The Great Unreleased COMPILATIONS

Okay. The famous unreleased albums have been discussed ad nauseam. But there have also been a large number of unreleased archival projects that failed to be officially released. Let's look at the myriad vault releases that were promised (or at least, credibly rumored) but never materialized.

As for the parameters of this thread, let's exclude straight reissues that failed to materialize on CD. As disappointing as the absence of, say, BUCKINGHAM NICKS or Steve's masterings of the Beatles catalog (damn!) may be, let's limit the discussion to sets that present the catalog in new ways, whether it was just original sequencing or the addition of previously unreleased material. So maybe it's single disc reissues. Or 2CD anthologies that promised bonus tracks. Or even box sets that promised scores of unheard songs.

 

McCartney Cold Cuts/Hot Hits
McCartney rarities box

 

There was going to be a box set for The Idle Race that contained all kinds of previously unreleased material. Never came to be...

There was also going to be a reissue of ELO's Eldorado with all kinds of stuff unearthed after the 2001 remaster...never happened.

 

To start with, let's look at David Ackles' THERE IS A RIVER, a 2CD set from Rhino that was going to present his first 3 albums-- with bonus material. It was supposed to be released back in 2007, but was apparently cancelled due to the objections of his estate. Promotional CD-Rs exist but command high prices. (Recent rumors have suggested it may finally get an official release, but nothing solid yet.)

CD 1. The Road To Cairo
2. When Love Is Gone
3. Sonny Come Home
4. Blue Ribbons
5. What A Happy Day
6. Down River
7. Laissez-Faire
8. Lotus Man
9. His Name Is Andrew
10. Be My Friend
11. Main Line Saloon
12. That's No Reason To Cry
13. Candy Man
14. Out On The Road
15. Cabin On The Mountain
16. Woman River
17. Inmates Of The Institution
18. Subway To The Country
19. About "Subway To The Country"

CD 2. American Gothic
2. Love's Enough
3. Ballad Of The Ship Of State
4. One Night Stand
5. Oh, California!
6. Another Friday Night
7. Family Band
8. Midnight Carousel
9. Waiting For The Moving Van
10. Blues For Billy Whitecloud
11. Montana Song
12. There Is A River
13. I'm Only Passing Through
14. One Night Stand [Single Version]
15. Be My Friend [Single Version]
16. Hold Me In Your World
17. Such A Woman
18. Old Shoes
19. The Grave Of God
20. La Route A Chicago

 

Well, more Beatles Anthologies, depending on who you believe...

But outside of that controversial topic, They Might Be Giants announced "Superfueled Freaksickle", a compilation of Elektra-era B-sides that ended up being cancelled. (Around the same time, they mentioned a possible vinyl-only compilation called "Crappy" containing their less than stellar rarities. No idea what that would've included.)

The Bee Gees first announced a compilation called "Love Songs" in 1995, which would've included both old and new tracks. Likewise, their "Gold" album is labeled 'volume 1', but there was never a 'volume 2'.

 

Back when Rhino was reissuing the Elvis Costello catalog, there was a rumored released of THE GWENDOLYN LETTERS (which would presumably have consisted of the demos that EC wrote and recorded for Wendy James' debut solo album). It was never confirmed, but it remains a conspicuous gap in their otherwise exemplary reissue campaign of his Columbia & WB catalog, especially as the officially released b-sides from that project remain uncompiled.

 

I think that a guy name Neil Young was talking about a set called Archives Vol. 2.

 

OH! What about every future volume of the Bee Gees' "Studio Albums" series?

*grumble*

 

rock for kampuchea

CSNY2K - maybe it'll happen now that 1974 finally came out.

 

According to an AC/Dc collectors` site, a compilation titled 12 Of The Best was ready to be released by Albert Records in 1978 but never happened.There are no test pressings but the record sleeves were printed up.I forget the rest of the details.I think they decided to put out the live album instead.

 

Let the flaming begin.

 

The Miles Davis box set of his later years "The Last Word" surely falls into this category.

http://www.miles-beyond.com/tlwtracklisting.htm

 

Every time I think of this set, it pains me to think that it was struck down. No sense in going into the story in this thread, especially since I know only what most other Miles fans know about it, but this release would have shone a very flattering light on the man's final years. What a pity that it remains unreleased, and apparently always will.

 

"Best Of The Beatles" Capitol, 1964:
http://www.examiner.com/article/unr...les-lp-rare-white-album-promo-monster-auction

Side 1

• Twist and Shout
• Love Me Do
• I Want To Hold Your Hand
• From Me To You
• This Boy
• Roll Over Beethoven

Side 2

• Do You Want to Know a Secret
• Boys
• Ask Me Why
• She Loves You
• You Really Got a Hold On Me
• Long Tall Sally

Side 3

• All My Loving
• P.S. I Love You
• Please Please Me
• Chains
• Devil In Her Heart
• Please Mr. Postman

Side 4

• Misery
• Money
• There's a Place
• Baby It's You
• It Won't Be Long
• All I've Got to Do

 

Wasn't there supposed to be a Vol. 3 in the Immediate reissue series?

 

No! The point of this thread is to get into the details of why sets like these have been discarded! However painful (which I certainly understand in regards to the unreleased compilations from my personal favorite artists!).

 

Wait...there are only 7 unreleased tracks there, excluding some live performances...I agree it's too bad it couldn't be released as anticipated, but are you saying these 7 tracks change the game?

 

When they re-released Off the Wall, Thriller, Bad, and Dangerous in 2001, they all had bonus material except for the last one due to its length. It was originally supposed to have an entire second disc of bonus material that leaked but has never officially seen the light of day unfortunately. (And sadly, probably never will--you know when they get around to the inevitable Dangerous 25 in two years, those demos and other tracks will likely be tossed aside in favor of useless contemporary remixes). And rumors of 30th and 35th anniversary reissues for Off the Wall have (so far) remained just that.

Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil has been talking about a compilation of B-sides since the band broke up in 1997. He still seems gung-ho about the idea, even mentioning an additional set comprised of entirely unreleased material from the band's heyday. I'm not sure if the deluxe Superunknown reissue model superseded this though.

 

I am saying that the set would have made sense of an era that is undervalued by quite a lot of people. In addition to the seven unreleased tracks (including three cut with Prince), it rounds up stray performances that appeared on soundtracks and other people's albums. It presents a comprehensive, coherent portrait of Miles' final years. It would have forced people to reevaluate the period, for better or worse - I suspect, in many cases, for better.

I could be wrong, but, yes, I think this release would have changed the game, at least to a degree.

 

This tells the story better than I could: http://www.miles-beyond.com/lastwordintro.htm.

 

It looks like there's at least a dozen unreleased songs on that Miles Davis set...

 

I was really surprised there was never a comprehensive b-sides collection for The Verve. Some of their best stuff ended up on CD-singles, and there is still a moderate amount of interest in the band amongst those of us who lived through the Britpop era.

 

I'm still waiting for "The Singular Adventures Of The Style Council" Greatest Hits Volume 2.........

 

I was going to say this. I have read that archival releases have been planned, but they keep running into problems getting the band to agree to them. Urban Hymns sold millions of copies, but their house definitely isn't in order. Fingerpointing all around, meanwhile some of their best work languishes on obscure singles.

 

Also overdue for vinyl reissues of their first two albums. I don't do CD's anymore, and I have mp3's of all the b-sides, but if they put a comprehensive vinyl box of b-sides and rarities, I'd be all in. Still play those tracks all the time.