The Waterboys have announced “Atlantic Rain”, a set of outtakes and extended tracks from the “Fisherman’s Blues” sessions, due for release in July.
Anyone who thought 2013’s six-disc, 121-track “Fisherman’s” Box Set and the 2017 ‘collectors edition’ were the last word when it came to the sessions, think again. “Atlantic Rain” came about when Mike Scott went through around 80 reels from the sessions that hadn’t been labelled correctly and discovered dozens of forgotten tracks.
Last week, The Waterboys announced the release of “Atlantic Rain: The Lost Fisherman’s Blues Recordings”, three discs of music culled from almost 400 reels of tape captured during the sessions for the band’s 1988 album “Fisherman’s Blues“. You can listen to an amped-up version of “Too Close to Heaven” taken from it below…
As well as previously unreleased covers of artists such as Bob Dylan (‘Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground’), Prince (‘When Doves Cry’ – released to Patreon subscribers last year) and The Rolling Stones (‘No Expectations’), Scott’s archival work uncovered several unreleased originals, including ‘Come Back To Galway’, ‘Light Shine On Me’, ‘Endless Store’ and ‘Man With The Wind At His Heels’.
“Atlantic Rain” compiles 25 of these tracks (all never before released, with seven extended versions) across three discs – the tracklisting is the same on the 3CD and 3LP vinyl editions – and comes with a book featuring a 15,000 word essay from Scott and unseen photos.
The announcement might have come as a particular surprise to fans who assumed that 2013’s mammoth, six-disc, 122-track compilation “Fisherman’s Box: The Complete Fisherman’s Blues Sessions 1986-1988” had given us the final word on the band’s salt-sprayed masterpiece.
Bandleader Mike Scott was as surprised as anyone to find he had even more material sat on the shelf…
The band are also releasing “Strange Boat“, an official shop-exclusive companion EP on either CD or 10-inch vinyl, featuring a further six tracks from the sessions. All are unreleased, with “two of them ‘new’ and four of them variations on familiar songs”.
“Fisherman’s Blues Sessions” must be some of the most extensive in rock/pop history! ‘Atlantic Rain’ is a new release with 17 previously unreleased tracks and 7 extended versions of tracks from the old box set. 3CD and 3LP versions with companion EP available (with 6 more tracks)
“Atlantic Rain” is out on 17th July 2026, via Chrysalis Records
The Fat Angel Sings 