The Jesus and Mary Chain - Darklands Deluxe Edition

'Darklands' was a very different beast to 'Psychocandy'. It would have been the easiest thing in the world for the JAMC to record 'Psychocandy 2' and the fact that they didn't makes this album a lot more worthwhile. The album reached #5 in the UK charts and spawned their biggest Single Chart hit in 'April Skies' and earned them a place on Top of the Pops (not to be repeated!).

I have to admit that I was not overly impressed by the album when it first came out. I loved the singles ('April Skies' and 'Happy When It Rains') but overall the album seemed a little subdued to me. Listening to it again with fresh ears on this Deluxe Edition I still think the same though I know a number of people who really love the album and think that it is their best release). The inclusion on this package of 'Some Candy Talking' with William on vocals is sweet. It originally came out on an EP given away with the NME in February 1986. I much prefer this version to the later release with Jim on vocals.

Disc: 1
01. Darklands
02. Deep One Perfect Morning
03. Happy When It Rains
04. Down On Me
05. Nine Million Rainy Days
06. April Skies
07. Fall
08. Cherry Came Too
09. On The Wall
10. About You

Some Candy Talking EP
11. Some Candy Talking
12. Taste Of Cindy (acoustic version)
13. Psychocandy
14. Hit

Janice Long Studio Session 23/11/86
15. Darklands
16. Down On Me
17. Deep One Perfect Morning


John Peel Session 25/11/96
18. Fall
19. In The Rain
20. Happy Place

Disc: 2
B-Sides

April Skies Single
01. Kill Surf City -
02. Bo Diddley Is Jesus
03. Who Do You Love

Happy When It Rains Single
04. Everything's Alright When You're Down
05. Shake
06. Happy When It Rains (demo)
07. Happy Place
08. F.Hole

Darklands Single
09. Rider
10. On The Wall(Portastudio demo)
11. Surfin' USA (April outtake)
12. Here It Comes Again

Outtakes
13. Walk And Crawl
14. Some Candy Talking (NME version with William on Vocals)
15. Mushroom
16. The Hardest Walk ('Some Kind of Wonderful' soundtrack version)
17. Don't Ever Change
18. Swing 19. Darklands (with strings. Previously Unreleased)
20. Interview (Janice Long Show 28th April 1987)

Disc: 3 - DVD

Promo Videos
1. Some Candy Talking
2. April Skies
3. Kill Surf City
4. Happy When It Rains
5. Darklands

TV Appearances
6. April Skies - Top Of The Pops
7. April Skies - Villa Tempo
8. Happy When It Rains - The Roxy


Some Candy Talking (Promo Video)




April Skies (Top of the Pops)



Kill Surf City (Promo Video)




Happy When It Rains (from The Roxy)