Songs That Only Exist Live On-Stage

Ever seen a band cover or perform a tune live in concert or heard it on a live album and wonder what album it's from, only to find out it doesn't exist? Maybe it's a song the band demoed live but never got around to recording a proper "studio" version. Or they just choose a particular cover tune that the band likes to kick around while on stage, but could never get the rights to put it on an album.

What are some of your favorite songs by bands that only exist as live versions?

King's X did "I'm Your Captain" by Grand Funk Railroad live back on the Ear Candy tour but have never recorded it...

Mortification had a song called "Dead Man Walking" on a live album that didn't get a proper studio recording until maybe 7 years later.

Ultimatum had a song called "Chalk Line" tha appears on a bootleg live recording I own. They've never recorded it in the studio....... yet?

Did Thin Lizzy ever record a studio version of the song 'Are You Ready?'. I was listening to Live and Dangerous and that's what got me thinking of the topic. Good tune, but I don't think I've ever heard a studio version, other than the Rollins band cover of it.

Back in the day, when the real Guns n' Roses existed, Slash used to play a mean version of 'Speak Softly Love" aka The Godfather theme. I have it on a bootleg.

kmorg wrote:

Ultimatum had a song called "Chalk Line" tha appears on a bootleg live recording I own. They've never recorded it in the studio....... yet?

And never will. Tom Michaels took part of the riff and used it in a SeventhSign song. It's too "funky" for Ultimatum anyhow.

Guns n Roses used to do lots of covers on stage, Alice Cooper-Only Women Bleed and the Rolling Stones-Wild Horses to name two, KISS used to encore with The Who-Won't Get Fooled Again.

Thin Lizzy did do a studio version of 'Are You Ready' I think it is on the 'Fighting' but I am not sure.

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Guns n Roses used to do lots of covers on stage, Alice Cooper-Only Women Bleed and the Rolling Stones-Wild Horses to name two

I have those on the same bootleg with the Godfather theme. I don't think they're entire songs though. Mostly instrumental with Axl chiming in with just a chorus or 2. It's called Covering 'Em and has all live cover tunes and a coupla demos at the end.





Some of these songs ended up on The Spaghetti Incident.

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Thin Lizzy did do a studio version of 'Are You Ready' I think it is on the 'Fighting' but I am not sure.

Nope, not on Fighting. I checked out the Lizzy discography and can't find the song 'Are You Ready' on any studio album. Unless it was released as an obscure b-side or something. Looks like it wa only played live. Can someone prove otherwise?

Speaking of Thin Lizzy and live songs, I remembered the last time I saw Motorhead on the Motorizer tour, Lemmy & co played the song 'Rosealie' which Lemmy dedicated to Phil. That's the only time I've ever heard Motorhead play that tune.

I've never heard a "Are You Ready" studio version. But its on every live product they've released. Olaf and ult are the Lizzy fanatics, they'll know for sure.

SpectreFate wrote:

I've never heard a "Are You Ready" studio version. But its on every live product they've released. Olaf and ult are the Lizzy fanatics, they'll know for sure.

I really like this song

I guess MG you are right, I consulted ULT's No Life til Metal, and did not see a studio version of 'Are You Ready?' listed. I thought I had heard a studio version, maybe I heard it on the BBC sessions album or something like that.

Did Dokken ever record a studio version of Paris Is Burning, or was it studio with crowd sounds added into it?

Slayer never did record a studio version of Ice Titans, did they?

The Bid "D" hasn't recorded Raining Blood in the studio...

W.A.S.P. "The Manimal" and "Harder, Faster" (2 of their better songs) were never recorded in the studio.

Let me rephrase that. Those 2 songs were never recorded in a studio without crowd noise inserted.

Faith No More's "The Grade" is only on their LIve at Brixton album, but it never was recorded for a studio record.

Alice in Chains has a song, Queen of the Rodeo they've never done a studio version of.

Chairman_Smith wrote:

Alice in Chains has a song, Queen of the Rodeo they've never done a studio version of.

Yep. It only was included on their Music Bank collection.

Blue Oyster Cult had Wings Of Mercury

Mother Love Bone did some really cool covers of Argent's "Hold Your Head Up" and Queen's "I'm In Love With My Car" that are only on bootlegs.

metalheaded wrote:

Did Dokken ever record a studio version of Paris Is Burning, or was it studio with crowd sounds added into it?

Yeah, but it's only officially on the LP, Breakin' The Chains(notice the different spelling) on the Carrere Label, 1982.

Also,
"Live to Rock" is called "We're Illegal" and has completely different lyrics, but the same music.

Doesn't quite fit the whole criteria of this thread but here it is anyway. The extended version of Dream Theater-Take The Time. The studio version ends in the middle of a guitar solo but live the song went on longer. They had it on Once In A Livetime but it turned into the Freebird solo. The only existing version of the extended one (that I know of-DT has many out-of-print EPs and bootlegs) is on the video Live In Tokyo.

the only songs i can think of that ive heard that would fit in this category would be The New Song by Metallica. tbh it wasnt that great

Holy crapamoley, GOOOOOOOOOCH IZ IN DA HOUUUUUUUUUUSE Y'ALL! Where the hell you been?

On topic, years ago when I saw Aerosmith on the PUMP tour, Joe Perry sang lead on a cover of "Red House" by Jimi Hendrix. Did the band (or Joe solo) ever lay that one down in the studio?