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“Angel” demo CD + “What” song?

The Avocado AlbumThe Avocado Album Posts: 38
in The Porch

A few weeks ago I stumbled upon a mysterious CD in my local record shop’s Pearl Jam selection. I had never seen it before, so of course my curiosity got the better of me and I bought it. At first I thought that it might’ve been somebody’s personal playlist, but this website has it listed as its own page, so it was probably distributed by a bootleg label:

https://www.discogs.com/Pearl-Jam-Angel-Demos-Remixes/release/4826404

That was the only site I could find that had  information about it.

Among the track list are some songs we already know, E Ballad = Black, Richard’s E = Alone, Weird A = Animal, etc. Also had some with finalized names like Crazy Mary, Angel, Betterman, and Even Flow.

The third track really interested me, tho. It’s just called “What” and it ABSOLUTELY slaps. I’ve been listening to it constantly ever since I got the CD. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find any videos of it online. Does anyone know if there are any recordings of it buried deep in the bowels of YouTube or something? The chorus chant is “what do you want from me,” but the only results I could get for that is for the Floyd song, and it’s definitely not a cover of that. If this is something completely new then I guess I could scan the CD to youtube for y’all to see it, but I’d like to check if somebody’s beaten me to it.

I also tried looking around the names “Parrot Records” and “Red Robin Records” which are listed on the CD, and it turns out that the former is indeed and Australian bootleg label (makes sense in this case), however it doesn’t seem to have any connection to Red Robin, the attributed parent group.

My parent's attic - 2018
My college dorm - 2019

Comments

  • NewJPageNewJPage Posts: 3,313
    I think what is a bad radio song
    6/26/98, 8/17/00, 10/8/00, 12/8/02, 12/9/02, 4/25/03, 5/28/03, 6/1/03, 6/3/03, 6/5/03, 6/6/03, 6/12/03, 6/13/03, 6/15/03, 6/18/03, 6/21/03, 6/22/03, 7/12/03, 7/14/03, 10/3/04, 10/5/04, 9/9/05, 9/11/05, 9/16/05, 5/16/06, 5/17/06, 5/19/06, 6/30/06, 7/23/06, 8/5/07, 6/30/08, 8/23/09, 8/24/09, 5/4/10, 5/7/10, 9/3/11, 9/4/11, 10/11/13, 10/17/14, 8/20/16
  • toolietoolie Posts: 393
    Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald? Does Eddie sing on that one?
    Asking for a Canadian 😃

  • cp3iversoncp3iverson Posts: 8,702
    Gordon Lightfoot is the man
  • ShakesckyShakescky Posts: 343
    edited October 2019
    I believe Parrot was a sublabel of Red Robin. The first four songs are from one of Eddie Vedder's previous bands called Bad Radio. The tracks are most likely sourced from an unknown generation cassette of this Bad Radio release. http://www.pjcollectors.com/detail_related.asp?id=1277 . Stone Gossard's summer 1990 demos featuring Jeff Ament, Mike McCready, Matt Cameron and Rick Friel working on musical foundations that you would hear later reworked are included on tracks four through nine, plus eleven and thirteen. More information about the demos can be read here. http://www.twofeetthick.com/2010/10/13/stone-gossard-summer-1990-demos/.

    I haven't listened to this bootleg in a long time, but if this old list is correct - http://web.archive.org/web/20090413160139/http://members.core.com/10/C7/ryan/pj/cda-l.html - then "Release" and "Just a Girl" are from the October 1990 Mookie Blaylock sessions. "Crazy Mary" is taken from the Sweet Relief: A Benefit for Victoria Williams compilation album, and the remaining two songs ("Angel", "Ramblings") are sourced from the 1993 Christmas Single.

    More information about the creation of Pearl Jam can be found painstakingly researched and documented by Jessica Letkemann - http://www.twofeetthick.com/2010/10/1990-the-making-of-pearl-jam-a-tft-mini-book/



    Post edited by Shakescky on
    i have witnessed some performances. i have soaked up a lot of memories.
  • raindog80raindog80 Reggio Emilia, Italy Posts: 1,187
    edited October 2019
    The Avocado Album said:

    The third track really interested me, tho. It’s just called “What” and it ABSOLUTELY slaps. I’ve been listening to it constantly ever since I got the CD. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find any videos of it online. 

    Hi. What is a Bad Radio song, written by Dave George (Bad Radio guitarist) with Eddie Vedder lyrics.
    It was included in a promo cassette called Tower Records Demo, self released in 1989. 
    Post edited by raindog80 on
    "I like beautiful melodies telling me terrible things" - Tom Waits
    pearljamonline.it
  • WindowPaineWindowPaine Chicopee, MA Posts: 532
    the first 4 tracks on that are bad radio songs. 
    First Show: Springfield, MA 4/6/94
  • RS65573RS65573 Posts: 2,497
    Believe You Me is friggin phenomenal if you ask me. Would be a huge PJ hit like Betterman.
  • Vedd HeddVedd Hedd Posts: 4,614
    I miss going into local CD stores and finding stuff like this. I have a bunch just like them. 
    Turn this anger into
    Nuclear fission
  • tempo_n_groovetempo_n_groove Posts: 40,576
    Vedd Hedd said:
    I miss going into local CD stores and finding stuff like this. I have a bunch just like them. 
    I don't miss the prices that were attached to them though, lol!
  • RS65573RS65573 Posts: 2,497
    Our local bootleg shop Sound Exchange in NJ was $35 for a single CD $60 for a double. There was nothing like getting into the car and putting on a show or song you've never heard from your favorite band. 

    I used to go on vacation in Wildwood NJ with my family and walk up and down that boardwalk to every single bootleg shop looking for any shows I didnt have. 94-98ish. 

    Still have probably 100 of them. All those crazy Italian imports.
  • NM70698NM70698 Posts: 76
    Hats off to the historians in this thread. 
  • elwayvedderelwayvedder South Jersey Posts: 9,142
    great memories rising here...loved combing through cd cases where your heart would stop seeing a new boot that you didn't recognize and you paid $25+ for it just because it had one song on it you didn't recognize.  you get home and learn those crazy italian bootleggers got the song title wrong and you had it already. drop the leaves!!
    www.operationyellowribbon.org
  • HughFreakingDillonHughFreakingDillon Winnipeg Posts: 38,209
    ok, the important question in this thread has yet to be answered: what is this version of Edmund Fitzgerald???
    "Oh Canada...you're beautiful when you're drunk"
    -EV  8/14/93




  • NM70698NM70698 Posts: 76
    Its an instrumental, but I believe the "title" was simply a mislabeling by bootleggers.  To my ears, the demo and the Gordon Lightfoot song do not sound similar.  
  • ShakesckyShakescky Posts: 343
    edited October 2019
    WindowPaine said:
    the first 4 tracks on that are bad radio songs. 
    You are correct. I made an error in my post that I will fix.

    NM70698 said:
    Its an instrumental, but I believe the "title" was simply a mislabeling by bootleggers.  To my ears, the demo and the Gordon Lightfoot song do not sound similar.  
    Here is a photo of the reels. https://ibb.co/z7CK6Ln

    Post edited by Shakescky on
    i have witnessed some performances. i have soaked up a lot of memories.
  • JammalamboJammalambo Posts: 1,321
    Shakescky said:
    NM70698 said:
    Its an instrumental, but I believe the "title" was simply a mislabeling by bootleggers.  To my ears, the demo and the Gordon Lightfoot song do not sound similar.  
    Here is a photo of the reels. https://ibb.co/z7CK6Ln

    Yeah, the instrumentals widely known as the Gossman Project, great stuff. Folk D is amazing. I wonder if Stone still has that rock flame in him...
  • NM70698NM70698 Posts: 76
    That photo is awesome.  Never saw that before.
  • HughFreakingDillonHughFreakingDillon Winnipeg Posts: 38,209
    Shakescky said:
    WindowPaine said:
    the first 4 tracks on that are bad radio songs. 
    You are correct. I made an error in my post that I will fix.

    NM70698 said:
    Its an instrumental, but I believe the "title" was simply a mislabeling by bootleggers.  To my ears, the demo and the Gordon Lightfoot song do not sound similar.  
    Here is a photo of the reels. https://ibb.co/z7CK6Ln

    so there IS a cover of Wreck? or he just called it that because of the similarity?
    "Oh Canada...you're beautiful when you're drunk"
    -EV  8/14/93




  • raindog80raindog80 Reggio Emilia, Italy Posts: 1,187
    NM70698 said:
    That photo is awesome.  Never saw that before.
    It's from Mind Your Manners video. 
    "I like beautiful melodies telling me terrible things" - Tom Waits
    pearljamonline.it
  • raindog80raindog80 Reggio Emilia, Italy Posts: 1,187
    RS65573 said:
    Believe You Me is friggin phenomenal if you ask me. Would be a huge PJ hit like Betterman.
    100% agree with you. 5 years ago, in UK...
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8lj7m5Xink 
    "I like beautiful melodies telling me terrible things" - Tom Waits
    pearljamonline.it
  • JammalamboJammalambo Posts: 1,321
    edited October 2019
    HughFreakingDillon said:
    so there IS a cover of Wreck? or he just called it that because of the similarity?
    Just download this torrent - http://zombtracker.the-zomb.com/details.php?id=24334 - (if you're interested) and listen to yourself.. "Wreck" is the "question mark" track, by the way... This set circulates since forever (would be ultra cool to have a straight proper transfer from the Master reels, though.. maybe someday... would made for an excellent RSD release, instead of these recent lazy efforts). Let me know if you need a seed.
    Post edited by Jammalambo on
  • HughFreakingDillonHughFreakingDillon Winnipeg Posts: 38,209
    raindog80 said:
    RS65573 said:
    Believe You Me is friggin phenomenal if you ask me. Would be a huge PJ hit like Betterman.
    100% agree with you. 5 years ago, in UK...
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8lj7m5Xink 
    just listened again to the original demo. I don't see "hit" on this one. 
    "Oh Canada...you're beautiful when you're drunk"
    -EV  8/14/93




  • WindowPaineWindowPaine Chicopee, MA Posts: 532
    RS65573 said:
    Believe You Me is friggin phenomenal if you ask me. Would be a huge PJ hit like Betterman.
    i've always thought the same thing. i think they would need to rearrange it, especially the ending, it gets all fast and funky and ...not as good as the beginning. but i do love it and always hoped pj would cover it in some way. i think eddie played part of it at a solo show once?
    First Show: Springfield, MA 4/6/94
  • JammalamboJammalambo Posts: 1,321
    HughFreakingDillon said:
    raindog80 said:
    RS65573 said:
    Believe You Me is friggin phenomenal if you ask me. Would be a huge PJ hit like Betterman.
    100% agree with you. 5 years ago, in UK...
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8lj7m5Xink 
    just listened again to the original demo. I don't see "hit" on this one. 
    It's a good song, but the punky-fast part in the middle of the song kinda ruins the mood created by the amazing melody at the start. But still an excellent piece, to me. Homeless is the real masterpiece, in my opinion. I wish PJ covered it someday, just imagine it with that cool brief blues jam at the end, extended live by Mike. Amazing, I say.
  • HughFreakingDillonHughFreakingDillon Winnipeg Posts: 38,209
    Jammalambo said:
    HughFreakingDillon said:
    raindog80 said:
    RS65573 said:
    Believe You Me is friggin phenomenal if you ask me. Would be a huge PJ hit like Betterman.
    100% agree with you. 5 years ago, in UK...
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8lj7m5Xink 
    just listened again to the original demo. I don't see "hit" on this one. 
    It's a good song, but the punky-fast part in the middle of the song kinda ruins the mood created by the amazing melody at the start. But still an excellent piece, to me. Homeless is the real masterpiece, in my opinion. I wish PJ covered it someday, just imagine it with that cool brief blues jam at the end, extended live by Mike. Amazing, I say.
    yeah, I was totally with them on that until the fast who-like middle. 
    "Oh Canada...you're beautiful when you're drunk"
    -EV  8/14/93




  • treestrees Columbus OHIO Posts: 1,907
    cp3iverson said:
    Gordon Lightfoot is the man
    I never thought they would cover it ,i. Want to hear it ,i love this song 


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  • Vedd HeddVedd Hedd Posts: 4,614
    tempo_n_groove said:
    Vedd Hedd said:
    I miss going into local CD stores and finding stuff like this. I have a bunch just like them. 
    I don't miss the prices that were attached to them though, lol!
    Haha, yeah they were roughly twice the cost and poor quality. But still fun.

    Like when you were underaged and had to overpay someone to get.a case of Busch Light. 

    Turn this anger into
    Nuclear fission
  • ShakesckyShakescky Posts: 343
    edited October 2019
    HughFreakingDillon said:
    Shakescky said:
    WindowPaine said:
    the first 4 tracks on that are bad radio songs. 
    You are correct. I made an error in my post that I will fix.

    NM70698 said:
    Its an instrumental, but I believe the "title" was simply a mislabeling by bootleggers.  To my ears, the demo and the Gordon Lightfoot song do not sound similar.  
    Here is a photo of the reels. https://ibb.co/z7CK6Ln

    so there IS a cover of Wreck? or he just called it that because of the similarity?
    The two songs do not sound similar to me. The one found on Stone Gossard's demos could have been given this title as a joke.
    raindog80 said:
    NM70698 said:
    That photo is awesome.  Never saw that before.
    It's from Mind Your Manners video. 
    Specifically the Lightning Bolt Vignette.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8Ejn8a9q04

    i have witnessed some performances. i have soaked up a lot of memories.
  • Lost In OhioLost In Ohio Posts: 7,064
    edited October 2019
    Here's the Pearl Jam version of Wreck. It's probably mislabeled by the bootleggers. They sound nothing alike.

    https://youtu.be/55lkkV5pIqE


    With that said, an Eddie solo show would do great justice for Gordon Lightfoot. I'm surprised it hasn't happened.
    Post edited by Lost In Ohio on
    Presidential Advice from President-Elect Mike McCready: "Are you getting something out of this all encompassing trip?"
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