Artist: Poi Dog Pondering
Album: Sweeping up the cutting room floor: Volume 2
Compact disc version will be vailable this summer
Sweeping up the Cutting Room Floor: Volume 2 is the long awaited follow up to Sweeping up the Cutting Room Floor: Volume 1.
This New Release, Volume 2, is a Sprawling Double Album (27 Songs) of Out-Takes, Alternate versions, Demos and Rarities from 1987 to 2003. (Including Poi Dog Pondering's 1st Demo recording session for Texas Hotel Records in 1987 (Pre-Austin), Out takes from Wishing like a mountain, Volo Volo, In Seed Comes Fruit & and early recording sessions from the Pomegranate album - Plus more. It's a big bang.
Artist: Poi Dog Pondering
Album: Sweeping up the cutting room floor: Volume 2
Released 2018 / Platetectonic Music
->>> Exclusive EXPANDED release, only available at Bandcamp.com (This version will not be available on iTunes, Google, Amazon or Spotify etc., -> only Here).
TRACK LIST & CREDITS:
TRACK LIST & CREDITS:
1 - SHAKE OF BIG HANDS (California 1987 Version)
All instruments by Frank Orrall. Drums Recorded & Dubbed out in Davis By Dave Gill, Guitars/ Bass & vocals recorded by Frank in John Nelson’s warehouse in Oakland California in 1987
2 - PULLING TOUCH (California 1987 Version)
Frank: Drums, Guitars, Marimba & vocals, Matt Miller: Bass Abra Moore: Vocals
Recorded in Davis, California 1987, By Dave Gill, as a demo for our Texas Hotel Records debut e.p.
3 - IN THE COMPANY OF ANGELS
All instruments by Frank Orrall. Recorded in Austin TX., 1987
4 - CIRCLE AROUND THE SUN (Frank's original demo)
All instruments by Frank Orrall "Recorded this in my Baylor street bedroom in Austin Tx., in 1987, on a 4 track cassette machine"
5- LIVING TREE SPIRE
Recorded at Arlyn studios in Austin 1989/90, Kit Ebersbach came out from Hawaii to help me produce the Palm Fabric Orchestra album, We tracked this song for PDP with him one afternoon.
Kit Ebersbach on Piano, Bruce Hughes on Bass, Susan Voelz on Violin, Max Crawford on trumpet, Ted Cho and Adam Sultan on guitars, Frank Orrall on Drums and Vocals
6 - BUILDING (original Sleng Tang, long version)
A Spontaneous recording session at Rendezvous Studio in Honolulu. Big
Chief Okino on the Bass, and Chris Planas from the band the Pagan Babies on Guitar, joined us, as well as Kit and Arnie Saiki. Jamaican sleng tang rhythm. Ted on guitar, Frank on drums.
7 - I'VE GOT MY BODY (original 4 track demo)
All instruments by Frank Orrall. I had a little 8' x 8' fort in my back yard, it was my make shift studio, tracked this there one afternoon, inspired by NOLA 2nd line music and some Jamaican dub mixes.
8 - COLLARBONE (live in the studio)
Recorded at Arlyn studio in Austin, 1990. Bruce Hughes on Bass, Susan Voelz on Violin, Max Crawford on B-3 Organ, Ted Cho and Adam Sultan on guitars, Frank Orrall on Drums and Vocals
9 - TRIP THE LIGHT FANTASTIC Produced by Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley in Austin 1991. Outtake from the Volo Volo album. That's the mighty Clive Langer on the piano solo at the end!
Volo Volo Era Line up: Frank, Bruce, Susan, Max, Ted, Adam, Daren, El John
10 - TAKE CARE OF YOUR THING (Casanova’s Original demo)
Bruce on Bass and Vocals. Frank on Drums and Vocals, Ashton "DJ Casanova" Irons on Turntables and Sampling. A collaborative demo between the 3 of us, out take from the Volo Volo album. Recorded in Austin, 1991. I met Casanova one night while he was DJing at the Texas Union.... he was blowing the room up with great music, I waited till he was done, and asked him to produce some music with us... we had fun adventures together transforming the PDP sound with the band, while mixing Volo Volo, we've been close friends ever since.
11 - DIAMONDS AND BUTTERMILK (Frank’s original Demo)
All instruments by Frank Orrall. Recorded at Warzone studios in Chicago, 1994 Martin Stebbing set me up with a little recording station in a back room so I could Demo songs while the band tracked in the big room. I did this around 4 in the morning.
12 - BIG CONSTELLATION (Frank’s Original Demo)
All instruments by Frank Orrall. Recorded very late night, in my little
apartment in Pilsen in 1993 / 94, on an 8 track tape machine.
13 - SHU ZULU ZA (1st Battery Studio Demo)
Nick Kitsos: Congas and Percussion, Rob Amster: Bass, Max Crawford: Organ, Dag Juhlin: Guitar & Vocals, Frank Orrall: Drums, Percussion and Samples & Vocals, Robert Cornelius: Vocals Brigid Murphy: Vocals Recorded by Martin Stebbing at Battery Studios in Chicago, 1993/94. (Martin invited us to record, and told us "just bring some wine, we'll light some candles and make some recordings" - that's how we met. We've never recorded with anyone else since then. He's our man. The best).
14 - COMPLICATED (1st Battery Studio Demo)
Rob Amster: Bass, Max Crawford: Organ & Trumpet, Dag Juhlin: Guitar, Frank Orrall Drum Sequencing & Vocals, Robert Cornelius: Vocals, Paul Mertens & Brigid Murphy: Sax, Nick Kitsos: Congas. Recorded by Martin Stebbing at Battery Studios in Chicago, 1993/94
15 - SADLY CHEERFUL
All instruments by Frank Orrall. Recorded very late night, in my little apartment in Pilsen in 1993, on an old 8 track tape machine. "These young teenagers sent me these lyrics, and asked me to write music for them. I loved the tender earnestness of the lyrics, and the boy's exuberance in their letter; so I recorded this for them. That was back in the pre internet days, and I've lost track of those guys, can't even remember their names. Nice kids tho. They wrote me a few months after I sent them the song, they told me they started a band, and played the song in their set :)))
16 - THE GARDEN (Big Chief Okino Mix)
Recorded in Honolulu at Pacific Music Productions, by Kit Ebersbach. Featuring 3 members form the Pagan Babies: Craig Okino (Bass), Chris Planas (Guitar), Nelson Hiu (Flute) & friends; Ling Lee (Vocalization), Kit Ebersbach (Synth), Frank Orrall: Drums and percussion, Lloyd Kandell (Hand Claps and finger Snaps)
17 - YOU MOVE ME (Original Flavor)
All instruments by Frank Orrall. Vocals & Lyrics by Carla Prather Recorded in the old PDP Studio space at 1136 N. Milwaukee ave in Chicago, 2001.
18 - LET YOU GO (unfinished out take)
All instruments by Frank Orrall. Recorded in the old PDP Studio space at
1136 N. Milwaukee ave in Chicago, 2001
19 - HAD I KNOW (Frank's Original Demo)
All instruments by Frank Orrall. Recorded in the old PDP Studio space at 1136 N. Milwaukee ave in Chicago, 2001 D'Angelo had just released "Voodoo", and is blew my mind, this is inspired by "Africa"
20 - BETTER THAN THIS (live in the studio)
Recorded by Martin Stebbing at the Sun Shine Youth league basket ball gym/ make shift Studio in Chicago, 1994 Once thought lost, & now Recently discovered version... Magic. Steve Goulding: Drum Kit, Paul Mertens (flute), Max Crawford (accordion), Susan Voelz (Violin), Tom Ray (up-right bass), Dag Juhlin (guitar), Frank Orrall (Guitar & Voice)
21 - GOD'S GALLIPOLI (Slow / Ukulele Version)
All instruments by Frank Orrall. Recorded at the PDP Studio, 2008
22 - PRELUDE TO TWILIGHT (California 1987 Version)
Abra Moore: Accordion. Recorded in Davis, California 1987, By Dave Gill, as a demo session for our Texas Hotel Records debut e.p.
23 - BED OF BRIGHT LIGHTS (California 1987 Version)
Abra Moore: Accordion & Vocals / Frank: Drums, Guitars, Percussion & vocals / Matt Miller: Bass Recorded in Davis, California 1987, By Dave Gill, as a demo session for our Texas Hotel Records debut e.p.
24 - WOOD GUITAR (California 1987 Version)
Matt Miller: Bass / Frank: Drums, Guitars, Percussion & vocals.
Recorded in Davis, California 1987, By Dave Gill, as a demo session for our Texas Hotel Records debut e.p.
25 - STEP WITH OUT LOOKING (California 1987 Version)
Abra Moore: Accordion & Vocals / Frank: Drums, Guitars, Percussion & vocals / Matt Miller: Bass
Recorded in Davis, California 1987, By Dave Gill, as a demo session for our Texas Hotel Records debut e.p.
26 - THICK AND THIN (live in the studio)
Recorded in Austin, 1989 (Dick Ross, on Drums, Bruce Hughes on Bass, Adam Sultan and Ted Cho and Frank on Guitars, Susan on Violin, Abra on Vocals, Max on Organ or accordion. There is an Irish Uilleann pipe player in there, but I forget his name.
27 - EVERYBODY’S TRYING (The Memphis Version)its
Recorded with Jim Dickinson in Memphis,1989 With the Memphis Horns and the full Austin “Wishing...” era PDP line-up: Frank, Bruce, Susan, Max, Ted, Adam, Dick Ross, El John.
“This song was originally inspired by Al Green’s “Let’s stay together”, so I put that Memphis gallop beat to it... I loved the horns on The Replacements “Can’t Hardly Wait” - and was told that was done in Memphis at Ardent Studios, so we decided to go there to track this version, with Jim Dickinson & the Memphis Horns, to get that Memphis sound. I had a cold when I went to do my vocals, so I drank hot sake, it got my throat through the session pretty well” - Frank Orrall
All Songs by Frank Orrall
Publishing: 2023 Guava juice Music / c&p Platetectonic music 2023
(Except - "Sadly Cheerful" Music by Frank Orrall - Lyrics by an unknown person who mailed them in and asked me to write music for it).
& "You Move Me Original Flavor" Music by Frank Orrall & lyrics by Carla Prather
______________ Notes:
Demos, Sketches, 1st Drafts, Alternate versions, Outtakes, & Rarities.
Showing the Compositions in Motion towards their trajectory to final album version or Out-take / Alternate version.
DEMOS: (working version version of a song idea) Like Gesture Sketch drawing helps a painter to develop composition, and balance the proportions, or; the way a Rough Draft of a story helps a writer understand how to unfold the story, and shape its arc. Or, the way a Floor Plan drawing, or a Model of a building helps an architect or carpenter, layout & visualize the building... A spontaneous demo version of a song helps the musician articulate the shape and thrust of the song idea; gives the song form and direction. And, helps the other musicians who will play on its final version, to get a physical idea of the intention of the composition. It’s like a 3 dimensional sonic model. A composer once said to me; “I like to quickly frame the house first, careful not to get caught up in the details, and thus get bogged down...but, rather move quickly & intuitively, and realize the idea in a basic form. Afterwards, if I see that the song idea has substance, and a good foundation; I can go back in and build it from the inside out. It’s then I allow myself to be particular about the details”. This struck me as true for myself as well, when I’m making demos.
EARLY VERSIONS AND ALTERNATE TAKES: Often times, it takes a few attempts to record a song to comprehend and conceive it. It can be played slow or fast / Have different arrangement phases along the way / Different approaches in style. Occasionally, abandoned song ideas get cannibalized and show up in other songs. Sometimes there are good ideas in alternate versions that never wind up on the final version because the songs evolve, or there is just no space in the mix... or, they get over looked.
OUT-TAKES: Some song ideas make it all the way to the studio, and finally get left off the final cut list, just because the album is taking shape all its own, and some particular songs, tho loved, don’t quite seem to fit the vibe of the album concept, as a whole. Sometimes they show up on later albums, once we understand them better, or find the right album home for them. We might go into the studio with twenty solid songs demos, or song start ideas. Then, once we get up to speed in the studio, new songs often start to write them selves along the way (as we have sort of woken the ghost) and we wind up with too many songs to choose from.
SONG DEVELOPMENT: Many song ideas are experimented with in rehearsal, or directly in the studio while recording. Lot’s of ideas are tried. We like to try every idea that comes up. Once all ideas are considered and tested, It’s usually obvious to the majority which idea works the best. Different band members and sections bring ideas for layers of sound towards the making of the final version: Horn and String arrangements. Rhythm section augmentation, Vocal harmonies. Sonic textures and production elements; They all bring atmosphere & intricacy to the recording.Publishing: 2018 Guava juice Music / c&p Platetectonic music 2018
The Story of how Poi dog Pondering Meet Texas Hotel Records,
& recorded the Demo for the 1st PDP Album:
Painting of Michael Meister (of TEXAS HOTEL Records - circa 1988)
I first met Michael Meister in a mutual friends house in Hawai'i… 1977…) I didn't really met him, he was renting a room at the Nunokawa family house on upper Makaweli street: Michael had a lot of rock posters on his wall - we used to sneak in and look at them.
Fast forward 7 years later, While I was living with Malcolm Orrall and Deborah Alpert-Orrall in LA, I walked into a record store on Melrose and picked out 2 12 records: an Orange Juice EP (not sure now… "Two Hearts Together" possibly) and the other was a Rolling Stones 12" remix of "undercover of the night" - walked up the register and handed them to the guy there - and he said: "I'll sell you both, but I refuse to put them in the same bag"
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
It was Michael Meister at the register... but I did not know that yet... he was just another hard core Orange Juice Fan like me too, and so we became friends right away.
A year later, after I had made the very 1st Poi dog pondering home 4 track cassette album, around 1984-ish, I took it to him to see if he would sell it on consignment - he loved the cassette, and so said yes, and took 4 - I was delighted!
It was only then that we talked more, and connected the dots, and realized that we had met before at the Nunokawa's house Hawai'i, and with his friend Susan Farrell, who lived there as well. Strange Coincidence. Kismet.
They went on to start a record store together with Stephen Tesluk, named TEXAS HOTEL records (after an Orange Juice song titled "the day I went down to Texas")
I used to go to Texas Hotel records as often as I could, they had great, rare records and amazing instore performances. I once saw the JAZZ Butcher there, playing acoustic… they came in dressed to the teeth, in sailors caps, wrinkled suits and looking happy… like they were still up from the night before…. I wanted that life :)))
I moved back to Hawai'i and recorded 2 more PDP cassette albums there (which would eventually be the bulk of the songs for the first 2 PDP releases)
and when Sean P Coffey, Kalea Chapman, Abra Moore, Jean Francois Berneron, and I set out From Hawai'i in 1986 (with friends Matthew Miller , Karen Sestak, Therese Tonti and Helen), for our the first leg of what would become a pan North American road trip. Our first gig on the continent was at Texas Hotel Records - an acoustic / electric show… (back in those days we were a cross between PDP's first ep, the velvet underground 1st & 3rd record era, new order and Jonathan richmond… we were having a lot of fun, and were not really trying to be a band... yet - we were just on the road for adventure :))
A year later, after we finished our road trip in NYC, I demo'd some songs while staying with John Nelson in Camden, & sent Texas Hotel a tape of some demos, and asked if they would consider putting out a record together, they were interested, and so me and Abra went out west and tracked a demo session in Davis California (via the help of Matt Miller, Stephan Tesluk and his buddy Stephen Calen ) and on the basis of that, Texas Hotel decided to sign me.
So I teamed up with Abra Moore, Bruce Hughes, Sean Coffey, Ted Cho & Moved to Austin to record a 6 song e.p. test... what became the 1st EP.
Michael Meister, Susan Farrell & Stephen Tesluk are huge in my life, because they believed in the music, and supported the recording of it, and protected me when the going got rough, and the major label indifference clouded me, and inspired me to do the art full thing.
Michael, took Susan and Luke Savisky and I on a major road trip through the deep south around 1991-ish: where we visited some major emerging Folk Artists: Howard Finster, Jimmy Lee Sudduth, B. F. Perkins, Mose Tolliver, R A Miller and others….
it was a pivotal trip for me - I had always loved to paint - and did… but after this trip… and seeing all those artist's…. it was like hearing the first Velvet Underground record for the first time…. it changed you…. made you want to make art. In any way possible.
I took some photos of Michael Meister at a party at the LOVE TRACTOR band's house in Athens GA… sometime in 89… and used them for a painting study...
Couple years later, in 93, I found this wooden pallet on the street in Pilsen, Chicago - and I painted this portrait of Michael on it - in my old 17th street studio.