How on Earth could they possibly throw away this one? (Outtakes that were too good to be outtakes)

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Yeah, you know the topic.

Personally, I think the two most brilliant examples I can think of are "Buffalo Soldier" by Bob Marley and "Blind Willie McTell" by Bob Dylan. Both are clearly among the best they've ever done, and yet they didn't release them until the record company started mining their dustbins. I mean: What were they thinking throwing away such great songs.

Any other examples?

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 15:46 (twenty-one years ago)

"That's Entertainment" the Jam (Snap)
"Eight Miles High" - The Byrds (Never Before)

― dave225 (Dave225), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 15:50 (twenty-one years ago)

I've never been able to listen to "buffalo soldier" with a straight face ever since someone pointed out to me how it rips off the bannana splits

― cinniblount (James Blount), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 15:51 (twenty-one years ago)

You mean alternative versions, then? As both were clearly released (even singles) back when

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 15:52 (twenty-one years ago)

I've never been able to listen to "buffalo soldier" with a straight face ever since someone pointed out to me how it rips off the
bannana splits

Good lord! I'll never hear this song the same way again!

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 15:53 (twenty-one years ago)

"Blue Feather", "All Play Rebel" and "New Culture" by Killing Joke. I believe only ever played for a Kid Jensen session (circa Night Time) but never released. Yes, I'm a flagrant fundamentalist when it comes to the Joke, but these three tracks tower over some of the songs that actually made it onto some of their albums. In my opinion, of course....

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 15:55 (twenty-one years ago)

I was thinking alternate versions that were better than the released versions, yes ...

― dave225 (Dave225), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 15:57 (twenty-one years ago)

"Jack Nicholson" and "Metal Texas Psych-Out" from the first Head of David Peel session are probably two of their three best ever songs ("108" making up the set). "Snake Hands Forever" in particular, but everything from the third Peel Session is better that just about everything on SeedState. None of them ended up on proper recordings (though the first two were put out by Sonic Life as part of 'White Elephant').

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 16:05 (twenty-one years ago)

Personally I'd be interested in hearing some Depeche Mode outtakes, considering all the great stuff they have put on B-sides only.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 16:14 (twenty-one years ago)

why did the VU toss "ocean" off of loaded?

― vahid (vahid), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 16:17 (twenty-one years ago)

Modest Mouse - Calculus Man

― , Wednesday, 12 November 2003 16:43 (twenty-one years ago)

David Bowie: "Bomber" (think this was left off of "Ziggy Stardust" or "Hunky Dory") and "Some Are", a beautiful and coldly majestic outtake from "Low".

― Nom De Plume (Nom De Plume), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 16:45 (twenty-one years ago)

Was "Calculus Man" released anywhere, @? Never heard it but I'd like to, now.

― Ben Boyer (Ben Boyer), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 17:49 (twenty-one years ago)

"Good Things" by Sisters of Mercy is a track I've only found 2 versions of, one on a radio sessions vinyl bootleg, another as a weaker demo. It's on level with "alice" as one of their most intense punky early songs and better than anything on their first album I think.

― sucka (sucka), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 18:43 (twenty-one years ago)

VU owns this thread.

"Ferryboat Bill won't you please come home..."

― musicmope (musicmope), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 19:09 (twenty-one years ago)

I've never been able to listen to "buffalo soldier" with a straight face ever since someone pointed out to me how it rips off the bannana splits

But "Buffalo Soldier" came first!

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 19:13 (twenty-one years ago)

Some of Beck's out-takes are better than his singles - "Clock", "Arabian Nights", "Electric Music and the Summer People" fr'example.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 19:13 (twenty-one years ago)

But "Buffalo Soldier" came first!

Ten years after the Banana Splits show?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 19:14 (twenty-one years ago)

jah

― cinniblount (James Blount), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 19:15 (twenty-one years ago)

D'oh!

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 19:21 (twenty-one years ago)

Was "Calculus Man" released anywhere, @? Never heard it but I'd like to, now.
-- Ben Boyer (fiestasandsiesta...), November 12th, 2003.

No, but you can probably find it on soulseek.

― , Wednesday, 12 November 2003 20:07 (twenty-one years ago)

I reckon Neil Young's "Citizen Kane Junior Blues" (aka "Pushed It Over The End") is one of the best songs he ever wrote...yet I don't even know he ever recorded it in the studio.

Dennis Wilson's "Carry Me Home" never got released, right?

― M Specktor (M Specktor), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 20:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Neil Young "Winterlong"

― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 20:51 (twenty-one years ago)

"Personally I'd be interested in hearing some Depeche Mode outtakes"
I heard a demo of "shake the disease" with just martin and a guitar that kicked ass.

― Felcher (Felcher), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 21:02 (twenty-one years ago)

But "Shake The Disease" is already released. I consider any already released version the definitive. What I'd like to hear is some other songs that are not yet released.

I mean, they threw away "Fools", only to release it on the b-side of "Love In Itself", and that one is in their Top 5 IMO.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 21:22 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't know how anyone can not hear the Banana Splits theme in "Buffalo Soldier"! For some reason, it always endeared me to the Marley song, so it never took away from the whole effect (the words are serious/sober/defiant, but the melody always sounded goofy/joyous anyway).

― David A. (Davant), Thursday, 13 November 2003 00:35 (twenty-one years ago)

"Fretless" by R.E.M. does it for me...

― Erick H (Erick H), Thursday, 13 November 2003 02:47 (twenty-one years ago)

"Fretless" wasn't an outtake, though--it was released on a soundtrack

― M Matos (M Matos), Thursday, 13 November 2003 02:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Has the original Pink Floyd version of "Vegetable Man" been officially released by now?

― Sloopy the Cat, Thursday, 13 November 2003 02:56 (twenty-one years ago)

VU "stephanie says"
galaxie 500 "song in 3"

― the surface noise (electricsound), Thursday, 13 November 2003 03:06 (twenty-one years ago)

one year passes...

"soiled little filly" by pavement...definitely a huge song of theirs, but not released until the CRCR reissue in 2004.

"ferris wheel on fire" by neutral milk hotel, amazing, and wholly unreleased

― dan j., Sunday, 2 January 2005 05:53 (twenty years ago)

Sonic yoot "genetic"

though it ended up as a b-side (to 100%, i think.) it blows away almost everything on Dirty.

― Ian John50n (orion), Sunday, 2 January 2005 17:19 (twenty years ago)

No mention of Prince - who really owns this thread, not VU - Prince has whole albums you shake your head and ask why didn't he release that.

― Jedmond (Jedmond), Sunday, 2 January 2005 17:30 (twenty years ago)

Almost everything on The Bootleg Series fits this definition, as does Percy's Song, which I think is only available on that Biograph set.

Also I like a lot of the Music From Big Pink outtakes better than songs on the album -- Ferdinand The Imposter for one.

― Hurting (Hurting), Sunday, 2 January 2005 17:33 (twenty years ago)

the version of grounded of the crooked rain reissue. Its a tad faster than the wowie zowie version and all more enjoyable for it.

― jb, Sunday, 2 January 2005 17:35 (twenty years ago)

I always find these difficult to assess, since the fact that it's an outtake tends to mean you listen to it less frequently, so when you do, it sounds better. It's difficult to remain objective as the Levellers would like us to be.

However, I would plump for "Keep me Turning", which is a great Pete Townshend demo, I would guess from around 1974/75, although that is a complete guess.

Additionally, "Rhoda", by Belle and Sebastian is a great song too. Best left as an outtake I think for the reasons discussed above.

Important Update

Doing some web-styled research, it turns out that "Keep Me Turning" was considered good enough by Pete and was released as a single by him in 1977. Well done Pete. I suspect they missed this fact in deciding to give Roger the CBE.

― KeithW (kmw), Sunday, 2 January 2005 18:50 (twenty years ago)

Nirvana - Verse, Chorus, Verse

― christopher (WHO), Sunday, 2 January 2005 22:12 (twenty years ago)

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