Supergrass’ “I Should Coco” 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition out on September 4th

Music News | Jun 10th, 2015

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Supergrass first album I Should Coco on Friday, September 4th as a deluxe 3-CD expanded edition featuring b-sides, demos, live recordings, and much more.

Supergrass burst onto the music scene in 1994 with the singles “Caught By The Fuzz” and “Mansize Rooster.” Their infectious blend of power-pop melodies, youthful punk attitude, and wicked sense of humor set them apart from their Britpop contemporaries. Their sound was not tied to a particular artist or era, which has allowed their music to remain timeless. When I SHOULD COCO hit the shelves in 1995, it was an immediate smash in the UK, reaching the #1 spot on the UK album chart and making it the biggest selling debut album for Parlophone since The Beatles’ “Please Please Me.” The album featured two Top UK 10 hits: “Lenny” and “Alright,” the latter becoming one of the defining songs of their career. These young men devoured a lot of music in their youth; combining the melodicism of The Kinks & The Beatles, the ferocious rhythms of The Who, the Anglo-centric vocals of Madness with the punk/pop energy of The Buzzcocks into a musical stew that sounded like no one but Supergrass. They delivered a nearly perfect album to kick-start their career; a record that still resonates and charms two decades on.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of this modern classic, the trio of Gaz Coombes (lead vocals/guitar), Mick Quinn (bass/vocals) and Danny Goffey (drums/vocals), have opened the vaults to share a plethora of rarities with their fans in addition to a newly remastered version of the original album.

Of the new edition, Gaz Coombes said, “It’s been great seeing this anniversary re-issue take shape. There’s loads of cool unreleased tracks and bonus goodies on there, and recordings that I forget existed. It’s been cool talking again with people who were part of that record, and how they feel about it all now, there’s still a lot of love for ‘I Should Coco’. We’re really happy to get it out there again.”

The second disc begins with all the B-sides from the singles released off the album with the addition of “Stone Free,” which is available digitally for the first time. “‘I Believe In Love” was released as a B-Side to “Sofa (Of My Lethargy)” on 7″ green vinyl as part of Record Store Day 2015. The remainder of this disc recreates the album running order using alternative versions of the songs, including home demos and parts of their recording session at Sawmills before the band was signed to Parlophone.

The third disc features two very distinct live performances recorded nearly ten months apart, which Quinn describes as “both fascinating and hilarious by turns.” The Bath Moles gig from October 1994 was recorded on their first major tour of the UK. The support set consists of their entire repertoire at the time, played at 100 miles an hour and in their original “punkish” three piece band line-up. You can hear Gaz drunkenly announce “Caught By The Fuzz” as the “new” single before they launch into a ferocious version of it, only to grind to a frustrated halt as the crowd wipe out the mics at the front of the stage and they’re forced to start from the beginning again. Other highlights include witty ad libs before the songs and an improvised version of “Time To Go” as Danny’s kick drum peddle is repaired mid gig. Quinn reports: “I was there and it still sounds fantastic and like you’re in the room.”

The La Route Du Rock gig from August 1995 is an entirely different kettle of fish. The punk freneticism is still there but after 10 months they expanded their sound with Gaz’s brother Rob Coombes on keys and the sound is much more polished. The vocals and guitar solos have progressed and so has the song selection. Playing to an audibly much bigger festival audience, they start with what must be one of the first live outings of “Going Out.” The sound man is still working out the audio for the first three songs but after this things really start falling into place. “I’d Like To Know” is huge. Danny comically ad libs (in appalling French) between songs and, after a monumental encore of “Lenny,” you can hear Gaz utter a perfectly timed ‘Voila!’

The 3-disc set includes a 20 page booklet which features a hyperbolic live review from King Tuts’ Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow, 22nd Feb ’95 by Everett True from the Melody Maker, a previously unpublished photo of the band illegally sitting on the back of a China Clay Train at Sawmills Studios August ’94 and a selection of six iconic shots from Martyn Goodacre. Also featured are all the single cover art released from I SHOULD COCO, including the latest Record Store Day 2015 single with “Sofa (Of My Lethargy)”/ “I Believe In Love.”

The 12″ 180-gram, black vinyl reissue has some really exciting features. The front cover has been re-photographed at high resolution from the original painting by The Moody Painters who created all artwork for the original release and singles. The package has been designed by Nick Bax at Human Studios, who was also responsible for graphic design the first time around. The re-issue is dedicated to David Norland, founder of Backbeat Records, who passed last year at the age of 40 from cancer.

The LP also includes the original 7″ single of “Stone Free”/ “Odd?” on red vinyl with a reworked red/yellow classic Parlophone 45 label but in its original retro Parlophone housebag. “Stone Free” was originally recorded during a long night at Falconer Studios April 12, 1995 just after the band returned home from their first American tour. “Odd?” was recorded at BBC Maida Vale on January 10, 1995, as part of their first John Peel session which was initially broadcast February 4, 1995. It was Rob Coombes’ first appearance on keyboards with the band.

I SHOULD COCO Track listing

Disc 1 (Remastered by John Cornfield with the addition of tracks (3, 4) remastered by Frank Arkwright)
1. I’d Like to Know
2. Caught by the Fuzz
3. Mansize Rooster
4. Alright
5. Lose It
6. Lenny
7. Strange Ones
8. Sitting Up Straight
9. She’s So Loose
10. We’re Not Supposed To
11. Time
12. Sofa (Of My Lethargy)
13. Time to Go

Disc 2: B-Sides, Demos, Out-Takes & Curios
1. Caught By The Fuzz (Acoustic), original B-Side to Caught By The Fuzz single
2. Odd?, original B-Side to Mansize Rooster single
3. Wait For The Sun, original B-Side to Lenny single
4. Sex!, original B-Side to Lenny single
5. Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In), original B-Side to Alright/Time single
6. Ju Suis Votre Papa Sucre, original B-Side to Alright/Time single
7. Stone Free
8. I Believe In Love, Unfinished I Should Coco out-take recorded summer 1994 during the album session.
9. I’d Like To Know, 1994 demo on cassette from 4-Track recording
10. Caught By The Fuzz, from Feb ’94 recording session at Sawmills and used as all others on Backbeat 7″, BEAT 4: A-Side
11. Mansize Rooster, Backbeat 7″, BEAT 6: A-Side
12. Alright, recorded circa Dec ’93, demo on cassette from 4-Track recording
13. Lose It, from Feb ’94 recording session at Sawmills
14. Lenny, from 1993 demo on cassette from 4-Track recording
15. Strangeones, Backbeat 7″, BEAT 4: B-Side
16. Sitting Up Straight, Backbeat 7″, BEAT 6: B-Side
17. She’s So Loose ’93 demo on cassette from 4-Track recording
18. We’re Not Supposed To (Savoy Hotel Version), ’95 Mercury Music Awards. Broadcast on BBC
19. Time ’93 demo on cassette from 4-Track recording
20. Sofa (Instrumental) from ’94 Studio recording
21. Time To Go ’93 demo on cassette from 4-Track recording

Disc 3:
Live at Bath Moles. October 28, 1994
1.Strangeones
2.Sitting Up Straight
3.Mansize Rooster
4.Time
5.I’d Like To Know
6.Time To Go (Technical Fault)
7.She’s So Loose
8.Caught By The Fuzz (Crowd Surge)
9.Caught By The Fuzz
10.Lenny

Live at La Route Du Rock, Saint Malo, France August 19, 1995
11.Going Out
12.Sitting Up Straight
13.Mansize Rooster
14.I’d Like To Know
15.Time
16.Alright
17.Odd?
18.She’s So Loose
19.Where Have All the Good Times Gone
20.Lose It
21.Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)
22.Caught By The Fuzz
23.Strange Ones
24.Lenny

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