Universal Music Catalogue will release a definitive career-spanning box set entitled ‘Collected Recordings 1983-1989’ by Lloyd Cole and the Commotions on 29th June ’15.
‘Lloyd Cole and the Commotions – Collected Recordings 1983-1989’ takes the listener from the band’s earliest demos through the runaway success of their astonishing debut ‘Rattlesnakes’, their chart-topping follow-up ‘Easy Pieces’, their swansong ‘Mainstream’, and, with the inclusion of B-sides, demos and rarities, it provides the definitive guide to one of the most fascinating bands of the 80s.
Lloyd Cole and the Commotions formed in 1982 when Lloyd, born in Buxton, Derbyshire, was studying English and Philosophy at Glasgow University. In Glasgow he met keyboard player Blair Cowan and guitarist Neil Clark and later drummer Stephen Irvine, and bassist Lawrence Donegan, who had just left local band The Bluebells. They signed to Polydor in ’84 and their debut single ‘Perfect Skin’ lit up the nation’s radios. The dazzling debut album ‘Rattlesnakes’ more than fulfilled their promise, littered as it was with hip literary references, cutting wit and sophisticated pop melodies. Subsequent singles ‘Forest ‘Fire’ and ‘Rattlesnakes’ and sell-out shows around the country announced in no uncertain terms that a cool, literate new band had arrived. NME has listed ‘Rattlesnakes’ in its Top 100 albums of all time. The second album ‘Easy Pieces’ followed in Nov ’85 and entered the chart at no 5 and went gold within a month. The singles from it, ‘Brand New Friend’ and ‘Lost Weekend’, were both big hits. The third and final album ‘Mainstream’ came in ’87 and featured another of the band’s signature songs ‘Jennifer She Said’.
Says Lloyd: “1984 was our year. Everything seemed easy. Everything went wonderfully. After that being Lloyd Cole and the Commotions became increasingly difficult, but I’m really glad we made the music we did. I can’t imagine a band I’d rather have been the singer in.”
Housed in a deluxe clamshell box this lavish six disc (5CD + DVD) set features:
* the band’s three era-defining studio albums, ‘Rattlesnakes’ (’84), ‘Easy Pieces’(’85, UK top 5 on release) and ‘Mainstream’(’87). ‘Rattlesnakes’ has been remastered from the original tapes by Ian Jones at Abbey Road Studios and is now regarded by the original band members as the best sounding version ever available. ‘Easy Pieces’ was remastered from ¼ original tapes (best available source) to create the definitive version. Each disc will be housed in replica vinyl slipcases with printed inner sleeves.
* a disc of B-Sides, Remixes & Outtakes – including 16 B-sides – mostly out-of-print and unavailable digitally - plus two previously unreleased versions of ‘From Grace’ and ‘Brand New Friend’.
* a disc of Demo Recordings & Rarities - includes 16 (out of 18) previously unreleased tracks including six never-before-heard tracks: ‘Down At The Mission’, ‘Eat My Words’, ‘Poons’, ‘You Win’, ‘Old Wants Never Gets’ & ‘Another Dry Day’ plus two previously unreleased tracks produced by Chris Thomas (The Beatles, Sex Pistols, The Pretenders) and two by Stewart Copeland (The Police).
* a DVD featuring all 10 band video promos and 8 performances from Top Of The Pops, The Old Grey Whistle Test & Wogan.
* a 48-page hardback book by journalist and broadcaster Pete Paphides, which tells the unvarnished story of one of the 80s most esoteric groups, based on interviews with all of the dramatis personae including band members Lloyd Cole, Neil Clark, Blair Cowan, Stephen Irvine and Lawrence Donegan, the band’s manager Derek MacKillop, Polydor A&R man Malcolm Dunbar and producers Paul Hardiman and Alan Winstanley – and also features rare and previously unseen photos of the band in their prime.
Post Commotions Lloyd Cole moved to New York and has released nine studio albums as a solo artist including 2013’s acclaimed ‘Standards’ and continues to tour; Neil Clark lives in Canada and composes music for film and TV and teaches guitar; Lawrence Donegan has pursued a career as a journalist and author; Stephen Irvine has worked in music TV and now makes music for adverts, and Blair Cowan works for BT as a software engineer.
The full tracklisting of the box is below.
Lloyd Cole and the Commotions
Collected Recordings 1983-1989
Disc one – Rattlesnakes
1 Perfect Skin
2 Speedboat
3 Rattlesnakes
4 Down on Mission Street
5 Forest Fire
6 Charlotte Street
7 2cv
8 Four Flights Up
9 Patience
10 Are You Ready to be Heartbroken?
Disc two – Easy Pieces
1 Rich
2 Why I Love Country Music
3 Pretty Gone
4 Grace
5 Cut Me Down
6 Brand New Friend
7 Lost Weekend
8 James
9 Minor Character
10 Perfect Blue
Disc three – Mainstream
1 My Bag
2 From the Hip
3 29
4 Mainstream
5 Jennifer she said
6 Mr. Malcontent
7 Sean Penn Blues
8 Big Snake
9 Hey Rusty
10 These Days
Disc four – B-Sides, Remixes & Outtakes
1. The Sea and The Sand B-side to Perfect Skin
2. You Will Never Be No Good B-side to Perfect Skin
3. Andy's Babies B-side to Forest Fire
4. Glory B-side to Forest Fire
5. Sweetness B-side to Rattlesnakes
6. Perfect Blue (Hardiman mix B-side to Jennifer She Said
7. Jesus Said B-side to My Bag
8. Brand New Friend 1985 Wessex Studio recording. Previously unreleased ***
9. From Grace Unfinished 1985 Wessex Studio recording. Previously unreleased ***
10. Her Last Fling B-side to Brand New Friend
11. Big World B-side to Lost Weekend
12. Nevers End B-side to Lost Weekend
13. Mystery Train (Recorded live at The World, New York, 1986) B-side to Jennifer She Said
14. I Don't Believe You (Recorded live at The World, New York, 1986) B-side to Jennifer She Said
15. Love Your Wife B-side to From The Hip
16. Lonely Mile B-side to From The Hip
17. Please B-side to From The Hip
18. My Bag (Dancing Mix) 12” single
Disc five – Demo Recordings & Rarities (ALL UNRELEASED except Trk 2 & 6)
1. Down At The Mission [Unreleased single A-side]
2. Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken? [Unreleased single B-side (appeared previously on Rattlesnakes Dlx edition 2004)]
3. Patience [Demo recording]
4. Eat My Words [Demo recording (Never before heard)]
5. Forest Fire [Demo recording]
6. Perfect Skin [Demo recording (appeared previously on Rattlesnakes Dlx edition 2004)]
7. Poons [Demo recording (Never before heard)]
8. Old Hats [Demo recording]
9. You Win [Demo recording (Never before heard)]
10. Old Wants Never Gets [Demo recording (Never before heard)]
11. Another Dry Day [Demo recording. (Never before heard)]
12. 29 [Demo recording]
13. Jennifer She Said [Demo recording]
14. Hey Rusty [Demo recording]
15. Everyone’s Complaining [Unreleased recording. Studio Grande Armée (Paris). Produced by Chris Thomas]
16. Mr Malcontent [Unreleased recording. Studio Grande Armée (Paris). Produced by Chris Thomas]
17. Jennifer She Said (Polished Rough Mix) [Unreleased recording. Sarm Studios (London). Produced by Stewart Copeland and Julian Mendelsohn]
18. Hey Rusty [Unreleased recording. Sarm Studios (London). Produced by Stewart Copeland and Julian Mendelsohn]
DVD - Promotional videos & television performances
Promotional videos
1 Perfect Skin
2 Forest Fire
3 Rattlesnakes
4 Brand New Friend
5 Lost Weekend
6 Cut Me Down
7 My Bag
8 Jennifer She Said
9 From The Hip
10 Mainstream
Television performances
11 Perfect Skin (Top of the Pops, June 1984)
12 Rattlesnakes (The Old Grey Whistle Test, November 1984)
13 Speedboat (The Old Grey Whistle Test, November 1984)
14 Brand New Friend (Wogan, September 1985)
15 Brand New Friend (Top of the Pops, September 1985)
16 Lost Weekend (Top of the Pops, November 1985)
17 Mister Malcontent (Recorded live in concert at Ibrox Park, Glasgow, June 1986)
18 My Bag (Wogan, September 1987)
