Lions & Dogs

Lions and Dogs: the Unreleased Album

Right click on the links to download the files! We thought we had a solid deal with XXX Records. However, the label went out of business, only to return several years later with the debut releases by Jane's Addiction and Guns and Roses. I guess we were a few years too early. We finished the basic tracks for all of these - but not the final vocals or final mix, so these are all very, very quick mixes that were done without ever intending them for release. However, I think several sound very very good.

-- Be My Something -- I always believed this song had more potential than any other Newman tune (except "Jamboree") to be a true hit. You can tell the vocal is just a throw-away as he wavers off-key but a strong performance overall with guitar and drums.

Download be_my_something.m4a

-- Jamboree -- A previous demo version had already been an airplay staple on KJHK-FM, the college radio station at the University of Kansas. As close to a local "hit" as we ever had. Damn fine stuff - and later re-recorded in Minneapolis with a Paul Westerberg-written bridge added.

Download Jamboree.m4a

-- Brian Wilson -- written and sung by Michael Welsh -- Mike and Todd wrote separately and split the songs on the album. Here's another one that would have been much better with a real vocal recording and a better mix. Great guitar feedback from Newman though!

Download brian_wilson.m4a 

-- Off the Top of My Head -- another Newman staple which we played live for years.

Download off_the_top_of_my_head_lp.m4a

-- Do Your Life Over-- written and sung by Michael Welsh -- performed live with Mike on guitar and myself stumbling along on drums. Had potential if we could have polished the song beyond this raw  run-through without Todd. My favorite Welsh lyric.

Download do_your_life_over.m4a

-- Please Don't Worry -- a clear sign we were trying to figure out how to use the recording studio - this song was so bad we only saved this tragic but funny ending. This would have never come out on any record, but it's funny.

Download please_dont_worry_partial.m4a

-- Chippewa Love Stomp -- a joke about my Native American heritage... this was three guitars playing through one amplifier - and was a riff that was supposed to close the album... but, as you can hear, the tape ran out unexpectedly. We continued to play until the poor amp began smoking and never worked again.

Download chippewa_love_stomp.m4a

Lions and Dogs: the Latter Years

The album deal fell apart, and Mike Welsh left the band to move to Chicago. Without much sense of direction, Todd and I continued to record demos in several local studios and produced some of the best recordings he's ever made. We occasionally did live shows with several bass players and guitarists, but the main focus was the studio recordings until Todd moved to Minneapolis. We had started using the "Leatherwoods" name occasionally, but Todd didn't use it full-time until moving to Minneapolis.

-- Stupid Enough -- one of my favorite songs and best recordings for Todd and me. Great guitar and cool lyrics.

Download stupid_enough.m4a

-- Tell Me Another -- another one of my favorites. Absolute mininmalistic drumming, great biting guitar sound and a very serious lyric.

 

Download tell_me_another.m4a

-- Start to Pray -- another of the more 'rock' sounding recordings. I always preferred these to the more mellow pop versions we would try. I always felt Todd was under-appreciated as a great rock guitarist, but he really wanted to be known as a singer/songwriter.

Download start_to_pray.m4a

-- Dear Anyone -- a slow dirge which was known for several years as "Rondstadt" because Todd dreamed of Linda Rondstadt recording the song. One of his better ballads and I believe this was recorded live to tape - no overdubs of any kind.

Download dear_anyone.m4a

More:

A Winner Runs Alone
Download a_winner_runs_alone.m4a

Don't Back Down on Me
Download dont_back_down_on_me.m4a

Easy Homerun
Download easy_homerun.m4a

How 'Bout You
Download how_bout_you.m4a

Jamboree (demo)
Download jamboree_demo.m4a

Jamboree (piano)
Download jamboree_piano.m4a

Just To Win Her Back
Download just_to_win_her_back.m4a

Kid (Wanna Be an Adult)
Download kid_wanna_be_an_adult.m4a

Kill Myself for Christmas (piano)
Download kill_myself_for_christmas_alt. piano).m4a

Running Away
Download running_away.m4a

Wish I Had
Download wish_i_had.m4a

Lions and Dogs: the Early Demos

Most of these were from our first demo sessions, recorded in a moldy, old basement in Lawrence, KS. I think almost everything was recorded live-to-tape, except for some lead vocals which were over-dubbed later. Not great sound quality but a sign of Todd's songwriting starting to develop. He would probably cringe at these, but I like the sound of a young band unsure of its direction but somehow gaining confidence with each song.

-- New Year:  A long-time live favorite, this one always sounded much stronger when we performed it on-stage.

Download new_year.m4a

-- On The Waterfront:  You can tell we were still learning this one, as the performance is mistake-filled. This one later became known as "The City Limits." 

Download on_the_waterfront.m4a

-- The Lady Vanishes:  Named for an old film, and one of the other long-time live favorites because we usually played it fast and some fans always requested the song by the wrong title of "Strange Little Girl."
The first "co-lead-vocal" by Mike and Todd.

Download the_lady_vanishes.m4a

-- You Don't Own Me: Certainly one of Todd's more angry lyrics, with a performance to match. He always liked singing "that cretinous swine in the red shirt"...well, and the "fuck yourself" line.

Download you_dont_own_me.m4a

-- What's Goin Ahn -- cover of a Big Star/Alex Chilton song. Like most bands of our era, we worshiped Big Star, so here's our cover of one of the songs from the "Radio City" album. This was recorded live in my parent's basement - and probably our very first cover song.

Download whats_goin_ahn.m4a

Todd Newman/ Lions and Dogs: Live Recordings

We had our moments live. Both Todd and Mike Welsh seemed to suffer from various levels of stage fright - which was made much worse usually by too much alcohol. But, when we were really playing well, we could be a great live band. Here are a few examples: good and bad, funny and sad...

-- What Else? -- cover of a Comsat Angels song by Steven Fellows. Recorded at our first official gig in the cavernous First Avenue club in Minneapolis, MN. (It's most famous as the site where Prince's "Purple Rain" was filmed. We were the opening act for the local legends, the Suburbs. (Video from this show makes us all look like we were 12 years old... hahahah)

Download what_else.m4a

-- Cmon Bess Armstrong -- written by Mike Welsh. This was recorded two nights later in our hometown. It was a local battle of the bands - but because we were on an easy-listening, light-rock station, we played under a fake name, "Fire Cassidy."  (a bad joke about the actor Jack Cassidy , who had been killed in a house fire...). We were literally kicked off the air after only three songs - and so we played this one as loud and as fast as we could while the audience held their hands over their ears. Then, the asshole host makes several jokes before they cut to an advertisement. A glorious moment in our eyes!

Download cmon_bess_armstrong.m4a

-- No Pictures of Dad - written by Alan Oliver - a cover of a song by a local songwriter Todd and I later performed with as a cover band. Pure pop song - and one of our rare four-piece recordings with Chris "Jamie" Garner on guitar and Charles Brown on bass.

Download no_pictures_of_dad.m4a

-- A Winner Runs Alone -- also from the same four-piece lineup. One of the most fun to play live.

Download winner_runs_alone.m4a

Todd Newman: Solo Work

Lions and Dogs (and later the Leatherwoods and the Todd Newman Band) took on many forms of band names and band members. For almost all of the 1980s, Todd (guitar and vocals) and myself (drums and bkg vocals) were the two constants.  On all of these pages, all songs are written by Todd Newman unless noted otherwise.

Here are some very early demos that are almost exclusively Todd solo performances:

-- 27-Year-Old Actress: written when he was 21 or 22 years old, and 27 seemed SO ancient to all of us... based on a true story I do believe. Certainly based on a real actress.

Download 27_year_old_actress.m4a

-- God Loves the Beach Boys:  one of my faves... Todd always loved the late-60s/early-70s-era Beach Boys stuff. The third member of Lions and Dogs, Mike Welsh, also wrote a song called "Brian Wilson."

Download god_loves_the_beach_boys.m4a

-- Kill Myself for Christmas: As sweet as he could be on songs like "God Loves the Beach Boys," he could also be cutting and morose. This one actually got some limited airplay on a Los Angeles radio station when a DJ heard it and felt compelled to play it at holiday time.

Download kill_myself_for_christmas.m4a

-- Lemur Eyes:  An obscure song... I believe this is the only recording of this one, and we never played i live...

Download lemur_eyes.m4a

-- Hit and Run -- Todd playing his fingers off on acoustic guitar!

Download hit_and_run.m4a