Singles, albums, rarities and some live stuff, too. It’s all in the upcoming Purple Hearts – Extraordinary Sensations CD box set.
There’s a lot going on here for a band that didn’t record a great deal over their career. One of the leading lights of the Mod revival movement, their debut album, Beat That!, landed in 1980. But it took until 1986 for a follow-up, Pop-Ish Frenzy.
Beyond that, the band released six singles, which are also in this collection. But for fans, the extras here are likely to be the selling points as well as the freshening up of what’s here. Everything is officially licensed and taken from the master tapes for the first time ever.
In terms of those extras, you get six Jimmy Pursey-produced demos recorded at Polydor in 1979, including early versions of singles ‘Millions Like Us’, ‘Frustration’ and ‘Jimmy’ and two Paul Weller-produced demos, ‘Plane Crash and ‘Concrete Mixer’, recorded at Polydor in 1981 and intended for Weller’s Respond label but unissued.
There’s also a 13-song, unreleased live set recorded at London club The Hippodrome in 1986, featuring band standards plus a cover of The Creation’s ‘Painter Man’. Also included are four songs recorded live from the Mod Aid Alldayer held in Walthamstow, East London, in 1985, plus two bonus tracks from the Purple Hearts reunion at Mods Mayday 99.
Guitarist/songwriter Simon Stebbing has been involved with providing and approving audio for this box set and has been newly interviewed for the booklet by Mojo’s Lois Wilson. The booklet also contains a foreword by Purple Hearts fan Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield.
Tracks listed below, the release date is 19th January 2024, and the price is £23.99.
Find out more at the Amazon website
DISC ONE
Beat That!
1. Jimmy
2. Perfect World
3. Something You Can’t Have
4. Beat That!
5. Nothing’s Left
6. Frustration
7. If You Need Me
8. Can’t Stay Here
9. Can’t Help Thinking About Me
10. Slay It with Flowers
11. I’ve Been Away
SINGLES AND DEMOS
12. Millions Like Us
13. Beat That! (Single Version)
14. Extraordinary Sensations
15. What Am I Gonna Do
16. Jimmy (Demo, 1979)
17. Frustration (Demo, 1979)
18. If You Need Me (Demo, 1979)
19. What Am I Gonna Do (Demo, 1979)
20. Can’t Help Thinking About Me (Demo, 1979)
21. Millions Like Us (Demo, 1979)
22. My Life’s A Jigsaw (Single Version)
23. Just To Please You
24. The Guy Who Made Her A Star
25. Plane Crash (Demo, 1981)
26. Concrete Mixer (Demo, 1981)
27. My Life’s A Jigsaw (Demo, 1980)
DISC TWO
Pop-ish Frenzy
1. Friends Again
2. When I See You
3. Call Of The Wild
4. I’ll Make You Mine
5. Get Out Of My Life Woman
6. Hi Baby!
7. Shell Shock
8. But On Sunday
9. I Can’t Dream
10. Gun Of Life
SINGLES AND DEMOS
11. Plane Crash (Single Version)
12. Scooby Doo
13. Gun Of Life – (Single Version)
14. Let’s Get A Burger Man
15. Friends Again (Single Version)
16. Head on Collision Time
17. I’ll Make You Mine (Demo, 1981)
18. Smashing Time (Demo, 1981)
19. Hazy Darkness (Demo, 1981)
20. Gun Of Life (Demo, 1981)
21. Another Day (Demo, 1981)
22. When I See You (Demo, 1981)
23. Friends Again (Demo, 1982)
24. Smashing Time (Demo, 1982)
25. Just Like Real Life (2 Track Demo)
DISC THREE
Purple Hearts: Live! plus 2 track recordings
Live At The Hippodrome, 9th November 1986
1.Frustration
2. Beat That!
3. Concrete Mixer
4. Get Out Of My Life Woman
5. Slay It With Flowers
6. Painter Man
7. My Life’s A Jigsaw
8. I Can’t Stay Here
9. Friends Again
10. Gun Of Life
11. Extraordinary Sensations
12. Perfect World
13. Millions Like Us
Live at Walthamstow Assembly Hall – Mod Aid Alldayer, 15th December 1985
14. Frustration
15. Beat That!
16. Millions like us
17. Plane Crash
2 TRACK REHEARSAL RECORDINGS
18. Closer Than Close
19. Playing With Fire
20. Restless Dream Recurring
21. I Can’t Dream
22. What A Shame (2 track Demo)
Live at Mods Mayday 1999, Kentish Town Forum
23. I’ve Been Away ()
24. Everybody Needs Somebody
