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The Vinyl Guide - Artist Interviews for Record Collectors and Music Nerds

Ep526: Tales From The Stooges with Larry Mullins

The Vinyl Guide - Artist Interviews for Record Collectors and Music Nerds

Nate Goyer

Music, Music History, Music Interviews

4.7 • 579 Ratings

🗓️ 27 November 2025

⏱️ 57 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Larry Mullins (Stooges, Swans, Nick Cave) discusses his love of the Stooges, playing with Iggy and the Asheton Brothers and shares how he and Mike Watt reworked several Stooges tracks for multiple Record Store Day releases, including a 40-minute version of "We Will Fall", available RSD-BF 2025.

Topics Include:

  • Larry Mullins discusses Stooges tribute project with Mike Watt, creating extended instrumental versions
  • Record Store Day release features 40-minute version of "We Will Fall" from the Stooges
  • Mike Watt initiated project after Steve Mackay's death as band tribute without vocals
  • Recording involves aggressive nine-minute live takes with bass representing lead vocal parts
  • Sessions happen in San Pedro with releases on seven-inch records that fade between sides
  • Songs like TV Eye, 1969, 1970, Fun House only available on limited seven-inch releases
  • Pandemic interrupted recording process, forcing creative remote collaboration between Berlin and San Pedro
  • "We Will Fall" chosen specifically because original had no drums, allowing remote recording
  • Brian Kehew mastered Rhino reissues, revealed original Stooges takes were 12-15 minutes long
  • John Cale edited and faded original lengthy jams into known three-minute song versions
  • Stooges wrote most songs at Chelsea Hotel night before recording first album sessions
  • Band originally performed as wild improvisational psychedelic jam band before structured songs
  • Recording process involved jamming songs for entire tape reel length, then editing down
  • Story reveals Steve Mackay's green saxophone matched his deteriorating health but sounded fantastic
  • Limited to 1,000 copies globally, pushing boundaries furthest of all their tribute releases

High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Welcome to the Vinyl Guide, the podcast for record collectors and music nerds.

0:10.1

Here's your host, the biggest record nerd of them all, Nate Goyer.

0:13.5

Well, hey everyone, it's Nate.

0:15.1

Welcome to episode 526 of The Final Guide, the podcast for record collectors and music nerds. And ladies and gentlemen,

0:22.4

I'll be brief. Getting right to it. Today, I am welcoming Larry Mullins, drummer and musician

0:28.3

for many bands you likely have in your record collection. Earlier this year, I was privileged to

0:34.1

see him play with Swans. Next year, I'll see him tour with Nick Cave in the Bad Seeds.

0:39.6

And by golly, Larry used to be a stooge.

0:42.5

He used to play with Iggy Pop for many years in the 90s.

0:45.9

And he was playing with the Stooges after Scott Ashton got too sick to play in the 2010s.

0:51.3

So today, he and I gushed very heavy towards our favorite band and the formidable

0:56.0

records that serve several spots on the Mount Rushmore of iconic albums. Today he and I go deep

1:03.1

into the Stooges, and he's even taking it a step further, making tribute releases with a Mr. Mike

1:09.8

Watt and putting them out for record store day.

1:12.9

So if you're going to go to the record shops on Record Store Day Black Friday, and I know you are,

1:18.3

if you see a copy of Larry Mullins and Mike Watt, we will fall. Grab it. Damn it. There aren't very

1:25.5

many, like a thousand worldwide. And that's it. It's a 40-minute

1:29.9

version of the Stooges track, We Will Fall. Guaranteed to sound unlike anything else,

1:36.8

you will buy that day and probably in your record collection. Today and on record store day,

1:42.4

let's celebrate independent record stores

1:44.9

and pioneering artists like the Stooges

1:47.4

and Larry Mullins and Mike Watt.

...

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