The bulk of A SESSION WITH THE REMAINS is taken from the garage-rock band's audition for Capitol Records, recorded live in a New York studio on May 26, 1966. All of the 13 tracks are previously unreleased in the U.S.; 6 of them are previously unreleased anywhere. The Remains: Barry Tashian (vocals, guitar); William Briggs (keyboards, harmonica); Vern Miller (bass); Chip Damiani (drums). Compilation producers: Bob Irwin, Jeff Jarema. Recorded in 1965 and 1966. Includes liner notes by Jeff Jarema. Tracks 1-8 are mono. Tracks 9-13 are stereo. Boston's Remains--or Barry and the Remains, as they were occasionally known--are known to the general public primarily because they were one of the opening acts on the Beatles' summer 1966 tour, including the legendary final show at Candlestick Park. Fanciers of classic garage rock recognize that the Remains are worth more than a footnote, however, and A SESSION WITH THE REMAINS is the result of the kind of fan worship only a true cult act can receive: this is the band's seven-track demo for Capitol Records along with a handful of live-in-the-studio rehearsals. The demo shows all sides of the band, from the peppery original "Why Do I Cry" to solid beat group covers, ranging from "Hang On Sloopy" (better than the McCoys' hit) to "Like A Rolling Stone" (not better than Dylan's hit, but you'd be surprised how well it works). The rehearsals are rough but immediate, and the whole should be of interest to any garage rock fan.

• Genre: Pop
• Format: Vinyl
• Internal ID: JITRE
• Released: 3/12/1996