Oasis to release 30th anniversary edition of Definitely Maybe featuring unheard outtakes and a special demo track
The special reissue offers “a new and compelling understanding” of the process that led to the finished album.
Image: Martyn Goodacre / Getty
Oasis are celebrating the 30th anniversary of their 1994 debut album, Definitely Maybe, with a special reissue featuring outtakes from their recording sessions and an unheard demo track.
Due for release on 30 August, the anniversary edition will be available as a limited-edition 4LP record, a deluxe 2CD, an exclusive coloured vinyl, and more. All formats include the 2014 remastered version of the record and new artwork.
The outtakes featured originate from the band’s recording sessions at Sawmills Studios in Cornwall, and have been mixed for the first time by Noel Gallagher and Callum Marinho.
A number of original recordings from their sessions at Monnow Valley Studios also feature, which were eventually scrapped. It hosts an unreleased alternative demo version of Sad Song, which was first released as a bonus track, featuring Liam Gallagher’s vocals.
A statement about the reissue (via NME) states that after “signing a worldwide record deal, Liam Gallagher, Noel Gallagher, Paul ‘Bonehead’ Arthurs, Paul McGuigan and Tony McCarroll decamped to Monnow Valley studios on the Welsh borders of Monmouthshire, to capture the kinetic energy of their live shows on record.
“At the time, the initial recordings felt overly technical and polished, failing to capture the essence of the band. The sessions were ultimately scrapped, and the band moved to the remote confines of Sawmills Studios in Cornwall to re-record the album. Eventually, with the addition of Owen Morris joining to complete the definitive mixes, Definitely Maybe was formed.”
It continues, “The Monnow Valley recordings and Sawmill outtakes, now unearthed for the first time, offer a new and compelling understanding of the process that led to the finished article.
“With its raw edges and restless energy, Definitely Maybe always sounded like an album that had arrived fully formed – however the newly revealed versions provide fans with a fascinating new insight into the album; demonstrating the self-belief that drove the early years of Oasis and the determination it took to create their debut.”
You can pre-order the 30th anniversary edition of Definitely Maybe now.