Japanese CD of the Day / Crowded House: Weather With You

Crowded House‘s third single from 1991’s Woodface, would hit the UK top ten in February 1992. Alongside the evergreen Don’t Dream It’s Over, it would become something of a signature tune for the band (outside the US) in the years and decades that followed.

This five-track Japanese CD single release (TOCP-7157) features the 4:02 radio edit of Weather With You and includes quite an early live version of Don’t Dream It’s Over (recorded at The Roxy in LA on 7 April 1987).

Another single from the first album, Something So Strong, is also featured – again from 1987 – but this time from a gig at The Trocadero in Philadelphia.

Roger McGuinn joins the band for a performance of Mr. Tambourine Man (recorded in 1989), but perhaps the most interesting bonus track on this single, is live version of Walking On The Spot performed at London’s Town And Country Club in November 1991. At the time unreleased, this track would end up on 1993’s masterpiece Together Alone, with some extra instrumentation (notable an accordion). The live version on this disc is more straightforward, but still charming. Its structure is virtually identical to the studio master recording.

Most, if not all of these tracks ended up dispersed on various CD singles around the world, but this Japanese CD is effectively a ‘highlights’ disc from all the different Weather With You formats.