I was very excited to find out yesterday that the debut, and only album by the Shop Assistants was reissued on the 26th July, I ordered it right away and it arrived this afternoon. The album of course was first released in November 1986 on Blue Guitar (a sub-label of Chrysalis Records). It had its first reissue on CD in 1997 (Overground Records), 2008 & 2012 (Cherry Red) and the only Vinyl reissue came in 2012 on American label 4 Men With Beards.
If you like Vinyl, then all you'll get is the 2024 Remaster of the album, but if you want more then it's best to go for the 2CD Expanded Version which includes the 2024 Remaster, B-sides of the only single released from the album, Instrumental Demos, Rough Mixes, Alternate Versions, tracks from two concerts in October 1986 and their second John Peel Session. Thirty-seven tracks in all.
Hopefully this new Remaster might open up some new ears to the wonderful sound of the Shop Assistants, one of Edinburgh's finest Indie Bands of the 1980s. I highly recommend it and I have no doubt it will feature highly on my end of year list of Reissues of the Year.
Chrysalis Records
26th July 2024
Released on Vinyl & 2CD Digipack
David Keegan - Guitar & Noise
Sarah Kneale - Bass & Backing Vocals (Lead Vocals on "What A Way To Die")
Laura MacPhail - Drums & Percussion
Tracklist for 2CD Expanded Edition
Disc 1: Will Anything Happen (20024 Remaster)/B-Sides/Demos
1-1 I Don't Wanna Be Friends With You
1-2 All Day Long
1-3 Before I Wake
1-4 Caledonian Road
1-5 All That Ever Mattered
1-6 Fixed Grin
1-7 Somewhere In China
1-8 Train From Kansas City
1-9 Home Again
1-10 Seems To Be* (Missing)
1-11 After Dark
1-12 All Of The Time
1-13 What A Way To Die
1-14 Nature Lover
B-Sides
1-15 Looking Back
1-16 All Day Long (Slow Version)
Instrumental Demos
1-17 I Don't Wanna Be Friends With You
1-18 After Dark
1-19 A Million Miles From Home
Disc 2: Studio Outtakes/Live/Peel Session
2-1 Looking Back (Rough Mix)
2-2 Caledonian Road (Rough Mix)
2-3 What a Way To Die (Rough Mix)
2-4 Fixed Grin (Roundhouse Version)
2-5 Train From Kansas City (Roundhouse Version)
2-6 Before I Wake (Roundhouse Version)
2-7 All That Ever Mattered (Alternate Take)
Live In London 03/10/1986
2-8 Seems To Be
2-9 Nature Lover
2-10 Something To Do
2-11 Switzerland
Live In Deinze 05/10/1986
2-12 Home Again
2-13 It's Up To You
2-14 Safety Net
John Peel Session 11/11/1986
2-15 Fixed Grin
2-16 I Don't Wanna Be Friends With You
2-17 Ace Of Spades
2-18 Before I Wake
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Single Released on 7" & 12"
B-Side: Looking Back / All Day Long (Slow Version) - 12" only
UK Chart #77
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Shop Assistants Bonus
Shop Assistants BBC Sessions:
John Peel Session 8th October 1985
Safety Net
All That Ever Mattered
Almost Made It
Somewhere in China
John Peel Session 11th November 1986
Fixed Grin
I Don't Wanna Be Friends With You
Ace of Spades
Before I Wake
Janice Long Session 16th February 1986
All Of The Time
Home Again
Looking Back
Nature Lover
What A Way To Die
The Shop Assistants Live 3rd October 1986 University of London.
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