Draft:Weezer Recording Chronology: Pre-1991

Pre-1991 | 1991-1992 ->
The Weezer Recording Chronology (WRC) is an attempt by Weezerpedia to create a successor to the Recording History, a detailed list of every demo, bootleg, and studio recording by the band Weezer and any directly associated bands, written by Karl Koch from the years of 2000 to 2011. Pages are separated by years. 
This page details the years 1984 to 1990. It contains many early recordings from the adolescent years of Rivers Cuomo, and bands that featured future members of Weezer.
== 1984-1986 ==
=== Fury Rehearsals, 1984 ===
During his days at E.O. Smith High School, Rivers Cuomo began his first band, Fury. The band operated primarily in the year of 1984 after Cuomo was gifted a guitar for his 14th birthday.There are sources that list shows played by a band called Fury in the Connecticut area in 1983, however it is likely this is an unrelated band.Cuomo, Rivers. "Fury" Riverpedia. https://books-r-fun.herokuapp.com/wiki/Fury Retrieved 8 August 2024.
The only known recording publicly released from the Fury era remains "I Wish You Had an Axe Guitar", a short clip taken from an undated Fury rehearsal tape, it contains no actual music, instead consisting of a conversation between bandmates Cuomo, Justin Fisher, and Eric Robertson. Although more recordings are likely to exist from this time (specifically, the tape that was truncated for "I Wish You Had an Axe Guitar"), information on these tapes are currently unavailable.
=== Winds of Birth, 1985 ===
The first known recording of "serious" written music by Cuomo comes from when he was between the ages of 14 and 15, on a tape entitled Winds of Birth. On this tape exists what is generally accepted as Cuomo's first written song, "Fight for Your Right". The metadata for the files confirm a total of 20 songs on the tape, however the other songs are currently unknown.
=== Rivers demo, December 1985 ===
In December 1985, Cuomo recorded a demo of the song "Fifteen". 
=== Slapping, Laughing, & Tapping, 1986 ===
By 1986, Cuomo had already formed his next band, Avant Garde. In winter of that year, Cuomo had recorded another tape, featuring the eponymous playing technique commonly found in metal, known as tapping. 
== 1987-1989 ==
=== Animal Behavior, July 31-August 8, 1987 ===
Loved by Millions was a band from Toledo, Ohio, that was active from 1985 to 1988. The band recorded a 7" single, Animal Behavior, over two sessions on July 31 and August 8, 1987 for Whatever Records. Among the members at this time was Scott Shriner, who played bass on the single.
=== "Tongue of Fire" writing tape, September 1987 ===
In September 1987, Cuomo recorded a writing tape for the Avant Garde song "Tongue of Fire".
=== Avant Garde demo, December 12-18, 1987 ===
Avant Garde was the first serious band Cuomo was in. The band existed from 1985 to 1990 and consisted of Kevin Ridel on vocals, Cuomo and Eric Ridel (later replaced by Mike Stanton) on guitars, Justin Fisher on bass, and Bryn Mutch on drums. The first Avant Garde demo, known as The Blue Demo, was recorded on December 12, 13 and 18, 1987 at Trod Nossel Studios in Wallingford, Connecticut.Cuomo, Rivers. The Catalog O' Riffs, 2002. http://weezerpedia.com/catalogofriffs.html The tape was pressed on black shelled cassettes with plain looking light blue label stickers on one side. Probably less than 50 copies of this demo exist.
=== Mike Stanton Demo Tape, 1987-1988 ===
At some point from 1987 to 1988, Cuomo and Stanton recorded demos together. Tracks 1 through 8 are unknown.
=== Green Biscuits: A Collection of Jabberin', Singin' and Wankin', 1987-1988 ===
At some point from 1987 to 1988, Shriner's band Loved by Millions made their second demo tape entitled Green Biscuits: A Collection of Jabberin', Singin' and Wankin'.
=== "Father Time" writing tapes, March 1988 ===
In March 1988, Cuomo recorded multiple (perhaps up to 4) writing tapes for the Avant Garde song "Father Time".
=== Avant Garde concert, April 21, 1988 ===
Avant Garde played at the UConn Student Union Ballroom on April 21, 1988. Video of the performance was later uploaded on Bryn Mutch's YouTube channel RakkitTV.
=== Avant Garde concert, May 24, 1988 ===
Avant Garde played at E. O. Smith High School on May 24, 1988 as part of their Battle of the Bands event. Video of the performance was later uploaded on Bryn Mutch's YouTube channel RakkitTV.
=== Avant Garde demo, July 3-16, 1988 ===
Avant Garde's second demo, known as The Purple Demo, was recorded from July 3 to July 16, 1988 at Trod Nossel Studios in Wallingford, Connecticut, and was pressed on black shelled cassettes with purple label stickers on one side. Probably less than 50 copies of this demo exist.
==== DAT master ====
=== Dirty Blond Rehearsal, 1989 ===
Dirty Blond is a band from Lockport, New York that was started in 1988 by Mike Gagliardi, Eric Palmer, Joe Perilli and Patrick Wilson. Wilson was with the band for a year. However, there's only one known recording of Wilson with the band, a video of a rehearsal in Gagliardi's basement.
=== Four Trackin' w/ Mike, January 1989 ===
In January 1989, Cuomo and Stanton recorded a 4-track demo of the two writing guitar riffs. The metadata for the files confirm a total of 7 songs on the tape, however the other songs are currently unknown.
=== Avant Garde demo, January 1989 ===
Avant Garde's third demo, known as The Clear Demo, was recorded in January 1989 at Trod Nossel Studios in Wallingford, Connecticut. Very little info is known on this tape except that it was pressed onto clear cassettes.
==== DAT master ====
==== Somethin' Different!, 1989 ====
Later in the year, the band made a compilation of songs from their two most recent demo tapes entitled Somethin' Different!. The tape was professionally duped and featured the songs and info printed directly onto the clear cassette, as well as a black and white J-card that had portrait photos of the whole band. At least 50 copies of this demo exist.
=== Avant Garde bootlegs ===
Several bootlegs of Avant Garde shows exist, mainly in the hands of friends of Cuomo, sometimes containing songs that were never officially recorded.
*"Farmer's Daughter" 
*"Hold On"
*"Let Go"
*"You Play, You Pay"
=== Zoom demos, 1989-1990 ===
After moving to California in March 1989, the members of Avant Garde (now renamed Zoom) moved into an apartment at 1825 Cherokee Ave. and continued to perform while recording rehearsals and demos onto a tape dubbed Fagito. Kevin Ridel later discussed the recordings:
These demos were later released by Ridel as part of Project Weezer; an effort by fans to archive every circulating Weezer/Cuomo related recording.
=== Zoom concert, July 1989 ===
Zoom played at Gazzarri's in July 1989. Video of the performance was later uploaded on Bryn Mutch's YouTube channel RakkitTV.
=== Cherokee Riffs, 1989 ===
Cherokee Riffs (named after Cuomo's apartment at 1825 Cherokee Ave.) was the name given to a set of 4-track demos containing some of Cuomo's first attempts at writing his own music.
=== Zoom demo, late 1989-early 1990 ===
This two song demo tape was recorded in either late 1989 or early 1990 at an unknown studio in Los Angeles and featured the songs and info printed directly onto the cassette without any j-card. At least 50 copies of this demo exist.
It initially leaked in April 2003 on weezerville.tk, by weezer.com boardie Drefan_Rahl.Internet Archive archive of "NEW DEMOS! FEATURING R.C.!!!!". Drefan_Rahl. 5 April, 2003. weezer.com forums.
== 1990 ==
=== Best of the Worst, April-Summer 1990 ===
A compilation of Cuomo 4-track demos taken from several sources and recorded across 1990.
=== Bush Rehearsals, 1990 ===
Bush was a trio that featured Pat Finn on bass, Pat Wilson on drums, and Tom Gardocki (later of Wax) on guitar. After Finn convinced Wilson to join him out in L.A, in early spring 1990, the two hooked up with Gardocki to create a power trio that drew influences from Primus, Fishbone, the Chili Peppers, and modern Jazz weirdness. There were few songs with lyrics, which were usually sung by Finn. I'm unsure how many shows this band did, but it wasn't very many.
Note that as of 11/1/90, Bush was officially de-named, probably due to Gardocki's leaving the band. (Probably around the time Wax was forming) Finn and Wilson kept going, rehearsing with just each other as well as Sharp (see below) and in the spring of 1991 with Jason Cropper (see Draft:Weezer Recording Chronology: 1991-1992), who Pat Finn had made the aquaintence of up in NorCal. None of the subsequent new band names stuck however, so i'm calling the whole thing Bush.
The band rehearsed extensively, and several rehearsals were recorded. These feature various versions of:
*"M.F. Toe"
*"Lick Paint"
*"Furry"
*"Crayon Man"
*"Crap"
=== Pat Wilson and Matt Sharp funny 4-track recordings, spring-fall 1990 ===
By this time, Wilson had been hanging out with Sharp, which led the two to make several recordings on Sharp's 4-track recorder in Westwood, California. Pat Finn also recorded at Matt's around this time, but as far as I know these were solo/Bush related efforts.
=== The Clique, July 1990 ===
The Clique was a band formed by Matt Sharp in 1990. It came to fruition after someone who claimed to work at NBC came to Sharp's workplace and told him that they were working on a made-for-TV movie about called "Ice Butterfly: The Nancy Kerrigan Story." Sharp explained that he was a musician, and so he was commissioned to write the movie's theme song. The Clique consisted of Sharp on lead vocals and bass, Hurshel Burton on guitars, and Keith Harris on drums. The group recorded one song, eponymously titled "Ice Butterfly", in July 1990 at Paramount Studios in Hollywood and released it as a maxi-single cassette in 1990.
=== Bush demo, July 25, 1990 ===
On July 25, 1990, Finn and Wilson recorded a demo for Bush, without Gardocki's help. This was done at their friend, and prospective Bush member, Mark Kern's house in Hollywood. Finn played both the bass and guitar and did the singing, while Wilson did the drumming on the Roland Octapad, a MIDI drum controller. They recorded these 4 songs, but the demo never saw any distribution.
=== Silly Bush-related recordings, summer/fall 1990 ===
The following recordings were done by Bush, although they're not serious recordings or "real" Bush songs.
=== Extended Bush rehearsals, 1990-1991 ===
Later Bush rehearsals with surviving recordings include:
*August 1, 1990: A full rehearsal with no vocals but a lot of yelling and joking around
*Late 1990: A full practice with "mutated" versions of Bush songs and ends with a Barry White tribute
*Early 1991: A jam session with Sharp on a Yamaha keyboard
Throughout this period, Finn recorded 4-track versions of many Bush songs by himself, in order to have a presentable demo tape. However, this attempt wasn't finished, and Bush never ended up making a full demo tape as a band.
=== Finishtum Productum, late 1990 ===
=== Rivers demos, December 1990 ===
In December 1990, Cuomo recorded demos as part of the tape Stuff to Fix Later. The metadata for the files confirm a total of 4 songs on the tape, however the other songs are currently unknown.
==Footnotes==
==References==