The Woodcut Sessions / Live at Chateau Paulette

This two-disc set contains studio demos of lost songs, and live recordings of Podipto. These recordings have been meticulously cleaned and readied for release after sitting for 40 years in various basements across the U.S. The first CD contains 19 studio demos, 15 of which were never released on an album. The second CD is a complete live concert, recorded in June 1973 at Chateau Paulette in Park Rapids, Minn. Podipto formed in Northern Minnesota in 1969. Until disbanding in 1975, Podipto was known as one of the brightest acts hailing from the Midwest, blending rock, blues and country into a unique sound that would never be forgotten by those who heard them or saw them perform. Now, forty years after their breakup, Podipto's music is being restored and issued for the first time on CD and digital download. Album Liner Notes: Tracks 1-5: Roy Berg Tape - Bemidji, circa 1969 These were the first tracks Podipto recorded before their record deal. Roy Berg, a voice instructor at Bemidji State University, invited the band to record in a classroom. Mike Hedlund played drums, as founding member and drummer John Calder had been drafted to serve in Vietnam. Tracks 6-11: Original Demo - Chicago, 1970 Through a connection with the manager for The Guess Who, Podipto was introduced to talent managers who flew in to listen to them play in the basement of the Bemidji United Methodist Church. The band soon went to Chicago to record a demo at Audio Finishers Studio to shop to record labels. Except for the first track, Calder’s “River Bottom,” these songs were included on their first album with GRT. The record label, as was common in the 1960s and 1970s, convinced the band that session players—members of the now-famous “Wrecking Crew”—needed to rerecord the instrument parts in an L.A. studio. The band objected to replacement players, but the label insisted and they were told to focus on their live performances. Dan Lund was allowed to add his guitar leads to the tracks, except for “Can’t Stand To Beg” and “Mississippi Woman.” Thus, these unreleased studio demos are the only versions that feature performances by the full band. Following this session, Steve Rundquist replaced Hedlund on drums. Tracks 12-19: Second and Third Demos - Chicago/Minneapolis, 1972 With their first album complete and gaining national attention, Podipto hit the road, opening for various top-tier folk, rock and country acts. Their second and third demo sessions (recorded at Audio Finishers in Chicago, and Audiotek Studios in Minneapolis) feature songs that would have been on their second album with GRT. However, the departure of a key label executive left the band in a lurch and without a record deal. This independence allowed the band to self release their second album, Homemade, though none of these tracks would appear on that album. Live at Chateau Paulette, Park Rapids, Minnesota - June 1973 The chateau, a trading post dating back to the 1800s, was a popular site for dining and performances, with ample dancing room around their famous stone replace. Podipto played the venue several times. This concert, here in its near entirety, captures the band as many Podipto fans remember them: vibrant, full of humor, and ready to deliver several sets of unforgettable live music. Rundquist leads much of the evening’s banter.