Opal - Early Recordings/Happy Nightmare Baby

oops, they are on Early Recordings II, carry on

gahhhh compilation tracks and ephemera I was not aware of

a Syd Barrett cover!!! some song called "Ghost Highway" from a Rough Trade promo tape?!?!

https://www.discogs.com/artist/158032-Opal-2?filter_anv=0&subtype=Compilations&type=Appearances

yeah, found that barrett cover on youtube a little while ago
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFV4geZ-IHA
pretty good!
didn't know about "ghost highway" -- the same song that mazzy star did?

it might just be that track, yeah

OPAL - 1987, Sept.17, Live VIDEO, w. Kendra Smith singing, San Diego, SST Records Fest

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hd8g6AROi18

nice!

Wow!

holy shit I was at that gig!

too bad the mic was right next to Suki's foldback! What a great find.

Before this event took place, SST had scheduled a festival in the L.A. area with Sonic Youth headlining but it fell through, so instead they held this festival on the steps of the main gym at UC San Diego, with Opal headlining.

I remember this, a free, all day thing at the Santa Fe dam in Irwindale! My friend and I drove out there only to find it had been cancelled.

"Fell From the Sun" has to be one of the top ten songs in the universe.

in case anyone missed it, Kendra Smith recorded a song for the Leave No Trace soundtrack last year and it's amazing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnoME6cyi_U

^^^^

It looks like 'Early Recordings' is being reissued November 1 on a label called Salley Gardens. Salley Gardens Publishing is listed on every Mazzy Star release.

wow!

nice

FINALLY

Looks like a straight reissue, no bonus tracks or what have you... not even "hear the wind blow". Amazon track listing could of course just be wrong, but there's no other real info about it yet!

this better not be some sketchy Amazon boot

It's Prime and ships from and sold by Amazon so that's a good sign.

ha, i don't think i knew that "hear the wind blow" isn't on some versions ...

it's not on the vinyl version, it was a CD bonus track originally

^^ yeah it was a B-side

I thought Hear the Wind Blow was only ever on the Early Recordings CD... they could add Soul Giver and Freight Train, those b-sides never appeared on CD before I don't think?

oh yes you are correct, was thinking abt Freight Train

the version of Soul Giver on that 12" is the same as on Happy Nightmare Baby iirc

hrmmmm

I’m Kendra Smith’s manager - while we are in discussions, nothing has been approved yet. This had better not be real, just yet.

— Pat Thomas (@PatThomas1964) October 3, 2019

I must admit I'm glad to know that she has a manager

haha, yeah, seems unlikely, but that guy is legit, I think.

normally I'd be suspicious if the artist themselves said nothing about a reissue, but with Opal I'd be more suspicious if they did.

haha, yeah, seems unlikely, but that guy is legit, I think

I didn't know he was handling Kendra's stuff, but Pat is definitely legit.

I played Early Recordings for the first time in maybe ten years and I have to say I remember liking it more than I do. I think in my old age I actually prefer Happy Nightmare Baby. I don't remember all the lousy slide playing on this album! Total respect and admiration for Roback as a guitarist but Kendra remains the draw for me. And I still love the Rainy Day album more than all the Opal and Mazzy Star albums combined.

That said, if a reissue of Early Recordings materializes, I'll probably buy it, as my copy of this is beat to hell.

This is now in stock...

here's the latest from pat thomas:

I had to have this release postponed until the record company recognizes Kendra’s % of ownership - records are sitting in warehouse awaiting legitimacy- should be soon, I hope

— Pat Thomas (@PatThomas1964) November 2, 2019

thanks Tyler

I believe Amazon is already shipping these (it says shipped from and sold by Amazon - delivery by tomorrow). I'd order it but I already have the earlier CD.

yeah i don't really know, haha.

I wonder what source was used to master the thing... did they just take the CD version and master it for vinyl, lopping off "Hear the Wind Blow"?

This is a CD.

The new CD comes with the original CD bonus track "Hear the Wind Blow" plus four additional bonus tracks: "I Called Erin," "Don't Stop the Train," "Sailing Boats" and an alternate version of "Empty Bottles." It sounds great (i.e. not compressed), and the bonus tracks are wonderful. I have been waiting for a legit reissue for a long, long time (25+ years) since I refused to pay collector prices, ha (and yes, I did download MP3s to tide me over). "Empty Box Blues" goes through my head *all the time*. For the record, Rainy Day's cover of "Flying on the Ground is Wrong" is one of my favorite tracks ever recorded by anyone.

Rainy Day reissue next, I hope? That album kills Early Recordings (and I have always really liked Early Recordings)

Anyway, I bought this.

xpost - thanks for the report! I think I've only seen "Sailing Boats" on 'Early Recordings 2'.

Ordering this now.

And yes, fingers crossed for 'Rainy Day'.

double wow! it was listed as a vinyl release on amazon initially

Ah, ok. I'm really glad it's not just some vinyl repackage.

gahhhh OK thanks

can anyone give me a link to buy other than Amazon?

oh hell yeah looks like they did Happy Nightmare Baby as well

https://www.roughtrade.com/us/opal/happy-nightmare-baby

would kinda like to know who is behind these reissues

love Sailing Boats, can't wait to hear the others!

Re: "who is behind these reissues" - in the credits, it says: "2019 reissue Frank Gironda- Lookout Mgt., Pat Thomas"