A new five-disc boxed set anthology celebrating the recordings of The Mighty Lemon Drops, between 1985 and 1990 for Chrysalis Records imprint Blue Raincoat.
Featuring 97 tracks on five discs, including the albums ‘Happy Head', 'World Without End' and ‘Laughter' plus non-album singles, B-Sides / bonus tracks, US radio mixes, previously unreleased demos and rare session recordings.
Always original, and difficult to categorise, The Mighty Lemon Drops formed in 1985. Definitely guitar-driven, probably post-punk, maybe neo-psychedelic, they drew comparisons to The Velvet Underground, Love and almost inevitably (and a little lazily) Echo And the Bunnymen.
After appearing on NME's hugely influential 'C-86' compilation, the band signed with Geoff Travis' new Chrysalis subsidiary Blue Guitar for their debut album 'Happy Head', a collection of uncluttered songs with a chiming Rickenbacker sound that Sounds dubbed one of the 50 best albums of 1986. They followed up with 1987's more mature 'World Without End', which peaked at No. 33 on the UK charts and at No. 1 on the US College chart, and included the hit 'Inside Out'.
The following year saw the release of “Laughter” which the press describes as “by far the band’s best”. The band sound continued to evolve, with well-crafted vocal arrangements and sophisticated musicianship, but above all instantly memorable melodies.
This five-disc career spanning retrospective is the most thorough overview to date of this much loved band. It has been put together with their collaboration resulting in the first appearance of previously unreleased recordings, along with some extremely rare tracks.
The extensive sleeve notes were compiled with assistance from founding member David Newton, giving a unique overview of the band’s career. David has also contributed to a high-profile new book, Whatever Happened To The C86 Kids? by Nige Tassell, which is bound to generate renewed interest in the band.
Track Listing:
DISC ONE
Happy Head (1985 - 86)
The Other Side Of You
My Biggest Thrill
All The Way
Hypnotised
Like An Angel
Behind Your Back
Happy Head
Pass You By
Take Me Up
On My Mind
Something Happens
Turn Me Round
Like An Angel (Original Dreamworld Single Version)
Something Happens (Original Dreamworld Single Version)
Sympathise With Us
Now She's Gone
Uptight
Pass You By (Faster Version)
Open Mind
Take My Heart
Rollercoaster
Wait And See
DISC TWO
World Without End (1987 - 88)
Inside Out
One By One
In Everything You Do
Hear Me Call
No Bounds
Fall Down (Like The Rain)
Crystal Clear
Hollow Inside
Closer To You
Breaking Down
Out Of Hand
Going Under
Splash #1 (Now I'm Home)
Count Me Out
Shine
Head On The Block
Fall Down (Like The Rain) (Single Version)
Paint It Black
Laughter
DISC THREE
Laughter (1989)
At Midnight
Into The Heart Of Love
Where Do We Go From Heaven?
The Heartbreak Thing
One In A Million
Written In Fiction
The Real World
All That I Can Do
Second Time Around
Beautiful Shame
Rumbletrain
Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White
Forever Home At Heart
Where Do We Go From Heaven? (Full Length Remix)
Written In Fiction (Alt Mix)
DISC FOUR
Demos, Sessions and Live (Part 1: 1985 - 1986)
May/June 85
Pass You By
Take My Heart
Like An Angel
My Feelings
Sympathize With Us
Now She's Gone
On My Mind (Live at North Staffs Poly College)
There She Goes Again
Radio 1 Session, Dec 1985
Like An Angel
Pass You By
Something Happens
Now She's Gone (Radio 1 Session, February 1986)
Happy Head (NME C86 TAPE)
Turn Me Round (March 1986)
, June / July 1986
Behind Your Back
Take Me Up
Uptight
All The Way
at The Astoria, Nov1986
My Biggest Thrill
Hypnotised
The Other Side Of You
DISC FIVE
Demos, Sessions and Live (Part 2: 1987 - 1989)
Out Of Hand (Rockfield Version)
Manchester Radio Session, 1987
Inside Out
Breaking Down
Closer To You
Fall Down (Like The Rain)
Take Me Up (Live)
Hear Me Call (Demo)
World Without End (Demo)
Fall Down (Like The Rain) (Live at The Astoria, February 1988)
Mighty Lemon Talk
Live at The Astoria, February 1988
Inside Out
Happy Head
Hollow Inside
Paint It Black
Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White (Live at The Dominion, October 1989)
At Midnight (Live at Moles Club, Bath, August 1989)
Like An Angel (Live at Moles Club, Bath, August 1989)
Written In Fiction (Live at Moles Club, Bath, August 1989)
