You may think you know everything there is about Toad, and you may think you own everything they've ever recorded. To find out if you're right, check out the Collector's Corner, a semi-regular feature of the HOUSE OF TOAD. (Volume 5) Promotional Recordings What makes a collector's item? As a record store owner once told me, "It has to be not only rare...but desirable." You might have an original 45 of "In-a-Gadda-da-Vida" complete with picture sleeve, but does anyone want it? And rule #2: if it actually says "collector's item" on the packaging itself, then it's certainly not one! Alas, the rarest of rock items are usually those issued as promotional tools to radio stations only, and Toad has released a few of these items that are worth searching for at swap-meets and used record stores, as well as radio station libraries if you're fortunate enough to have access to one. In June of this year, the band re-mixed the song "Stupid" from the DULCINEA album, adding a new lead vocal while punching up the lead guitar track, under the guidance of producer Susan Rogers, who also ran the board for Toad's recording of "Instant Karma." This version of "Stupid" was released as a Columbia Records promotional only CD (CSK 7181) sided with the acoustic version of the same song that is found on ACOUSTIC DANCE PARTY. The front cover lists the concert dates that Toad played with The Cranberries in August, making it an ideal souvenir for those who attended one of those shows. And back when DULCINEA was released in May of 1994, Columbia assembled a 9-track collection of every Toad single up until that time under the moniker "Fall Down +" (CSK 6058), which included the single re-mix versions of "All I Want," "Walk On The Ocean" and "Jam." That latter tune was released as a promotional single only in 1990, (CSK 2059) sided with out-take versions of "Hold Her Down" and "Liars Everywhere." This version of "Jam" was completely re-recorded at Fort Apache in Boston and thus differs significantly from the album version found on PALE. And since Toad is a band who greatly dislikes "radio-edits" of their album cuts, it is surprising to find that such a version of "Something's Always Wrong" exists (CSK 6289). Released at the end of 1994, it has a radio edit which is roughly one minute shorter than the album version found on DULCINEA. One promotional recording that was actually made available to the general public for a brief period was the CD known as FIVE LIVE (CSK 4509). Recorded during the FEAR tour in December 1991 at the old Anaconda Theatre in Isla Vista, California (the college hamlet ensconced in Toad's hometown of Santa Barbara) and the world famous Whiskey A Go-Go in Hollywood, this disc was packaged with the FEAR album in 1992 as an incentive sales tool and included live versions of "Jam,""One Little Girl,""Scenes From A Vinyl Recliner,""Come Back Down" and "Hold Her Down." Mixed by Gavin MacKillop, these concerts also yielded the live versions of "Don't Go Away" and "Corporal Brown" that can be found on 1994's "Something's Always Wrong" CD single (38K 77639). With a very limited number of copies in existence and a colorful cover photo of the band shot by pal Dana Tynan, FIVE LIVE has proven to be the most popular of all Toad collector's items but not the rarest. That distinction goes to an item that was never even released on CD, but on a Columbia sampler cassette given out as a holiday present in 1992 called COLUMBIA INDESTRUCTIBLE (CAT 4923). Here is where you'll find Todd and Dean harmonizing on a live version of Neil Young's "Cinnamon Girl" recorded at The Georgia Theatre in Athens on May 28, 1992. The tape also features rare live cuts from Midnight Oil, Alison Moyet and Mott The Hoople, and is so rare, that no one in Toad The Wet Sprocket claims to have knowledge of it's existence! Now, that's a collector's item! (Volume 4) Radio Station Compilations One of the latest trends in the radio world is the proliferation of station-sponsored CDs that feature a host of hot bands and performances usually recorded live on the air and unavailable elsewhere. These CDs have a limited pressing of about 10,000 copies and are sold to benefit various causes and charities. In the past, Toad has appeared on KBCO STUDIO C VOL. 1 (Boulder) and the WARRIORS KFOG JAM (San Francisco), with the song "Something To Say" in both acoustic and live versions respectfully. Both of these are out-of-print, which illustrates the need to get your hands on such items as soon as they become available. In Europe, "Fall Down" can be found (in a version different than that on ACOUSTIC DANCE PARTY) on a CD called 2 METER SESSIES VOLUME 5 (Holland). But the ADP version of the same song is available on the 99X LIVE X II (Atlanta) collection, which also has an incredible live acoustic take of U2's "One" as sung by...Michael Stipe of REM (under the moniker of "Automatic Baby"). 99X is the station where most of ADP was recorded. Recently, Toad has given a live-on-the-air version of "Fly From Heaven" to KMTT (Seattle) for inclusion on their CAPTURED LIVE ON THE MOUNTAIN VOLUME 2 disc to benefit The Wilderness Society. This release is notable because it marks the first time that a Toad tune and a Hootie tune ("Running From An Angel" acoustic) can be found on the same CD. In 1996, one of the nation's most popular alternative radio stations enlisted the aid of Toad The Wet Sprocket to benefit a special organization. The Washington DC-based WHFS FM put together a 14 song CD entitled "Just Passin' Thru" to benefit Health Care For The Homeless and included in the package was an acoustic version of "Something's Always Wrong" recorded back in 1994 in front of a small audience at Omega Studios in Rockville, Maryland. Also performing live on the disc were Better Than Ezra, Jewel, Gin Blossoms, Joan Osbourne, Sarah McLachlan and Matthew Sweet, among others. (Volume 3) Mailing List Singles The Toad office continually gets requests for the three mailing list singles that the band has made available throughout the years. With the tongue-in-cheek subtitle of ROCK AND ROLL PARTY ALL NIGHT, and each including it's own original artwork, these recordings have become prized collector's items. Volume One was sent out in late 1990 and contained unreleased demo versions of "All In All" and "Walk On The Ocean." Volume Two came out in 1992 and featured FEAR out-takes "Hobbit On The Rocks" and "Are We Afraid," both of which appear on the IN LIGHT SYRUP anthology album, along with Volume Three's "Chicken." The other track on Volume Three (released in 1994) was "P.S." which cannot be found on IN LIGHT SYRUP. Limited copies of Volume II (cassette only) and Volume III (CD only) are still available for $3.00 each including postage by sending a check made out to "Toad The Wet Sprocket" to: PO BOX 1761, Santa Monica, CA, 90406-1761. Add US$5.00 for all international orders. (Volume 2) Live On The Radio One of the finer programs to occupy the national airwaves on a semi-regular basis is The Columbia Radio Hour, syndicated to various stations throughout the US and a melting pot of styles and artists, many of which come together on the same show for a truly unique listening experience. Columbia Records released a "Best Of" anthology in 1993 which included primarily acoustic performances from Shawn Colvin and Bruce Cockburn among others. Those singers joined Toad, Dave Matthews Band, The Jayhawks and Nanci Griffith and many more for THE BEST OF THE COLUMBIA RADIO HOUR VOLUME 2 released on February 13, 1996. Toad opens the 14-track album with a live version of "Fly From Heaven," taken from their May 4, 1995 broadcast, and both Glen and Randy hosted a special Radio Hour preview of the CD which aired on over 75 stations on February 22, 1996. The singer and drummer from Toad introduced tracks from VOLUME 2 and also special performances by Natalie Merchant and Bruce Springsteen, as well as a live version of their band's "Brother," which does not appear on any CD. Speaking of radio, two more stations have released charity compilations which feature Toad. San Francisco's KFOG, a long time supporter of the band, has put together LIVE FROM THE ARCHIVES II which includes an acoustic take of "Walk On The Ocean" recorded at the legendary Record Plant in Sausalito. Also available in the Philadelphia area is the new LIVE AT THE WORLD CAFE VOLUME 2, with selected performances from the Public Radio show of the same name. This CD includes a rare acoustic version of Toad's "Is It For Me" recorded back in 1992, a song which the band seldom performs in the stripped down format. Matthews, Griffith and Colvin are also on the World Cafe disc, along with former Toad touring mates, Rusted Root. (Volume 1) Toad On Vinyl With the whole country talking about The Beatles Anthology television special and album, it's an easy guess that baby boomers are dusting off their old Beatle albums and looking around for a turntable that actually works. It's true that most Toad fans have never owned a record player, but they can collect Toad vinyl, since the band's first four albums came out as licorice pizzas in some form of limited edition Columbia release. BREAD AND CIRCUS (FC 45326) was available in 1989, while the LP version of PALE (C 46060) featured colored vinyl in the U.S. Both FEAR (468582-1) and DULCINEA (476510-1) were released on vinyl by Sony Europe, with the latter including the bonus track "Hope." As far as singles are concerned, limited pressings of each Toad single are made up for juke-boxes, the most popular being the double-A sided "All I Want" b/w "Walk On The Ocean" (38-74706), and various configurations of Toad songs have been issued in Europe, including the 12 inch vinyl of "Ocean" b/w "All In All" in France (658462-6). So who collects vinyl, anyway? Not just old rockers, but those who appreciate album artwork, like the cover of FEAR which is much more impressive when it's 12"x 12" size than the much smaller CD format. And there are fans who find it much easier to read the lyrics and liner notes when they are reproduced on a larger scale, not to mention the audiophiles who insist that vinyl just sounds "warmer" and musically richer than a compact disc. No matter what, vinyl is rare and fun to collect. Just ask any Beatles fan!