Green Album demos

The Green Album Demos were a series of recording sessions by Weezer in the fall of 2000, in preparation for recording of The Green Album.

Overview

After coming off the road from their triumphant comeback tour during the summer of 2000, spirits within Weezer's camp were high, and it was clear to everyone that recording a third album was viable. They quickly re-entered various studios to lay down further demos, and began to map out the recording of an album.

From the Weezer Recording History, notes in italics by Karl Koch:

October Demos

Post-touring demos at Rivers' home studio. These demos are culled from numerous DA-88 8-Track master tapes, and represent the best version recorded at the time. Multiple alternate, unused and abandoned takes of each of the below songs exist, representing many days spent working full time in the little studio throughout much of October.

• "Hole In Time" (10/1)
• "I Wish You Luck" (10/7)
• "Teenage Victory Song" (10/7)
• "The Christmas Song" (10/20)
• "No More Confusin'" (aka "Congratulations") (Not to be confused with The Special Goodness song) (10/25)
• "That's The Way" (aka "Hammer Time"; "Sugar Booger") (10/25)
• "Ayleen" (10/25)
• "New Joint" (fka "Roommate")(10/25)
• "Big Rock Star" (10/25)
• "I Wish You Luck" (10/25)
• "Happiness Together" (not "Happy Together") (10/25)
• "Cryin' And Lonely" (10/26)
• "No More Confusin'" (10/27)
• "That's The Way" (10/27)
• "Take It Slow" (10/27)
• "Ayleen" (10/27)
• "Cryin' And Lonely" (10/27)
• "If You Want It (later "Photograph") (10/27)
• "Inside A Smile" (later "Smile") (10/27)
• "Crab" (10/27)
• "No More Confusin'" (10/28)
• "That's The Way" (10/28)
• "New Joint" (10/28)
• "Ayleen" (10/28)
• "Cryin' And Lonely" (10/28)
• "Homely" (10/28)
• "Crab" (10/28)
• "Inside A Smile" (10/28)
• "If You Want It" (10/28)
• "Dope Nose" (10/28)
• "I Hear Bells" (10/29)
• "That's The Way" (10/29)
• "Don't Let Go" (10/29)
• "If You Want It" (10/29)
• "Crab" (10/29)
• "Everybody Go Away" (10/30)
• "If You Want It" (10/30)
• "Inside A Smile" (10/30)
• "Crab" (10/30)
• "That's The Way" (10/30)
• "Ayleen" (10/30)
• "Seeds Fall Down" (10/30)
• "Homely" (10/31)
• "No More Confusin'" (10/31)
• "Homely (10/31)

Keen-eyed observers may note the absence of "Move It On" from this list, the track originally recorded for the KROQ Kevin And Bean Christmas CD. This track was never fully completed, as the band scrambled on to complete "The Christmas Song" in time. These listing list only the songs that were finished and mixed down, so "Move It On", along with numerous other songs, remain on master tapes unfinished and unlisted until/unless they reach a "final" state.

November Demos

Continued demos made at Rivers's home studio. These demos are culled from numerous DA-88 8-Track master tapes, and represent the best version recorded at the time. Multiple alternate, unused and abandoned takes of each of the below songs exist.

• "Christmas Celebration" (11/10) (done for the Geffen promo single - add'l work done at Cello Studios)
• "The Christmas Song" (add'l work done at Cello Studios for the mix on the Geffen promo)
• "O Girlfriend" (11/11)
• "Starlight" (11/11)
• "Homely" (11/11)
• "Castles in the Sand" (11/12)
• "Oh Lisa" (11/12)
• "New Joint" (11/12)
• "Gimmie Some Love" (later "Simple Pages") (11/13)
• "I Hear Bells" (11/13)
• "Sister-Brother" (11/20)
• "Childhood Ties" (11/20)
• "The Badger" (11/20)
• "Burning Sun" (11/21)
• "Knock-down Drag-out" (11/21)
• "Break Up" (11/27)
• "Mr. Tax Man" (11/27)
• "Drink in the Water" (11/27)
• "Castles in the Sand" (11/27)
• "Break Up" (11/28)
• "Tough Guy Hat" (11/28)
• "Mad Kow" (11/28)

December Demos

More continued demos made at Rivers's home studio. These demos are culled from numerous DA-88 8-Track master tapes, and represent the best version recorded at the time. Most of these songs are new attempts at songs demo'd in October and November, with the notable exception of "Island In The Sun", seeing tape for the first time since Rivers's first demo of it in 1999.

• "Break Up" (instrumental) (12/3)
• "Gimmie Some Love" (instrumental) (12/3)
• "Knock-down Drag-out" (instrumental) (12/3)
• "Starlight" (instrumental) (12/3)
• "Island In The Sun" (12/3)
• "Ayleen" (12/3)
• "Childhood Ties" (12/3)
• "Break Up" (12/6)
• "Gimmie Some Love" (12/7)
• "Drink in the Water" (12/7)
• "Mr. Tax Man (12/7)"
• "Homely" (12/7)
• "Don't Let Go" (12/7)
• "Knock-down Drag-out" (12/7)
• "Starlight" (12/7)
• "If You Want It" (12/7)
• "Inside A Smile" (12/7)
• "Crab" (12/7)

Pre-production Demos

12/14/00 Rehersal at Swing House Studios

Under Ric Ocasek's supervision, various songs were demo'd repeatedly, trying out variations in structure and feel. Numerous DAT tapes were recorded over the course of about a week, these songs in particular were copied over to review.

• "Homely" (2 versions)
• "Starlight" (5 versions)
• "If You Want It" (2 versions)
• "Island In The Sun" (3 versions)
• "O Girlfriend" (3 versions)
• "Gimmie Some Love"

12/21/00 Demo at Rivers's Studio

The first of four "last minute demos", made in an attempt to nail down the structures of some songs and try and determine if certain songs were "in" or "out".

• "Inside A Smile"
• "Gonna Make My Move"
• "Downtown" (instrumental) (note: this song has lyrics, but not on this demo version)
• "Gimmie Some Love" (Instrumental)

12/22/00 Demo at S.I.R. Studios, Los Angeles

The second of 4 "last minute demo's", made in an attempt to nail down the structures of some songs and try and determine if certain songs were "in" or "out".

• "Knock-down Drag-out"
• "Knock-down Drag-out" (alternate version)
• "Gimmie Some Love"
• "Homely"
• "O Girlfriend"
• "Sugar Booger"

12/23/00 Demo at S.I.R.

The third of 4 "last minute demo's", made in an attempt to nail down the structures of some songs and try and determine if certain songs were "in" or "out".

• "Knock-down Drag-out" (2 versions)
• "Homely" (2 versions)
• "Gimmie Some Love"
• "O Girlfriend" (2 versions)
• "Break Up"
• "Oh Lisa"
• "Starlight"

12/26/00 Demo at S.I.R.

The fourth of 4 "last minute demo's", made in an attempt to nail down the structures of some songs and try and determine if certain songs were "in" or "out".

• "Island In The Sun"
• "Don't Let Go"
• "Knock-down Drag-out"
• "Gimmie Some Love"
• "Homely"
• "O Girlfriend"
• "Break Up"
• "Oh Lisa"
• "Starlight"
• "Cryin' And Lonely"

See also

• List of Weezer songs
• The Green Album
• Summer Songs of 2000