TV21 Thin Red Line Gets Long Overdue Reissue

May 7th, 2010

I’m reposting this info about a long awaited re-issue, that I am very excited about:

TV21

“A THIN RED LINE” BY TV21 FINALLY RELEASED ON CD AFTER 29 YEARS

Scottish post-punk pioneers TV21’s critically acclaimed 1981 LP ‘A Thin Red Line’ is finally to be released on CD along with all of the band’s singles. The collection – named ‘Snakes And Ladders’ after TV21’s biggest UK hit – is billed as an ‘Almost Complete’ collection of the band’s recorded output from 1980 to 1982.
It is released on Cherry Red subsidiary, Rev-Ola, on 29th March and is available from X, Y and Z and on download from X, Y and Z.

 

During 1979/82, TV21 were regulars on the John Peel and Richard Skinner BBC Radio 1 shows and achieved significant radio play with all their singles – especially Snakes And Ladders and All Join Hands – which both charted in the top 100. TV21 reformed in 2005 for a John Peel testimonial gig and released a critically acclaimed second album Forever 22 just last year. The band is still active on the live music circuit.

 

When ‘A Thin Red Line’ was first released - listing Ian Broudie of the Lightning Seeds as its main producer -  it won the Edinburgh band a front cover appearance on the Melody Maker along with a glowing review. In his review, well-respected music industry writer and commentator Paulo Hewitt, said:  “Emotionally diverse, magnificently played, with touches of genius throughout it and delivered with an unnerving force, TV21’s debut is a welcome light at the end of a dark tunnel.”

‘Snakes And Ladders’ includes a lengthy booklet which tells the band’s story – from its early beginnings in Ayrshire to the point of their split up after supporting the Rolling Stones in Edinburgh in May 1982. The sleeve notes are introduced by BBC DJ Gary Crowley, who first championed TV21 in 1980 on the release of their first independent single, Playing With Fire/ Shattered By It All. He says: “They touched the lives of many of us and left in their wake a smattering of fine singles and an uplifting, soaring, under-rated debut album in A Thin Red Line which still stands up to scrutiny today. I was a big fan.”

 

The current TV21 line-up sees three founder members - Norman Rodger (lead vocals, guitar), Ally Palmer (guitar, backing vocals) and Neil Baldwin (bass guitar, backing vocals) - joined by Simon McGlynn on drums who, over the last 15 years, has played in several other bands with Rodger, Palmer and Baldwin. Lead singer and songwriter, Norman Rodger, says: “We’ve tried several times over the last twenty years to have this material issued on CD but every attempt so far has stalled at some stage in the process, so it’s great to finally see it coming out. The songs have been sequenced in more or less chronological order and you can really hear the band develop, from the early singles we recorded in Edinburgh, through to the more polished album material. Enjoy!”


More information is available from  HYPERLINK “http://www.myspace/tv21offical” www.myspace/tv21offical

Categories: 2010 Favourite, Great Music | Tags: , , , , , | No Comments