Lost songs are a bit of a hobby for music historians and audiophiles. It’s particularly interesting when famous bands and musicians from decades ago have yet to release famously unreleased songs or bootlegs. Why didn’t they put these songs out there? What’s the story behind them? Let’s take a deep dive into four “lost” songs that famous rock musicians from history never properly released. Though, it is worth noting that most of these songs are available as demos if you do a little bit of digging.
1. “Over You” by Velvet Underground
“Over You” only really exists as a live recording from 1969, and it also happens to be one of the most beautiful pieces of work that Lou Reed ever wrote and The Velvet Underground ever performed. Sterling Morrison’s guitar solo on this track is otherworldly.
So, why was it never released? Technically, it was released on The Bootleg Series Vol.1: The Quine Tapes and 1969: The Velvet Underground Live, but it never got an official studio recording. The reason why isn’t clear.
2. “Conversation Piece” by David Bowie
After Bowie’s death, there were quite a few mostly forgotten songs that were released posthumously. One such song was the folk-tinged tune “Conversation Piece”. It’s from Bowie’s early years and really showcases how talented he was from the very beginning.
The song was finally released for the first time and cleaned up for the 2019 box set of the same name, but there is still a lot of mystery surrounding it. Some of the instruments on the track are hard to identify, and the identities of any of the musicians on the track other than Bowie remain unknown.
3. “The Palace Of The King Of The Birds” by The Beatles
There are a few lost songs by The Beatles that remain a rock history mystery, but we’re particularly fond of the enigma of “The Palace Of The King Of The Birds”. This song was a session track from the Let It Be era, but it never made it to the album.
McCartney found it years later and recorded a new version that was also never released. It’s not clear if we’ll ever get an official version of the song. But at least we have the demo to enjoy, plus the song’s appearance in Peter Jackson’s Get Back!
4. “Smashing” by The Libertines
This track by The Libertines was recorded as a demo during the band’s Nomis Studio sessions from the Up The Bracket days. “Smashing” never made it to any album, but the demo of the song blew up and became an underground fan favorite in the last couple of decades. It’s wild that it never got a proper recording due to fan love alone.
Photo by Ethan A. Russell/©Apple Corps Ltd.)
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