Discovered a couple of old recordings while searching for old Nirvana interview tapes yesterday - including this tape recorded with Damon & Naomi in their Boston apartment some time back in ‘90, or thereabouts. The concept, as I recall it, was to create a present-day Folkways recording. Folkways was a label dedicated to documenting otherwise lost Americana, through both story and song: in-between songs the artist would be interviewed about the circumstances the songs were recorded in, and the inspiration. So we trawled through The Legend!’s career and life. (Oh my God! There’s a version of The Beatles’ ‘What Goes On’, guitar from Damon. Oh my God. I didn’t know this existed.)

Another tape included a handful of songs recorded with Calvin Johnson and Heidi (?) in Olympia shortly before, including a Ramones/Shop Assistants tribute. I was excited to find both: and furthermore, an interview tape conducted with Slint in Louisville, 1992(?). Yes that’s right: an interview tape with the legendarily press-shy band that never did interviews. Hmm. It’s never been transcribed, either - because they said they would much prefer it if I didn’t.

There’s a recording of Courtney Love, singing a few songs from Celebrity Skin a cappella down the phone. At the time I mistook them for Tobi Vail seranading my flatmate with new Bikini Kill material, although I’ve never admitted that to her.

There’s a Vaselines interview tape.
There’s the unmastered tape of In Utero (with songs that must have surely seen the light of day by now).
There are the original PJ Harvey and Lush and Huggy Bear demos.

Whatever. Fine night downstairs at the Albert last night with the Plan B pop quiz: sang the lyric round (Michael Jackson songs) to the tune of songs requested from the audience, gave away a copy of Dingbats (”You don’t have to be crazy to play this game…but it helps!”) as a booby prize. Here’s my playlist.

Chin Chin - We Don’t Want To Be Prisoners
Pretenders - Stop Your Sobbing
Go-Go’s - We Got The Beat
Avengers - Paint It Black
Les Surfs - Tu Seras Mi Baby
Rachel Sweet - B-A-B-Y
The Petticoats - Normal
Holly And The Italians - Tell That Girl To Shut Up
Jesse Garon & The Desperadoes - Grand Hotel
Blondie - Denis
Marine Girls - Don’t Come Back
The Fizzbombs - Beach Party
Darby Sisters - Go Back To Your Pontiac
Judy Brown - I’m Such A Fool
Lonnie’s Legends & The Currents - Look For Another Love
Altered Images - See Those Eyes
Carmel - I’m Not Afraid Of You
Eighth Wonder - I’m Not Scared
Girls At Our Best - Politics!

Oh, I’ve got another record/CD/book sale this coming Sunday (17/4) 10 am - 12 noon. If you’re interested email me ET sale for details. My well-known Guiness-fuelled chocolate cake is a possibility but not a promise.