Spoon - "I Could See The Dude (Demo)"

The cover for the Soft Effects vinyl 10"

We're always stoked when Spoon drops a new track in their "Bonus" section, but this month we were particularly thrilled. Culled from the demo sessions for one of our favorite Spoon records, the Soft Effects EP, the demo for "I Could See The Dude" is a real treat.

Much like the final studio track, the demo is built around a looped guitar riff overlaid on a bass line that manages to craft the song's chord changes all by its lonesome. The vocals are a little more raw, and (like most of Britt Daniel's demos) the beats are clearly canned.  At the end of the day, however, this is the clear foundation of one of our favorite Spoon tracks.

Give a listen to the mp3 below, and try not to get too excited about the fact that the end of the track clearly has the guitar lead in for a demo of "Waiting For The Kid To Come Out". Fingers crossed we'll be hearing it soon!

mp3: Spoon - I Could See The Dude (Demo)

The Beach Boys - Surf's Up (Demo)

The upcoming release of The Beach Boys' SMiLE sessions has us digging through our archives like maniacs, catching up on all the material that we've collected over the years in regard to the notorious "lost" album.  Ranging from demos, to session tapes, to fan-compiled versions of the album, there's more than any rational human would like to dig through.  However, in that dreck there are also gems, and the demo for "Surf's Up" is among our very favorites.

The track itself is no stranger to Beach Boys fans:  it would surface later on an album of the same name.  However, that version was produced and manicured:  a bizarre combination of simplicity attempting to seem complex.  By comparison this demo, recorded by Brian Wilson solo at the piano, reveals the very fundamental reason the song is so amazing.  Rhythms, melodies, transitions: all of them combine to make this version the very best it can be.

The demo first surfaced on a 1960's TV show (click through for video - embedding was disabled) previewing the never-to-be album, and for a long time that unmastered outtake was all that fans would have.  However, with the release of the Good Vibrations box set, a full mastered version was released in all it's simplistic goodness.  And it is so, so, worth it.  So sit back, relax, and have a listen.  Surf's Up!

mp3: The Beach Boys - Surf's Up (Demo)

Spoon Dig Up More Demos, Headline Fun Fun Fun Fest

Spoon at Music Hall Of Williamsburg, from the HAD Archive

Apparently Spoon frontman Britt Daniel was recently relocating, and discovered a long ago tucked away tape of home demos. Devotees of the band will know what that means: more awesome, awesome freebies from the band's website. To start things off with a bang, the band has posted the demo for "Utilitarian", the lead-in track from the band's second LP A Series Of Sneaks. Faithful to the final version, the demo is a tad more fuzzy, and features a slightly simpler guitar part. You can check it below, right now!

In other news, the band has been tapped to headline Austin's Fun Fun Fun Festival this November. So if you happen to find yourself in the lone star state, your Spoon consumption for the fall can be considerably greater than those of us on the east coast, subsisting on band-site mp3s. You lucky Texans, you.

mp3: Spoon - Utilitarian (Demo)

Paul McCartney - "Come And Get It"

Badfinger's "Come And Get It" (video below) is one of those songs that is so ubiquitous that even if you don't know it, you can sing along the second you hear the opening notes. It's simple, accessible, melodic, and all around appealing. It is quite simply, very, very, well known. However, what is perhaps less well known is that the song was written and produced by none other than Paul McCartney. Not only that, but before "giving" the song to Badfinger, Macca recorded his own demo, playing all the instruments and performing all vocals himself.

The McCartney version sounds a great deal like the Badfinger version, and apparently not at all by accident. When McCartney offered the song to the band, he insisted that they deliver instrumentals identical to his demo, and that he get to choose which member of the band got to sing. Despite his careful management of the song's sound, we have to say we still prefer his demo. There's really no substitute for the awesomeness of a young Paul's vocal abilities, and his bass lines are simply unparalleled. Check it out for yourself below, and if that's not enough variation for you, give a listen to Elton John's 1970 cover version when you're done.

Paul McCartney plays Yankee Stadium on July 15th and 16th. Yes, you should go.

mp3: Paul McCartney - "Come And Get It" (Demo Version)

Spoon Drops Another Demo Of "Is Love Forever?", This Time As Reggae

Spoon at Music Hall Of Williamsburg, from the HAD Archive

You may recall that last month we brought up Spoon's demo for "Is Love Forever?" that the band was giving away for free on their website. You may also have noticed that the mp3 conspicuously labeled it "version 2" of the demo. Well, guess what? Version 1 has been put out for the world to hear.

Given how straight-ahead the last version was, this one came as quite a surprise: we really wouldn't have pinned the first demo as being a dubbed-out reggae jam that would sound right at home on Sandanista!. Nonetheless, we gotta say: we love it. As things progress, and Britt Daniel stretches his legs on his dub fetish bit by bit, we start to realize that it's one of the crucial parts that makes this band so great. Enjoy.

mp3: Spoon - Is Love Forever? (Demo 1)

Willie Nelson: "Crazy (Demo Version)"

Last night while we were enjoying a few beverages at the always-lovely Rusty Knot, their DJ-slash-doorman played this killer track, and it just about blew our minds. It's semi-common knowledge that Willie Nelson wrote the Patsy Cline classic "Crazy", but this took things one step further: This is Willie's own 1961 demo of the very same track.

Not only are his vocals straight-up impecable, but the track itself is the picture of simplicity. With a quiet slide guitar, and gently moving rhythm, Nelson does his work more justice than Cline ever could, by letting the song speak for itself. Culled from 2003's "The Demo Sessions", we couldn't be happier that this gem managed to surface 42 years after its creation.

There are a lot of great Willie Nelson moments, but this one may take the cake.

mp3: Willie Nelson - "Crazy (Demo Version)"

Spoon Drops Demo For "Is Love Forever?" - mp3

Spoon at the Fillmore, from the HAD Archive

Well, here's a weekend treat for you: soon after we stumbled upon Spoon's demo for "Mystery Zone", the band has already posted another demo from the Transference sessions. "Is Love Forever?" just went up as the January "bonus" song on the band's site, and we grabbed it immediately!

Unlike many of the other Transference demos that have surfaced, "Is Love Forever?" holds pretty true to the final studio version. This isn't exactly a shocker, considering how straight ahead the tune is. That being said, it doesn't leave us any less psyched to belt out the refrain as loud as we possibly can. It fucking rocks, obvs.

mp3: Spoon - Is Love Forever? (Demo)

Spoon Drops Demo For "Mystery Zone"

Spoon @ Music Hall Of Williamsburg, from the HAD Archive

Last month, Spoon gave the world a holiday treat with a CD comp of their ever-growing list of free bonus tracks from the band's web site. We snagged the disc (which is fab, btw), and foolishly figured that would be it from the band until the new year. Well, we couldn't have been more wrong!

Only a few days later, the band posted a new bonus: the demo for "Mystery Zone" from the band's Transference. The track is a vastly different take from the final cut, featuring bright, melodic, acoustic guitars, handclaps, and absolutely no ethereal sonic craziness. While we're partial to the album version, we have to say that it's completely boggling to hear how much a tune can change in its transition to the studio.

For those keeping track at home, this puts the count of demos from Transference at four out of twelve. The mp3 is also titled "Mystery Zone - demo1", so maybe there's another in the archives? Either way, we're seriously hoping they keep coming, as this is really starting to get interesting! Check it below...

mp3: Spoon - Mystery Zone (Demo)

Spoon Drop More Transference Demos

Spoon at The Fillmore, from the HAD Archive

In a move that is likely to amount to an entire Transference Demos record, Spoon have dropped two more demos from their last record Transference through the "Bonus" section of their website. This time around, the band has delivered early versions of "Out Go The Lights" and "Nobody Gets Me But You", and frankly, they're awesome.

As is often the case with the band, the early versions of the songs are pretty vast departure from the final studio cuts. Largely recorded by Britt Daniel solo, the tracks are raw frameworks of what the songs will eventually become. "Nobody Gets Me But You" loses it's aggressive beat, and instead is driven by a driving acoustic guitar line and "na na" backup vocals. "Out Go The Lights" departs from the final version's gentle touch, and instead is built upon a fuzzy bass guitar line and a straining vocal from Daniel.

At the end of the day, stuff like this is one of the many reasons we love Spoon so much. Not only are they willing to expose their creative process for all the world to see, but they offer it up to their fans for free. If more bands would take a cue from these guys, it definitely wouldn't be a change for the worse. Check out the tracks below.

mp3: Spoon - Out Go The Lights (Demo)

mp3: Spoon - Nobody Gets Me But You (Demo)

Ryan Adams - "Fix It" Demo (feat. Mandy Moore)

Ryan Adams live at the Catalyst Santa Cruz, from the HAD Archive

Yesterday, as we were enjoying a fantastic new video of Ryan Adams rehearsing "My Sweet Carolina" for an 826 benefit in LA, we also stumbled across the awesome track you'll find embedded below. Labeled as a demo version, this take on "Fix It" not only features some killer drum machines, but backing vocals from Adams' wife, the multi-talented Mandy Moore. We're almost always partial to the more raw takes on Adams' tracks, and this one is no exception. Give a listen and see what you think.

Spoon Delivers Transference Cover Art, "My Little Japanese Cigarette Case" Demo

Well, just in case "Written In Reverse" wasn't enough to tide you over until Transference drops in January, Spoon is still looking out for you. The band posted their December bonus track on the band's web site, and it's a lengthy demo take on the band's tune "My Little Japanese Cigarette Case" from 2007's Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga.

The track (which bears the subtitle "delay demo"), is much longer than the final take, and not only contains more lyrical content, but more instrumental breaks as well. It's a great look into not only how a song can grow, but also just how willing Spoon is to pare down their material, and how much it contributes to their oft-praised minimalism. However, even more interestingly, it continues the band's trend of putting their working process out in the open for all to see - check it out below.

In other news, the band has delivered the cover art for their new record, which you can see above. Much like with Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, Transference continues the trend of using a vintage photograph for the cover. This time around it's the work of William Eggleston, and from all appearances is keeping right in line with the band's typically killer cover art. We'll say it again: we. can't. wait.

mp3: Spoon - My Little Japanese Cigarette Case (Demo)

Spoon Drop September Bonus, Announce "Deluxe Digital" Releases

Spoon @ The Fillmore, from the HAD Archive

Well, if you've been paying even a little bit of attention around here, you know that we're a tad Spoon-obsessed around these parts. As such, we're always on the lookout for the band to drop their semi-monthly bonus track, and one's just come up! This month's track is a demo for the Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga track "Rhythm And Sould", and it's a pretty dead-ahead version. Significantly less produced than the album version, but by and large the same feel. Have a listen below.

In other news, the band (who are currently in the studio) have announced the availability of their first four records as "deluxe digital" releases. While what this means is still a little unclear, it appears to be a download of the records directly from the band's website in high resolution formats. The site is also promising previously unavailable material, but that's about as far as they go. Looks like we'll have to wait and see.

mp3: Spoon - Rhythm And Soul (demo)

New Spoon Bonus Material - "You Got Yr Cherry Bomb (From Scratch Demo)"

Spoon At The Fillmore, from the HAD Archive

Here at HAD, we continue to be huge fans of bands transcending RIAA lameness by giving things away for free. Without a doubt, one of the champions of free goodies has to be our buddies in Spoon. Rather than save up rare, live, and demo tracks for some sort of compilation or money-maker for interim record sales, they instead relentlessly release those tracks through the "Bonus" tab of their web site, and they do it every month!

This month's track is a demo of "You Got Yr Cherry Bomb" known as the "From Scratch Demo". It's a chilled-out take on the track from Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, featuring layers of dreamy synths and some dub vocal effects for good measure. That being said, it doesn't sacrifice the track's driving drum and bass lines, and in a way it seems as though this is one track that was always meant for it's album persona. Check it out below.

mp3: Spoon - You Got Yr Cherry Bomb (From Scratch Demo)

Spoon Drops New Bonus, "Japanese Cigarette Case (Oceanside Demo)"

Spoon at The Fillmore, from the HAD Archive

We really don't know of any other band that's quite so giving with their archival material: Spoon manages to somehow let their demos and b-sides to trickle forth via their website's "bonus" feature. This month is no different, and the band's just posted a new track. We couldn't be more pleased.

This month the track is the "Oceanside Demo" of the Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga track "My Japanese Cigarette Case". While the track is a bit more stripped down than the original, it's so close to the actual album track that we're not sure the word demo even is necessarily apt. Either way, it's great to hear another take on such a killer tune. Check it out for yourself!

mp3: Spoon - My Japanese Cigarette Case (Oceanside Demo)

Ryan Adams: "Magick" Home Demo

Picture from the HAD Archive

We're huge fans of the tune "Magick" off of Cardinology - it's the biggest dose of real ROCK on the whole record. So, we were psyched to see Ryan Adams drop the home demo on his twitter feed this morning. Tasty. Head here to have a listen.

Meanwhile, Mr. Adams second book of poetry, Hello Sunshine, is available for preorder now. We had to look up what a "chap book" was - just sayin'.

Stream: Ryan Adams - Magick (Home Demo)

New Spoon Bonus Track: "Black Like Me" Demo

Picture from the HAD Archive

After a month off in January, the Spoon website has reentered their monthly "Bonus" offering with a demo of the final track from their 2007 record Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, "Black Like Me". To be frank, the track itself is simple enough on the record that the demo doesn't necessarily offer up a drastically different take on the tune. The absence of the string section at the end does offer up more of a "garage" feel towards the end, and overall the demo has a generally "lo fi" vibe. And really, at the end of the day, we're not gonna argue with a bit of free Spoon to start the week, are you? We didn't think so.

mp3: Spoon - Black Like Me Demo