London Records are to reissue the only album by Sheffield electronic group The All Seeing I, ‘Pickled Eggs & Sherbet’, for the very first time on double vinyl on April 25th.
Fully remastered, the cult classic album will also be available on an expanded double CD version which includes rare B-sides from lost CD singles and new mixes from All Seeing I’s DJ Parrot (aka Crooked Man). The reissue also includes sleeve notes by Jarvis Cocker, one of several Sheffield music legends to collaborate with the band, plus a brand new remix of the hit single “Walk Like A Panther” by pop alchemist The Reflex (Nile Rodgers, Noel Gallagher, Parcels, Cerrone, Roisin Murphy), listen here.
The All Seeing I were the production trio of Dean Honer, Jason Buckle, and Richard Barrett (aka DJ Parrot), formerly of influential Warp Records signings Sweet Exorcist. Originally lumped in with the late nineties Big Beat scene, there was far more imagination to The All Seeing I, who joyously brought together all the disparate threads of the Sheffield music scene past (and then) present on an album that could only have come from the ‘Steel City.’
In a 2016 interview with Music Radar, Honer explained: “It was lo-fi, homemade bedroom production, mixed with the various influences that we brought to it. We had some Sheffield electronics in there, some working men's club cabaret, all mixed with the lyrical wizardry of Jarvis Cocker."
Buckle added: "I thought we were making pop music in our own upside-down way. It didn't then, and still doesn't, sound like anything else. We were one of the last of the 'sample 'n' get away with it' type bands. I just can't believe that we got such odd-sounding things in the charts and on Top of the Pops!"
“Beat Goes On”, the lead single from ‘Pickled Eggs & Sherbert ', reached No.11 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 1 on the UK Dance Singles Chart in 1998. In 2022, the song had a huge viral moment on TikTok and social media, becoming one of the most widely used ‘Sounds’ in recent years accruing 2.4 billion views and 162k creations.
The follow up, 1999’s “Walk Like A Panther” peaked at No.10 in the UK Singles Chart. Featuring vocals from cabaret crooner Tony Christie, who the band had to coax out of retirement in Spain, it became his first hit single in 25 years and included a memorable performance on Top Of The Pops with Jarvis Cocker substituting for Christie.
The third single “1st Man in Space” features a brilliant vocal from The Human League’s Phil Oakey, who is uncharacteristically backed by flanged guitars, while Babybird’s Stephen Jones - another Sheffield artist - sings on album closer “Plastic Diamond”.
Originally released in September 1999, ‘Pickled Eggs & Sherbert’ is the sole album by The All Seeing I, who split in 2002. Buckle went on to form Relaxed Muscle with Cocker, while Honer fronts electronic duo I Monster who are currently working on a new album.
The All Seeing I ‘Pickled Eggs & Sherbet’
Tracklistings:
Vinyl:
LP1
A1. Walk Like A Panther
A2. No Return
A3. Beat Goes On
B1. Sweet Music
B2. Mary
B3. 1st Man In Space
LP2
C1. Drive Safely Darlin’
C2. Stars on Sunday
C3. Big Pecker
C4. I Peggio
D1. I Walk
D2. Happy Birthday Nicola
D3. Plastic Diamond
CD
CD1
01 Walk Like A Panther
02 No Return
03 Beat Goes On
04 Sweet Music
05 Mary
06 1st Man In Space
07 Drive Safely Darlin'
08 Stars On Sunday
09 Big Pecker
10 I Walk
11 I Peggio
12 Happy Birthday Nicola
13 Plastic Diamond
14 Dirty Girl
15 Airy Armpits
CD2
01 Beat Goes Wrong
02 Sweaty Walls
03 Pickled Eggs & Sherbet
04 Beat Goes on (La De Da De De Mix)
05 First Crooked Man
06 First Crooked Dub
07 I Walk Crooked
08 Return of the Crooked Cat
Digital
01 Walk Like A Panther
02 No Return
03 Beat Goes On
04 Sweet Music
05 Mary
06 1st Man In Space
07 Drive Safely Darlin'
08 Stars On Sunday
09 Big Pecker
10 I Walk
11 I Peggio
12 Happy Birthday Nicola
13 Plastic Diamond
14 Dirty Girl
15 Airy Armpits
16 Walk Like a Panther (The Reflex Revision)
17 Beat Goes Wrong
18 Sweaty Walls
19 Pickled Eggs & Sherbet
20 Beat Goes on (La De Da De De Mix)
21 First Crooked Man
22 First Crooked Dub
23 I Walk Crooked
24 Return of the Crooked Cat
25 Jarvis Cocker Audio Liner Notes
For more information: