On the 16th February 2015, Edsel Records will release two box sets spanning the career of the critically acclaimed post-punk band The Sound, providing the perfect opportunity to reappraise the output of this frequently overlooked, yet influential, group.
Championed by John Peel, The Sound, who could – perhaps should have – had an impact on the post-punk era on the level achieved by the likes of Joy Division, Echo & The Bunnymen or The Cure, consisted of the late Adrian Borland (vocals, guitar) and Graham Bailey (bass guitar), Mike Dudley (drums) and Benita "Bi" Marshall (keyboard, saxophone, clarinet) - the latter leaving before the release of its follow-up From The Lion’s Mouth to be replaced by the late Colvin "Max" Mayers.
The first box set is a comprehensive 4CD set featuring The Sound’s debut album Jeopardy (released in 1980 to 5 star reviews from NME, Melody Maker and Sounds), From The Lion’s Mouth and All Fall Down, the three legend-enshrining LPs they recorded for Korova/Warner Brothers between 1980-’82. Each has album has been remastered and is supplemented with rarities, B-sides, the recordings with Kevin Hewick, BBC Sessions and BBC Live In Concert recordings.
The second box features 5CDs representing the second half of the story of The Sound. Following their three albums for Korova, The Sound signed for Statik Records, releasing the mini-album Shock Of Daylight, the full length album Head And Hearts and the double live LP In The Hothouse recorded at London’s Marquee. One further album, Thunder Up was release by Play It Again Sam in 1987 before the band called it a day the following year. All those recordings are included here with bonus B-sides, rare unheard demos and an unreleased track, Shimmer. Also included is the added bonus disc Propaganda, the collection of recordings made at Adrian Borland’s parents’ house in 1979 before the band signed for Korova.
Each of the box sets’ discs are housed in their original sleeve artwork, and are accompanied by a booklet containing the detailed track listings, artwork, publicity photographs and comprehensive liner notes.
In addition to the box set releases, fans of The Sound can look forward to a documentary currently in production about the life and music of Adrian Borland and The Sound. Titled "Walking In The Opposite Direction", the project’s initiators, producer Jean-Paul van Mierlo, director Marc Waltman and cameraman Thijn Teeuwissen, spent a couple of days interviewing Adrian’s Father, Bob Borland, along with members of Adrian’s pre-The Sound band The Outsiders, Michael Dudley (The Sound) and some of Adrian closest friends. Entirely self-funded, the production team decided to use these pre-interviews and include them in a trailer for their crowdfunding campaign.
To watch the trailer, and find out more about the documentary, please click HERE
TRACK LISTINGS
BOX SET 1
DISC ONE – JEOPARDY
I Can’t Escape Myself
Heartland
Hour Of Need
Words Fail Me
Missiles
Heyday
Jeopardy
Night Versus Day
Resistance
Unwritten Law
Desire
Physical World (Physical World EP)
Brute Force (B-Side Of ‘Heyday’ Single)
Heartland (Live Instinct EP)
Brute Force (Live Instinct EP)
Jeopardy (Live Instinct EP)
Coldbeat (Live Instinct EP)
Heartland (BBC Session October 1980)
Unwritten Law (BBC Session October 1980)
Jeopardy (BBC Session October 1980)
I Can’t Escape Myself (BBC Session October 1980)
DISC TWO - FROM THE LION’S MOUTH
Winning
Sense Of Purpose
Contact The Fact
Skeletons
Judgement
Fatal Flaw
Possession
The Fire
Silent Air
New Dark Age
Point Of No Return (Single B-side)
Hot House (Single B-side)
Coldbeat (Single B-side)
New Dark Age [Live]
Fatal Flaw (BBC Session November 1981)
Skeletons (BBC Session November 1981)
Hothouse (BBC Session November 1981)
New Dark Age (BBC Session November 1981)
DISC THREE - ALL FALL DOWN
All Fall Down
Party Of The Mind
Monument
In Suspense
Where The Love Is
Song And Dance
Calling The New Tune
Red Paint
Glass And Smoke
We Could Go Far
The One And A Half Minute Song (All Fall Down Sessions)
Sorry (All Fall Down Sessions)
As Feeling Dies (All Fall Down Sessions)
We Could Go Far (unreleased original version)
Plenty (This Cover Keeps Reality Unreal EP)
Neath Dancing Waves (This Cover Keeps Reality Unreal EP)
Amber (This Cover Keeps Reality Unreal EP)
Scapegoat In A Country Churchyard (This Cover Keeps Reality Unreal EP)
DISC FOUR - BBC LIVE IN CONCERT
Originally broadcast 21st November 1981
BBC Intro - Pete Drummond
Unwritten Law
Skeletons
Fatal Flaw
Winning
Sense Of Purpose
Heartland
New Dark Age
Originally broadcast 15th June 1985
BBC Intro - Pete Drummond + Intro music
Golden Soldiers
Under You
Total Recall
Burning Part Of Me
Whirlpool
Missiles
BOX SET 2
DISC ONE – SHOCK OF DAYLIGHT
Golden Soldiers
Longest Days
Counting The Days
Winter
New Way Of Life
Dreams Then Plans
‘Restless Songs and Golden Soldiers - The Lost Demo Recordings’
Golden Soldiers
A New Way Of Life
Counting The Days
Mining For Heart
Oiled
Steel Your Air
Fall Of Europe
Love Is Not A Ghost
Blood And Poison
Whirlpool
DISC TWO – HEARTS AND HEARTS
Whirpool
Total Recall
Under You
Burning Part Of Me
Love Is Not A Ghost
Wildest Dreams
One Thousand Reasons
Restless Time
Mining For Heart
World As It Is
Temperature Drop
Bonus Tracks
Blood And Poison
Steel Your Air
Oiled
Shimmer
DISC THREE – IN THE HOTHOUSE (LIVE)
Winning
Under You
Total Recall
Skeletons
Prove Me Wrong
Wildest Dreams
Burning Part Of Me
Heartland
Hothouse
Judgement
Counting The Days
Red Paint
Silent Air
Sense Of Purpose
Missiles
DISC FOUR - THUNDER UP
Acceleration Group
Hand Of Love
Barria Alta
Kinetic
Iron Years
Prove Me Wrong
Shot Up And Shut Down
Web Of Wicked Ways
I Give You Pain
Hand Of Love
You've Got A Way
B-sides
Iron Years (Remix)
I Give You Pain (Live)
Fall Of Europe
Such A Difference To Me
DISC FIVE - PROPAGANDA
No Salvation
Deep Breath
Cost Of Living
Quarter Past Two
Night Vs. Day
Physical World
Statik
Music Business
Propaganda
Words Fail Me
One More Escape
Missiles