Matthew Sweet "Girlfriend Demos"

[scottjh]

I have rediscovered the brilliance of Sweet's "Girlfriend" album, and even picked up a used copy a used copy of the Legacy version that includes the "Goodfriend" album. I seem to remember years ago that there were multiple versions of demos circulating. Does anyone have these and be willing to trade / share / post?

 

Thanks, John

[PopTodd]

Sounds very interesting. Those are great songs, to be sure. But, for me, what pushed that album beyond great.... into brilliance was the lead guitar (supplied by Robert Quine and Richard Lloyd). Do those demos have either of those guys on there?

[scottjh]

I've seen both. There are home demo versions with Sweet playing everything (including some not-so-great drumming), and others with the Quine and Lloyd. I am just judging from what is included on the "Goodfriend" disc.

[dtram]

Slightly off topic but this thread got me thinking of the 1st time I saw him. I guess it was '92 and he was opening for Robyn Hitchcock at the Troc in Philly. The place was jammed at 7pm for Matthew as WXPN had playing a lot of the record and there was a huge buzz. I guess there was no soundcheck because Matthew and his band came out and kind of tuned up/jammed/made a lot of noise for about 5 minutes before launching into Divine Intervention. They then proceeded for 50 minutes or so to run through most of Girlfriend and just totally killed. One of the more exciting sets I've ever seen as the music was so fresh and they were so on their game and you had the feeling he was on his way to being huge.

 

It's the only time in my 350 plus concerts where I felt the opening act totally blew the headliner away. By the time Hitchcock came on, the crowd was spent and Hitchcocks jangley Rickenbacker was no match for the Les Paul distortion that was still ringing in your ears.

 

Saw Sweet numerous times afterward but nothing came close to that first time. Still have the shirt from the show with cover of Girlfriend on the front. Great, great album cover.

[PopTodd]

Slightly off topic but this thread got me thinking of the 1st time I saw him. I guess it was '92 and he was opening for Robyn Hitchcock at the Troc in Philly. The place was jammed at 7pm for Matthew as WXPN had playing a lot of the record and there was a huge buzz. I guess there was no soundcheck because Matthew and his band came out and kind of tuned up/jammed/made a lot of noise for about 5 minutes before launching into Divine Intervention. They then proceeded for 50 minutes or so to run through most of Girlfriend and just totally killed. One of the more exciting sets I've ever seen as the music was so fresh and they were so on their game and you had the feeling he was on his way to being huge.

 

It's the only time in my 350 plus concerts where I felt the opening act totally blew the headliner away. By the time Hitchcock came on, the crowd was spent and Hitchcocks jangley Rickenbacker was no match for the Les Paul distortion that was still ringing in your ears.

 

Saw Sweet numberous times afterward but nothing came close to that first time. Still have the shirt from the show with cover of Girlfriend on the front. Great, great album cover.

 

Was it Quine, Lloyd, Julian, or a combination?

[dtram]

Was it Quine, Lloyd, Julian, or a combination?

 

I'm pretty sure it was just Julian but the 18 years has made that foggy. Did Quine and Lloyd tour that record? If so, they may have been there as it was just after the record came out.

[dtram]

Probably no Quine and Lloyd:

 

http://www.angelfire.com/il2/sweetsounds/sweet3.htm

 

January 1992 WXPN World Cafe: Philadelphia, PA (date unknown)

winona

divine intervention

nothing lasts

Matthew is solo acoustic, a very chilling version of nothing lasts

 

February 2, 1992 - Philadelphia,PA @ Trocadero

Shares the bill with Robyn Hitchcock

 

February 4, 1992 - New Haven, CT @ Toad's Place

Divine Intervention

I've been waiting

when I feel again

Winona

Does She Talk?

Looking At The Sun

Day For Night

Superdeformed

You Don't Love Me

Girlfriend

tape is cut, encores were likely performed, but remain undocumented.

 

Video ! The band is Ric Menck, Paul Chastain, Ivan Julian and Greg Leisz.

[hardwood floor]

Ric Menck

from velvet crush

 

Paul Chastain

from velvet crush

 

very cool, thanks

[Sweet Papa Crimbo]

Was it Quine, Lloyd, Julian, or a combination?

 

Hard to fathom Ivan Julian and Robert Quine in the same band (Richard Hell and the Voidoids)

 

I always found it fascinating that Sweet was able to use the muscular guitar work of Quine and Lloyd in his masterful power pop songs from that era (Girlfriend and Altered Beast)

[PopTodd]

Hard to fathom Ivan Julian and Robert Quine in the same band (Richard Hell and the Voidoids)

No harder to fathom than Richard Lloyd and Tom Verlaine in the same band (Television).

 

I always found it fascinating that Sweet was able to use the muscular guitar work of Quine and Lloyd in his masterful power pop songs from that era (Girlfriend and Altered Beast)

And Ivan Julian, too.

Although wasn't Julian in some bubblegum pop band before the punk era began?

[hardwood floor]

And Ivan Julian, too.

Although wasn't Julian in some bubblegum pop band before the punk era began?

 

he claims on his web site to be a former member of the Foundations (build me up buttercup), although wikipedia does not list him as ever being a member

[Sweet Papa Crimbo]

No harder to fathom than Richard Lloyd and Tom Verlaine in the same band (Television).

 

 

And interesting that three of the four seminal American punk guitar gods worked with Matthew Sweet.

[PopTodd]

And interesting that three of the four seminal American punk guitar gods worked with Matthew Sweet.

There are more than 4 American punk guitar gods:

Don't discount Johnny Thunders.

 

(Not trying to hijack the thread, so let's that be all we say on the topic of JT for here. Sorry.)

[Tweedling]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAqQQjioxGs&feature=related

Is this from the demos or just a new take on it?

[scottjh]

"Goodfriend" was part of the reissue of the original album. There are some demos included.

[Sweet Papa Crimbo]

There are more than 4 American punk guitar gods:

Don't discount Johnny Thunders.

 

(Not trying to hijack the thread, so let's that be all we say on the topic of JT for here. Sorry.)

 

I do...he's too sloopy for my taste.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAqQQjioxGs&feature=related

Is this from the demos or just a new take on it?

 

Wow...

[Oil Can Boyd]

And interesting that three of the four seminal American punk guitar gods worked with Matthew Sweet.

So who is the fourth?

[PopTodd]

So who is the fourth?

 

I'm assuming Tom Verlaine.

[Sweet Papa Crimbo]

I'm assuming Tom Verlaine.

 

Or maybe Cheetah Chrome...not that it really matters. They all deserve to thought of in that light.

 

I find it interesting and bordering on criminal that the guitar giants of the American punk movement on the mid-70's have largely gone unremembered and unrecognized for so very long.