Album tracks
HelloAn old one, written in 92. There is a Noel sung demo of it somewhere. Demoed in Mark Coyle's home.
Noel had always intended to open the 2nd album with it - written in his notebook, scans are online
Recorded Rockfield Studios, South Wales - one of the first recorded if I recall correctly.
Debuted lived at Glastonbury 1995 - played for the last time at the end of December 2002 (Birmingham NIA?)
Roll With ItWritten as a warm up for Glastonbury 95, also performed live there for the first time.
No known demo but it was one of the first recorded in Rockfield Studios.
WonderwallOriginally titled "Wishing Stone", we can assume there is a demo out there somewhere, Tim Abbot cites from 1993.
Debuted backstage at Glastonbury 95 but for a crowd, at Bournemouth on Oct 2nd (Noel acoustic)
The famous story about Liam and Noel each doing one of WW or DLBIA: Noel gave Liam a choice of one or the other and Liam originally was to sing DLBIA and Noel WW, but Liam reversed the decision later. There is very likely a recording of Liam singing DLBIA somewhere in the vault.
Owen Morris: Wonderwall took about six hours to record. Noel had a more complicated arrangement which we agreed wasn't right. Alan probably took one take to do the drums. I'm convinced we got where the drums come in wrong - it should have been on the word "backbeat" - but there we are. I wrote the cello part, Bonehead insisted on playing it on the Mellotron, Liam sang it in four goes. I did the repeat echo part. It was mixed on MDMA in Rockfield after seeing The Bluetones in Hereford. We did a mix and Liam came in and said to turn down the vocal. That was the master mix." (MOJO June 2005)
Don't Look Back in AngerDebuted Sheffield Arena, April 22nd 1995, last gig of the DM/Some Might Say tour - written few days prior, April 18th or 19th in Paris.
A few lines inspired by a Lennon tape Noel was given, family photographs with 'Mam', and Weller's "Wings of Speed"
Bonehead: I'd heard Don't Look Back in Anger, I think. But Noel didn't share these songs with us. Normally you'd get a CD two weeks before you were due to record. "Here, learn these." He wrote very privately. I sometimes think it would have been nice to have had more rehearsal on the songs, maybe played stuff a bit differently, but that's the way we worked and it worked. There was an energy and an edge." (MOJO June 2005)
First full band performance Glastonbury 1995
At one point early on, slated to be the 3rd single (NME quote from davidjay below)
Hey NowApparently was going to be played on the US tour of MG but never happened - possibly because Guigs and/or Bonehead couldn't get it right
Never done live of course but there is a clip of Noel and Gem doing it the Perth 2006 soundcheck. Listen to it here:
Some Might SayThe demo of Some Might Say was recorded in June/July 1994 at Maison Rouge studios, Fulham (during the Whatever session) and the album version was done in February 1995 at Loco Studios, South Wales. In an interview for Q Magazine in 2011 Owen Morris recalled that mixing the song was 'a nightmare' due to problems with the backing track, which he tried to hide by piling on delays and effects in the final mix. There is some more on this on my site. (davidjay)
Demo released on Japanese 6-track version of the single. It is the only MG demo released to date.
Debuted live at SouthEnd Cliffs Pavilion, April 17th 1995.
Tony Mac on drums, as it was recorded in his time.
Cast No ShadowDebuted backstage at Glastonbury but performed for an audience first at Liquid Room, Tokyo Aug 23rd 1995
Recorded at Rockfield Studios, 2nd batch of songs recorded (one batch before and one after the famous cricket bat fight when Liam invited the pub down to the studio).
Dedicated to the genius of Richard Ashcroft, made as Richard had just split the Verve for the first time.
She's ElectricA 1993 Noel sung demo of this exists but no one's heard it: "The 'She's Electric' demo was given to a fan who was blinded in the Omagh Bombing here in Ireland back in the 90s'. He sent her a tape, a demo of 'She's Electric' and was recorded five years ago and has never been heard by anyone, but the band themselves. He had also written on the cover that he was sorry he could be there, and he signed it. Noel said that it was only to be given to her on the condition she continued to learn the piano and practise her music. Then the presented her with a frame, which contained Noel's Gold disc for sales of "Be Here Now". It had been hanging on Noel's wall only the day before and was sent over to Ireland to be given to her. Noel had also told them to remove the glass, so that she could feel the disc." (thanks manicsfan)
Demo recorded in Mark Coyle's home 1992.
Never done live until the Shepherd's Bush Empire, London gig Oct 10th 2001
Morning GloryWas orignally two songs, one called "Blue" or "Being A Blue", the other had the title "The Mirror & The Razorblade". The source for this being Noel himself. You can see the lyrics to Mirror & Razorblade from his notebook on the upper left here (try to sing it to the tune of Morning Glory - the verses are quite similar but the chorus is different which again substantiates Noel's statement that it was two songs put together):
www.mrmonobrow.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/monobrow/unheard/misc/notebook-rcdec98-page2.jpg (thanks asimarx)
That 1-second clip at the end that sounds like Michael Jackson is actually Soul 2 Soul's Love Enuff, a hit in the UK in July 95 whilst the album was being mixed.
Debuted Glastonbury 1995, recorded in Rockfield Studios.
Done acoustic for the first time at Tuxedo Junctions, Danbury (the US) Oct 13th 1995.
Champagne SupernovaInspired by the sugar jar with the little man in there (MG booklet photo)
Written during a champagne party where Bonehead was watching some television program on outer space OR while watching a documentary about champagne and listening to the Pixies "Bossanova" album
Owen Morris: I remember Noel playing me the chord changes to Champagne Supernova on the Some Might Say session and saying that Tony would never be involved, because he wouldn't be able to play it. I'd heard Hello six months before - an old song of Noel's - and She's Electric was an old favourite of his. Apart from odd bits of Morning Glory, the rest was a complete surprise." (MOJO June 2005)
Paul Weller and Noel both play 2 different solos over the song on the album (Noels is the more distorted one, Wellers is more in the forefront)
Soundcheck from Minneapolis 1994 features an instrumental that sounds like an early version of the song (the solo mostly). First played live at Bournemouth, Oct 2nd 1995.
B-sides
Talk TonightWritten during Noel's first brief leave from the band after the Los Angeles Whisky A-Go-Go. Lines inspired by a fan in San Fransisco he met. Tim Abbot eventually tracked Noel down and persuaded him to return to the band.
First performance at Shepherd's Bush Empire, Dec 16th 1994
AcquiesceWritten on a train to Loco Studios Wales, verses and chorus written separately and fused together later.
Alan McGee wanted Acquiesce to the single rather than Some Might Say, Noel disagreed.
Played on the 2000 tour during the gigs without Noel, fans sang the chorus instead.
HeadshrinkerAn old one, written in 1992 about a girlfriend Liam couldn't shake, according to Masterplan album notes
Originally titled "I Know a Girl", likely with different lyrics (Noel's notebook scan:
www.mrmonobrow.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/unheard/misc/notebook-tracklist1.jpg)Performed live for the first time at the Hollywood Bowl Feb 2nd 1995, played for most of the rest of the 1995 DM tour dates, till the end at Sheffield Arena April 22nd 1995.
Played at the London Astoria on May 10th 2005 one night only but no recording has ever emerged.
It's Better PeopleRecorded during MG album sessions, played only twice live -Terminal 1 Munich (Mar 27th 1996) and Palalido, Milan (Mar 29th 1996). Recordings exist for both.
Rockin' ChairAnother old one, about leaving Manchester and dreaming of London. Originally intended to be on side 1 of the second album early-mid 93. See Noel's notebook scan.
www.mrmonobrow.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/monobrow/unheard/misc/notebook-rockinchair.jpgAt the WTSMG promo acoustic gig, Noel challenged Liam to sing Rockin Chair when Liam got annoyed that Noel was to sing the songs. Liam couldn't remember the words. (Paolo Hewitt, "Getting High")
Done live only twice, at Blackpool and Bournemouth 1995, full band electric. Noel did it live for the Teenage Cancer Trust in 2010 with Gem.
Round Are WayThe Swamp SongA warm-up exercise for Glastonbury 1995 - drums on the recording were actually taken from Allan's performance at that gig. Noel originally intended to call it "the Jam" but went for "the Swamp Song" when he had to ask Weller about it.
Breaking it down into 2 small clips inspired by Weller's use of the same technique on his Wildwood (1993) album.
The MasterplanNoel cites this usually as one of his favourites, says the music, lyrics, performances are all perfect (Masterplan 1998 promo CD interview)
Story in Paolo Hewitt's book "Getting High" about the recording of the song, Liam and Noel in the studio.
Step OutOriginally set to appear on album but controversy over royalties to Stevie Wonder (who is credited on the DLBIA single) led Noel to pull it from the album last minute
Early MG promo CDs (plain black in card sleeve with band logo) include Step Out as track 8, after Some Might Say and before Cast No Shadow. Have a look: eil.com/shop/moreinfo.asp?catalogid=229240
Underneath the SkyNew York Roseland Ballroom soundcheck (Oct 11th 1995) features a rough, instrumental version of the song
Performed live only once ever at Radio NRG Paris on November 4th 1997, along with Magic Pie, as a Noel acoustic)
Noel cites it as one of his favourites, inspired by a book of Traveller's Quotes (title unknown)
Cum on Feel the NoizeA Noel interview from 1999 sheds some light on how this song ended up being covered and how he feels about Slade, the band that did the original. Footage of the TOTP performance of this song included:
Bonehead's Bank HolidayBonus track on WTSMG vinyl pressings, placed at the end of side 1 (I think)
Bonehead: The thing that'll stay with me is Bonehead's Bank Holiday, the song we recorded as the extra track for the vinyl. I remember Noel strumming it out - this really quirky song with really poppy lyrics. And then he says, "I want you to sing it," knowing I can't fucking sing. So Liam takes me down the pub to get some Dutch courage. Two pints turn into six. Soon I'm in double figures. We come back at midnight, legless, and there's Noel and Owen, waiting for me to record my vocal. The lyrics are written down, but I'm too fucking drunk to read, so I've got Liam holding me up, holding the lyrics in front of my face. We're making up the words. Everyone's crying with laughter. Months later I got an envelope through the post with this cassette. It just had BBH written on it and it was five hours of outtakes of Bonehead's Bank Holiday from Owen. I still play it a lot. It's this snapshot of the band at its most harmonious. (MOJO June 2005)
General Info:
Owen Morris's 1996 article on Recording Morning Glory may be of help here; I've also added extra info in the footnotes, cited mainly from the 2012 Sound on Sound classic tracks article on Wonderwall.
www.oasis-recordinginfo.co.uk/?page_id=55 (thanks davidjay)
Tim Abbot: I remember going back to Mani [The Stone Roses' Gary Mounfield]'s flat with [Noel associate] Mark Coyle sometime after Definitely Maybe came out. And there was a music room with these quarter-inch reel-to-reel tapes. On them were Wonderwall, Champagne Supernova and about three other songs already demoed. I asked Coyley when these had been done and he said, "1993." (MOJO June 2005)
Owen Morris: I remember Noel playing me the chord changes to Champagne Supernova on the Some Might Say session and saying that Tony would never be involved, because he wouldn't be able to play it. I'd heard Hello six months before - an old song of Noel's - and She's Electric was an old favourite of his. Apart from odd bits of Morning Glory, the rest was a complete surprise." (MOJO June 2005)
NME 05/08/1995, 'Morning' due, p.3
Oasis have now completed their second album Morning Glory, which will be released in October. The LP took 15 days to record and was finished and cut last Tuesday (July 25). The full track-listing is: Hello, Roll With It, Wonderwall, Don't Look Back in Anger, Hey Now, Some Might Say, Cast No Shadow, She's Electric, Morning Glory, and Champagne Supernova. It seems that Wonderwall will be the follow-up to the current single Roll With It and Don't Look Back in Anger, featuring Noel Gallagher on vocals, will be the single after that. The fourth is likely to be either Champagne Supernova or Hello. Oasis will then release every other track from the new album as a seven-inch only single with a cover version on the B-side.
Oasis producer Owen Morris told NME Morning Glory was the best album of the decade, comparable only with Nirvana's Nevermind. "It will wipe the field with any competition," he boasted. "It's astonishing. It's the bollocks for this decade. It's a piece of piss recording with Oasis. We only spent 15 days recording it. We did a track a day and all the B-sides for Roll With It. It took longer remixing it because Noel was out of the country. The album is more complete than Definitely Maybe, it'll surprise a few people." (thanks davidjay)
/more to come, but that's all I can do today.