This collection is not a commercially available bootleg. It has circulated amongst a number of Beefheart collectors and can be downloaded via some select torrent sites. But as it’s such an important release I am making an exception and including the details of it here.

At last all the outtakes from the productive 1971 and 1972 years have been gathered together in one place. Many of these songs and instrumentals have turned up on bootlegs over the years, and a couple have even been released legitimately but this is the first time they have been made available on one release.

These outtakes, rescued from the Warner Reprise vaults, have circulated amongst collectors for many years in varying sound quality. But now we have good to excellent versions of all of them – these could only be bettered if the original tapes were dusted off and released (which is pretty unlikely!).

What we have here are some glimpses into how some songs came about through lengthy jams by the Magic Band. Familiar riffs can be heard here before they were spotted by Don to be reworked and developed into a song we all now know and love. Some of the instrumentals are completed backing tracks that will now forever await Don’s vocal magic, some seem to be repetitive riffs, simple ideas, that don’t really go anywhere, others are the early versions of songs that would turn up several years later on Shiny Beast, Doc At The Radar Station or Ice Cream For Crow.

Compiled by a committed fan this definitive collection of 41 outtakes has been put together from the best possible sources available. The original 3 CD set was circulated in 2005 – and was pretty quickly picked up by a bootlegger who pressed up some copies (see details of this Hiwatt release below). Since then it has been upgraded twice, once in 2006 and again in 2009 (now organised onto 4 CDs). Each time better or slightly different versions have been found, or new recording information has come to light.

Overall this this THE version of the outtakes. Not only do you get the best sounding versions of these fascinating tracks but it comes with an authoritative booklet written by a fan for fans. Highly  recommended … in fact, it’s essential!.

This is what you get:

1-01 Drink Paint Run Run (7:28)
1-02 Seam Crooked Sam (Version 2) (2:18)
1-03 Dirty Blue Gene (Version 1) (2:54)
1-04 Sun Zoom Spark (Version 3) (4:12)
1-05 Kiss Me My Love (2:38)
1-06 Funeral Hill (Version 1) (6:46)
1-07 Harry Irene (2:51) jazzy guitar version
1-08 Open Pins (5:41:854) (3) improved sound
1-09 Dual & Abdul (2:44)
1-10 Semi-Multicoloured Caucasian (Version 2) (3:05)
1-11 Balladino (2:27)
1-12 Clear Spot (Instrumental) (4:46)
1-13 Circumstances (9:09) (marimba, harmonica, different to Clear Spot o/t)
1-14 I’m Gonna Booglarize You, Baby (Instrumental)(5:54)
1-15 Low Yo Yo Stuff (Instrumental) (6:08)
1-16 Semi-Multicoloured Caucasian (Version 1) (4:11)
1-17 Little Scratch (Version 2) (2:53)

Pompadour Session
2-01 Pompadour I (13:54:520) 2 takes
2-02 Pompadour II (12:41:308) 5 takes

3-01 Suzy Murder Wrist (3:47)
3-02 U Bean So Cinquo (2:51)
3-03 The Witch Doctor Life (3:51)
3-04 Little Scratch (Version 1)(4:48)
3-05 Flaming Autograph (4:44)
3-06 Love Grip (4:48)
3-07 No Flower Shall Grow (5:44)
3-08 Best Batch Yet (Version 1)(3:40)
3-09 Your Love Brought Me To Life (4:10) 2 takes
3-10 That Little Girl (5:18)
3-11 Campfires (5:47)
3-12 Well Well Well (1:57) (Lick My Decals Off Baby o/t)
3-13 Funeral Hill (Version 3) (3:55)
3-14 Seam Crooked Sam (Version 1) (2:15)
3-14 Alice In Blunderland (3:55)
3-15 Funeral Hill (Version 2) (3:17)
3-16 Best Batch Yet (Version 2) (2:14)
3-17 Dirty Blue Gene (Version 2) (3:14)

The Acoustic Blues Session (mono)
4-01 Sun Zoom Spark (Version 1) (8:03)
4-02 Scratch My Back (1:51)
4-03 Blues Medley (7:16)
4-03a Down In The Bottom
4-03b Key To The Highway
4-03c Grandpa Don’t Love Grandma No More
4-04 Sun Zoom Spark (Version 2) (8:28)

 

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The Spotlight Kid Outtakes – commercial bootleg version

Song List

Pompadour Sessions
Record Plant Studios, Los Angeles: May 1971

1. I’m Gonna Booglarize You Baby Jam (Take 1)
2. I’m Gonna Booglarize You Baby Jam (Take 2)
3. Pompadour I (Take 1)
4. Pompadour I (Take 2)
5. Pompadour II (Take 1)
6. Pompadour II (Take 2)
7. Pompadour II (Take 3)
8. Pompadour II (Take 4)
9. Pompadour II (Take 5)

The Spotlight Kid Outtakes Songs
Record Plant Studios, Los Angeles: May – September 1971

1. Funeral Hill #1
2. Drink Paint Run Run
3. Seam Crooked Sam #1
4. Dirty Blue Gene #1
5. Kiss Me My Love
6. Alice In Blunderland
7. Clear Spot
8. Low Yo Yo Stuff
9. Seam Crooked Sam #2
10. Funeral Hill #2

The Spotlight Kid Instrumental Sketches
Record Plant Studios, Los Angeles: May – September 1971

1. Semi-Multicoloured Caucasian
2. Dual & Abdul
3. Open Pins
4. Ballerino
5. Best Batch Yet #1
6. Suzy Murder Wrist
7. Obenso Cinco
8. The Witch Doctor Life
9. Little Scratch #2
10. Flaming Autograph
11. Love Grip
12. No Flower Shall Grow
13. Best Batch Yet #2
14. Your Love Brought Me To Life (Take 1)
15. Your Love Brought Me To Life (Take 2)
16. That little Girl
17. Campfires

Sun Zoom Spark Session
Early 1972 (mono)

1. Intro
2. Sun Zoom Spark #1
3. Scratch My Back
4. Blues Medley: Down In The Bottom; Key to The Highway; Grandpa Don’t
   Love Grandma No More
5. Sun Zoom Spark #2

Brown Star Sessions
Amiga Studios, Sherman Oaks, North Hollywood: Summer 1972

1. Sun Zoom Spark #3
2. Funeral Hill #3
3. Harry Irene
4. Little Scratch #2
5. Dirty Blue Gene #2

Radar Station Overview

This bootleg has been compiled from the astounding collection discussed above. There are 5 disc and 3 disc versions. Both are very expensive.

There is a glossy insert which gives all the recording detail and track listing (which is all correct amazingly for a boot!) plus a short paragraph of text. If I have one complaint it’s that the text is too small … it’s a struggle for us older fans to read.

Releases

• 2005 US 5CD on Hiwatt [no number]
• 2005 US 3CD on Hiwatt [no number]

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The Dressing Room Mirror Doesn’t Lie

Yet another repackaging of this set of outtakes complete with booklet. Why has it been given that naff title though?

Unknown date and origin

 

Help us

If anyone is able to complete or update any of the information above, then please do get in touch.