Neverland (The Mission album)

Neverland
Studio album by The Mission
Released 1995
Recorded 1993-1994
Genre Gothic rock
The Mission chronology

Salad Daze
(1994)		 Neverland
(1995)		 Blue
(1996)
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [1]

Neverland is the fifth regular studio album by The Mission. It was released on the 1 February 1995 by Equator Records (UK) and Sony (Europe) and reached #58 in the UK Albums Chart. It was preceded by the single 'Swoon' while a second single 'Lose Myself In You' was released in Germany only. An expanded version appeared on the 7 March 2011 through Demon Edsel Records.[2]

Background

The album was recorded and produced by Hussey over three year period. The first tracks were produced in 1992 on the back of the Masque sessions. After the departure of Craig Adams the Mission has been reduced to a duo and active recruitment of new member took place over the last three months of 1992. Thwaite and Carter joined together with Matthew Parkin on bass. The latter left at the start of 1993 to be replaced by the former The Pretenders bassist Andy Hobson. His tenure was equally short until Andy Cousin of the recently folded All About Eve became a permanent fixture. In August 1993 Hussey revealed in the Melody Maker that the album was provisionally called Dog Lover and that Joe Gibb had again assisted with the production. Tracks such as "Raising Cain", "Afterglow" and Daddy's Gone To Heaven" had been recorded by this stage, while "Swoon" was listed among the songs Hussey mentioned. After the ClubMission Tour of 1993, the band were told by their label that the new material had been rejected.

A Best Of collection completed the contract with Phonogram, which included a Mark "Spike" Stent version of "Afterglow". The introduced the song "Whore" during their short 1994 tour, while playing a stripped-down version of "Afterglow" which eventually would be included on the new album. During a BBC Radioshow "Swim With The Dolphins" was first aired. Towards the end of the summer of 1995 the band signed a contract with Equator Records while Hussey began to edit and compile the album from the various sessions. Assisted by Steve Whitfield the tracklisting was finalised while an EP entitled The Mission:1 was released in October 1994 containing "Raising Cain", "Sway" and "Neverland (instrumental)"

Track listing

  1. "Raising Cain" - 6:12
  2. "Sway" - 4:44
  3. "Lose Myself in You" - 4:21
  4. "Swoon" - 5:07
  5. "Afterglow (reprise)" - 7:50
  6. "Stars Don't Shine Without You" - 4:57
  7. "Celebration" - 2:24
  8. "Cry Like a Baby" - 5:32
  9. "Heaven Knows" - 6:22
  10. "Swim With the Dolphins" - 3:17
  11. "Neverland (vocal)" - 4:22
  12. "Daddy's Going to Heaven Now" - 11:08

Personnel

References

  1. ↑ Harper, Jim. Neverland (The Mission album) at AllMusic
  2. ↑ "Neverland/Blue re-release" Newsdesk, 'The Mission reissuing ’90s albums ‘Neverland,’ ‘Blue’ next month with bonus tracks', Slicing Up Eyeballs, 23 February 2011'