I'd say there's no way that Green Day story is real. You think that if someone stole a Green Day album, it would go unheard for more than a decade? Convenient excuse for scrapping a bunch of songs and starting over.
Yeah, I've never understood this either. I can see how it would have made sense back in the day, but now with digital outlets and such? Just put it out there, rather than let it sit... That "lost" Green Day album will forever top mine. Just want to put it out there that this would be a really interesting podcast topic! Not only albums that get shelved, but bands who wind up going broke/fucked trying to record (and re-record and re-record and re-reco--you get it) until the label hears a "hit." Or what goes into trying to get a hit out of a band who doesn't really write them perse (e.g., that "horn-free" mix of that one Less Than Jake song, H2O releasing a hidden track cover song as a single). The whole thing fascinates me. Label politics and how they impact bands and the overall album sound.
I know The Starting Line didn't shelve an album but the labels were persistent on them sounding like the new NFG at the time and made them re-write a bunch of music.
That's basically how we got "Based On A True Story", yeah? I remember hearing the demo version of stuff for that record that leaked early - "Surprise, Surprise" had a totally different verse/bridge.
that happens all the time in the song writing process though. i'd say more times than not a "demo" or early recording is not exactly what ends up on the record. if you have time listen to the "louder now" demos for TBS. those songs are almost entirely different.
there's two diff versions of 20/20 surgery and some others. one of the more notable things is the "murder oh murder where have you been" from error operator is in this twenty-twenty surgery demo below: