Replacements’ Dunlap will never recover

The Replacements guitarist Slim Dunlap will never recover from the massive stroke he suffered last year, reports his wife.

The musician’s plight was behind the reunion EP recorded by Paul Westerberg, Tommy Sinson and Chris Mars in September, which has been released as the first of a series of limited-edition vinyl records to raise funds for Dunlap’s care.

Chrissie Dunlap says: “On February 19 Slim suffered a massive right-brain stroke complicated by a fall, which caused a heamorrhage in the left brain and was further complicated by extensive brain swelling.

“He was hospitalised for nine months. His recovery has been slow, hindered by pain, paralysis of the left side, and the inability to swallow.

“He’s currently at home being cared for by his family and a team of aides, nurses, and therapists. His sharp intellect, wit, and photographic memory are all, thankfully, intact.

“Insurance does not pay for long-term care, and the general prognosis for Slim is that he will likely need around-the-clock care for the rest of his life.”

Producer Peter Jesperson, who masterminded the Replacements’ work on Songs For Slim, tells Consequence Of Sound: “He’s not recovering, which is the real point of this. That’s the sad reality.

“I went to I went to visit about three weeks ago. We had about nine songs done for this project. I got to play him the tracks. It was really startling to see him in this condition. It was really hard, very intense and very emotional.

“But I have to also say there were some wonderful moments. He’s so moved by everybody’s participation and this project. When I played him the songs, I’ll never forget the look in his eyes. He was absolutely blown away.

“He’s not doing well. He’s not making progress, not making great progress. But I also can say that, after knowing him all these years, I saw my old friend Bob in there. Hopefully with time, therapy, good medicine, good care and keeping his spirit strong – which is a big part of what we’re doing here with this project – it’s really helping to give him the will to live.”

The Replacements were joined by guitarist Kevin Bowe and drummer Peter Anderson in the studio to record the band’s first release since 1990′s All Shook Down. Only 250 copies will be made available in numbered 10-inch 180g vinyl. Each copy comes with an autographed cover, four glossy prints, a poster of Dunlap, a print of Mars’ cover art and a digital download card. The tracks will be released for digital purchase on March 5 and a 12-inch vinyl edition will follow in April.

The EPs are currently being auctioned on eBay – find out more at SongsForSlim.com. Future releases include tracks by Steve Earle, Craig Finn, Lucinda Williams and Tommy Keene.