My "Diddy Kong Racing" dream....

Horseshoe Gulch - a real life mystery level from DKR.

NOTE: The more I've pondered the dream I'm about to describe to you, the more I realize that it's based in reality.  So, if you see something in italics, it means I'm jumping to the real world to describe what likely inspired what I saw in the dream. :)

In the past, when I was a hardcore gamer (particularly Genesis and N64), it wasn't surprising to have a dream every now and then about a game I loved.  I've had numerous dreams about finding Stop N Swop in "Banjo Kazooie", and, in what was probably the earliest game dream I remember, I was playing some sort of overhead-view level in Sonic 3 where all the Sonic characters were in a canoe, rushing down a waterfall.  (The music in this imaginary level was that of Sandopolis Zone Act 2 - which, at the time, was only mysterious and intriguing, as "Sonic and Knuckles" had yet to come out, and of course all of its music could be heard early in the "Sonic 3" level select.)

But, those sort of dreams died out when I stopped playing video games.  In spite of that, I've twice had a dream that strikes me as very cool, and if I had game making ability (or the ability to make a Diddy Kong Racing mod), I'd totally bring what you're about to read to life.

(Okay, first I should point out that there is actually a lot of stuff hidden away in the data of Diddy Kong Racing, including several levels - most of which are unplayable completely, but one called Horseshoe Gulch is possible to drive around in, at least until the level suddenly ends in a wall.  So, this dream is sort of based on truth in that regard - the dream is just a lot cooler than what actually exists!)

So, if you've played DKR, you know that the worlds are basically a semi-circular hub, with doorways leading to the various levels within that world.  One world is called Sherbet Island and is a series of water-based levels, the hub for which (if I remember correctly) is inside some sort of round building you need to navigate with the hovercraft.  Importantly, for this dream, one of the levels is called Whale Bay.

Now, in my dream, the entire world was called Whale Bay, complete with T.T. saying the name of it when you entered.  In this version, though, the world was a small beach, with the level entrances (and world entrance) spread out neatly along a semi-circular mountainside, probably two to each side of the world entrance - I think DKR's worlds had four main levels, didn't they?  Anyway... as in the real DKR, if you drove down into the water, you could float out a short ways before hitting an invisible wall.  The edges of the mountain suddenly took 90 degree turns at the invisible wall, with the new flat sides inaccessible to the player and mostly out of view.

(I have actually seen Duke Nukem 3D homebrew levels designed like this, where a body of water enclosed by a mountainside had a very similar design, including an invisible wall that prevented a player from going out too far into the sea.  And yes, one might expect to see messages on the normally inaccessible portions of the mountainside - they are Duke 3D maps after all....)

(This part coming up may also be rooted in reality - namely, the "Sonic Adventure" glitch that allows Big The Cat to, with great effort and patience, break through an invisible wall and swim under the hotel, somehow accessing an early beta version of its interior.  If you know about that glitch, this next bit might seem a bit familiar!)

The main point of the dream was that someone online discovered a glitch that allowed you to break free of the playable semi-circular area of Whale Bay, and squeeze between the invisible wall and one of the flat mountainsides facing the sea.  As the story went, you entered the world in a hovercraft (no other vehicle seemed to work) and went towards the right from the world entrance, down to the edge of the mountain's curve where it met the invisible wall and hooked a hard right along the water.

(Yes, folks, these are early N64 physics - the beach plane + the invisible wall + the corner of the mountain would create an unstable vertex that could possibly be broken by a persistent player.  "Mario 64" has plenty of these, including corners you can long jump through at certain angles, and particular spots in the walls of the sunken ship that allow you to swim out into the black void.  So something like this could very easily exist in DKR.)

If you were to continually press forward, nudging against the corner of the invisible wall and mountainside at a particular angle, your character would eventually pop forward a bit and be alongside the flat mountain wall facing the water.  You would appear to be stuck in place at first, but if you kept forcing your way forward against the invisible force, you would very slowly grind along the length of the mountain wall.

(Again - this is VERY similar to how the 'secret lagoon' glitch in Mario 64's sunken ship works.  When Mario breaks free of the ship, he has to be forced upward towards the water's surface through invisible barriers.)

Eventually, you would see a new area ahead, and once you cleared the mountain wall, you would pop out into the new area, moving freely.  Here was ANOTHER beach, looking very similar to Whale Bay's hub, but with a totally different set of levels - all far from finished, being either simple beta test areas or half-finished ideas, Horseshoe Gulch being one of them.  Where one would expect the large world entrance door to be was a cave entrance, leading to a small series of tunnels lit with purple torches; some of the tunnels led to additional unfinished levels, some were dead ends, and at least one led to a large open area that seemed to defy purpose, almost as though it were intended for a large boss of some sort.  (Wizpig, perhaps...?)

That's basically the extent of the dream... but the idea of such an amazing find, a whole secret world of strange and unfinished levels tucked away in a game I know well, would be incredible.  Sure, massive things ARE found in video games years after the fact - look at GoldenEye (another Rare game), which not only includes all of the Citadel level fully intact, but ten totally playable and perfectly emulated ZX Spectrum games embedded in the cart's data.  Other interesting things have slipped by unnoticed for years, such as in Duke Nukem 3D (a well-hidden secret exit in The Abyss that only functions under a specific circumstance) and Link's Awakening (the "Glitch Dungeon", accessible literally by wedging Link into a corner).  But as far as I am aware, no, Diddy Kong Racing does not have a secret world of unfinished levels tucked away.

Granted, something like this DOES exist, but not in DKR - I'm almost certain it's in Heretic.  That was another hub-based game, from what I recall, where each world contained doors to several levels.  (If you've played Hexen, that did the same sort of thing.)  Accessible only by a warp cheat, however, was a secret hub world containing entrances to various unfinished levels.  That was more than likely the influence for my DKR dream.

But, you know, it seemed so realistic and so possible, especially since there are several mystery levels tucked away in DKR... almost makes me want to get a copy of the game, go down to where the mountainside meets the sea at an invisible wall (not far from the Sherbet Island entrance, mind you!), and see if I can push that hovercraft through it to unexplored territory. ;-)  

TMBG - Space Suit demo upgrade!

I know I don't post here much (or... at all) anymore, but I thought I'd share this because of its rarity.  A while back, one of TMBG's Podcasts had tracks from a previously unknown 1983 demo tape - one of which was "I'll Remember 3rd Street", a demo of what became known as "Space Suit" nine years later.  Unfortunately, the podcast was mono and low bitrate, so the song didn't sound great.

A while back, a fan sent me an upgrade of this track, not only in higher sound quality, but in FLAC (which Trader's Little Helper verified 100% legit).  Since no one else seems to have this, I'll post it here.  Enjoy!

http://www.mediafire.com/?0a851pcs96p2k94

Grease - the deleted scenes! (Part 1)

Yes, it's been quite a while since I posted anything here... and I realize that any frequent readers I may have had have likely disappeared. But, nonetheless, I thought this was worth a post.

Some time ago, when our local used bookstore was clearing out their VHS tapes, I snagged the 20th anniversary of "Grease" for a whole dollar. Along with a CD single of the "Grease Megamix", the tape came packaged with a miniature reproduction (no reference intended) of the film's shooting script.

Admittedly, when the Special Edition DVD came out, one of the biggest disappointments was the 'deleted scenes' which were brief black-and-white fragments of existing scenes shorn of an uninteresting line or two. While the holy grail of deleted scenes (Rizzo and Kenickie's fight outside the Frosty Palace) is still lost completely, here are a few more tidbits from the shooting script that may or may not have been filmed.

================================

[First, the first several minutes of the movie were almost entirely different, up to the end of the opening credits.]

EXT. SEASIDE RESORT - DAY

OPEN with a small-screen ratio with a blue and white tint. It is a fashionable resort. SOUND of distant gulls.

SANDY OLSSON, a lovely ingenue, in a Rose Marie Reid swimsuit lies alone on a beach towel. "LOVE IS A MANY SPLENDORED THING" PLAYS on her portable RADIO. She looks at her watch.


EXT. HAMBURGER STAND ON PIER - DAY

DANNY ZUKO, a good-looking teenager, is wrapping up his day's work at a hamburger stand. Even though he wears a short order cook hat there is a look of a hero about him. His eyes glisten with unfulfilled romantic longing. The same SONG is PLAYING on a RADIO in the hamburger stand. He glances at the clock over the sink which reads six o'clock.

He finishes his work for the day and opens a closet where there are clothes hanging. A picture of James Dean is tacked on the inside of a closet door. He quickly grabs the clothes and begins to change.


EXT. SEASIDE RESORT - DAY

Sandy sits alone looking forsaken, tears in her eyes as the SONG continues to PLAY on her RADIO.


EXT. BEACH

Danny dashes madly along the beach away from the pier, zipping up, buttoning up and trying to make himself presentable in what he thinks are fashionable clothes, but almost everything is a little bit off.


EXT. BEACH COVE - DAY

Sandy rises, about to leave, just as Danny, breathless, slides down a sand dune toward her.

SANDY
I thought you'd forgotten.

DANNY
(still out of breath)
How could I forget?

SANDY
You know what they say about summer romances.

DANNY
No, what do they say?

Sandy looks disappointed. He looks confused.

SANDY
I have to leave in the morning. My father wants to beat the Labor Day traffic.

They look at each other for a moment then Danny kneels to the sand and pulls her with him. He looks into her eyes, then kisses her urgently. After a moment she pulls away.

SANDY
(continuing)
Oh, Danny, don't spoil it.

DANNY
This isn't spoiling it. This is making it better.

They sit side by side. He is about to put his arm around her. Then suddenly something is wrong. He stops. She opens her eyes.

SANDY
What is it?

He looks away in embarrassment. She turns his face to her.

SANDY
(continuing; tenderly)
You can tell me.

DANNY
I'm left-handed.

SANDY
Huh?

He pantomimes changing positions. They change sides.

SANDY
(continuing; as if it were precious)
Left-handed.

DANNY
In a world full of right-handed people.

They kiss again.

SANDY
I feel like this is the last time we'll ever see each other. Going to two different schools is like being in two different worlds.

They look at each other in sad acknowledgement of this impossibility.

SANDY
(continuing)
Oh, Danny, Danny, Danny. Is this the end?

He cups her face in both his hands and smiles gently at her.

DANNY
Of course not, Sandy. It's only the beginning.


GO TO COLOR IMAGE AT THE CENTER OF THE SCREEN


INTRO KENICKIE

CLOSE on an alarm clock radio.

KENICKIE, a tough, macho-to-the-teeth teenager, sits bolt upright in bed looking as if he has just been electrocuted. The pillow where his head has been is covered with grease stains. His hair stands out wildly. He shuts off the alarm and pants for breath as thought he has been running.

The VOICE of VINCE FONTAINE is HEARD on the RADIO and continues throughout the opening MONTAGE.

VINCE FONTAINE (V.O.)
This is the main brain... Vince Fontaine... beginning your day with the only way... Music, music, music... I gotta message for every scholar and fool... GET OUTTA BED; IT'S THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL... Don't be a slob... Don't get a job... Go back to class... You can pass... And to start this day off nice and fine... I'm gonna play a new old favorite of mine...

The new title song GREASE BLASTS on the SOUNDTRACK as each of the main characters is introduced.

NOTE: The background in each introduction is a sort of limbo in which only the character and certain vital props are used. As each character is introduced, they will occupy a large portion of the center screen. At the conclusion of their introduction, they will continue their actions in panels that frame the center action. In this sequence the audience is the mirror into which each of the characters is looking.


INTRO FRENCHY

CLOSE on a pink angora sweater. First disembodied arms are SEEN protruding from the tight sleeves. The hands hold the neck of the sweater, stretch it and slowly, painfully -- like something being born -- FRENCHY's head appears. She is a basically plain teenaged girl, with close cropped hair. She reaches OFFSCREEN and produces a flamboyant wig which she places on her head, transforming herself. She begins to comb out the wig.


INTRO DOODY

CLOSE on a Howdy Doody puppet.

Another ALARM GOES OFF as if in time to the music as DOODY, a teenager who looks like Howdy Doody opens his eyes and smiles at the puppet he has slept with. Then his features set as if he is remembering who he is. He throws the puppet aside and gets up.


INTRO JAN

JAN, an overweight girl who has the posture of a hen and wears baggy clothes, eats a piece of buttered-jellied toast as she contemplates the grim reality of her appearance. She turns sideways trying to hold in her stomach and as she does a glob of jelly falls on her jumper. She spits on a napkin and tries to rub it out.


INTRO SONNY

If SONNY could choose to be any animal it would be either a stallion or a prize bull. He blows the cobwebs off his toothbrush, looks at it in distaste, tosses it away, picks up a vicious looking long-handled comb and rakes it through his greasy hair. There is such a deposit of grease on the comb that there is hardly any room for his hair to get through. He practices looking tough.


INTRO RIZZO

CLOSE on a head that looks like a minefield of torpedo rollers. A long, lacquered nail is thrust into each roller, deftly withdrawing it while another finger holds the curl in place.

RIZZO looks like a cross between Ava Gardner and Annette Funicello and she works hard at it. She repeats the roller withdrawal with practiced precision.


INTRO PUTZIE

PUTZIE is a ruddy guy with an air of quiet derangement. He brushes his teeth as if he were operating a pneumatic drill, the foaming toothpaste encircling his mouth with a clown's makeup.


INTRO MARTY

MARTY, a breathing pastry, looks at her reflection. She is curvaceous every place but at the top. She grabs a box of Kleenex and remedies that situation by stuffing her bra.


CLOSE ON VARIOUS SHOTS

A hand reaches into a stuffed closet and pulls out a mass of crinolines.

A tube of Brylcreem is squeezed directly onto an already greasy head. Hands begin to massage the grease into the hair.

A can of spray net is held directly above a beehive hairdo and is sprayed like a crop duster.

A Thunderbird jacket is taken from a closet.

A brown bag lunch is picked up off a table, as a rapid tatto is HONKED out by a CAR HORN.

CUT TO:


EXT. STREET

A carload of students drive along with the top down.

CUT TO:


EXT. STREET

Students on foot making their way to school.

CUT TO:


EXT. STREET

A yellow school bus filled with very active students drives along.


EXT. RYDELL HIGH SCHOOL

From HIGH POV the school is still and deserted. An American Flag flutters in the breeze. Suddenly, cars, bicycles, busses and students on foot APPEAR pouring down the driveway and into the parking lot in a rousing FINALE, a choreographed procession not unlike a Busby Berkeley production number.

The cars are decorated in 50's emblems and decals with glimpses of each of the major characters (except for Danny and Sandy).

Students hang out of car windows, sit on convertible backs, ride on hoods, roofs and running boards -- hooting and hollering with youthful energy as the finale reaches is crescendo.

[Note that in the final film, the school exterior is already occupied; this opening is more reminiscent of "Grease 2."]


EXT. PARKING LOT

As the production number ends, the students suddenly become real people again breaking into groups and heading towards the building.

[The following scene IS in the film, just in another spot, and rewritten.]

A Studebaker pulls up and Rizzo gets out in her Pink Ladies jacket. She stands for a moment looking toward the school in bored resignation as the others rush around her.

Marty and Jan coming walking up.

MARTY
Hey, Riz!

JAN
Great to be back, huh?

RIZZO
It was great when we were Freshmen. It was good when we were Sophomores. It was okay when we were Juniors. But now that we are Seniors, it's just boring, boring. I can't wait for this year to be over so life can really begin.

Rizzo gives a world-weary sigh and starts toward the school. Marty and Jan adopt her air and the three of them walk along with their noses skyward as several excited younger girls rush past and look at them as though envying their exhaulted positions.

CUT TO:

[And we join the T-Birds in more or less the same scene that appears in the film; except that Kenickie is already with them (and delivers the "You're not supposed to eat this, you're supposed to bury it" line).]

================================

[A brief scene that takes place before Sandy enters the principal's office:]

INT. HALLWAY

Both sides of the hall are lined with lockers and students are busily applying locks and decorating the insides of them to match their personalities. There is also a lot of ritualistic, un-self-conscious hair combing, by members of both sexes.

Frenchy and Sandy come down the hall.

FRENCHY
You better check in the office to find out what homeroom you got. Pray you don't get old lady Lynch, the math teacher.

SANDY
Is she bad?

FRENCHY
Bad? All I know is she flunks people in homeroom.

Sandy grimaces and heads for the office.

================================

[Before the Pink Ladies are seen at the lunch table...]

INT. CAFETERIA - CLOSE - ELABORATELY FOLDED HANDKERCHIEF

PULL BACK TO SHOW that it rests on the ample bosom of MRS. OVERTON, the chubby dietitian who beams over the serving dishes of murky substances.

She wears a white uniform complimented by aqua costume jewelry.

Sandy and Frenchy come down the line with trays.

FRENCHY
That's Mrs. Overton, the dietitian. Everybody calls her Mrs. Over-a-ton. If you're friendly with her, she gives you extras... Hi, Mrs. Overton.

Mrs. Overton beams and walks toward the line. Her voice is as sugary as most of her dishes.

MRS. OVERTON
Hello, darlin'. We got peach cobbler today.

FRENCHY
This is Sandy Olsson. She's new.

She looks at Sandy and puts her hand to her heart.

MRS. OVERTON
Why, dear, you're nothing but skin and bones.

She picks up a dessert plate, slides two cobblers on it and slides it onto Sandy's plate with a wink.

MRS. OVERTON
(continuing)
Just remember, men like women with meat on their bones. My husband hasn't looked at another woman in thirty years.

FRENCHY
(sotto voce)
The reasion is he can't see around her. Come on, I wantcha to meet the Pink Ladies.

Sandy stifles a giggle as they line up for the cash register.

Mrs. Overton picks up a dessert and nibbles on it as she walks down the line where Danny and Doody are in line stuffing themselves as they go. They also shake bowls of jello in imitation of the voluptuous Marty who walks past in a tight skirt and sweater set.

Doody copies whatever Danny does.

Danny swallows part of a stuffed tomato as Mrs. Overton walks up.

MRS. OVERTON
The hash is good today.

DANNY
It always is on Monday.

The boys continue on down the line. Doody decides to do something on his own, takes a spoon and takes a big bite out of a dish of applesauce.

Danny sees this, does a take and shakes his head sadly.

DANNY
(continuing)
Hey, man, that applesauce will put you outta commission.

DOODY
Why?

DANNY
Saltpeter.

Doody grabs his throat as if dying. Danny shakes his head and goes on down the line, grabbing the dessert off the tray of a passing girl, taking a few bites and tossing it in the drink cooler.

Danny looks at the cashier as he arrives with his empty tray.

DANNY
(continuing)
No appetite today. Must be the early lunch period.

Doody catches up and they head out of the cafeteria.

================================

[Before cutting away from the Pink Lady lunch table:]

RIZZO
(rising; fake English accent)
I'm going to have a Viceroy on the verandah!

FRENCHY
Which means, Sandy, she's sneaking behind the cafeteria garbage dump for a ciggie-butt. You get caught; you get suspended.

================================

[As the Pink Ladies set off for class after lunch:]

EXT. RAMP
The Pink Ladies walk under a ramp as the Thunderbirds climb over the top, not seeing each other.

SONNY
Her knockers. Tell me about her knockers.

Danny sculpts an overly endowed female form in the air and Putzie pretends to grab them in the air. A flicker of uncertainty crosses Danny's face as the others laugh.

SONNY
(continuing)
One hour with me and she'd be my slave for life.

DANNY
That's because one hour with you makes the brain go bye-bye.

PUTZIE
What about her hinie?

DOODY
I'm a leg man myself.

KENICKIE
You'll take anything you can get.

A BELL RINGS and the boys split up.

================================

That takes us up to the bonfire... more coming soon!

Girl, you know it's confusing.

See, this is why I got frustrated and gave up on trying to put together my multi-disc completists edition of "Girl You Know It's True" (which that single disc I put on here a while back was meant to be a preview of).... seems like every single version I find has different variations of the songs!

Here's a round-up of what I've found so far. Anyone think they have one I'm missing?

===============================================

ALL OR NOTHING - the German (and elsewhere) version

GENERAL
* Original tracklist; contains "Can't You Feel My Love", "Boy In The Tree", "Money", "Dance With A Devil", "Is It Love", and "Ma Baker."
* "Girl I'm Gonna Miss You" appears in its original form.
* "Baby Don't Forget My Number" appears in its original form: similar to the single version, through with the chorus like that of the US album version, rather than the single version's hip-hop chorus.

GERMAN LP
* "All Or Nothing" ends with a few seconds of German chatter.
* "All Or Nothing" is 3:23.
* "Girl I'm Gonna Miss You" appears in its original form.
* "Girl You Know It's True" is 3:58 - most likely the heavily edited 'N.Y. Subway Extended Mix' that appeared on the "Greatest Hits" CD.
* "Hush" is included.

GERMAN CD
* "Girl You Know It's True" is the 8:49 'Super Club Mix'.
* "Too Much Monkey Business (Maxi Mix)" is included as a bonus track after "Hush."

SPANISH/MEXICAN LP
* "Girl You Know It's True" is the 4:12 US album version.
* "Hush" is missing.
* "All Or Nothing" is allegedly 3:44.


ALL OR NOTHING / 2x2 - the English versions

GENERAL
* "All Or Nothing" is missing its German chatter.
* "Hush" is missing.
* "Girl You Know It's True" is the 8:08 uncut 'N.Y. Subway Extended Mix.'

"ALL OR NOTHING" - CD
* "Too Much Monkey Business (Maxi Mix)" is included as a bonus track after GYNIT.

"2x2" - 2-LP SET
* Packages the complete English version of 'All Or Nothing' with 'All Or Nothing: The US Remix Album.' The 8:08 'N.Y. Subway Extended Mix' of GYNIT appears twice.

"2x2" - CD
* The first 'N.Y. Subway Extended Mix' of GYNIT has been removed, as this version is a single disc.
* The standard version of "All Or Nothing" is missing.
* "Too Much Monkey Business (Maxi Mix)" does not appear.


GIRL YOU KNOW IT'S TRUE - the American version

GENERAL
* Several of the tracks (listed above) from the German LP are gone. "More Than You'll Ever Know", "Blame It On The Rain", "Take It As It Comes" and "It's Your Thing" appear.
* Both the 4:12 album version and an edited 6:27 'N.Y. Subway Extended Mix' of GYKIT are included.
* "All Or Nothing" is missing its German chatter.
* "Baby Don't Forget My Number" is mostly a new version, with the chorus of the German album version. (Except on an unknown numbered pressing - see below.)

EARLY CD PRESSING
* "Baby Don't Forget My Number" is a strange remix lasting 6:28. As this version doesn't really have the structure of a proper song, and resembles the remixes on the maxi single, it was likely included by mistake.
* "More Than You'll Ever Know" appears in its original 4:00 length.
* "Take It As It Comes" appears in its original 3:41 length.
* The original form of "Girl I'm Gonna Miss You" from the German LP is used.

RECORD CLUB / MATRIX "-3" CD PRESSINGS
* "Baby Don't Forget My Number" appears in its proper US album form.
* "More Than You'll Ever Know" has been extended to 4:32.
* "Take It As It Comes" has been extended to 4:15.

MATRIX "-4" CD PRESSING
As above, except:
* "Girl I'm Gonna Miss You" has been remixed; the beat has been changed slightly, and the new length is 4:24.

===============================================

Well, there's *nine* variations! Any more?

(Also, credit where it's due - information about the US versions was sourced from here:
http://www.crapfromthepast.com/millivanilli/firstlp.htm)

Spinal Tap's "Jap Habit" - a real album!!

Yes, you heard me correctly.

The rarest item produced in relation to "This Is Spinal Tap" was the band's supposed 1975 live album, "Jap Habit". Only a handful exist (intended only for select members of the cast and crew), but the recipients received both the UK and US variations described in the band's back story - and yes, the 'UK' package was just as legend described it, with three LP's, a paper kimono, and samples of tuna sushi.

I learned about this when contacting record collectors in and around the Pittsburgh area in search of the "Break Like The Wind" picture disc. One collector (no, their name will not be revealed here) loved Spinal Tap, and had built up an enormous collection of material related to the band - including a battered "Jap Habit" set, which he purchased for a very high amount from a friend whose father worked on "This Is Spinal Tap." I mentioned that, at the time, I was working on a discography of Tap's fictional back catalogue, and he said that he was willing to let me listen to both versions of the album and take notes, so long as I didn't record it in some way. I said that was fine.

A week or so later, my parents dropped me off at a small apartment not far from the South Side; thankfully, the treasure trove of Tap in front of me made it worthwhile, because his apartment was small, disgusting, and had a ridiculously strong pot smell no matter where you went. But, nitpicking aside, I was able to take notes. So without further ado, allow me to describe the contents of "Jap Habit".

First, the UK version. Housed in the black cardboard box (think something like the LP box of "All Things Must Pass" but a little thicker) were three genuine albums, as follows. And if you're wondering, no, the sushi samples were no longer intact. :-P (The package still reeked of them, though, so I'm guessing that it was years before the father got around to throwing them away.)

I wanted to be as thorough as possible, since this was a one-off opportunity, so I transcribed the banter as well. Enjoy!

SIDE ONE

• Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight
• David St. Hubbins: "We're going to kick things off with another little number from the album before this last one, called 'Intravenus De Morphine'..."
• Intravenus de Milo [yes, a song by this title!]
• Saliva Of The Fittest
• Swallow My Love
• David St. Hubbins: "Here's a tune for all the ladies in the house, so feel free to shower the stage with knickers and aphrodesiacs..."
• Big Bottom

SIDE TWO

• David St. Hubbins: "Let's take a bit of a nostalgia trip, shall we?"
• Gimme Some Money
• (Listen To The) Flower People
• Break Like The Wind
• David St. Hubbins: "Feel free to sing along with this one. It's called 'We Are All Flower People.'"
• We Are All Flower People
• The Incredible Flight Of Icarus P. Anybody

SIDE THREE

• Brainhammer
• Lie Back And Take It
• Nerve Damage
• Blood To Let
• David St. Hubbins: "Are you ready for another visit from the Goddess Intravenus?"
• Rock and Roll Nightmare [I'm assuming that this song was meant to be from 'Intravenus de Milo', though no official discography describes it as such.]

SIDE FOUR

• Band Intros
• David St. Hubbins: "Anyone here want to help us stink up the Budokkan?"
• Nice 'N' Stinky
• Silent But Deadly
• David St. Hubbins: "We'd like to give you a taste of the album we're working on at the moment, so to get you jumping in anticipation, here's a little heavy duty rock 'n' roll featuring Mr. Nigel Tufnel, MBE on lead guitar..."
• Heavy Duty [featuring a lengthy Nigel solo]
• David St. Hubbins: "Nigel Tufnel, ladies and gentlemen!"

SIDE FIVE

• David St. Hubbins: "This is a little suite of songs from our new album, called 'The Sun Never Sweats'.... it's an educational piece about Britannia. I hope you enjoy it."
• Daze Of Knights Of Old
• The Sun Never Sweats
• Devil Take The Hindmost
• Nocturnal Mission [an instrumental, with pounding drums - resembled something from a movie score]
• Stonehenge
• David St. Hubbins: "Thank you, Japan! Hope to see you again soon!"

SIDE SIX

• Rockin' Robin
• Short 'N' Sweet [long version, around 15 minutes]
• David St. Hubbins: "We love you all! Good night and may the Devil bless all of you!"

From this tracklist, you can see where the titles in Tap's scanty official discography (seen in the back of the "TIST: Official Companion" book originated from; those were the songs that were actually written. (It makes one sad to think that we could've gotten these instead of remakes of familiar songs on "Back From The Dead". Oh well... perhaps a future album?)

Now, onto the "US version". This one had the same front and back covers as were pasted onto the UK box, but this time, the album had no goodies, and was housed in a simple gatefold sleeve.

SIDE ONE

• Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight
• David: 'Intravenus de Morphine' banter
• Intravenus de Milo
• Swallow My Love
• Big Bottom
• David: 'nostalgia trip' banter
• (Listen To The) Flower People

SIDE TWO

• Break Like The Wind
• The Incredible Flight of Icarus P. Anybody
• Brainhammer
• Blood To Let
• David: 'Goddess Intravenus' banter
• Rock 'N' Roll Nightmare

SIDE THREE

• David: 'educational piece' banter
• Daze Of Knights Of Old
• The Sun Never Sweats
• Devil Take The Hindmost
• Nocturnal Mission
• Stonehenge [followed by 30 seconds of applause, rather than the farewell from the UK version]

SIDE FOUR [Essentially, this version creates a fake 'encore' by combining material from the fourth UK side with an edited "Short 'N' Sweet".]

• Band Intros
• David: 'stink up the Budokkan' banter [edited rather awkwardly onto the end of the band intros]
• Nice 'N' Stinky
• Heavy Duty
• Short 'N' Sweet [edited down to seven minutes]
• David: 'thank you Japan' banter [originally from UK side five - replaces the 'Devil blessing' that originally ended the album]

One thing I couldn't determine from listening to these was whether or not it was an actual live performance, though I'm sure that I was just hearing overdubbed applause. (If Tap actually held a concert where they played a wealth of material otherwise unavailable on their legitimate albums, *someone* in attendance would have either recorded it or spoken about it. The 1984 concert held to promote the movie, wherein they played "Rockin' Robin", is circulating amongst fans.)

I just can't stress enough how wonderful it would be to have an official CD release of this finally, especially if the guys don't plan on making a true follow-up to "Back From The Dead".

Time will tell, I suppose.

Incidentally, if any other 'back catalogue' albums are found to exist, please let me know! (I've heard rumblings about "Smell The Glove", but given the confusion between that and the soundtrack LP because of their similar covers, it's possible that someone was just mistaken.)

(D/L) 'Whoomp' uncensored - by request!

I'd like to fulfill Mark's request here... this is the "Original Club Version" of Whoomp There It Is, sourced from the 12" single. This is the original version, uncensored - NOT the Magic City Version! I honestly don't think this appeared elsewhere, not even on Tag Team's otherwise uncensored album. (That's a great question, how'd that album not get a Parental Advisory sticker??)

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=265L3GGK

I was considering posting the rip-off "XXX Version" single as well, but a) it obviously wasn't made by Tag Team (though their song is sampled), and b) it bares little resemblance to "Whoomp There It Is" anyway.

(D/L) A Bee Gees Halloween 2006

Here's a true gem which, sadly, seems impossible to find online nowadays... which is why I needed to share it here! :-)

While I did my best to one-up the bootleg "A Bee Gees Christmas" (my version can be found in one of my first-ever posts on this blog), I had no need to revamp "A Bee Gees Halloween" - a Gibb fan named Visionmixer already took on that task, and did a brilliant job of it! Unlike the original Christmas CD, the Halloween disc was done as a continuous megamix of appropriate Bee Gees tracks. Unfortunately, the final product, created by an anonymous fan, was a bit rough on the editing side. (Having also heard the absolute mess that was the original Christmas CD, this isn't surprising!) Luckily however, five years later, the mysterious Visionmixer released their own version, smoothing out the rough cuts and adding a wonderfully effective layer of creepy sound effects and movie clips.

Sadly, this new version ("A Bee Gees Halloween 2006") doesn't seem to have gotten around to very many people; in fact, the only site I know of that contained the album is now dead, currently serving as a placeholder for some porn outfit. That's why, to usher in October 2009, I'm posting the album here for everyone's enjoyment!

You can grab it here...
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=XZRYK26C

As Visionmixer released the album as one long MP3, here's a handy tracklist for your reference:
01) Creepy Intro [samples from the fan club record "The Rescue Of Bonnie Prince Wally"]
02) Haunted House
03) Moonlight Madness
04) Spirits Having Flown
05) E.S.P. [mashed with "Sweet Song Of Summer"]
06) One O'Clock In The Morning [a remix of "Castles In The Air"]
07) Christian Incantation [a remix containing elements of "Every Christian Lion Hearted Man Will Show You" and "Lion In Winter"]
08) I Held A Party
09) Ghost Train
10) Party With No Name
11) Eaten Alive
12) Giving Up The Ghost
13) The Boogieman [a remix of "Boogie Child"]
14) Tragedy
15) You Wear A Disguise [a remix of "Jive Talkin'", with a bit of "You Win Again"]
16) Dead In The Night [a remix of "Paper Mache, Cabbages and Kings"]
17) Christmas Eve Or Halloween
18) Possession

Please note... there are some very minor digital glitches in here, but nothing that should spoil your enjoyment. Given the extreme rarity of this version (especially since Visionmixer seems to have disappeared from the 'Net), a flawless copy is likely impossible to find.

Enjoy! Oh, and if you're burning this to a CD, lemme know - I'll dig out the cover artwork I made and post it here.