Studio albums that have an entire alternate version available (studio recordings, not mix/mastering)

Agree! it is both an entertaining listen and an education into the creative process.

 

Cracker re-recorded its greatest hits on Greatest Hits Redux in order to release them on the same day their former label, Virgin, released a greatest hits album. David Lowery was pissed off at Virgin for one reason or another. Redux has sold more copies than the Virgin compilation.

 

Thanks Chris for the extra info on this. I have the two disc but was unaware of the history

 

PJ Harvey - Dry
Demos for the entire album were released with initial copies of the vinyl.

 

I have that first mix, the second one is much better. The first pressing sounds muddy to me. I keep it for collectors reasons.

 

That's not what he's talking about.

They recorded the album initially on 8-track. Then they scrapped that and recorded the whole thing over again on 16-track, mixed it, and released it.

Then, in 1971, they remixed it and re-released it.

So the two mixes of Aoxomoxoa are both from the same 16-track masters.

 

Haven't heard it, but I remember a saxophonist George Howard did a version of Sly Stone's There's A Riot Goin' On.

 

UP! was mentioned earlier, but Come On Over was the one that pushed Shania Twain to the top with a country version in the US and a pop version originally released elsewhere and then finally in the states too.

 

Pete Townshend demos for Tommy and Quadrophenia.

 

Yes indeed - excellent.

 

Although 3 of the 12 tracks on the stereo are from the original album sessions.

 

Devo’s Freedom of Choice demoes that appeared on Recombo DNA would have made a decent album.

Also the 7 or 8 songs re-recorded for the Jethro Tull Christmas Album would have made a better (but shorter) album. (Maybe add Pan Dance, March the Mad Scientist, Looking for Eden, and Elegy to fill it out)

Also The Cars first album has demo versions for 8 out 9 songs on the deluxe edition.

 

Not quite what the OP is after, but close enough to mention, methinks...

Josh Ritter has reissued multiple albums with later "acoustic" versions of every song from the original disc. Here's an example (note the banner at right):

A couple more:

His last two albums (the "deluxe" versions) came with a full disc of the demos for the songs, too, which is slightly different than the above.

 

John Lennon - Double Fantasy (Stripped Down)

 

The "Immersion" box set version of Peter Gabriel's So album contains a disc of "DNA" mixes, which are basically montages for each song on the album, showing their evolution from demo form to completed track.

 

The Velvet Underground S/T has the normal version and the 'Closet Mix.'

 

A prime example would be...

Ian Gillan - Clear Air Turbulence

Wikipedia quote
"Ian Gillan became dissatisfied with the final mixes of the album and this delayed its eventual release. What eventually became the album Clear Air Turbulence was remixed at Kingsway before release, but the original mix had taken place at Rockfield Studios in Wales.[3] In 1997 the original mix was released by Angel Air Records under the title The Rockfield Mixes. The Rockfield Mixes represents a "cleaner" (or at least earlier) version of the album."

 

They did the same with Mirage last year too. Too anyone interested, there are vinyl versions of both Tusk and Mirage 'Alternate' mixes. Looking forward to the S/T coming out in January.

 

Something Cool by June Christy.

 

The one I can think of is Sting's EP ...Nada como el sol. It has Spanish and Portuguese version of 5 songs off ...Nothing Like the Sun.

 

Beck released an acoustic version of Modern Guilt, although the mp3s leave much to be desired. I’d love to see the acoustic version get a vinyl release some day.

 

Nirvana In Utero original and then the Steve Albini version recorded, finished and shelved before the orinal version came out.

Both released on 45 rpm vinyl a couple years ago.

 

Judee Sill Heart Food
I think that using the alternate original version of "The Phoenix" from her Rhino Handmade debut, plus the demos on their Heart Food release actually make a much better album.

 

OP specifically said he wasn't looking for remixes.

 

Does this fit on this thread?

Using the Beatles Live At The BBC albums one can compile the entire Please Please Me album as BBC versions.