Thirty years ago Beck made his live radio debut with a performance for the Santa Monica College radio station KCRW. Beck appeared on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic program six months before he signed with Geffen and nearly a year prior to the release of his breakthrough album Mellow Gold. KCRW has shared audio of Beck’s July 23, 1993 session to honor the 30th anniversary featuring freshly remastered audio.
Chris Douridas, former Morning Becomes Eclectic host, was among the first DJs to spin Beck’s “Loser” single. The track was issued by Bong Load Records the previous March on 12″. Initially, only 500 copies were pressed.
Beck’s visit to Morning Becomes Eclectic came on the same day he performed at the tiny Los Angeles club Cafe Troy. Purportedly, the audience was loaded with reps from various major labels. He went on to sign with Geffen Records the following December after passing on offers from Capitol and Warner Bros.
“Loser” was just one of the songs Beck played at KCRW. He also performed “Mexico,” “Whimsical Actress,” “Pay No Mind” and “MTV Makes Me Want To Smoke Crack.” Additionally, Beck spoke to Douridas about living life on the streets, his songwriting process and more.
“The first time Beck came in, he had hay bail twine as a guitar strap,” recalled Morning Becomes Eclectic Executive Producer, Ariana Morgenstern. “He stumbled out of his car — which I [think] he had been living in — and I wasn’t quite sure what to make of him. But I soon became a really big fan because of his work ethic, creative songwriting, and overall talent.”
Check out a visualizer for “Loser” below and head here to stream the full session:
Beck will soon embark on the Summer Odyssey tour with Phoenix. The trek begins on August 1 at Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena and concludes on September 10 at Maryland’s Merriweather Post Pavilion. View the full routing and find ticketing links below:
