I've been thinking for a long while. We know that Sawao is a prolific song writer, so when he starts writing songs for every album, there has to be some that don't make the cut right? Maybe this is just the Weezer fan talking in me since practically everything in their recording history is documented. Rivers is also a prolific songwriter, it's just that many of the songs he writes haven't made it to albums since there have only been 6 in 15 years, while the pillows have double the amount of albums in that time span.

So my question is, where are the demos and outtakes from past albums at? It could be there simply isn't that many since Sawao pops out an album every year. If the pillows were an American band, then it could be a sure thing we wouldn't have seen many of these songs. But Sawao ALWAYS seems to be writing something, so there has to be some songs out there that the band has recorded, but we haven't heard (of) yet.

We know that there's plenty of demos from the very early days, i.e. Ano Koro ni Modotte, Henri Verdoux no Shougai, etc. We got a vid of a demo of the original Liberty. Has anyone else heard about anything else? Maybe from those that have read interviews in magazines, translated some of the TV interviews? Are there any pushes in the Japanese fan base for unreleased songs to see the light of day? I'm just curious to know if there's anything in the pillows' vault.

The thing is, with any band, it tends to be really hard to look back and find anything from their time as an indie band to start with, and then once they become signed onto a label, they no longer release demos, but only what their record label approves of as official releases (singles, albums, dvds, etc), so you're not going to see any more demos after that.

Basically, if there aren't people that follow them from their very very start, there's not going to be anything for the people that get into them later. I would assume there are several songs Sawao writes that they decide not to use, but they might not even get to the point of recording them. While the pillows themselves are sure to have the old demos and stuff somewhere (that's how they ended up picking ano koro ni modotte for Turn Back, if I recall correctly), they can't just release them, their record label would have to do so. Odds are they would simply rerecord the songs, so that wouldn't really be the same at all anyway.

I strongly doubt we'll ever get ahold of old demo recordings for the pillows. It's just been far too long for anything to really be out there still. If it's out there, the odds of us finding it are so low that it's almost not even worth it. I mean, look at how long it took to get ahold of Special CD. Imagine a demo that they only produced a few of and maybe sold at shows before they got signed to a label. There's just no way, sadly.

Well I know the label won't release any of them, but a lot of times these things either leak (by just random chance or the band's actual doing to a limited number of people), or their known about when the band or other personnel talk about things that happened during recording sessions for an album, and you might hear about, "Well this song didn't make the album for such and such reason." I'm curious if they've ever mentioned anything like that in past interviews, or if die hard fans in Japan have ever gotten a hold of anything rare.

And I do realize the chances are slim, you bring up a good point about the Special CD. I guess really, I just want to know if there's ever been any evidence or talk of unreleased material other than what was used on Turn Back.

I'd always wanted to know if there was demos. Or atleast "work-in progress" material. I would want to hear like how strange chameleon would sound before the last version was recorded or something. Or something like that.

Hmm, I myself haven't heard about anything, but I'll ask around a bit. Frankly, the idea of a pillows demo makes me hard. I really love digging up demos of bands I like, and while it's relatively easy (most of the time) for a lot of the newer Japanese bands I'm into, I've yet to find anything for the really long-running ones like the pillows yet.

But yeah, I'll ask around and see if I can't learn something, though I doubt any files will come about as a result. Hell, I've been working to get ahold of the first freaking fragments release for like two years now with no success.

[quote="Marekenshin"]Hmm, I myself haven't heard about anything, but I'll ask around a bit. Frankly, the idea of a pillows demo makes me hard. I really love digging up demos of bands I like, and while it's relatively easy (most of the time) for a lot of the newer Japanese bands I'm into, I've yet to find anything for the really long-running ones like the pillows yet.

But yeah, I'll ask around and see if I can't learn something, though I doubt any files will come about as a result. Hell, I've been working to get ahold of the first freaking fragments release for like two years now with no success.[/quote]

Did you ask any Nihonjin at a record store? You might be able to buy it since you're in Japan.

Alone: The Home Recordings of Sawao Yamanaka

Can you dig it?

I can certainly picture Sawao, up for the fifth night in a row, mumbling into a tape recorder. The whir of a fan can be heard in the distance as Sawao strums a familiar progression reminiscient of 'Little Busters' and shouts a little melody. Suddenly a broom can be heard banging against his roof as the neighbor upstairs is trying to sleep. Sawao calmy curses her out and continues.

It would be on my CD shelf faster than any other CD evar.

Honestly, I don't think Avex would release such a thing. They seem like a real legit company with all these releases, not the type of company to give leeway for something that might not sell well (just a possibility).
I can deffinately picture a recording of Sawao alone on an acoustic working out some songs though. Just picture them...some that come to mind include Ride on Shooting Star, Midnight Down, Ritalin 202(just came to me, the chorus deffinately comes to me as something like that).

EDIT: Just noticing you also meant demos of unreleased songs. I'm sure as with many other bands there have been many songs that haven't made it to CD. I mean, in 15 years, its safe to say you write a lot of stuff. It can't ALL be amazing.
[size=50]We are talking about the pillows though...[/size]

[quote="Marekenshin"]Hmm, I myself haven't heard about anything, but I'll ask around a bit. Frankly, the idea of a pillows demo makes me hard. I really love digging up demos of bands I like, and while it's relatively easy (most of the time) for a lot of the newer Japanese bands I'm into, I've yet to find anything for the really long-running ones like the pillows yet.

But yeah, I'll ask around and see if I can't learn something, though I doubt any files will come about as a result. Hell, I've been working to get ahold of the first freaking fragments release for like two years now with no success.[/quote]

Sweet. You'd probably be the best guy for that since you got the biggest grasp on Japanese here and you've gotten to talk to the Japanese fanbase.

And it is the pillows we're talking about, so I'm sure it CAN be all amazing.

[quote="Son Goshin"]when the band or other personnel talk about things that happened during recording sessions for an album, and you might hear about, "Well this song didn't make the album for such and such reason."[/quote]
[quote]tiny boat was released in january 1996, but it was not at a point where it was a musical factor so we postponed its release- it was really recorded in 1995. at the same time, i wanted to make Liberty a single along with a song called [b][color=#FF0000]Future[/color][/b], but that wasn't released either. it's from that time period. i thought the lyrics were really good and i've always wanted to release it. i had trouble because the songs were refused; i thought, 'what are we gonna put on the album?' i gradually felt shut in by the other unfamiliar new songs. regrettably, i eventually gave up on the songs.[/quote]
viewtopic.php?f=16&t=1017&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

[quote="MyFoot"]Alone: The Home Recordings of Sawao Yamanaka

Can you dig it?

I can certainly picture Sawao, up for the fifth night in a row, mumbling into a tape recorder. The whir of a fan can be heard in the distance as Sawao strums a familiar progression reminiscient of 'Little Busters' and shouts a little melody. Suddenly a broom can be heard banging against his roof as the neighbor upstairs is trying to sleep. Sawao calmy curses her out and continues.[/quote]

Well, there's always Rookie Jet (Jazz Version) and YAER!!

I love Yaer.

Not counting Mister Buster I had heard of about 3 songs that they have only played live. But I can't remember their names. One of them is from the Penalty Life era and might have been called "Mona..." uhh something. Or maybe I'm confusing the title. But I know that there are about 4 tracks that they've only played live besides "future". I also know that they had intention to record "MY TRUE COLORS", the song the pillows wrote for THE COLLECTORS anniversary album: THE ROCK'N'ROLL CULTURE SCHOOL.

[quote="AlucardX24"]Well, there's always Rookie Jet (Jazz Version)[/quote]

What blashphemy is this!? The fact that I haven't haerd this yet I mean.

[quote="MyFoot"][quote="AlucardX24"]Well, there's always Rookie Jet (Jazz Version)[/quote]

What blashphemy is this!? The fact that I haven't haerd this yet I mean. [/quote]

You need to lurk MOAR. I posted a link about a week ago in the Youtube thread.

Yeah, that's why. I check that thread maybe once every month.
Pretty awesome though.