Manic Street Preachers - Early Demos 1985 - 1990.

This is a collection of demo recordings from the Manic Street Preachers, recorded between 1985 and 1990 (it is more likely that the earliest material was actually recorded in 1986). A reasonable amount of this was probably recorded before Richey Edwards became a member of the band. An early version of their debut single (plus B side is included). Of the rest some made it on to B sides of single releases, some would eventually morph into tracks for the first album and some remained just as demos.

From Wikipedia regarding the early days of the Manics - The band was formed in 1986 in Oakdale Comprehensive School, Blackwood, south Wales. During this time, Bradfield had tried writing lyrics, but this later changed and Wire wrote all their earliest lyrics, leaving Bradfield, alongside the classically-trained Sean Moore when he joined, to write the music. Original bassist Flicker (Miles Woodward) left the band in early 1988, reportedly because he believed that the band were moving away from their punk roots. The band continued as a three-piece, with Wire switching from guitar to bass, and in 1989 they recorded their first single, "Suicide Alley". Edwards joined the band on guitar and often made contributions to lyrics with Wire, designing record sleeves and other artwork, and driving the band to and from gigs.

In 1990, they signed a deal with label Damaged Goods Records for one EP. The four-track New Art Riot attracted as much media interest for its attacks on fellow musicians as for the actual music. With the help of Hall or Nothing management, the Manics signed to indie label Heavenly Records. The band recorded their first single for the label, entitled "Motown Junk".

The band released their next single, entitled You Love Us, and again displayed a huge cultural scope. The single sampled Penderecki's "Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima" as well as Iggy Pop. The video featured Nicky Wire in drag as Marilyn Monroe and contained visual references to Betty Blue and Aleister Crowley. In a now legendary interview with then NME journalist Steve Lamacq, Edwards carved the phrase "4REAL" into his arm with a razor blade to prove their sincerity. He was taken to hospital and received a total of seventeen stitches. Columbia Records of Sony Music UK signed the band shortly afterwards and they began work on their debut album.  

Source: Soundboard.

Sound Quality: Good stereo mp3@128kbps.

Genre: Alternative rock, hard rock, glam punk, post-punk.

Set List:

1. Faceless Sense Of Void (Early version of Love's Sweet Exile)
2. Go Buzz Baby Go (Early Version of Motorcycle Emptiness)
3. Just Can't Be Happy
4. R.P. McMurphy
5. Suicide Alley (Self released debut single 1989)
6. New Art Riot
7. England Is A Bitch
8. This Girl Got Nothing
9. Love In A Make-Up Bag
10. Generation Terrorists (Early version of Stay Beautiful)
11. UK Channel Boredom (Released as a split flexi single 1990)
12. Sunglass Asthetic
13. You Love Us
14. Methadone Pretty
15. Dying A Thousand Deaths
16. Eating Myself From The Inside
17. Democracy Coma
18. Repeat
19. Behave Yourself Baby
20. Repeat
21. Razorblade Beat
22. Where Have All The Good Things Gone
23. Whiskey Psychosis
24. Soul Contamination
25. Tennessee (I Get Low - Suicide Alley B Side, Early version of Tennessee)

Website: Official HERE.

New file link in comments below - Re-uploaded 2012 (Stealth project).

Leonard Cohen - More From The 1979 Tour

The officially released album 'Field Commander Cohen - Tour of 1979' is a live album by Leonard Cohen released in 2001. Songs were recorded live at the Hammersmith Odeon, London, on 4th, 5th, and December 6th, 1979 and at the Dome Theatre, Brighton, on December 15th, 1979. Leonard Cohen said it was his best tour ever. Accompanying Leonard Cohen was the jazz band Passenger from Austin, Texas, see line up details below.

These additional recordings include six songs from the Brighton Dome Concert Hall, (Brighton, England 15th December 1979) that were not on the official release including a stunning version of 'Silent Night'.

The Birmingham concert has circulated as a bootleg in it's own right. The sound leveling and editing on a couple of songs suggests this was a soundboard tape that was not part of the material recorded for the live album, that said this is a wonderful concert and the overall audio is fantastic.

From Wikipedia regarding this era - In 1979, Leonard Cohen returned with the more traditional Recent Songs, which blended his acoustic style with jazz and Oriental and Mediterranean influences. Beginning with this record, praised in 2001 by Cohen as his favourite, Cohen began to co-produce his albums. Produced by Cohen and Henry Lewy (Joni Mitchell's sound engineer), Recent Songs included performances by Austin-based jazz-fusion band Passenger whom were introduced to Cohen by Mitchell. The band helped Cohen create a new sound by featuring instruments like the oud, the Gypsy violin and the mandolin. The album was supported by Cohen's major tour with the new band, and Jennifer Warnes and Sharon Robinson on the backing vocals, in Europe in late 1979, and again in Australia, Israel and Europe in 1980. The tour was filmed by Harry Rasky as The Song of Leonard Cohen, and the film was broadcast on television in 1980. Cohen also gave couple of major TV appearances in 1979, including German's ZDF television. In 2000 Columbia released an album of live recordings of songs from the 1979 tour, entitled Field Commander Cohen: Tour of 1979; the album (with different track list) was originally rejected by the label in 1980.

Source: Soundboard.

Sound Quality: Very good stereo mp3@320kbps Birmingham and mp3@200kbps variable Brighton. 

Genre: Folk, folk rock, rock, spoken word.

Set: Full set Birmingham, non officially released material Brighton .

Set List:

Birmingham:
1. Sisters Of Mercy
2. Diamonds In The Mine
3. The Smokey Life
4. The Gypsy's Wife
5. 2 Quatrains
6. Chelsea Hotel #2
7. A Singer Must Die
8. The Partisan
9. Famous Blue raincoat
10. Our Lady Of Solitude
11. Billy Sunday

Brighton:
01. Memories
02. Suzanne
03. Billy Sunday
04. Joan of Arc
05. I Tried to leave you
06. Silent Night

Lineup:

Vocalists:
Sharon Robinson
Jennifer Warnes

The Band:
Roscoe Beck - bass guitar
John Bilezikjian - oud, mandolin
Bill Ginn - keyboards
Raffi Hakopian - violin
Steve Meador - drums
Paul Ostermayer - wind
Mitch Watkins - electric guitar

Website: Official HERE. 

Reloaded 25/May/2015 - Download link in comments below.

Lucinda Williams - KPFK Los Angeles 1989

This is a recording of Lucinda Williams from KPFK-FM Radio, in Los Angeles, CA performed on the 26th February 1989. This has circulated as 'Sweet And Tender Kisses', and included three songs that were officially released and have been excluded from this version in line with our music sharing policy.

This performance features mostly material from her third album (titled Lucinda Williams) which was released a few months prior to this performance. The recording has been professionally edited down for a radio programme and excludes any audience noise and thankfully no DJ chatter.

The three officially released songs are 'Nothing In Rambling', 'Disgusted' and 'Side Of The Road', which were included originally on her 'Passionate Kisses' EP and subsequently on the reissue of Lucinda Williams'.

From Allmusic.com regarding Lucinda around this time - Lucinda Williams eventually caught on with an unlikely partner -- the British indie label Rough Trade, which was historically better known for its punk output. The simply titled Lucinda Williams was released in 1988, and although it didn't make any waves in the mainstream, it received glowing reviews from those who did hear it. With help from guitarist/co-producer Gurf Morlix, Williams' sound had evolved into a seamless blend of country, blues, folk, and rock; while it made perfect sense to roots music enthusiasts, it didn't fit into the rigid tastes of radio programmers. But it was clear that she had found her songwriting voice -- the album brimmed with confidence, and so did its assertive female characters, who seemed to answer only to their own passions.

Many critics hailed Lucinda Williams as a major statement by a major new talent. Rough Trade issued a couple of EPs that featured live performances and material from Lucinda Williams, and Patty Loveless covered "The Night's Too Long" for a Top 20 country hit.

Source: Soundboard/FM.

Sound Quality: Very good stereo mp3@320kbps.

Genre: Alt Country, American, Folk Rock.

Set: Full Set (excluding three commercially released songs).

Set List:

01 Big Red Sun Blues
02 Crescent City
03 Like A Rose
04 All I Want (It Don’t Matter To Me)
05 Abandoned
06 Wild And Blue
07 Something About What Happens When We Talk
08 Sundays

Lineup:
Lucinda Williams - guitar, vocals
Gurf Morlix - guitar, background vocals
Dr. John Ciambotti - bass

Website: Official HERE.

Download link in comments below.

Isaac Hayes - Indianapolis Jazz Festival 1999

This is Isaac Hayes live in concert at the Indianapolis Jazz Festival back on the 19th June 1999. Isaac Hayes was born in Covington, Tennessee, in Tipton County. He was the second child of Isaac Hayes, Sr. and Eula Hayes.

After his mother died young, and his father abandoned his family, Isaac, Jr., was raised by his maternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Willie Wade, Sr. The child of a poor sharecropper family, he grew up working on farms in Shelby County, Tennessee and in Tipton County.

Isaac dropped out of high school, but he was later encouraged by his former high school teachers at Manassas High School in Memphis to complete his high school diploma, which he did at the age of 21. After graduating from high school, Hayes was offered several music scholarships from colleges and universities. Hayes turned down all of them because of his obligations to his immediate family. Hayes next worked at a meat-packing plant in Memphis by day, and he played music at nightclubs and juke joints several evenings a week in Memphis and nearby northern Mississippi.

During the late 1990s, Isaac Hayes gained new popularity as the voice of Chef on the Comedy Central animated television series South Park. Chef was a soul-singing cafeteria worker for South Park Elementary. A song from the series performed by Chef, "Chocolate Salty Balls (P.S. I Love You)", received international radio airplay in 1999. It reached number-one on the UK singles chart and also on the Irish singles chart. The track also appeared on the album Chef Aid: The South Park Album in 1998.

Highly regarded for his own work and his wonderful interpretation of many 'famous songs' as this set demonstrates, Isaac will surely be remembered for all manner of reasons. This concert adds the South Park dimension and is a must for any lover of his music.

Source: Soundboard tapes.

Sound Quality: Very good stereo mp3@192kbps.

Genre: R&B, funk, soul, jazz.

Set: Full Set.

Set List:

01.Don´t Let Go
02.Summer In The City
03.Don´t You Ever Take Your Love From Me
04.Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalmystic
05.Walk On By
06.Drums
07.Chocolate Salty Balls
08.I Stand Accused
09.Theme From Shaft

Website: Official HERE .

Download link in comments below.