What is this frequently discussed item? 'License To Eel' was a promotional 13 track cd-r. Obviously, the publishing date of this CD was July 21st 2003. Nobody really knows what it was supposed to be.
In June 2005 the CD popped up on eBay with a starting bid of only US $ 0,69. A bidding frenzy broke out. The text of the seller was the following: "I have now played music from this cd for an eels expert, and I have been assured this disc is completely legit! The sound-quality is absolutely SUPERB!"
The winner of this auction (called '310keving') paid US $336.69 for it.
No new copies have popped up since then. Probably someone of Dreamworks was the winner of the auction. Rumour has it that E himself bought it. By the way, an article in L.A. Weekly in June 2002 had the same title.
Tracklist:
01) To Lick Your Boots
02) Everyone's Going Fetal
03) Eyes Down
04) Swimming Lesson
05) Estranged Friends
06) Jazz Hands Part I
07) Happy Hour (We're Gonna Rock)
08) Mighty Fine Blues
09) The Brighter Side (with Peter Buck)
10) Devil's Dog
11) If I Ran The Circus
12) Gradfather Clock Strikes Twelve
13) Virginia, Virginia
Somewhere out there exists an amazingly rare 4-track cassette featuring the song Trashing The Cathedral. Although the cassette single is not dated,
it probably was produced in 1996. Til today the song hasn't shown up on any peer-to-peer network or other sources on the internet. If the cassette should pop up on ebay, the band management is very likely to buy the item, or convince the seller to stop the auction, which already happened in late 2005.
The official version is, that Butch left Eels to tour with Tracy Chapman.
From an interview in Rhythm Magazine, August 2003:
How did you get the Tracy Chapman gig?
BUTCH: "Through the Eels connection. John Parrish, who co-produced with E the
'Souljacker' album, also co-produced Tracy's new record, 'Let It Rain'. Joey
Waronker played on the album and Tracy wanted him to do the tour, but he wants
to stay home and work on his production chops. So Joey told John, 'I think Butch
is available'. And Butch was available because I had just left the Eels."
Permanently? Or is it just a temporary hiatus?
BUTCH: "I think for quite a while. E and I are taking a break for quite a bit
here because we've come to a crossroads, as it were."
How do you feel about that?
BUTCH: "Upset. But it was a business thing. A year ago we were coming through
Europe on the second tour for 'Souljacker', and I had to apply for bankruptcy.
The Eels were a great, creative, wonderful musical outlet, but my partnership
deal was not taking care of my family. I told management three years ago that
this day was coming: 'We need to restructure, I'll give up my partnership if I
can get a retainer or something'. So it started there.
Eels don't sell records, we're not big pop megastars. That's not my beef, but
this was a reality check. I got a call from E's accountant who said, 'E doesn't
want to change the structure'. I said, 'Well, I made an offer for a retainer'.
He said, 'That's way too much money', so I said, 'Well, why don't you come back
with an offer?"
But they never came back? Which must have put a strain on your relationship
with E.
BUTCH: "We still talk, the business is a separate thing. Good things musically
were happening. We recorded 'Shootenanny' in ten days, mixed it and finished it
in three weeks. I started working with Tracy Bonham and we did a duo tour of
California - her on guitar and violin and me on drumming and percussion. We did
some of her rock stuff, but also her beautiful ballads. Then the Tracy Chapman
thing came up."
From the Eelsfan.de interview, October 2005:
What was your split in 2003 all about?
It was strictly about business.
Are there plans to work with E again? How is your current relationship with him?
No. Non-existent
This song is on the soundtrack of the film "The Big White" with Robin Williams. Months before it was released on the
official Eels site, the song appeared on several places on the internet, because a fan ripped the song from the DVD of the movie.
The band management refused to let it circulate among fan circles and threatened the fan with lawyers, if he wouldn't do like he was told.
The whole thing was kind of fishy, but now this wonderful song is able for download and everything's fine, as it seems.
The official site never mentioned that the song was on this film, by the way.
There's nothing more to say, just: E is MC Honky is Mark Oliver Everett is The Messiah!
And kids, notice this:
Honky Tonky is a square dance, so MC Honky = MC²
And as Einstein perfectly expressed E=MC²