Beastie Boys
ListenPolly Wog Stew EP · 1982
Beastie Boys — Polly Wog Stew EP.
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1982 · Rat Cage Records
Polly Wog Stew EP
The Beastie Boys’ first record began with a birthday-party band that was supposed to play just once. Polly Wog Stew captures their teenage New York hardcore incarnation, before the later turn toward hip-hop. [1] [2]
| Accession | OMMA-0013 |
|---|---|
| Artist | Beastie Boys |
| Release | 1982 · United States |
| Label | Rat Cage Records · MOTR 21 |
| Format | 7-inch vinyl EP · 45 rpm |
| Issue | Original commercial issue |
| Runouts | A: MOTR 21-A-1 MT I B: MOTR 21-B-1 MT I |
| Recorded grade | NM · VG+ sleeve |
Release history and significance
For Adam Yauch’s seventeenth birthday in August 1981, the group played at guitarist John Berry’s loft. Drummer Kate Schellenbach remembers projecting Super 8 films during the set in case the music failed to hold their friends’ attention. Someone was listening closely: the owner of Rat Cage wanted to make a record with them. [2]
Schellenbach, Berry, Yauch and Michael Diamond recorded at 171-A, above the Rat Cage shop on Avenue A. The eight-song EP appeared in 1982. Its brief, unruly songs document the original quartet, before Adam Horovitz joined. [1] [2]
The package shared the band’s sense of humour. Schellenbach recalls choosing a photograph of roast poultry in a restaurant window for the sleeve and putting Yauch’s dog Sampson on the label so that he would spin with the record. [2]
Market context
The original Rat Cage 7-inch documents the group’s hardcore beginnings. Its picture sleeve and MOTR 21 inscriptions identify the edition among later releases of the early recordings. [1]
A black-vinyl MOTR 21 copy described as a first pressing sold on eBay for US$250 on 16 May 2023. The listing graded the record Excellent and the sleeve Very Good. [3]
Physical Description
Black vinyl in its original printed picture sleeve. No inserts accompany this copy.
Condition
The vinyl is graded Near Mint, with strong gloss and faint spindle evidence. The labels are clean and free of writing or stickers. The picture sleeve is graded VG+, with light creasing and wear along the opening.
Provenance
Acquired by the Origins of Modern Music Archive in May 2025.
Sources
- Discogs, Beastie Boys – Polly Wog Stew EP, release 903787. Rat Cage MOTR 21; original EP and inscriptions.
- Kate Schellenbach, When I Was a Beastie Boy. First-person account of the band, sessions and sleeve, with Jill Cunniff and Gabby Glaser, 9 September 2025.
- Popsike, Beastie Boys – Polly Wog Stew, MOTR 21. Archived eBay sale; Excellent disc and Very Good sleeve, US$250, 16 May 2023.
Catalogue text reviewed 13 September 2026.