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C88 is another celebration of the Eighties Indie scene, documenting a golden era when tuneful guitar-based bands made records on shoestring budgets, often issued on small labels with hand-made artwork, with little hope of mainstream exposure.
This 3-CD box set follows previous best-selling collections C86 (2014) and C87 (2016). C86 expanded the NME’s genre-defining compilation (initially a cassette, later a vinyl LP on Rough Trade) with 50 extra tracks from the period. C87 was an imaginary sequel, picking up the story a year later.
Disc 1 is devoted to artists who haven’t previously graced this series, who – for the most part – first made an impact in 1988. The Stone Roses, Pale Saints and The Mock Turtles would all enjoy mainstream success. Others like The Pooh Sticks, The Man From Delmonte, Bridewell Taxis were cult indie favourites.
Sarah Records – which came to epitomise a certain type of Indie Pop – are represented by The Orchids, Another Sunny Day, The Sea Urchins and The Poppyheads (whose ‘Cremation Town’ debuts on CD here). Other key indie labels also figure, such as Creation (Apple Boutique, Pacific, The House Of Love, Emily), 53rd & 3rd (The Groovy Little Numbers, The Vaselines) and The Subway Organization (The Clouds, Rodney Allen, The Flatmates, Bubblegum Splash, etc.).
Disc 2 revisits many of the bands who appeared on C87 with later singles or B-sides, such as the likes of Bob, Cud, The Darling Buds, Kitchens Of Distinction, The Shamen, The Heart Throbs, The Bachelor Pad and other staples of the late 80s Indie scene.
New names to the series who appear on C88 include Choo Choo Train, Moss Poles, The Snapdragons, The Wilderness Children, Fat Tulips, Annie & The Aeroplanes, Thrilled Skinny, Murrumbidgee Whalers and many others. Numerous tracks have never been on CD before.
The deluxe clamshell package includes a weighty booklet full of illustrations, with an 9,000- word sleeve-note and band-by-band biographies by C86 co-compiler Neil Taylor.
Tracklist
DISC ONE:
1. ON TAPE – The Pooh Sticks
2. ELEPHANT STONE (7” Version) – The Stone Roses
3. WHERE DO YOU GO (Flexi Version) – The Popguns
4. (WILL NOBODY SAVE) LOUISE – The Man From Delmonte
5. ARE YOU HAPPY NOW? (Molesworth Version) - The Charlottes
6. THE THINGS YOU WANT – The Snapdragons
7. ONE SUMMER – Moss Poles
8. LIES – Bridewell Taxis
9. DEFY THE LAW – The Orchids
10. HAPPY LIKE YESTERDAY – The Groovy Little Numbers
11. JULIE CHRISTIE – The Driscolls
12. HIGH – Choo Choo Train
13. CREMATION TOWN – The Poppyheads
14. TATTERED, TANGLED AND TORN - Bradford
15. SO HAPPY TO BE ALIVE – Thrilled Skinny
16. SISTER GOODBYE – The Prayers
17. ANORAK CITY – Another Sunny Day
18. SHE’S GONE – The Train Set
19. BARNOON HILL – Pacific
20. FOREVER HOLIDAY (Ediesta Version) – Blow-Up
21. MARY’S GARDEN – The Mock Turtles
22. THE PENNINE SPITTER – King Of The Slums
23. COLOURS AND SHAPES (Demo) – Pale Saints
24. THE BALLAD OF JET HARRIS – Apple Boutique
DISC TWO:
1. THE HILL – The House Of Love
2. DYING FOR IT – The Vaselines
3. KIRSTY – Bob
4. SLACK TIME – Cud
5. PLEASE RAIN FALL – The Sea Urchins
6. SHAME ON YOU – The Darling Buds
7. PRIZE – Kitchens Of Distinction
8. TOO MANY SHADOWS– The Heart Throbs
9. DO IT FOR FUN – The Bachelor Pad
10. THEY FELL FOR WORDS LIKE LOVE – Hangman’s Beautiful Daughters
11. GIVING WAY TO TRAINS – Murrumbidgee Whalers
12. WHAT’S GOING DOWN – The Shamen
13. HEAVEN KNOWS – The Flatmates
14. SPELL IT OUT – The Waltones
15. MRS SUSAN SPENCE – The Wilderness Children
16. YESTERDAY – The Nivens
17. REAL WORLD – Baby Lemonade
18. VILLAGE GREEN – The Clouds
19. FIRE ESCAPE – Rote Kapelle
20. MAD DOGS – Emily
21. THE 18:10 TO YEOVIL JUNCTION – Bubblegum Splash
22. MICHAEL FUREY – Metro Trinity
23. THEME FROM COW – Inspiral Carpets
DISC THREE:
1. SUN, SEA, SAND – The Revolving Paint Dream
2. SURFAROUND – The Fizzbombs
3. PLASTER SAINT – The Church Grims
4. CRUSH THE FLOWERS (Demo) – The Wake
5. SUNSHINE THUGGERY – The Siddeleys
6. CLEAR - Whirl
7. A MILLION ZILLION MILES - Annie & The Aeroplanes
8. YOU OPENED UP MY EYES - Fat Tulips
9. CINCINNATI – Holidaymakers
10. THE CAMERA LOVES ME – Would-Be-Goods
11. ANYWHERE BUT HOME – The Caretaker Race
12. WHO WORKS THE WEATHER – The Great Leap Forward
13. CUBANS IN THE BLUEFIELDS – East Village
14. BYTHESEA ROAD – The Haywains
15. THE OLD ROAD OUT OF TOWN (12” Mix) – The Wishing Stones
16. SHAKE – The Corn Dollies
17. LAND OF GOLD – Bluetrain
18. THE SUN SLID DOWN BEHIND THE TOWER – Reserve
19. APPLE OF MY EYE - Remember Fun
20. MORNING O’GRADY - Yeah Jazz
21. DON'T BURY ME YET – The Raw Herbs
22. CURRY CRAZY - Bad Dream Fancy Dress
23. ON MY WAY – The Claim
24. GLASTONBURY - Rodney Allen