Exile To Release Double-Album Of Previously-Unheard Demos In July

Artist: Exile
Album: The Garage Tapes
Label: Big Horse Records
Release date: July 13, 2019

A little over forty years have passed and over 8 million records have been sold, including three Gold records and eleven number one hit songs, along with numerous hits on the pop and country chart since Exile band members, Steve Goetzman, Marlon Hargis, J.P. Pennington, Sonny LeMaire and Les Taylor began making music and gathering in a small garage in Lexington, Kentucky making demos of their songs. Until now these recordings have remained unheard by anyone outside the small circle of the band. These particular garage tapes, were recorded between 1979 and 1982 at LEMCO studio in Lexington, Kentucky. The 30 song, two CD compilation is set for release by Big Horse Records in the upcoming weeks for purchase online and on all digital music platforms. 

The compilation includes pop songs as well as several country songs. Capturing these songs from the original source taped required a process known as “baking” to recover each song. Unfortunately, they could not recover the song “Take Me Down” in its entirety, so they included an actual rehearsal version recorded on a boom-box in 1980 prior to leaving L.A. to record it for the album, Don’t Leave Me This Way.

Since there are no demo versions of “Give Me One More Chance,” they have also included a rehearsal version recorded in the same manner on April 24, 1984. You will notice how the song morphed between this version and the final album version.

The band thought it would be interesting for fans to hear a song in the early stages of creation by including J.P. Pennington and Sonny LeMaire performing a very early version of “Keep It In The Middle of The Road from a songwriting cassette tape.

“Exile -The Garage Tapes” Track List:

Side 1:
Red Dancing Shoes (LeMaire / Gray)
There’s A Love (Pennington)
Me And You (Gray)
Your Love Is Everything (Pennington)
Dixie Girl (LeMaire / Paine)
Take Me To The River (Pennington)
Don’t Leave Me This Way (Pennington)
Nobody’s Hero (Pennington / Lawley)
Smooth Sailing (Gray / Slate / Pippin)
Midnight Man (Pennington)
Baby, It’s Me (Gray)
One More Night For Love (LeMaire / Gray / Gray)
Werewolf Of Love (LeMaire / Gray / Blazy)
The High Cost of Leaving (LeMaire / Pennington / Gray)
It Takes Love To Make Love (LeMaire / Gray / Silbar / Lorber)

Side 2:
I Can’t Get Close Enough (Pennington / LeMaire)
It’s You Again (Pennington / LeMaire)
My Hearts In Good Hands (Pennington / LeMaire)
Since You Came In (Pennington / Gray / Seals)
Did You See That Girl (Pennington / LeMaire)
I Can’t Love You Anymore (Pennington / Copeland)
Still So In Love With You (Pennington)
We Can Save Love (LeMaire / Blazy)
Do It All Over Again (Pennington)
Till The Very End (LeMaire / Gray)
The Closer You Get (Pennington / Gray)
Take Me Down (Pennington / Gray)
Give Me One More Chance (Pennington / LeMaire)
Keep It In The Middle Of The Road (Pennington / LeMaire)
Sixteen Tons (Travis)