The Replacements share outtake of ‘Can’t Hardly Wait’
As a part of the upcoming expanded reissue of their 1985 album Tim, The Replacements have shared an early recording of one of their signature songs, ‘Can’t Hardly Wait’.
Signer Paul Westerberg originally wrote the song following the completion of The Replacements’ 1984 album Let It Be. The song had been performed live in a more punk-inspired arrangement before Westerberg attempted to record the song during the Tim sessions.
One of those recordings featured Westerberg mainly performing solo with an acoustic guitar, with drummer Chris Mars providing light snare drum. Westerberg originally envisioned the rest of the members overdubbing their instrument over the take, but when the studio’s headphones weren’t working properly, Westerberg decided to pivot.
Instead, he asked the studio’s receptionist, Michelle Kinney, who happened to be a trained cellist, to add parts to the recording. Kinney had recently received a music degree from Northwestern University and was playing with the Minneapolis band Summer of Love when Westerberg asked her to contribute to his demo recording.
“There wasn’t any music written down,” Kinney recalled in a press release. “I do remember watching Paul through the studio window and him talking in my headphones and kind of singing parts for me. He would kind of conduct me, and I’d try to do what he asked. He was being really hilarious and animated and calling me ‘Maestro.’”
Kinney took a few passes at the track, enough for a full “cello version” of ‘Can’t Hardly Wait’ to be compiled. The newly assembled version features Westerberg performing the song in a different key while singing a different set of lyrics to the version that would eventually appear. While the second verse in both versions is almost identical, most of Westerberg’s other words were changed by the time ‘Can’t Hardly Wait’ appeared on Pleased to Meet Me.
Check out the “cello version” of ‘Can’t Hardly Wait’ down below.
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