Knowledge Base for Unreleased Tracks

Discussion
1

Over the past handful of years, I’ve been taking notes and assembling somewhat of a master list of all the unreleased material that’s out there. Things that I’ve seen mentioned here, read/heard from various band members/interviews, or came across on bootlegs/youtube. There’s definitely areas that I could really use some help with, and hopefully we can collectively assemble a solid list. I’m hoping this thread can become a sticky thread for collectors and enthusiasts to easily refer to. Who knows, maybe someone reading this will have some old tapes that can be shared.

Here’s a list of all known unreleased tracks, sorted by year:

LEGEND
+Surfaced in trading circles

  • Hasn’t surfaced, but a recording exists
  • Hasn’t surfaced, more info is needed

1980
Cold Life (demo sessions) *

1981
First True Love Affair (live) (Jimmy Ross Cover) -

1982
Funkamental (live)+
Dancing Alone (live) +
The Urge To Runaway (live) +
Le Stupide (live)+
Knowledge (live) (similar to the Carmichaels song, but with different lyrics) +
She’s Got A Cause (early version with alternate lyrics) +
Be Mean To Me (early demo version of I Wanted To Tell Her) +

1983
Foxhole Trot (with Shay Jones) -
So So Life (live) +
Hardman (live) *
007 Theme (John Barry cover, used as a live intro to Overkill on the 1983 tour) +

1984
Everyday Is Halloween (two demo versions with alternate lyrics) +
Hizbollah (early version) (live) +
Do You Even Like It? (live) +
Ricky’s Hand (Fad Gadget cover) (live) +
Oceanside Away (with Patty J) -
The Harmonica Song (wasn’t recorded)-

1985
Twitch: early version of entire album (unofficially released as “Twitched”) +
The Angel (Remix) *
What’s My Mission Now? (Vocal version, instrumental later given to Tackhead) -
Playground -
I See Red (instrumental version) +

1986
Revolting Cocks-We Shall Cleanse the World (Original Vocal, Razormaid version is a remix of this) -
Thrill Kill Kult (live) (later reworked into Lead Into Gold’s Hatred) +
The Eyes of Christ (live) (later reworked into 1000 Homo DJs’ Apathy) +

1987
Tonight We Murder (demo, semi official release on the Groovie 13 compilation CD) +
Revolting Cocks-Cattle Grind (Demo)+

1988
?

1989
?

1990
?

1991
Revolting Cocks-Chickenshit (live) (John Cale cover) +

1992
NWO (Bonus Beats Remix -appeared on a white label promo, but not on an official release) +

1993
Revolting Cocks-Crackin’ Up (alternate mix with different samples) +

1994
Paisley (live) (alternate lyrics) +
Here They Come (live) (Ten Years After cover) +
Midnight Cowboy (live) (John Barry cover) +
*The above were performed at the Bridge School Benefit, along with Lay Lady Lay and Friend of the Devil.

1995
Filth Pig: An alternate version of the entire album (rumored) -
Lion’s Mouth (Vocal version) -
Welt (possibly from the Welt sessions, this isn’t Noreen, but the The Fall’s piano sections originated here) -
Witchita Lineman (Glen Campbell cover, not sure if it was recorded, but it was dropped in favor of Lay Lady Lay) -

1996
?

1997
?

1998
Instrumental Outtakes (Happy Dust originated from this, along with other titles such as Yes You Are, Tinsel, Monkey Brains and Indian) -

1999
Supermanic (Demo version with samples not in final version) +
Step (Extended) +
Nursing Home (Extended) +
Shove In My Head (Demo) (later became "Shove" on Animositisomina) -

2000
?

2001
Dead Practice (early instrumental, later became “Lockbox”) *
Paydirt *
Scartown *
Scartown with Anthem *

2002
Crucial Bitch (early version of “Piss”) -
Trailer Smell (early version of "Broken") -

2003
?

2004
Zero (an early version of WKYJ with alternate lyrics) *
Wasted (an early version of Worthless with alternate lyrics) *

2005
?

2006
?

2007
?

2008
?

2009
?

2010
?

2011
Double Tap (long version) *

Unreleased 12"/EP singles
1982-Same Old Madness/She’s Got A Cause (confirmed)
Same Old Madness/Revenge (?)/Effigy (?)/Never Asked For Nothing (?) (rumored)

1985-I See Red/?

1988-Cattle Grind (possibly the “demo version” that surfaced)/In the Neck (?)

1993-Mr Lucky/?

2001-What About Us?/Dead Practice/Pay Dirt/Scartown/Scartown with Anthem

Unreleased related projects

1979-Special Affect-Empty Handed 7" *

1980-Charmichaels-Demo (Knowledge/Russian Folk Song/Untitled) +

1981-The Current Groove (project with Al, Steve Brighton, Joe Brighton & Ira, mentioned in the Trax Box book)-

1983-8 1/2: The Jourgensen Sessions (8 1/2 album produced and contributed to by Al, features Cheap Illusion, Temple of the Night and several other tracks) *

1983-The Jones Gang: (sort of a Ministry side project during the 83 tour…featuring Shay, Stevo, Bob, Brad, Andre Upchurch & Sean Williams. Actual recordings exist, Blue Suede is one of the songs) *

1986-Box Set (an instrumental/experimental album perhaps formerly known as "Crucial" featuring a track each from Al, Paul, Bill and Roland. The songs are Arsenic, Boron, Carbon and Dubnium) +

Malekko (Paul Barker side project) * (2 tracks have surfaced-“The Shadows Crawl”/Untitled Instrumental/I’m Slowly Breathing, Listen)

2

nice work dude.

3

Do you think it would be worth it to differentiate between studio and live recordings? I think of something like “I’ll Do Anything For You,” which we had live versions of for years before I heard anyone mention a studio recording.

Can I suggest adding that Double U Ey Ecks thing to the list? The rumor is that it’s Box Set, but it’s worth mentioning until there’s more information.

Plus how many of the +surfaced songs do you have? Because you’ve done your homework, and there is stuff listed that I haven’t heard. Can I harass you through PM?

4

Do you think it would be worth it to differentiate between studio and live recordings? I think of something like “I’ll Do Anything For You,” which we had live versions of for years before I heard anyone mention a studio recording.

Good idea, I didn’t think to do that. I’ll update the list. Thanks for the feedback!

Can I suggest adding that Double U Ey Ecks thing to the list? The rumor is that it’s Box Set, but it’s worth mentioning until there’s more information.

I have some more info on that. The sleeve doesn’t say Box Set or Ministry or (m*inistry) any where on it. The Double U Ey… is listed on the spine only. I really have no idea if it’s a test pressing, a bootleg or just one from a batch that Wax Trax decided to pull at the last minute. From what I can gather, it’s the real deal. The dead give-aways are the 4 tracks, each taking up one side each. The title being a cryptic version of WAX019, and the third track sounding like something Al would do in the mid 80s. I really hope Julia and her team push to release this, like they did with the Low & Slow EP.

Plus how many of the +surfaced songs do you have? Because you’ve done your homework, and there is stuff listed that I haven’t heard. Can I harass you through PM?

Most of them, but there’s some that I’m missing as well. The 1982 live tracks sound great, everything else ranges from ok to potato quality, so I could use an upgrade for some of them. Feel free to PM me, would love to talk more/trade!

5

Yes, definitely good work!

The Special Affect 7" was Empty Handed and was to have been released on Thermidor Records. It almost surely never saw release because of the band’s break up. I could have sworn I saw a rumor of a flexidisc somewhere as well, but maybe not.

AL produced 2 tracks with ONO out of Chicago back in the early 80’s. I believe they eventually saw release, so they might not go on this list. His girlfriend from the first Ministry years is still a member of the band. They share some stories here: http://mutant-sounds.blogspot.com/2009/02/ono-machines-that-kil.html

Malekko (the band) predates the pedals. It was a band with Devix Szell, the singer from Momentem, and Adam Grossman. They recorded an album’s worth of material, but the only things to surface so far are “The Shadows Crawl” and an instrumental song on a various artists compilation.

6

I can’t recall any covers except for FTLA in the pre-WS days. Certainly never a Chic or GAP cover.

7

AL produced 2 tracks with ONO out of Chicago back in the early 80’s. I believe they eventually saw release, so they might not go on this list. His girlfriend from the first Ministry years is still a member of the band. They share some stories here: http://mutant-sounds.blogspot.com/2009/02/ono-machines-that-kil.html

Thanks! I knew I was forgetting something. I remember reading about ONO awhile back and had completely forgot about it. After a quick google search, I found the tracks, they are “Punks” and “INTQRZ Pt.3”. They can be heard here:

https://soundcloud.com/monikerrecords/ono-punks-intqrz-pt-3

It also turns out that these were officially released last year, on Vinyl, Cassette and digital. That one totally went under the radar.

https://www.discogs.com/ONO-Spooks/master/950634

I wonder if some of this stuff is the Avante Garde material Al wrote for Shannon, he talked a bit about it his book.

1 Like
8

I can’t recall any covers except for FTLA in the pre-WS days. Certainly never a Chic or GAP cover.

Sorry about that, that was pure speculation that I had in my notes. I probably should have checked in first. I went ahead and took those off the list for now.

9

Here’s a quick update with changes made to the list:

-Removed Primental (demo) due to conflicting sources.
-Removed speculation for other 1981 live cuts
-Added the side project “The Current Groove”, which is mentioned in the Trax! Box Set
-Added info for the Special Affect 7"
-Adeed Malekko side project

Does anyone have any info on Playground (1985) ? I haven’t been able to find much on it.

1 Like
10

I am hoping that “Oceanside Away” was one of the tracks performed at The Channel in Boston in 1984, and that when/if the Front 242 guy on YouTube posts the rest of show we will get to see and hear a high quality version of the track.

11

I believe the only mention of that was in the interview I did with Doug Chamberlin. Almost certainly never played live. The setlist for the YouTube show is probably very similar to the 10/24/84 Minneapolis show or the 84 LaGrange show. Good stuff certainly, but probably no unsurfaced tracks.

12

Oceanside Away was probably something written during rehearsals, but was dropped and never recorded. It’s possible that it may have been a working title for the early version of Hizbollah, but we’ll probably never know.

I talked with the owner of the Boston footage, and we should be seeing more of it surface after the Monumentary project is finished (some of it, without a doubt, will make into the film). He has at least two filmed shows (the other might be the NY show at the Ritz) as well as some back stage footage.

I’m looking forward to hearing the 84 cuts in decent quality. Most of the bootlegs out there are unlistenable.

13

A new Malekko track “I’m Slowly Breathing, Listen” surfaced during the Cold Waves soundcheck, here’s a link to the track, followed by an interview with Paul about the project.

https://soundcloud.com/coldwavessoundcheck/615-malekko

I updated the list as well. Very cool sound, can’t wait to hear more.

EDIT: Looks like this track, along with a short track called “25OCT16”, have made it out to bandcamp.

https://malekko.bandcamp.com/

14

Thanks for this.

15

Yeah, that’s good news.
Does Paul live in Portland now?

16

The early live version of Hizbollah is so awesome.

That extra synth melody really adds to the song.

1 Like
17

The early live version of Hizbollah is so awesome.

That extra synth melody really adds to the song.

Agreed. I’m hoping that there’s a better sounding recording of it out there.

1 Like
18

Where can I find information about that Ambient Album (1998)? I don’t remember a single word about it in the late 90’s interviews.

19

Where can I find information about that Ambient Album (1998)? I don’t remember a single word about it in the late 90’s interviews.

I couldn’t remember off the top of my head, so I went back through the 1999 interviews on this site. Turns out it wasn’t strictly an ambient album. They were instrumentals that were scrapped because Al didn’t know how to put vocals to them. Here’s the interview:

https://web.archive.org/web/20000817001002/http://seattlesquare.com/pandemonium/featurestext/Ministry.htm

Apart from Happy Dust, only two songs made it to the final cut of Dark Side. Not sure which ones. Four of the outtakes would later be recycled for Animisoitsomina.

1 Like
20

Changed 1998-“Ambient album” to “Instrumental Outtakes”