Last week the last scheduled Strangers archives dropped to streaming services worldwide. It was a doozy, with four releases:
1. The Van Ness Sessions Vol. 2 - Here is another batch of songs from the home recordings laid down in the spring of 1992 at The Strangers’ “Pink Palace” on Van Ness and Chestnut in San Francisco. Volume 2 contains more hidden gems never released and only played live for a short period, including Allen tunes “Miami,” “Fox Hollow Road” and another take of “Hats Off to Arthur Dent,” Henry’s “Indian Summer Love,” Bart’s “Needle In A Haystack,” and Paul tracks “38 by ’74” and “Back As I Leave.” Paul/Ned co-write “Like A Mountain” makes its brief debut here too. The recordings capture a couple of covers including a fiery take on Neil Young’s “Powderfinger” and The Band’s “Down South In New Orleans” featuring Paul’s recorded debut on drums! Clearly we were having a good time. Check it here.
2. “Seeds” 4-Song Demo (1991) - The earliest studio document of the five-piece Strangers. In May 1991, the newly-formed Strangers electric lineup recorded four originals at Berkeley’s Dance Home Sound run by our friend Lisa Richmond. This session, just after Henry Smith joined on bass, was a turning point and the songs “Slow and Easy,” “Columbus in the New World,” “Take It On The Run,” and “Pass It On” were live staples. These four tracks laid the groundwork for what would become The Joker and the Wheel album. It’s a rare snapshot of the band still in first gear, but already rolling fast - listen here.
3. “Fish Pitched Up by an Angry Sea” 4-Song Demo (1992) - Recorded in Eugene, Oregon just before the band’s first full tour across the Rockies. This four-song demo, featuring my song “The Opening Page,” Bart/Henry/Paul’s “Vampire’s Kiss,” Allen’s “Reach Out,” and Ned’s “Misunderstanding,” was recorded at Don Ross Studios, the same studio where Dreams of the Land was born years earlier. At the time, The Strangers were grinding 20+ shows a month and this demo was our calling card for radio, labels, and booking. It's a mix of bite, beauty, and band chemistry at a new level. This recording of “Misunderstanding” appeared on the “Life On The Road” album. The other three recordings sat in the vault, until now - listen here.
4. Michael Wilson Three-Song EP (1995) - Recorded at the height of the band’s hard-touring final era. In early 1995, just before lineup changes began, The Strangers laid down three high-intensity tracks “Shotgun Valentine,” “All Your Enemies,” and “Kitchen” with producer Michael Wilson at Apocalypse Studios in Eugene. These songs were sharper, louder, and more direct, reflecting the band’s push into harder-edged territory while still carrying the hallmarks of tight harmonies and layered storytelling. Tracked live with minimal overdubs, this short EP became the foundation of what was pitched to labels during the band’s final label pursuit. Reworked versions of “Shotgun Valentine” and “Kitchen” were recorded with the final electric lineup for Mobilehomecomingqueen, while “All Your Enemies” remained unreleased. Check it here.
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