I got a long email today from Domino Records, talking about one of their new releases.

The release in question is Coals To Newcastle, an excellent complete covering of Orange Juice’s career from 1979-1984. It’s out on November 7 in the UK, and consists of 6CDs and a DVD.

One man who has done an excellent post on it is my friend Jim over at the Vinyl Villain who has turned a press release into a labour of love (and whose brains Domino have been picking to put this together, properly).

So read what Jim has to say (you should read this blog every day anyway), and whet your appetite with a couple of OJ tracks. It’s been a crying shame that so much of their back catalogue has been unavailable for so long.

Orange Juice -‘Blue Boy.’ mp3

Orange Juice -‘Consolation Prize.’ mp3

Orange Juice -‘Rip It up.’ mp3

Orange Juice will also be my ‘Gone but not forgotten’ band on my radio show on Fresh Air this Thursday. I won’t be playing one of these three tracks but a different one…

Orange Juice -‘You Can’t hide Your Love Forever.’ (Polydor, 1982)

I had heard of Edwyn Collins before 1994, I’m guessing, but ‘A Girl Like You’ was what got me into him and soundtracked the greatest summer of my life, in 1995.* As time went on, though, I felt the urge to investigate his back catalogue and this legendary band, Orange Juice…

This has been easier said than done, however. Not just because I still prefer vinyl to CDs, but because much of the Orange Juice catalogue has been out of print for so long. A shame, because this album is beautifully crafted, and stands as one of the great debut albums, not just from Scotland but in general. IMHO, Psychocandy by Jesus and Mary Chain might be the only album which betters it as a debut.

It’s the not the soundtrack to a childhood growing up in Scotland (I wish!), or Uni days in Scotland, but the second year living in Scotland. I was sharing a flat with my brother, doing whatever jobs came along to pay the rent and spending what little money I had on second hand records. Finding this was a real achievement (finding Rip It Up on vinyl took even longer, and I’ve never really fallen in love with that album of all Edwyn Collins’ records of his thirty year career). It’s like the soundtrack to a wistful dream. Or in my case, working for not much more than the minimum wage in a bookshop/call centre/wherever but grateful for simple pleasures.

I love the anti-macho stance of the record -‘Consolation Prize’ with its’ lines about trying to impress with a Roger McGuinn fringe, failing and ending up camp. ‘Felicty’ – proof that Collins was not the only talent in the band, the cover of ‘L.O.V.E. love…’. Orange Juice were on the seminal c81 album, but so much of what they produced feels like it’s a blueprint for indiepop of the next thirty years.

It’s a travesty that this album isn’t available in the UK at the moment – but get your hands on a copy, even if it’s on an ancient C90. Then tell the world about it.

Orange Juice -‘Felicity.’ mp3

Orange Juice -‘Consolation Prize.’ mp3

*Other singles that would definitely count here would be ‘Common People’ by Pulp, ‘Alright’ by Supergrass’ and ‘Try Try Try.’ Oh yeah and the two obvious songs…

According to this story, which was mentioned yesterday at NME, Orange Juice are reforming.

Does anyone know anything about this? Couldn’t find out anything at Edwyn’s site, but it would be great. Be interesting to know which members would be rejoining. Edwyn obviously, but what about Malcolm, Zeke, James…?

Orange Juice -‘Blue Boy.’ mp3

For today, I would like to focus on what is my second favourite scottish album of all time, behind the Jesus and Mary Chain’s Psychocandy, and one of the best debut albums ever.
This album was released in 1982, and was Orange Juice’s official debut, although many of the songs had been intended for a debut album on the seminal, legendary Postcard label that would not appear until 1992 as Ostrich Churchyard. With their influence noticeable on many Glasgow bands of now, such as Wake The President and Bricolage it would be great to hope that people would go and investigate and buy the album…if they could get their hands on it.

Unfortunately, this absolute classic of an album is not currently available on any format in the UK, neither CD nor vinyl, nor is it downloadable at iTunes or eMusic. In all seriousness, I think Polydor (or whichever soft drinks company it’s part of now) should make this album available to buy again. It’s like the insanity that prevents many seminal works being out of print be they music, film or the written word. Why? For the meantime, I will post it here for the next two weeks. To me this is a work of art, beautiful songs and something that lovers of ‘indie’ music (and I mean that in as many senses of the word as possible) should hear.

The influence of this album can be heard in The Pastels, The Shop Assistants, Camera Obscura, Belle and Sebastian, The Delgados, Franz Ferdinand…and the Smiths.

Never heard it? Well, now’s your chance, if you don’t have the money to buy a hugely expensive import copy: I have used my USB turntable to transfer it into mp3 format. The vinyl’s in pretty good nick, though there may be the odd crackle here and there. As John Peel used to say ‘life’s got surface noise.’

‘Orange Juice – Falling And Laughing.’ mp3

Orange Juice -‘Untitled Melody.’ mp3

Orange Juice -‘Wan Light.’ mp3

Orange Juice – Tender Object.’ mp3

Orange Juice -‘Dying Day.’ mp3

Orange Juice -‘L.O.V.E. Love.’ mp3

Orange Juice -‘Intuition Told Me (Part 1).’ mp3

Orange Juice -‘Upwards And Onwards.’ mp3

Orange Juice -‘Satellite City.’ mp3

Orange Juice -‘Three Cheers For Our Side.’ mp3

Orange Juice -‘Consolation Prize.’ mp3

Orange Juice -‘Felicity.’ mp3

Orange Juice -‘In A Nutshell.’ mp3

DISCLAIMER: I freely state here and now that I do not own the copyright to this recording, so if you download this in a country WHERE YOU ARE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO BUY IT, THEN SHAME ON YOU. If you download this and like it, please buy the album if it becomes available again.

UPDATE: Since I did this post, JC over at the Vinyl Villain has put together a post which has the opportunity to acquire everything Orange Juice ever did, pretty much, with money going to charity. You have therefore, twenty four hours to get the mp3s off here without giving any money, but I’d rather you went to this post and found out how you can help.

Ed, March 2, 2008

Links now removed -get thee to the Vinyl Villain’s blogspot!

Ed, March 3, 2008