60 replies to this topic

[bluemookie]

I did hear it, but it was back in 92.  The guy that made me the copy of the murmurs demos let me hear the AFTP demos, but wouldn't let me copy them.  Devil Rode Backwards was definitely won of the songs.

[pauloedu]

Hope we can hear the aftp demos one day

[bluemookie]

pelagius42, on 03 October 2011 - 07:25 PM, said:

Was it better than ignoreland?

It was an instrumental, as I recall.  That's as far as it goes.  Most of the stuff I listened to that day was pretty average, as far as instrumentals go.  The guy was more protective of the cassette cover, because it showed which bandmembers wrote each song.  Like it would say "Everybody Hurts - Bill song" or something like that.  So, I never got to see the cassette cover.  He just rattled off the tile before each song.

[Remixomatosys]

The dub mix of Radio free Europe has been released as one of the two songs
on the cd that came with the book "this book is on" (Italy only); it's called Radio dub (Radio Free Europe)

[beatadrum]

bluemookie, on 03 October 2011 - 08:09 PM, said:

It was an instrumental, as I recall.  That's as far as it goes.  Most of the stuff I listened to that day was pretty average, as far as instrumentals go.  The guy was more protective of the cassette cover, because it showed which bandmembers wrote each song.  Like it would say "Everybody Hurts - Bill song" or something like that.  So, I never got to see the cassette cover.  He just rattled off the tile before each song.

It's always fun to try and work out who wrote what tune, or more often perhaps someone reveals it.

Peter: Drive, Try Not To Breathe, Sweetness Follows, Monty
Mike: Star Me Kitten, Nightswimming, Find The River
Bill: Everybody Hurts
Collaboration: New Orleans (was a jam wasn't it)
Unsure: Sidewinder (too many chords for a PB song maybe?), MotM (Peter's idea? I know Bill gets credit for altering the style of the C-D progression), Ignoreland.

[LST 390]

Ignoreland: "Peter came up with the basic chords for that song."

Sidewinder/MOTM: "(TSSLT & MOTM) were the product of of one particularly successful session just two weeks into rehearsals with Mike on bass, Bill on guitar and Peter on mandolin. It was Bill who initiated the latter song. 'I hit that C chord on the guitar and then turn around to grab my beer...My hand slid up to the third fret and everyone went "Oh, that sounds good! Let's use that for the verse bit!"' Peter worked out the middle eight and the chorus."

Star Me Kitten: definitely started as Mills doing weird chords on organ but I'd give Peter credit for the unique guitar melody!

New Orleans Instrumentals: "From this session came both the 'New Orleans' instrumentals, both also originated by Peter."

All quotes taken from Marcus Gray's "It Crawled From the South", except Star Me Kitten which was just me talkin'.

[2headedcow]

Anyone download the Hague 'Catapult'?

Worth it?

[Binky1978]

bluemookie, on 03 October 2011 - 07:09 PM, said:

I did hear it, but it was back in 92.  The guy that made me the copy of the murmurs demos let me hear the AFTP demos, but wouldn't let me copy them.  Devil Rode Backwards was definitely won of the songs.

I'm sure I read somewhere that Final Straw and Until the Day is Done were both songs that Buck demoed for Automatic for the People. I might be wrong. From what you remember do either of these bear any resemblence to The Devil Rode Backwards on a Horse Called Maybe?

There's also a Monster outtake called Lucky Piece that Stipe and Mills talked about in an interview for Mojo in 94/95. That one definitely has a vocal. Stipe seemed to quite like it from what I recall. I'd love to hear that one day. As well as an audible version of Weatherman. But I'm sure I can wait until the fabled boxset!

[chrisha]

I don't want to get anyones hopes up but I too have heard 'some' Automatic demos, and have a detailed summary of one session:

Automatic For The People Demo Session, John Keane Studios, Athens, GA, 17-21 February 1992


Steel Rewrite (Photograph)
10K Minimal (Find The River)
Arabic A/B (Fruity Organ - Instrumental)
Drive
Big Talk (with the lyrics, the devil rides backwards on a horse called maybe)
Michaels Organ (Everybody Hurts – Instrumental)
Peters New Song (Instrumental) (this was very similar to The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite, but a different song)
Chance (Dub)
Bills Acoustic (Instrumental)
Wake Her Up (The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight)
Eastern 9311
C To D Slide (Man On The Moon)
Mikes Pop Song
Bazouki Michaels Fav (Monty Got A Raw Deal – Instrumental)
Howler Monkey (Ignoreland – Instrumental)
Cello Scud (Sweetness Follows)

And yes Big Talk is the fabled song, with the lyrics 'the devil rides backwards on a horse called maybe', and wasn't an instrumental.

Bills Acoustic - Bill on acoustic guitar sounded amazing, and was amazed it wasn't further worked on.

On C to D Slide, Michael is humming along and singing some of the lyrics - brought a tear to my eye knowing what an amazing song this was going to turn into.

I have heard rushes from the Bad Animals sessions, and again contrary to what the band said - Man On The Moon lyrics were fully completed before the last day of recording, and I have documented proof to that.

So that is part of what's out there, this definitely needs o be put out by the band as it is priceless.

[Kimo]

2headedcow, on 04 October 2011 - 12:36 AM, said:

Anyone download the Hague 'Catapult'?

Worth it?

It's not as cheesy as I expected... I mean, the synth bits are pretty awful but apart from that it's enjoyable.

[charky]

chrisha, on 04 October 2011 - 02:34 AM, said:

Big Talk (with the lyrics, the devil rides backwards on a horse called maybe)

And yes Big Talk is the fabled song, with the lyrics 'the devil rides backwards on a horse called maybe', and wasn't an instrumental.

I've been eagerly waiting to hear "the devil rides backwards..." for almost 15 years! looks like quite a few fans heard it. it's a relief to know that it's not just an instrumental...
be glad to read some further description of it.
it's time to open all the boxes & unleash the boxset! I'm sure there tons of other unreleased tracks which we don't even know their titles. take "up" for example, in 99' Nigel Godrich was interviewed for an Israeli newspaper and he said that the main reason the band hired him to work on "up" was that they were having trouble deciding which songs should make the cut and his help was needed. he said some members of the band made some painful concessions...

[bflood]

Mike Mills has referenced a supercharged version of 'Ignoreland' with a big, loud fuzz bass that wasn't chosen for the album.  I have always wanted to hear that version.

[Remixomatosys]

Also, in 2008 Peter said that "I'm gonna dj" was originally a 5 minute song with keyboards (ATS sessions). I'd love to have a listen

[bluemookie]

Wasn't Man-Sized Wreath an ATS song?  Being tied with Submarine as my favorite Accelerate song, I'd really love to hear another version of that!

[beatadrum]

Binky1978, on 04 October 2011 - 12:36 AM, said:

I'm sure I read somewhere that Final Straw and Until the Day is Done were both songs that Buck demoed for Automatic for the People. I might be wrong. From what you remember do either of these bear any resemblence to The Devil Rode Backwards on a Horse Called Maybe?

Final Straw to me sounds like the one Buck talked of during Monster PR as being spaghetti western, and is listed on Monster as Harlan County. I think Final Straw was a Monster era demo rather than AFTP.

[Driver Nate]

Back when Green first came out, Peter Buck was on 120 Minutes (maybe with Kevn Kinney of Drivin' n' Cryin') and said they recorded enough material for a double album. I'm guessing some folks have heard the songs that didn't make the cut but I never have, I'm not sure how widely circulated those sessions were.

[beatadrum]

Peter's prone to exaggeration though, rubbish like Great Big was demoed at that time, while Title might have been recorded beyond demo stage as well.

[bluemookie]

Okay, so, do we have any idea who exactly will be "leaking" this next offering or what they're waiting for?