Tommy (The Wedding Present album)

Tommy
Compilation album by The Wedding Present
Released July 1988
Recorded 1985–1987, England
Genre Jangle pop, post-punk
Length 37:46
Label Reception Records
Producer Carl Rosamond, The Wedding Present, Chris Allison
The Wedding Present chronology

George Best
(1987)
Tommy
(1988)
Українські Виступи в Івана Піла
(1989)
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [1]

Tommy, on the cover 1985 TOMMY - THE WEDDING PRESENT 1987, is a compilation by The Wedding Present gathering their first four singles, their B-sides and selected tracks from two early radio sessions. It was released in July 1988 by their own record company, Reception Records.[2][3][4][5]

Overview

Tommy provides an overview of the band's output before its first album George Best. The production is relatively lo-fi but the songs are high-energy. All tracks of their first four singles are included except for "You Should Always Keep in Touch with Your Friends", the double A-side with "This Boy Can Wait", as the radio version was deemed superior. Similarly, all tracks of their first John Peel session are included but for the radio version of "This Boy Can Wait", whose single version was considered better.

By the time of their fourth single, "My Favourite Dress", the band had started working with Chris Allison, who went on to produce the band's George Best and Bizarro albums.

Two of the songs on Tommy made a reappearance on George Best: "What Becomes of the Broken-Hearted?", re-recorded under its new title of "It's What You Want That Matters", and "My Favourite Dress" with an added new coda.

Track listing

All tracks written by David Gedge except as noted.

Side A

  1. "Go Out and Get 'Em Boy!" – 4:09
  2. "(The Moment Before) Everything's Spoiled Again" – 3:19
  3. "Once More" – 3:14
  4. "At the Edge of the Sea" – 2:39
  5. "Living and Learning" (radio session) – 2:53
  6. "This Boy Can Wait" – 4:01

Side B

  1. "You Should Always Keep in Touch with Your Friends" (radio session) – 3:01
  2. "Felicity (Kirk)" (radio session) – 2:18
  3. "What Becomes of the Broken-Hearted?" (radio session) – 3:46
  4. "Never Said" – 2:37
  5. "Every Mother's Son" – 1:36
  6. "My Favourite Dress" (single version) – 4:13

People involved

The band

Additional musicians

Technical staff

References

  1. Allmusic review
  2. Colin Larkin The Encyclopedia of Popular Music 0857125958 2011 -Page 3851 COMPILATIONS: Tommy (Reception 1988), The BBC Sessions (Strange Fruit 1988), Hit Parade 1 (RCA 1992) , Hit Parade 2 (RCA 1993), John Peel Sessions
  3. Peter Buckley The Rough Guide to Rock 1843531054 - 2003 "After an uneven compilation of singles and sessions, TOMMY (1988), there were further sessions for John Peel, which "
  4. Paul Simpson - The Rough Guide to Cult Pop -1843532298 2003 Page 173 Underrated Tommy: a collection of early singles and B-sides that shows why RCA wanted to sign them in the first place.
  5. The Trouser Press record guide Ira A. Robbins 0020363613 -- 1991 Page 726 "The archly titled Tommy summarizes the band's first two years, with singles ("This Boy Can Wait," "Once More," .."