Lost Oasis recordings of ‘Definitely Maybe’ scheduled for release
Early recordings of songs from Oasis‘ celebrated debut album, Definitely Maybe, will be released this week amid excitement surrounding their forthcoming reunion.
The album, which remains one of the most popular and successful debut albums by an English rock band, helped to spark the re-emergence of Britpop in the 1990s. The lost recordings will feature coveted tracks like the anthemic ‘Live Forever’, ‘Cigarettes & Alcohol’, and ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Star’.
The recordings, which went missing soon after they were created, will be released to celebrate the album’s 30th anniversary. They were taken from their first-ever studio session as a signed band at Monnow Valley Studios in South Wales.
“I kept saying there’s no way they’ve gone missing, those tapes must be somewhere,” Noel Gallagher told BBC. “The tapes went to our record label and were never seen again. It was canned. Turns out it was mislabelled. So I’d never heard that Monnow Valley record until six months ago.”
He added that, at the time, the band felt the songs sounded “great” but weren’t a match for the intensity of their live shows. As a result, they re-recorded the songs, which resulted in the sound fans hear on Definitely Maybe.
The reissue comes amid heightened excitement about Oasis’ forthcoming reunion. Despite being teased on and off over the last few months, Liam Gallagher seemingly confirmed it after he responded to a fan’s tweet speculating about the brothers’ plans, saying, “See you down the front”.
This confirmation comes after 15 long years filled with fan-fuelled hope, turbulent speculation, and playful hints from the brothers about a possible reunion. Most sources cite a repaired relationship as the main reason for their newfound desire to take to the stage together once more, alongside the poignancy of the anniversaries of their first and second albums, respectively.
For instance, in a recent video for the 30th anniversary of Definitely Maybe, Noel said, “When I would sing a song, it would sound good. When he sung it, it sounded great.”
He continued, “I can’t sing ‘Cigarettes & Alcohol’, ‘Rock n Roll Star’ and all that. I don’t have the same attitude as him. My voice is half a Guinness on a Tuesday—it’s all right. Liam’s is ten shots of tequila on a Friday.”
Definitely Maybe is scheduled for reissue on August 30th.
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