DOWNLOAD: The Bees Knees: Voice Of The Bee-sides v1

The Bastard child of The B-52's and The Pretenders, Voice Of The Beehive were a promising band in the late-80's London "indie" scene that unfortunately never got to the top of the charts like they deserved. Led by American sisters Tracey Bryn and Melissa Belland (daughters of one of the Four Preps singers) and rounded out by an all-British band that featured a former member of Madness, the Beehive became an instant buzz band upon the release of their debut single "Just A City" in the spring of 1987. The band enjoyed modest success over the course of their first two albums (1988's "Let It Bee" and 1991's "Honey Lingers"), but the original line-up disolved in 1993, with sisters Bryn and Belland continuing as a duo for a third and final album "Sex & Misery" in 1996 before hanging their Beehives up for suburban life in Orange County, California. What we're left with is three full-length albums from the group and a boatload of b-sides and non-album tracks that are extremely difficult to find. Someone had to be the Voice Of The Bee-sides...Here's The Bees-Knees (This is volume 1 of 3; for volume 2, click here, and volume 3, click here.):

VOICE OF THE BEEHIVE

THE BEES KNEES: VOICE OF THE BEE-SIDES, volume 1

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?u3uhzyznu5m

all tracks encoded mp3, bit rate varies (128-320kbps)

01 Just A City

02 7 Shocks

03 D'yer Mak'er

04 What You Have Is Enough (Sonic Sounds Version)

05 I Say Nothing (Single Version)

06 The Things You See When You Don't Have Your Gun (Live)

07 Independence Day

08 Any Day Of The Week

09 I Walk The Earth (Single Version)

10 This Weak

11 No Green Blues

12 Jesus

13 Don't Call Me Baby (Single Version)

14 Jump This Way

15 Goodbye Tonight

16 There's A Barbarian In The Back Of My Car (Uncensored)

17 In The Flesh

18 Everything I Had

19 Tattoo Song

20 Man In The Moon

21 What You Have Is Enough

22 No Green Blues (Radio1 Sessions)

23 Jump This Way (Radio1 Sessions)

24 Independence Day (Radio1 Sessions)

25 Jesus (Radio 1 Sessions)

This first volume (of 3!) covers the singles of the band from 1987 through 1989, as well as a few other oddities. Here's the track by track lowdown:

01 JUST A CITY

- Debut single released 3/87; re-released 4/87. Also appears on the full-length "Let It Bee" album (1988).

02 7 SHOCKS

- B-side: "Just A City" and later, the "I Say Nothing" re-issue (7/88).

03 D'YER MAK'ER

- B-side: "Just A City" second release 4/87 12" only. Led Zeppelin cover.

04 WHAT YOU HAVE IS ENOUGH (Sonic Sounds Version)

- Early live version of the "Let It Bee" album track. From "Sonic Sounds 2", a 7" compilation EP given away with copies of "Sounds" magazine for the issue dated September 19, 1987.

05 I SAY NOTHING (Single Version)

- There are three versions of this track: the album version; a sanitized radio version complete with changed lyrics (see volume 3); and this version called the "single version", although i'm not sure if this actually appeared on a single or not. This is more like what is thought of as an "extended version" - the first 'naughty' verse is cut completely so instead what you get is an extended instrumental intro to the tune that cuts into a chorus repeated twice then finally launching into the second verse. Neater than you think.

06 THE THINGS YOU SEE WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE YOUR GUN (Live)

- B-side: "I Say Nothing" (both releases 10/87 & 7/88). Fun fact: Recorded live at U.L.U., this track is one of only two VOTB originals that were never recorded in a studio for release.

07 INDEPENDENCE DAY

- B-side: "I Say Nothing" 12" only (first release 10/87). Comsat Angels cover.

08 ANY DAY OF THE WEEK

- B-side: "I Say Nothing" Limited Edition vinyl 12" only (first release 10/87). An original recording from the Janice Long Show on Radio One.

09 I WALK THE EARTH (Single Version)

- Single released 2/88; re-released 10/88. This is the original single mix of "I Walk The Earth" which has an extended fade out to end the track.

10 THIS WEAK

- B-side: "I walk The Earth" (both 2/88 and 10/88 releases). Also included as a bonus track on the U.S. "Let It Bee" CD release.

11 NO GREEN BLUES

- B-side: "I Walk The Earth" Travel Pack 7" and CD single (first release only 2/88).

12 JESUS...

- B-side: "I Walk The Earth" Travel Pack 7" and CD single (first release only 2/88). Also included as a bonus track on the U.S. "Let It Bee" CD release. Cover of the Velvet Underground song.

13 DON'T CALL ME BABY (Single Version)

- Single released 5/88. This is the shortened radio version of the song.

14 JUMP THIS WAY

- B-side: "Don't Call Me Baby" (released 5/88).

15 GOODBYE TONIGHT

- B-side: "Don't Call Me Baby" Deluxe 7", 10" and CD single only (released 5/88).

16 THERE'S A BARBARIAN IN THE BACK OF MY CAR (Uncensored).

- Uncensored version of the "Let It Bee" album track. (Many copies of the album had the track with the word 'fuck' bleeped out on it.)

17 IN THE FLESH

- B-side: "I Say Nothing" (second release 7/88 only). Cover of the Blondie song.

18 EVERYTHING I HAD

- B-side: "I Walk The Earth 12" & CD single (second release 10/88 only).

19 TATTOO SONG

- B-side: "I Walk The Earth 12" & CD single (second release 10/88 only).

20 MAN IN THE MOON

- Single: released 12/88. Final single released from "Let It Bee".

21 WHAT YOU HAVE IS ENOUGH

- B-side: "Man In The Moon" single (released 12/88). Album track from "Let It Bee".

22 NO GREEN BLUES (Radio1 Session)

23 JUMP THIS WAY (Radio1 Session)

24 INDEPENDENCE DAY (Radio1 Session)

25 JESUS... (Radio 1 Session)

- Different recordings than the studio versions above, these last four were all specifically done for Radio One and released as an EP "The Radio 1 Sessions: The Evening Show" in February 1989.