"...Yes
I Do..."
Friday,
18 October 2019 sees five of Chris Rea's long-deleted albums originally on
Magnet, WEA and East West Records get a proper Reissue/Remaster makeover - each
bunged up into a 2CD Set. They are "Shamrock Diaries" (originally May
1985), "On The Beach" (April 1986), "Dancing With
Strangers" (September 1987), "The Road To Hell" (November 1989)
and "Auberge" (March 1991). With only bits and pieces of his superbly
musical back catalogue available in Remaster form – these full-album overhauls
have been a long-time coming for suffering fans and this time they're with the
Artist's involvement and approval (see list below for their CD details).
Disc
1 in each case contains the original album while Disc 2 offers a wide spread of
non-album B-sides, remixes and remakes, outtakes and period rarities etc (a
generous 17 in this case). Each offering has a small smattering of Previously
Unreleased material too - but more importantly the whole shebang has been
transferred and remastered by NICK ROBBINS of Ace Records fame and he's done a
fabulous job. Robbins is an Audio Engineer with literally hundreds of reissues
to his name across decades and a vast network of music – so its no surprise
that the audio here in great – a real improvement on what went before. The
booklets contain all the lyrics (not the extras) and fresh interviews conducted
with Rea by noted author and former Record Collector bigwig Peter Doggett.
There's a lot to wade through, so finally and if you'll forgive the pun, let's
dance...
UK
released Friday, 18 October 2019 - "Dancing With Strangers" by CHRIS
REA on Magnet Records/Warner Music Group 0190295492229 (Barcode 0190295492229)
is an 'Expanded Edition' 2CD Reissue and Remaster that plays out as follows:
CD1
"Original Album" (49:14 minutes):
1.
Joys Of Christmas [Side 1]
2.
I Can't Dance To That
3.
Windy Town
4.
Gonna Buy A Hat
5.
Curse Of The Traveller
6.
Let's Dance [Side 2]
7.
Que Sera
8.
Josie's Tune
9.
Loving You Again
10.
That Girl Of Mine
11.
September Blue
Tracks
1 to 11 are the studio-album "Dancing With Strangers" (his eight) -
released September 1987 in the UK on Magnet Records MAGL 5071 and Motown 6245L
in the USA. The original 1987 British CD came with Three Bonus Tracks - "I
Don't Care Anymore", "Donahue's Broken Wheel" and
"Danielle's Breakfast" while the US issue carried the final two in
this list (both instrumentals) - these have been moved to Disc 2. The album
peaked at No. 2 in the UK.
CD2
"Additional Recordings" (74:43 minutes):
1.
Yes I Do (Non-Album B-side, from the November 1987 UK CD Single to "Joys
Of Christmas" on Magnet CDMAG 314)
2.
Que Sera (Single Version) (Re-Recorded for the "The Best Of Chris Rea -
New Light Through Old Windows" album released October 1988 on WEA)
3.
Se Sequi (Non-Album B-side, from the January 1988 UK 7", 12" and CD
single to "Que Sera" on Magnet 318)
4.
I'm Taking The Day Out (Non-Album B-side, from the July 1988 UK 7" single "On The Beach Summer '88" on Magnet 195)
5.
I Can Hear Your Heartbeat (Extended Mix) (Non-Album version, A-side of an
October 1988 UK single on WEA YZ 350)
6.
Loving You Again (Live Version) (Non-Album version, B-side of an October 1988
UK single on WEA YZ 350)
7.
Danielle's Breakfast (Instrumental, August 1987 UK 7" and 12" Single
B-Side to "Loving You Again" on Magnet MAG 300 and a "Dancing
With Strangers" CD Album Bonus Track)
8.
On The Beach (Summer '88) (Single Version) (Re-Recorded for the "The Best
Of Chris Rea - New Light Through Old Windows" album released October 1988)
9.
Randolph's Rotor Arm - PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
10.
Smile (from "Driving Home For Christmas - The Christmas EP",
non-album track, UK released December 1988 on Magnet 325 - 4-Track 7"
Single, 12" Single and CD Single)
11.
I Don't Care Anymore (1987 "Dancing With Strangers" CD Album Bonus
Track)
12.
Que Sera (Down Under Mix) (Non-Album Version, January 1988 UK 12" single
for "Que Sera" on Magnet MAGT 318)
13.
Donahue's Broken Wheel (Instrumental, August 1987 UK 7" and 12"
Single B-Side to "Loving You Again" on Magnet MAG 300 and a
"Dancing With Strangers" CD Album Bonus Track)
14.
Let's Dance (The Remix) (from the May 1987 UK 12" Single Magnet MAGT 299R)
15.
Josephine (French Re-Record) (5:37 minute version, B-side from the May 1987 UK
12" Single and CD Single for "Let's Dance" on Magnet 299)
16.
Footsteps In The Snow (from "Driving Home For Christmas - The Christmas
EP", non-album track, UK released December 1988 on Magnet 325 - 4-Track
7" Single, 12" Single and CD Single)
17.
Driving Home For Christmas (Second Version) (Re-Recorded for the "The Best
Of Chris Rea - New Light Through Old Windows" album released October 1988)
The
24-page colour booklet is a surprisingly pretty and chunky affair – all that
watercolour art reproduced including the singles sleeves peppering the text and
interviews followed by the lyrics to the album’s eleven tracks. Berry Gordy
apparently adored "Let's Dance" so the album received a US release on
Motown – something the Blues and Soul-loving Rea is very proud of. He explains
too how the music of Ry Cooder and Lowell George (Americana in general) had
also infused the recordings along with the Celtic Uilleann pipes of Davey
Spillane – a man whose beautiful playing has graced Kate Bush, Emmylou Harris,
Elvis Costello, Bryan Adams, Van Morrison and Mike Oldfield albums to name but
a few (good company methinks). Remastered by NICK WATSON at Fluid Mastering –
the Audio is superb - Eoghan O'Neill's Bass clear and warm - Rea's formidable guitar playing
(menace-sliding one minute then hop-skipping the next) now foremost through all
of the songs.
The
opening number "Joys Of Christmas" Northern-style sets the scene –
women dragging their drunken men from pubs – angry, fighting - Jim looking down
the barrel of an unemployment gun and trying not to pull the trigger. It gets
all ZZ Top for the excellent boogie of "I Can't Dance To That" - his
guitar playing fantastic as Kevin Leach backs up proceedings on the organ and
piano. A gorgeous remaster elevates his heartfelt empathy in "Windy
Town" - sessionmen good types like Fairport's Jerry Donahue playing guitar
while Davey Spillane (ex Moving Hearts) gives us that haunting Uilleann Pipes
and Tin Whistles as the jaunty beat slows - no car for kissing - crosswinds on
the cold wet Northern stones. I'd forgotten how good "Gonna Buy A
Hat" is. Here it comes alive again - the organ and accordion backing - I
suspect Mr. Gorbachev would approve (keep those raindrops and that desperation
off). Side 1 ends with the gorgeous wails of Davey Spillane on a low whistle as
Rea strums the opening to "Curse Of The Traveller".
Side
2's total dancefloor killer "Let's Dance" has real muscle now and is
followed by the floating keyboard notes and Harmonica of "Que Sera" -
an opening that quickly segues into a so-pretty Balearic rhythm - rolling down
runway ten strumming a guitar. The ethereal instrumental "Josie's
Tune" with just Spillane and Rea - Spillane coaxing pain out of the Irish
pipes - now feels more epic. The pretty "Loving You Again" with its
radio-friendly chug feels like a revisiting a smile. The LP ends with the happy
romp of "That Girl Of Mine" and the Mediterranean soft
"September Blue" - tunes that are good but possibly not as special as
what went before.
THE
EXTRAS:
Fans
will notice that "One Sweet Tender Touch" (a Previously Unreleased
track in January 1988) from the CD single of "Que Sera" is absent and
unfortunately hasn't been moved to any of the other doubles (bit of a boo-boo
that). And I've always felt the three supposed bonus cuts on the original 1987
CD to have been a bit crappy, but having said that, how good is it to hear the
fabulous Chris Rea "Let's Dance" Pop of "Yes I Do" in
pumped up sound quality. DJs and fans digging Balearic Beats also finally get
"Josephine (French Re-Record)" previously only available on a rare
12" single in proper Remastered quality - an extended 5:36 minute version
that I feel has always trounced the released version. The first variant of
"Driving Home For Christmas" from December 1986 (the B-side of
"Hello Friend (Re-Record)" on Magnet 298) turns up as a Bonus Track
inside Disc 2 of the "On The Beach" double. What we get here (imo) is
the better and more punchy re-record for 1988's "New Light Through Old
Windows” album - but I know some people also love that original and will have
nothing to do with the redone version - so its nice to know both are now
available in proper 2019 Remaster form across this reissue campaign. The song
"Let's Dance" had four variants in 1987 – the album cut at 4:08
minutes, the 7" Single Edit at 3:52 minutes and two from two different
12"s – 12" Special Mix at 6:03 minutes and The Remix at 7:02 minutes.
Disc 2 offers us The Remix only of "Let's Dance" at 7:02 minutes – so
the Special Mix and 1987 Single Edit versions are not here. There was also the
re-record of "Let's Dance" in 1988 for the "New Light Through
Old Windows" Best Of LP and a March 1990 Live at Wembley Arena London
version that turned up at the seven-minute B-side to the "Texas"
single in April 1990 - both of which are now on the Disc 2 Additional
Recordings of "The Road To Hell" double. Just to throw a further
variant spanner in the works – there now appears to be a 3:37 minute version of
"Let's Dance" as a Bonus Track on Disc 2 of the "On The
Beach" double described as a B-side, but I don’t know to what.
To
sum up – absolutely everything is not here for sure, but I think some judicious
pruning is not a bad thing and that 74:43 playing time has to be called bloody
good value for money in any working man's books. And the Previously Unreleased
track is very good too. A fantastic reissue in my book and I'll be adding the
others from the Bluesy Northern lad to my shopping basket as soon as pre-Brexit
obfuscations and bamboozling allow.
I've
always loved Chris Rea albums, looked forward to them even, as I would have
done with a new John Martyn offering say. Musical, uplifting and warm - and
that's gotta be the highest praise indeed...
CHRIS
REA Expanded And Remastered Series
2CD
Titles released Friday, 18 October 2019
1.
Shamrock Diaries (Released May 1985)
Magnet
Records/Warner Music Group 0190295492267 (Barcode 0190295492267)
2.
On The Beach (April 1986)
Magnet
Records/Warner Music Group 0190295492243 (Barcode 0190295492243)
3.
Dancing With Strangers (September 1987)
Magnet
Records/Warner Music Group 0190295492229 (Barcode 0190295492229)
4.
The Road To Hell (November 1989)
WEA/Warner
Music Group 0190295492205 (Barcode 0190295492205)
5.
Auberge (March 1991)
East
West/Warner Music Group 0190295492182 (Barcode 0190295492182)
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