Willard's Wormholes

Rafferty’s Folly (1980)
The Original Shoot Out The Lights

Don’t, for a minute, believe the title of this bootleg version of Richard & Linda Thompson’s Shoot Out The Lights. This original, first version of SOTL was co-produced by the late Gerry Rafferty… but was never released. Richard and Gerry were longtime friends, and Rafferty wanted to help the Thompsons’ career by offering his commercial instincts. Above that, Rafferty even paid for the sessions himself, with the idea of selling the finished product to a record label. But, there were no takers. RT was also said to be unhappy with the results. Rafferty’s production is detailed and quite clean, even on this boot, compared to the rawer, stripped-down version that Richard would oversee with producer Joe Boyd two years later. A long two years later, as Linda became pregnant and didn’t sing as much on the re-recorded version, making some of these renditions unique indeed. Of course, Shoot Out The Lights is considered by many to be R&L’s best work, largely for the excellent material, but also because the Thompson’s were in the process of divorcing at the time and the lyrics provided a field day for observers… accurately or not. The new, 2010 Rhino Deluxe Edition of Shoot Out The Lights failed to bring this unreleased gem to the public. But, five tracks have been released – almost half the album – on Linda’s Dreams Fly Away and Richard’s Watching The Dark anthologies. We’ve included them all for you completists out there. Before you ask, the well-traveled bootleg, Before Joe Could Pull The Trigger, contains all of this unreleased material, too, along with demos recorded before the Sept/Oct 1980 Gerry Rafferty sessions. We’re using only Rafferty’s work on this post.

Don’t Renege On Our Love (5:17)
Back Street Slide (4:28)
Walking On A Wire (5:13)
The Wrong Heartbeat (3:10)
Shoot Out The Lights (4:59)
For Shame Of Doing Wrong (4:16)
I’m A Dreamer (4:10)
Modern Woman (3:10)
Just The Motion (6:14)
Wall Of Death (3:26)

Officially Released From The Rafferty Sessions…
For Shame Of Doing Wrong (4:30) – From RT, Watching The Dark (1993)
Back Street Slide (4:28) – From RT, Watching The Dark (1993)
The Wrong Heartbeat (3:12) – From RT, Watching The Dark (1993)
Walking On A Wire (5:13) – From LT, Dreams Fly Away (1996)
I’m A Dreamer (4:10) – From LT, Dreams Fly Away (1996)