It's usually said that In Another Land was originally recorded under the title Acid In The Grass / Bill's Tune which may well be true.
The song I've posted below (the one with Brian playing a harp) is usually referred to as an early / working version of In Another Land.
On the face of it, it does sound like In Another Land but I'm convinced they are two completely different compositions (by Bill) even if they have a similar feel.

1. Check out the chords if you're a musician, compare and contrast. They have completely different chord structures.

2. If they were one and the same, even with a bit of a re-write there'd be some kind of musical overlap so to speak but as it is, they have completely different chord structures and you can't sing any part of the melody over the other.
The "harp" track is clearly not a studio jam, it's an attempt at a backing track for a song. It has a very definite structure and arrangement.

3. Factor in this comment from Mick about work in progress on the album in Record Mirror 26th August 1967 - "...and Bill has written a couple of the songs. They're good."

4. I don't have access to the Majesties Bell Sound acetate cd right now but doesn't the tune posted below appear on that ? If it was a working version of In Another Land then surely it would have been dropped in the previous months and would not appear on an acetate of work in progress in September which is when the Bell Sound acetate apparently dates from. Hadn't In Another Land already been finished by then with Marriott and Lane's contributions ? If so, why would the tune below still be under any kind of consideration and appear on an acetate for which it would have had to have been purposefully taken from a session tape and mixed ?

I am therefore suggesting that the song below is the second of that couple of songs mentioned by Mick. It may be that it didn't get on the LP because it is quite similar in feel to In Another Land. Mick did mention later in the year that there was a problem of space on the album that had necessitated splitting up the 15 minute track among other things.
Judging from Mick's comment above he appears open to Bill having two tunes on the LP at least on the day he was interviewed.
I'd be interested to see what others here think on this issue, especially anyone who is a musician and can play and analyse the two tracks.

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Bill's Tune was officially released as the opening track on "67 Sessions". It's not the same tune as In Another Land.

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DandelionPowderman
Bill's Tune was officially released as the opening track on "67 Sessions". It's not the same tune as In Another Land.

Thanks for the response and agreed,
Felix Aeppli (who along with Nico Z. has one of the very best Stones databases online) and I had to agree to disagree on this issue so I was interested what others here might think.
I don't think it should be referred to in any way as anything to do with In Another Land ie. early version, working version.
Which one is Acid In The Grass remains an open question.
This one, let's call it Bill's Tune, is a completely different Bill composition intended for but ultimately left off / left unfinished for Satanic Majesties and it is certainly a tune or a song caught before the end of the recording process rather than a studio jam. Just because a piece of music doesn't have a lead vocal dubbed on doesn't mean it's not a song. I assume that if a lead vocal was recorded that ABKCO don't have the tape. Maybe it was never recorded or the tape was lost, possibly when Olympic chucked it's tape library in skips during refurbishment.

Felix was not convinced after we pinged a few emails back and forth but I'm not letting this one go Felix !! As said, they do have a similar feel but I sat down with my guitar on these two and they are nothing like each other. I believe the comment from Mick and inclusion of the track on the Sept 67 acetate provides further corroboration on this point. A minor point of "Stones scholarship" but significant in terms of Satanic Majesties - Bill nearly getting two tracks on an album.

I fully agree with you, ash. I listened to it several times, as well as to "In Another Land" and I don't recognise anything that justifies a link between the two. In late 1966 Bill must have come up with some "Bill-ish" melodies and then there was some alternate jamming on those tunes.
What I liked about those final months of 1966, is that several Stones members were involved in experimental music of their own, resulting in Bill's song on TSMR.
It is also proof that the Stones were not trying to "copy" 1967 Sgt. Pepper's LHCB, which was often said in the media in those days.

Any chance someone could post “Bill’s Tune” ov er in hot stuff ?
Thank you
PS. It might have been “offically” released......but for me.....the iTunes copyright preservation saga does not count. I will be dead by the time it appears on an official album release.

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Kingbeebuzz
Any chance someone could post “Bill’s Tune” ov er in hot stuff ?
Thank you
PS. It might have been “offically” released......but for me.....the iTunes copyright preservation saga does not count. I will be dead by the time it appears on an official album release.

You email is hidden.

Thanks DandelionPowderman.
Currently having difficulty updating my email address on IORR but I,ll try and get it sorted over next few days and repost.

Kingbeebuzz

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Kingbeebuzz
Thanks DandelionPowderman.
Currently having difficulty updating my email address on IORR but I,ll try and get it sorted over next few days and repost.

Or you can just email me