Smiling At Grief | The Definitive Edition

Artists

Album Info

Release Date: 2009-03

Label: Festival Music

Packaged in a standard slim 2cd jewel case with 20 page booklet.

This double CD features the original cassette release / enhanced CD release coupled with our own archive release Smiling At Grief Live, plus three previously unreleased tracks, including the original demo of Eleanor Rigby and a very different early version of This City!

As keyboard player Rick Battersby started his ‘sabbactical’ year during the recording sessions he only features on some of the tracks. Although Clive took over keyboard duties the 4-piece line-up was relatively short-lived, though it did go on to write and record the Fact and Fiction album. The original purpose of Smiling At Grief had been to gather together some demos to try and stimulate some record company interest and also to satisfy the growing number of fans who had been eagerly awaiting new material, particularly now that Geoff had joined the band.

This reissue sees Smiling At Grief available again for the first time in 12 years. It comes with brand new artwork, sleeve notes and previously unseen photographs. It includes three recordings never previously released, and as a bonus disc – the only live recording known to exist of the four-piece line up.

[Track details]
Tracks 1-1 to 1-9: recorded at Woodcray Manor Farm Studios, Berkshire, November 1981. Previously released as Smiling At Grief (TN-003).
Tracks 1-10 to 1-14: recorded at Burghfield Mill, Reading, in September 1981. Previously released as bonustracks on Smiling At Grief (CDMS 1177).
Track 1-15: previously unreleased. Recorded at Woodcray Manor Farm Studios, Berkshire, November 1981.
Track 1-16: previously unreleased. Recorded in Geoff’s cellar in Salford, September 1981.
Tracks 2-1 to 2-11: recorded at The Target Pub, Reading on Thursday 10th December 1981. The band played that night unde the pseudonym 'Jan Six And The Cryptic Clues'. Previously released as Smiling At Grief... Live (TNCDR01)
Track 2-12: previously unreleased. Recorded at Burghfield Mill, Reading, September 1981.

All tracks published by Copyright Control except "Eleanor Rigby" (track 1-15 and 2-3) published by Northern Songs.