Oasis Releasing Lost Recordings From ‘Definitely Maybe’ Amid Reunion Rumblings

Before Oasis became a household name, selling over 75 million albums, the band, like many before them, wanted nothing more than to release a debut album. While known for hits like “Wonderwall”, “Live Forever”, and “Supersonic”, Oasis once struggled to find that perfect sound as they recorded their debut album Definitely Maybe. And apparently, early versions of songs like “Cigarettes & Alcohol” and “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star”, were recorded and accidentally lost for nearly 30 years. But now, as rumors swirl around the group, it seems those lost recordings are getting new life. 

Recording the songs over three decades ago, the unheard tapings from Monnow Valley Studios will be released on Friday as a way to celebrate Oasis‘s debut album turning 30 years old. Discussing the songs and how they went missing, Noel Gallagher said, “I kept saying there’s no way they’ve gone missing, those tapes must be somewhere. The tapes went to our record label and were never seen again. It was canned. Turns out it was mislabelled. So I’d never heard that Monnow Valley record until six months ago.”

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Oasis Struggled Inside The Studio

Having performed on stage, the band looked to bring that same intensity into the recording studio. But according to Gallagher, management believed the early recordings lacked the signature sound of Oasis. This led to the recordings being shelved. Gallagher continued, “The songs were still great but it isn’t very loose. We’d only played 14 or 15 gigs when we got to Monnow Valley, it was too early to make that record.  We were all playing in different rooms. There was loads of backing vocals and that’s not what we sounded like on stage. It was missing that thing and that was playing live together.”

Although needing some time in the studio, Oasis eventually settled in and found their groove. Gallagher even thanked their manager. “I remember being frustrated because I just wanted to get it out. Thank God McGhee and our manager Marcus Russell had the wherewithal to say you can’t put that out. Thankfully we eventually got it right.”

(Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)