With just two weeks to go before the November 14 release of new album Electric Cattle Gods – The Lost Tracks, alt rockers Sponge certainly turn up the temperature with their new single – an early, early demo for what is surely their best-loved song of all.

It was not necessarily a cheerful song. While some commentators insisted it was written about actress Molly Ringwald, Sponge themselves said it was based on the story of a teenaged girl who fell in love with one of her teachers, and attempted suicide when he made it clear hr feelings were not reciprocated.

It struck a major chord regardless.  The third single from Sponge’s Rotting Piñata debut, “Molly (16 Candles Down The Drain)” reached #3 on Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks chart, and #11 on the Mainstream Rock listing, while spinning off a still popular MTV smash video.

In terms of arrangement, the demo does not deviate too much from the familiar record. But still it’s a thrill to hear such an early, and somehow innocent sounding take on one of the mid-1990s most resonant anthems, and the same can be said across the remainder of the album.

Titled for what came very close to being the band’s name… they became Sponge only after their local Ritz club wasn’t able to spell out “Electric Cattle Gods” on the marquee… Electric Cattle Gods delivers a front row seat for what singer Vinnie Dombroski describes as “ the embryonic stage of the developing Sponge. No boundaries, no worries, just the music written at that time.”

Capturing the very dawn of the band, Electric Cattle Gods – The Lost Tracks features eleven never-before-released wild and exuberant demos and try-outs (plus two storming brand new recordings). Some probably haven’t been heard in over 30 years; others would later be rerecorded for the band’s 1994 major label debut Rotting Piñata – including “Molly,” “Drownin’”  and the b-side “Cowboy Eyes.”

Vinnie admits that even the band aren’t sure whether every song is an actual demo, or if some were final cuts, abandoned before the band ever signed a record deal.  But “thirty-something years later,” he laughs, “Who cares!

“Just enjoy the raw, soon-to-be Sponge.”

SINGLE: https://orcd.co/sponge_molly16candlesdemo

–CD/VINYL: https://cleorecs.com/search?q=sponge+electric+cattle+gods
–DIGITAL: https://orcd.co/sponge_ecgthelosttracks

Track listing

1. In The Name Of God
2. Velocity 555
3. Nadja Hello
4. Slower Suicide
5. Cowboy Eyes
6. Blowz
7. Welcome Home
8. Down In Texas
9. Wet Brain
10. Desert Low
11. Molly (16 Candles)
12. Drownin’
13. Gal

Alternative legends Sponge follow their acclaimed 1994 covers album with a fresh collection certain to enthrall their legions of dedicated fans.  It’s called Electric Cattle Gods – The Lost Tracks, and you know you need to know why.

Electric Cattle Gods was to be the name emblazoned across the marquee of the now-shuttered Ritz Concert Hall on Gratiot and Frazho in Roseville MI circa 1992-1993. A new band (actually, an old one, Point Break movie highlight Loudmouth, making a fresh start) was announcing its arrival on the local scene and… well, that’s what they were called.

Only they weren’t, because when club owner Joe Sgrol heard the news, he simply sighed. “We don’t have enough letters for that!”

He expected the band to be dismayed., Instead, they replied, “do you have enough letters for ‘Sponge’?”

“We do,” said Joe.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Releasing on November 14, Electric Cattle Gods – The Lost Tracks is, as its subtitle suggests, a dynamic collection of rare and unreleased recordings capturing the very dawn of Sponge… back to the days, in fact, before they were forced to come up with a brand new name for themselves.

Included are eleven never-before-released raw, exuberant demos and try-outs – some that probably haven’t been heard in over 30 years; others that would later be recorded for the band’s 1994 major label debut Rotting Piñata – among them “Drownin’” and Sponge’s breakout hit “Molly (16 Candles),” the b-side “Cowboy Eyes” and more.

But that’s not all!  Two brand new recordings, too, are included on the album, among them one of the mightiest of them all.  “Wet Brain” is a solid Sponge classic, and is released today as the band’s new single and an utterly captivating lyric video that not only perfectly matches the song, it’s exquisitely tied to the season as well.  After all, what’s the first thing you think of when you contemplate Halloween?

Why, a giant pulsating brain in the middle of your living room, of course!

SINGLE: https://orcd.co/sponge_wetbrain

So that’s it, and what more could you ask for?  Vintage demos, storming new epics and an origin story that could easily have rewritten 90s alternative history.  For whatever reason, one word band names were everywhere back then – maybe a lot of venues had run out of lettering for their marquee?  But if the Ritz had only had enough, the Electric Cattle Gods might have trampled that trend forever.

–CD/VINYL: https://cleorecs.com/search?q=sponge+electric+cattle+gods
–DIGITAL: https://orcd.co/sponge_ecgthelosttracks

Track listing

1. In The Name Of God
2. Velocity 555
3. Nadja Hello
4. Slower Suicide
5. Cowboy Eyes
6. Blowz
7. Welcome Home
8. Down In Texas
9. Wet Brain
10. Desert Low
11. Molly (16 Candles)
12. Drownin’
13. Gal