Probably not worth listening to unless you were there, most of these are early versions, or early songs, most not particularly distinguished in performance, and it's a little shrill in sound quality. This is nevertheless a really fun rehearsal! The 18-year old me is completely hoarse from a sore throat, so much that you'll be grabbing your own throat and wincing at times! Maybe it's because of this impediment, but there is much laughter and fooling around, most songs include goofing and breaking up (lots of "yadahays"!), forgotten lyrics.....it's not a particularly serious rehearsal! In fact, most of our rehearsals back then were a goof! Virtually every song has us cracking up at some point.
The tape opens with a version of "Above The Grass, Under The Moon", a song we seldom did (as you can hear, we barely can remember it). Without Ward, who sang and co-wrote it, it felt scandalous to even consider! With my voice completely hoarse, it's even worse than usual. Also from this date: "Blue Billiards", "In The Desert", the beautiful "On The Cover", our beloved "Stayin'" (pre-dating the Golden Fists of Fury's penchant for dropping into choruses of famous songs!), as well as the ghastly "Blonde In Black" a song not so much as written as it was perpetrated (we all liked the "woah-woah"s, with the chord changes underneath, I think that was its appeal - its only appeal!).
''Unlock The Door" was almost more of an in-joke than it was a full blown song. A couple of years earlier, when we were still rehearsing at the Stony Brook Field House, Hubie & I took a walk to the 7-Eleven. On the walk back, Hubie suddenly shouted "Hey!" and broke into a full sprint. Not knowing what was going on, I fell into a jog behind him before I caught the drift: we were chasing some kids who had just broken into Hubie's car. Fleet of foot they were, so after a minute or so of hot pursuit we gave up, walked back and picked up what they had dropped during the chase - some cassettes, a radio knob, just random stuff, nothing of any value (unless you happen to have a thing for Matt Bianco). When we got back to the studio, Hubie vented his rightful indignation by making up this short little ditty, one which would pop up from time to time in the unlikeliest of places (last spotting of "Unlock The Door": a rehearsal from August 1990!).
The real gem on this tape has got to be the only recorded version of "Pot Of Gold", a song we only did a few times. I always loved "Pot Of Gold"; it had hooks-a-plenty! Back then, we might not get together for months at a time, so when we'd reconvene there would always be a song that we couldn't remember the chords for, or lyrics. "Pot Of Gold" strikes me as such a song, We attached it to another great song, "I Paint", which we had better luck with. Only today did I realize what was great about juxtaposing the two songs: in "I Paint", the protagonist is a poor, starving artist. But then......"Pot Of Gold"!
At some point we announce that it's the first Sunday of March 1988.....looking at a calendar right now, that would make it March 6, 1988....27 years ago today. Happy March 6th from Ted, Mike & Hubie!
Rehearsal, Suffolk Office, 3/6/88
Above The Grass, Under The Moon
Phobia
Is It Safe?
Blue Billiards
Return Britain
Stayin'
I Hear A New Voice
Unlock The Door
Inside Outside
Difficult Dance
I Know Your Name
Blonde In Black
In The Desert
On The Cover
I Paint ->
Pot Of Gold
I'm So Tired
Hubert Poole - guitar, vocal
Ted Schreiber - bass, vocal
Michael Goodman - drums, vocal
recorded on a two-track cassette deck. It needs eq-ing.
Download here:
https://www.mediafire.com/?1lglhhhwv1fyv15
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| Don't worry....I had the Holst on vinyl! |
