[tweetmeme]The indelible 1983 debut album from The The — Soul Mining, featuring the singles “Uncertain Smile” and “This is the Day” — will receive a slightly belated 30th anniversary reissue this summer in the former of a deluxe 2LP set that will include the newly remastered album on one 180-gram vinyl platter and six remixes and B-sides on the other.
Due out June 30 in the U.K. and July 1 the U.S. via Sony, the reissue also includes what’s being described as a “news poster” that will contain liner notes written by The The mastermind Matt Johnson discussing the making of the record.
According to an email sent to fans today:
“Featuring a host of talented musicians, including JG Thirwell (aka Foetus, Manorexia and Steroid Maximus), Zeke Manyika (Orange Juice), electronic DIY pioneer Thomas Leer and Jools Holland, Johnson set out with a clear vision in mind – to produce an album that felt cinematic; a record of width, depth and texture and one which avoided the mundane line-up of the day of two guitars, bass and drums.”
The 7-song album was remastered at Abbey Road Studios by Johnson, audio that “also been dubbed from original vinyl pressings recorded from Matt’s original 1982 Thorens TD-147 gramophone player using patent ‘Dubbed-From-Disc’ technology” to be downloaded via a code included with purchase of the vinyl set.
The reissue features the original U.K. tracklist, omitting the single “Perfect” that was tacked on to U.S. editions; that song does appear, however, on the bonus record.
The album was released in October 1983, two years after Johnson made his debut with Burning Blue Soul, an album originally released under his own name, but rechristened, in 1993, as a The The album.
Check out the full tracklist below.
The reissue is now available to pre-order via Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk, and it’s worth nothing that it’s currently significantly cheaper to buy it from Amazon.co.uk and have it shipped to the U.S. than to buy directly from Amazon.com (roughly $50 plus shipping from the U.K. vs. $88).
Additionally, The The will release a limited 12-inch vinyl single on Record Store Day called “GIANT2FACED 12 INCH,” a double A-side single featuring Soul Mining’s “Giant” on one side and DJ Food’s 2011 remix of the song on the other. The Record Store Day release, according to the email to fans, “marks the beginning of a new exploration of The The’s timeless catalog.”
Tracklist: The The, Soul Mining: 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition
LP1: Soul Mining
1. “I’ve Been Waitin’ For Tomorrow (All Of My Life)”
2. “This Is The Day”
3. “The Sinking Feeling”
4. “Uncertain Smile”
5. “The Twilight Hour”
6. “Soul Mining”
7. “Giant”
LP2: Soul Mining Recollected
1. “Uncertain Smile” (New York 12” version)
2. “Perfect” (New York 12” version)
3. “This Is The Day” (12” version)
4. “Fruit Of The Heart”
5. “Perfect” (London 12” version)
6. “I’ve Been Waitin’ For Tomorrow (All My Life)” (12” mix)
