Exclusive: Listen to unreleased Stone Temple Pilots song intended for The Crow soundtrack

Ahead of the 25th anniversary reissue of ‘Core’ next week, we have an exclusive premiere of the previously unreleased Stone Temple Pilots song ‘Only Dying’.

Author: Scott ColothanPublished 21st Sep 2017

The rare demo originates from around 1990 when the band were still known as Mighty Joe Young and is quite possibly one of the most affecting songs Stone Temple Pilots have ever written.

The late-great Scott Weiland sings in the emotionally fraught chorus: “Shattered, somebody help me now, my only exit is a one way out of here, I’ve been shattered, somebody pull me out, I’m only dying!”

Stone Temple Pilots had originally intended to re-record their demo for the soundtrack to the iconic cult movie The Crow in 1994, however it was understandably scrapped and replaced by ‘Big Empty’ when star Brandon Lee died during filming.

The demo has previously been leaked online in relatively poor audio quality but this version from the ‘Core’ reissue is closer to what the band intended. Listen to it here:

‘Only Dying’ appears on the Super Deluxe Edition and 2CD: Deluxe Edition of ‘Core’, which is reissued on Friday 29th September – a quarter of a century to the very day since the album originally hit the shelves.

The Core: Super Deluxe Edition boasts four CDs featuring a newly remastered version of the original album, plus more than two hours of unreleased demos and live performances, including the band’s performance on MTV Unplugged.

Also included is the original album on vinyl and a DVD that contains a 5.1 Surround Sound Mix of the album along with videos for the album’s four singles. The set, limited to 15,000 copies worldwide, comes packaged in a richly detailed hardcover book (12 x 12) with rare and unseen photographs.

Fans can pre-order a limited-edition bundle of the Core: Super Deluxe edition at www.stonetemplepilots.com which includes a bonus replica 7-inch vinyl single of “Plush” that was originally released in the UK in 1993. This exclusive bundle is limited to 1,000 copies.

Also available on the same day is a 2 CD Core: Deluxe Version containing a newly remastered version of the original album expanded with rare B-sides and previously unreleased demos. A single disc remaster of the original album will also be available.

The full Super Deluxe track-listing is as follows:

Disc One: Original Album Remastered
1. “Dead & Bloated”
2. “Sex Type Thing”
3. “Wicked Garden”
4. “No Memory”
5. “Sin”
6. “Naked Sunday”
7. “Creep”
8. “Piece Of Pie”
9. “Plush”
10. “Wet My Bed”
11. “Crackerman”
12. “Where The River Goes”

Disc Two: Demos And B-sides
1. “Only Dying” – Demo
2. “Wicked Garden” – Demo

3. “Naked Sunday” – Demo
4. “Where The River Goes” – Demo

5. “Dead & Bloated” – Demo
6. “Sex Type Thing” – Demo

7. “Sin” – Demo
8. “Creep” – Demo

9. “Plush” – Demo *
10. “Sex Type Thing” – Swing Type Version
11. “Plush” – Acoustic Type Version
12. “Creep” – New Album Version
13. “Plush” – Acoustic from MTV Headbanger’s Ball (Take 1)

Disc Three: Live 1993
Live At Castaic Lake Natural Amphitheater (July 2, 1993)
1. “Crackerman”
2. “Wicked Garden”

3. “No Memory”
4. “Sin”

5. “Plush”
6. “Where The River Goes”

7. “Sex Type Thing”
8. “Wet My Bed”

9. “Naked Sunday” *

Live At The Reading Festival (August 27, 1993)
10. “Wicked Garden”
11. “No Memory”
12. “Sin”
13. “Lounge Fly”

14. “Dead & Bloated”
15. “Sex Type Thing”
16. “Naked Sunday”*

Disc Four: MTV Unplugged (November 17, 1993)
1. “Crackerman”
2. “Creep”
3. “Andy Warhol”
4. “Plush”

5. “Big Empty”
6. “Wicked Garden”

7. “Sex Type Thing” *

Disc Five: (DVD) Original Album 5.1 Mix, 24/96 Stereo Audio, And Music Videos

  • Previously Unreleased

Bonus “Plush” 7-inch
Included with www.stonetemplepilots.com preorder, limited edition of 1,000 units
Side 1
“Plush” (Edit)
Side 2
“Sin”