The Kitchen Tape

Infobox Album

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Name = The Kitchen Tape
Type = Demo
Artist = The La's
Recorded = Devon, summer 1989.
Genre = Bootleg recording
Length = 34.01
Producer = The La's, Mike Hedges

The Kitchen Tape is a bootleg recording of the Liverpool band The La's. The tape is so called as it was reportedly recorded in the kitchen of a house in Devon in the summer of 1989. The recording is revered amongst La's fans as it captures the band performing a set of songs which have as yet to be either recorded professionally or released officially.

Background

The La's had moved into a house belonging to the parents of Andy MacDonald, boss of the band's label Go! Discs, with the intention of recording what would be their debut album. It was their third attempt at doing so, band leader and notorious perfectionist Lee Mavers having judged the previous two attempts as indadequate. Mike Hedges was the latest producer to be drafted in to try and capture the band's sound.

The tape is thought to have been recorded using only one microphone placed in the centre of the room, with the band loosely jamming around it. The proceedings are informal, with Mavers frequently stopping mid song in order to explain various parts to the other members of the band. The La's, like many other bands, often taped their practice sessions, but it is not known if the tape documents a simple practice or a deliberate showcase of new material to those assembled.

Mike Hedges, undoubtedly present when the tape was made, recalls one particular evening watching the band jam; 'one brilliant night we had, they were sitting in the dining room of this house in Devon, playing songs. They went through about thirty-five unreleased tunes and they were amazing, absolutely stunning.' [http://www.geocities.com/the_las/laQcorr.html Q Magazine: July 1999]

What makes this particular recording so significant is that all the songs featured have never been released officially, and considering the lack of La's releases in recent years, it is unlikely they ever will be. As a result, The Kitchen Tape offers a fascinating insight into what a second La's album could have sounded like, and at the very least hints at the songs that would have featured.

etlist

*"When Will I See You Again"
*"Our Time"
*"Robberman"
*"She Came Down"
*"Was It Something I Said"
*"It's Not Impossible"
*"Tears In The Rain"
*"I Am The Key"
*"Go Go Daddy"

References