Old Mule Skinner

I just came across three Iggy Pop demo tracks from 1983. The songs are Fire Engine, Warrior Tribe and Old Mule Skinner. Warrior Tribe is by far the best, despite a fairly repetitive and mundane 80's drum machine beat. Old Mule Skinner is much more up-tempo but Iggy's singing is all over the place and the lyrics are kind of sparce to put it nicely. I was wondering if anyone has more info on these songs and if there are any more from this recording session.

It is an actual drummer it isn't a drum machine.

They were recorded in April 1983 and produced by The Car's guitarist, Ric Ocasek. The band were Iggy's live band at the time so it was...

Iggy Pop - vocals (obviously)
Michael Page - bass
Robert Duprey - guitar
Larry Mysleiwicz -drums
Frank Infante - guitar

Only three songs (as far as I know) were recorded and they were never officialy released. However Repo Man was recorded later in the same year but with a different band.

Hope that helps

I'm not sure that we have ever been 100% certain of who played on "Fire Engine", "Old Mule Skinner" and "Warrior Tribe".
That was Iggy's band at the time (and rather good they were too, in my opinion) and it is extremely likely it is them on these recordings, but I'd have to agree with sweet sixteen that the drumming does sound rather like a drum machine. Which is odd, as Larry's drumming didn't usually sound like that. Anyone have any definite facts on this?

These three tracks have a great echoey massive sound that Iggy obviously liked, as the "Repo Man" has a similar feel. "Repo Man" featured Steve Jones and Blondie's Clem Burke and Nigel Harrison.

Great songs, all of them. "Repo Man" was, sadly, a one off for the film.

Cheers,

Richard

Does anybody know why the version used in the film dropped the vocals?

These are good to very good songs in a bad sound.

I never figured out why those 3 (+1) song never got out on a proper album. They all too good to be kept a secret for the world outside the Iggy Pop hardcore fans

They are not that good, Repo man and Fire engine are quite cool!... and those songs are better than every almost every song on Zombie Birdhouse. They should have been used there!

world's forgotten boy wrote:

They are not that good, Repo man and Fire engine are quite cool!... and those songs are better than every almost every song on Zombie Birdhouse. They should have been used there!

On the other hand all songs he ever did, besides those on the last crappy Stooges album a few years back, are a lot better than Zombie B-house

Yeah you are probably right, Trollin' was a cool song the rest was rather boring and strange!

that last Stooges album wasn't crappy.

Nadja wrote:

that last Stooges album wasn't crappy.

Thats impossible for me to understand that any old Iggy or Stooges fan could think something like you do.

Sorry but I don’t like the weirdness. Cause it doesn’t reflect the true power of the Stooges. The production/the choice of producer and the mix. It's all just loud, but never hard, tough or aggressive. It's too clean, too perfect.

freemind wrote:

Sorry but I don’t like the weirdness. Cause it doesn’t reflect the true power of the Stooges. The production/the choice of producer and the mix. It's all just loud, but never hard, tough or aggressive. It's too clean, too perfect.

I agree fully with you.

I could atleast understand that Stooges 2005 doesnt sounds like Stooges 1969. But otherwise I agree fully with you.

J.N wrote:

Nadja wrote:

that last Stooges album wasn't crappy.

v
Thats impossible for me to understand that any old Iggy or Stooges fan could think something like you do.

well, believe it or not J.N., people do think differently.
I just don't think it's fair to call the Weirdness downright 'crappy'. However - to make it quite clear - that's just my OPINION.

J.N wrote:

Nadja wrote:

that last Stooges album wasn't crappy.

Thats impossible for me to understand that any old Iggy or Stooges fan could think something like you do.

I think 'The Weirdness' wasn't a great album. Definately not my favourite Stooges' one. Only except a few tracks. As I said before, Stooges' tracks on 'Skull Ring' sounded a lot better than on 'The Weirdness' lp.

[quote="Nadja"]

J.N wrote:

Nadja wrote:

that last Stooges album wasn't crappy.

v
Thats impossible for me to understand that any old Iggy or Stooges fan could think something like you do.

Personally I don't think "The Weirdness" is great but I still think its a good rock album and with the bonus tracks a great rock album. I just wish it had gotten better mastering, it needed to be more raw. Ron, Scott and Mike are great on it but I think Iggy made a poor mic choice and sounds a bit off at time as well as coming up with a fair share of bad lyrics.

Saying that "Trollin", "My Idea Of Fun", "Greedy Awful People", "She Took My Money", "I'm Fried", "O Solo Mio", "Claustrophobia", "I Wanna Be Your Man" and "Sounds Of Leather" are brilliant. The rest is kind of filler in my opinion. If they'd cut they album down to that it would have been much better.

I agree with JW and G, it's a decent album. of course it doesn't really compare with earlier Stooges stuff, we ALL know that, and I didn't say it did. 'Crappy' was going waaay too far tho. It's not a word that applies to anything by the Stooges, in my opinion.

Nadja wrote:

'Crappy' was going waaay too far tho. It's not a word that applies to anything by the Stooges, in my opinion.

Have you heard Jesus Loves The Stooges?

are you serious Donald? i love jesus loves the stooges, its such a good song, and out of nowhere, its really different from the stuff theyve done

although, ihave to agree 'crappy' and 'stooges' dont go together

freemind wrote:

Sorry but I don’t like the weirdness. Cause it doesn’t reflect the true power of the Stooges. The production/the choice of producer and the mix. It's all just loud, but never hard, tough or aggressive. It's too clean, too perfect.

I agree...what's with that snare drum sound and no bass guitar in the mix?
Why did they choose to mix it like that ?
I have a little probleam with that record cover too, or the lack of it.

unfortunately for us now, we'll never hear the stooges at their true power, having lost Ron, weirdness is good (in my opinion, actually i love it) but i've always thought the cover was a metaphor, its just them saying, 'dont judge it too harshly we're the stooges and we're finding out feet again'

i hope we can hear these 6 or 7 tracks Ron left, in whatever format, as a part of a new album or just by themselves, i hope they were more o solo mio -ish

J.N wrote:

world's forgotten boy wrote:

They are not that good, Repo man and Fire engine are quite cool!... and those songs are better than every almost every song on Zombie Birdhouse. They should have been used there!

On the other hand all songs he ever did, besides those on the last crappy Stooges album a few years back, are a lot better than Zombie B-house

You can't be serious, Zombie Birdhouse is a fantastic album

homesickjameswilliamson wrote:

are you serious Donald? i love jesus loves the stooges, its such a good song, and out of nowhere, its really different from the stuff theyve done

Maybe you've got a version that isn't just a hideous rambling mess then? I'm talking about the one Bomp released in the late 70s in an apparent barrel scraping exercise.

nope, thats the one lol

well i always thought there was only two versions of it, one with vocals and one without, eithers good, the musics the best bit of course

I think I'm with Donald on "Jesus Loves The Stooges" - the best bit is the title, which is pretty cool, and the piano (presumably Scott Thurston or perhaps Bob Sheff) gets a bit funky towards the end. But Iggy and the musicians sound waaaay out of it, and not in a good way.
Cheers,
Richard