Orphaned Tracks

ISSUE #70

Orphaned tracks are songs that never made it on a proper album, lost gems or throwaway cuts that never made it to a band’s long-form releases. These are your b-sides, rarities, demo sessions, soundtrack contributions, etc. I’ve long been fascinated by them, but it’s the orphans that rise above the ranks of an entire discography that I really find curious.

“Love Will Tear Us Apart” is the prime example—the fact the Joy Division’s biggest song was just a 7” is proof that they had real control over the album as a form. The Smiths made a cottage industry out of orphans: half of their discography is made of compilations. Meanwhile, Radiohead fans are out here starting whole bureaus of investigation to hunt down every unreleased melody ever hummed by Yorke & co.

Most of the time, orphans are for the super-fans. They’re throwaways, usually lo-fi or unfinished, just for collectors and connoisseurs and those desperate for more of a certain sound. This playlist is for what I consider the best and most interesting of the orphaned tracks, the ones that could stand as a hit single in the hands of a lesser band. The quality of these songs are a testament to each artist’s catalog—when people are digging through your trash and still finding jewels, you’re doing something right.