Charles Manson - Cease to Exist (1967)

Charles Manson (November 12, 1934 – November 19, 2017) was an infamous American cult leader, murderer, and the mastermind of the Tate-LaBianca murders, which notably resulted in the death of actress Sharon Tate who was eight and a half months pregnant at the time.

Prior to his national infamy, Manson was an unemployed ex-convict who had spent more than half of his life in correctional institutions. In 1967, he began gathering a cult following (named the Manson Family) in Los Angeles while attempting to break into the music scene as a singer-songwriter.

Through a chance association with Dennis Wilson of The Beach Boys, one of Manson’s songs, “Cease to Exist,” was tweaked, recorded, and released by The Beach Boys in 1968 under its new title, “Never Learn Not to Love.” Manson was never given credit. You can read more about that and hear The Beach Boys’ song here.

After the Tate-LaBianca murders in August 1969, Manson was to be put on trial. An associate Manson had met in prison, Phil Kaufman, hoped to capitalize on Manson’s national attention and worked with Manson to release a record of his recordings, titled Lie: The Love and Terror Cult, which was eventually released on March 6, 1970.

Although the album has always primarily been sought after by serial killer enthusiasts more than music aficionados, the album is most notable for the song heard below, “Cease to Exist,” which was the inspiration for The Beach Boys’ “Never Learn Not to Love.”



Charles Manson - Cease to Exist (1967)

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Lyrics:

Pretty girl
Pretty, pretty girl
Cease to exist
Just come and say you love me
Give up your world
Come on, you can be
I'm your kind- oh- your kind and I can see

You walk on, walk on
I love you, pretty girl
My life is yours
And you can have my world
Never had a lesson I ever learned
But I know we all get our turn
And I love you
Never learn not to love you

Submission is a gift
Go on, give it to your brother
Love and understanding
Is for one another
I'm your kind, I'm your kind
I'm your brother

I never had a lesson I ever learned
But I know we all get our turn
And I love you
Never learn not to love you
Never learn not to love you
Never learn not to love you

The Fleetwoods - Come Softly to Me [Undubbed] (1958)

Gary Troxel and Gretchen Christopher were waiting to be picked up after school during their senior year of high school. The duo began to pass the time by singing and humming together. Gretchen thought the vocals they were toying around with would go great with some music she had written, so she convinced Troxel to join her in combining the two. The duo was pleased enough with the result that they asked Gretchen’s singing partner, Barbara Ellis, to join them in their newly formed vocal group. Originally calling themselves Two Girls and a Guy, the trio named their song “Come Softly” and recorded the vocals over a five month period (June – November 1958). Since the trio was singing a capella, they kept time by having Gary jingle his car keys. Once the vocals were perfected, the group’s co-producers flew the tapes to Los Angeles and had acoustic and bass guitars overdubbed. The song, renamed “Come Softly to Me” was officially released by the renamed group, The Fleetwoods, in February 1959. It stayed on the charts for sixteen weeks, with four weeks at number one.

Later that very same year, the group released “Mr. Blue,” which also went to number one. This feat made the trio the very first group in the world to have multiple number one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 in a single year. They were also they first ever mixed-gender group to achieve more than one number one hit. All in all, the trio had eleven hit songs in their short career. Gary Troxel’s involvement with the group waned, as he had been obligated to join the U.S. Navy’s Naval Reserve in 1956. That, combined with the nation’s growing desire for British pop, saw the vocal group split up in 1963.

The song heard below is the finalized vocals of “Come Softly to Me” that were sent by the group to Los Angeles for overdubbing. The version heard here does not include the overdub of the Latin-influenced acoustic guitar playing (by Bonnie Guitar) nor the bass guitar. The only non-voice element heard is the jingling of Gary Troxel’s keys to help the singers keep time.



The Fleetwoods - Come Softly to Me [Undubbed] (1958)

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Lyrics:

Oh, I was busy kissing Gary.
Tee-hee.
Take three.

(Come softly, darling)
(Come softly, darling)
(Come softly, darling)
(Come softly, darling)

(Come softly, darling)
(Come to me, stay)
(You're my obsession)
(Forever and a day)

I want- want you to know
I love- I love you so
Please hold- hold me so tight
All through- all through the night

(Speak softly, darling)
(Hear what I say)
(I love you always)
(Always, always)

I've waited- waited so long
For your kisses and your love
Please come- come to me
From up- from up above

(Come softly, darling)
I want- want you to know
(Come softly, darling)
I love- I love you so
(Come softly, darling)
I need, need you so much
(Come softly, darling)
Wanna feel your warm, warm touch

The Jet Set - The Only Girl I Adore [Demo] (1964)

Jim McGuinn had been performing acoustic versions of The Beatles’ songs in coffeehouses around Los Angeles, California when he was approached by Gene Clark to form a duo in the style of Peter & Gordon. After performing together around town for a while, according to Clark, one night he and McGuinn went into a stairway at The Folk Den (later renamed The Troubadour) to find some good acoustics for playing their guitars. As they began picking away and harmonizing, David Crosby approached them out of nowhere, “singing away” uninvited. The duo had now become a trio and they named themselves The Jet Set after McGuinn’s love for aeronautics.

Crosby’s admittance into the group proved valuable, as he had been recording demos at World Pacific Studios with Jim Dickson. Dickson heard Crosby’s new trio and was impressed enough to allot The Jet Set with their own studio recording time. Although they recorded dozens of demo songs, they only ever released one single, using an entirely different name (The Beefeaters). To put it simply, the band never released any singles under The Jet Set name. The song heard below, written by Jim McGuinn and Gene Clark, was recorded by the band at World Pacific Studios sometime during their studio time in mid- through November 1964. As an unreleased demo, the song had no impact on the music world.

The Jet Set soon expanded their lineup with drummer Michael Clarke and bassist Chris Hillman. On November 10, 1964 the band stopped recording at World Pacific Studios, as they had signed a record deal with Columbia Records under their newly adopted name, The Byrds. As a result of their immense popularity in the years to come, this song as well as all of the other demos by The Jet Set were released by The Byrds on an album titled Preflyte.



The Jet Set - The Only Girl I Adore [Demo] (1964)

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Lyrics:

Don’t you know-
What you are-
What you are, darling, to me?
You’re the first evening star
And the only star I see

You’re my life through the day
And you’re so much- so much more
Don’t you know
You’re the only girl I adore?
Yeah, yeah

Don’t you know-
What I could mean-
What I could mean, darling, to you?
I could be your everything
And the only love for you

And I could be the only one
To hold you ever more
Don’t you know
You’re the only girl I adore?
Yeah, yeah

So won’t you hold me?
You know how I feel
We’re right for each other
Our love- our love can be real
Can be real

I think you know
What I mean
What I’m trying, dear, to say
You’re the finest girl I’ve seen
And I want you right away

I think you know you’re the love
That I’ve been looking for
Don’t you know
You’re the only girl I adore?
Yeah, yeah
I adore
Yeah, yeah
I adore
Yeah, yeah
Oh

Skip Spence - Little Hands (1969)

Born Alexander Lee Spence in Ontario, Canada 1946, this multi-talented singer, songwriter, and musician lived a life overwhelmed by drugs, alcohol, and mental insanity. In the late 1950s, while still a young child, “Skip” and his family moved to San Jose, California because of a job his father landed. Around the age of eighteen or nineteen, Skip joined up with a brand new local music act, Quicksilver Messenger Service. Just as quickly as he had joined them, Skip was plucked from Quicksilver before they had even played their first gig. He had been persuaded by Marty Balin to not only join his in-the-works band, but also convinced him to switch from guitar to drums. Balin’s budding group, which eventually was named Jefferson Airplane, featured Skip on their debut album Jefferson Airplane Takes Off. In March 1966, Skip was asked to leave Jefferson Airplane along with their manager, Matthew Katz. Katz, who was called a greedy entrepreneur seeking fortune by his former act, convinced Skip to start his own band in a Jefferson Airplane-styled fashion and Moby Grape was born.

Around 1968, Skip began taking LSD and his behavior quickly became more erratic and unpredictable. According to bandmates, Skip began to hang with a bad crowd that was into “harder drugs and a harder lifestyle.” It’s unknown what all the drugs were that Spence was taking at that time, but what is known is that he showed up at a hotel in New York where his bandmates were staying, wielding a fire axe. After holding the axe to the doorman’s head, Skip went up to his bandmate Jerry Miller’s room and tried to chop through the room’s door. He was apparently attempting to kill bandmates Jerry Miller and Don Stevenson to “save them from themselves.” Naturally, after charges were pressed, Spence found himself involuntarily locked in Bellevue, an insane asylum located in New York, New York.

During his six month stint at the insane asylum, Spence was diagnosed with schizophrenia, possibly triggered by his years of heavily abusing mind-altering psychedelic drugs. While locked up, Skip spent most of his time writing an album, which he would later go on to record in Nashville, Tennessee after his release. The song heard below was written by Spence while instituted at the Bellevue insane asylum. It was recorded by Spence, who played all of the instruments on the album, in December 1968 under the impression that he was recording a demo to be fleshed out with full production later on. Instead, the album, titled Oar, was released exactly as it was recorded on May 19, 1969.



Skip Spence - Little Hands (1969)

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Lyrics:

Little hands clappin’
Children are laughin’
Little hands clappin’
All over the world

Piper is pipin’
Drummers are drummin’
Little hands clappin’
All over the world

Little hands clappin’
Children are sharin’
Little loves lovin’
All little boys and girls

Children are singin’
Truths that they're bringin’
Freedom is ringin’
All around the world

Come, let’s meet them
Yes, we will greet them

Little hands clappin’
Children are carin’
Piper is callin’
All over the world

Out in the street
The sick that you meet
How many friends do
You call your own?

Come, let us meet them
Yes, we will greet them

Children are clappin’
Children are carin’
Children are shatterin’
Records and rules

Little hands carin’
Little hands sharin’
The old ones and the gold one
And the family jewels

Come, let us meet them
Yes, we will greet them

Little hands clappin’
Children are happy
Little hands lovin’
All 'round the world

Little hands claspin’
Truth they are graspin’
A world with no pain
For one and all

And they are learnin’
Their souls, they are yearnin’
A nice place to play
And no place to fall

Come, let us meet them
Yes, we will greet them

The Beatles - Watching Rainbows [Demo] (1969)

Although Ringo Starr was the first member of The Beatles to temporarily quit in 1968, George Harrison, too, quit the band for a brief period starting on January 10th, 1969. At the time, The Beatles were practicing at a film studio, Twickenham, so that their rehearsals could be filmed. After a morning filed with verbal altercations between George and Paul, a quiet George Harrison eventually met up with the group and crew for lunch a bit late. Rather than joining them, he simply stated, “See you ’round the clubs” and disappeared. The three remaining Beatles went back to the recording room not knowing what to do and unleashed an angry improvisational ruckus with John Lennon sarcastically leading the group to play The Who’s “A Quick One, While He's Away.” Days later, word got back to Harrison that Lennon had mentioned bringing in Eric Clapton as a replacement, which Lennon had probably said as a ploy to get George back rather than a real solution. After a five hour meeting, Harrison rejoined the group on January 15th, 1969.

This song, recorded on January 14th, 1969 was nothing more than the result of a loose jamming session during Harrison’s five day absence. The song features no bass, as Paul McCartney had to abandon the instrument to fill in for George’s lead guitar as Lennon sang. Although the song was never officially released, the melody evolved into their future song “Two of Us”* "I've Got a Feeling." The reason these lyrics didn’t survive, perhaps, could have been because they were too reminiscent of “I Am the Walrus.”

*Update from the Editor 10/16/2014: Putting "Two of Us" was a typo which was not discovered until now, thanks to Twitter. It was incorrectly here for nearly two years - sorry!



The Beatles - Watching Rainbows [Demo] (1969)

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Lyrics:

Standin' in the garden
Waitin' for the sun to shine
Hand on my umbrella, with his girl
I wish she was mine
Everybody knows to think a thing
It didn't come

Instead of watchin' rainbows
I'm gonna make me some
Instead of watchin' rainbows
I'm gonna make me some

Standin' in the garden
Waitin' for the English sun to come
And make me brown so I can be someone

Lookin' at the fancy next-door neighbors
Cryin' to their mom, "I'm dyin' to set sail there"
Everybody's got to have somethin' hard to hold

Well, instead of watching rainbows under the sun
You gotta get out, son, and make you one
You gotta get out, son, and make your run
Because you're not gonna make it if you don't try, no

Shoot big
Shoot big
Whatever you do you gotta kill somebody to get what you wanna get
You gotta shoot big
You gotta shoot big
Until you shoot big
I can't stand no more

John Denver - Babe, I Hate to Go [Demo] (1966)

Born Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr. in 1943, this American singer and songwriter began his musical career by singing folk music in the late 1960s. With a penchant for nature, the acoustic guitar, and his adopted home of Colorado, he wrote and sang his way toward four platinum albums and twelve gold albums with signature songs such as “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” “Annie’s Song,” “Sunshine on My Shoulders,” “Rocky Mountain High,” and more. Later, in the ‘70s and ‘80s, he branched out into small television acting roles and fighting for charitable causes. An avid pilot, his life ended prematurely at the age of fifty-three after crashing an experimental plane he was flying on October 12, 1997. As one of the most popular artists in the 1970s, he had released a total of thirty studio albums, eight live albums, and numerous singles.

Although this song is most associated with Peter, Paul and Mary for their version released as a single in 1969, it was originally written and recorded in 1966 by today’s artist. Back in ‘66, a few years before becoming famous, John Denver recorded a long list of folk songs on a demo, many of which were covers and some of which were originals, such as this one. That same year, he took the songs and used his own money to have 250 records pressed onto vinyl for distribution to his friends and family, naming it John Denver Sings. Later renamed “Leaving on a Jet Plane,” this song made such a large impression on Peter, Paul and Mary, that they recorded the song for their 1967 album, Album 1700. In the same month, the song was re-recorded and released by Denver for his debut 1969 album Rhymes & Reasons. This version is the earliest known recording.



John Denver - Babe, I Hate to Go [Demo] (1966)

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Lyrics:

All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go
I'm standing here outside your door
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye
But the dawn is breaking, it's early morn'
The taxi's waiting, he's blowin' his horn
Already I'm so lonesome I could die

So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go
'cause I'm leavin’ on a jet plane
Don't know when I'll be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go

There's so many times I've let you down
So many times I've played around
I tell you now, they don't mean a thing
Every place I go, I'll think of you
Every song I sing, I'll sing for you
When I come back, I'll bring your wedding ring

So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go
'cause I'm leavin’ on a jet plane
Don't know when I'll be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go

Now the time has come to leave you
One more time, let me kiss you
Then close your eyes and I'll be on my way
Dream about the days to come
When I won't have to leave alone
About the times I won't have to say

Kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go
'cause I'm leavin’ on a jet plane
Don't know when I'll be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go

Well, I'm leavin' on a jet plane
Don't know when I'll be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go

The Wailers - No Woman, No Cry [Demo] (1973)

In 1973, The Wailers were gathering increasingly larger crowds during a tour across England. The main members, Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Bunny Wailer, received no money for their “promotional” tour and were soon expected to do the same in the seedy nightclubs of the United States. Bunny refused. Hoping his friends would join him in his refusal, he was disappointed to find that Tosh and Marley were going to carry on with the group’s tutor, Joe Higgs, in his place. Shortly after the tour ended, Tosh parted ways with the group as well. He felt Chris Blackwell, the group’s producer, was ripping them off. He also felt that after twelve years of primarily being a backing vocalist, he wasn’t able to materialize the lyrics, music, and emotion that had built up inside of him. Bob Marley continued the group as Bob Marley & The Wailers with his new backing vocalists, The I-Threes.

The original version of this song was released on the 1974 album, Natty Dread. Although it was the first record to be released without Tosh and Bunny, this demo version of this particular song still features Peter Tosh on piano. The female backing vocalists are unknown. Written by Bob Marley, the writing credits were officially given to Vincent Ford, a soup kitchen owner in the Kingston ghetto known as Trenchtown. Marley gave rights to Ford so that he could collect the song’s royalties and continue to feed the starving people in Kingston, Jamaica.

The title is often misinterpreted as meaning “no woman equals no crying;” but, in actuality, the singer is telling a woman, “no, woman, don’t cry”. The confusion arises from the Jamaican slang for “don’t,” pronounced “nuh”. So when the title was being listed, “no, woman, nuh cry,” it was confusingly written as “No Woman, No Cry”.



The Wailers - No Woman, No Cry [Demo] (1973)

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Lyrics:

No, woman, no cry
No, woman, no cry
No, woman, no cry
No, woman, no cry

‘cause, ‘cause
‘cause I remember when we used to sit
In a government yard in Trenchtown
Oba- observing the hypocrites
Yeah
Mingle with the good people we meet
Yeah
Good friends we have, oh, good friends we have lost
Along the way
(Yeah) Yeah
In this great future, you can’t forget your past
So dry your tears, I say
Yeah

No, woman, no cry
No, woman, no cry
Hey, yeah
A’little darlin’, don’t shed no tears
No, woman, no cry

Hey, said, said
Said I remember when we used to sit
In the government yard in Trenchtown
Yeah
And then Georgie would make the fire lights
I say, a’log wood burnin' through the night
Yeah
Then we would cook corn meal porridge
I say, of which I'll share with you
Yeah
My feet is my only carriage
And so I've got to push on through
But while I'm gone

Everything's gonna be alright
Everything's gonna be alright
Everything's gonna be alright
Everything's gonna be alright
Everything's gonna be alright
Everything's gonna be alright
Everything's gonna be alright
Everything's gonna be alright

So, no, woman, no cry
No, woman, no cry
I say, oh little- oh little darlin’, don't shed no tears
No, woman, no cry
Hey

No, woman- no, woman- no, woman, no cry
No, woman, no cry
One more time, I’ve got to say
Oh, little- little darling, please don’t shed no tears
No, woman, no cry

(Hey, little sister) No, woman
It’s his voice
No, woman, no cry
(No, woman, no cry)

I promise you
(Hey, little sister)
Everything’s gonna be alright
(Don’t shed no tears)
Everything’s gonna be alright
Everything’s gonna be alright
(No, woman, no cry)
Everything’s gonna be alright
Everything’s gonna be alright
Everything’s gonna be alright
Everything’s gonna be alright, hey
(Everything’s) gonna be alright
Everything’s gonna be alright
Everything’s gonna be alright
(Everything’s…)

Pearls Before Swine - Where Is Love [Demo] (1967)

Formed in 1965, this psychedelic folk band took their name from a verse in the Bible: “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine...,” which basically meant not to give things to people who are unworthy or would not appreciate what you’ve given them. Coming out of Eau Gallie, Florida (now considered Melbourne, FL) the group was created by high-schooler Tom Rapp and his friends. Rapp has the honor of having inspired an Elton John hit-song. When Elton John and Bernie Taupin (Elton’s lyricist) wrote the song “Rocket Man,” it was because they had been inspired by Rapp’s song of the same name. Much earlier in life, Rapp also beat Bob Dylan in a talent contest in Rochester, Minnesota. At the age of six, Rapp came in third place, while "Bobby Zimmerman," Dylan, came in fifth.

This song was recorded on a tape recorder in somebody’s home in either 1967 or 1968. After being lost to time for many years, it reappeared for the 2004 compilation album, The Wizard of Is, which featured numerous home demos and unreleased tracks. Prior to the song’s release, Rapp couldn’t remember the song, though he was able to verify that it was him singing. He also verified that it was “Elisabeth and Wayne Harley singing harmony” and that it was a “really nice arrangement.”



Pearls Before Swine - Where Is Love [Demo] (1967)

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Lyrics:

The flower children
Have opened up their hearts
While the iron monster
Was eating up the parts
And the cowboy
Was gunning in the east

And where is love?
Where is love?
Where are you?

The mushroom people
Are working out a plot
They plan to steal tomorrow
If they don’t get caught
The silent accomplice
Rains on their every need

And where is love?
Where is love?
Where are you?

Madam S. reads fortunes
In bed, but nothing’s solved
She says that “God’s not dead
He just won’t get involved”
“But you,” she says, “can change the world
By merely reaching out”

And where is love?
Where is love?
And where are you?

The Beatles - Brian Epstein Blues [Demo] (1968)

The Let It Be release was going to be much different than what actually came to be. Rather than a film accompanying the album’s release, it was initially planned that a live televised concert would precede the album’s release so that everyone at the show and tuning in would hear the songs for the first time, live, via the concert.
Places considered for the concert included a lunatic asylum and the Roman Colosseum. Another idea being thrown around was getting all of the attendees who had tickets, putting them on cruise ships, sailing them through the Mediterranean Sea, and having the concert in the middle of the Tunisian desert.
Needless to say, those ideas never came to fruition. Aggravation within the band led the members to being more concerned with actually finishing the album rather than the location of the concert. As we now know, the concert took place on Apple Corps’ rooftop, which is now famously known as “the rooftop concert”.

Quite separately, today’s song comes from an earlier time, in 1968, when The Beatles were recording “Sexy Sadie” for The Beatles (The White Album). John Lennon improvised this song about The Beatles' manager, Brian Epstein, while the other members of the group loosely jammed along in the background. Although it cannot be found on any of The Beatles’ official releases, you can locate it if you go sifting around in the bootlegs. Enjoy!



The Beatles - Brian Epstein Blues [Demo] (1968)

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Lyrics:

What about Brian Epstein?
And his brother Sam?
They was workin' in a coal mine
Doing what I am
And what about brother Ernie?
He's shuttin' down the fire
But if you tell the time
About his brother Sam

…
…about his brother Clive
He's a dirty old man

Well what about Brian Epstein?
He's God damned in jail
He's workin’ in the coal mine
Sittin' there in his cell
His mother got a queenie
Well, she's the queen of them all

Jim Morrison - Woman in the Window [Demo] (1969)

Poet, lyricist, and lead singer of The Doors, this legend had one of the best voices in rock music history. Due to his uninhibited nature and wild persona, he is often cited as one of rock’s greatest frontmen of all time. Leather pants are associated with rock stars because of his choice to frequently wear them. His vocals were inspired by Elvis and Frank Sinatra and, in turn, he would strongly influence The Stooges, Pearl Jam, and countless others. His death came too soon, at the age of twenty-seven, and his life was far too grand to accurately surmise here.

This song comes from a collection of material that Jim Morrison recorded, known as The Lost Paris Tapes. It can be inferred from the spoken musical cues throughout the recordings that all of the tracks were meant to evolve into songs for a future Doors’ album. Unfortunately, Morrison passed away before their use. The surviving members of The Doors recorded music over some of the vocals found on the recordings and released them on various posthumous albums and box sets.



Jim Morrison - Woman in the Window [Demo] (1969)

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Lyrics:

Then we hear all these horns honking in the rhythm. Da da da-da-da. Da da da-da-da. And sirens, distant, approaching.

I am the woman in the window
See the children playing
Soldier, sailor, young man on your way
To the summer swimming pool

Can you see me standing?
In my window, can you hear me laughing?

Come upstairs, sir, to your room
And I will play for you

Oh, dreamland, golden scene land
Try to sleep, lamb; take us to dreamland
I am unhappy- far from my woman
Take me to dreamland, land of the banyan
Land of plentiful pleasures of pines
Potatoes on tables, laden with good things

“Eat at my table,” she cried to the vineyards
Calling the workers home from the meadows
“Man, you are evil; get out of my garden”
Ours is a good place- home of the reindeer

Sell me your pony- your fast golden pony
I need his strength and his terrible footsteps
Riding the prairie, just me and my angel
Just try and stop us- we’re going to love

Open your window, woman of Palestine
Throw down your raiment and cover us over

McGuinn, Clark & Hillman - I Love Her [Demo] (1979)

When The Byrds finally disbanded permanently in 1973, each member went on to varying degrees of success. In 1977, Roger McGuinn (who had been touring with Bob Dylan the past few years), Gene Clark (who had been recording solo albums), and Chris Hillman (who had also been recording solo albums), found themselves on the same tour through Britain. The three reunited to form this supergroup and released one album together, McGuinn, Clark & Hillman, in 1979. They attempted another release together in 1980, but Clark’s lack of reliability resulted in the album, named City, being credited to McGuinn and Hillman while “featuring Clark.”

This song had initially not been included when the album was first released in 1979. It wasn’t until over twenty years later that this song (and two others) was made available for the public to hear. “Surrender to Me,” “Little Girl,” and this song were all demos added to the end of the album’s re-release in 2001. This song really brought back the sound of The Byrds.



McGuinn, Clark & Hillman - I Love Her [Demo] (1979)

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Lyrics:

I love her, I love her
I’m always thinking of her
The way she makes me feel
Keeps her on my mind

Loving and gentle
It wasn’t accidental
Thank God I found her
Thank the Lord she’s mine
I love to see her face
In the morning when I rise

She’s still dreaming
When she opens up her eyes

Heaven knows I know
Our love is like a rainbow
Filled with every promise
Shining in the sun

I love her, I love her
I’m always thinking of her
The way she makes me feel
Keeps her on my mind

She’s still dreaming
When she opens up her eyes

Heaven knows I know
Our love is like a rainbow
Filled with every promise
Shining in the sun

Loving and gentle
It wasn’t accidental
Thank God I found her
Thank God I found her
Thank God I found her
Thank the Lord she’s mine

The Beach Boys - Forever [Demo] (1969)

Coming out of southern California in 1961, this band transformed themselves from teen surf-style pop-rock to one of the greatest rock bands in the history of popular music. The group’s most popular lineup was composed of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and their friends Al Jardine and Bruce Johnston. They are often credited as one of the best-selling acts in America and have been honored as “America’s Band”. Their skill as a whole unit is matched by very few.

This song's original version comes from the album, Sunflower (1970), which was tied for the group’s lowest charting album. It was written and sung by Dennis Wilson, who had been working on it (such as in this early a capella version) as early as January 1969. Brian Wilson has stated that it was “the most harmonically beautiful thing” he had ever heard. This version was released on the Hawthorne, CA anthology album in 2001.



The Beach Boys - Forever [Demo] (1969)

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Lyrics:

If every word I said
Could make you laugh
I'd talk forever
(Together my love, baby)

I asked the sky just what we had
Mmm, it shone forever
(Together my love, baby)

If the song I sing to you
Could fill your heart with joy
I'd sing forever
(Together my love, baby)

(Forever, forever)
I've been so happy loving you

(Together my love)

Let the love I have for you
Live in your heart
And beat forever
(Together my love, baby)

(Forever, forever)
I've been so happy loving you

So I'm goin' away
Mmm, but not forever
(Baby)
I gotta love you any old way
Mmm, forever
(Baby)

(Baby)

Nah, man! You know- let me hear somethin’…

Buddy Holly - Smokey Joe's Cafe [Undubbed] (1959)

A pioneer of rock and roll, this man was one of the biggest artists of the ’50s rock scene and incredibly influential on The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, and all other rock musicians. The Beatles came up with their name by mimicking the insect name of Holly’s backing group, The Crickets. His popularity only lasted for one and a half years before The Day the Music Died, a plane crash which claimed his life, as well as the lives of The Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens.

This song was recorded in January of 1959, mere days/weeks before his death. This is the undubbed version which leaves out the session musicians and backup singer. I think this version is much, much better.

Also, in my opinion, the lyrics from “Come a Little Bit Closer” by Jay and The Americans must have been inspired by this song, as it’s nearly the same event occurring in both songs.



Buddy Holly - Smokey Joe's Cafe [Undubbed] (1959)

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Lyrics:

One day, while I was eatin' down at Smokey Joe's Café
a-sittin' there, eatin’, down at Smokey Joe's Café
A chicken walked in through the door
That I had never seen before
At least I never saw her down at Smokey Joe's Café
And it scared me when she sat right down next to me

Her knees were almost touching mine at Smokey Joe's Café
A chill was runnin' down my spine at Smokey Joe's Café
I could smell her sweet perfume
She smiled and made my heart go ‘boom’
And everybody in the room at Smokey Joe's Café
They said, "be careful, that chick belongs to Smokey Joe"
And from behind the counter, I saw a man
A chef's hat on his head and knife in his hand
He grabbed me by the collar and began to shout
"You better eat up all your beans, boy, and clear right on out"

Well, I know I'll never eat again at Smokey Joe's Café
And so, I'll never see ‘er again at Smokey Joe's Café
I'd rather eat my chili beans
At Jim's or Jack's or John's or Jean’s
Than take my chances eating down at Smokey Joe's Café
I risked my life when- that Smokey Joe's a crazy fool

John Lennon - Watching the Wheels [Demo] (1980)

This is the man that started The Beatles, whose writing partnership with Paul McCartney resulted in the greatest and most successful songs of the 20^th century, and who, as a solo artist, wrote iconic rallying songs such as “Give Peace a Chance” and “Imagine,” in hopes of creating a better world. Like all of The Beatles and other top artists of the ‘60s and ‘70s, there isn’t enough space on this page to give him the credit and respect that he earned.

From 1975 until 1980, Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono, put their musical careers on hold to raise their newborn son, Sean. This song is the acoustic demo of what was meant to be a response to those who questioned Lennon’s brief retirement to become a “househusband”. The finalized recording would later appear on his album, Double Fantasy, in 1980, and again as a posthumous single in 1981.



John Lennon - Watching the Wheels [Demo] (1980)

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Lyrics:

People say I'm crazy doin’ what I'm doin’
They give me all kinds of warnings to save me from ruin
And when I say that I'm okay, well, they look at me kind of strange
“Surely, you're not happy now; you no longer play the game”

Ah, people say I'm lazy dreamin’ my life away
Well, they give me all kinds of advice designed to enlighten me
I tell ‘em that I'm doin’ fine watchin’ shadows on the wall
“Well, don't you miss the big time, boy? You're no longer on the ball”

I'm just sittin’ here makin’ the wheels go ‘round and ‘round
I love to watch them roll
No longer ridin’ on the merry-go-round
I just had to let it go

People asking questions, lost in confusion
Well, I tell them there's no problem, only solutions
Well, they shake their heads and they look at me as if I've lost my mind
I tell them there's no hurry, I'm just sittin’ here doin’ time

I'm just sittin’ here watching the wheels go ‘round and ‘round
I really love to watch them roll
No longer riding on the merry-go-round
I just had to let it go

I just had to let it go

The Beatles - While My Guitar Gently Weeps [Demo] (1968)

The most critically acclaimed band of all time. The best selling band of all time. My favorite band of all time. These four guys from Liverpool changed everything about the world of music. They led the British Invasion as well as the direction of popular music for nearly a decade. They turned the entire music industry upside-down, led the counter-culture of the 1960s, and even had their own movies, television shows, and video games. They are the most important thing to happen to rock music in its history. If you haven’t listened to their entire discography, you’re missing out.

In 1968, when inner turmoil first started amongst the band, George Harrison’s talent and skill as a songwriter began to shoot skyward. Still seen as “a younger brother” to the older John and Paul, his songs were usually overlooked and underappreciated. Luckily, this song was recognized for the classic it was and became one of the best songs off of The White Album. This somewhat rare version was released in 1996, on Anthology, Vol. 3, and provides an extra verse later omitted in the final version.



The Beatles – While My Guitar Gently Weeps [Demo] (1968)

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Lyrics:

I look at you all, see the love there that's sleeping
While my guitar gently weeps
I look at the floor and I see it needs sweeping
Still my guitar gently weeps

I don't know why nobody told you
How to unfold your love
I don't know how someone controlled you
They bought and sold you

I look at the world and I notice it's turning
While my guitar gently weeps
With every mistake we must surely be learning
Still my guitar gently weeps

I don't know how you were diverted
You were perverted, too
I don't know how you were inverted
No one elected you

I look from the wings at the play you are staging
While my guitar gently weeps
As I'm sitting here doing nothing but aging
Still, my guitar gently weeps

Buffalo Springfield - Out of My Mind [Demo] (1966)

This group is primarily remembered for their song "For What It's Worth". Despite that song being a contender for my all time personal favorite, they had a slew of other great songs.

Being composed of two future twice-inducted members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, they were destined for greatness. Unfortunately, internal conflicts led the group to split up after releasing only three albums. Stephen Stills went on to great success in Crosby, Stills, & Nash (and sometimes Young), whereas Neil Young went on to have a wonderful solo career and success in CSNY.

This song in particular is not the initial release. This version, the acoustic version recorded in 1966, comes from the Buffalo Springfield Box Set released in 2001. A big difference between the two versions is that this one consists of an entire extra verse where Neil Young just sings "da da da da da da da..."



Buffalo Springfield - Out of My Mind [Demo] (1966)

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Lyrics:

"Out of My Mind"

Out of my mind
And I just can't take it anymore
Left behind
By myself and what I'm living for
All I hear is screams
From outside the limousines
That are taking me

Out of my mind
Through the keyhole in an open door
Happy to find
That I don't know what I'm smiling for
Tired of hanging on
If you've missed me, I've just gone
Cause they're taking me

Out of my mind
Da da da da da da da da da
Da da da da
Da da da da da da da da da
Da da da da da
Da da da da da da da
Da da da da da da da

Out of my mind
And I just can't take it anymore
Left behind
By myself and what I'm living for
All I hear is screams
From outside the limousines
That are taking me
Out of my mind