Elliott Smith

Release Date: July 21, 1995
The self-titled album features single "Needle In The Hay" and "Christian Brothers".

Song: "Christian Brothers" performed with Heatmiser
Recorded at Heatmiser House in the Irvington neighborhood in Portland on November 12, 1995

KEVIN MOYER: OK here is Elliott with Heatmiser. This is the full band doing their version of a song that Elliott released solo on his Self-Titled album in 1995. Tony Lash mixed this version after Larry dug it up from the archives many years later. I love this version and all the layers and the waves of warm sound that it becomes.

NICKOLAS ROSSI: The bass line alone is incredible. I thought it would be a great to use a familiar Elliott song performed by his band while the conversation in the film started hinted at things starting to be difficult in collaborations and to hint at the time where Elliott would start rebelling against his own band. I felt like having a Heatmiser version of an Elliott Smith song was about as clear as we could get in illustrating the beginning of the tension.

LARRY CRANE: I love the heavier power of this version. I struggle to understand why it would have been recorded after the solo version had been released, but it showcases Heatmiser at their best, and how they could present Elliott's songs in their own way.

TONY LASH (Heatmiser drummer): Sam Coomes is playing bass on this one. As far as I know, Christian Brothers was arranged as a Heatmiser song before Elliott recorded or performed it solo. We recorded it during the sessions for Mic City Sons but it was not mixed at that time because by then Elliott had decided to use his solo version on his 2nd album. I was disappointed because I thought the Heatmiser version was really strong. I don't remember talking with Elliott specifically about why he preferred his version. It eventually faded from my memory until Larry unearthed the multitrack and sent over a rough mix when he was archiving everything in 2008/2009. I asked him to send over the tracks so that I could do a proper mix for my own collection. I'm glad Larry unearthed it. I like the intensity of it.

Elliot Smith Released: 1995

1995 show highlights

March 31, 1995
Elliott Smith
Ultrasound, Toronto, ON, Canada

March 6, 1995
Elliott Smith
Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco, CA, US

February 12, 1995
Elliott Smith
Old Fire House Teen Center, Redmond, WA, US