Amplified Heart was Everything But The Girl’s million-selling and critically acclaimed seventh studio album and now appears for the first time on vinyl in a deluxe 25th Anniversary Edition mastered at half-speed for optimum audio fidelity by Miles Showell at London’s Abbey Road Studios.

The record - released in early 1994 by UK alt-pop duo Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt - contains the original version of what was to become the band’s biggest hit, Missing. If Todd Terry’s famous house remix took that song onto the world’s dance floors and upper reaches of the global pop charts in 1995 (#2 on US Billboard Hot 100, #1 on US Billboard Hot 100 Airplay, #3 on the UK Top 40, and #1 in Canada, Germany and Italy), the original version also remains a timeless classic, now in heavy demand on modern streaming services, and one that perhaps better reflects the enduring appeal of the album’s modern-retro hybrid of ardent folk-soul and scratchy electronica.

Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt met whilst at University in Hull in the early 80’s. Both were signed independently to indie label Cherry Red Records, Ben as a solo artist and Tracey as part of the band The Marine Girls. They formed Everything But The Girl in early ‘82, releasing one single on Cherry Red (Cole Porter’s ‘Night & Day’) before signing to Blanco Y Negro records and releasing their debut album ‘Eden’ to critical acclaim.

Following this, they released 5 further highly praised and commercially successful albums including the much-loved classic singles, These Early Days, Driving and the covers ‘I Don’t Want To Talk About It’ and ‘The Only Living Boy In New York’. ‘Amplified Heart’ was the seventh full-length album released in June 1994, featuring the singles ‘Missing’ and ‘Rollercoaster’. Primarily an acoustic driven album, it features heavyweight session musicians and guests, Danny Thompson (bass), Martin Ditcham (percussion), Dave Mattacks (drums) and Richard Thompson lead guitar on the track 25th December.

“We’ve alway been proud of Amplified Heart” says Ben, reflecting on the new edition. “It’s both close to the bone - understandable given it’s background - but also gentle in it’s touch, and shot through with resiliance. The newly mastered pressing sounds amazing - as good as the original tapes.” “I think it’s a real rebirth record” adds Tracey, “the momenent we got our mojo back. And it’s where ‘Missing’ began, so it’s a significant album for us.”

TRACK LISTING

Rollercoaster
Troubled Mind
I Don’t Understand Anything
Walking To You
Get Me
Missing
Two Star
We Walk The Same Line
25th December
Disenchanted

Arguably the most varied of the P&P related labels, Queen Constance was responsible for the release of some of the hottest shit NYC had to offer during the seventies and eighties, so rejoice when I tell you a reissue program is underway. High Fidelity will be the first in a series of Queen Constance rarities to be reissued, an extremely rare and coveted record that can change hands on the second hand market for big big money, so avoid those low rent bootlegs that are out there and cop this fully licensed repress.

The group's self-titled sole long-player is a fantastic 6 track set of gritty, soulful and uplifting funky Disco with a DIY edge. Not too much is known about the artists themselves, or even when the record was performed, recorded or released but it certainly sounds like a group who knew their craft inside out. The energy is high across the record and the group sound like they're on fire, just check the outrageously funkified 'Magic Carpet' and you'll see what we mean. Amazing. The whole project has that enchanting lo-fi, back-street feel to it in terms of production and the mind boggles as to how such a record would have come off had it been recorded at a Motown or any other 'big' studio, but no matter as this release is perfect the way it is, an essential piece of street-level NYC Disco straight from the underground.

TRACK LISTING

A1 - Life Time
A2 - Dedicated
A3 - Love Champ
B1 - From Us To You
B2 - Destiny
B3 - Magic Carpet