Four classic covers recorded for ‘One Music with Huw Stephens’ 19th July 2006

“The release of The Wedding Present sessions done for our programme over the years is something of an honour. In the great tradition of the Peel/Selwood releases on the Strange Fruit label this record proves that even without John the BBC can still be a place where great bands can continue to grow and be creative… amongst friends.”

TRACK LISTING

1. Step Inside Love
2. Lovin’ You
3. Our Lips Are Sealed
4. Back For Good

Originally released for RSD2019 The Single That Never Was’; ‘Davni Chasy / Katrusya’. A rollicking, Ukrainian folk song with the usual Wedding Present thrashy brilliance, the song was initially set for release in 1988 when The Wedding Present were signed to RCA but the band felt the song was not appropriate for their first single on a major label, and with test pressings already in existence, that band pulled the single. Fast forward 30 years and ‘Davni Chasy / Katrusya’ finally gets its well-deserved release. Remastered for the first time, the 7” includes artwork re-designed by Jonathan Hitchen, designer of the original 1989 ‘Ukrainski Vistupi’ LP artwork.

Includes all 3 John Peel sessions re-mastered for the first time along with booklet + new sleeve artwork designed by original artist Jonathan Hitchen. DVD includes a new interview with David Gedge, Peter Solowka and Len Liggins + rare BBC 2 TV performance + 2 live recordings from 1989 Leeds Polytechnic + The Ukrainians performing 'Davni Chasy' at the 'At The Edge Of The Sea' festival in 2010 Who would have thought the Ukrainian songs The Wedding Present initially played as a bit of fun would turn into a proper band with numerous albums, BBC sessions for the legendary John Peel Show and live shows to their credit?

Already forging a reputation as purveyors of the finest British indie rock of a generation, Leeds-based band The Wedding Present first played the traditional Ukrainian song ‘Hopak’ at rehearsals in 1987, suggested by second guitarist Pete Solowka, whose father had emigrated from Ukraine.

Proving a hit with the band, they soon decided to add to the song and it wasn’t long before the band’s next John Peel session for his popular BBC radio show had a distinct Ukrainian feel to it! Drafting in singer/violinist Len Liggins, a friend of Solowka’s and a student of Slavonic languages, the session was a surprising hit, and Peel would go on to air the session several times over. In fact, that first session is still being played today, most recently by Gideon Coe on BBC Radio 6 Music.

Due to the overwhelming success of that first session, two further BBC sessions were recorded at Peel’s request. With another Ukrainian, Roman Remeynes drafted in, the band eventually released the album ‘Ukrainski Vistupi V Johna Peela’ (1989), which went on to sell 70,000 copies on its release and was supported by an 8-date UK tour. The record is famous as being the only Ukrainian language record to feature in the UK album charts (no.22)! With regular singer David Gedge relegated to guitar and backing vocals, Liggins takes centre-stage on vocal duties. His sonorous Ukrainian vocals on ‘Cherez Richku, Cherez Hai’ combined with Solowka’s edgy guitar make for an exciting mix of Ukrainian and western musical styles, and is something of a reference point for a genre of music which now exists in Ukrainian communities around the world.

Something And Nothing is the second volume in the autobiography from David Gedge of Wedding Present fame. The stories featured in this stunning 176-page matt-laminated, hard-back book have previously only been available to readers of the Tales From The Wedding Present comic book series. This collected edition comes with 100 pages of never-before-seen additional material and an introduction by Craig Cash.David writes the Tales From The Wedding Present narrative together with long-time musical associate Terry de Castro, and then the stories are illustrated by virtuoso artist Lee Thacker. For the past decade, they’ve been working steadily (along with editing help from Jessica McMillan) to relate David’s life and adventures.Something And Nothing is presented in chronological order; it takes up where Volume One left off – just after the release of The Wedding Present’s first single ‘Go Out And Get ’Em, Boy!’ in 1985 – and takes us through the next three years of the band’s existence. David writes intimately about all of the events leading up to the writing, recording and release of the band’s classic debut album, George Best, as well as detailing sessions that the group recorded for John Peel [including the legendary Ukrainian folk music ones], early live appearances in the UK and the rest of Europe and the development of their label Reception Records. On the way, we also learn about some of the romantic experiences that may have informed his writing.

 Locked Down And Stripped Back Volume Two features home recordings of Wedding Present classics along with a previously unreleased song: ‘That Would Only Happen In A Movie’.The first volume in the series came about when David Gedge’s annual festival At The Edge Of The Sea went ‘virtual’ in 2020 and the band recorded semi-acoustic versions of songs to be streamed. An album of the tracks was compiled and released due to popular demand. The same thing happened the following year and so Volume Two features tracks initially recorded for 2021’s online festival. There’s a bevy of guest stars on this second album! Jon Stewart [of Platinum-album-selling Sleeper fame] reprises his new role as Wedding Present guitarist but is joined here by some Wedding Present members of old. Peter Solowka, from the band’s first line-up appears on ‘Nobody’s Twisting Your Arm’ playing his second instrument, the accordion, while Hit Parade guitarist Paul Dorrington contributes to a re-working of the Top 30 single ‘Blue Eyes’. Long-time Wedding Present bass player Terry de Castro returns to infuse the album with her own unique style, while current Wedding Present bass player Melanie Howard takes over the lead vocal duties on a beautiful version of 1986’s ‘At The Edge Of The Sea’. Last, but certainly not least, Amelia Fletcher – backing vocalist on George Best and Bizarro – also returns to the party! As on the first volume, each musician recorded and filmed their parts at home and, as before, it is fascinating to see how stripped-back arrangements bring out different aspects of these brilliant songs.

TRACK LISTING

1. Brassneck
2. No
3. Careless
4. Nobody’s Twisting Your Arm
5. What Have I Said Now?
6. Perfect Blue
7. Everyone Thinks He Looks Daft
8. That Would Only Happen In A Movie
9. At The Edge Of The Sea
10. Blue Eyes
11. Dare
12. Octopussy

24 Songs. A new project from The Wedding Present. A new 7” single every month throughout 2022. 24 Songs sees David Gedge writing with legendary Sleeper guitarist Jon Stewart for the first time, and a more perfect union could not have been predicted. The notion of a monthly 7” single is not new to The Wedding Present, but 24 Songs shows us that even classic concepts can be reinvented. The series also continues the band’s association with photographer Jessica McMillan, who has created stunning images and films as a visual accompaniment to the recordings.

Explaining 24 Songs, David Gedge said: “In 1991, The Wedding Present were rehearsing in a studio in Yorkshire when we hit upon an idea that immediately thrilled us all. Our bass player [Keith Gregory] had been a member of the ‘Sub Pop Singles Club’ - a service that allowed subscribers to receive 7”s released by that Seattle label on a monthly basis. Keith wondered if we, as a band, could attempt a similar thing. In that instant, The Wedding Present’s Hit Parade series was born and, during 1992, we managed to release a brand new 7” single each and every month.

“The Hit Parade went on to become something of a significant milestone in the history of the band and it’s a project about which I’m often asked. As its thirtieth anniversary approached, I began to wonder if we should celebrate it in some way. A ‘Hit Parade Part 2’ didn’t feel quite right, though. Then, someone said to me: “Other bands have released music in similar ways but there has been nothing like the Hit Parade.” And they were right! A 7” single a month seems, somehow, very ‘Wedding Present’.

So, inspired by that little idea from three decades ago, we’ve embarked on this new project, 24 Songs. “Even though The Wedding Present have never been known for taking the easy route, the idea of recording 24 tracks and releasing them in this way could seem daunting to any band. However, I’ve been inspired by the music that has been written since Jon and Melanie joined the group. The thought of celebrating this exciting new line-up with an exciting new series has motivated us all… and I suppose we also didn’t want any of these songs to be hidden away in the middle of an album!”

24 Songs. A new project from The Wedding Present. A new 7” single every month throughout 2022. 24 Songs sees David Gedge writing with legendary Sleeper guitarist Jon Stewart for the first time, and a more perfect union could not have been predicted. The notion of a monthly 7” single is not new to The Wedding Present, but 24 Songs shows us that even classic concepts can be reinvented. The series also continues the band’s association with photographer Jessica McMillan, who has created stunning images and films as a visual accompaniment to the recordings. Explaining 24 Songs, David Gedge said: “In 1991, The Wedding Present were rehearsing in a studio in Yorkshire when we hit upon an idea that immediately thrilled us all. Our bass player [Keith Gregory] had been a member of the ‘Sub Pop Singles Club’ - a service that allowed subscribers to receive 7”s released by that Seattle label on a monthly basis. Keith wondered if we, as a band, could attempt a similar thing. In that instant, The Wedding Present’s Hit Parade series was born and, during 1992, we managed to release a brand new 7” single each and every month. “The Hit Parade went on to become something of a significant milestone in the history of the band and it’s a project about which I’m often asked. As its thirtieth anniversary approached, I began to wonder if we should celebrate it in some way. A ‘Hit Parade Part 2’ didn’t feel quite right, though. Then, someone said to me: “Other bands have released music in similar ways but there has been nothing like the Hit Parade.” And they were right! A 7” single a month seems, somehow, very ‘Wedding Present’. So, inspired by that little idea from three decades ago, we’ve embarked on this new project, 24 Songs. “Even though The Wedding Present have never been known for taking the easy route, the idea of recording 24 tracks and releasing them in this way could seem daunting to any band. However, I’ve been inspired by the music that has been written since Jon and Melanie joined the group. The thought of celebrating this exciting new line-up with an exciting new series has motivated us all… and I suppose we also didn’t want any of these songs to be hidden away in the middle of an album!”

A new project from The Wedding Present. A new 7” single every month throughout 2022. 24 Songs sees David Gedge writing with legendary Sleeper guitarist Jon Stewart for the first time, and a more perfect union could not have been predicted. The notion of a monthly 7” single is not new to The Wedding Present, but 24 Songs shows us that even classic concepts can be reinvented. The series also continues the band’s association with photographer Jessica McMillan, who has created stunning images and films as a visual accompaniment to the recordings.

Explaining 24 Songs, David Gedge said: “In 1991, The Wedding Present were rehearsing in a studio in Yorkshire when we hit upon an idea that immediately thrilled us all. Our bass player [Keith Gregory] had been a member of the ‘Sub Pop Singles Club’ - a service that allowed subscribers to receive 7”s released by that Seattle label on a monthly basis. Keith wondered if we, as a band, could attempt a similar thing. In that instant, The Wedding Present’s Hit Parade series was born and, during 1992, we managed to release a brand new 7” single each and every month. “The Hit Parade went on to become something of a significant milestone in the history of the band and it’s a project about which I’m often asked. As its thirtieth anniversary approached, I began to wonder if we should celebrate it in some way.

A ‘Hit Parade Part 2’ didn’t feel quite right, though. Then, someone said to me: “Other bands have released music in similar ways but there has been nothing like the Hit Parade.” And they were right! A 7” single a month seems, somehow, very ‘Wedding Present’. So, inspired by that little idea from three decades ago, we’ve embarked on this new project, 24 Songs. “Even though The Wedding Present have never been known for taking the easy route, the idea of recording 24 tracks and releasing them in this way could seem daunting to any band. However, I’ve been inspired by the music that has been written since Jon and Melanie joined the group. The thought of celebrating this exciting new line-up with an exciting new series has motivated us all… and I suppose we also didn’t want any of these songs to be hidden away in the middle of an album!”

24 Songs. A new project from The Wedding Present. A new 7” single every month throughout 2022. 24 Songs sees David Gedge writing with legendary Sleeper guitarist Jon Stewart for the first time, and a more perfect union could not have been predicted. The notion of a monthly 7” single is not new to The Wedding Present, but 24 Songs shows us that even classic concepts can be reinvented. The series also continues the band’s association with photographer Jessica McMillan, who has created stunning images and films as a visual accompaniment to the recordings.Explaining 24 Songs, David Gedge said: “In 1991, The Wedding Present were rehearsing in a studio in Yorkshire when we hit upon an idea that immediately thrilled us all. Our bass player [Keith Gregory] had been a member of the ‘Sub Pop Singles Club’ - a service that allowed subscribers to receive 7”s released by that Seattle label on a monthly basis.

Keith wondered if we, as a band, could attempt a similar thing. In that instant, The Wedding Present’s Hit Parade series was born and, during 1992, we managed to release a brand new 7” single each and every month. “The Hit Parade went on to become something of a significant milestone in the history of the band and it’s a project about which I’m often asked. As its thirtieth anniversary approached, I began to wonder if we should celebrate it in some way. A ‘Hit Parade Part 2’ didn’t feel quite right, though. Then, someone said to me: “Other bands have released music in similar ways but there has been nothing like the Hit Parade.” And they were right! A 7” single a month seems, somehow, very ‘Wedding Present’.

So, inspired by that little idea from three decades ago, we’ve embarked on this new project, 24 Songs. “Even though The Wedding Present have never been known for taking the easy route, the idea of recording 24 tracks and releasing them in this way could seem daunting to any band. However, I’ve been inspired by the music that has been written since Jon and Melanie joined the group. The thought of celebrating this exciting new line-up with an exciting new series has motivated us all… and I suppose we also didn’t want any of these songs to be hidden away in the middle of an album!”

24 Songs. A new project from The Wedding Present. A new 7” single every month throughout 2022. 24 Songs sees David Gedge writing with legendary Sleeper guitarist Jon Stewart for the first time, and a more perfect union could not have been predicted. The notion of a monthly 7” single is not new to The Wedding Present, but 24 Songs shows us that even classic concepts can be reinvented. The series also continues the band’s association with photographer Jessica McMillan, who has created stunning images and films as a visual accompaniment to the recordings.

24 Songs sees David Gedge writing with legendary Sleeper guitarist Jon Stewart for the first time, and a more perfect union could not have been predicted. The first release includes a gorgeous duet featuring David and Louise Wener [also from Sleeper] on ‘We Should Be Together’, and it’s coupled with a rousing new track called ‘Don’t Give Up Without A Fight’ which combines classic Wedding Present feistiness with a Krautrock finale.

The notion of a monthly 7” single is not new to The Wedding Present, but 24 Songs shows us that even classic concepts can be reinvented.

The series also continues the band’s association with photographer Jessica McMillan, who has created stunning images and films as a visual accompaniment to the recordings.

It is the third studio album by the British band and was recorded in 10 days in America with producer Steve Albini, which gave the album a rougher, harsher overall sound than the group's earlier albums. It was well received on release and has continued to be featured in critics ‘Best Of’ lists such as The Guardian’s 1000 Albums To Hear Before You Die (“ one of the most excoriating, exhilarating British indie albums of (the 90s)”.

The 2LP package includes the studio album alongside the 3 Songs, Dalliance, and Lovenest EPs plus the John Peel BBC Radio 1 Session from 1991 featuring versions of four songs from the album.

The expanded artwork has been put together by Hitch, the original designer, and the whole project has been overseen by the band’s leader David Gedge.

TRACK LISTING

ORIGINAL ALBUM
SIDE A
1 Dalliance
2 Dare
3 Suck
4 Blonde
5 Rotterdam
SIDE B
1 Lovenest
2 Corduroy
3 Carolyn
4 Heather
5 Octopussy

EPs AND SESSION
SIDE C
1 Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me)
2 Crawl
3 Corduroy (Single Version)
4 She's My Best Friend
5 Niagara
6 Mothers
SIDE D
1 Dan Dare
2 Fleshworld
3 Dalliance (John Peel BBC Radio 1 Session Version)
4 Heather (John Peel BBC Radio 1 Session Version)
5 Blonde (John Peel BBC Radio 1 Session Version)
6 Niagara (John Peel BBC Radio 1 Session Version)

The first instalment of David Gedge’s long-awaited ‘memoir-in-comic-book-form’ will be released by Scopitones Books on 6 November 2020. The stories featured in this stunning 176-page, matt-laminated, hardback book have previously only been available to readers of the Tales From The Wedding Present comic book series. This collected edition comes with forty pages of never-before-seen additional material and an introduction by Ian Rankin. David has written this autobiography together with long-time musical associate Terry de Castro, and the stories are illustrated by virtuoso artist Lee Thacker. It’s in chronological order, beginning with David’s childhood in England and South Africa and continues up to the inception of The Wedding Present. On the way we learn about some of the romantic experiences that may have informed his writing, how he first met his hero – the legendary BBC presenter John Peel – and the true story behind the classic Wedding Present song ‘My Favourite Dress’. Reviews “An autobiography of The Wedding Present would be great on its own. An autobiography in beautiful graphic novel form? Even better!” Dan Vebber (Writer, The Simpsons) “This is brilliant! It’s like the storyboard for a Wedding Present biopic.” Marc Riley (Broadcaster, BBC) “As informative, funny and essential as David Gedge himself. Can I be in the movie when all this is franchised?” Tony Gardner (Actor) “This is the graphic novel indie music mash up that we have all been waiting for and only David Gedge could deliver. It's amazing!” Stella Creasy (Member, British Parliament) “This is a Wedding Present fan’s dream come true. Pure unfiltered Gedge; the inside track on what makes him tick and anecdotes aplenty. Essential!” Mike Gayle (Author) “It’s very typical of The Wedding Present to do an autobiography differently to everyone else... but the stunning illustrations in this book really bring David's stories to life.” Louise Wener (Writer, musician)

Come Play With Me proudly presents a collection of 20 Bond themes covered by current and former members of The Wedding Present. 100% of the profits from its sale will be donated to the ‘Campaign Against Living Miserably’ (CALM). Questioned about the origins of the project, David Gedge of The Wedding Present said: “Where do ideas like this come from? Well, I can tell you that this one was born during a soundcheck in New Zealand, in 2013, when the band were playing around with the main melody of the classic Bond theme ‘You Only Live Twice’. We decided then that, one day, we should probably attempt to cover this amazing song. We ended up doing just that dur-ing the recording sessions for our ‘Going, Going...’ album in Studios La Fabrique (Saint-R my-de-Provence, France). And that was that. For a while, anyway. During a later tour, drummer Charles Layton was driving the van and I was sitting in the front passenger seat. On journeys like these Charlie would often plant little seeds of ideas into my mind, knowing that I would go away, think about it, and then return with some kind of master plan.

“You should release a compilation of Bond songs,” he declared. And that was all that he needed to say, really. Most of the themes from the Bond films would effortlessly feature in a list of my favourite ever pieces of music, so I was never not going to be excited by the idea of re-imaginings of twenty of them! One of the defining moments of my career was when I per-formed with the BBC Big Band in 2009 and got to meet Derek Watkins, who had played the lead trumpet on every single one of the Bond themes up until his death in 2013. And then came another idea. Each of the artists on this proposed compilation would be required to have a physical connection to Cinerama or The Wedding Present. I liked the unifying feel of that. I suppose it appealed to the collector in me. None of the artists I approached asked for payment for their track and so the obvious thing to do was to make this a benefit album. The ‘CALM’ organisation was suggested to me as a charity that’s doing great work and, af-ter we’d heard more, we were keen to support it. Throw in a beautiful sleeve design and here, seven years after that fateful sound check in Auckland, you have The Wedding Pre-sent... and their lovely friends... saluting the astounding music of Bond. James Bond.”.

The Wedding Present are a band that have always been keen to explore new ways to showcase their music but this album also serves as a fascinating insight into the strength and diversity of the musicians that have been members... as well as revealing their favourite Bond tunes! In addition to the expected contributions from Cinerama and The Wedding Present, the album features a first ‘super-group’ outing for ‘Sleeper featuring David Gedge’ and also a solo rendition of Louis Armstrong’s classic ‘We Have All The Time In The World’ by David himself. There's also, potentially, the first-ever Ukrainian-language cover of a Madonna track!

TRACK LISTING

View To A Kill - Terry De Castro
James Bond Theme - The Sleazoids
Live And Let Die - The Donalds
Nobody Does It Better - Samuel Beer-Pearce
Die Another Day - The Ukrainians
You Only Live Twice - The Wedding Present
The World Is Not Enough - Maria Scaroni
For Your Eyes Only - Klee
Skyfall - Such Small Hands
Goldfinger - Simone White
Diamonds Are Forever - Cinerama
Thunderball - The Legendary Len Liggins
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service - Shaun Charman
Goldeneye - Follow The Moths
Tomorrow Never Dies - Danielle Wadey & Charles Layton
Mr Kiss Kiss Bang Bang - Sleeper Featuring David Lewis Gedge
We Have All The Time In The World - David Lewis Gedge
The Man With The Golden Gun - Jetstream Pony
All Time High - Minitel
From Russia With Love - Graeme Ramsay

Exceptional second single from The Wedding Present that was originally released on Reception Records in 1985. Reissued here on White Vinyl.

TRACK LISTING

Side A
Once More

Side B
At The Edge Of The Sea 

'Tommy' is a compilation album by The Wedding Present, originally released in 1988, collecting songs from the band’s first four singles, plus four tracks recorded for BBC Radio sessions. Bringing together material written in the band’s first two years of existence, 'Tommy' proved that The Wedding Present’s essence was in place from the start. These kinetic blasts of homespun high-velocity bedsit drama presaged the more finessed 'George Best', but represented the band’s definitive portrayal.

TRACK LISTING

1 Go Out And Get Em Boy!
2 (The Moment Before) Everything Spoiled Again
3 Once More
4 At The Edge Of The Sea
5 Living And Learning
6 This Boy Can Wait
7 You Should Always Keep In Touch With Your Friends
8 Felicity
9 What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted?
10 Never Said
11 Every Mothers Son
12 My Favourite Dress

'George Best' is the debut album by The Wedding Present, originally released in 1987. Hugely anticipated, 'George Best' saw indie heroes The Wedding Present refine the blitzkrieg pop brilliance of the band's early singles into a nuanced styled that was distinctively theirs: heartbreak at the bus stop, set to the soundtrack of a million jangling guitars. 

TRACK LISTING

LP Tracklisting
Everyone Thinks He Looks Daft
What Did Your Last Servant Die Of?
Don't Be So Hard
A Million Miles
All This And More
My Favourite Dress
Shatner
Something And Nothing
It's What You Want That Matters
Give My Love To Kevin
Anyone Can Make A Mistake
You Can't Moan Can You?

CD Tracklisting
1 Everyone Thinks He Looks Daft
2 What Did Your Last Servant Die Of?
3 Don't Be So Hard
4 A Million Miles
5 All This And More
6 My Favourite Dress
7 Shatner
8 Something And Nothing
9 It's What You Want That Matters
10 Give My Love To Kevin
11 Anyone Can Make A Mistake
12 You Can't Moan Can You?
13 All About Eve
14 Getting Nowhere Fast
15 Nobody's Twisting Your Arm
16 Nothing Comes Easy
17 Don't Laugh
18 I'm Not Always So Stupid
19 Why Are You Being So Reasonable Now?
20 Not From Where I'm Standing
21 Give My Love To Kevin (Acoustic Version)
22 Getting Better
23 Pourquoi Es Tu Devenue Si Raisonnable?

The Wedding Present, recorded and filmed at the Atomic Café, Munich, on 24 October 2010. This double disc release includes both a CD and a DVD of the concert. Of the original Bizarro release, Allmusic says: The Wedding Present's second proper studio album, Bizarro, cut down a bit on the frenetic jangle the band was known for in its early days and replaced it with healthy doses of darkness and power. Adding some fuzzy, crunchy distortion to give the guitars some hefty impact, slowing the tempos down to speeds that allow vocalist David Gedge to squeeze more heartbroken despair and bleak sarcasm out of every line, and generally upping their game in every way, the album was the fullest realization of The Wedding Present's sound yet. Leading off with the unstoppably hooky ‘Brassneck’ which features a brilliant Gedge reading of lines that rhyme "grow up" and "throw up," the album plays like a collection of thematically related singles.

The most single-y among them is ‘Kennedy’ which has some brilliant sing-along lyrics and an intensely dramatic guitar strum buildup that crescendos into a maelstrom of sound. The rest of the record isn't far behind; whether it's the sparse ‘What Have I Said Now?’ or the slowly grinding ‘Bewitched’ one could extract any song and it would feel like a highlight - even the epic-length ‘Take Me!’ which closes the album in a fury of strums, drum fills, and chugging bass that builds and builds until it seems like the song is going to levitate and take the listener right along with it. The Wedding Present didn't necessarily need to improve their already winning template, but they did and it pays off big time on Bizarro

TRACK LISTING

01. Heather
02. What Did Your Last Servant Die Of?
03. Interstate 5 [Dvd Only]
04. End Credits
05. Real Thing
06. Mystery Date
07. Brassneck
08. Crushed
09. No
10. Thanks
11. Kennedy
12. What Have I Said Now?
13. Granadaland
14. Bewitched
15. Take Me!
16. Be Honest.

April, 1985. At the very moment when the first few notes of ‘Go Out And Get ’Em, Boy!’ twinkle out of BBC Radio 1’s John Peel show to herald the birth of The Wedding Present, David Gedge is listening intently at home along with the population of late teens that would become his ardent fans. In the beginning, The Wedding Present were resolutely not an album band. In fact, David had often been quoted as saying that they would never release an LP. Pleased to have recorded and released that debut single... they just started on the next one. This continued for a couple of years, while the band went from organising their own concerts in pubs around Leeds to playing at Glastonbury Festival. That all changed, of course, when George Best became The Wedding Present’s first album in 1988. But Tommy – released one year later – was made up of the early songs from the singles and radio sessions that had catapulted them from being bedsit musicians into indie darlings: ‘Go Out And Get ’Em, Boy!’ with its purposefully super fast guitars, ‘You Should Always Keep In Touch With Your Friends’ – an anthem for those long time Wedding Present fans, ‘My Favourite Dress’ – the only single in the collection that ended up on George Best – the classic, fraught tale of losing one’s first love that perfectly played on the heart strings and began David Gedge’s legacy of understanding everyone’s heartbreak.

Tommy 30 – a brand new re-recording of Tommy – did not come about simply as a ‘follow on’ to George Best 30. The band felt – during a Tommy 30th anniversary concert tour – that the songs had grown and evolved. Enter a more confident vocalist... an altogether growlier guitar. A bigger sound. The urgency of a 25 year old Gedge is replaced with a charming vocalist with years of experience. Everything’s warmer and, maybe, gentler... but in a satisfying way. It’s like your old friends have come home to see you. You’ve all changed, you’ve all had broken hearts... but you’re all still friends and you still enjoy each other’s company after all these years. "The boy Gedge has written some of the best love songs of the 'Rock 'n' Roll' era. You may dispute this but I'm right and you're wrong!" - John Peel 

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: There's no denying that the Wedding Present are one of the most respected and long-running bastions in indie music, and 'Tommy' was seen by many as their finest point. This 30 year reissue (30!?) is just as essential as the day it came out, and comes in a lovely indies-only blue vinyl version to brighten up the place too. Get on it.

TRACK LISTING

1/Go Out And Get ’Em, Boy!
2/(The Moment Before) Everything’s Spoiled Again
3/Once More
4/At The Edge Of The Sea
5/Living And Learning
6/This Boy Can Wait
7/You Should Always Keep In Touch With Your Friends
8/Felicity
9/What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted?
10/Never Said
11/Every Mother’s Son
12/My Favourite Dress 

Set to be a collector’s item, the single is available on 7” and limited edition 10” picture disc – the band’s first! – including specially commissioned artwork by Darren Hayman (Hefner). Co-written by David Gedge and new guitarist Danielle Wadey – she was previously the band’s bass player – both tracks were recorded at the legendary Monnow Valley studios in Wales under the watchful eye of multi-Grammy award winning producer Andrew Scheps and engineer Matt Glasbey.

Opening with squalls of feedback, ‘Jump In, The Water's Fine’ is an epic tale with trademark whirlwind Wedding Present guitar and a deceptively sweet melody. “Danielle came up with the solo bass part after I said I wanted to do a song that was ‘bass-driven’ and it just got fatter and heavier! We also now have three vocalists in the band so we used the opportunity to experiment with some a cappella singing, too,” says David.

B-side ‘Panama’, is a frenetic slice of indie-pop, where ferocious guitars and heavy drums collide with honest lyrics about love and friendship. Of the recording, David adds, “As well as including one of my favourite palindromes, ‘Panama’ references‘Earthrise’, the iconic photograph of Earth taken by astronaut Bill Anders (during the Apollo 8 mission) on Christmas Eve, 1968. We decided to incorporate samples of the astronauts talking to Mission Control.”

Rather surprisingly, this is The Wedding Present’s first ever picture disc. Close friend to the band Darren Hayman (Hefner, The French, etc.) was commissioned to do the artwork but his paintings were so impressive that the band decided that the time was right to embrace what is a new format for them. “It’s only taken us thirty-something years to get around to it!” says David. From their C86 roots in the mid-80s, John Peel favourites The Wedding Present have gone on to become one of the UK’s most loved bands, charting no less than 18 Top 40 hit singles. Emerging from Leeds with the classic debut album ‘George Best’ in 1987, The Wedding Present built a reputation for blending bittersweet love stories with everyday mundanity, set against a backdrop of heavy distortion and exquisite indie-pop.

In 2016, The Wedding Present released their ninth studio album, ‘Going, Going...’, which featured references to Gedge's previous work, including self-referential lyrical moments and has been described as his masterpiece. Loosely based on a road trip across the U.S.A., the double LP was described by Louder Than War as “A remarkable album. A joy from start to finish." The same year, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of their debut album, ‘George Best’, The Wedding Present released ‘George Best 30’. This album featured brand new versions of the original twelve songs recorded by Steve Albini and mixed by Andrew Scheps. 2017 also saw the publication (by Red Planet) of ‘Sometimes These Words Just Don't Have To Be Said’ – a 450 page 'fanthology' of the band.

In 2018, KneejerkFilm released ‘Something Left Behind’ – a feature length documentary telling the story of the ‘George Best’ album. The film, which featured interviews with all four original band members and was produced and directed by Andrew Jezard, has appeared at several film festivals.

TRACK LISTING

1. Jump In, The Water’s Fine
2. Panama 

A band with a history that’s inextricably intertwined with the BBC and in particular the late BBC DJ John Peel, an early champion of the band, the ‘Marc Riley Sessions’ series echoes the famous Peel/Selwood releases on the Strange Fruit label that included BBC sessions from the likes of New Order, Buzzcocks, The Cure and Echo & The Bunnymen.

An avid Wedding Present fan himself, Riley, with his team of producers, has formed a close bond with The Wedding Present’s David Gedge and the band. “The release of the Wedding Present sessions done for our 6 Music programme over the years is something of an honour. In the great tradition of the Peel / Selwood releases on the Strange Fruit label, this record proves that, even without John, the BBC can still be a place where great bands can continue to grow and be creative... amongst friends.”

Having received critical acclaim for releases 1 and 2, ‘Marc Riley Sessions Volume 3’, features 9 tracks recorded for the awardwinning BBC Radio 6 Music show in 2015 and 2016. “The two sessions on this compilation feature many songs that appear on ‘Going, Going...’ the studio album that The Wedding Present released in 2016. ‘Going, Going...’ itself was an extensive audio-visual project recorded over the space of eighteen months in Provence, Liverpool and Seattle. By the time of the 2016 session, however, the album had been completed and had actually been released the previous week. Consequently, The Wedding Present were touring the UK (playing ‘Going, Going...’ in its entirety) and so, in-between our Cardiff and Gateshead concerts, we stopped off in Salford to record some tracks for Marc. As a result, you can hear the ‘live’ feel in these performances. This was a band that was literally on the road!”, says David.

The album also features two glorious cover versions including a heartfelt cover of the theme music from the fifth James Bond film, ‘You Only Live Twice’. “I’ve always been fond of recording cover versions and there a couple of great ones on this LP. In 2015 we had a go at John Barry and Leslie Bricusse’s ‘You Only Live Twice’ - and enjoyed it so much that I’m now planning a compilation of Bond covers to be released on my label, Scopitones”, says David. The second cover is the off-kilter ‘Jumper Clown’, a Marc Riley composition. “Marc’s band The Creepers released this song – which poked fun at his previous band’s singer [Mark E. Smith from The Fall] – in 1983 and The Wedding Present covered it eleven years later for the B-side of our ‘It’s A Gas’ single. We decided that an unannounced rendering for a live session while Marc himself was sat in the room watching would be a great surprise to spring on our DJ pal. We managed to keep the whole thing secret with the help of the show’s producer Michelle. This involved hastily rehearsing and sound-checking the song whenever we got the nod from the recording engineer that Marc was out of earshot!”, says David.

TRACK LISTING

A. Recorded 04/11/15
1. Ten Sleep
2. Broken Bow
3. You Only Live Twice
4. 1000 Fahrenheit

B. Recorded 08/09/16
1. Rachel
2. Bear
3. Jumper Clown
4. Kill Devil Hills
5. Santa Monica

The Wedding Present release a four track instrumental EP called ‘Home Internationals’ on the El Segell del Primavera record label.

‘Wales’ is taken from The Wedding Present’s recent and critically acclaimed album ‘Going, Going...’ while the other three tracks have been specially written and recorded for this release.

David Gedge was inspired by the challenge of writing a number of instrumental tracks for ‘Going, Going...’ and decided to use ‘Wales’ as the starting point for an EP of further instrumental pieces.

Freed from the restriction of a lyrical narrative the music frequently becomes more experimental and delves deeply into David’s love of pop, rock and film scores for inspiration.

“Going, Going... is a remarkable album. A joy from start to finish” - Louder Than War.

The EP was also inspired by the ‘Home Internationals’ which was an annual football competition between the United Kingdom's four national teams: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (the last of whom competed as Ireland for most of the competition's history).

It started in 1883 and is the oldest international football tournament in the world. The competition ended in 1983 after 100 years.

TRACK LISTING

Scotland
Northern Ireland
England
Wales

THIS IS A RECORD STORE DAY 2014 EXCLUSIVE, LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.

The Wedding Present’s 'Record Store Day' releases seem to have become something of a little obsession for David Gedge. The yearly 10” EPs make him little profit; he just gets the satisfaction of singing and recording in other languages… and producing Extremely collectable records. In 2012 he tried his tongue at French and 2013 brought us his Teutonic warblings. This year, he’s really gone all out… this 10” vinyl only release has been sung in Welsh! A big fan of Wales and the Welsh in general, David doesn’t actually speak the language, but this didn’t stop him. He called in renowned Welsh actor, Andrew Teilo, who translated and created demos of four existing Wedding Present songs. David then travelled to Penarth where he and Andrew recorded the vocals with some recording expertise from Arwyn Davies. They kept the Welshness going with a little help from Andrew's fellow actor, Llinor ap Gwynedd, on backing vocals. The songs [recorded in the same session as the recent album, ‘Valentina’] are different from the songs on the other two ‘language’ EPs from Record Store Days past… and include the charming ‘Valentina’ album track ‘Meet Cute’. There were a few little hiccoughs during the translation from English into Welsh… the first song, 1000 Fahrenheit, had to be translated into Welsh as 10,000 (Deng Mil) Fahrenheit... not because there is no word for 1000, but apparently it just sounded better! Perhaps the songs all sound better in Welsh! All Welsh album next time Mr. Gedge?! The band will be promoting the release of ‘EP 4 Cân’ with a performance at the 'Wales Goes Pop’ festival in Cardiff during the evening of April 19 following an acoustic set at Spiller’s Records during the afternoon.

TRACK LISTING

Side A
1. 1000 Fahrenheit [Welsh Version]
2. Meet Cute [Welsh Version]

Side B
1. Journey Into Space [Welsh Version]
2. Can You Keep A Secret? [Welsh Version]