Husker Du 1979 Demo Tape May Be Released

It’s possible that rare and/or unreleased early recordings by Husker Du could be made available in the near future. Numero Group, a Chicago-based reissue label that’s a godsend for lovers of obscure recordings, suggested that something is on the way

The news comes via Dangerous Minds, who noted that, on Saturday, Numero Group tweeted out a picture of a cassette with the caption, “Seven years in the making. It begins.” The tape is marked “Mac-Bruce Demo Tape,” a reference to six songs — “Nuclear Nightmare,” “Do the Bee,” “Uncle Ron,” “Don't Try to Call,” “Sex Dolls” and “MTC” — they cut with Bill Bruce in May 1979. Those tracks, along with other early Husker Du songs, surfaced in 2010 on a bootleg called The Truth Hurts.

Numero Group has worked with Husker Du before. For Record Store Day in 2013, they did a double-7-inch single of “Statues” b/w “Amusement” and “Writer’s Cramp” b/w “Let’s Go Die.” Back in 1980, the band had planned to release all four songs as a 10-inch EP as their first single, but, due to costs, decided to go with the 45RPM. Three of the cuts — “Writer’s Cramp” was excluded — were issued as bonus tracks when their debut, Everything Falls Apart, was released on CD in 1993 as Everything Falls Apart and More.

A year ago, hopes for a reunion of Husker Du were raised when they launched a website and Facebook page.  However, Bob Mould put an end to the speculation by saying that it was done solely for business purposes. “You know… Grant [Hart, their drummer and singer] and I have talked,” he said. “We’re fine. Will we work together? No. I like to run my own ship and I think he likes to run his own ship, and that’s great. I never want to take advantage of the fact that I was in that band, nor do I ever want to get in the way of its legacy… Nah, no reunion.”

Since their 1988 breakup, Mould and Hart have only performed together once, playing two Husker Du songs at a 2004 benefit for Soul Asylum bassist Karl Mueller, who was suffering from throat cancer. Mueller died in 2005.

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