Oasis release the first track to be revealed from the recently announced Definitely Maybe 30th Anniversary Deluxe Editions. Listen to ‘Columbia (Sawmills Outtake)’ here. Available on 30th August 2024, on Big Brother Recordings, Definitely Maybe (30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) features tracks from the abandoned original recording session at Monnow Valley Studios, along with outtakes from the definitive album recording session at Sawmills Studios in Cornwall.
Mixed for the first time by Noel Gallagher and Callum Marinho, ‘Columbia (Sawmills Outtake)’ weighs in at an epic 7 minutes 18 seconds, dwarfing the 6 minutes of the album original. Based around an effectively simple chord structure, the hypnotic rhythms of ‘Columbia (Sawmills Outtake)’ spiral into delayed drums and droning feedback, with Noel Gallagher’s harmonies buried deeper within the mix than on Owen Morris’ final album version, where they were subsequently lifted to become one of the most beloved Oasis choruses. ‘Columbia’ was one of the first Oasis songs to be written and was originally released as a now legendary white-label 12”.
Following signing their first record deal, Oasis decamped to Monnow Valley studios on the Welsh borders of Monmouthshire, to capture the kinetic energy of their live shows on record. At the time, the initial recordings felt overly technical and polished, failing to capture the essence of the band. The sessions were ultimately scrapped, and the band moved to the remote confines of Sawmills Studios in Cornwall to re-record the album. Eventually, with the addition of Owen Morris joining to complete the definitive mixes, Definitely Maybe was formed.
The Monnow Valley recordings and Sawmill outtakes, now unearthed for the first time, offer a new and compelling understanding of the process that led to the finished article. With its raw edges and restless energy, Definitely Maybe always sounded like an album that had arrived fully formed – however the newly revealed versions provide fans with a fascinating new insight into the album; demonstrating the self-belief that drove the early years of Oasis and the determination it took to create their debut. Shelved until now, revisiting the archive 30 years on signifies the importance of the recording process in telling the story of the uneasy creation of one of the most vital albums of all time.
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