Revisiting: Echo & The Bunnymen - Echo & The Bunnymen (1987)

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Echo & The Bunnymen - Echo & The Bunnymen

WEA/Sire

Produced by Laurie Latham

Released 6th July 1987

UK Chart #4

US Chart # 51

2003 Remastered CD Reissue Version

with Bonus Tracks

Side 1

Side 2

Personnel
Echo & The Bunnymen
    Ian McCulloch – lead vocals, guitar, piano
    Will Sergeant – guitar
    Les Pattinson – bass guitar
    Pete de Freitas – drums

Additional Musicians:
    Henry Priestman – keyboards
    Jake Brockman – keyboards
    Ray Manzarek – keyboards ("Bedbugs and Ballyhoo")
    Stephen Morris – drums ("Soul Kitchen")

     Bonus Tracks on 2003 Remastered CD Reissue
12 Jimmy Brown (Early Version Of Bring On The Dancing Horses) 4:07
13 Hole In The Holy 4:44
14 Soul Kitchen 3:56
15 The Game (Acoustic Demo) 3:57
16 Bedbugs And Ballyhoo (Original Version) 3:41
17 Over Your Shoulder 4:10
18 Bring On The Dancing Horses (Extended Mix) 5:50

Click on the Links to Listen to More Music

Singles From Echo & The Bunnymen

A-Side

The Game

B-Side

B1 - Lost and Found

B2 - Ship of Fools

Released June 1987

UK Charts #28

A-Side

A1 - Lips Like Sugar

A2 - Rollercoaster

AA-Side

People Are Strange

Released August 1987

UK Chart #36

A-Side

 A1 Bedbugs And Ballyhoo (Club Remix) 6:15
A2 Bedbugs And Ballyhoo (LP Version) 3:28

B-Side

B1 Run, Run, Run 3:39
B2 Paint It Black 2:56
B3 Friction 4:40

Released 1988*

*It was released in 1987 in Germany and featured Over You and New Direction on the B-side.

A-Side

People Are Strange

B-Side

Run, Run, Run (Live)

Released February 1988

UK Chart #29

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Released on this day in 1987 was the fifth studio album from Echo & The Bunnymen and the last to feature drummer Peter de Freitas who tragically died two years after the release aged 27 in a motorcycle accident.

There was a lot of drama leading up to the making of the album as de Freitas departed the band only to return after using two other drummers who didn't really fit. His return though would not be as a full member of the band as his commitment had been called into question following his departure and his then current mental state.

They had given a live debut to two new songs on a show for the BBC in 1986 (The Game and Lips Like Sugar) and were under pressure from their label to produce a big selling album. Apparently Warners Chairman Rob Dickins had wanted them to replicate the success of Peter Gabriel's album 'So' which he had played to the band in a meeting saying, "I want you to sound like this!" Will Sergeant would say later that Dickens "escaped with his life that day!"

I know a lot of people who point to albums like Ocean Rain etc as being their finest and I have no problem with that. For me, I liked a number of their singles but wasn't really a huge fan of their albums until much later in life! But this self-titled album was actually the first album of theirs that I really did enjoy.

Today marks the 30th anniversary of it's release so it's kind of nice to revisit it again and give it a blast.