One of the best things about cutting my first album with the EBs in Grahams home studio was being riddled with insomnia long after Graham and I had closed down every bar in town and Graham Master Flash had drifted off to Sleepytown. So Id go through his cassettes, most of which were EBs demos, live tapes, etc. Being that this was LONG before mp3s, having this opportunity to delve into the inner workings of my favorite band was an opportunity I could not resist. Too anxious to hear whatever song came next on the tape, I wasnt really able to spin anything more than once, but what I did hear I remember so vividly. And I can tell you this, the demos these guys had around 86-87 were, without question, the best stuff they ever did. That they didnt immediately find another label with these tunes confirms every suspicion weve ever had about the music industry being run by idiots. Highlights: If You Think Our Loves A Joke, Paris Cant Wait (a different mix than the one on Now Dig This), Dreamland, and a drum machine version of Ive Got Skies For Her that had Private Studios handiwork written all over it. Being that this was 88, I loved it, BUT the idea of using a drum machine when you had Brad Elvis? Preposterous. Another tape had tunes from the Adrian sessions that didnt make the record. They were all cool and could have made the record, if you ask me. I Got Something was my fave of the bunch. Each tape I grabbed was from a different period of the band. Adam Schmitt 8-track demos of tunes the band was now playing live: Steal A Car was the one that stuck with me. And guess what? Adam thinks so much of the tune that he left it off every record hes made. Must be nice. I even came across a tape of what sounded like early Graham solo stuff, including a really synthy-version of Hidden In A Heartbeat that G-Dawg later told me had been cut prior to the EBs. The tune really had an energy to it and I almost wonder if Brad wasnt playing drums on it. I also heard a bare-bones version of a song by Graham, with just vocals, guitar and a click track. The song was called Try For A Miracle and I liked it so much we ended up cutting a full arrangement for my CD. The holy grail, though, was a videotape of the band from 86 that was taped at Mississippi Nights. It was pro-shot, packed house, and opened with the band hilariously lip-syncing to one of their tunes... Then, of course, they got down to business and just absolutely blew the lid off the joint. Id seen the band live a bunch of time and knew what they were capable of, but this show just had EVERYTHING, including some of the best in-between banter ever. Again, how any A&R guy could have seen or heard any of this and said, Ill pass just makes me wanna laugh to keep from choking someone. Heres the thing, Im pretty damn sure that what I heard and saw whilst rummaging thru Grahams shit as he slept (HA!) only scratches the surface of what these guys have in the vaults and its kinda sad that these tunes are just stashed away in a closet somewhere. Graham has made a few things available via CD BABY and posted stuff on MySpace, etc., but, in lieu of a reunion (which I get the feeling aint happening), I think its time to make this stuff available. Brad, Graham and Rob are no doubt busy living their lives and probably not nearly as excited by the prospect of digging up songs theyve heard and played a billion times, but when I think about all the folks for whom this stuff would be NEW and MINDBLOWING, I cant help bring it up for debate. FREE THE ELVIS BROTHERS!!
Posted on: Fri, 31 Jan 2014 03:25:50 +0000
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