Reproduced below are the recording studio and production credits for each song on The Masterplan, sourced from the album’s sleeve notes, Paolo Hewitt’s book Getting High: The Adventures of Oasis, Tony McCarroll’s book Oasis – The Truth, and some of the interviews found elsewhere on this site. (Please note that this page is a work in progress).
[1] Acquiesce (Noel Gallagher) 4.24
Recorded: February 1995, Loco Studios, South Wales.
Producers: Owen Morris and Noel Gallagher.
UK release: 24th April 1995 (B-side to Some Might Say).
[2] Underneath the Sky (Noel Gallagher) 3.21
Recorded: Likely October 1995, Maison Rogue Studios, London*.
Producers: Owen Morris and Noel Gallagher.
UK release: 19th February 1996 (B-side to Don’t Look Back in Anger).
[3] Talk Tonight (Noel Gallagher) 4.21
Recorded: 8th October 1994, The Congress House Studio, Austin, Texas.
Producers: Owen Morris and Noel Gallagher. Assistant engineer: Marty Lester.
UK release: 18th December 1994 (B-side to Whatever).
[4] Going Nowhere (Noel Gallagher) 4.39
Recorded: May 1997, Maison Rouge, London.
Producers: Owen Morris and Noel Gallagher.
UK release: 22nd September 1997 (B-side to Stand By Me).
[5] Fade Away (Noel Gallagher) 4.13
Recorded: July 1994, Maison Rouge, London.
Producers: Owen Morris and Noel Gallagher.
UK release: 10th October 1994 (B-side to Cigarettes & Alcohol).
[6] The Swamp Song (Noel Gallagher) 4.19
Recorded: May/June 1995, Rockfield Studios, South Wales and Orinoco Studios, London.
Producers: Owen Morris and Noel Gallagher. Studio engineer: Nick Brine (Rockfield sessions). Mixed by Owen Morris at Orinoco Studios, London.
UK release: 30th October 1995 (B-side to Wonderwall)
[7] I am the Walrus (Live) (Lennon/McCartney) 6.25
Recorded: February 1994, the soundcheck at the Sony conference, Gleneagles.
Additional production and mix by Owen Morris.
UK release: 10th October 1994 (B-side to Cigarettes & Alcohol).
[8] Listen Up (Noel Gallagher) 6.21
Recorded: July 1994, Maison Rouge, London.
Producers: Owen Morris and Noel Gallagher.
UK release: 10th October 1994 (B-side to Cigarettes & Alcohol).
[9] Rockin’ Chair (Noel Gallagher/C. Griffiths) 4.35
Recorded: May 1995, Rockfield Studios, South Wales.
Producers: Owen Morris and Noel Gallagher. Studio engineer: Nick Brine.
UK release: 14th August 1995 (B-side to Roll With It).
[10] Half the World Away (Noel Gallagher) 4.21
Recorded: 8th October 1994, The Congress House Studio, Austin, Texas.
Producers: Owen Morris and Noel Gallagher. Assistant engineer: Marty Lester.
UK release: 18th December 1994 (B side to Whatever).
[11] (It’s Good) To Be Free (Noel Gallagher) 4.18
Recorded: 7th October 1994, The Congress House Studio, Austin, Texas.
Producers: Owen Morris and Noel Gallagher. Assistant engineer: Marty Lester.
UK release: 18th December 1994 (B-side to Whatever).
[12] Stay Young (Noel Gallagher) 5.05
Recorded: February 1997, Air Studios, London.
Producers: Owen Morris and Noel Gallagher. Recording engineer: Nick Brine.
UK release: 7th July 1997 (B-side to D’you Know What I Mean?).
[13] Headshrinker (Noel Gallagher) 4.38
Recorded: February 1995, Loco Studios, South Wales.
Producers: Owen Morris and Noel Gallagher.
UK release: 24th April 1995 (B-side to Some Might Say).
[14] The Masterplan (Noel Gallagher) 5.22
Recorded: September 1995, Maison Rouge Studios, London.
Producers: Owen Morris and Noel Gallagher.
UK release: 30th October 1995 (B-side to Wonderwall).
The album was mastered by Mike Marsh at The Exchange Mastering Studios and released by Creation Records on 3rd November 1998.
In his 1997 book Getting High: The Adventures of Oasis, Paolo Hewitt recalls that an earlier proposal for an Oasis b-sides album had the working title B-Side Ourselves, and featured the following track-listing:
- Listen Up
- (It’s Good) To Be Free
- Take Me Away
- Headshrinker
- D’yer Wanna Be a Spaceman?
- Cloudburst
- Up in the Sky (acoustic)
- Half the World Away
- Fade Away (original version)
- Talk Tonight
- Acquiesce
- Round Are Way
- It’s Better People
- Swamp Song
- Rockin’ Chair
- The Masterplan
(Hewitt, p. 389)
*The credits to the Masterplan album state that Underneath the Sky was recorded in May 1995 at Rockfield Studios, during the sessions for (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? However, no mention is made of the song in any published account of the Morning Glory sessions. Also, a promotional card included with the 7″ vinyl single of Don’t Look Back in Anger describes Underneath the Sky as ‘a brand new track recorded following their US tour in October’.
Above: Noel, Liam, Robbie Williams, and Owen Morris and company at Maison Rouge in September 1995, working on Oasis’s cover of Slade’s Cum on Feel the Noize. Photo by Tim Abbot. Thanks to Tom S for the scan.
In the absence of any more accurate information on the track, I have suggested that it was recorded at Maison Rogue, as many of the earlier B-sides were recorded there. In an interview to promote the Masterplan album Noel Gallagher (1998) recalled that the song was recorded on the same day as their cover of Slade’s Cum on Feel the Noize; Tim Abbot’s (1996) book on Oasis includes a photo of the band in the studio during this session (shown above) but doesn’t mention which studio it is; the caption under the photo says ‘Chris Abbot and Noel spend a night reminiscing about Noddy Holder and Slade – a B-side develops in twenty-four hours. Anyone still standing is drafted in for backing vocals – get your boots on, skinhead.’ As the picture shows Robbie Williams in the studio this raises the possibility that he sings some backing vocals on that track. The control room pictured also resembles the one shown in this picture of Maison Rogue studio 2 on the excellent Philsbook website.
References:
Hewitt, Paolo. 1997. Getting High: The Adventures of Oasis.
Abbot, Tim. 1996. Oasis. Definitely. London: Pavillion.
Gallagher, Noel. 1998. Masterplan promotional interview.
Entry for 7-inch vinyl single of Don’t Look Back in Anger on 45cat: http://www.45cat.com/record/cre221
Harris, Tony. 2012. Article on Maison Rogue studios. Available at: http://www.philsbook.com/maison-rouge.html