Origin (Evanescence demo album)

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Origin
Demo album by
Evanescence
ReleasedNovember 4, 2000
StudioSound Asleep Studios
Length46:27
LabelBigwig Enterprises
Evanescence chronology
Sound Asleep
(1999) 		Origin
(2000) 		Fallen
(2003)
Singles from Origin
  1. "Whisper"

Origin is a demo album by American rock band Evanescence. A compilation of home-recorded demos from 1996-1999, the CD was self-released and sold at local shows, and then packaged to showcase to record labels. A total of 2,000 copies were made and sold by the Bigwig Enterprises website from November 4, 2000 to 2003. Origin contains demos written and recorded by co-founders Amy Lee and Ben Moody for their earlier independent EPs in the 1990s, including "Whisper", "Imaginary", and "My Immortal", which appear on their debut album Fallen (2003).

Background[edit]

As Evanescence, Lee and Moody had composed and home-recorded demos, including two EPs, Evanescence (1998) and Sound Asleep (1999), which they sold at their live shows.[4] Their early demos got them airplay on the local modern rock station in Little Rock, which helped them develop a local fanbase, allowing them to play a couple of bigger shows a year and hire other musicians to perform other instruments live.[3] Although they played with guest musicians, Evanescence remained a duo. "It was more because that's what we did and how we worked rather than not wanting any other input", Lee recalled;[5] "The idea of a full band playing these songs was something that only came along later."[6] Moody said that at the time Lee and him were focused on writing music over playing live shows, and they did not want to have a band join their writing process; "we just wanted it to be the two of us and so we'd play once or twice a year."[1] In 2003, Moody stated that he did not remember how many EPs they released, and he viewed their EPs as "really just a means"; CDs "we could sell ourselves at our shows so we could go out and buy pizza. They really weren't official releases".[1]

They sold the home-made demo CD Origin at local shows. After driving to Memphis, Tennessee to get it mastered at Ardent Studios,[7][8][3] they packaged the CD, wanting to shop it to record labels.[1][9] It was self-released in 2000,[10][11] with 500 copies initially pressed.[9] A total of 2000 copies were made,[9][11] and sold on November 4, 2000 by the Bigwig Enterprises website,[12] which marketed it as Evanescence's "debut CD".[13][note 1] According to the Bigwig website, "Whisper" was the lead single from Origin, receiving airplay on local radio in Little Rock.[12] Bigwig stated that the CD was out of print by early February 2003,[14][15] before Evanescence's debut single "Bring Me to Life" was released on the Daredevil soundtrack album. Immediately after the release of their debut album Fallen (2003), the demo CD was sold for US$400 on eBay.[16][note 1] In 2003, Lee and Moody encouraged fans who were interested in their demos to download it rather than purchase it for such high prices online.[17][18]

Origin contains tracks from Lee and Moody's earlier EPs, including "Whisper", "Imaginary", "My Immortal", and "Where Will You Go", the first three later appearing on Fallen (2003).[7] "Imaginary" and "Where Will You Go" first appeared on the duo's 1998 Evanescence EP, and "My Immortal" was an outtake from that EP.[22] "Whisper" is originally from their 1999 EP Sound Asleep.[23] The track "Even in Death" is from 1996, and is one of the songs Lee wanted on Fallen.[24][25] They recorded the demos with an 8-track recorder at Moody's apartment and Lee's family's attic.[9][26][27] They re-recorded "Whisper" and "Imaginary" for Fallen, while "My Immortal"'s demo recording from Origin was used by their label Wind-up Records on Fallen.[30] As with other releases since the start of Evanescence, Lee was the core writer.[31][32]

Although initially considered their debut album, Origin is a collection of demos.[11] Lee confirmed it was a dressed up demo CD,[1][8] and stated in 2003:

"It's not our first CD, it's demos we recorded ... We weren't there yet, we weren't finished, and a lot of the songs are demos of songs that ended up on Fallen. ... We packaged it together and it looks like an album because we were wanting to look professional for record labels."[1]

Moody added: "That wasn't really an album but our demos. We made it into an album to make it more appealing to the record companies, but it was never an official release ... We also did a lot of songs and demos after that. It was just a stepping stone for us."[9] He expressed dissatisfaction with their pre-Fallen material, stating, "we didn't have the technology, so a lot of our early recordings were just shit."[1]

Lee said in 2007 that they were still finding themselves back then, and "it's hard to listen to the really old stuff without laughing at myself a little. But of course those songs will always be special to me, and remind me of a time in my life that was both wonderful and terrible." She stated that she's "always liked the idea of one day putting out a b-sides and rarities CD."[33]

Release[edit]

Origin was released commercially in February 2017 as a part of Evanescence's The Ultimate Collection vinyl box set.[34][35] Deeming it to be "like an embarrassing old diary" for herself,[36][37] Lee explained why she included it in the box set:

It's something I've always cringed about because ever since we made a real studio album and honed in our sound and became Evanescence and made Fallen, I'm like, 'OK, everything before this we were just practicing.' But many fans love Origin and talk about Origin and wish Origin would be released. I've been against it for 13 years, but for the first time I guess I have enough separation from it to look at it and feel like, 'Y'know what? I see why that's cool. As a fan, I want to listen to that too.' So having that whole change of heart was really huge.[38]

In another interview, she stated:

I can look at it from the outside and appreciate it too. Not just be wrapped up in my own head that nothing is ever good enough, which is an easy path to go down for me. ... I’m finally far enough away from it that I don’t feel like that I’m afraid people are gonna think that’s my ability right there. I think that I've done enough stuff and there's been a space and time in between that I can appreciate it for what it is, which is just the tiny bud of the artist that I've become. And I'm proud of it in a weird way.[39]

Lee re-recorded the track "Even in Death" for the 2016 compilation album Lost Whispers, which was included in the box set.[40] She stated that re-recording it felt "like that song was truly redeemed because the early recording we have is not an enjoyable recording, but I really love that song."[38]

Critical reception[edit]

Sam Law of Kerrang! said that "there's limited reason for anyone other than die-hards to seek it out", deeming "Lies" the stand out track for Lee's "towering classical soprano delivery – the peak nu-metal synth/guitar interplay and additional death growls courtesy of Living Sacrifice vocalist Bruce Fitzhugh".[11]

Track listing[edit]

All tracks are written by Amy Lee, Ben Moody and David Hodges, except where noted.

Origin track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Origin" (intro) 0:35
2."Whisper" 3:56
3."Imaginary" 3:31
4."My Immortal" 4:26
5."Where Will You Go" 3:47
6."Field of Innocence" 5:13
7."Even in Death" 4:09
8."Anywhere" 6:03
9."Lies"Lee, Moody3:49
10."Away from Me" 3:30
11."Eternal" (instrumental) 7:22
Total length:46:27

Personnel[edit]

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Origin.[41]

Evanescence

Production

Additional musicians

  • Will Boyd – bass on "Away From Me"
  • Bruce Fitzhugh and Stephanie Pierce – vocals on "Lies"
  • Suvi Petrajajrvi, Sara Moore, Catherine Harris, and Samantha Strong – female vocal ensemble on "Field of Innocence"

Additional personnel

  • Adrian James – package design
  • Amy Bennett – site photography
  • Rocky Gray – cover photo
  • Ben Moody, Sr. – band photography

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Oei, Roland (August 2003). "Evanescence". PowerPlay. No. 47. pp. 9–11.
  2. ^ "Evanescence lands someplace special". USA Today. May 8, 2003. Archived from the original on October 26, 2012.
  3. ^ a b c "Evanescence: Rock's New Dynamic Duo". The Washington Post. September 12, 2003. Archived from the original on November 18, 2022. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
  4. ^ [1][2][3]
  5. ^ Bakker, Tiffany (January 9, 2004). "Moody Blues". Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on October 19, 2022. Retrieved August 20, 2008.
  6. ^ a b Law, Sam (October 2017). "Symphonic Possession". Kerrang!. No. 1694. pp. 24–27.
  7. ^ a b c Gargano, Paul (August 2003). "Evanescence Brought to Life". Metal Edge. Vol. 49, no. 4. pp. 15–18. [Moody:] Some of the songs on [Fallen] are six years old. They've been reworked over the years, but Whisper, Imaginary, My Immortal, those are songs that have been around since Amy and I first started writing music together.
  8. ^ a b Lee, Amy (March 13, 2013). "Scuzz Meets Evanescence". Scuzz TV (Interview). Interviewed by Terry Bezer. Archived from the original on March 19, 2013. Retrieved December 29, 2013 – via YouTube.
  9. ^ a b c d e Stojanovic, Sasha (August 10, 2003). "Dark Splendour". deo2.com (Interview). UK. Archived from the original on September 24, 2005. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
  10. ^ Sanneh, Kelefa (August 3, 2006). "Evanescence And The Killers Get Ready For Their Encores". The New York Times. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  11. ^ a b c d e "The 20 greatest Evanescence songs – ranked". Kerrang!. August 21, 2020. Archived from the original on October 10, 2022. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
  12. ^ a b "Evanescence Announces Major Label Recording Deal". Bigwig Enterprises. February 7, 2003. Archived from the original on 2003-02-07. Retrieved May 24, 2007.
  13. ^ "Evanescence - Debut CD". Bigwig Enterprises. 2001. Archived from the original on April 20, 2001. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  14. ^ "Evanescence". Bigwig Enterprises. 2003. Archived from the original on January 30, 2003. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  15. ^ "Evanescence". Bigwig Enterprises. 2003. Archived from the original on February 6, 2003. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  16. ^ Maerz, Melissa (October 2006). "She sold more than 15 million albums with Evanescence, only to find herself in abusive relationships". Spin. Vol. 22, no. 10. p. 70. Retrieved April 6, 2012.
  17. ^ DeBarros, Anthony (May 8, 2003). "Evanescence lands someplace special". USA Today. Archived from the original on October 26, 2012. Retrieved April 7, 2012.
  18. ^ a b Lee, Amy; Moody, Ben (February 24, 2003). "Interview with DC101 radio on February 24, 2003". Elliot in the Morning (Interview). Interviewed by Elliot Segal. Archived from the original (MP3 audio) on February 26, 2007 – via EvanescenceReference.info.
  19. ^ Evanescence (EP). Evanescence. 1998.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  20. ^ "Evanescence's Future Uncertain, Says Amy Lee: 'I Have a Lot More That I Want To Do With My Life'". Billboard. September 22, 2014. Archived from the original on October 14, 2022. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
  21. ^ "Get Free: Amy Lee on Artistic Independence, the Future of Evanescence". Rolling Stone. August 11, 2014. Archived from the original on October 16, 2021.
  22. ^ [7][19][18][20][21]
  23. ^ Sound Asleep (EP). Evanescence. 1999.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  24. ^ "Evanescence's Amy Lee Explains Decision To Release Pre-'Fallen' Material". Blabbermouth.net. October 19, 2016. Archived from the original on July 21, 2021.
  25. ^ Campagna, Cathy (2003). "Evanescence: New Royalty". Metal Edge. pp. 21–24.
  26. ^ "Evanescence - December 14, 2003 - Live@Much". MuchMusic.com. December 14, 2003. Archived from the original on April 19, 2004.
  27. ^ Lowe, Steve (2003). "Evanescence". Blender: 40.
  28. ^ Wiederhorn, Jon (November 5, 2003). "Are There Clues To Evanescence's Problems In Their New Video?". MTV. Archived from the original on February 21, 2014.
  29. ^ "Evanescence's Amy Lee on 'My Immortal' (2018)" (Interview). Music Feeds. February 16, 2018. Archived from the original on November 13, 2022. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
  30. ^ [11][28][6][29]
  31. ^ "Amy Lee on 'The Chain' Cover and Next Evanescence Album: 'We're Definitely in the Mood to Rock'". Billboard. December 16, 2019. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  32. ^ Howell, Maddy (December 2020). "The First". Rock Sound. No. 272. p. 62.
  33. ^ "An Interview With Amy Lee...Exclusive!". EvanescenceWebsite.com. October 1, 2007. Archived from the original on October 5, 2007.
  34. ^ "Evanescence: The Ultimate Collection". Evanescence.com. Archived from the original on September 17, 2021. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  35. ^ Bowar, Chad (October 11, 2016). "Evanescence to Release 'The Ultimate Collection' Vinyl Box Set in December". Loudwire. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
  36. ^ "The Oral History of Evanescence ft. Amy Lee". Alternative Press. March 29, 2021. Archived from the original on April 17, 2021. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
  37. ^ "Evanescence's Amy Lee reveals stories behind the songs". Entertainment Weekly. December 5, 2016. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  38. ^ a b "Evanescence's Amy Lee Talks 6-LP Vinyl Collection & Possibility of a New Album". Billboard. November 18, 2016. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  39. ^ "Evanescence Thank Fans With New Box Set". Forbes. October 12, 2016. Archived from the original on September 22, 2023. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
  40. ^ "New Song Premiere: Evanescence's 'Even In Death (2016)'". Blabbermouth.net. February 16, 2017. Archived from the original on November 16, 2022. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  41. ^ Origin (demo album). Evanescence. Big Wig Enterprises. 2000.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ a b Amy Lee: "It has happened. There is a very dodgy company - that would be the perfect way to put it. There's a guy that's ripping people off all over the Internet selling our demos; and he's selling it like it's Evanescence's first CD. It's not our first CD. [...] It's on the Internet. If you want to hear our old stuff, if you must, download it please. Don't try to spend your dollars and buy that CD; it has gone for that much before. They sold it on Ebay."[1]
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