Album of the Week #9: The Vintage Years Vol 1

Project name: Harry and Jason
Album name: The Vintage Years Volume 1
Release date: May 23, 2001
Release format: CD
Studio name: Metal XOR Studio

Tracks:
1. The Redenbacher Medley
2. The Orvies
3. Danger to the Corns
4. Ode to Corns
5. The Beautiful Corns 1
6. The Beautiful Corns 2
7. The Beautiful Corns 3
8. How Beautiful Are Redenbachers
9. Feet Cream
10. The Song
11. The Redenbacher Song
12. The Belly Button Song
13. Hair
14. The Toilet Song
15. The Computer Song
16. The Radio Song
17. The Native Song
18. The Song of Rock and Roll
19. The Baby Song 1
20. The Baby Song 2
21. The Lottery Song

In the mid to late 1980's Harry and Jason recorded themselves singing many songs. They would turn on an easy-listening radio station that played instrumental music and make up lyrics as they were recording. They filled many tapes with this kind of recording.

With many of those tapes reaching 15 and 20 years old, it was time to transfer them to a computer so the songs would last forever. So the massive transfer project was started in 2001. The first two tapes that Harry and Jason recorded this way (circa 1985) were compiled onto one CD and released as The Vintage Years Volume 1 in 2001.

Tracks 1-14 were recorded one day at Jason's house and tracks 15-21 were recorded another day at Harry's house. Those 21 tracks were the very first songs Harry and Jason recorded in this manner. In fact the first few songs don't even have music, it was Harry and Jason being silly and singing a cappella. It was after those first few songs that they decided to turn on the radio to find some background music to sing to, thus creating music history.

The plan was to release further volumes of The Vintage Years as the tapes were transferred to computer but the second album has not been compiled yet. One day the collection will continue for there is enough material for at least six or seven volumes, possibly more. There has even been talk of a box set that contains ALL of their early songs recorded in this manner.

So only the future knows what is in store for the future of this project.


Next week's Album of the Week: Electric Field Donut by Isthmus from 1996.