A previously unheard demo of Alan Vega’s “Kung Foo Cowboy” has surfaced through The Vega Vault Project and Sacred Bones Records, offering a rare look at the song in its earliest form. The demo arrives alongside newly remastered versions of “Kung Foo Cowboy” and “Magdalena 83,” all drawn from the original tapes and released ahead of the reissues of Alan Vega and Collision Drive.

The demo of “Kung Foo Cowboy” is noticeably stripped back. Where the finished album version leans into a twangy, blues-driven guitar line with a confident, rolling groove, the demo feels more direct and unpolished. Vega’s approach is skeletal and deliberate, allowing the rhythm and phrasing to carry the song rather than any sense of excess. It highlights how strongly his solo work was rooted in early rock ’n’ roll and rockabilly, filtered through his minimalist instincts.

“Kung Foo Cowboy” itself stands out in Vega’s catalog for its off-kilter blend of Southern blues influence and outsider swagger. The title suggests a collision of archetypes, and the song reflects that tension, balancing grit with humor and a loose sense of myth. As with much of Vega’s writing, the lyrics resist a fixed meaning, inviting listeners to bring their own interpretations rather than spelling anything out.

No new narrative music video accompanies the demo. Instead, the release centers on the music and the context surrounding it. Heard this way, the demo feels less like a novelty and more like a document, capturing Vega mid-process, before the song took its final shape, and reinforcing how intentional and self-directed his solo work was during this period.