The newly remastered version of The Beloved’s rare 1986 EP ‘This Means War’ has been made available on streaming services for the very first time, ahead of the January 31 release of a new Special Edition of The Beloved’s 1987 debut album Where It Is.
Originally released in July 1986 on the now-defunct independent label Flim Flam, “This Means War” – which was produced by New Order’s studio engineer Michael Johnson – has previously only been available on vinyl in its original EP edition.
“Although best known as a pioneering 90s dance/electronica act with hits like “Sweet Harmony”, “Hello” & “The Sun Rising”, The Beloved began in 1983 as a four-piece guitar-based band. Two prestigious John Peel Sessions in 1985 were followed by four independent singles on Flim Flam. ‘Where It Is’ was a compilation of these singles, initially released as a vinyl LP in October 1987. The album was then released on CD in 1988 as an expanded edition, copies of which now sell for in excess of £100.
For the new 2 x CD Special Edition all the audio has been remastered from the original analogue tapes by John Davis at Metropolis Studios, with the second disc containing previously unreleased demo tracks. The release comes with a 12-page booklet with liner notes & newly found photos of the band from that era.
At the time the material was recorded the band comprised Jon Marsh (Vocals, Keyboards), Steve Waddington (Guitars), Tim Havard (Bass) & Guy Gausden (Drums), who produced a sound not dissimilar to peers on NME’s seminal C86 compilation. Their first three singles were produced by Michael Johnson, the fourth ‘Forever Dancing’ was self-produced by the band.”
Comments Jon Marsh: “Delving back to this era has been a pleasure. Our formative years lost in the giddy excitement of later success, now reclaimed as an almost separate identity. The album is 33 years old. Demos dating back 37 years – I was 18 in 1983, two-thirds of my life ago! My friendship with Steve & Tim rekindled through this, all good memories. Let’s see what the world makes of it in 2020.”
CD1 is as per the original CD album with the addition of 3 tracks released on singles but not included on the CD, ‘Saints Preserve Us’, ‘Having Fun’, & the Stephen Street remix of ‘Forever Dancing’, making the album a virtual facsimile of all their early singles.
CD2 comprises 16 tracks. 3 were previously available on a limited edition 7″ with the vinyl album of ‘Where It Is’, 2 were alternate versions of songs on CD1 (from the original vinyl single releases) and there is a 7″ version of “Forever Dancing”. The remaining 10 tracks are completely unheard/unreleased demos from 1983-1987.
TRACKLISTINGS:This Means War EP
1 This Means War (Extended Mix)
2 Let It Begin
3 Saints Preserve Us
4 If Only
5 This Means War
Where It Is Special Edition:
CD01
1 A Hundred Words
2 Slow Drowning
3 In Trouble And Shame
4 This Means War
5 If Only
6 Let It Begin
7 Saints Preserve Us
8 Righteous Me (New Vocal)
9 A Kiss Goodbye
10 If Pennies Came From Heaven Could Karl Marx Have Been Mistaken?
11 Forever Dancing
12 Surprise Me
13 Having Fun
14 Forever Dancing (Stephen Street Remix)
15 If Only ’88
CD02 Demos & Rarities
01 The Flame ’83
02 The Last Detail ’84
03 Grin
04 Disgrace
05 Privacy (Sometimes)
06 The Flame ’84
07 Seppuku Glory
08 Falling On My Face
09 Each & Every Time
10 The Last Detail ‘85
11 Righteous Me
12 Forever Laughing
13 If You Ever Change Your Mind
14 On The Fence
15 Forever Dancing (7” version)
16 If Only ‘87
