The Replacements Record New EP For Ailing Member

The Replacements are one band that don't ever look like reforming properly (though we said that about the Pixies as well), but founding frontman Paul Westerberg and bassist Tommy Stinson spent a day in the studio together last month, according to Rolling Stone. Together they laid down four cover songs to be released on a very limited edition 10” EP.

There are only 250 copies of the release planned worldwide, with each one being auctioned off and all funds raised to be donated to Slim Dunlap who played guitar in the band during their later period – 1987 through to their 1991 split – and suffered from a very serious stroke last year that has left him semi-paralysed.

Westerberg told Rolling Stone that drummer Chris Mars “didn't want any part of this”, so the duo got Peter Anderson in to drum and had a member of Westerberg's solo band Kevin Bowe play guitar due to Dunlap's inability to do so and, of course, the passing of founding member Bob Stinson many years ago.

The songs covered include one of Dunlap's own, Busted Up, Hank Williams' Lost Highway, Gordon Lightfoot's I'm Not Sayin' and Everything's Coming Up Roses from the Broadway music Gypsy.

The most exciting news to come from Westerberg's Rolling Stone interview was the fact that he seemed to enjoy the sessions and felt as if he could make another Replacements album and operate as a proper band again. We won't hold our breath…