Ween (partially found demo songs/tapes from experimental rock band; 1985-2007)
Ween is an American experimental rock band formed in New Hope, Pennsylvania, in 1985, infamously known for making "Loop de Loop" and "Ocean Man". They have gained a large cult following and critical praise for their genre-hopping music, "brown" sound (drawing on psychedelic music), and crude sense of humor, among other aspects. They released 9 studio albums and 2 compilations before disbanding in 2012, eventually reforming in 2016.
Since their formation, they have recorded numerous demo tapes and songs alongside their official releases. While most of their extensive demo-and-outtake discography is widely available and shared on platforms such as YouTube and, formerly, Browntracker (a site dedicated to sharing live shows and demos from the band), there are some songs and even entire tapes that have yet to resurface. Some songs were known to be played on Weenradio, and others shared on file-sharing site WeenFTP.[1] Unfortunately, certain Weenradio broadcasts aren't known to have been recorded and WeenFTP has long since been rendered inoperative. Further complicating matters is the lack of information for a majority of the tapes.
Known Tapes[2]
Tape | Recorded | Status |
---|---|---|
Ween WAD | 1985 | Partially Lost[3] |
Mrs. Slack | 1985? | Partially Found |
We Broke Up | 1987 | Lost |
Ween/Smersh | 1987 | Lost |
Focus | 1989? | Partially Found |
Eindhoven EP | 1990 | Possibly Found |
The Timmy Wasserman tape (AKA The Big Timmy Wasserman tape) | 1991 | Found |
Bilboa | 1991 | Found |
Caprice Classic | 1991 | Lost |
Springstuff | 1991 | Lost |
Eravis | 1991 | Found |
The Freedom Tape | 1992 | Partially Lost |
Chocolate and Cheese Taster Demos Summer '92 | c. 1991-1992 | Found |
Créme de Menthe | 1993 | Lost |
Music for Drunk Irish Homos | 1995 | Lost |
Pandy Fackler tape | 1997 | Found |
The Long Beach Island tape | 2000 | Found |
White Pepper demos | c. 2000 | Found |
Caesar demos | c. 2001-2003 | Found |
La Cucaracha demos | c. 2005-2007 | Partially Lost |
Various pre-1990 tapes (Kim Tulio, John Ward, Chris Hoecke (AKA The Polish Lightbulb Joke), Mike Banks) | mid-to-late 1980s | Partially Found |
Jug is Quaid | 1990s? | Partially Found |
Various The Pod demo tapes (Pork Roll Egg and Cheese, The Stallion, Weed Whore) | Early 1990s | Lost |
Notable Lost/Unresurfaced Songs
Name | Tape/Sessions | Status |
---|---|---|
Kevin the Honky | Music for Drunk Irish Homos | Lost |
Gotta Burn on My Leg | Pure Guava Sessions | Found |
I Got It | Pure Guava sessions | Lost |
Boston Chicken | 12 Golden Country Greats sessions | Lost[4] |
Louise | White Pepper sessions | Lost |
Streetfight | Freedom tape | Lost |
Israel | unknown | Existence Unconfirmed (rerecorded for the Shinola, Vol. 1 compilation of rerecorded versions of demos) |
Unfinished 10th Album
In a 2010 interview with The National Post, guitarist Dean Ween shared that Ween were due in the studio for a 10th studio album.[5] It is unknown what became of the sessions, or if any work was done on it, as Ween would announce their breakup 2 years later.
Status
Ween WAD is by far the most complete of the known lost tapes, and even then is still missing two songs, White Haai and Love Excerpt, with the rest (save for Big Baboons) appearing on the live album The Live Brain Wedgie. The Freedom tape is partially accounted for, but missing several songs including alternate versions of What Deaner Was Talking About, Don't Shit Where You Eat, and Fluffy and the song Streetfight.[6] The only song to resurface (and, by extension, the only known song) from Jug is Quaid is Albino Sunburned Girl, though the version of Cover It With Gas and Set it on Fire on the Big Timmy Wasserman tape is said to have originated on Jug is Quaid. The Eindhoven EP is sometimes rumored to be a live show Dean Ween shared in 2018.[7]
Certain .shn files were recovered from a WeenFTP archive by a Discord server dedicated to lost Ween media, but they turned out to be live performances that were already widely shared. The Mrs. Slack, Chris Hoecke, Kim Tulio, Mike Banks, and John Ward tapes were compiled for Prime 5, a 1988 compilation that resurfaced in 2017.
An eBay listing for Ween WAD was found in 2021, apparently in the possession of a tape collector.
The song I Got It was also allegedly circulating around 1994-95[8], though the legitimacy of this claim is unknown.
References
- ↑ Post regarding the status of a Weenradio broadcast containing certain songs listed in the article. Retrieved 22 Apr '21
- ↑ A comprehensive list of known rare Ween releases, including lost ones. Retrieved 22 Apr '21
- ↑ Discogs entry for the Ween WAD tape. Retrieved 22 Apr '21
- ↑ Photo shared by 12 Golden Country Greats producer Ben Vaughn, showing an early tracklisting for the album that includes the lost "Boston Chicken". Retrieved 22 Apr '21
- ↑ An archived copy of the interview. Retrieved 4 Aug, '21
- ↑ Reddit thread about the Freedom tape's tracklist. Retrieved 22 Apr '21
- ↑ YouTube upload of the live show rumored to be the Eindhoven EP. Retrieved 22 Apr '21
- ↑ Ween forum post about remembering downloading I Got It. Retrieved 4 Aug '21