The Idle Race: The Birthday Party, 2CD Expanded Digipak Edition

El 20 de marzo de 2020 se edita desde Cherry Red Records «THE IDLE RACE: THE BIRTHDAY PARTY 2CD EXPANDED DIGIPAK EDITION» que quizá no aporte grandes novedades, y del que ya es posible realizar el pre-pedido siguiendo el enlace.

Habiendo surgido de las cenizas de los aspirantes al boom del beat Mike Sheridan y The Night Riders, a finales de 1966 la banda de Birmingham THE IDLE RACE buscaba un nuevo guitarrista. El exitoso aspirante era el adolescente local JEFF LYNNE.

Cuando la banda firmó con Liberty Records, el prodigioso talento de LYNNE -varios años más joven que sus nuevos colegas- había sido promovido a la posición de líder, floreciendo como el principal compositor de la banda mientras que también tomaba la voz principal.

Después de que ‘Skeleton And The Roundabout’ hubiera atraído mucha atención pero se quedara corto en las listas de éxitos, la banda cortó su álbum debut. Publicado en octubre de 1968, el idiosincrásico «The Birthday Party» dio a conocer un nuevo talento importante en la escena pop británica. Una creación deslumbrante que combinaba el estilo melódico de los Beatles y viñetas ingeniosas y surrealistas con la ambición aumentada del pop de estudio británico de la era psicológica, el conjunto atrajo críticas entusiastas y el apoyo de los DJs de Radio One, incluyendo a Kenny Everett.

Lamentablemente, sin embargo, «The Birthday Party» no se vendió en gran cantidad después de que Liberty misteriosamente decidió no emitir un single en apoyo del lanzamiento (‘I Like My Toys’ estaba programado para aparecer, pero se canceló en el último minuto), y el mundo entero no se fijaría en LYNNE hasta que se unió a The Move a principios de 1970.

Ahora reconocido como un álbum clásico de pop psicodélico británico basado en canciones, «The Birthday Party» finalmente recibe la atención que merece con este nuevo paquete definitivo de 2 CDs. Al álbum estéreo original se le unen versiones alternativas, singles independientes y, lo más notable de todo, el primer lanzamiento oficial en CD de la versión mono original, sustancialmente diferente del LP, tomada de los masters originales.

Este conjunto esencial, un lanzamiento en digipak, incluye un folleto de 24 páginas que contiene numerosas fotos y recuerdos raros, así como un nuevo ensayo sobre el álbum.

TRACK LISTING
DISC ONE (MONO)
1. SKELETON AND THE ROUNDABOUT
2. HAPPY BIRTHDAY
3. THE BIRTHDAY
4. I LIKE MY TOYS
5. MORNING SUNSHINE
6. FOLLOW ME FOLLOW
7. SITTING IN MY TREE
8. ON WITH THE SHOW
9. LUCKY MAN
10. DON’T PUT YOUR BOYS IN THE ARMY, MRS. WARD
11. PIE IN THE SKY
12. THE LADY WHO SAID SHE COULD FLY
13. END OF THE ROAD
BONUS TRACKS
14. (HERE WE GO ROUND) THE LEMON TREE
15. MY FATHER’S SON
16. IMPOSTERS OF LIFE’S MAGAZINE
17. KNOCKING NAILS INTO MY HOUSE
18. LUCKY MAN (ALTERNATIVE VERSION)
19. FOLLOW ME FOLLOW (ALTERNATIVE VERSION)
20. DAYS OF THE BROKEN ARROWS
21. WORN RED CARPET
22. DAYS OF THE BROKEN ARROWS (ALTERNATIVE VERSION)

1-13 The album The Birthday Party, Liberty LBL 83132, released October 1968
14-15 US-only single, Liberty 55997, released September 1967
16 Single, Liberty LBF 15026, released September 1967
17 B-side of single, Liberty LBF 15054, released March 1968
18-19, 22 Alternative versions, first issued on Back To The Story, Zonophone 72438 3816224, released 1996
20-21 Single, Liberty LBF 15218, released May 1969

DISC TWO (STEREO)
1. SKELETON AND THE ROUNDABOUT
2. HAPPY BIRTHDAY
3. THE BIRTHDAY
4. I LIKE MY TOYS
5. MORNING SUNSHINE
6. FOLLOW ME FOLLOW
7. SITTING IN MY TREE
8. ON WITH THE SHOW
9. LUCKY MAN
10. DON’T PUT YOUR BOYS IN THE ARMY, MRS. WARD
11. PIE IN THE SKY
12. THE LADY WHO SAID SHE COULD FLY
13. END OF THE ROAD
BONUS TRACKS
14. PIE IN THE SKY (ALTERNATIVE VERSION)
15. SITTING IN MY TREE (ALTERNATIVE VERSION)

1-13 The album The Birthday Party, Liberty LBS 83132, released October 1968
14 Alternative stereo version, from US version of The Birthday Party, Liberty
LST 7603, released March 1969
15 Electronically processed stereo version, from reissue of The Birthday
Party, Sunset SLS 50381, released February 1976

ELOSPAIN:

On March 20, 2020, "THE IDLE RACE: THE BIRTHDAY PARTY 2CD EXPANDED DIGIPAK EDITION" will be released from Cherry Red Records. It may not bring major innovations, and pre-orders are already available through the provided link.
Emerging from the ashes of the aspiring beat boom act Mike Sheridan and The Night Riders, by the late 1966, Birmingham-based band THE IDLE RACE was in need of a new guitarist. The successful applicant was local teenager JEFF LYNNE.
When the band signed with Liberty Records, LYNNE's prodigious talent—several years younger than his new bandmates—was promoted to the leader's position, flourishing as the primary songwriter of the band while also taking on lead vocals.
After 'Skeleton And The Roundabout' attracted much attention but fell short on the charts, the band cut their debut album. Released in October 1968, the idiosyncratic "The Birthday Party" introduced a major new talent to the British pop scene. A dazzling creation that combined the melodic style of The Beatles with witty and surrealistic vignettes and the heightened ambition of the British studio pop of the psychedelic era, the ensemble garnered enthusiastic reviews and support from Radio One DJs, including Kenny Everett.
Unfortunately, "The Birthday Party" did not sell in large quantities after Liberty mysteriously decided not to issue a single in support of the release ('I Like My Toys' was scheduled to appear but was canceled at the last minute), and the world would not take notice of LYNNE until he joined The Move in early 1970.
Now recognized as a classic British psychedelic pop album, "The Birthday Party" finally receives the attention it deserves with this new definitive 2-CD package. The original stereo album is joined by alternate versions, independent singles, and most notably, the first official CD release of the original mono version, substantially different from the LP, taken from the original masters.
This essential set, a digipak release, includes a 24-page booklet containing numerous rare photos and memories, as well as a new essay on the album.