Are Esher demos the greatest out-of-nowhere gift to fans in rock history?

Is it really a "gift" if you have to pay for it?

 

They sound great but contain lots of overdubs. Unlike a true unplugged concert.

 

No, I'm sorry, no disrespect to the Beatles intended but the unheard 1967 Wild Honey era, solo piano Brian Wilson version of "Surf's Up" was the greatest gift to the fans from out of nowhere, in rock history. I don't think anyone had that on their want lists. I don't think very many people even really knew such a thing could have existed, given the way that the tumultuous story of Smile had always been presented and told. The conventional narrative was always sorta that Smile was completely abandoned by Fall 1967, the band had moved on, but quite obviously Brian was still thinking about the song in his mind, still turning the musical concepts around in his brain regarding key changes, mood and arrangement. The Esher demos have been known about and heard in different forms by fans for many many years, the recordings were widely known and referred to in many many books about the band, this is not even their first official release for quite a few of them.

 

I've never heard the Esher demos prior to listening to them this morning - my amazon.co. jp SHM cds arrived yesterday. I've not read any posts save for the first one here because I didn't want to be influenced, I can only say that I'm enthralled, sad and joyous. I can't help the tears from falling as I listen with sentimentality to the pure raw talent, and the revelation of the warmth and love and humour between the boys. It sounds like they are truly having a good time - playing for themselves. I rarely post anything, but I have a feeling that some of you guys would understand how I'm feeling - where others in my circle wouldn't. I feel like I've been given a true gift. I am full of gratitude.

 

Out of nowhere?


I'm pretty sure they are out of.............Esher

 

I would say the greatest gift in rock history is just a little bit (ok, a lot) exaggerated, but more power to you if that's how you feel.

 

I've listened to them almost constantly over the past few weeks! Listened to the remix of the album proper like twice so far. That tells you how special the Eeeeshuuurr songs are to me. Came up with my own listening order as I like to hear the unused songs mixed in with the others to add freshness.

 

I reckon these Esher demo’s are overrated. Not nearly as good as the finished songs. I listened to them once and that’s enough.

 

The first any of us knew of the Esher (Eeesher) demos was when the Lost Lennon Tapes radio show played "Revolution" and "Child of Nature" back in 1988. I had to wait until the b**tle8 LP in 1989 to hear them, and they sounded very good and exciting. But I haven't been able to warm to this complete version at all. I'm not sure why but they don't grab me, I haven't even listened all the way through.
And I also think the BBC tapes were more of an unexpected extra. Bernie Andrews smuggled acetates and tapes out of Broadcasting House in 1963 and 4 and we have him to thank for Soldier of Love, Carol, Lend Me Your Comb and Clarabella, the finest EP of 1979.
Sorry if my reminicsing sounds "elitist" but if you go around saying you're a "big Beatles fan" and you've never heard of these things, not necessarily heard them, then it's like saying you love to travel but you've never been to the next town over.

 

That's got me thinking, where you got the idea that it was pronounced Escher? Even here we say it correctly. Not that it comes up in conversation unless it's something to do with The Beatles. Now I've always (like twice) pronounced Irby as Errby but if you say it's Ireby I'll accept it!

 

Now I'm imagining that scene with Will Hay and Peter Ustinov!

 

Greatest musical gift from out of nowhere?

LiveAid

If you spent July 13, 1985 watching LiveAid on MTV, you were in musical heaven. It was also free, as a gift should be.

 

They should be out as a stand-alone release instead of being used as a carrot.
Hardly "out-of-nowhere" either. I've been enjoyingthem for decades on a good quality bootleg.

 

Agreed. Hardly "our of nowhere" as the OP said. Heard them first in 1987. They'd been around for a while then too.

 

I got the Esher pronunciation wrong not having heard (or seen) the correct pronunciation. As for Irby you are correct Errby it is.

 

If "Carnival Of Light" was tomorrow available to download for free that would be the greatest out of nowhere gift to the whole of humanity

 

No, no , no. These don’t come close. They didn’t come out of nowhere like Ultra Rare Trax, Vols. 1 and 2, released on CD by Swingin’ Pig in 1988, and don’t have nearly the historical significance. I remember to this day hearing the buzz about these grey market releases, hunting them down in Japan, paying some crazy amount for them, and then hearing them for the first time. My jaw just dropped - the first take of “Can’t Buy Me Love” with background vocals, the original “One After 909” with John’s “what kind of solo was that?”, the acoustic “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”, take 1 of “Strawberry Fields Forever”, “How Do you Do It”, “Leave My Kitten Alone”, etc., etc., all in studio quality!? It was literally unbelievable.

Dieter Schubert, the bootlegger no one remembers, should have a statue erected in his honor somewhere. There is no doubt in my mind (absolutely none) that without the Ultra Rare Trax Series, we would have never seen the Anthology CD’s (which were more comprehensive, but in my view, contained inferior remixed versions of some of the most important tracks Originally released on Ultra Rare Trax). Following logically, I suspect we would never have seen the Super Deluxe Editions either. Ultra Rare Trax opened the floodgates.

It’s a shame that most people have never heard of them or forgotten them. At least there is a Wikipedia page.

Ultra Rare Trax - Wikipedia

 

Its not surprise though to many. Theyve been around for decades.

But if its new to you? Glad you are enjoying them. Its cool to listen to something like these demos for the first time.

 

How Do You Do It in studio quality was available as early as 1975 on a vinyl single with the TV version of Revolution as the B side.

 

I love the Esher demos. However, I consider Dylan's "More Blood, More Tracks" sessions as even more essential for me in terms of holy grail or gift.

 

Although the Esher demos are nice and now presented in best possible sound quality, I'm glad I was able to hear they. I've been a Beatles fan since 1968--big time. Have many bootlegs that I've quite enjoyed. But...I find these demos annoying because of the double tracking. I listened to them in full once. Most likely may play them one more time in couple of years from now. The bootlegs I had were of questionable sound quality , and even more annoying than the legit ones.

 

They are pretty great recordings. I'm glad they're all cleaned up now, but I swear I still hear bits and pieces from my low quality bootlegs!

 

hey, the op is an excited (out of the loop) beatlemaniac, we were all there at some point, I remember in 1984 when my sister boyfriend gave me a tape of Dylan Gaslight 1961, I was stunned, how did this exist? live Dylan in the 60's! i had no idea what was out there.....then Biograph came around

 

Sounds like a bunch of kids trying to learn the songs on acoustic guitars after the album came out.
So disappointed after all the hoopla.
LOVE the rest of the deluxe box, though.

 

I'm not that far behind you, and I also was not aware of these. I must say they sound better on the LP than even on the CD. I do wish they had also been included on the blu-ray.