This week’s CHW comes from a turning point in the band’s future. After lengthy touring in support of Let It Be, The Mats went into the studio with Alex Chilton in January of 1985 to begin work on their next Twin Tone release.
Not many of these tracks are available. Left Of The Dial from this session ended up on the major debut Tim, and Nowhere Is My Home found it’s way onto the European greatest hits collection, Boink!. But they also recorded a version of Can’t Hardly Wait. The full band electric version of Can’t Hardly Wait from this session varies very little from the one recorded for Tim later in the year and available on All For Nothing/Nothing For All.
But there was also a more impromptu, demo version recorded less professionally (and commonly known as the ‘airshaft’ version, even though there is little evidence it was actually recorded in an airshaft.) This version shows the song’s strength without hiding behind a guitar hook and the full volume of the Mats. A sign of topnotch songwriting.
[audio:chw03.mp3]
My fav. But only after listening to other versions a million Chilton times.
That was really unexpected. And I liked it. I would’ve thought that that song without the riff would be nothiing.
I would’ve been wrong.
“Come out to the coast – I’ll be there in an hour”
i’ve always favored this one, and i would sure love to hear a better recorded version. or maybe not. actually, no, i love it the way it is.