In 1981, The Residents suddenly got the bug to do live performances. They had done a couple of one-off shows over the past decade, but had been, for all intents and purposes, a studio-based band. But for the first time they were considering a tour.

To that end, they spent time in their studio devising ways to play some of their songs live, without the aid of post production. These rehearsals were recorded, but no show was produced because their energy got rerouted to Mark of the Mole, which did become their first touring show.

But The Mole Show was not as financially successful as all had hoped. Faced with debts and little time to raise money, Ralph Records began selling albums of existing material. Sometimes that took the form of compilations such as Ralph Before '84 or Best of Ralph, which consisted of previously released material, and sometimes they were comprised of unreleased or rare tracks, such as with Residue.

Assorted Secrets falls into this latter category. It collected some of the rehearsal tapes from the proposed show, as well as tests for The Mole Show. It was released only on cassette tape because it was cheaper to produce and easier to store.

Surprising everyone, most of all The Residents themselves, Assorted Secrets became a fan favorite in later years, fetching hefty prices on eBay. In response to the demand, Ralph America released it on CD, in packaging that made it clear that The Residents were not proud of the recording and would rather out be forgotten.

Cassette release, 1984

1. Mark Of The Mole
2. The Letter
3. Ship's A Goin' Down
4. Bach Is Dead
5. Birthday Boy
6. Constantinople
7. Die In Terror
8. Give It To Someone Else
9. Smack Your Lips
10. Song Of The Wild
11. Happy Home

CD release, 2000

1. God Song
2. The Letter
3. Ship's A Goin' Down
4. Bach Is Dead
5. Birthday Boy
6. Constantinople
7. Die In Terror
8. Give It To Someone Else
9. Festival Of Death
10. Smack Your Lips
11. Song Of The Wild
12. Happy Home
13. Mark Of The Mole Part 1
14. Mark Of The Mole Part 2
15. Mark Of The Mole Part 3

The Residents have always been most comfortable in the studio. When the demand to actually perform in person has been presented to them they accept it with a certain trepidation.

This compact disc contains three distinct collections of such trepidations.

The first is from 1981 and finds The Residents actually playing some of their own oldies. This is a very rare cassette recording that was never intended to be heard by anyone but the group. The quality of the recording is not great and, frankly, neither is the playing. The rawness does capture the spirit of the group, however.

The next three tracks are live recordings of The Residents tackling The Tunes of Two Cities, which they played as part of The Mole Show. The date of the recording was May 5th, 1983.

The last section is a recording from April 10th, 1982. This is the only music on this CD that was witnessed by an audience. The House was a small performance space in Santa Monica, California. The group slipped in this surprise appearance in order to test their ongoing preparation for their first tour, The Mole Show. This is the very first public appearance of the group as a touring entity. This show predates the first Mole Show performance by six months.

None of this material was intended for release so be forewarned that the recorded quality reflects the original state of the tapes and the recording.