Unknown 1976 Demos
|
Studio/Location:
|
UNKNOWN
|
|
When:
|
January 1976
|
|
Songs:
|
Babe Don't Leave Me Alone * Fools * Ice Cream Man * She's The Woman
|
|
Available on CD:
|
Demo Daze, Mammoth Demos
|
Notes:
|
The earliest circualted demo with the Dave/Eddie/Alex/Michael lineup. Little is known about the details of its recording. Went into circualtion in 1998.
|
|
|
Gene Simmons Demos
|
|
Studio/Location:
|
Village Recorder Studios, Los Angeles, CA/ Electric Ladyland Studios, New York City, NY
|
|
When:
|
May 1976
|
|
Songs:
|
House of Pain * Runnin' With the Devil * Babe Don't Leave Me Alone
|
|
Available on CD:
|
Looney Tunes Merrie Melodies: The Unreleased, Demo Daze, Mammoth Demos, Blueprint
|
Notes:
|
This is the famous demo that Gene Simmons financed and produced. The three tracks were recorded in Village Recorder in L.A., while the guitar solos and overdubs were laid down at Electric Ladyland in N.Y.C.. Although it is believed that demo versions On Fire and Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love were recorded at the same time (as it says in the liner notes to Looney Tunes Merrie Melodies: The UnReleased), they most likely weren't; they probably originated from an unknown studio tape made sometime in late '77 (see entry directly below this one). Went into circulation in the early 1990's.
|
|
|
Unknown 1977 Demos
|
|
Studio/Location:
|
UNKNOWN
|
|
When:
|
Sometime in 1977 (Possibly late 1976?)
|
|
Songs:
|
On Fire * Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love
|
|
Available on CD:
| The First Recordings, Van Halen Dave Is Back, Rarest Covers And Demos, Last Night, Looney Tunes Merrie Melodies: The Unreleased
|
Notes:
|
The exact origin to these demos remain a mystery. For years these two tracks were thought to be a part of the Gene Simmons demos, along with House of Pain and Runnin' With the Devil. Both C.J. Chilvers in the Van Halen Encyclopedia and Brad Starks of the Official Van Halen Website insist they're not. The sound quality is strikingly similar to the Simmons demos, possibly suggesting a date of late 1976 or '77. If ATBL was written after the Warner Bros. Demos, though, these would have to have been recorded late in '77 or maybe even early '78 (around the time of the recording of the first album). In comparison, the sound quality (not only in generational loss, but in the recording and mixing) is not as good as the Warner Bros Demos. Went into circulation in the early 1990's.
|
|
|
Warner Bros. Demos
|
|
Studio/Location:
|
UNKNOWN
|
|
When:
|
Late 1977
|
|
Songs:
|
Feel Your Love Tonight * Show Your Love * Runnin' With the Devil * Voodoo Queen * Little Dreamer * Last Night * Somebody Get Me a Doctor * Light in the Sky * Get the Show on the Road * Babe Don't Leave Me Alone * Big Trouble * On Fire * She's the Woman * I Want to Be Your Lover * D.O.A. * Bring On the Girls * We Die Bold * Young and Wild * Let's Get Rockin' * Put Out the Lights * House of Pain * Piece of Mind * In a Simple Rhyme * You Really Got Me * Happy Trails
|
|
Available on CD:
|
Blueprint, "That's All, Folks", '77 + Live, Van Halen at the Best, Can't Get This Stuff No More-Volume 1, Looney Tunes Merrie Melodies: The Unreleased
|
Notes:
|
This is the important 25-song demo VH made for Warner Bros. after they were signed to a record deal. From these, the songs that would appear on Van Halen were chosen and re-recorded. The October 26/27, 1977 date given on boot CD's is probably false. Although the location of the studio this was recorded at is unknown, it was almost definitely somewhere in the Los Angeles, CA area.
They sound quality is quite good on most copies of this. Although it has been rumored that as many as 40 songs were recorded during these sessions, it has not been confirmed. Ten of these 25 tracks have been in circulation since 1994, and the remaining 15 were finally in made available to the public by bootleggers in 1998. For many years this collection was considered to be the "holy grail" of Van Halen demo boots.
|
|
|
WACF Outtakes
|
|
Studio/Location:
|
Sunset Sound Recorders, Hollywood, CA
|
|
When:
|
Early 1980
|
|
Songs:
|
And the Cradle Will Rock * Romeo Delight * Act Like it Hurts * Everybody Wants Some!! * Loss of Control * Take Your Whisky Home * Fools * In a Simple Rhyme * Take Your Whiskey Home
|
|
Available on CD:
|
Women and Children First Sessions, Looney Tunes Merrie Melodies: The Unreleased, Sunset Sound
|
Notes:
|
Studio outtakes recorded during the Women and Children First Sessions. Romeo Delight, Act Like it Hurts, and In a Simple Rhyme are instrumental versions. The actual "final" name for the unreleased song Act Like it Hurts is unknown (that is, if David Lee Roth ever put lyrics to it), so it goes in tape trading circles by the working title that Edward first gave it. All known copies of this have a poor sound quality, despite the fact that the performances are good. Went into circulation in 1995.
|
|
|
5150 Outtakes
|
|
Studio/Location:
|
5150 Studios, Hollywood, CA
|
|
When:
|
Late 1985/Early 1986
|
|
Songs:
|
"5150" * Summer Nights * Love Walks In * Get Up * Best Of Both Worlds * I Want Some Action * Why Can't This Be Love * Good Enough
|
|
Available on CD:
|
5150 Leftovers, The Dawn of 5150, Sunset Sound
|
Notes:
|
A few of the songs have the same drum, bass, and rhythm guitar tracks that appear on the official version of 5150, with different vocals. No guitar solos are present. I Want Some Action is a rocker reminiscent of OU812's Sucker In a 3 Piece. Went into circulation in 1999.
|
|
|
OU812 Remix
|
|
Studio/Location:
|
5150 Studios, Hollywood, CA
|
|
When:
|
Late 1987/Early 1988
|
|
Songs:
|
Finish What Ya Started
|
|
Available on CD:
|
Looney Tunes Merrie Melodies: The Unreleased, Sunset Sound
|
Notes:
|
According to Arvid Steinbach, "This extended remix of the OU812 classic is rumored to have been released to one California-based radio station back in 1988 to test the reception of 'pop-oriented' Van Halen music by rock radio listeners. " It is not known exactly who made the decision to remix FWYS, whether it be Warner Bros. Records, Van Halen, and/or (then manager) Ed Leffler, or even an "outside" source, such as the aforementioned radio station.
This six-plus minute pop/dance version is dominated by electronic drums, bass, and added keyboards, almost to the extent of sounding like Sammy's vocals and the two main guitar tracks were used as "samples" in some spots. It does, however, retain most of the verse/chorus/solo sections found in the original version, only stretched out. Went into "limited" circulation after 1988, and into "wide" circulation in the early 1990's.
|
|
|
|
|
Van Halen III Outtakes
|
|
Studio/Location:
|
5150 Studios, Hollywood, CA
|
|
When:
|
Late 1997
|
|
Songs:
|
That's Why I Love Ya
|
|
Available on CD:
|
Can't Get This Stuff No More-Volume 1, Sunset Sound
|
Notes:
|
This unreleased cut from III (which was replaced by Josephina on the CD) became widely circulated in 1998, especially on the internet in Mp3 form.
|
View Latest Topics
