Speed the Plough is a New Jersey-based chamber pop/indie rock band that has been playing since 1984. The band rose out of the ashes of The Trypes, a mainstay of the early ’80s Hoboken scene, which included most members of The Feelies, many of whom continued with STP through the band’s first decade.
Speed the Plough has released 9 full-length albums (on Coyote/Twin-Tone, East Side Digital, Dromedary, and Bar-None Records), a limited edition single on French label Acetone, and a self-released EP. They have had songs featured in two independent films, Strangest Dreams (1990) and Paradise Park (1993).
Their 2013 release, The Plough & The Stars (Bar-None) is a 30 year retrospective of the band. Their eighth album – Now – marked the relaunch of ground-breaking label Coyote Records in early 2016. And their ninth and latest release is 2018’s …And Then, which features two bonus tracks by the original members of The Trypes.
The current lineup features founding members John Baumgartner (keyboards and vocals) and Toni Baumgartner (woodwinds and vocals), and Ed Seifert (guitar and vocals), Michael Baumgartner (guitar and vocals), James Payne (bass and vocals) and Dave Weckerman (drums).
Today Glide is excited to premiere “Beautiful Place,” a previously unreleased track recorded in 1995 by the Speed The Plough lineup that included bassist Brenda Sauter of the Feelies. While the band’s members were stuck in quarantine, they resurfaced the song and have decided to give it a special release on September 15th. The slow building tune is a reminder of the band’s role as pioneers in the indie rock movement. It’s easy to hear artists like Yo La Tengo and the Feelies in this song, which is a meanders along with the occasional jagged riff of a guitar and vocal harmonies chiming in. The dreaminess of the first half of the song suddenly opens up into a bass-heavy guitar and organ jam that finds the band delving into beautiful chaos before winding back down.
John Baumgartner explains the circumstances of the recording:
“This was original recorded in 1995, possibly for a compilation our former label East Side Digital planned to release but never did; that’s the consensus anyway. Band members have a vague memory of it. It was recorded after the band completed the Marina album.”
He adds:
“Written over 25 years ago, ‘Beautiful Place’ is probably the closest thing Speed the Plough has to an anthem. It’s probably the most-played song in our repertoire over those years and everyone who’s been in the band has played it, which is saying something.”
“Beautiful Place” was written by John Baumgartner, and recorded by Don Sternecker at Mix-o-lydian Studios. The band’s line-up at the time was: John Baumgartner – vocal, keyboards; Toni Baumgartner – vocal, bells; Brenda Sauter (Feelies, Wild Carnation) – bass, vocal; Richard Barnes – guitar; Marc Francia – guitar; Christopher O’Donovan – drums. The original tape was digitized by Richard Barnes and the audio restored by Sternecker.
LISTEN:
