A Head Full of Wishes is a site for Galaxie 500, Luna, Damon & Naomi, Dean & Britta and Dean Wareham. With news, articles and lists of releases and past and future shows.
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A Head Full of Wishes newsletter #17
Galaxie 500 live compilation (VHS)
Back in January 2024 Andrew mentioned that a friend of his was looking to off-load some Galaxie 500 memorabilia and asked if I’d be interested… which of course I was, as well as a couple of posters there was this VHS that contained the three videos of full concerts from UK shows.
I have to admit that I sometimes get these posts ready ahead of time… and had started to write this one before I’d bought that charity shop VHS player and so am now having to re-write it… while sitting and actually watching it - so I can now accurately report what is on the tape.
As listed on the photocopied sleeve the three shows are:
Live at the University of london (U. L. U.) 13.6.90. Superb Quality - Full concert 70m.
This was such superb quality that it got officially released on the Don’t Let Our Youth Go to Waste DVD a few years back. It also might have put in an appearance in this series on a VHS before, but no VHS player when I wrote that meant I couldn’t be sure. I was at this gig.
Live at Leicester University 6.2.90 (As support to Birdland). Full concert 30 minutes.
This was actually supporting The Sundays, it seems Birdland played the same venue the following night so that may be where the confusion lies. This was shared again a couple of years ago described as unknown date and unknown venue which was briefly quite exciting until it was identified as a boot that had been doing the rounds for many years!
Live at Subteranea, London 27.6.90, Full concert 70 minutes.
This is actually the Manchester show that has been shared incorrectly as the London one before - I posted what is probably/hopefully the actual Subterania show a couple of months back.
- Catalogue Number: AHFOW 13/021
- Artist: Galaxie 500
- Title: Galaxie 500 Compilation
- Notes: Bootleg video of three full shows
- Packaging: Black plastic VHS library case with photocopied sleeve
- Format: VHS
Previously in my record collection:
Galaxie 500 - CBGB - 13th December 1988’
So my copy of the new Galaxie 500 live album has arrived, under a week after release date (although over a week after some folk were getting theirs). It arrived yesterday while I was out but fortunately the postie left it with a neighbour so I don’t have to head off to the sorting office to get it.
This is the “deluxe” copy with the “tip-on sleeve” - I had to Google that:
An old style record jacket that is hand glued. The term tip-on, refers to the folded seams on the paper. The printing is done on a peice of paper which is then glued to heavy board stock. The effect over standard direct to board jackets, for most record collectors, is similar to the differences between a hardback and paperback book.
recordpressing.com (via Wayback Machine)
More importantly it also came with a live seven inch single…
- from a different CBGBs show.
- that had already been released on a 7” single back in 1990.
It had also been released on a cassette in 1989, and the sleeve on this release mirrors that of the cassette. I noted in that post on the Caff single that it was the only place you could hear the single sequenced as two tracks - since the releases on CD (and I assume the cassette) sequenced it as one track… so, now there are two places.
My copy is described as having “ultra clear and black ‘cloudy’ vinyl” - it is actually horrid… and someone might even be tempted to go and buy the UK indies exclusive “milky clear” vinyl just so they didn’t need to look at this mess†:
The album is however fantastic. I’ve had a bootleg of this show for quite a long time - taken from this source - but this sounds so much clearer, and it is a treat to hear the band so early in their career (this is to my knowledge one of only two shows from 1988 available - the other from Boston a few days later.
You may have noticed how I’m obsessively mis-naming this album, in titles and in filenames. I’m sorry but I can’t bring myself to use the ridiculous date scheme that’s been chosen - if you want more details there’s a footnote on an earlier post that explains why. I have conceded (although through gritted teeth) and given it the official title in the discography.
When I thanked Naomi for putting it out she said I should thanks Ethan at Silver Current Records so… thank you Ethan for convincing the band to let you release this, and for doing it in such a nice package (except for the vinyl colour), and I look forward to whatever is found next down the back of the Galaxie 500 sofa!
- Catalogue Number: AHFOW 12/111
- Artist: Galaxie 500
- Title: CBGB - 13th December 1988
- Notes: Deluxe edition with bonus 7” single
- Packaging: Tip-on sleeve
- Format: LP + 7”
- Bought direct from Galaxie 500’s Bandcamp for $45 + a crazy amount of shipping cost!
- Buy ‘Galaxie 500 - CBGB 13th December 1988’ on Bandcamp
† - Who would be crazy enough to do that? More on that later in this series :/
This week in history
On the 11th August 1987 Galaxie 500 entered 6/8 Studios in New York to make their first recordings. Two sessions produced seven songs, three of which appeared on the bands first demo tape. Some copies of the tape also included the four other tracks.
The four extra tracks have never been officially released but you can hear them here:
This week’s discoveries and rediscoveries
- Dean’s newletter highlighted all the Galaxie 500 and Dean Wareham vinyl currently available on the site. He also listed all the upcoming solo and Luna shows - you can see them all listed, with ticket links, on AHFoW.
- Damon’s next book Why Sound Matters is available to pre-order now (from wherever you pre-order your books) - publication date is 21st October (a couple of UK sites list it as being published in early January, so I guess this side of the pond will have to wait an extra couple of months).
