Today we have yet another hidden gem unearthed again by Sean Hampson. Don’t forget to browse his dedicated category for more rare stuff that’s been forwarded by this gentleman.
This is probably one of the rarest early Goo Goo Dolls material one can find. A 1986 show titled “The Last Purple Bedroom”. It’s a fascinating look into the early performances of the band and a peek into how they originally were before the big turns and changes of melodic directions which took place in the 1990’s.
The concert clocks in at 30 minutes. Let’s briefly analyze it:
- A total of 7 songs crafted by the band, plus 3 covers: “Born To Be Wild“, originally written by Steppenwolf, and Sweet’s “Ballroom Blitz“
- It’s clear they really enjoyed playing “Gimme Shelter“, originally written by The Rolling Stones, the third cover appearing here. In fact, they also recorded a studio version for it for their second album “Jed”
- “Slaughterhouse” makes an appearance, they seldom played it live back in the day. I’ve always considered this song one, if not THE, most intriguing off their catalog, due to its unique nature which is completely misaligned with the rest of the album. The same vibe I get when listening to “You Know What I Mean” in reference to 1990’s “Hold Me Up”. John introduces the song by stating it is a ballad
For this special occasion, Sean has written his own thoughts, which you can read below:
Nearly 25 years ago a trip was made to Niagara Falls, New York to meet somebody at the Factory Outlet Mall. The mission? Bootlegs in a box.
Back in the day, bootlegs were not only scarce, but pretty hard to come by. The internet was definitely in its early stages, so searching for stuff like that wasn’t as easy as it is today. Come to think of it, I don’t even know how my friend and I got in touch with that person we met…It must have been the internet. But it wasn’t as simple as a download. Phone calls had to be made, emails had to be sent, and trips had to be arranged to get what we wanted. Regardless, it was time and money well spent. I miss the days of actually getting something physically in my hands… CD’s, laserdiscs, etc. So when we got home it was like Christmas morning in February…Eight Goo Goo Dolls bootlegs on cassette and two VHS shows in a shoebox. And one of those gems was The Last Purple Bedroom show from 1986. Any genuine fan is going to really appreciate how rare this is. I am constantly looking for old Goo Goo Dolls shows. There are bits and pieces here and there, but I was surprised to find how many weren’t actually online. Now they seem to be finding a home here at the Temple of Goo.
I couldn’t be more thrilled to share this stuff with the masses, with the hope that somebody out there is just like me… sitting on a gold mine of golden Goo shows. The Temple of Goo is indeed building an empire of noise!
Cheers everyone. And, as always, enjoy responsibly. ✌️
Sean Hampson
TRACK LISTING:
- Gimme Shelter
- Love Dolls
- Torn Apart
- I’m Addicted
- Different Light
- Hammerin’ Eggs
- Born To Be Wild
- Livin’ In A Hut
- Ballroom Blitz
- Slaughterhouse
You can listen to the concert below. Download links are provided at the end of this post.
Temple of Goo - The rarest Goo Goo Dolls releases, for real Goo fans only 