Miscellaneous T
Encyclopedia
Miscellaneous T is a b-side and remix
compilation album
released by the alternative rock
band They Might Be Giants
in 1991
. It is a US
re-release of Don't Let's Start
which was only released in the UK
and West Germany
. The differences include cover art, track order, and the song "Hello Radio", which was not included on Don't Let's Start. The album consists of all of the b-sides from the singles the band released between 1987 and 1989 (except Ana Ng
), with the addition of the relatively new songs "The World's Address (Joshua Fried Remix)" – released beforehand only on Don't Let's Start – and "Hello Radio", which was previously released on a promotional sampler.
All of the songs, with the exception of "(She Was A) Hotel Detective (Single Mix)", went on to be included in Then: The Earlier Years
, a compilation of the band's early material.
Miscellaneous T is said to be named for the section in record stores where They Might Be Giants' albums were most often shelved in the band's early years.
The 13th track, which has no name listed on the album's track listing, is not actually a song, but a snippet of a recording inadvertently left on the Dial-A-Song answering machine, in which a confused listener named Gloria talks to an unknown third party about the mystery of "There May Be Giants" and "There Must Be Giants", as she mistakenly refers to the band. It would later be referenced when Bryant Gumbel
referred to them as "They Must Be Giants" when they performed "Your Racist Friend" on the Today Show to promote the release of Flood.
"Lady Is a Tramp
" is a cover of a song from the Rodgers and Hart
musical Babes in Arms
.
"The World's Address (Joshua Fried Remix)" appears to contain a sample of "Convoy" by C.W. McCall, but doesn't
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
released by the alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years Flansburgh and Linnell were frequently accompanied by a drum machine. In the early 1990s, TMBG became a full band. Currently, the members of TMBG are...
in 1991
1991 in music
See also:* 1991 in music Record labels established in 1991-Summary:The year 1991 is the year that grunge music made its popular breakthrough. Nirvana's Nevermind, led by the surprise hit single "Smells Like Teen Spirit", becomes the most popular U.S. album of the year...
. It is a US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
re-release of Don't Let's Start
Don't Let's Start (album)
Don't Let's Start is a 1989 b-side and remix compilation album by the alternative rock band They Might Be Giants. It was only available in the UK and West Germany, and can be seen as the predecessor to Miscellaneous T, which includes all of the tracks from this release and an additional track,...
which was only released in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
. The differences include cover art, track order, and the song "Hello Radio", which was not included on Don't Let's Start. The album consists of all of the b-sides from the singles the band released between 1987 and 1989 (except Ana Ng
Ana Ng
"Ana Ng" is a song by alternative rock band They Might Be Giants. It was released as the lead single from the band's 1988 album Lincoln. Although the song was their first US chart appearance, hitting #11 on the US Modern Rock chart, the single was never officially released in the US...
), with the addition of the relatively new songs "The World's Address (Joshua Fried Remix)" – released beforehand only on Don't Let's Start – and "Hello Radio", which was previously released on a promotional sampler.
All of the songs, with the exception of "(She Was A) Hotel Detective (Single Mix)", went on to be included in Then: The Earlier Years
Then: The Earlier Years
Then: The Earlier Years is a double album by the band They Might Be Giants. It was released in 1997 . Then contains the album Lincoln in its entirety, the albums They Might Be Giants and Miscellaneous T which are each missing one track, a few otherwise unreleased songs from their 1985 Demo Tape and...
, a compilation of the band's early material.
Miscellaneous T is said to be named for the section in record stores where They Might Be Giants' albums were most often shelved in the band's early years.
Song notes
The tracks are all grouped together according to the singles they appeared on. These singles and the tracks from this album that appeared on the singles are as follows:- 1–3: Purple ToupeePurple Toupee-Track listing:# "Purple Toupee"# "Hey, Mr. DJ, I Thought You Said We Had A Deal"# "Lady Is A Tramp"# "Birds Fly"The latter three tracks would later be included on Miscellaneous T.- External links :*Purple Toupee EP on This Might Be A Wiki...
- 5–7: They'll Need a CraneThey'll Need a CraneThey'll Need a Crane is an EP and song by They Might Be Giants. "They'll Need a Crane" was the first song the band performed on network television, in 1989 on the Late Night with David Letterman.-Track listing:#"They'll Need a Crane"...
- 9–14: (She Was A) Hotel Detective(She Was A) Hotel Detective-12" track listing:- Personnel :*John Flansburgh – vocals, guitar*John Linnell – vocals, bass saxophone, baritone saxiphone, synthesizers*Anne Moore – vocals*Peter Pairman Thomson – backup vocalsProduction*Al Houghton – engineer...
- 15–18: Don't Let's StartDon't Let's Start"Don't Let's Start" is a song by alternative rock band They Might Be Giants, from their eponymous debut album They Might Be Giants. It was the first single released from the album, released as a maxi-single. The song is one of the band's most popular and well-known songs, despite failing to chart...
The 13th track, which has no name listed on the album's track listing, is not actually a song, but a snippet of a recording inadvertently left on the Dial-A-Song answering machine, in which a confused listener named Gloria talks to an unknown third party about the mystery of "There May Be Giants" and "There Must Be Giants", as she mistakenly refers to the band. It would later be referenced when Bryant Gumbel
Bryant Gumbel
Bryant Charles Gumbel is an American television journalist and sportscaster. He is best known for his 15 years as co-host of NBC's The Today Show. He is the younger brother of sportscaster Greg Gumbel.-Early life:...
referred to them as "They Must Be Giants" when they performed "Your Racist Friend" on the Today Show to promote the release of Flood.
"Lady Is a Tramp
The Lady Is a Tramp
"The Lady Is a Tramp" is a show tune from the 1937 Rodgers and Hart musical Babes In Arms in which it was introduced by former child star Mitzi Green. This song is a spoof of New York high society and its strict etiquette...
" is a cover of a song from the Rodgers and Hart
Rodgers and Hart
Rodgers and Hart were an American songwriting partnership of composer Richard Rodgers and the lyricist Lorenz Hart...
musical Babes in Arms
Babes in Arms
Babes in Arms is a 1937 musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Lorenz Hart and book by Rodgers and Hart. It concerns a teen-age boy who puts on a show with his friends to avoid being sent to a work farm.- Production history:...
.
"The World's Address (Joshua Fried Remix)" appears to contain a sample of "Convoy" by C.W. McCall, but doesn't
Track listing
All songs by They Might Be Giants unless otherwise noted.- "Hey, Mr. DJ, I Thought You Said We Had a Deal" – 3:48
- "Lady is a Tramp" (Lorenz HartLorenz HartLorenz "Larry" Milton Hart was the lyricist half of the famed Broadway songwriting team Rodgers and Hart...
, Richard RodgersRichard RodgersRichard Charles Rodgers was an American composer of music for more than 900 songs and for 43 Broadway musicals. He also composed music for films and television. He is best known for his songwriting partnerships with the lyricists Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II...
) – 1:20 - "Birds Fly" – 1:25
- "The World's Address" [Joshua Fried Remix] – 5:42
- "Nightgown of the Sullen Moon" – 1:59
- "I'll Sink Manhattan" – 2:32
- "It's Not My Birthday" – 1:52
- "Hello Radio" - 0:56
- "Mr. Klaw" – 1:19
- "Kiss Me, Son of God" [Alternate Version] – 1:52
- "The Biggest One" – 1:22
- "For Science" – 1:19
- "untitled" – 2:33
- "(She Was a) Hotel Detective" [Single Remix] – 2:20
- "The Famous Polka" – 1:33
- "When it Rains it Snows" – 1:33
- "We're the Replacements" – 1:50
- "Don't Let's Start" [Single Remix] – 2:34
External links
- Miscellaneous T page at This Might Be A Wiki