S Poddar
Oasis is gearing up to release some long-lost gems from their early days, just in time for the 30th anniversary of their groundbreaking album, Definitely Maybe. These tracks, including early versions of fan favorites like “Live Forever” and “Cigarettes & Alcohol,” were thought to be lost forever—until recently.
Back in 1993, when Oasis was just starting out, they recorded eight songs at Monnow Valley Studios in South Wales. It was their first studio session after signing a record deal, and the recordings were meant to be a significant milestone in the band’s career. However, the tapes went missing, vanishing into thin air for nearly three decades.
Noel Gallagher, reflecting on the ordeal, shared his frustration and disbelief with the BBC: “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.”
Despite the setback, Oasis didn’t let the loss derail them. They re-recorded and remixed the songs, which eventually became the version of Definitely Maybe that fans around the world know and love. But the story doesn’t end there. The original, so-called “lost tracks” have been recovered and are set to be released this Friday, August 30, as part of the album’s 30th-anniversary reissue. Among the tracks are early takes of “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star,” “Shakermaker,” and “Columbia,” offering fans a rare glimpse into the band’s raw beginnings.
As Oasis prepares to unveil these long-forgotten recordings, the timing couldn’t be more intriguing. The band has been dropping hints that something big is on the horizon, with fans speculating about a potential reunion tour. Liam Gallagher added fuel to the fire during his set at the Reading Festival, where he teased a mysterious date—August 27, 2024—on the screens at the end of his performance. The same image appeared in Manchester following Blossoms’ homecoming gig and was also shared on the social media accounts of Noel, Liam, and Oasis.
At Reading, Liam performed the entire Definitely Maybe album in full, ahead of the reissue’s release. In a moment that seemed to hint at reconciliation, he dedicated “Half The World Away” to “Noel fucking Gallagher.” Just a few days earlier, during his headline set at Leeds, Liam had alluded to the ongoing speculation with a cryptic remark: “It is very interesting, init? It is a very interesting situation we’ve found ourselves in.”
As fans eagerly await the reissue and potential reunion news, the rediscovery of these early recordings serves as a reminder of Oasis’s enduring legacy. The band’s music, filled with raw energy and unfiltered emotion, continues to resonate with listeners old and new. And now, with the release of these “lost tracks,” fans have the chance to experience a piece of Oasis history that, until recently, was thought to be gone forever.
