Before they were signed: Demos artists probably don't want you to hear

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I just found a Radiohead studio-recorded demo from 1988 that 'surfaced' last year (couldn't find any posts about it here). There are some interesting aspects to the songs:

- They are very much a product of the late 80s (saxophone!?)
- Thom Yorke's voice is not quite 'there' yet. He can sing, but the silky smooth, sustained notes only start to appear on the 1991 demos before Pablo Honey.
- They're quite bad and I can't imagine anyone even foreseeing

This fansite has a streaming player with the 88 demo and and a bunch from 1990:
http://www.radiohead.com.hk/onafriday/

Hearing this brings to mind early demos from another big 90s alternative act: the Smashing Pumpkins. There are a surprisingly large number of non-live recordings from the band, and they're almost all unlistenably bad.

In both cases, it seems like the demos were leaked, and not "sent out" willingly. They probably don't directly affect the majority of opinions existing about the groups, but they may cause collateral damage by diminishing image of the "magic early years".

I get the impression that this phenomenon will become a more common occurrence. The audio content of bootlegs can no longer be considered rare because of the prevalence of file sharing; anyone can hear anything floating around, if they really want to. Most people probably won't, but many who wouldn't have because they couldn't before will.

Any other examples of demos by bands who'd become big (not necessarily huge but big enough)?

Any opinions about how a bad (or good) early demo can effect the legacy of a band?

― Faisal Shennib, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 09:33 (eighteen years ago)

*I can't imagine anyone even foreseeing something like Pablo Honey coming out of them

(is what I meant to write)

― Faisal Shennib, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 09:34 (eighteen years ago)

It was more than a demo, but already 3 years later, I don't think Stone Roses were particularly proud of their debut single, with them sounding basically like a really bad copy of "War"-era U2.

― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 01:05 (eighteen years ago)

i love that single.

it's not quite in the same league as the first post, but the demo of adorable's "homeboy" is shockingly bad, especially compared to the creation 45 version. barely recognisable.

― electricsound, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 01:06 (eighteen years ago)

The Velvet Underground demos in the box set are just awful. Shows just how tiny the line between "visionary" and "dicking around" can be.

― Whiney G. Weingarten, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 01:19 (eighteen years ago)

It was more than a demo, but already 3 years later, I don't think Stone Roses were particularly proud of their debut single, with them sounding basically like a really bad copy of "War"-era U2.

from the wikipedia article about So Young, the Stone Roses debut single: Ian Brown has said that "It sounds like four lads trying to get out of Manchester" and that "I wouldn't pay 20p for that single".

I was always under the impression that Sally Cinnamon was their first single. I'm trying to torrent Garage Flower so I can hear it.

― Faisal Shennib, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 04:06 (eighteen years ago)

I think Spin Magazine (when Sia Michel was EIC?) once fielded the Radiohead demo's around to A&R guys or something to get their responses. Almost all the responses were that the demo's showed no promise and that they'd never reconsider the band. I think one suggested that he'd look back in a couple years.

― Mordechai Shinefield, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 06:50 (eighteen years ago)

The Velvet Underground demos in the box set are just awful. Shows just how tiny the line between "visionary" and "dicking around" can be.

True! Songs like Heroin, on an acoustic guitar, makes them sound like one of those then-shocking 60s groups like the Deviants.

― Cunga, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 07:38 (eighteen years ago)

I think they had saxophones before the late 80s, dude.

― Noodle Vague, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 07:42 (eighteen years ago)

early Radiohead's all right if you like saxophones

― latebloomer, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 08:37 (eighteen years ago)

I pity the fool that doesn't like saxophones.

― Noodle Vague, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 09:16 (eighteen years ago)

I think they had saxophones before the late 80s, dude.

My statement was based on a perception that the late 80s was about the time when saxophones would last be featured regularly in pop music.

I pity the fool that doesn't like saxophones.

I like the sounds that they make just fine. I just don't like them being used in a contrived way. ie, in the spirit of: "let's make this more soulful or funkier, or do something unexpected by adding a saxophone".

― Faisal Shennib, Thursday, 1 March 2007 04:50 (eighteen years ago)

I'm not sure how Jackson Browne feels about his set of songwriting demos recorded in 1967 (known as "the Nina Demos" - these included the songs of his that Nico did on Chelsea Girls).

― Tim Ellison, Thursday, 1 March 2007 04:58 (eighteen years ago)

saxophones sound like squishy wet farts slapping against a mound of rotten maggot infested animal corpses

― electricsound, Thursday, 1 March 2007 05:20 (eighteen years ago)

they should be wiped out

― electricsound, Thursday, 1 March 2007 05:20 (eighteen years ago)

I thought Geir was talking about "I Wanna Be Adored"!

― Curt1s Stephens, Thursday, 1 March 2007 05:33 (eighteen years ago)

Geez am I only the ones who loves a lot of the Pumpkins' 89 demos?

― babedad, Thursday, 1 March 2007 07:29 (eighteen years ago)

People in Indie houses be throwing stones.

― Noodle Vague, Thursday, 1 March 2007 07:59 (eighteen years ago)

Geez am I only the ones who loves a lot of the Pumpkins' 89 demos?

Actually, I was initially thinking of the Marked demo tapes. I tend to blur them into early Pumpkins but that's probably not very accurate. I like Jennifer Ever, Sun, and Spiteface. So cancel that initial comment.

― Faisal Shennib, Thursday, 1 March 2007 08:36 (eighteen years ago)

don't fucking lecture me about the saxophone noodle vague, i played the wretched fucking instrument for six years

― electricsound, Thursday, 1 March 2007 08:39 (eighteen years ago)

Under whose command?

― Myonga Vön Bontee, Thursday, 1 March 2007 09:34 (eighteen years ago)

parental

― electricsound, Thursday, 1 March 2007 09:42 (eighteen years ago)

REM were so disappointed with their first demos that I think it was Peter Buck nailed one to a wall and smashed it.

― the next grozart, Thursday, 1 March 2007 10:03 (eighteen years ago)

Jim I'm sorry, I didn't know your pain was personal.

I think I'll still listen to Roxy and Van der Graaf and Hawkwind tho.

― Noodle Vague, Thursday, 1 March 2007 10:50 (eighteen years ago)

haha

― electricsound, Thursday, 1 March 2007 11:14 (eighteen years ago)

i like that one song.. the laughing clowns one

― electricsound, Thursday, 1 March 2007 11:15 (eighteen years ago)

sex pistols demos/rehearsal tapes are *astonishingly* good oddly.
even them arseing around doing a cover of ROADRUNNER where they lydon only knows about 2 lines is great.

― pisces, Thursday, 1 March 2007 12:14 (eighteen years ago)

IIRC Steely Dan have always deplored those Becker/Fagan demos than got released in the 70s

Tom Verlaine famously squelched the demos B-Eno produced on Television. ca 1975.

David Bowie undoubtedly doesn't care but he should've squelched the "Space Oddity" demo on the Sound & Vision box where he arrogantly announces his hit potential to an anonymous record man.

― m coleman, Thursday, 1 March 2007 12:52 (eighteen years ago)

Well, except, he was right and all.

The early Pumpkins demos are quite great; I really love "Jennifer Ever."

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 1 March 2007 13:39 (eighteen years ago)

With softsynths such as Linplug's Saxlab, don't be surprised to hear the sax reappearing in pop music anytime soon.

I still love that sax solo in Spandau Ballet's "True" btw.

― Geir Hongro, Thursday, 1 March 2007 14:35 (eighteen years ago)

It's a break from their bluddy singing, fair enough!

― Mark G, Thursday, 1 March 2007 14:39 (eighteen years ago)

With softsynths such as Linplug's Saxlab, don't be surprised to hear the sax reappearing in pop music anytime soon.

Even if this plug-in makes it that easy to incorporate realistic saxophone into a song, I'm not sure that there's a prominent place left for sax in pop music anymore. I'm trying to figure out why, but I don't think I have a good perspective on the history of sax in pop.

Actually, I was initially thinking of the Marked demo tapes. I tend to blur them into early Pumpkins but that's probably not very accurate.

I've thought about this a bit and I think it has to do with the idea that Corgan is the primary creative force behind all his projects, and that the idea for a hard-rock/metal goth fusion band was taken with him into the Pumpkins. So I don't think it's so much of a stretch to say that the Marked demos are really the first Pumpkin demos.

― Faisal Shennib, Monday, 5 March 2007 18:46 (eighteen years ago)

They are very much a product of the late 80s (saxophone!?)

KEY QUESTION

is the sax yackety?

― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Monday, 5 March 2007 18:54 (eighteen years ago)

The Pipettes' demos were really good. The final product? neh.

And on the other hand. Every other black-metal demo is awful. I have no idea how say... Immortal got signed. The demo is the shit(really).

― MRZBW, Monday, 5 March 2007 20:23 (eighteen years ago)

I thought Geir was talking about "I Wanna Be Adored"!

Curt1s Stephens on Thursday, 1 March 2007 05:33 (4 days ago)

hahahaha

― M@tt He1ges0n, Monday, 5 March 2007 21:26 (eighteen years ago)

I've heard some really early NMH demos where Jeff Mangum's singing was totally boring and weak and mortal, and it's hard to imagine him producing what he eventually would. No idea how old he was when he recorded it, though. I'm thinking of a demo I heard of "Gardenhead" in particular.

― St3ve Go1db3rg, Monday, 5 March 2007 22:21 (eighteen years ago)

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