Hard Charger
Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2020 12:42 pm
Anyone know why the song "Hard Charger" was scrapped from inclusion as the title track for the renamed Good Gods Urge album?
According to JA.org it was supposed to be the name of the Jane's follow-up to Ritual? I don't think I knew that.Tyler Durden wrote: ↑Fri Jul 31, 2020 12:42 pmAnyone know why the song "Hard Charger" was scrapped from inclusion as the title track for the renamed Good Gods Urge album?
I definitely didn't know that. But I do remember reading an article in some rag (it might have been RIP or something) around 1995 and they said that Porno's forthcoming sophomoric album was going to be called Hard Charger. So I guess the track existed in some form or another at this point. If they essentially had the song in the can (again, I'm speculating), why on Earth would they not have included it on their second album? It has some silly lyrics...but that track overall is on fire.Hokahey wrote: ↑Fri Jul 31, 2020 1:27 pmAccording to JA.org it was supposed to be the name of the Jane's follow-up to Ritual? I don't think I knew that.Tyler Durden wrote: ↑Fri Jul 31, 2020 12:42 pmAnyone know why the song "Hard Charger" was scrapped from inclusion as the title track for the renamed Good Gods Urge album?
I read that too in Hit Parader. Except I swear they called it something slightly different, like Super Charger.Tyler Durden wrote: ↑Fri Jul 31, 2020 1:42 pmI definitely didn't know that. But I do remember reading an article in some rag (it might have been RIP or something) around 1995 and they said that Porno's forthcoming sophomoric album was going to be called Hard Charger. So I guess the track existed in some form or another at this point. If they essentially had the song in the can (again, I'm speculating), why on Earth would they not have included it on their second album? It has some silly lyrics...but that track overall is on fire.Hokahey wrote: ↑Fri Jul 31, 2020 1:27 pmAccording to JA.org it was supposed to be the name of the Jane's follow-up to Ritual? I don't think I knew that.Tyler Durden wrote: ↑Fri Jul 31, 2020 12:42 pmAnyone know why the song "Hard Charger" was scrapped from inclusion as the title track for the renamed Good Gods Urge album?
No, I'm definitely remembering it correctly because it really stood out to me and I was super excited for it. Then when hard charger came out I remembered it and figured they changed the name. What probably happened was the stupid magazine just got the name wrong.
"Hard Charger" was supposedly conceived during JA's heyday as well. (At a show in Rhode Island in 1990, Perry said "I'm a hard charger" for some reason. And at a show in Ottawa '89, Perry introduced Eric as "that hard charger, himself." But "hard charger" is a surfing term, so that might not mean much.) It was later recorded by P4P with Dave Navarro and Flea for Howard Stern's Private Parts movie soundtrack in '97. But it's still disputed when it was written. Perry said he wrote it specifically for Howard's movie.. And when asked about his involvement with the song, Dave said "I simply helped record it......about three-four hours work at best"... so that would suggest it couldn't have been a Jane's tune originally.
This makes more sense. I am betting it was never a Jane's song, but because it felt a bit like one they used it for Private Parts.intertwoven wrote: ↑Sun Aug 02, 2020 9:59 amHere's what I got on SDW:"Hard Charger" was supposedly conceived during JA's heyday as well. (At a show in Rhode Island in 1990, Perry said "I'm a hard charger" for some reason. And at a show in Ottawa '89, Perry introduced Eric as "that hard charger, himself." But "hard charger" is a surfing term, so that might not mean much.) It was later recorded by P4P with Dave Navarro and Flea for Howard Stern's Private Parts movie soundtrack in '97. But it's still disputed when it was written. Perry said he wrote it specifically for Howard's movie.. And when asked about his involvement with the song, Dave said "I simply helped record it......about three-four hours work at best"... so that would suggest it couldn't have been a Jane's tune originally.
It's a great track, but it didn't necessarily fit in on that album. It could be the reason they left it off.Tyler Durden wrote: ↑Sun Aug 02, 2020 12:41 pmAll of that being said, the song likely had to have existed in some form by 1995-96 if "Hard Charger" was the working title for GGU...at least, you'd think. Kind of hope that's not the case and that they wrote it in 1997...because not including that song on GGU is inexplicable to me. Not knocking GGU, but I think Hard Charger is better than anything on that album.
Yah agreed. it's way too rocky for GGU.Hokahey wrote: ↑Sun Aug 02, 2020 2:09 pmIt's a great track, but it didn't necessarily fit in on that album. It could be the reason they left it off.Tyler Durden wrote: ↑Sun Aug 02, 2020 12:41 pmAll of that being said, the song likely had to have existed in some form by 1995-96 if "Hard Charger" was the working title for GGU...at least, you'd think. Kind of hope that's not the case and that they wrote it in 1997...because not including that song on GGU is inexplicable to me. Not knocking GGU, but I think Hard Charger is better than anything on that album.
Sure, but if you were to substitute it for one of the more acoustic tracks, it would generally fit in among Tahitian Moon, Freeway, and Dogs Rule the Night.nausearockpig wrote: ↑Sun Aug 02, 2020 5:45 pmYah agreed. it's way too rocky for GGU.Hokahey wrote: ↑Sun Aug 02, 2020 2:09 pmIt's a great track, but it didn't necessarily fit in on that album. It could be the reason they left it off.Tyler Durden wrote: ↑Sun Aug 02, 2020 12:41 pmAll of that being said, the song likely had to have existed in some form by 1995-96 if "Hard Charger" was the working title for GGU...at least, you'd think. Kind of hope that's not the case and that they wrote it in 1997...because not including that song on GGU is inexplicable to me. Not knocking GGU, but I think Hard Charger is better than anything on that album.
Happily...Tyler Durden wrote: ↑Sun Aug 02, 2020 5:50 pmSure, but if you were to substitute it for one of the more acoustic tracks, it would generally fit in among Tahitian Moon, Freeway, and Dogs Rule the Night.nausearockpig wrote: ↑Sun Aug 02, 2020 5:45 pmYah agreed. it's way too rocky for GGU.Hokahey wrote: ↑Sun Aug 02, 2020 2:09 pmIt's a great track, but it didn't necessarily fit in on that album. It could be the reason they left it off.Tyler Durden wrote: ↑Sun Aug 02, 2020 12:41 pmAll of that being said, the song likely had to have existed in some form by 1995-96 if "Hard Charger" was the working title for GGU...at least, you'd think. Kind of hope that's not the case and that they wrote it in 1997...because not including that song on GGU is inexplicable to me. Not knocking GGU, but I think Hard Charger is better than anything on that album.
bman wrote: ↑Sun Aug 02, 2020 6:27 amAccording to JA.org,
Hard Charger was the working title as well as an unrecorded song for the planned follow up to Jane’s Addiction’s Ritual de lo Habitual album. It was eventually recorded and released by Porno For Pyros with Dave Navarro and Flea performing alongside Perry Farrell, Peter DiStefano and Stephen Perkins. The song was recorded for the 1997 autobiographical Howard Stern movie Private Parts. It appears on the movie’s soundtrack and was released as a single.
Porno For Pyros, along with Flea and Dave Navarro, performed Hard Charger and the Jane’s Addiction seminal tune Mountain Song, at the movie premiere for Private Parts as well as several promotional appearances for the film. Although the five musicians had previously worked together on the Porno For Pyros song Freeway, this was the first time that Perry, Steve and Dave had worked and performed together simultaneously since Jane’s Addiction split up in 1991.
Porno For Pyros had also originally planned on recording the song as well as using the name for their second album. However those plans were never realized, and the song didn’t even make it onto the band’s Good God’s Urge album.
The thing is they only play it when Flea and Dave are in tow, for whatever reason. (Perry is obviously not above playing bastardized versions of his songs, so not sure why this song stays behind glass.) I think the only non-televised performance of "Hard Charger" was February 28, 1997 Roseland Ballroom, NYC, while Flea and Dave were still in town from Letterman and the Stern thing. By the performance the next day in DC, Dave had left, and so no Hard Charger in the set (or ever again up to this point). The rest of the '97 gigs were mostly stripped down with no bassist, then the big Relapse news broke, with JA easily stealing the spotlight and knocking P4P into the shadows. All adds up to arguably their best song being forgotten about.astro wrote: ↑Mon Jun 13, 2022 8:59 amI can't see that Hard Charger was played at all other than on the Letterman Show and the Howard Stern PP Premier. Why? Hard Charger is one of the greatest, probably the best song PFP ever recorded. Then they keep touring that year (1997) and don't play it. I don't get it.