Tag: alt-cuts and b-sides

Bob Dylan – The Guam Rehearsals (xx/xx/76)

Bob Dylan
The Guam Rehearsals
Several venues/locations
1976-xx-xx

CD 1:
S.I.R. Studio rehearsals, Los Angeles, CA, 1976-01-22 (Rehearsals for the second Hurricane Carter Benefit concert):
01. You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere
02. One More Cup of Coffee
03. Oh Sister
04. Sara
05. Mozambique

S.I.R. Studio rehearsals, Los Angeles, CA, 1976-01-23 (Rehearsals for the second Hurricane Carter Benefit concert):
06. Just Like a Woman 01
07. Just Like a Woman 02
08. Just Like a Woman 03
09. Just Like a Woman 04
10. Just Like a Woman 05
11. Just Like a Woman 06
12. Loving You is Sweeter Than Ever (Danko)
13. Mad Man (Soles)
14. It Makes No Difference (Danko)
15. (unidentified 01)
16. (unidentified 02)
17. (unidentified 03)
18. Silver Mantis (Burnette)
19. When I Paint My Masterpiece
20. Maggie’s Farm 01
21. Maggie’s Farm 02
22. Maggie’s Farm 03
23. One Too Many Mornings
24. Romance In Durango

CD 2:
S.I.R. Studio rehearsals, Los Angeles, CA, 1976-01-23:
01. Isis 01 76-01-23
02. Isis 02
03. Isis 03
04. Isis 04
05. Positively 4th Street
06. Oh Sister 01
07. One More Cup Of Coffee
08. Sara
09. Just Like a Woman07
10. Hurricane
11. Lay Lady Lay 01
12. Lay Lady Lay 02
13. Oh Sister 02

CD 3:
Belleview Biltmore Hotel Rehearsals, Clearwater, FL, probably 1976-04-12:
01. I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight 01
02. I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight 02
03. Vincent Van Gogh
04. I Pity The Poor Immigrant 01
05. I Pity The Poor Immigrant 02
06. I Pity The Poor Immigrant 03
07. Blowin’ In The Wind 01
08. I Pity The Poor Immigrant 04
09. Blowin’ In The Wind 02
10. I Pity The Poor Immigrant 05
11. Blowin’ In The Wind 03
12. I Pity The Poor Immigrant 06
13. Blowin’ In The Wind 04

CD 4:
Belleview Biltmore Hotel Rehearsals, Clearwater, FL, 1976-04-15:
01. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues 01
02. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues 02
03. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues 03
04. The Sun Is Shining
05. Lay Lady Lay
06. One More Cup Of Coffee 01
07. One More Cup Of Coffee 02
08. It Takes A Lot To Laugh
09. The Ballad Of Hollis Brown
10. Hold Me In Your Arms
11. Mozambique

CD 5:
Belleview Biltmore Hotel Rehearsals, Clearwater, FL, 1976-04-15:
01. Idiot Wind
02. One More Cup Of Coffee 03
03. Shelter From The Storm
04. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues 04
05. Isis
06. Rita May 01
07. I Threw It All Away 01
08. (instrumental 01)

CD 6:
Belleview Biltmore Hotel Rehearsals, Clearwater, FL, 1976-04-17:
01. Stuck Inside Of Mobile
02. Going Going Gone 01
03. Just Like a Woman01
04. Just Like a Woman02
05. I Threw It All Away
06. Going Going Gone 02
07. Going Going Gone 03
08. Going Going Gone 04
09. Going Going Gone 05
10. Going Going Gone 06
11. One More Cup Of Coffee 01
12. One More Cup Of Coffee 02
13. Tomorrow Is A Long Time
14. Mozambique 01
15. Mozambique 02
16. Mozambique 03
17. Mozambique 04
18. (unidentified 01)
19. Lay Lady Lay
20. (unidentified 02)
21. Idiot Wind
22. I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight 01
23. I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight 02
24. I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight 03
25. I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight 04

CD 7:
Belleview Biltmore Hotel Rehearsals, Clearwater, FL, 1976-04-17:
01. Maggie’s Farm
02. One Too Many Mornings
03. Seven Days
04. Going Going Gone 07
05. Going Going Gone 08
06. Sara
07. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues
08. It Takes A Lot To Laugh
09. You Angel You 01
10. You Angel You 02

CD 8:
Belleview Biltmore Hotel Rehearsals, Clearwater, FL, 1976-04-xx
01. Stuck Inside Of Mobile 01
02. Stuck Inside Of Mobile 02
03. Stuck Inside Of Mobile 03
04. Stuck Inside Of Mobile 04
05. Stuck Inside Of Mobile 05
06. Stuck Inside Of Mobile 06
07. Stuck Inside Of Mobile 07
08. Stuck Inside Of Mobile 08
09. Stuck Inside Of Mobile 09
10. Stuck Inside Of Mobile 10
11. Stuck Inside Of Mobile 11
12. Stuck Inside Of Mobile 12
13. Stuck Inside Of Mobile 13
14. Stuck Inside Of Mobile 14
15. Stuck Inside Of Mobile 15
16. Stuck Inside Of Mobile 16
17. Stuck Inside Of Mobile 17

Rehearsals, Fort Collins, CO, probably 1976-05-23
18. Rita May 02
19. I Threw It All Away 02
20. (instrumental 02)
21. (instrumental 03)

CD 9:
Rehearsals, Fort Collins, CO, probably 1976-05-23
01. Just Like a Woman 01
02. Just Like a Woman 02
03. Just Like a Woman 03
04. Just Like a Woman 04
05. Just Like a Woman 05
06. Just Like a Woman 06
07. Tangled Up In Blue 01
08. Tangled Up In Blue 02
09. Tangled Up In Blue 03
10. Tangled Up In Blue 04
11. Tangled Up In Blue 05
12. Tangled Up In Blue 06
13. Tangled Up In Blue 07
14. Just Like a Woman 07
15. Just Like a Woman 08
16. Just Like a Woman 09
17. Just Like a Woman 10
18. Just Like a Woman 11
19. Tangled Up In Blue 08
20. Tangled Up In Blue 09
21. Tangled Up In Blue 10
22. Tangled Up In Blue 11
23. Just Like a Woman 12
24. Just Like a Woman 13
25. Tangled Up In Blue 12

26. Spanish Is The Loving Tongue (1976-03-30)*
27. Idiot Wind (1976-03-30)*
28. Seven Days (1976-04-17)*

Total time = 442:21

Source 1:

LB-3237 (+ LB-8568)*

First off, if you favor this time period in Dylan’s life, then consider checking this pdf document:

Click to access RTR%20Tour%20Guide%20Letter.pdf

neilyoungson posted this compilation in Sept. ’11 and it fell off the tracker on Nov. ’12.

I thought, after more than a 2 year absence, it was time to bring it back for those new to the site since then. I checked with Olaf’s Files and none of it appears to have been commercially released.

No audio has been changed.

These comments were authored by others: “The track listing is approximate as it is a rehearsal. Sometimes verses (and even phrases) are practiced, so where one track finishes and another starts is fairly arbitrary. There is a female singing backup vocals. It is not Joan Baez so I presume it is Donna Weiss. The versions of Just Like a Woman and Tangled up in Blue are very interesting. They are clearly practicing the version of Tangled that was performed at Ft Collins. It has interesting tempo changes with each verse and Dylan systematically works through each verse to get a rhythm he is happy with. Unfortunately the version of Just Like a Woman (with similar tempo changes) only gets one live performance at Salt Lake City and there is no circulating tape of that show.Exact numbers of takes of particular songs are essentially arbitrary, because Dylan sometimes stopped songs to repeat passages with problems, sometimes completed songs and returned to problem spots. Dylan also occasionally sang, hummed, or played a short portion of the opening of a song before trying a full version; those fragments are not listed separately. This project initially circulated without a specific title.”

Source 2:

LB-8568

Source 3:

Going Going Guam

Only contains four disks. Here’s the track list:

Tracklist
1-1 You Ain’t Going Nowhere 0:38
1-2 Oh Sister (1) 3:25
1-3 Oh Sister (2) 3:03
1-4 Sara (1) 4:03
1-5 Mozambique 2:28
1-6 Just Like A Woman (1) 6:04
1-7 Just Like A Woman (2) 1:48
1-8 When I Paint My Masterpiece 4:29
1-9 Maggie’s Farm (1) 2:48
1-10 Maggie’s Farm (2) 4:02
1-11 One Too Many Mornings (1) 3:14
1-12 One Too Many Mornings (2) 0:50
1-13 Romance In Durango 4:29
1-14 Isis (1) 3:11
1-15 Isis (2) 5:23
1-16 Positively 4th Street 3:52
1-17 Oh Sister (3) 1:43
1-18 Oh Sister (4) 1:26
1-19 One More Cup Of Coffee 3:40
1-20 Sara (2) 4:32
1-21 Just Like A Woman (3) 5:37
1-22 Hurricane 7:26
2-1 Just Like Tom Thumbs Blues (1) 5:54
2-2 The Sun Is Shining 4:39
2-3 Lay Lady Lay 5:22
2-4 One More Cup Of Coffee (1) 4:35
2-5 It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry 4:12
2-6 Ballad Of Hollis Brown 9:35
2-7 Hold Me In Your Arms 5:37
2-8 Mozambique 2:11
2-9 Idiot Wind 7:02
2-10 One More Cup Of Coffee (2) 3:26
2-11 Shelter From The Storm 6:13
2-12 Just Like Tom Thumbs Blues (2) 4:33
2-13 Isis 8:16
2-14 Rita Mae 2:31
2-15 I Threw It All Away 4:32
3-1 I Threw It All Away 5:49
3-2 Going Going Gone (1) 6:23
3-3 Going Going Gone (2) 2:31
3-4 Going Going Gone (3) 6:08
3-5 One More Cup Of Coffee (1) 3:13
3-6 One More Cup Of Coffee (2) 1:35
3-7 Tomorrow Is A Long Time 4:01
3-8 Mozambique (1) 2:30
3-9 Mozambique (2) 2:03
3-10 Mozambique (3) 0:51
3-11 Lay Lady Lay 4:44
3-12 Idiot Wind 3:21
3-13 I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight (1) 1:29
3-14 I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight (2) 10:00
3-15 Maggie’s Farm 6:11
3-16 One Too Many Mornings 5:27
3-17 Seven Days 5:54
3-18 Going Going Gone (4) 6:42
3-19 Studio Chatter 6:00
4-1 Lay Lady Lay 5:29
4-2 Spanish Is The Loving Tongue/Adelita 1:43
4-3 Idiot Wind 2:18
4-4 I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight 7:21
4-5 Where Did Vincent Van Gogh? 2:33
4-6 I Pity The Poor Immigrant (1) 2:16
4-7 Blowin’ In The Wind (1) 1:22
4-8 I Pity The Poor Immigrant (2) 2:25
4-9 Blowin’ In The Wind (2) 3:35
4-10 Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again (1) 0:54
4-11 Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again (2) 4:59
4-12 Sara 0:52
4-13 Just Like Tom Thumbs Blues 3:15
4-14 It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry 3:22
4-15 You Angel You (1) 3:32
4-16 You Angel You (2) 0:57
4-17 Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again 3:23
4-18 Seven Days 2:35
4-19 Just Like A Woman (1) 2:36
4-20 Just Like A Woman (2) 5:30
4-21 Tangled Up In Blue (1) 4:30
4-22 Tangled Up In Blue (2) 1:22
4-23 One More Cup Of Coffee 7:20
4-24 Most Likely You’ll Go Your Way (And I’ll Go Mine)

Eric Clapton – Los Angles, CA (xx/xx/86) – August Sessions

Eric Clapton – The Slowhand Masterfile 12
August Sessions
Los Angeles, Ca.
April-May 1986 – Antrabata – SB 5

Track List

Walk Away
Miss You
Take a Chance
Run
Bad Influence
Hung Up On Your Love
Grand Illusion
Wanna Make Love to You
Walking the White Line
Holy Mother
The Mask
Hold On
Lady From Verona

SBD>?>SILVER CD>CDR>EAC>FLAC
Thanks again to MainlineFla!!!
Beautiful alternate versions(mostly instrumentals)!!!
EC does some experimenting with the tempo on several tracks, also some excellent guitar!!!

Van Morrison – Laughing in the Wind: Van Morrison Gets His Chance to Wail, Vol. 1

Van Morrison
Laughing in the Wind
Van Morrison Gets His Change to Wail, Vol. 1

I previously posted Vol., 2 here.

1. Ballerina
2. Domino
3. If I Ever Need Someone
4. These Dreams of You
5. And It Stoned MeCome Running
6 Come Running
7. Bit By Bit
8. Hey Where Are You
9. Lorna
10. I Need Your Kind of Loving
11. Rocky & Roll
12. Funny Face
13. I Shall Sing
14. Laughing in the Wind
15. Street Theory
16. Foggy Mountain Top
17. There There Child
18. It Hurts To Want It So Bad
19. Feedback on Highway 101

Tracks 1-12 – Studio Demos, Recorded 1969 – 1970
Tracks 13 – 19 Studio Recordings, 1974 – 1975

Simon & Garfunkel – Overs 1964 – 1970: Live, Studio and Demos

SIMON & GARFUNKEL
Overs 1964-1970
Live, studio and demos and studio sessions

Disc One:
1. Bleecker Street
2. Kathy’s Song
3. Bleecker Street
4. Sparrow
5. A Most Peculiar Man
6. Sparrow
7. Tom Wilson Rap
8. Somewhere They Can’t Find Me
9. Bad News Feeling
10. I Wish You Could Be Here
11. Blues Run The Game
12. For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her – take 3
13. For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her – take 4
14. For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her – take 5
15. For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her – take 6
16. For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her – take 7
17. For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her – take 8
18. For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her – take 9
19. For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her – take 10
20. For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her – take 11
21. For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her – take 12
22. For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her – take 13
23. For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her – take 14
24. Overs – take 4
25. Overs – take 5
26. Overs – take 6
27. Overs – take 7
28. Overs – take 8
29. Overs – take 9
30. You Don’t Know Where Your Interest Lies

Disc Two:
1. A Poem On The Underground Wall
2. Red Rubber Ball
3. Blessed
4. Anji
5. A Church Is Burning
6. Intro
7. A Poem On The Underground Wall
8. For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her
9. Overs
10. Anji
11. Patterns
12. The Sound Of Silence
13. Overs
14. A Most Peculiar Man
15. Bye Bye Love
16. Feuilles-Oh
17. Bridge Over Troubled Water
18. Why Don’t You Write Me – instrumental
19. Why Don’t You Write Me – vocal only
20. Why Don’t You Write Me
21. The Only Living Boy In New York
22. Cecilia – early percussive mix
23. Hey Schoolgirl
24. That Silver Haired Daddy Of Mine
25. Lightniní Express

Disc 1:
track 1: 1964 demo
track 2: 1965 demo
tracks 3-7: BBC 1965
track 8: Sound Of Silence sessions 1966 outtake
tracks 9-10: Sound Of Silence sessions 1966 rehearsals
track 11: Sound Of Silence sessions 1966 outtake
tracks 12-23: Parsley Sage Rosemary & Tyme 1966 sessions
tracks 24-30: Bookends 1968 sessions & outtake

Disc 2:
tracks 1-5: Carnegie Hall, New York, 1967
tracks 6-12: FM-Net concert, 1967/68
tracks 13-15: Vermont 1968
tracks 16-22: Bridge Over Troubled Water 1970 demos & sessions
tracks 23-24: Carnegie Hall, New York, 1969
Track 25: Paris 1970

From the original uploader:
This is the stream of the Simon & Garfunkel early period torrents, 1957-1970, mostly in excellent quality, that will last until the beginning of September, still ratio-free. The music is great, so feel free to enjoy your way!

Neil Young – Meets Buffalo Springfield & The Squires (Unreleased Demos 1963-1968)

Neil Young
Meets Buffalo Springfield & The Squires
Unreleased Demos 1963-1968

Source: Silver CD -> EAC Test & Copy -> Wavs -> Flac Front End -> Flacs Level 8
Quality: Varies

1) Sugar Mountain (1)
2) Nowadays Clancy Can’t Even Sing (1)
3) Run Around Babe (1)
4) Don’t Pity Me Babe (1)
5) I Ain’t Got The Blues (1)
6) The Rent Is Always Due (1)
7) When It Falls It Falls All Over You (1)
8) Down To The Wire (1)
9) Do I Have To Come Right Out And Say It (1)
10) There Goes My Babe (1)
11) One More Sign (1)
12) The Sultan (2)
13) Aurora (2)

(1) Elektra Studios 1965
(2) 1963 recording with The Squires

1984 (Featuring Brian May) – Teddington, England (03/31/67)

1984 (featuring Brian May)
31 march 1967
Thames Television, Broom Lane Studio
Teddington UK

01. Hold on I’m coming (Isaac Hayes/ David Porter)
02. Knock on wood (Eddie Floyd/ Steve Cropper)
03. NSU (Jack Bruce)
04. How can it be (Ron Wood)
05. Step on me (take1) (Tim Staffel/ Brian May)
06. Step on me (take2) (Tim Staffel/ Brian May)
07. Purple Haze (Jimi Hendrix)
08. Our love is driftin’ (Elvis Bishop/ Paul Butterfield)
09. Remember (Jimi Hendrix)
10. Sweet wine (Ginger Baker/ Janet Godfrey)

Line up: Dave Dilloway – bass guitar
John Garnham – rhythm guitar/vocals
Brian May – lead guitar
Tim Staffel – vocals/harmonica
Richard Thompson – drums
John Sanger – piano

Taken from QUeenpedia.com:

Also from 1967, and of far more interest, is 1984’s professionally recorded Thames Television demo tape.
During his first-year of study at Twickenham Technical College, Dave Dilloway had made friends with a number of technicians, or trainee technicians, at the Teddington-based ITV Company, which served the London area.
The station had recently invested in new recording equipment, and rather than hire professional musicians at the usual union rate, in a set up similar to the first Queen sessions at the De Lane Lea studios, 1984 were let loose in the studio to record at their leisure.
Dave Dilloway’s carefully preserved tape still plays perfectly, and includes the following songs: “Hold On I’m Coming”, “Knock On Wood”, “NSU”, “How Can It Be”, two early run-throughs of the original May/Staffell composition “Step On Me” (which eventually became the B-side to Smile’s “Earth”), “Purple Haze”, “Our Love Is Drifting'”, and medleys of “Remember”/”Sweet Wine” and “Get Out My Life Woman”/”Satisfaction”.
The session ended with a run-through of “My Girl”.

“What an extraordinary amalgam!” declares Tim Staffell today.
“There’s Tamla, Cream, Hendrix, Lee DorseyÖ ‘Our Love Is Driftin’ ‘, we’d have heard by Paul Butterfield.
I’d forgotten there was such a large soul component in 1984!”

Dave Dilloway has the technical details: “This tape is the most recent, best and most representative of 1984 that I’m aware of.
It is mono, but since it was made on good quality TV studio equipment and was carried out along the lines of a proper studio recording, with separately mixed microphones for each source, it is remarkably good quality for its age.
The material, except for ‘Step On Me’, is all cover versions, but as it dates from the late 1984 era, Brian’s playing is more prominent and effective, with his own style starting to show through.
All the performances are competent – particularly Tim’s vocals and Brian’s guitar; although the mix is a little heavy on John’s rhythm guitar for some reason, probably the ‘ear’ of the recording engineer at the time.
All tracks were laid down in one take, i.e., no overdubbing at all, so the sound is predominantly simple, as per our live versions.”

Neil Yong – Elektra Demos 1965 & More

Neil Young
Elektra Demos 1965 & More

1. Sugar Mountain
2. Nowadays Clandy Can’t Even Sing.
3. Run Around Babe.
4. Don’t Pity My Baby.
5. I Ain’t Got the Blues (False Start) 1.
6. I Ain’t Got the Blues (False Start) 2.
7. I Ain’t Got the Blues (False Start) 3.
8. I Ain’t Got the Blues (Final Take).
9. The Rent Is Always Due.
10. When It Falls It Falls Over You.
11. Everybody’s Alone
12. Traces (w/CSN&Y)
13. Love Art Blues (w/CSNY)
14. Stringman
15. Southern Man (w/Stills-Young Band)
16. Give Me Strength
17. Lady Wingshot
18. Amber Jean
19. Let Your Fingers Do the Talking
20. Helpless
21. Down by the River

Tracks 1-10 Recorded in Elektra Records’ studio in New York, September 1965, which might make the session appear more impressive than it actually was. These solo acoustic tracks, Young has recalled, were sung into an old tape recorder on a metal chair. Engineered by Peter Siegel.
First time available in stunning sound quality!

Track 11 Recording during rehearsals at KQED TV, USA, December 1970

Tracks 12-139 Jul 1974

Track 14 31 Mar 1976

Track 15 7 Jul 1976

Track 16 Nov 1976

Track 17 12 Nov 1977

Tracks 18 – 21 Austin Cith Limits – 25 Sep 1984

Peter Gabriel – Before the Flood – Demos 1975

Peter Gabriel
Before the Flood
Demos 1975
goody PitchFix version

Original FLACs >
goody – dBpowerAMP (Convert to WAV) > Cool Edit Pro (Pitch Correction +47 cents) > TLH (FLAC, sigs)

01 Howling At The Moon 3:05
02 Excuse Me 3:42
03 Funny Man 4:27
04 No More Mickey (aka Richard MacPhail) 2:45
05 Get the Guns (listen carefully for the root of “Down the Dolce Vita”) 2:55
06 Here Comes the Flood 3:39
07 God Knows 4:59

These are evidently very early demos recorded for “car” (1976, Atco – Atco being Atlantic, a Warner subsidiary label). They are extremely raw; they may have been done in Gabriel’s home studio. Most are acoustic piano with a few accompanying support tracks and Peter singing.

The songs come from a white tape box marked: 7 1/2ips 1/4 trk stereo Gabriel/Hall Fuse Music

The lead sheets had the composer’s names given as “Peter Gabriel and Tony Hall” and were marked with a stamp from Fuse Music, England; they were merely lead melody transcriptions for copyright purposes, not hand-written by Gabriel or anything.

At that time, the best research i could come up with was that Fuse was somehow connected to Warner Bros (maybe like Sire was, but English; a sub-distribution deal?)… I later heard that the Fuse Music building burned down and took a whole lot of master tapes with it, and that this reel is quite probably the only surviving record of these demos.

This brown-oxide tape was discovered rotting in a water-soaked box shoved into a cleaning closet, along with the lead sheets, in a cavernous and seldom-used warehouse. It was lost/forgotten/abandoned. The tape had some warbley spots from the neglect and also quite a lot of tape hiss and lost tone.

I processed the material for several weeks before I was satisfied as to the quality, although “Get the Guns” was problemmatic to begin with; the Master appears to have been recorded badly or with misaligned heads. On the whole there is a tiny bit of tape hiss but no more than you’d expect from such a “live” environment. There is unfortunately one small glitch from a later cassette-to-cd transfer in “Excuse Me” (“Looking for Lost Angeleeeeee”) so don’t think it’s your file or player 🙂

Enjoy this very raw and simple glimpse into the creative process of Peter Gabriel.

(man-on-the-spot), June 2006

Pitch was approx. 47 cents flat. Corrected by goody. 5/7/07

Van Morrison – Unplugged in the Studio (1968-1971)

Van Morrison
Unplugged In The Studio
1968-1971

Astral Weeks 1968

  1. The Way Young Lovers Do (3:33) acoustic guitar
  2. Ballerina (4:45) acoustic guitar

Moondance 1969

  1. And It Stoned Me (4:22) acoustic guitar & harmony vocals
  2. Caravan (4:35) acoustic guitar & electric bass
  3. Come Running (1:45) acoustic guitar
  4. These Dreams Of You (2:24) acoustic guitar & tambourine
  5. Brand New Day (5:56) acoustic guitar, electric bass & drums

His Band And The Street Choir 1970

  1. Domino (3:56) acoustic guitar, percussion & harmony vocals
  2. If I Ever Needed Someone (3:42) acoustic guitar

Tupelo Honey 1971

  1. Wild Night (5:18) acoustic guitar & acoustic bass
  2. When That Evening Sun Goes Down (2:14) acoustic guitar

Unissued Songs 1968 – 1971

  1. Nobody Really Knows (6:04) acoustic guitar & acoustic bass
  2. Bit By Bit (4:58) acoustic guitar & acoustic bass
  3. Hey Where Are You (6:23) acoustic guitar, acoustic bass & flute
  4. I Need Your Kind Of Loving (3:29) acoustic guitar, acoustic bass & flute
  5. Lorna (2:35) acoustic guitar
  6. Rock And Roll Band (5:02) acoustic guitar
  7. Funny Face (2:22) acoustic guitar

This contains a compilation of acoustic studio demo material stretching
from the Astral Weeks period through to the early 1970s

Van Morrison – 1970 Demo Session

Van Morrison
1970 Demo Session

You Got the Power
Bit By Bit
Coming Down to Joy

Notes taken from the artwork.

The three songs on this disk originate from a reel-to-reel demo tape which was found in 2003 at a flea market in the USA. Apparently the buyer had no idea about the rarity of the tape and offered it for sale at an auction. Starting price was $9.99 and the tape was finally sold for $16.05 to the only collector noticing the item and knowing what it was about – if only the actual contents of the tape matched the label placed on the outside of the box. Luckily it did, and despite the age of the recording and the first part of the tape being in a mess, it was generally found to be in good shape.

Probably, this is a first generation copy of a master tape from a session at the Warner Bros. demos studio for songwriters. Whoever the engineer, he does not seem to have had one of his better days. Especially the bass seems in places somewhat distorted, and at one point on “You Got the Power” the speed gets a little uneven. The label on the outside of the box lists the three tracks and appears to have been printed for a 45rpm record. However, this is a bit of a mystery. The recordings on this tape were clearly not intended for release and even if a few copies were pressed and handed out to artists interested in recording one of the songs, it seems unlikely that you could fit 14 minutes of music on on 7 inch and 45rpm records were not available at the time.

Concerning the time of the recordings, it seems likely that these tracks with a small band of bass, drums, piano and organ accompanying Morrison have been recorded in late 1970, possibly 1971. The late bearing the mark of Warner Bros. sets the date to be after Morrison’s signing a contract with Warner Bros. during the early summer of 1968. The sound seems gospel-influenced which suggests the time of the session to have been around the recording of “His Band and Street Choir” during the fall of 1970. Furthermore, the rather rhythmic piano in my ears tends to sound like Alan Hand (who joined Morrison’s band not long before recording “His Band and Street Choir”) and John Klinberg seems to be the most likely guess as part of the band from that album. The lack of a guitar player on the recordings makes it even more obvious that it should be this band. Morrison’s guitar player at the time, John Platania is known to have had a falling out with him for a short period in the Autumn of 1970 (and even if he does appear on “His Band and Street Choir”, he was not present for the photo session for the cover of the album). The missing guitar could also indicate that it might be Morrison himself play9ng the piano but it does not seem likely.

All three tracks on this CD were previously unavailable. All three songs are written by Van Morrison. A later recording of “You Got the Power” was released as a b-side of “Jackie Wilson Said” in 1972 and an acoustic version of “Bit by Bit” can be found on several bootlegs. Interestingly country singer Roy Head, around 1971 released his versions of both “You Got the Power” and “Bit by Bit” probably after hearing the demos versions on this very tape. “Coming Down to Joy” is the real gem of this demo session. The title has never been mentioned anywhere – and no recording of this Van Morrison has ever surfaced until now. In fact Morrison does not even seem to have had this song registered for copyright.

Jay – August 2003

Two Track Stereo Analog Tape converted to digital using Revox A77 and Son SBM1. Mastering on Macintosh.