When Umphrey’s McGee revealed the tracklist for their latest LP, Death By Stereo, the inclusion of one of the band’s oldest songs Hajimemashite stood out amongst a cache of much newer compositions. This week on Hidden Track we’ll be exploring Hajimemashite from its earliest origins in South Bend to its closing out their newest album. To start things off today we have a special treat kicked down from sound caresser and producer Kevin Browning.
[Umphrey’s Circa 1998]
Haji predates Umphrey’s, having first been performed by guitarist Brendan Bayliss and bassist Ryan Stasik’s pre-UM band, Tashi Station. This Tashi Station version of Hajimemashite features Bayliss and Stasik, along with drummer Steve Sanders and Greg Andrulis on keyboards. Sanders borrowed former UM drummer Mike Mirro’s kit for the recording that took place in Mike Nolan’s (who would later pen Uncommon with Bayliss) basement three blocks from the Notre Dame campus back in 1997. Listen to this rare bit of Umphrey’s history which will also be available for download soon at umlive.net and check back here all week for more Haji exploration.
Hajimemashite (fade) – Tashi Station (pre Umphrey’s McGee) by Hidden Track
5 Responses
great to hear this! song has developed 100 fold. (of course)
Thanks for running this series! What a great idea. Excited for the rest of the week.
And I love the photo of the guys at “Stonehenge” at Notre Dame, the memorial fountain (with the Library ie “Touchdown Jesus” in the back). Going to guess it was from 4.22.98? I was there for a bit . . . Looking at the setlist, doesn’t seem as though Haji was played. Funny. (Phish played here about seven years earlier, I think.)
this is really cool. i hope that you guys continue to present things like this online more. you can really appreciate brendans guitar playing in this. haji is one of those um songs that isnt one of the most technical songs in their catalogs but one of the best. you can tell the improv structure has pretty much stayed the same though. THANKS UM FOR SCHEDULING IN BATON ROUGE! LOUISIANA CANT WAIT TO SEE YOU!!!!!
great idea guys!
This is awesome. Great idea! Can’t wait to hear the rest.
Bayliss has always sounded so good, the guy just knows how to write songs. He (and Pony) created the greatest band currently known to the human race.