“Christian Brothers (Heatmiser version)”
written by Elliott Smith; performed by Heatmiser
November 12, 1995 // Produced by Heatmiser, Tom Rothrock and Rob Schnapf
KEVIN MOYER: This is Elliott with Heatmiser doing an unreleased full band version of his released solo song “Christian Brothers”. Tony Lash mixed this version after Larry dug it up from the archives. I love this version and all the layers and the waves of warm sound that it becomes.
NICKOLAS ROSSI: The bass line alone is incredible. I thought it would be a great to use a familiar Elliott song performed by his band while the conversation in the film started hinted at things starting to be difficult in collaborations and to hint at the time where Elliott would start rebelling against his own band. I felt like having a Heatmiser version of an Elliott Smith song was about as clear as we could get in illustrating the beginning of the tension.
LARRY CRANE: I love the heavier power of this version. I struggle to understand why it would have been recorded after the solo version had been released, but it showcases Heatmiser at their best, and how they could present Elliott’s songs in their own way.
TONY LASH: Sam Coomes is playing bass on this one. As far as I know, Christian Brothers was arranged as a Heatmiser song before Elliott recorded or performed it solo. We recorded it during the sessions for Mic City Sons but it was not mixed at that time because by then Elliott had decided to use his solo version on his 2nd album. I was disappointed because I thought the Heatmiser version was really strong. I don’t remember talking with Elliott specifically about why he preferred his version. It eventually faded from my memory until Larry unearthed the multitrack and sent over a rough mix when he was archiving everything in 2008/2009. I asked him to send over the tracks so that I could do a proper mix for my own collection. I’m glad Larry unearthed it. I like the intensity of it.
“Plainclothes Man”
written by Elliott Smith; performed by Heatmiser
October 29, 1996 // Produced by Heatmiser / Recorded at the heatmiser house
and mixed with Rob Schnapf & Tom Rothrock at The Shop
KEVIN MOYER: This is a Heatmiser song written by Elliott that appears on the bands final album Mic City Sons. It’s the band’s only recording for a major label, and the band was undergoing turmoil and internal strife – and I am so thankful that this album made it out because I don’t know what I would have done without it – but when the label learned that the band might be on the verge of disbanding, which they did, the album was licensed for release through their smaller sister indie label instead. In the film we hear Rob Schnapf talking about recording this song and how they couldn’t figure out the vocals and how the recording session went late into the night, and is a fond memory…
ROB SCHNAPF: It was a really great time. Just trying to figure out how he should sing it. Trying things different approaches and then finally finding the spot in his voice and the right intention or were we hanging around until the proper balance of alcohol melded the headspace into a fearless surrender to the song. No more laboring, just refining. Don’t know for sure but it was cool to bare witness too.
“Plainclothes Man (Elliott solo version)”
written by Elliott Smith with Heatmiser; performed by Elliott Smith solo
Fall 1996 // Produced by Elliott Smith
Recorded by Elliott Smith likely at Undercover Inc.
Mixed by Larry Crane at Jackpot! Recording Studio.
KEVIN MOYER: This one is interesting because it is Elliott doing a solo version of the Heatmiser song which was released on the Heatmiser album Mic City Sons that we just mentioned. In the film we blend the two versions, we seamlessly go from the Heatmiser version to the solo version and then back again. I think this is another example of Elliott trying songs out in different ways to see which he liked better, solo and stripped down or more layered bigger version with Heatmiser.
LARRY CRANE : I always assume that Elliott recorded this version in case Mic City Sons was shelved. I’m glad that never happened! Note the different intro; he would use this technique live on some other songs over the years.
JEREMY WILSON (Portland musician, recorded Heatmiser demo): Elliott may have dissed on the music he made with Heatmiser later in life. That doesn’t make the music any less special in my opinion. The “loud” version of Elliott had a rhythm and pulse all its own that made you want to move and lose yourself, but keep “thinking” and definitely feeling all at the same time. I think of even his rock side as sensitive and loved him for it. To me it seemed brave at the time.
KEVIN MOYER: Yeah I think Elliott was rebelling against his own sound at the time, I don’t think it was anything personal and it was just his way of moving on probably, as he wasn’t always the best with closure or ending relationships even with his band. At the time it was the rise of grunge and heavy and loud sound and Heatmiser was there at the top of the heap and I think he just got tired of it. I remember the guys saying that the audience that began to come to their shows were people that they couldn’t identify with, and I think that has to be disconcerting for any artist. So he stripped it all down and just began performing by himself alone on stage sitting on a folding chair and strumming an acoustic guitar. At the time, that was not the popular thing to do. I mean, that’s punk right there – to do the opposite of what everyone else was doing, and to do it all alone by yourself with nothing to hide behind. It’s kind of like the opposite of when Bob Dylan plugged in and went electric.
“Unknown Song (instrumental)”
written and performed by Elliott Smith
May 1994 // Produced by Elliott Smith
KEVIN MOYER: This unreleased song was recorded at Quasi House in Portland Oregon.
LARRY CRANE: I think Janet told me once that Elliott would sometimes stay at her and Sam’s house when they were out of town. Knowing Elliott, the temptation of Quasi’s Fostex 8-track 1/4-inch reel to reel and mixer would be too much to resist, and he’d probably spent the entire time recording songs. I used this same equipment to record the first release for The Maroons (John Moen of The Decemberist’s band) around this same time, though I brought the gear over to my house (which I called Laundry Rules) to do it, where later Elliott and I would record the vocals for “Pictures of Me.”
NICKOLAS ROSSI: The guitar on this is great. It’s almost got a little honky tonk-Texas whammy bar, Kiwi MD 20/20 hint to it. I love the changes in it and how it helps lift us up to Elliott’s rise to fame in Portland, and how it illustrates the time the band stopped making music together. Set to the visuals of Portland it almost makes no sense, the Texas thing is there. I wonder what it may have become with lyrics.
