Weezerpedia

Superfriend: Difference between revisions

Page Discussion

Superfriend (view source)

Revision as of 20:10, 22 December 2023

1,376 bytes added ,  22 December 2023
Rewrote article (need to add KR table)
No edit summary
(Rewrote article (need to add KR table))
Line 5: Line 5:
| Artist  = Rivers Cuomo
| Artist  = Rivers Cuomo
| Released = [[December 18]], [[2007]]
| Released = [[December 18]], [[2007]]
| Recorded = February [[1995]] in Hamburg Germany
| Recorded = February [[1995]] in Hamburg, Germany
| Length  = 3:30
| Length  = 3:30
| Label    = Geffen  
| Label    = Geffen  
Line 11: Line 11:
| Reviews  = *[[Superfriend Teenage Victory Songs track review|Teenage Victory Songs]] ''(Positive)''<br><small>Marked as "[[:Category:Teenage Victory Songs The Grand Playlist|The Grand Playlist]]"</small>
| Reviews  = *[[Superfriend Teenage Victory Songs track review|Teenage Victory Songs]] ''(Positive)''<br><small>Marked as "[[:Category:Teenage Victory Songs The Grand Playlist|The Grand Playlist]]"</small>
| RC#      = 205
| RC#      = 205
| COR#    = N/A
| COR#    =  
| Producer = Rivers Cuomo
| Producer =  
| Status  = Released
| Status  = Released
| Misc        = {{Extra album cover 2
| Misc        = {{Extra album cover 2
   | Upper caption  = Songs from the Black Hole cover
   | Upper caption  = ''Songs from the Black Hole'' cover
   | Type          = demo
   | Type          = demo
   | Cover          = Weezer sftbh cover.jpg
   | Cover          = Sftbhscanlogo.jpg
   | Lower caption  = Cover for SFTBH demo
   | Lower caption  = Cover for ''SFTBH'' demo
}}
}}
| RC's last song  = "[[Oh No, This Is Not For Me|This Is Not For Me]]"<br>(RC# 204)  
| RC's last song  = "[[Oh No, This Is Not For Me|This Is Not For Me]]"<br>(RC# 204)  
Line 43: Line 43:
}}
}}
}}
}}
"'''Superfriend'''" is one of the most famous unreleased [[Weezer]] songs.  Originally intended as the turning point of ''[[Songs from the Black Hole]]'', "Superfriend" was once the most sought after song in the Weezer archive.
"'''Superfriend'''" is a song by [[Rivers Cuomo]], originally intended as a track for the unrealized album concept ''[[Songs from the Black Hole]]'' (the concept that later morphed into ''[[Pinkerton]]'').
 
===Appearances===
===Appearances===
*[[Alone: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo]]
*''[[Video Capture Device]]'' (2004)
*[[Songs from the Black Hole]] (Tracklist 1)
*''[[Alone: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo]]'' (2007)
*[[Songs from the Black Hole]] (Tracklist 2)
*''[[Alone III: The Pinkerton Years 1994-1997]]'' (2011)
*[[Songs from the Black Hole]] (Tracklist 2) (Reprise)
*''[[Alone IV: The Blue-Pinkerton Years]]'' (2020)
 
==Overview==
==Overview==
{{Alone liner notes|"Superfriend" is from Act I. It's a conversation between [[Jonas]] and [[Laurel]], after Jonas has slipped again with [[Maria]].|''[[Alone: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo]]'', [[Alone liner notes|liner notes]]}}
Within the fiction of ''[[Songs from the Black Hole]]'', "Superfriend" features the character of [[Jonas]] (voiced by [[Rivers Cuomo]]) confiding to [[Laurel]], the "good girl" character (also voiced by Cuomo in the demo, but intended to be voiced by [[Rachel Haden]]). Jonas reiterates his sentiments from previous tracks "[[Oh No, This Is Not for Me]]" and "[[Tired of Sex]]," chiding himself for giving into {{PN|Maria}} seduction despite the fact he does not love her. Laurel urges Jonas to grow up and be better than that. Jonas finds himself smitten with Laurel, but she can see through his act.


"Superfriend" is a slow ballad where [[Jonas]] confides to [[Laurel]], the "good girl" and other female character in the story. It takes place during Act 1.  During the song, Jonas reprises his sentiments from the previous two tracks, chiding himself for giving into [[Maria|Maria's]] seduction despite the fact he does not love her. Laurel urges Jonas to grow up and be better than that. Jonas finds himself smitten with Laurel, but she can see through his act and tells him to get real. From the liner notes:
Cuomo is known to have recorded two full demos of "Superfriend," either around Christmas of [[1994]] or, more likely,<ref name="cor">[[Catalog O' Riffs|The Grand File]], 2002. http://weezerpedia.com/catalogofriffs.html</ref> February of [[1995]] (in Hamburg, Germany, where the rest of Weezer were stranded while bassist [[Matt Sharp]] flew back to the US following his father's stroke).<ref name="rechist7">[[Recording History - Page 7|Weezer Recording History - Page 7]]</ref> The more well-known demo, released in [[2007]] as part of the compilation album ''[[Alone: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo]]'', is intended as a duet between the characters of Jonas and Laurel. A second demo, recorded in [[1995]] and released in [[2020]] as part of the digital demo compilation ''[[Alone IV: The Blue-Pinkerton Years]]'', features an alternate chorus, less articulate vocals, and is seemingly intended to be sung only from Jonas' perspective.
 
{{Alone liner notes|"Superfriend" is from Act I. It's a conversation between Jonas and Laurel, after Jonas has slipped again with Maria.}}
 
The song has a completely different track placement on the two different track lists - on Track List 2, "Superfriend" comes several tracks after the pivotal "She's Had a Girl". Like "You Won't Get with Me Tonight", whether the meaning and/or lyrics of this song would have changed as a consequence is unknown.
 
This song was released as a demo, with Rivers singing both parts, on Alone - The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo.
 
==History==
The History of "Superfriend" is a long one.  Long said to be [[Karl Koch|Karl's]] favorite unreleased Weezer track, "Superfriend" eluded fans for some time. It was to be featured on the ''[[Buddyhead Presents: Gimme Skelter]]'' compilation, but was removed in favor of ''[[You Won't Get With Me Tonight]]''.  After being long demanded by fans, and with several speculations and theories, "Superfriend" was at long last announced to appear on Weezer's ''[[Video Capture Device]]'' -- a somewhat false statement.
 
===VCD Appearance===
"Superfriend" appears in two different places on the VCD.  During the "Making of Pinkerton" video, the band is seen recording basic tracks for "Superfriend".  Certain words and melodies are understandable, but the large majority were incomprehensible. Furthermore, a phone call interrupts part of the song.
 
The second appearance of "Superfriend" on the VCD is played by Rivers while he sits on a bed in a hotel.  It is just the melody played on an acoustic guitar.  During, [[Brian Bell|Brian]] is on the phone talking.
 
===Alone Announcement===
When Rivers first posted a blog on his MySpace entitled Alone, explaining the details and plans of his demo album, speculation immediately began as to whether or not "Superfriend" would be on the album.  After being confirmed as part of the official tracklist, fans were able to hear Superfriend for the first time as a complete song when the track leaked weeks ahead of Alone's December 18, 2007 release.
 
A few differences were of note between Rivers' demo and the version being rehearsed on ''Video Capture Device''.  Of course, the female vocals were absent, but surprisingly, the key change ending present in the VCD rehearsal were absent from the demo.  Regardless, fans consider "Superfriend" to be one of Rivers' finer compositions.


===Reprise===
By February of 1995, Cuomo had assembled a tracklist of demos (dubbed by [[Karl Koch]] as "Tracklist 1"<ref name="rechist7" />), featuring "Superfriend" as the seventh track (following "Tired of Sex" and preceding "[[She's Had a Girl]]"). By the fall of 1995, however, as Cuomo began writing new demos during a semester at [[Harvard]], he began to question the direction of the ''Songs from the Black Hole'' concept. Cuomo assembled a second tracklist (dubbed "Tracklist 2") that Koch described as a "last-ditch effort" to salvage the ''SFTBH'' concept.<ref name="rechist7" /> This second tracklist featured "Superfriend" later on the album, as the thirteenth track (following "[[I Just Threw Out the Love of My Dreams]]" and the non-''SFTBH'' track "[[Lisa]]," and preceding a reprise of "[[Longtime Sunshine]]." "Superfriend" was attempted as a full band at Sound City Studios in Van Nuys, but the recording was later erased.<ref name="rechist8">[[Recording History - Page 8|Weezer Recording History - Page 8]]</ref> Ultimately, the ''Songs from the Black Hole'' concept—and "Superfriend" with it— would be scrapped in favor of what would eventually become ''[[Pinkerton]]''.
Karl Koch has stated that the "Superfriend" reprise on Track List 2 is a short instrumental of the song.


==Reception==
"Superfriend" was desired by fans for several years before its release. In the early 2000s, [[Karl Koch]] named the song as one of his favorite unreleased Weezer songs <ref>[[Weezon.com interview with Karl Koch - March 2002|Weezon.com interview with Karl Koch]], March 2002. https://web.archive.org/web/20020321093149/http://members.shaw.ca/ridd2/karl_interview/karl_interview.html</ref> and had planned to include it in a [[Golden Nuggets|rarities compilation]] that would never be released. Footage of "Superfriend" being performed in the studio, as well as acoustically in a hotel room, appeared on the [[2004]] Weezer DVD ''[[Video Capture Device]]''.  
Weezer Songblog [[Teenage Victory Songs]] [[Superfriend Teenage Victory Songs track review|marked this song]] with the distinction of "[[:Category:Teenage Victory Songs The Grand Playlist|The Grand Playlist]]," a collection that recognizes Weezer's just-below-best material.


Cuomo's full demo of "Superfriend" was released in [[2007]] as part of the compilation album ''[[Alone: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo]]''. A brief "reprise" of the song also appeared as part of a reprise of "Longtime Sunshine" on the album ''[[Alone III: The Pinkerton Years 1994-1997]] in [[2011]]. Cuomo's alternate-chorus demo was released in [[2020]] as part of the digital compilation ''[[Alone IV: The Blue-Pinkerton Years]]''.
==Known recordings==
{{Expand section}}
==Audio==
==Audio==
<youtube>Pm0L77G6VnI</youtube>
<youtube>Pm0L77G6VnI</youtube>
==Personnel==
*[[Rivers Cuomo]] – lead guitar, lead vocals, percussion, rhythm guitar, bass guitar
==Lyrics==
==Lyrics==
{{Lyrics}}
{{Lyric box|
===Demo===
<poem>[JONAS:]
<poem>[JONAS:]
What the hell am I doing
What the hell am I doing
Line 120: Line 101:
Close your eyes
Close your eyes
[TOGETHER:]
[TOGETHER:]
And leave the lies</poem>
And leave the lies
 
???
 
Waiting, waiting
We clearly ???
 
To help me
To show me
To ???
To love me</poem>}}{{Lyric box|
===Alternate chorus demo===
<poem>What the hell am I doing
Leading on my girlfriend?
Taking her ???
And kissing her on her nose
 
What the hell am I doing
Leading on this girlfriend
???
Tell her no, then kiss her toe


She's ???
??? deep black hole
And I can't save her
I just can't save her, no
What the hell is he doing?
I know what I ???
Leading on ???
??? and he says "no"
???
Fall into a deep black hole
And I can't tell her
I just can't tell her</poem>}}
==See also==
==See also==
* [[List of Rivers Cuomo songs]]
*[[List of Rivers Cuomo songs]]
 
*[[List of Weezer songs]]
{{References list}}
[[Category:Weezer songs]]
[[Category:Rivers Cuomo songs]]
[[Category:Songs from the Black Hole]]
[[Category:Songs from the Black Hole]]
[[Category: Rivers Cuomo songs]]
[[Category:Songs that appeared on the 4 and 5 Star Demos of Rivers Cuomo list]]
[[Category:Songs that appeared on the 4 and 5 Star Demos of Rivers Cuomo list]]
[[Category:Songs on Alone: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo]]
[[Category:Songs on Alone: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo]]
[[Category:Self-produced Rivers Cuomo songs]]
[[Category:Songs on Alone III: The Pinkerton Years]]
[[Category:Songs on Alone IV: The Blue-Pinkerton Years]]
[[Category:Alone series]]
[[Category:Alone series]]
[[Category:Teenage Victory Songs The Grand Playlist]]
[[Category:Teenage Victory Songs The Grand Playlist]]
Retrieved from "https://www.weezerpedia.com/w/index.php?title=Special:MobileDiff/112381"