but Lydon intervened and Branson refused, leading Levene to move back to the US and release it there as "Commercial Zone". Lydon and Atkins were furious, claiming they owned the rights to the recordings which they probably did. Levene didn't seem too bothered by it and, when the then-current PiL lineup decided to release their new album, "This Is What You Want... This Is What You Get" in 1984, Levene reissued "Commercial Zone" as a limited edition release with a slightly altered track order and at least one song shortened. PiL successfully forced "Commercial Zone" out of print permanently shortly after it's reissue, but it became fodder for bootleggers and mythical to anyone interested in the band, Lydon or Levene.

What I'm posting here today is a copy of the original issued version of the "Commercial Zone" album. I quite enjoy this album and feel it's a shame it most likely won't ever see an official release, but there are high quality copies floating around so at least we have those. I am also posting a collection of unreleased recordings from this same period of time that showed up online in 2006. Initially, this collection consisted of a live show from an unknown date, a rehearsal for the 1983 lineup's tour, and the aforementioned unreleased recordings which are clearly from the same era as the recording of the "Commercial Zone" album. Some of the tracks are alternate versions of the CZ tracks, many of them are untitled instrumentals. There has been speculation that these CZ tracks and instrumentals may have been intended for the "Copkiller" film, but this has never been verified. There is an alternate version of the "This Is What You Want..." track "1981" and the full "Flowers Of Romance" single despite it having been officially released. I've also included a track generally identified by fans as "Vampire", an instrumental featuring Martin Atkins' percussion with sound effects described by him as sounding like "dinosaurs". These sounds were achieved by Atkins recording the sound of him drinking bottled water and then slowing it down significantly. Also, this track was, for reasons unclear, included on the rehearsal recording, but is definitely a studio recording and actually dates from the "Flowers Of Romance" sessions. So calling this second collection "Commercial Zone Demos" or outtakes isn't quite accurate, since while the majority of them are from that period, several of them have nothing to do with that album, but the name sticks since that is what it is commonly referred to as online.

If you want to learn more about Public Image Limited, Lydon, Levene, Atkins, Wobble and anything else related to the PiL universe, I suggest you visit the astoundingly detailed Fodderstompf site. I'm sure you will find their details of the "Commercial Zone" debacle far more detailed than my own, but as I'm not running a PiL-specific site I think I can be forgiven. Enjoy!

Public Image Limited - Commercial Zone

01 Love Song
02 Mad Max
03 Bad Night
04 Solitaire
05 The Slab
06 Lou Reed Pt. 1
07 Lou Reed Pt. 2
08 Blue Water
09 Miller Hi-Life


Public Image Limited - Commercial Zone Demos and Outtakes

01 The Slab
02 Instrumental #1
03 Instrumental #2
04 Bad Night
05 Instrumental #3
06 Instrumental #4
07 Bad Night/Love Song
08 Instrumental #5
09 Instrumental #6
10 Instrumental #7
11 1981
12 Flowers Of Romance (Single Version)
13 Flowers Of Romance (Instrumental)
14 Vampire

Actor David Carradine Dead In Thailand

Update: It is looking more and more like David died by accident either from a bondage fetish, or an auto-erotica asphyxiation session.

His third wife, Gail Jensen, has come forward telling the press the actor was into some strange things:

"David was pretty strange. He liked to get tied up. He would tie himself up and I would walk in and see him and say 'Oh my God, David, you got to be kidding me - and I would turn around and walk out.

I would leave him to his own sexual devices. He liked to be tied up. And he could tie himself up ... He spent days planning a different feature. He would go to a hardware store and buy the stuff."

Last week, a Thai publication called Thai Rath published what it said was the death photo taken by officials at the scene. The death picture showed a man hanging by his neck with his hands tied above his head. It is noy clear if the man hanging in the picture is Carradine.


Actor David Carradine Found Dead In Thailand - Hanging In A Closet

Kung Fu actor and celebrity David Carradine has been found dead in a Thailand hotel - naked with a rope around his neck.

An autopsy has been scheduled for Friday.

Carradine, 72, who was in Bangkok filming his latest movie, had commented back in 2004 that he had thought about suicide. But everybody around him on his current film project said he was in great spirits and in a good mood over the last days and weeks.

David had been staying at the Swissotel Nai Lert Park hotel in Bangkok.

Reports have surfaced that a hotel maid found his naked body hanging inside a closet with a rope around his neck. Officials say he had been dead for at least 12 hours.

The actor had been busy, with no less then seven projects in their final stages of production, including "Night Of The Templar", about a Medieval Knight who is resurrected to fulfill his vow and bestow a blood-thirst vengeance upon the kindred spirits of those who betrayed him long ago.

According to an IMDB list of his projects, the actor has appeared in over 200 movie and television projects since 1963, becoming famous for his roles in "Kung Fu" and the Quentin Tarantino "Kill Bill" franchise.

In "Kill Bill - Vol. 2," (2004), his character comes face to face with Bill himself. The role brought Carradine a Golden Globe nomination for best supporting actor.

Carradine was a leading member of a respected Hollywood acting family that included his father, John Carradine and brother Keith.
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Self - Ornament & Crime

Matt Mahaffey is Self. That's not to say that other people don't contribute to Self or that the band doesn't consist of others at times, but without Matt, Self would not exist. Sadly, at this point, Self barely does exist, and while that has to do with personal issues a lot of it also stems from the non-release of their fifth proper album.

Mahaffey and Self originate from Murfreesboro, Tennessee and were signed to independent label, Spongebath Records. Their first full length, "Subliminal Plastic Motives", was released in conjunction with Spongebath and Zoo Records, though they began releasing albums through Spongebath independently, posting free collections of unreleased songs and providing music for film and commercial work. Eventually, Dreamworks Records came calling and a deal was made leading to Self's first major label release, "Breakfast With Girls". The album wasn't a big seller and there was pressure from the label to deliver a hit, so Matt moved to LA to be closer to Dreamworks. He began working very closely with his A&R and other label people to choose the perfect songs for his pop masterpiece even though it was a compromise that he didn't want artistically. Nonetheless, he knew how great this could be for the band if this got him radio and video play and finished the album.

The story, as Matt told it, is the day he went to turn the final album in to the label he entered the building to find that Dreamworks had just announced it was closing the music distribution end of their organization and would not be releasing any new albums at this time. Dreamworks Records was part of the Universal Records family of labels and select bands and artists had their contracts transferred to other labels immediately. Self was not one of those bands and Universal would not relinquish the rights to the album without a significant payment which Matt did not have. As if this wasn't bad enough news, in 2005, Mike, Matt's brother and a regular contributor to the band, died unexpectedly.

Grieving and frustrated with his album's non-release, Matt started working with Jeff Turzo, previously of God Lives Underwater, as a production duo and band under the name Wired All Wrong. Matt considers the group to be an artistic rebirth, especially since his involvement in the band, unlike Self, is a partnership and he doesn't handle the production or songwriting duties on his own. Also, in Jeff Turzo he has a partner who has gone through a similar situation with the death of his friend and fellow GLU-bandmate, David Reilly.

Regardless of the success of Wired All Wrong, Self is still Matt's band and he would like to see their fifth album, "Ornament & Crime", receive a proper release. He has also tried to release a dvd of Self concerts from recent years but that has suffered similar setbacks as well. Understandably, Matt would like to see these Self-related projects released, but it looks more unlikely as time goes by, especially with Wired All Wrong becoming more successful along with his other film, television and production duties.

"Ornament & Crime" has had two leaks, the first being a collection of early versions and rough mixes, and the second being the finished album. I'm posting the finished album here today, but it should be noted that it's not believed to be mastered and the sequence may not be finalized. On top of that, if you enjoy the album as it is you should definitely download "Porno, Mint & Grime", the companion collection of outtakes and unused tracks from the O&C-era which is available for free at the EXCELLENT Self fan-site, Selfies.

It's been said on several occasions that Matt wishes the album hadn't leaked as he still hopes for it to be released in one way or another, but the longer the wait the less likely it becomes that this will happen. Nonetheless, you should definitely support Matt if you can by buying Wired All Wrong's releases or Self releases when they are available. Most Self releases are out of print, but some of them may see reissue soon, at least digitally, as two of them, including the amazing "Gizmodgery", were independent releases via Spongebath. Who knows, if there is enough support behind Matt's current releases, "Ornament & Crime" may eventually see release as at least a digital download!


Self - Ornament & Crime

01 LA Radio
02 Hellbent
03 Emotional
04 Insecure Sober
05 Pathetic
06 How Can I Make You Happy?
07 Can't Go On
08 Coming Over
09 No One Knows You
10 Grow Up
11 The Pounding Truth
12 Out With A Bang

Late! - Pocketwatch

If you like early Foo Fighters, you'll definitely like Late! That's because it's Dave Grohl prior to Saint Cobain's death. I know, many of you were probably well aware of this and I have offended your sensibilities. My apologies, I just like to inject a little humor from time to time.

Anyway, Late! was Dave's project from 1992 and was released only as a cassette through the long-deceased Simple Machines label. As with the first Foo Fighters album, Dave played all instruments and wrote almost everything, which historically drummers are not known for, but our Dave was a man of many unknown talents and would introduce them to us over the next decade or so, but in 1992 he was having fun during his off-time with Nirvana and, not trying to upstage his day-job, quietly released the "Pocketwatch" cassette as a mail-order only item. At the time it certainly looked like it would be a Nirvana-related rarity that only the die-hardest of fans would show interest in, but of course time told a different story.

For the most part, these songs have all lurked in obscurity on bootleg compilations, trader lists and sharing blogs :) but a few actually found release in one form another. Most notable of the few released tracks was "Color Pictures Of A Marigold" which was re-recorded by Nirvana as "Marigold" during the "In Utero" sessions and featured Dave on vocals. It was released as a b-side but fans definitely liked it. "Marigold" was again re-recorded along with "Friend Of A Friend" for the Foo Fighters' "Skin and Bones" acoustic album in 2006, and "Just Another Story About Skeeter Thompson" was somewhat misleadingly released on The Melvins' "King Buzzo" EP in 1992 as "Skeeter", even though it was only a remix of Dave's Late! version and featured no participation from The Melvins. "Winnebago" was also re-recorded and saw release as an early Foo Fighters b-side, although there isn't anything terribly different about it apart from a mid-track shout-out to someone named either Chad or Gregg who supposedly wrote the lyrics.

After the Foo Fighters became popular, the "Pocketwatch" cassette was widely bootlegged on b-side and rarities compilations and often listed as the "Pocketwatch Demos". Misleading information from a bootleg? Shocking! But to be serious, that's how legends are created only to be broken by the hardest of the hard-core fans who find the true stories about where the songs came from and provide me with the backing knowledge to write this blog. Aww, did I just reveal part of my secret? In all honesty though, I've known about the "Pocketwatch" cassette since 1996 when a fellow Bowling Green attendee turned me on to them when it became clear we were both Nirvana fans. I never got ANYTHING from that redhead I was trying to lure from his dorm, but knowledge was gained, a friendship was born and a lo-fi dub of the "Pocketwatch" cassette came into my possession.

This is a very good quality rip of the "Pocketwatch" cassette taken from a lossless source, but said lossless source was a bootleg cd so it's not as if I own an original cassette. On top of that, for the audio purists out there, since the album was released as a cassette in the first place the quality of any release will never achieve cd-quality if it's transferred from a consumer-grade cassette, so I'm sorry if I'm trampling on anyone's hopes and dreams here, but those are the facts. Regardless, I hope you enjoy this release for what it is, a snapshot of Dave Grohl's solo-excursions prior to his seriously considering them as a full-time job. These tracks showed a lot of promise in their time so it's no wonder that at least four of them have seen a release of some sort.


Late! - Pocketwatch

01 Pokey The Little Puppy
02 Petrol CB
03 Friend Of A Friend
04 Throwing Needles
05 Just Another Story About Skeeter Thompson
06 Color Pictures Of A Marigold
07 Hell's Garden
08 Winnebago
09 Bruce
10 Milk