User:Mrsomebodyelse/Sandbox
From This Might Be A Wiki
Testing out different demo titles and how they would look on chronology tabs.
Oberheim = demos made with Oberheim DMX drum machine
Rough mixes/mixes = Songs that use the same instrumental or vocal tracks, but have big instrumental differences or have a different vocal take. [e.g. Ana Ng (Rough Mix) - similar instrumentation but different vocal take, They'll Need A Crane (Rough Mix) - same vocals but different drum machine.
PASS = Public Access Synthesizer Studio where TMBG recorded the '85 tape and Pink with Alex Noyes engineering
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| Song name | Run time | Releases | Year | Differences from other versions |
| Youth Culture Killed My Dog (Dial-A-Song) | 2:28
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Dial-A-Song, TMBG Instant Fan Club 2024 | 1983 | Performed using a fuzz box on the guitar and snare drum |
| Youth Culture Killed My Dog (1984 Demo)/DeKalb Demo (if it was recorded there) | ? | 1984 Promotional Demo Tape, The Frank O'Toole Show | ? | Linnell on the sax, Flans' voice warbles |
| Youth Culture Killed My Dog (Williamsburg Demo) if it was recorded there | ? | 1985 Promotional Demo Tape #5 | ? | Fast-paced demo recorded by John Flansburgh, using elements of the DeKalb and Dial-A-Song demos |
| Youth Culture Killed My Dog (PASS Demo) | ? | 1985 Promotional Demo Tape #1, 1985 Demo Tape | ? | Recorded at Studio PASS, features an arrangement similar to the album version but horns and electric guitars |
| Youth Culture Killed My Dog (PASS Promotional Mix) | ? | 1985 Promotional Demo Tape #2 | ? | Voice overdubs from John Linnell and additional horns are added to the PASS demo |
| Put Your Hand Inside The Puppet Head (Oberheim Demo) | ? | Unreleased, Bill Krauss Demos | ? | "Drum and handclap" intro. Harmonica and synthesizer solo instead of "Memo to myself" bridge. "Quit my job down at the subway" and "I need you to watch the closing doors" lyric changes. |
| Put Your Hand Inside The Puppet Head (PASS Promotional Mix) | ? | 1985 Promotional Demo Tape #1 | ? | Similar to the 1985 Demo Tape Version, except nothing is spoken during the bridge, and the snare drum sounds different. |
| Put Your Hand Inside The Puppet Head (PASS Demo) | ? | 1985 Promotional Demo Tape #2, 1985 Demo Tape, They Might Be Giants - Joshua Fried Split Single, Bill Krauss Demos | ? | First appearance of "I'll see you after school" lyric. Features Flansburgh shouting "Things! Gotta do! Head! Puppet head! behind the "Memo to myself" line. |
| Number Three (Demo) | ? | 1984 Promotional Demo Tape | ? | Similar to the 1985 demo but with more hectic vocals and a looser guitar part. |
| Number Three (PASS Mix) | ? | 1985 Demo Tape, They Might Be Giants - Joshua Fried Split Single | ? | Begins with a fade-in of the repeating saxophone loop. Features accordion. |
| Don't Let's Start (Demo) | 1:14
|
1985 Demo Tape; Then: The Earlier Years | 1984 | Synth-filled demo with far fewer lyrics than its album counterpart (No verses, only the choruses and bridge). |
| Don't Let's Start (Dubway Demo) | ? | Dial-A-Song; The Frank O' Toole Show | ? | Resembles the studio version in instrumentation. Linnell sings "wooo" at the end and also interjects "uh" and "eh" throughout the song. |
| Hell Hotel (Original Demo) | ? | Podcast 32A | ? | Much slower than other versions. Features a compact organ instead of the accordion. |
| Hell Hotel (Alternate Demo Mix) | ? | Podcast 47 | ? | Similar to the 1983 demo, but with a slightly different vocal and more synths. |
| Hell Hotel (DeKalb Demo) | ? | 1984 Promotional Demo Tape #1 | ? | |
| Weep Day (Original Mix) | ? | 1983 Demo Tape, Power Of Dial-A-Song, Podcast 32A | ? | |
| Weep Day | 1:50
|
Then: The Earlier Years | 1984 | |
| They Might Be Giants (Original Demo) | 2:49 | 1984 Promotional Demo Tape, TMBG Unlimited, Dial-A-Song Direct Bonus Tracks | 1984 | Different lyrics, a lot more "out" improvisation, higher key than Flood version. Slightly similar to the 1985 Demo. |
| They Might Be Giants (PASS Demo Mix) | 2:59 | 1985 Demo Tape | 1985 | Higher key than Flood version, several lyrical variations and a much more minimalist arrangement. |
| They Might Be Giants (Rough Mix) | 2:53 | TMBG Unlimited, Dial-A-Song Direct Bonus Tracks | 1989 | Music missing the fades and edits that the final version has |
| Cowtown (Original Demo) | 2:23
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Dial-A-Song, Podcast 46 | 1983 | Sounds significantly slower, and features Linnell singing behind Flansburgh more. |
| Cowtown (Oberheim Demo) | ? | 1985 Promotional Demo Tape #3, 1985 Promotional Demo Tape #6 | ? | Similar to the second 1985 demo, but with a more prominent drum beat and guitar. |
| Cowtown (PASS Demo Mix) | ? | 1985 Demo Tape | ? | This version is quite different than the later re-recording for Lincoln. Instead of a clarinet, the main instrument is an odd sounding, warbly synth. Also, the guitar is much more timid and the arrangement is much more minimal (for instance, there are no screams in the bridge). |
| Everything Right Is Wrong Again (DeKalb Demo) | ? | 1984 Promotional Demo Tape | ? | Reverse tambourine intro, contains excerpts of the audio transmission of Apollo 11's moon landing. |
| Everything Right Is Wrong Again (Oberheim Demo) | ? | 1985 Promotional Demo Tape #3, Wiggle Diskette, 1985 Promotional Demo Tape #6 | ? | Slow, electronic handclaps for percussion, repeating siren for the outro. |
| Everything Right Is Wrong Again | 2:20
|
They Might Be Giants, Then: The Earlier Years | 1986 | |
| On The Drag (Factory Showroom Demo/Studio Demo) | ? | The Complete Factory Showroom Sessions | ? | Different order of verses than the later version, as well as having a denser arrangement |
| On The Drag (Severe Tire Damage Demo/Dial-A-Song) | ? | TMBG Instant Fan Club 2019 | ? | Slow acoustic arrangement featuring synthesized drums |
| On The Drag (Nicolo Session Mix) | ? | They Might Be Giants Podcast | ? | Rough cut, lacking introductory guitar lick and other instrumentation |
| Mr. Klaw (Rough Mix) | 1:42
|
Frank O'Toole Show | 1987 | |
| Boat Of Car (PASS Rough Mix) | ? | 1985 Demo Tape | ? | The version on the 1985 Demo Tape features different lead vocals, as well as a lyrical variation: "traces of your fingernails that run along the windows..." |
| Chess Piece Face (PASS Rough Mix) | ? | 1985 Demo Tape | ? | Different vocal track than album version |
| Nothing's Gonna Change My Clothes (Demo) | 1:49
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1985 Demo Tape | 1985 | Similar instrumentation, but the bass is created using a MicroMoog synthesizer. John Linnell also provides the ending "Anymore!" scream instead of Flansburgh. |
