Thank You, Friends: Omnivore Presents Big Star’s “Complete Third” In October

August 15, 2016 By Joe Marchese — 2 Comments
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Omnivore Recordings has kept the legend of Big Star alive with a number of projects over the years including the release of frontman Alex Chilton’s Free Again: The 1970 Sessions, the soundtrack to the acclaimed documentary Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me, and Big Star: Live in Memphis.  Now, the label has turned its attention to its most expansive Big Star release yet: a definitive look into the making of the band’s third album.  The 3-CD collection Complete Third, due on October 14, includes every demo, rough mix, outtake, alternate take and final master from the Third sessions known to exist.

The 69 tracks on this set represent the culmination of a decade-long search to assemble all extant recordings for the album originally released in 1978.  Some alternates and demos have appeared on various compilations over the years, but this first-of-its-kind collection presents every track in context – including 29 never-before-released tracks captured by producer Jim Dickinson and engineer John Fry.  The result is a journey from the album’s conception to its (delayed) release.

The first disc of the set chronicles Demos to Sessions to Roughs and includes previously unreleased versions of such songs as “Kizza Me” and “Thank You Friends” as well as demos of “Jesus Christ,” “Holocaust,” and more.  Disc Two features Roughs to Demos, and includes rough mixes by both Dickinson and Fry among its never-before-heard tracks.  The final disc, Final Masters, has the twenty completed recordings associated with Third.  (Over the years, Third has been released with various tracks and running orders.)

The extensive booklet features a new essay from Bud Scoppa as well as extensive notes from original participants and artists who have followed in Big Star’s footsteps. Including Mary Lindsay Dickinson, Mitch Easter, Adam Hill, Elizabeth A. Hoehn, Susanna Hoffs, Peter Holsapple, Gary Louris, Mike Mills, Cheryl Pawelski, Debbi Peterson, Pat Rainer, Danny Graflund, Jeff Rougvie, Pat Sansone, Chris Stamey, Jody Stephens, John Stirratt, Ken Stringfellow, and Steve Wynn.

Complete Third is due in October 14 in 3-CD and DD formats.  Three separate double vinyl LPs will follow at a later date, with each 2-LP set representing one CD in the box.  You can currently pre-order Complete Third below at Omnivore, and we will update with Amazon links as soon as they are available!

Big Star, Complete Third (Omnivore Recordings, 2016) (Amazon Links TBD)

Vol. 1: Demos to Sessions to Roughs

  1. Like St. Joan (Kanga Roo) (Demo)
  2. Lovely Day (Demo) *
  3. Downs (Demo)
  4. Femme Fatale (Demo)
  5. Thank You Friends (Demo)
  6. Holocaust (Demo)
  7. Jesus Christ (Demo)
  8. Blue Moon (Demo)
  9. Nightime (Demo)
  10. Take Care (Demo)
  11. Big Black Car (Demo # 2/Acoustic Take 1)
  12. Don’t Worry Baby
  13. I’m in Love with a Girl *
  14. Big Black Car (Demo # 3/Acoustic Take 2)
  15. I’m So Tired – Alex & Lesa *
  16. That’s All It Took – Alex & Lesa *
  17. Pre-Downs*
  18. Baby Strange*
  19. Big Black Car (Demo # 1/Band)
  20. Kizza Me (Dickinson Rough Mix/Alex Guide Vocal) *
  21. Till the End of the Day (Dickinson Rough Mix/Alex Guide Vocal, Kept as Final Vocal) *
  22. Thank You Friends (Dickinson Rough Mix/Alex Guide Vocal) *
  23. O, Dana (Dickinson Rough Mix) *
  24. Dream Lover (Dickinson Rough Mix) *

Vol. 2: Roughs to Demos

  1. Big Black Car (Dickinson Rough Mix/Alex Guide Vocal) *
  2. Whole Lotta’ Shakin’ Goin’ On (Dickinson Rough Mix) *
  3. Take Care (Dickinson Rough Mix) *
  4. Holocaust (Dickinson Rough Mix) *
  5. Nightime (Dickinson Rough Mix) *
  6. Thank You Friends (Dickinson Rough Mix) *
  7. Nature Boy  (Dickinson Rough Mix) *
  8. After Hours – Lesa *
  9. Stroke It Noel (Backwards Intro)
  10. Lovely Day (Fry Rough Mix) *
  11. Till the End of the Day (Alternate Mix 1)
  12. Blue Moon (Fry Rough Mix) *
  13. Till the End of the Day (Alternate Mix 1)
  14. Big Black Car (Fry Rough Mix)
  15. Holocaust (Fry Alternate/Rough Mix)
  16. Downs (Fry Rough Mix)
  17. Kanga Roo (Fry Rough Mix)
  18. Femme Fatale (Fry Rough Mix) *
  19. For You (Fry Rough Mix/Alex Vocal) *
  20. Thank You Friends (Fry Rough Mix) *
  21. Take Care (Alternate Version/Alex Vocal) *
  22. Kizza Me (Fry Rough Mix) *
  23. Till the End of the Day (Fry Rough Mix 2) – Lesa *
  24. Nature Boy (Fry Rough Mix)
  25. Manana

Vol. 3: Final Masters

  1. Stroke It Noel
  2. Downs
  3. Femme Fatale
  4. Thank You Friends
  5. Holocaust
  6. Jesus Christ
  7. Blue Moon
  8. Kizza Me
  9. For You
  10. O, Dana
  11. Nightime
  12. Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On
  13. Kanga Roo
  14. Take Care
  15. Big Black Car
  16. Dream Lover
  17. You Can’t Have Me
  18. Till the End of the Day
  19. Lovely Day
  20. Nature Boy
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Joe Marchese
Joe Marchese

JOE MARCHESE (Editor) joined The Second Disc shortly after its launch in early 2010, and has since penned daily news and reviews about classic music of all genres. In 2015, Joe formed the Second Disc Records label. Celebrating the great songwriters, producers and artists who created the sound of American popular song and beyond, Second Disc Records, in conjunction with labels including Real Gone Music and Cherry Red Records, has released newly-curated collections produced and annotated by Joe from iconic artists such as Dionne Warwick, Diana Ross and The Supremes, Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, The Spinners, Johnny Mathis, Bobby Darin, Meat Loaf, Laura Nyro, Melissa Manchester, Liza Minnelli, Darlene Love, Al Stewart, Michael Nesmith, and many others.

Joe has written liner notes, produced, or contributed to over 200 reissues from a diverse array of artists, among them America, JD Souther, Nat "King" Cole, Paul Williams, Lesley Gore, Dusty Springfield, BJ Thomas, The 5th Dimension, Burt Bacharach, The Mamas and the Papas, Carpenters, Perry Como, Rod McKuen, Doris Day, Jackie DeShannon, Petula Clark, Robert Goulet, and Andy Williams.

Over the past two decades, Joe has also worked in a variety of capacities on and off Broadway as well as at some of the premier theatres in the U.S., including Lincoln Center Theater, George Street Playhouse, Paper Mill Playhouse, Long Wharf Theatre, and the York Theatre Company. He has felt privileged to work on productions alongside artists such as the late Jack Klugman, Eli Wallach, Arthur Laurents, Betty Comden and Adolph Green. In 2009, Joe began contributing theatre and music reviews to the print publication The Sondheim Review, and in 2012, he joined the staff of The Digital Bits as a regular contributor writing about film and television on DVD and Blu-ray.

Joe currently resides in the suburbs of New York City.

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2 thoughts on “Thank You, Friends: Omnivore Presents Big Star’s “Complete Third” In October”

  1. Jeff Vargon

    Carnivore Records, time and time again, has made it their business (no pun intended) to milk the Alex Chilton and Big Star legends and legacies for as much money as they can make off of them. Whether it’s their rare and “limited” Record Store Day releases, or their ever perpetual deep dives into the vaults, this company above all has created a market whereby the real fans are perpetually needing to dig deeper in their pockets each time a new *treasure* is unearthed. Like Holly George-Warren’s book this, as always, is another soulless cash grab with the (of course) obligatory, future triple double LP vinyl releases dangling out there in the ether like the proverbial carrot(s) on a stick. How long after that will we be granted access to purchase the extremely limited, quadruple gold vinyl editions of these same recordings with, perhaps, one more song thrown in as a lure for the diehards.

    Damn them, once again, for giving us fans yet another musical package that most of will end up buying yet will not give Alex, Chris or Andy another breath of life or truly benefit anyone but those making money off of these recordings, themselves.

    Reply
  2. Byres Road

    I’m with Jeff. The truly sick bit is that they know fine well over at Ardent that Alex would not have wanted this released, but they did it anyway. He had no respect for those guys because they displayed little. Even in is lifetime he knew they were greedy, grasping and without class. Those guys Christian Ardent guys believe in an after life. If they are right about that they are in for one hell of an ass kicking.

    Reply

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