In 1982, The Dream Syndicate started their own record company, Down There Records, to release their self-titled 4-song 12-inch EP that included the first versions of ‘When You Smile’ and ‘That’s What You Always Say.’ They went on to sign with Slash for “Days Of Wine & Roses“, followed by A&M for the “Medicine Show” album. And now, after a long protracted debate with the Universal Music Group – the band has earned the right to reissue “Medicine Show” as a 42-song 4-CD box featuring 29 unreleased recordings from that 1983-84 era, and for this, the band has resurrected their Down There label which will be distributed by Fire Records.
The album has always been controversial, even before it was recorded. It was the story of Indie-rock darlings to become the first Paisley Underground band to sign to a major label, hire a mainstream rock producer, change bass players, and spend months recording after banging out the previous album in mere hours. What this new box set hopes to reveal is that, as a live band, between Wynn’s (then) new songs and his animated vocal performances, the expanded guitar playing, and various new bassists, the “Medicine Show” era was still the band at their peak. The album also includes Tommy Zvoncheck’s keyboards as well as the complete WXRT radio broadcast from the reel-to-reel master tape (the original LP was truncated) – and there’s some rehearsal and live tapes of Kendra – just before she exited the band.
There are early, primitive versions of original songs and plenty of covers. Shows from CBGB’s, Zaders, Soap Creek, etc – reveal some typical TDS magic, and apart from the live show audio, the album itself is now completely remastered (mastered from the original analog tapes) and sounds now as Steve Wynn recently declared, “as I remember hearing it while we mixed it”.
To celebrate its release, The Dream Syndicate will for the first time be taking “Medicine Show” on the road in early 2026, with live dates across the UK and Europe. Tickets are available from this link, and you can pre-order the box set from this link.
Dream Syndicate 2026 UK Dates:
30 Jan: The Garage, London
31 Jan: The Art School, Glasgow
01 Feb: Band On The Wall, Manchester
Medicine Show Boxset Tracklist:
Disc One: Medicine Show + Unreleased Bonus Tracks
01. Still Holding On To You
02. Daddy’s Girl
03. Burn
04. Armed With An Empty Gun
05. Bullet With My Name On It
06. The Medicine Show
07. John Coltrane Stereo Blues
08. Merrittville
09. John Coltrane Stereo Blues (Album Out-Take)
10. The Medicine Show (Solo Acoustic)
11. John Coltrane Stereo Blues (Live at WMMS, June 1983)
Disc Two: This Is Not The New Dream Syndicate Album… Live!
01. Tell Me When It’s Over (Live at The Aragon Ballroom, Chicago, 1984)
02. Bullet With My Name On It (Live at The Aragon Ballroom, Chicago, 1984)
03. Armed With an Empty Gun (Live at The Aragon Ballroom, Chicago, 1984)
04. The Medicine Show (Live at The Aragon Ballroom, Chicago, 1984)
05. John Coltrane Stereo Blues (Live at The Aragon Ballroom, Chicago, 1984)
06. Burn (Live at the Aragon Ballroom, Chicago, 1984)
07. The Days of Wine and Roses (Live at the Aragon Ballroom, Chicago, 1984)
08. John Coltrane Stereo Blues (Live in Lund, Sweden, 1984)
09. Bullet With My Name On It (Live at The Stone, San Francisco, 1984)
10. Witness (Live at The Stone, San Francisco, 1984)
11. Weathered And Torn (Rehearsal Recording, 1983)
Disc Three: The Road To Medicine Show
01. Still Holding On To You (Live at CBGBs,1983)
02. Armed With an Empty Gun (Live at CBGBs, 1983)
03. Let It Rain (Live at CBGBs, 1983)
04. The Medicine Show (Live at CBGBs,1983)
05. Bullet With My Name On It (Live at CBGBs,1983)
06. John Coltrane Stereo Blues (Live at CBGBs, 1983)
07. Burn (Live at CBGBs, 1983)
08. Morning Dew (Live at CBGBs, 1983)
09. Burn (Rehearsal Recording with Kendra Smith,1983)
10. John Coltrane Stereo Blues (Rehearsal Recording with Sandy Pearlman, 1983)
Disc Four: What Is And What Should Never Be
01. Susie Q (Live at Club Zadar, New Hope, PA, 1983)
02. Evil Ways (Live at Club Zadar, New Hope, PA, 1983)
03. Don’t Fear The Reaper (Live at Club Zadar, New Hope, PA, 1983)
04. Bullet With My Name On It (Live at Club Zadar, New Hope, PA, 1983)
05. Still Holding On To You (Live at Soap Creek Saloon, Austin, TX, 1983)
06. Born On The Bayou (Live at Soap Creek Saloon, Austin, TX, 1983)
07. Don’t Fear The Reaper (Live at Soap Creek Saloon, Austin, TX, 1983)
08. Still Holding On To You (Rehearsal Recording with Kendra Smith, 1982)
09. Armed With An Empty Gun (Rehearsal Recording with Kendra Smith, 1982)
10. Witness (Live in Japan, 1984)
