THE SOUNDS MACHINE EP1 (1988)

1. Shelter From The Storm '88 - The Mission

Epic 9 and a half minute live version which originally appeared as the B side to the band's Wasteland single, also as a live recording. Despite being an early live favourite, a studio version of this one was never released. This was recorded at the London Astoria on March 27th 1988 and would later reappear on reissues of The First Chapter album.

2. Mania - Throwing Muses

Another live recording, this track would eventually be released on The Muses' 1989 album Hunkpapa. This partcular recording would also reappear as a bonus track on select formats of Dizzy, the only single from the album.

3. Hey - Pixies

Yet another live track, recorded at the same Town and Country Club gig as the Throwing Muses track on May 1st 1988, the studio version would not be released until a year later on the Pixies' classic album Doolittle. The whole T and C gig was recorded  and was released on DVD in 2004.

4. Throw Down - Dinosaur Jr.

Released as a limited edition 7" in Germany, as a bonus track on J. Mascis' cover of The Cure's Just Like Heaven in 1989, and on this EP, Throw Down is the shortest song to appear on The Free EPs so farm clocking in at a paltry 45 seconds.

SOUNDS SHOWCASE 1 (SOUNDS 1987)

All four tracks were exclusive to this EP on release and all bands were signed to Beggars Banquet.

1.  Outlaw - The Cult

This is an early version of the track from The Cult's 1987 album 'Electric' but not the earliest. Outlaw was first recorded in 1986 with producer Steve Brown along with their new songs at the Manor Studio in Oxfordshire. However, the band had started to move towards a more American heavy rock sound, and the resulting album, Peace, was deemed unsatisfactory. The Cult moved to the US and re-recorded the entire album with Rick Rubin. It was released in 1987 as Electric to a mixture of derision and praise, and rode on the crest of the burgeoning US heavy rock scene eventually outselling their classic 1985 album, Love. The original Peace version of Outlaw, double in length, can be found on the Manor Sessions EP. The version we have here is an early works-in-progress of th official Rubin production giving the UK the first glimpse of the band's new direction.

2. Hey! Luciani (Original Version) - The Fall

Considering this track was released as a single from Mark E. Smith's play Hey! Luciani: The Life and Codex of John Paul I, it's surprising that the near-title track, produced by Ian Broudie, was by far the band's most commercial single to date. Typically, they were rewarded with a not so lofty chart position of #59. The version here is the less commercial original recording of the track produced by John Leckie. Sounds described The Fall on the sleeve as a band with 'a continuing ability to surprise and stimulate with every new release', words that still ring true 25 years later.

3. Spin This Web - The Adult Net

Brix Smith was very much part of The Fall in 1987 and, as founding member of The Adult Net, it's a double feature for her on this EP. Already with a couple of Top 100 singles behind them, this track, pop brilliance produced by that man Broudie again, was meant to be the title track for the band's forthcoming first album. Although a reality at the time of the release of this EP, the album was recorded but remains unreleased. A re-recorded version of Spin This Web appeared on the band's first released album, The Honey Tangle,  in 1989, recorded with Craig Gannon (ex-Smiths) and Clem Burke (Blondie).

4. I Just Get Caught Out - The Go-Betweens

Another exclusive at time of release, ths track eventally made it on to Australian indie-pop band The Go-Betweens' fifth album Talullah. Hugely critically acclaimed, the band recorded 9 albums between 1982 and 2005 until the sudden death of  Grant McLellan in 2006 brought the band to a sad finish.

RECORD MIRROR: ON THE GROOVE TIP 1

1. Ambition Rap - Soul II Soul

Billed as a track from the forthcoming classic in the making, 'Club Classics Volume 1', Ambition Rap wasn't featured on the album until it's 10thh aniversary re-release in 1999. Ambition Rap had appeared as a B Side to to Jazzie B's soul group's debut single Fairplay which reached #63. At the time of the release of this EP in April 1989, Soul II Soul's classic third single Keep On Movin' had cracked the Top 5. Better still, fourth single Back To Life (However Do You Want Me) hit #1 as did the aformentioned Ambition Rap-less album. Soul II Soul continued to hit the charts over the next decade and continue to tour.

2. We Didn't Even Need James - Skam

A UK exclusive, this was released in the US as a 12" on Arthur Baker's Criminal Records label. Despire being heralded as a 'hot new rap act', this remains their sole release.

3. Blazin (Reflective Mirror Mix) - Stardust featuring Kevin 'Blaze' Hedges

Not to be confused with Thomas Bangalter's one-off 1998 project, this was an exclusive megamix of tracks from compilation 'The Garage Sound Of Deepest New York Volume 2' which contained music produced by soul/house band Blaze. Artists on the album include Ruffneck, Phase II and Kym Mazelle.

4. (Fourth Floor) Goin' Up Again Mix Medley II - The Fourth Floor Allstars

A megamix of tracks from Frankie Bones' Fourth Floor record label featuring Fallout, Black Riot, Jammix, Break Boys and Bonesbreaks. The first Fourth Floor medley was featured on Record Mirror's Sure Beats 2 compilation.