Various Artists - Rarities Row Vol. 2 (2025)

Welcome back to volume 2! For those that missed it the first time around… Recently I was on the hunt for a rare song in my massive collection of fourteen 14 TB hard drives and as I was searching I thought what a shame it is that I have all this cool stuff and only share bits and pieces here and there when needed. So I thought I would start a new series here that doesn’t just focus on one artist at a time… but various artists from my entire collection. Thus was the birth of Rarity Row. Volume 2 features more great (and less known) artists - folks you might be familiar with, like Prince, Talking Heads, Steely Dan, and the Eagles, and those you might not be as familiar with (but should be!) like The Carpenters and Suzanne Vega. And even a few you’ve never heard of (BUT DEFINITELY SHOULD!) like Millard Powers, and his track is so strong, I chose it as my leadoff for this volume. Millard comes from a family tree that sprouts some of my favourite fun type of music…Power Pop. In other volumes of The Row I’ll feature Owsley, The Semantics and Ben Folds, three more from the Power Pop genre that I dig so much, and I know you will too! But for now, let’s just get on with the music. It was a blast putting this volume together...and to know that there are so many more to come. 

Enjoy! 

Michael 

Track list and a bit more info: 

01 She’s So Clean 

Millard Powers - from 'Millard Powers' (Out Of Print) 

Avery Millard Powers III (born December 24, 1965) is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, and student at the Grammy-nominated recording engineer. While at  University of North Carolina at Greensboro in the 1980's, he collaborated with fellow student Ben Folds and with Alabama-based singer songwriter Owsley, both of which he continued to work with as a musician and as a producer for the next several decades. Since 2005, he has played bass guitar in the band Counting Crows. Powers released a self-titled solo album in 2001, playing all instruments (bass, guitar, drums, keyboard), recording, producing, mixing, and engineering the album himself in his apartment in Nashville, Tennessee. No other artists were featured on the album.  

02 Get Up Kate (Demo) 

The Eagles 1972 - Rare and Unreleased (mostly Live) - recorded 1971, unreleased. 

A rocker with a Frey lead vocal, 'Get Up Kate' was cut as a studio track for the debut LP but was never officially released. A live version, featuring harmonies by Linda Ronstadt, appears on one of her compilations, and the band’s studio version can be found online. The story goes that after returning from their London sessions with Glyn Johns, the band went back to the studio with producers Bill Halverson and Wally Heider to record additional tracks, but 'Get Up Kate' (written by Frey), was shelved. High harmonies give the choruses snap and the dual-guitar stuff has spunk. The Eagles recorded a record of unreleased songs, covers and originals, at the famous Wally Haider Studios before their debut album was released in 1972 . 'Get Up Kate' was a song that Frey had occasionally sung with Linda Ronstadt's band, and The Eagles also performed it a few times in 1972. 

03 Dallas - Never on CD 

Steely Dan 6-72 Single and Plus 4’s EP 

'Dallas' is the first single by Steely Dan, sung by drummer Jim Hodder. The song was not on the band's debut album 'Can't Buy A Thrill' but was included on the 1978 Japan-only compilation 'Steely Dan'. It, and its b-side, 'Sail The Waterway', was also included on a 12-inch single version of 'Haitian Divorce' released in the UK. It was recorded by Poco in 1975 on their 'Head Over Heels' album. Personnel:

Donald Fagen – electric piano, piano, backing vocals 

Walter Becker – bass guitar 

Jeff Baxter – pedal steel guitar, guitars 

Jim Hodder – drums, percussion, lead vocals 

David Palmer – backing vocals 

Tim Moore – backing vocals 

04 Left Of Center (Live) 

Suzanne Vega 1983 EP 

'Left of Center' is a song written by Suzanne Vega and Steve Addabbo, which was released as part of the soundtrack to the 1986 film 'Pretty In Pink'. It features Joe Jackson on piano and was released as a single in May 1986, reaching No. 35 in Australia, No. 28 in Ireland, and No. 32 in the United Kingdom. 

05 Live To Tell (Demo) 

Madonna 1986 

 'Live To Tell" is a song by American singer Madonna from her third studio album, 'True Blue' (1986), and also featured in the crime drama 'At Close Range', starring her then-husband Sean Penn. In mid-1985, after completing the Virgin Tour, Madonna began working with musician and producer Patrick Leonard, who had served as the tour's musical director. The two first collaborated on 'Love Makes The World Go Round', which Madonna performed at the Live Aid benefit concert in July. Around this time, she married actor Sean Penn, whom she had met on the set of her 'Material Girl' music video. Leonard, meanwhile, was aiming to transition into film scoring, and composed an instrumental piece intended for Paramount's 1986 film 'Fire With Fire'. However, the studio rejected the track, feeling it didn't fit the movie's tone. Madonna, intrigued by the composition, offered to write lyrics for it and proposed using the song for 'At Close Range', a crime drama starring Penn. According to author Rikky Rooksby, she wrote the lyrics "on the spot", crafting a melody and bridge inspired by the film’s themes of family secrets and emotional trauma. "Sometimes when I'm writing songs, I'm just channeling", she later said, adding that the lyrics reflected personal pain and yearning, whether autobiographical or fictional. After recording a demo, she played it for director James Foley and Penn, who responded positively. Penn called Leonard, who at the time was working with Michael Jackson on his 1987 album 'Bad', and invited him to meet. When asked who would sing the song, since the lyrics had been written from a male perspective, Leonard insisted Madonna should perform it. He chose to use the demo vocals, feeling they captured a sense of naivety and emotional rawness that suited the piece. "It was so innocent and so shy. It's as naive, as raw as can be, and that’s part of what gave 'Live To Tell' all its charm", Leonard explained. Recording sessions for 'True Blue' took place at Channel Recording Studios in Los Angeles, where the final version of 'Live to Tell' was completed. 

06 Leave It (A Capella Version)

Yes - 1983 B-Side 

'Leave It' is a song by English rock band Yes. It appears on their 1983 album, '90125', and was released as its second single, following 'Owner Of A Lonely Heart'. The song peaked at number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 [6] and number 3 on the Top Album Rock Tracks chart.  In the UK, the song rose to number 56 in late March 1984, in a run of five weeks on the chart.  

07 My Fair Share (The Love Them From 'One On One') (Out Of Print Soundtrack) 

Seal And Crofts - 1977 'One On One' Soundtrack 

'One On One' is the soundtrack album to the movie of the same title, starring Robby Benson. The music was written entirely by Charles Fox, with lyrics by Paul Williams, and Seals and Crofts provided the vocals. The single 'My Fair Share (Love Theme from 'One On One')' reached #11 AC and #28 Pop in autumn 1977. It was first released on CD in 2007 by Wounded Bird Records, and digitally by Rhino Records (another label of Warner Bros.) in 2008.

08 It's Probably Me (Alternate Version) 

Sting w Eric Clapton 

'It's Probably Me' is a song Sting rerecorded in 1993 for his 'Ten Summoner's Tales' album, without any of the other musicians, and it was originally released in 1992 as a collaboration by Sting featuring Eric Clapton, Michael Kamen, and David Sanborn. Released from the soundtrack to the action comedy film 'Lethal Weapon 3' in June 1992, the song reached number 20 on the US Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart and number 12 on Canada's RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart. It was more successful in Europe, peaking at number one in Italy, number four in France, and number six in the Netherlands. 

09 People On The Streets (Early Alternative Vocal Version of Under Pressure) 

Queen and David Bowie -1981 

A unique mix of 'Under Pressure', which features a very early vocal take from Freddie Mercury, David Bowie (and Brian May!), likely when the song was under the working title 'People On The Streets'. Roger Taylor recalled in 2002: "David came in one night, and we were just playing other people’s songs for fun and David said, ‘This is stupid. Why don’t we just write one?’ It was originally called ‘People On The Streets’, and that was the basis of it, and we took the multi track tapes to New York, and I spent all day there with David and mixed it that night." Driven by Deacon’s incredible bassline, something which deserves all the praise it receives, both Bowie and Mercury battled in the vocal booth fuelled, as Blake suggests, by the two intoxicants of wine and cocaine. Blake describes the scene, beginning with the recollections of Queen’s guitarist: “‘We felt our way through a backing track all together as an ensemble,’ recalled May. ‘When the backing track was done, David said, ‘Okay, let’s each of us go in the vocal booth and sing how we think the melody should go—just off the top of our heads—and we’ll compile a vocal out of that’.” He continues: “And that’s what we did. Some of these improvisations, including Mercury’s memorable introductory scatting vocal, would endure on the finished track. Bowie also insisted that he and Mercury shouldn’t hear what the other had sung, swapping verses blind, which helped give the song its cut-and-paste feel.” 

10 Chicago 1945 (demo)  

Michael Jackson (leaked unreleased song intended for 'Victory' album 1983) 

'Chicago 1945' is an unreleased song written by American singer songwriter Michael Jackson and Steve Pocarro, who also produced it. It was intended for the 'Victory' or 'Bad' albums, and on 27 January 2023, the track leaked online. Pocarro recalls: “Years ago, Michael and I wrote a song called 'Chicago 1945' – I did the music and Michael the lyrics, he recorded the song twice, but never put it on an album… the instruments were played in a constant rhythm in the 16th note, which was called ‘yada’. When I explained this to Michael, he liked it so much he gave me that nickname!.” It was recorded in 1983 during the 'Victory' sessions, and was intended for said album. However, it wasn't in the final cut. 'Chicago 1945' was revisited again by Jackson in the Spring of 1986 during the 'Bad' sessions with new, live drums being added, and although it had a chance to make it on the album, it again didn't make the cut. 

11 Let It Rain (YouTube exclusive Video) 

The Doobie Brothers w/ Peter Frampton 2020 

The Doobie Brothers and Peter Frampton have partnered for a cover of Eric Clapton’s 1970 track, 'Let It Rain'. The song and its accompanying video were recorded virtually, with Frampton and every member of the Doobie Brothers contributing their parts remotely. 'Let It Rain' is a perfect choice for the Doobies and Frampton, who add a little extra instrumental oomph — especially when Frampton and Tom Johnston start trading guitar solos — but they otherwise remain faithful to the original’s cathartic pop-rock charms. Johnston tells Rolling Stone how the collaboration came together, saying: “A couple of months ago, Peter and I were going over various tunes after deciding to do a song or video together. I tossed out ‘Let It Rain’ by Eric Clapton and he loved the idea. He’s a phenomenal guitarist and a fan of Clapton’s, as am I, so it seemed a great idea to take to the rest of the guys. Peter, Pat, and I took verses and solos and John played some cool pedal steel and helped us put that together with Bill Payne on piano, John Cowan on bass, and Ed Toth on drums. Also Rob Arthur who did all the video work played B3. It was a team effort! We really enjoyed working together on this with Peter.” Frampton added: “It was so much fun playing with my friends the Doobie Brothers even virtually! I look forward to a time when we can, hopefully, play together in person.” The Doobie Brothers have dropped a handful of at-home performances this year after they were forced to postpone their 2020 touring plans because of Covid-19. In April, they shared a socially distanced take on 'Black Water', and a few months later they dropped a rendition of 'Listen To The Music'. In July, they got together with Traffic’s Dave Mason to help him re-record 'Feelin’ Alright'. with additional help from Sammy Hagar, Mick Fleetwood, and Michael McDonald. 

12 Carolina In My Mind (Solo Acoustic Demo)  

James Taylor - James Taylor - Original expanded album 

'Carolina In My Mind' is a song originally written and performed by the American singer-songwriter James Taylor, and it was his second single from his 1968 self titled debut album. Taylor wrote 'Carolina In My Mind' while in England recording for the Beatles' label Apple Records, and the song's themes reflect his homesickness at the time. Released as a single in 1969, the song earned critical praise but not commercial success. It was re-recorded for Taylor's 1976 'Greatest Hits' album in the version that is most familiar to listeners, but the original recording of the song was done at London's Trident Studios during the July to October 1968 period, and was produced by Peter Asher. The song's lyric "holy host of others standing around me" makes reference to the Beatles, who were recording 'The Beatles' in the same studio where Taylor was recording his album. Indeed, the recording of 'Carolina In My Mind' includes a credited appearance by Paul McCartney on bass guitar and an uncredited one by  George Harrison on backing vocals. 

13 Tears Dry On Their Own (unofficial remix) 

Amy Winehouse and Eric Clapton

This is a digital version which was originally released in 2007 and was part of an unofficial Russian CDr (CD-ROM) from 2012: 'Amy Winehouse & Duffy - MP3 Collection'. 

14 Oyster Bay (unreleased demo 1973) 

Billy Joel - 'My Lives' box set

Billy Joel says in the liner notes to 'My Lives' that he can understand why some people don't like his music based off the countless hits he's had. This box set in theory was created to show off the multiple facets to Joel as an artist. One purpose definitely seems to have been a cleaning out of the vaults, so to speak. 23 of the songs here have never been released previously, and there are different versions of old standards. Throw in some B-Sides, live performances, and a live DVD, and I suppose you certainly get a glimpse of the versatility of Joel. One would think though more album cuts would have made the list, instead of demos, although 'Oyster Bay' shows us one of those classic Joel character studies while taking its sound from Elton John-era Elton.

15 Get Together (''Your Navy Presents'' Version) 

The Carpenters live 1970 

Unofficial release of the 1970 US Navy Radio Broadcast Show Presented by Sam Riddle. This release has several interesting and unique performances that they recorded live in the studio. Firstly, there's 'Get Together' sung by Karen, but originally sung by Richard on their debut album 'Offering' (later re-released as 'Ticket To Ride'.) This version was also released on 'From The Top' in 1991 and on 'The Essential Collection (1965 - 1997)' in 2002. 'Love Is Surrender' sounds like an early edit with a few instruments missing that were added before being released on the 'Close To You' album. 'Can't Buy Me Love' and 'Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing & All I Can Do' are unique to this broadcast as they've never been released on any other format. The same goes for 'Cinderella Rockerfella' and 'I Fell In Love', although these were also performed in their early concerts up until 1973. 'Flat Baroque' also sounds like an earlier version that was revised and re-recorded using different instruments for the 'A Song For You' album. 

16 Purple Rain (Unedited 19-minute Movie Version)

Prince (Live In Syracuse, March 30, 1985) 

In the semi-darkness of the Carrier Dome indoor stadium in Syracuse, New York, a voice breaks through: "Hello Syracuse and the world. My name is Prince." That was Prince's address to the city and the world on the evening of 30 March 1985, before beginning his concert, which was filmed and transmitted live by satellite in the United States and several other countries. A little later, TV stations in Europe aired the show, including Antenne 2 (now France 2), on 25 May, in the program 'Les Enfants du Rock'. The venue had been decorated in Prince’s signature purple flowers, with a steady stream of dramatic smoke pouring across the stage whilst lasers shone through the mysterious built-up mist. Prince had just released the album that would cement his place in rock’s rich tapestry, 'Purple Rain', though the ensuing tour would make him one of the game’s legends. Drummer Robert Rivkin noted the preshow ritual, saying: “We’d all gather in Prince’s dressing room, in a circle, and either he would speak, or he would point to one of us, and we would speak of the night. I can remember everybody seemed to rise to the occasion and had very inspiring words against the backdrop of twenty thousand screaming people waiting for us”. “There was always that final moment of togetherness before we hit the stage,” Rivkin added. “We didn’t ever just go out there without first connecting to each other and looking in each other’s eyes and Prince checking us out and us checking him out”. As the curtain began to creep up slowly just before the show, a mysterious yet small figure stood entranced in the fog and shadow. Then, out of nowhere, the band got stuck into ‘Let’s Go Crazy‘, and the audience followed suit, some 38,000 of them. The concert had also been one of the first pay-per-view musical events. Lisa Coleman said: “Prince was our conductor. We took our cues from him. He spoke a lot with his face. You had to rely on that a lot. A lot of the time, he can’t control it, so you learned what was pleasing to him and what frustrated him. And then he did like the ugly funky face when you did something he liked. That was always a good high”. Serving as the first of two encores, 'I Would Die 4 U' and 'Baby I'm A Star' were drawn out into an extended jam session. Sheila E. and her band, Apollonia 6 and Eric Leeds were also in this section of the show. The last encore was 'Purple Rain', which Prince played this over 18 minutes, which included a longer intro, with Wendy encouraging the audience to sing the song's post-chorus "ohh ohh" vocals, and lengthy guitar solos on two of Prince's guitars (both seen in the movie and in videos), including the white Cloud guitar.

Sting - The Gordon Sumner Quartet (1993)

Timothy White was a well-known journalist in the US, being the senior editor for 'Rolling Stone' magazine, and then Editor in Chief of 'Billboard' from 1991 until his early death in 2002, from a heart attack at the age of 50. He also recorded interviews with musicians for broadcast on various radio stations around America, and in 1991 he invited Sting plus three of his band into the studio to talk about his career, and his recently released album 'The Soul Cages'. In between the chat the four piece group of Sting (bass/vocals), Dominic Miller (guitar), David Sancious (piano) and Vinnie Colaiuta (drums) played stripped-down jazz versions of a number of songs, some from the album, some choice covers, and a rare b-side in 'I Miss You, Kate'. Two years later, in 1993, the same musicians returned for a second interview, this time to discuss the recently released record 'Ten Summoner's Tales', and once again they interspersed the chat with jazzy versions of some of the tracks from the album, plus a few older songs and a selection of covers. A number of recordings from this second session are missing, as they were removed from bootlegs of the sessions after it was reported that they had been officially released, but I have searched everywhere and can find no sign of them on any official Sting record, so it appears that are probably lost forever. There are, however, enough great recordings from both shows to put together a superb album of Sting and the band in a jazz quartet setting, performing some of his best songs in a way you've probably never heard them before. I've selected what I consider the best of the tracks from each session and performed some subtle edits to tidy them up, to make a concise 50-minute album, and if you want to hear the full version of all the available recordings plus the interviews from the 1993 show then you can hear them here.

Track listing

01 Jeremiah Blues (Part 1)

02 I Miss You, Kate
03 The Soul Cages
04 The Wind Cries Mary
05 If I Ever Lose My Faith In You
06 Love Is Stronger Than Justice 
07 Fields Of Gold 
08 Englishman In New York 
09 Fortress Around Your Heart 
10 Nothing 'Bout Me> 
11 Every Breath You Take 

The Police - Shadows In The Rain (1985)

After releasing a string of hugely successful singles and albums throughout the 80's, cracks began to show in The Police during the group's 1983 Shea Stadium concert, where Sting felt performing at the venue was his 'Everest', and he decided to leave the band and pursue a solo career. After the 'Synchronicity' tour ended in March 1984 the band went on hiatus while Sting recorded and toured his 1985 solo debut album, the jazz-influenced 'The Dream Of The Blue Turtles'. Stewart Copeland also had a project that he could turn to, and recorded and filmed 'The Rhythmatist', an album and film which was the result of his pilgrimage to Africa, where he recorded local drums and percussion, with more drums, percussion, other musical instruments and occasional lead vocals added later by Copeland. The previous year Andy Summers had rekindled his partnership with Robert Fripp, and released the second of their collaborative albums 'Bewitched', five of whose tracks were composed by Summers. He also recorded a couple of instrumentals for the 1984 film '2010: The Year We Made Contact', releasing them as a single, with 'To Hal And Back' as the b-side. In June 1986 the Police reconvened to play three concerts for the Amnesty International, and in July of that year they reunited in the studio to record a new album. However, Copeland broke his collarbone in a fall from a horse and was unable to play the drums, so the sessions were abandoned, and with a re-recording of 'Don't Stand So Close To Me' being released in October 1986 as their final single, the band finally called it a day later that year. As all three members of the band were actively recording during 1984 and 1985, we can take a stab at putting together their sixth album by taking tracks from their three solo projects of the time. Obviously Sting's album would sound most like The Police purely due to his vocals on the songs, and while Summers' and Copeland's contributions are mostly instrumentals, that wasn't unheard of on their previous records, and they slot in quite nicely between Sting's songs. I've just made a slight edit to Copeland's 'Serengeti Long Walk' to remove a spoken vocal part which didn't really fit with the rest of the tracks, and the cover is based on a superb painting by Aged Pixel.   

Track listing

01 Shadows In The Rain (Sting)
02 Franco (Copeland)
03 We Work The Black Seam (Sting)
04 Parade (Summers)
05 Another Day (Sting)
06 Gong Rock (Copeland)
07 To Hal And Back (Summers)
08 If You Love Somebody Set Them Free (Sting)
09 Bewitched (Summers)
10 Serengeti Long Walk (Copeland)
11 Fortress Around Your Heart (Sting)

Last Exit - Savage Beast (1976)

Following their triumphant return to the UK from Spain, Last Exit were considering a move south to help secure that all important record deal, but during the autumn of 1975, John Hedley's enthusiasm was waning and he left the band. The seeds of punk were being sown, and he - correctly, as it turned out - suspected that even with a move to London, the band would still struggle to build a following. November 1975 saw them release their only piece of vinyl, a 7" single of two Gerry Richardson tracks featuring Sting vocals, 'Whispering Voices' and 'Evensong', on the Wudwink label, and the disc was once again recorded by Dave Wood back at Impulse Studios. In late 1975 the band were hired again for a follow-up to their previous rock opera 'Rock Nativity', with 'Hellfire' consisting of the Bible set to rock music. Further sessions at Impulse in 1976 were completed which resulted in new recordings of Sting's 'Carrion Prince', Richardson's 'Whispering Voices', a cover of Neil Young's 'Don't Let It Bring You Down', and another Sting track, 'Everyday's Just The Same'. On May 1st 1976 Sting and Frances married at Our Lady and St Oswin's Chapel, Tynemouth, and in July Sting handed in his notice to the school where he taught. That summer Frances made appointments in London to showcase the band's demo tape around various A&R men, whilst leaving Sting to fend for himself back in Newcastle. Eventually Virgin showed interest and promised to watch the band, and that Autumn they kept their promise and came to check out the band when they supported fellow Geordie Alan Price at Newcastle City Hall. Virgin were not impressed but music publisher Carol Wilson was persistent, and although the band didn't get a recording contract, a publishing deal was offered to Sting - one he accepted and later came to regret, and which resulted in a court battle to win back the rights to all his early material. Carol remained enthusiastic, and she arranged for the band to come to London for an A&R gig at Dingwalls supporting Isaac Guillory, and to spend three days at Pathways studio with Virgin picking up the tab. The time wasn't right, though, with every bunch of snot-nosed kids with ripped jeans being signed up, so the band returned to Newcastle, and they slipped back into their usual routine of regular gigs at local venues. 

Just before Christmas 1976, Curved Air played Newcastle City Hall, and afterwards Stewart Copeland asked local journalist Phil Sutcliffe to take him to see a local band. A long time champion of Last Exit, Sutcliffe took Copeland to see them at St. Mary's Teacher Training College, and although Copeland took an instant dislike to the group, he saw enough in the singer to be impressed, and the first seeds of what would become The Police were sown. In January 1977, Last Exit played their farewell to Newcastle gig at the University Theatre, and considered heading for London once again. Sting went there to meet his publisher and to sort out the move of Last Exit from Newcastle to the capital, and as he didn't know that many people in London he met up with Copeland, who had his heart set on Sting joining him in a new band, and within a few days the two of them started rehearsing with Henri Padovani. Last Exit followed Sting down to London and in January and February secured a few dates, and for a short period, Sting was rehearsing with both Copeland and Padovani, getting ready to record the 'Fall Out' single, and also playing gigs with Last Exit. Sadly, Last Exit failed to get the reviews and attention they needed to retain their enthusiasm, and at the end of February 1977 they decided to disband. On 1st March 1977 the Police played their first paying gig in Monmouth, Wales, and the rest as they say, is history. This second cassette from the band contains the b-side of their 1975 single, plus most of their 1976 demo sessions from Impulse Studios, which include reworkings of some of the songs from the first tape, alongside some newly-written material. 

Track listing

01 Evensong (b-side of 'Whispering Voices' 1975)
Impulse Studio Demos I (1976)
02 Every Day's Just The Same   
03 Don't Let It Bring You Down 
Impulse Studio Demos II (1976)
04 I Burn For You 
05 Untitled (Instrumental I) 
06 Fool In Love 
07 I'm On This Train (Alternate Version)  
08 Don't You Look At Me 
09 Savage Beast (Alternate Version) 
10 Untitled (Instrumental II) 
11 Soul Music 
12 Night In The Grand Hotel 

The complete history of Last Exit by Dave & Wendy can be found on https://www.sting.com/discography/album/319/Albums

Last Exit - First From Last Exit (1975)

In autumn 1971 Gordon Sumner enrolled at Northern Counties Teacher Training College in Newcastle, where he met and befriended Gerry Richardson who was in the year ahead. Richardson saw him playing, and although not initially impressed, his interest picked up when he learned that Sumner knew a drummer, Paul Elliot, who had access to both a van and a PA, and it didn't take long before the three got together with a female singer to form 'Earthrise', and started rehearsing at the Wheatsheaf pub. Richardson was involved with local bands, including the Phoenix Trad Jazz Band where he filled in on bass, and when he left the band his place was taken by Sumner, and it was at this time that he was given the nickname Sting, because of the black and yellow stripey jumpers that he used to wear. When Richardson finished his stint at Teacher Training College he left for Bristol, but within a year he found himself back in Newcastle, just as Sting finished his spell at college, and at this point they decide to put together a band with John Hedley and Ronnie 'Armour' Pearson, naming themselves Last Exit, after Hubert Selby's cult book 'Last Exit From Brooklyn'. By December 1974 Last Exit, augmented by Derek Lunn on drums and Iwan Williams on keyboards, had secured the job of house band for the 'Rock Nativity' show at Newcastle University Theatre, which is where Sting met his future wife Frances Tomelty. By now Richardson and Sting were starting to write their own material, and by 1975 they were regular visitors to Impulse Sound Studios in Wallsend to record demo tracks. 
The band secured a booking at the 1975 San Sebastian festival in Spain, and the thought of the trip spurred the band into yet more recording activity, and it was decided at short notice to cobble together the demos they'd recorded to produce an album that they could sell at the festival. 'First From Last Exit' is one of the rarest collectibles in the Sting world, containing some of his earliest material, and reworked versions of some songs would later feature on Police albums. The nine track collection, produced by Dave Wood, features the three original Last Exit members along with one track by semi-occasional guest guitarist, Terry Ellis, who was later to replace John Hedley full time. With their 100 demo cassettes ready to be (hopefully) snapped up by eager fans, Last Exit arrived in Spain on 16 July, and played well enough to win the award for best amateur band. In return for accommodation and food the band played another festival on 2 August 1975, and with some additional club dates hastily arranged in Bilbao, the band secured enough money to book places on the ferry back home to Britain. So, graced with some new artwork, here is the first album that Sting put his name to.  

Track listing

01 We Got Something (Sumner) 
02 Truth Kills (Sumner)
03 Whispering Voices (Richardson)   
04 Carrion Prince (Sumner)
05 Savage Beast (Sumner) 
06 I Got It Made (Richardson)  
07 I'm On This Train (Sumner) 
08 Oh My God (Sumner)
09 A Bit Of Peace (Ellis)