Anyone who’s been living on the grapevine these past few years must have heard the rumours about the coming of the FELT reissues – well they’re here.
These vinyl records, unavailable for many years, have been remastered and revisited by Lawrence, and he has fashioned the ultimate definitive collections. They are available in a deluxe gatefold sleeve. During the ‘80s Felt made ten albums and ten singles for the Cherry Red and Creation labels. This beautifully produced series examines the work of one of the greatest underground groups of modern times.
The first five albums will be released on 23rd February 2018. These vinyl records, unavailable for many years, have been remastered and revisited by Lawrence, and he has fashioned the ultimate definitive collections. Previously named Let the Snakes Crinkle Their Heads to Death, this album is now retitled The Seventeenth Century – the original name for the album was changed late in the day. This reversal of misfortune was classed as an awful mistake and Lawrence’s biggest regret. Flash forward to now and this situation can finally be rectified. “You can’t change the title of an album” – they told him – so he said; “if Kraftwerk can and Bowie can then I can too!!”
Anyone who’s been living on the grapevine these past few years must have heard the rumours about the coming of the FELT reissues – well they’re here.Released February 23rd, 2018
These vinyl records, unavailable for many years, have been remastered and revisited by Lawrence, and he has fashioned the ultimate definitive collections. They are available in a deluxe gatefold sleeve.
During the ‘80s Felt made ten albums and ten singles for the Cherry Red and Creation labels. This beautifully produced series examines the work of one of the greatest underground groups of modern times.
Released on this day in 1984. Before the Stone Roses and after Be-Bop Deluxe and Plastic Ono Band, JohnLeckie worked with Felt. Booked into a metal/reggae studio in Birmingham’s industrial wasteland he sculpted a Michelangelo slice of new rock – exquisite and beautiful guitar odysseys – quite unlike anything the city had experienced before. Merging pop with a classical nuance Felt stood alone as the forerunners of a brand new style. And Gary Ainge was finally allowed to use his hi-hat!
Before the Stone Roses and after Be-Bop Deluxe and Plastic Ono Band, John Leckie worked with Felt. Booked into a metal/reggae studio in Birmingham’s industrial wasteland he sculpted a Michelangelo slice of new rock – exquisite and beautiful guitar odysseys – quite unlike anything the city had experienced before. Merging pop with a classical nuance Felt stood alone as the forerunners of a brand new style. And Gary Ainge was finally allowed to use his high-hat!
Anyone who’s been living on the grapevine these past few years must have heard the rumours about the coming of the FELT reissues – well they’re here.
During the ‘80s Felt made ten albums and ten singles for the Cherry Red and Creation labels. This beautifully produced series examines the work of one of the greatest underground groups of modern times.
The first five albums will be released on 23rd February 2018. These vinyl records, unavailable for many years, have been remastered and revisited by Lawrence, and he has fashioned the ultimate definitive collections. They are available in a deluxe gatefold sleeve. Released in 1982, Lawrence’s ambition was to release the best debut English album ever! Adrian Borland offered his services, then commitments with his band The Sound prevented this from happening. So Felt began a relationship with Swell Maps’ producer John A Rivers. Recorded and mixed in six days the band got a taste of how bitter reality fares compared to the “mellow fruitfulness” of blind ambition
Lawrence’s ambition was to release the best debut English album ever! Adrian Borland offered his services, then commitments with his band The Sound prevented this from happening. So Felt began a relationship with Swell Maps producer John A. Rivers. Recorded and mixed in six days the band got a taste of how bitter reality fares compared to the “mellow fruitfulness” of blind ambition.
Felt are: Lawrence — guitar, vocals Maurice Deebank — lead guitar Nick Gilbert — bass guitar Gary Ainge — drums
A 3CD clamshell box set of TODD RUNDGREN’S LEGENDARY PERFORMANCES at the ROXY THEATER IN WEST HOLLYWOOD IN MAY 1978 Includes the entire concert from 23rd MAY 1978 with guests STEVIE NICKS, DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES, RICK DERRINGER, SPENCER DAVIS & KASIM SULTON
Esoteric Recordings is pleased to announce the latest release in the Todd Rundgren Archive series, “ALL SIDES OF THE ROXY 1978”. In May 1978 Todd Rundgren performed a series of concerts at The Roxy Theater in West Hollywood, California with a band comprising members of The Hello People (Bobby Sedita, Larry Tasse, Greg Geddes & Norman Smart) along with keyboard player Moogy Klingman, bassist John Seigler and drummer John “Willie” Wilcox.
The highlight of this residency was a concert on the 23rd May 1978 which was the largest concert simulcast on American FM radio at that time with an estimated audience of over ten million listeners. Hosted by the legendary DJ Wolfman Jack (himself the inspiration for a song on Rundgren’s “Something Anything” album), Todd tore through a wonderful set that included material from both his solo albums (including the recently released “Hermit of Mink Hollow”) and his work with Utopia. He was joined on stage by such illustrious company as Daryl Hall & John Oates, Stevie Nicks, Spencer Davis, Rick Derringer and Kasim Sulton (of Utopia).
This three disc clamshell boxed set includes the entire set from the 23rd May concert over two discs, along with a third disc comprising other soundboard recordings made by Todd during his residence of shows at The Roxy. This release also features an illustrated booklet and is a welcome addition to Esoteric Recordings’ Todd Rundgren Archive series.
Cherry Red Records will follow up this year’s Manchester-centric box set with one that examines the legacy of Liverpool’s scene from 1976 to 1988, a 5-disc, 100-song collection that will feature music by Echo & The Bunnmen, The Teardrop Explodes, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, A Flock of Seagulls, The Wild Swans, Icicle Works, The La’s and more.
The box set — titledRevolutionary Spirit: The Sound of Liverpool 1976-1988 — is due out in January, and though a full tracklist won’t be revealed until next month, the Facebook page for the collection does include a disc-by-disc list of the featured artists, which you can peruse below.
The label promises the set will include “familiar names, key tracks, unreleased material, demos, rare and obscure releases, artist sleevenotes and unseen imagery.”
It follows this year’s release of the 7-disc Manchester North of England box set, which brought together songs from Joy Divison, New Order, The Stone Roses, Morrissey, The Fall and Oasis from 1977 to 1993.
Nearly four decades’ worth of singles — both A-sides and their accompanying B-sides — by the assorted lineups of Mark E. Smith’s pioneering post-punk outfit The Fall will be collected on a new 7-disc, 117-track box set from Cherry Red Records this November.
The collection, christened The Singles 1978-2016, is due to be released November. 24th in both a full 7-disc set and a slimmed-down 3-disc set that just presents the A-sides, without the four CDs worth of B-sides. Both versions of the forthcoming box set can be pre-ordered via the label’s website.
According to Cherry Red, this collection — remastered by Fall engineer Andy Pearce — is the first to bring together TheFall output released across a swath of different labels, including Step Forward, Rough Trade, Kamera, Beggars Banquet, Cog Sinister, Permanent, Artful, Action and Cherry Red itself.
The collection spans music released on The Fall’s 1978 debut EP Bingo-Master’s Break-Out! through 2016’s Wise Ol’ Man EP, and countless singles, and their B-sides, in between (though not anything from New Facts Emerge, the band’s 32nd studio album, which was released this past July).
The box set includes a full illustrated discography from Fall expert Conway Paton.
Cherry Red Records are preparing a 5-disc box set that will chronicle the U.K. post-punk scene from 1977 to 1981, collecting more than 100 songs from artists including Wire, The Slits, Joy Division, The Fall, Gang of Four,The Pop Group and many, many more.
“To the Outside of Everything: A Story of U.K. Post-Punk 1977-1981” is due in early December, and is being assembled by the same team that put together the label’s Manchester North of England, Silhouettes and Statues and Scared to Get Happy box sets, as well as the C86, C87 and C88 collections.
The post-punk set features big names from the scene, like those mentioned above, as well as Echo & The Bunnymen, New Order, Public Image Ltd. and Killing Joke, plus many lesser-known acts, including Glaxo Babies, The Deep Freeze Mice, Family Fodder and Spöön Fazer.
‘To The Outside Of Everything – A Story Of UK Post-Punk 1977-1981’ our new Cherry Red Records deluxe 5CD Box Set. This brand new 5CD anthology (that’s no fewer than 111 tracks by the way) includes landmark singles by Joy Division, PiL, Wire, Gang Of Four, The Slits, Killing Joke, Echo And The Bunnymen, Scritti Politti, The Pop Group, Human League, The Fall, Alternative T.V., Tubeway Army, Adam And The Ants, Josef K, The Teardrop Explodes, Throbbing Gristle, The Psychedelic Furs, Theatre Of Hate, The Birthday Party, The Associates, Fire Engines, and Ultravox. Find out more here – https://www.cherryred.co.uk/introducing-outside-everything…/
“Night Comes Down” continues RPM’s ongoing pedigree in creating bespoke Sixties compilations of rare British music aimed at discerning collectors.
This 3-CD box set follows previous collections Looking Back (2011) and Keep Lookin’ (2014), which ran the gamut of musical styles which emanated from the UK, diverse and yet united in their dance floor appeal, from the discotheques of the day to nouveau Mod clubs in the 21st century.
“Night Comes Down” charts the development of Beat music in the 60s, through 87 tracks across 3CDs! .Many tracks make their official debut on CD, including rarities, all housed in a beautiful clamshell box.
Including rarities by The Gnomes Of Zurich, Kevin ‘King’ Lear, Dominic Grant, The Shadrocks, The Reaction, Al Saxon, The Hammers, etc. In addition, ‘Cypress’ by The Truth is a previously unissued variant of Donovan’s ‘Hey Gyp’.
Familiar names (The Spencer Davis Group, Laurel Aitken, The Moody Blues, Arthur Brown) are joined by cult favourites (John’s Children, Mickey Finn, The Bo Street Runners) and relative unknowns (Five’s Company, The Second Thoughts).
Across the three CDs, NIGHT COMES DOWN charts the development of Beat music in its various guises, from the gutsy yet jazzy R&B which opens Disc 1 through to horn-laden Brit Soul (Norma Lee, The Brothers Grimm), fuzz-laden Freakbeat (Favourite Sons, The Tomcats, The In Crowd), Femme Pop (Twiggy,Twinkle), and groovy Loungecore (courtesy of Mark Wirtz and Les Reed’s British Lion Orchestra).
Disc 3 reflects the influence of Psychedelia, as Swinging London became multi-coloured, with assorted treats from The Alan Bown, The Mike Stuart Span and The Spectrum, with some unlikely Mod-ish discoveries by “hairy” bands such as The Deviants and Fat Mattress.
Anyone who tried to purchase every 45 captured on NIGHT COMES DOWN would have to set aside several thousand pounds!
DISC ONE:
1. MAMA (HE TREATS YOUR DAUGHTER MEAN) – Lita Roza
2. I NEED YOUR LOVING – Ronnie Jones & The Night-Timersv
3. BABY, DON’T DO IT – Laurel Aitken
4. TABOO MAN – Alexis Korner’s Blues Incorporated
5. PILLS – Mickey Finn & Blue Men
6. WORK SONG – James Royal
7. SEVENTH SON – The Second Thoughts
8. COMIN’ HOME BABY – The Mark Wirtz Orchestra & Chorus
9. IT’S A LIE – Philip Goodhand-Tait & The Stormsville Shakers
10. ANDIDOJUSTWHATIWANT – The Bo Street Runners
11. AND MY BABY’S GONE – The Moody Blues
12. LIKE THAT – Mike Cotton Sound
13. GONNA MAKE A WOMAN OF YOU – A Band Of Angels
14. SHE’S A GIRL – The Attraction
15. IT’S ALRIGHT – The Rocking Vickers
16. READY, STEADY – The Clockwork Oranges
17. CAN YOU HEAR ME – The Cymbaline
18. A TU VERA – The Tomcats
19. I AIN’T GOT YOU – Five’s Company
20. THE SNAKE – Kevin ‘King’ Lear
21. JUGGER TEA – Oliver Bone
22. DON’T THAT BEAT THEM ALL – Just Five
23. NO OTHER BABY – Chad & Jeremy
24. GOTTA GET THROUGH TO YOU – Eden Kane
25. BIG FAT SPIDER – Heinz
26. YOU’RE GONNA GET YOUR WAY – Glenda Collins
27. WHAT AM I DOING HERE WITH YOU – Twinkle
28. ROLLING ON – Norma Lee
29. THE OTHER SIDE OF LOVE – The Caravelles
30. TIMEISONMYSIDE-Four+OneDISC TWO:
1. NIGHT COMES DOWN – Mickey Finn
2. SHORT CHANGE – Spencer Davis Group
3. BIG BARE BEAT – The British Lion Orchestra
4. PHONE ME – Robb And Dean Douglas
5. MY LOVE – Ronnie Jones
6. THE SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF LOVE – The Stormsville Shakers
7. WHAT’S HER NAME – Guy Darrell
8. COUNT ME OUT – Kevin ‘King’ Lear
9. CAN’T STOP TALKIN’ ABOUT MY BABY – Mike Patto
10.SOUL SERENADE – The Mike Cotton Sound
11.KNOCK ON WOOD – Oliver Bone
12.JUST ONE MORE CHANCE – The Outer Limits
13.DON’T STOP GIRL – Dominic Grant
14.WHEN I THINK OF YOU – Twiggy
15.YEH YEH – The Mark Wirtz Orchestra & Chorus
16.THAT DRIVING BEAT – The Favourite Sons
17.BLOW UP – The In Crowd
18.PARTY LINE – The Attraction
19.ARTHUR GREEN – Andy Ellison
20.CYPRESS (PREVIOUSLY UNISSUED) – The Truth
21.SINK OR SWIM – Circus
22.SHE WAS REALLY SAYING SOMETHING – Doc Thomas Group
23.TAKE ME FOR A LITTLE WHILE – Rusty Harness
24.BABY AND ME – The Hammers
25.GOING GOING GONE – Mike Hurst & Mike D’abo
26.THERE IS – The Shadrocks
27.AFRODISIAC – The Web
28.FALLING IN LOVE WITH YOU – The Reaction
29.EAST SIDE 628 – Al Saxon
30.A MAN NEEDS LOVE – The Brothers GrimmDISC THREE:
1. GIRL ON A MOTORCYCLE – The British Lion Orchestra
2. THE EAGLE FLIES ON FRIDAY – The Exceptions
3. LONDON BRIDGE IS COMING DOWN – The Spectrum
4. ELEVATOR – Grapefruit
5. PEACOCK DRESS – Sun Dragon
6. LOOKING TOWARDS THE SKY – Davey Payne & The Medium Wave
7. VIOLIN SHOP – The Alan Bown
8. REMEMBER THE TIMES – Mike Stuart Span
9. HOLD ON – Rupert’s People
10. GIVE WHAT YOU TAKE (DEMO) – The Lomax Alliance
11. SECOND FIDDLE – The Gnomes Of Zurich
12. I’VE GOT MONEY – The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown
13. COME AND PLAY WITH ME IN THE GARDEN – John’s Children
14. FIRE IN THE CITY – The Deviants
15. SUNSHINE SUPERMAN – Big Jim Sullivan
16. TOMORROW NEVER KNOWS – The Mirage
17. FLOWERS ARE FLOWERING (DEMO) – The 23rd Turnoff
18. MR. UNIVERSE – Episode Six
19. I DON’T MIND – Fat Mattress
20. HOW DO YOU FEEL – Sounds Incorporated
21. INFATUATION – The Secrets
22. CALL ME LIGHTNING – The Good Vibrations
23. MAE WEST – Ken Moule’s London Jazz Chamber Group
24. PUMPKIN MINI – Katch 22
25. EINER KLEINER MISER MUSIK – Tony Rivers & The Castaways
26. THANK YOU BABY FOR COMING – The Matchmakers
27. THE MEANING OF LOVE – Putney Bridge
The Long Ryders with their swaggering fusion of country rock mixed with a punk attitude were formed by several American musicians influenced by Gram Parsons and the Byrds, The band was a welcome relief from the manufactured pap clogging up the charts around this time, led by frontman Sid Griffin on guitar, autoharp, and bugle, Stephen McCarthy, guitar, steel guitar, mandolin, and banjo, Des Brewer, as bassist, (later replaced by Tom Stevens) and Greg Sowders, playing drums and percussion. With a sound reminiscent of Gram Parsons, Buffalo Springfield and The Flying Burrito Brothers, but with a harder edge, they hit the UK for some incendiary live shows before recording two more critically lauded albums and finally splitting up in 1987.
Their first album Native Sons was only held off the top of the UK Indie Charts by the Smiths’ Meat Is Murder .
Most of the key Americana bands of the last couple of decades cite the Long Ryders as an influence, but their rich history has never had a proper compilation until Cherry Red Records stepped in to create the 4cd box set “FinalWild Songs” – a lavish CD retrospective of the band. The set features all the original albums as well as demos, singles and rare live recordings. Re-mastered by Andy Pearce the recordings and in Sid’s opinion have never sounded so good. .
“In September 2013 the Cherry Red people came to me and said they were amazed that there had never been a Long Ryders anthology,” says Sid. “There has only been a one CD Best Of on my little Prima Records label.
“It’s all down to Steve Hammond who sat me down and said it is absurd there isn’t a Long Ryders collection, so he said let’s do a box set. I thought A, he’s dreaming and then B, I thought hallelujah.”
After the split Griffin settled in North London as bass player Tom Stephens, drummer Greg Sowders and, guitarist Stephen McCathy all went home to different part of the US, but they have all been involved in the production providing comprehensive track by track sleeve notes for their hard core fans. As well as their first mini album 10-5-60 and all three albums, fans will also be delighted to hear there are plenty of unreleased and hard to find tunes across Final Wild Songs. There are 20 studio songs that are very, very rare.” And the track listing features rare Long Ryders songs like ‘Time Keeps Travelling’, ‘As God Is My Witness’ and ‘Southside Of The Story’.
“There’s about 11 songs that are completely unreleased and there’s nine songs that were only released in the US . There are 20 studio songs that are very, very rare.”
Anyone who saw The Long Ryders first time round will recall they were one of the great live acts combining quality songwriting with a huge, uncompromising sound horned by endless touring.
“The fourth disc is a live CD that no-one has heard, which was actually a radio broadcast in one of the Benelux countries, and we played very well that night,” recalls Griffin. “I’d just forgotten about it and then some guy at the radio station sent us a copy two years ago, and I was blown away.
“So I thought let’s end the box set With this live show, and I’m really pleased as there have been a couple of live CDS on Prima, but this doesn’t repeat the track listings as it is from March 85. So the setlist doesn’t even have “Lookingfor Lewis and Clark” in it, it’s the Native Sons set that put us number one in the US Indie Charts.”
“The live shows were always better than the records. To me REM, our contemporaries, their records were always better than the live shows. I saw them live in their heyday several times, and it was a representative show, but it was not particularly a barnburner.
“Our live shows were barnburners which we didn’t capture on record other than individual tracks like I Had A Dream or Looking for Lewis and Clark where we sound really great. Mainly, as Roger McGuinn once said, our albums were really a souvenir of a concert as our live shows were just better.”
Perhaps the best news for their fans is the release of the box set is going to bring The Long Ryders back together to play some live shows and for Griffin it is a chance to complete some unfinished business.
“I’m really excited that it looks like we are going to be playing UK, Europe and the States behind this box set which is exciting as I have children now and they will be able to see The Long Ryders play which means a great deal to me.”
Final Wild Songs is released by Cherry Red on January 22nd 2016.
The Servants were an indie band formed in 1985 in Hayes, Middlesex, by singer-songwriter David Westlake who started the band with schoolfriend Ed Moran.
The band’s Small Time album was well received on its 2012 release, more than twenty years after its 1991-recording. The belated release followed the inclusion of 1990’s DisinterestinMojo magazine’s 2011 as one of the greatest British indie records of all time. The Servants played their first gig at The Water Rats Theatre in London’s King’s Cross on 1st July 1985. The line-up for most of the early gigs was: David Westlake, John Mohan, Phil King and Eamon Lynam (a.k.a. Neasden Riots). After Declining offers from Statik, Stiff, and Él, they signed with Head Records, set up by Jeff Barrett, later head of Heavenly Records.
Westlake’s urbane English song-writing was well received by the press, and the band was invited to record a John Peel session soon after the release of first single “She’s Always Hiding” in March 1986
Keen to distance themselves from the “shambling” scene, the band earned a reputation for haughtiness. They grudgingly accepted an invitation by the then-popular NMEto appear on their C86compilation, insisting on the track being B-side of their first single – the wrong-footing “Transparent”. The NME compilation turned out to sell well and the Servants became known for a lesser track.
The band’s next release, the four-song e.p. “The Sun, A Small Star” (August ’86), showed Westlake’s song-writing becoming still more deft, the title-track being later described as a classic”.
Luke Haines joined the Servants from early 1987 to late 1991. Drummer Hugh Whitaker left The Housemartinsand joined the band as they returned to the studio to demo new material for Creation Records.
In early ’88 the Servants moved to Glass Records, who promised a reasonable budget to record an album. Plans were made to go into the studio with John Brand, producer of Hayes punk-band the Ruts. At the eleventh hour the band were told that Glass distributors Red Rhino had “gone bust”. The budget was slashed, and they went into the studio to record an epic single, “It’s My Turn”. They played some gigs to support the single but Glass delayed releasing the record for a year.
The Servants released its debut album,Disinterest, in 1990 on Paperhouse Records. “It is Art Rock,” Haines later said, “Ten years too late and fifteen years too early.” Westlake and Haines recorded the Servants’ second album, Small Time, in 1991. Not until twenty-one years later was it released, in 2012 on Cherry Red Records (then in 2013 on Captured Tracks). Small Time is Westlake’s own favourite Servants record. The songs are, says Haines, “looser, more mysterious, strange and beautiful, . . . sounding . . . like nothing else really.”
The long unavailability of 1990’s Disinterest is explained in the Small Time notes: it is “stuck in an irretrievable record company quagmire, where it looks set to remain.” Small Time was issued with a second disc, Hey Hey We’re the Manqués, containing demos and rehearsal versions of first-album material.
The Servants’ last gig was at the Rock Garden, 21 August 1991 “With no room to manoeuvre and no opportunities left”, the band finally called it a day.
Belle & Sebastian frontman Stuart Murdoch told a U.S. music magazine The he was a huge Westlake fan and that he had tried to locate Westlake in the early ’90s in hope of forming a band with him, before starting Belle & Sebastian.
Cherry Red Records released a 2006 retrospective of the Servants, called Reserved. The compilation features all of the releases prior to the Disinterest album plus Peel sessions tracks and demos. US label Captured Tracks released a 2011 vinyl compilation of the Servants, called Youth Club Disco.
Westlake and Haines played together for the first time in twenty-three years at the Lexington, London N1 on 4th May 2014. Westlake and band played at an NME C86 show on 14 June 2014 in London to coincide with Cherry Red’s expanded reissue of C86
The Fat Angel Sings 