In 1974, an Australian band called TV Jones went into the studio in Sydney to record an album. They recorded a couple songs but things fell apart, the album was cancelled, the band broke up, the tapes were erased.

But they weren’t. In 2000, a cassette tape with the recordings was found. A single of Eskimo Pies b/w Skimp the Pimp was released.

Only later was it discovered that the version of Eskimo Pies on the single wasn’t the TV Jones version, but a demo of the song for the band’s guitarist/vocalist Deniz Tek’s next band, Radio Birdman. Bummer.

Radio Birdman later signed with Sire records in the states and had a storied and erratic career. By the way, Deniz Tek’s website is an excellent slice of the remnant side of rock history.

But it all started with TV Jones (which is also the name of one of the premier makers of guitar pickups).