Extremely Rare, Never-Before-Seen 1993 (And even some 1992?) Photos

Thanks to contributor Bailey we can add to our archive a small collection of never-before-seen 1993 photos, most of which were likely intended as promo material for the release of “Superstar Car Wash”.

Bailey most likely just blessed the blog with one of the rarest contents Old Goo aficionados have ever come across. We have what appears to be a small batch of shots taken during a live show, a goofy one, and even another photo from the photoshoot from which only one photo had ever been released, which appears on the back cover of the album. First and foremost, let’s hear it directly from Bailey:

Hello!

Back with more to share! This time I’m here to share multiple never before seen pictures from the Superstar Car Wash era! Most of these came from an older Instagram account I stumbled upon yesterday. The last picture is my favorite, and is from the same Photoshoot as the picture that ended up on the back of the SSCW Cd! That one came with an interview, but I didn’t read any of the red text over the picture since it’s really really hard to see. I think it’s the journalist saying how he loved the band and what type of sound they have. All the other pictures are great too!! Great to add to your collection.

Enjoy!

Bailey

Alright, let’s dive into it. First, we have three pictures which were likely taken during a live performance. Notice the writing on John’s sleeveless shirt: “Goo: Just Do It”. An element which makes me think the band was also involved with selling (and possibly even designing?) different kinds of merchandise to promote the album. I am not sure whether or not these were 1993 takes. In my opinion, they are more likely to be 1992 shots, probably taken around the time they did the photoshoot mentioned below.

Next we have the one I defined as “Goofy”, featuring all of the original members looking up, as if they were theater actors or something like that. Again, I am prone to interpret this one as a 1992 photo rather than a 1993 one.

Next, we have a signed photo which I am sure was from 1993. It says “Goo Goo Dolls Crew” on top. Most likely this was shared by someone who worked with the band on their 1993 tour.

The next one is from a photoshoot they did probably around late Winter / early Spring 1993. We have already shared some other pictures from it (Check this post and this one as well). We can now add another one from the same session.

Next we have the guys looking through what might be the windows of a pub.

The next one looks more like a drawing than a real photo, but it obviously is the latter. Just John et al. acting like bad boys in front of the camera.

Now, onto the most interesting photo. This was taken from the photoshoot session the band did in 1992, most likely late Summer / early Fall of that year, and from which only one picture had been shared so far, that is the one that ended up on the back cover of the album. For the latter, we have had only the original one and its black-and-white counterpart for the longest time available online. We can finally add another one from that very same session.

The text is kind of hard to read, so I used AI to help me deciphering it. Here’s what the AI says it reads:

Doll Parts

by Brian O’Neill

The Goo Goo Dolls are amongst my favorite bands out there right now, and all it takes is one look at the band in front of a packed club to realize why. The Buffalo natives (but sounding nothing like other bands from that area) are hilarious, note-taking musicians who daintily run around the stage like escaped mental patients. It’s even harder to imagine that these goofs should be followed by lovely, catchy pop-driven hooks, but they do, and the sober ingredients blend together with fractured brilliance. Johnny’s the guitarist with both nuts and bolts tightened. Robby’s bass brings the most athleticism out of them all, and George, doing a fairly good job at straight-faced percussion, is the most important part of the trio. George (Yes! Norm from “Cheers”) Wendt’s favorite band. They should be yours, too!

Thanks again Bailey for the marvelous material!