buck-naked

Buck Naked
Demo album by Barenaked Ladies
Released	1988-1989
Recorded	1988-1989
Genre	Indie rock Folk rock Lo-fi
Length	:
Label	John King Artist Consultants
Barenaked Ladies chronology
Buck Naked (1989) Barenaked Lunch (1990)

The cover for the first edition of the tape.

Buck Naked was the Barenaked Ladies' first indie tape release, with just Ed Robertson and Steven Page. The first known tape was released in 1988 (tough most were released in 1989), before Barenaked Lunch (also known as the Pink Tape) in 1990, and the Yellow Tape in 1991. There are four editions of this tape, each with different track listings. The earliest version, dating from "Fall 1988", features only five songs, as well as a cover that is different from later versions: it is green with the faces of Page and Robertson pasted onto photos of Terence Trent D'Arby. This edition of the tape is very rare, with fewer than 100 copies of it existing.  The second, third and fourth editions feature a white cover with a black-and-white photo of Page and Robertson. There were more copies of these editions made, with 150-600 copies made.^[1] It was recorded on a four-track recorder.^[1] The tapes were sold by the band off the stage.^[2]

The different editions feature songs which the band would eventually re-record for later releases. "Be My Yoko Ono" and "If I Had $1000000" would appear on The Yellow Tape and the their first album Gordon (both eventually becoming hits). Also recorded for Gordon (as the so-called "naked track") was "The King Of Bedside Manor". "The Great Provider" would be recorded again for the second album, Maybe You Should Drive, and the Bucknaked recording would appear on the "Jane" CD single in 1994. "Night Photographs" would be recorded for The Pink Tape and that recording, with the pitch corrected, would appear on The Ladies Room, Vol. 1 fan club CD single in 1997. "Trouble With Tracy" was performed live, with a live recording appearing as the B-side to the "Brian Wilson" single in 1993. "Road Runner" would be performed live as well, with a live version appearing on The Ladies Room, Vol. 7 fan club CD single is 2003.

Track listing, 1st edition

1. "Road Runner"
2. "Only You" (early version of what would later become "Lilac Girl")
3. "Night Photographs"
4. "Wishing Well"
5. "Really Don't Know"

(the second side of the tape includes most of the songs from The Police album Zenyatta Mondatta).

Track listing, 2nd edition

1. "Roadrunner" – 1:31
2. "Lilac Girl" – 3:06
3. "The Trouble with Tracy" – 2:55
4. "Couldn't Care Less" – 4:17
5. "The Great Provider" – 3:35
6. "Night Photographs" – 3:00
7. "Really Don't Know" – 3:53
8. "Make My Heart Fly" – 1:35
9. "A Message To Rudy" – 2:50
10. "Wishing Well" – 4:20
11. "Psycho Killer" – 3:57
12. "Roadrunner (reprise)" – 1:39
13. "How's the Level?" – 0:05

Track listing, 3rd edition

1. "Roadrunner" – 1:31
2. "Lilac Girl" – 3:06
3. "Trouble with Tracy" – 2:55
4. "Couldn't Care Less" – 4:17
5. "Great Provider" – 3:35
6. "Night Photographs" – 3:00
7. "Be My Yoko Ono" – 3:44
8. "Really Don't Know" – 3:53
9. "Make My Heart Fly" – 1:35
10. "A Message To Rudy" – 2:50
11. "Wishing Well" – 4:08
12. "Psycho Killer" – 3:57
13. "Roadrunner (reprise)" – 1:39
14. "How's the Level?" – 0:05

Track listing, 4th edition

1. "Roadrunner" – 1:31
2. "Lilac Girl" – 3:06
3. "King of Bedside Manor" – 3:02
4. "Trouble with Tracy" – 2:55
5. "Great Provider" – 3:35
6. "Night Photographs" – 3:00
7. "Make My Heart Fly" – 1:35
8. "Really Don't Know" – 3:53
9. "Be My Yoko Ono" – 3:44
10. "Psycho Killer" – 3:57
11. "Rudi, A Message To You" – 3:33
12. "If I Had $1000000" – 2:45
13. "Wishing Well" – 4:08
14. "Careless" – 4:08
15. "How's the Level?" – 0:05

References