1977 (album)

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1977
1977 cover
Studio album by Ash
Released May 6, 1996
Recorded Rockfield Studios January 1996
Genre Rock
Length 61:52
Label Infectious Records/Reprise Records/Edel Music
Producer Ash and Owen Morris
Professional reviews
Ash chronology
Trailer
(1994)
1977
(1996)
Live at the Wireless
(1997)

1977 is the first full length album by Ash, released in May of 1996 (see 1996 in music). The punk rock influenced album proved popular in the United Kingdom and, to a lesser degree elsewhere, where Britpop was a small cult phenomenon.

The name is a reference to year of three events which shaped the band - the births of two members of the band, the year Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope was released, and the year the first punk albums were released, though it has been suspected that the Star Wars reference is the most important; the album opens with the sound of a TIE Fighter, and ends with the track "Darkside Lightside", whose title is a Star Wars reference, and which also ends with a choral version of the Star Wars main theme. The band have also covered "Cantina Band", on the "Girl From Mars" b-side.

The song "Lose Control" was featured in the game Gran Turismo. It is also the first song by the band to be used in a video-game, followed by Orpheus from the album Meltdown featured in the game Burnout 3: Takedown; both of which are racing games.

The song "Kung Fu" mentions Jackie Chan in the lyrics. In reciprocation, Chan has used the song for the end credits of his movie Rumble in the Bronx.

The first 50,000 pressings of the CD begins with the original version of "Jack Names the Planets" and its B-side "Don't Know" (February 1994). There is also a hidden track named "Sick Party" which appears after "Darkside Lightside" on all versions.

Several music magazines placed the album in their end-of-year lists for 1996, including NME, Melody Maker, Q, Select and Kerrang. [1]

The album is currently certified Platinum by the BPI and, according to the auto-biography on the official site, it has sold over one million copies around the world.

Ash are set to play the album in its entirety at London Roundhouse on Friday 5th September.

[edit] Track listing

  1. "Lose Control" (Hamilton/Wheeler) – 3:37
  2. "Goldfinger" (Wheeler) – 4:31
  3. "Girl From Mars" (Wheeler) – 3:30
  4. "I'd Give You Anything" (Wheeler) – 4:31
  5. "Gone the Dream" (Wheeler) – 3:29
  6. "Kung Fu" (Wheeler) – 2:17
  7. "Oh Yeah" (Wheeler) – 4:45
  8. "Let It Flow" (Wheeler) – 4:42
  9. "Innocent Smile" (Hamilton) – 5:52
  10. "Angel Interceptor" (McMurray/Wheeler) – 4:04
  11. "Lost in You" (Wheeler) – 4:19
  12. "Darkside Lightside" (Wheeler) – 16:49

[edit] Singles

  • "Kung Fu" was released on March 20, 1995 with "Day Of The Triffids" and "Luther Ingo's Star Cruiser".
  • "Girl From Mars" was released on July 31, 1995 with "Astral Conversations" and "Cantina Band"
  • "Goldfinger" was released on April 15, 1996 with "I Need Somebody", "Sneaker", and "Get Ready" (Smokey Robinson). "Get Ready" itself was released as a fan club only single in December, 1995 (as a Christmas present), with " Zero Zero"
  • "Oh Yeah" was released on June 24, 1996 with "T. Rex", "Everywhere Is All Around" (Wheeler/Carr), and "Does Your Mother Know" (ABBA).

[edit] Personnel

  • Phil Thornalley - Mixing
  • Nick Ingman - String Arrangements
  • Owen Morris - Producer, String Arrangements
  • Mark "Spike" Stent - Mixing
  • Ash - Producer, Photography
  • Lisa Moorish - Vocals
  • Brian Cannon - Design, Photography, Sleeve Director
  • Rick "Rock" McMurray - Drums
  • Tim Wheeler - Guitar, Vocals, String Arrangements
  • Mark Hamilton - Bass, Sleeve Assistant
  • Nick Brine - Assistant Engineer, Mixing Assistant, Studio Assistant
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