Gene - For The Dead (Demo Tape, 1993)

Early promise on Gene's demo tape.

I received a copy of the Gene demo from their publicists of the time who must have handled a band who I fawned over. To be honest, I fell in love with 'For The Dead' and picked up the 7" when it eventually came out.

However, I never really took to Gene much beyond that track though it still stands up as a nicely-structured, well-crafted song with a certain loucheness, 'Drowners'-style dynamics and a very telling Morrissey growl towards the end.

Download Gene 'For The Dead (4-Track Demo)' (Britpop, indie, Gene mp3) (Rapidshare)

Ride - Chelsea Girl (Demo) (1989)

Sweeter, Buffalo Springfield-meets-The Field Mice version of the Ride classic.

Whither the blizzard of distortion and the maelstrom of drums? And vocals?

This demo version of Ride's 'Chelsea Girl' sounds like The Field Mice have just necked a bag of sherbet and washed it down with two litres of Sunny Delight.

Set against a polite drum machine beat, the song and melodies are present and correct. It's a sun-doused stroll, gentle and more plaintive where the single version is almost desperate.

All in all, very much in thrall to Sarah Records but the bent-strings and layers of guitars and arpeggios - to me, anyway - also suggest a degree of West Coast/Byrds/Buffalo Springfield about them.

Sweet.

Download Ride 'Chelsea Girl (Demo)' (indie Shoegaze mp3) (Mediafire)

The Stone Roses 'Made Of Stone (Demo)' (1988)

Won't be going, but nice to have them back. Maybe they will still have it.

I couldn't let the week pass without a small tribute to the reformed Stone Roses. The press conference was good value for money and, maybe just maybe, they can live up to their legacy.

If nothing else, it's been worth it just to see Ian Brown tear into a Daily Mail journalist.

Whilst you ponder whether Cressa will be joining the band for the reunion gigs, listen to this demo version of 'Made Of Stone' from May 1988. The song and arrangement pretty much in place. The magic has definitely happened even if it has yet to receive John Leckie's magic touch.

Enjoy.

Download The Stone Roses 'Made Of Stone (Demo)' (genius, indie mp3) (Box.net)

The Boo Radleys 'Lazarus (Demo)' (1993)

Fascinating blueprint of the ground-breaking indie/jazz/dub masterpiece.

'Lazarus' in its full "Sun Ra meets the Rockers Uptown with Kevin Shields at the controls" guise is a wonder to behold. It's a breathtaking journey of a song, an explosion of joy from seeds of self-doubt. Trumpets erupting in a chorus that arrives from a tasty broth of dub and noise.

It sounds like a classic studio creation but this demo version reveals that it's nothing of the sort - Boo Radleys songwriter Martin Carr had scoped it all out in his demo. All the parts are there though the vibe is sketchier. You can hear the same mind at work on the previous demo I posted for 'Upon 9th and Fairchild'.

Total genius.

Download The Boo Radleys 'Lazarus (Demo)' (Creation Records, genius, indie mp3 download)

Download the complete 'Giant Steps - The Demos' over at archive:live+rare