Friday, September 2, 2011

"Love's Labour's Lost" : THE WEEKEND MIX



This is a stupid "holiday." I've hated it since first grade. No one wants to celebrate the end of summer, especially two weeks before summer actually ends. And NO ONE is gonna tell me I can't wear white starting Tuesday.

As you piece together your weekend, your BBQs and weather forecasts, and your hours wasted in your car getting to that ideal spot for one last breath of the ocean...a few weeks before summer actually ends... please enjoy this collection of demos, outtakes, and b-sides; some labors of love that have gotten lost.


LABOR DAY WEEKEND MIX!


 

TRACK LIST

She's Not Mine Anymore- Marshall Crenshaw
(This found an official home thanks to Robert Gordon who recorded it and released it on "Are You Gonna Be The One," the same record that is home to his versions of 2 other Marshall tunes, "Someday, Someway" and "But, But.")

Promisin'- Wilco
(This is an "A.M." demo.)

Sad To Be Aware- Jon Auer
(This is a solo demo of a b-side from The Posies' "Amazing Disgrace" sessions.)

Don't Worry Baby- Susan Cowsill
(Demo of the Beach Boys classic left off of Susan's first solo album.)

This Could Be The Night- Nilsson
(One of Nilsson's many demos for The Monkees.)

Something So Strong- Neil Finn
(2 demo versions (pieced together) of what became a hit for Crowded House.)

Attitude- Todd Rundgren
(A song written for but not used in "Fast Times At Ridgemont High.")

Man We Was Lonely- World Party
(One of Karl Walllinger's many Beatles or Beatles-related covers found on one his many UK singles.)

Cut My Hair- Pete Townshend
(From the "Quadrophenia" demos)

I Witnessed A Crime- Johnny Cash & Billy Gibbons
(There is a 5 CD boxed set, for Pete's sake, featuring all of Johnny's American Outtakes...except this one.)

Drift Away- The Rolling Stones
(The oft-booted Dobie Gray hit, originally recorded for "It's Only Rock & Roll"...I think.)

I'll Give You All Night To Stop- Nick Lowe
(An "Impossible Bird" outtake from 1995)

Strangers In The Night- Cake
(One of Cake's many oddball cover versions.)

Instant Karma- Paul Weller
(This may have been recorded for the BBC, but I'm pretty sure it's from around the time of Weller's first solo album. Don, if you're reading? You would know. You're the Weller entusiast. You would know?)


THE HOLIDAY ZIP

16 comments:

Bulletins From Mars Hill said...

I'm pretty sure Weller's Instant Karma was much later than you suggest and was recorded for Mojo or Uncut.

Sal Nunziato said...

Thanks, BFMH. Really wasn't sure.

Anonymous said...

GREAT stuff! Thanks!

James A. Gardner said...

I would have to hear there for the Susan Cowsill if nothing else. It all looks good, though.

Why I (now) hate Labor Day? Got handed offical notice of layoffs for our whole office today.

Happy friggin' holidays.

cmealha said...

I just love Susan Cowsill's "Don't Worry Baby" and every time I listen to it I try to convince myself that I like it better than the original but I keep fighting it. There's something about her voice and her delivery that melts me each and every time.

I'd never heard the Todd cut. Given the recent fiasco it was a nice discovery. There's enough Toddness to make it a keeper.

Cake are just nuts. I love 'em. You've got to add "Never, Never Gonna Give You Up" and "I WIll Survive" to future posts somewhere. Bizarre indeed. "Guitar Man" is more on this side of lovely.

Thanks as always

J. Loslo said...

Thanks, Sal. Great stuff.

A walk in the woods said...

Great looking mix, Sal! Downloading now...

Sorry about you being laid off, James. That really sucks.

Len said...

Nice! Love the Todd Rundgren outtake, that is really cool.

And is it OK to just call The Posies the new Big Star? Esp considering half of them comprised half of Big Star a few years ago. This Jon Auer track sure verifies their claim to the title.

Albert said...

Truly great mix...thanks...but one note on Labor Day...true that we associate it with the end of summer and, back in the day, going back to school(blecchh),but it's origins in celebrating the regular Joe making this clock run by getting the job done is awfully commendable...we always seem to mutate the original intention of things into muck...that's what we do, and unfortunately, quite well...enjoy the holiday...hopefully...

Troy said...

Not so much a comment about this mix, but about the list of what you're currently listening to...what exactly do you mean by 'Electric Nebraska'?

Sal Nunziato said...

@Troy,

Been up there for almost 2 weeks, I was wondering when someone would notice or care.

No such thing, so relax.

;)

A guy called Tak said...

Loved Susan Cowsill's "Don't Worry Baby" and Cake's good, too.
Have a nice weekend!

James A. Gardner said...

Re: Electric Nebraska, living in a different flyover zone, I just assumed that referred to them finally getting electricity. We're still waiting.
Re: Susan Cowsill, she needs to record a full album of Brian Wilson material. We were to see her in concert a few years back; she canceled because they had just found her brother, Barry's, body.
I saw the group play a county fair in the mid-70s, after Barbara had quit, and they performed as if they were playing the biggest gig of their lives. Great group, great people.
Re: A walk in the woods, thank you for the comment. How bad does unemployment get in the U.S. before they change Labor Day to a national jobs fair?

jeff k said...

Re Labor Day: a liberal effort (and a successful one at that, alas) to take the steam out of the much more progressive and radical celebration of labor on May Day.

Anything Should Happen said...

Thanks for the Weller Check, Sal!

It was from an Uncut Magazine Free CD that was a Lennon Tribute around 2002 / 2003 I think.

But don't tell anyone that I knew that.

Troy said...

Sal-
I was pretty sure there was no such thing as Electric Nebraska, and I stay somewhat up-to-date on what bootlegs and Uber-series stuff is released. I had not heard of any such release, so was wondering if you knew something that the rest of us didn't know.

Of course, if you DO get it, you have to share!!

:)