Don’t Walk Away: Hear No Evil Label Expands Terraplane’s Debut “Black and White”

Before Thunder, there was Terraplane.  Thunder, the British hard-rock act that notched a No.2 record on the UK charts in 1992 with Laughing On Judgment Day had previously existed as Terraplane.  Under that incarnation, the band released two albums in the 1980s.  Cherry Red imprint HNE Recordings recently released an expanded edition of Terraplane’s debut effort, Black and White.

Hailing from South London, Terraplane’s membership was initially made up of Danny Bowes (vocals), Luke Morley (guitars), Gary James (drums) and Nick Linden (bass and piano).   The group formed out of Bowes and Morley’s college band Nuthin’ Fancy and recorded a single for independent label City Records.  In addition, they performed at many venues around London including numerous gigs at the Marquee Club which helped to garner the attention of Epic Records.  Terraplane signed with Epic in February of 1984 and began work on their debut.

Finding a producer proved to be difficult but one was eventually decided upon: Liam Henshall, who had previously worked with the band King.  Several guests were brought in for the album, including Jools Holland on “I’m The One” and Ruby Turner on “Couldn’t Handle the Tears.”  Henshall would take the band to 10 different studios during the recording process and the production time for the album began to grow.  During that period, they became a support act for Meat Loaf’s tour in 1985 and brought in an additional member: guitarist Rudi Riviere who contributed to “Talking to Myself” on the record.

The album was finally finished and ready for release but Terraplane and Epic could not agree on a title.  The band members wanted to name the album Talking to God Down the Great White Telephone, but Epic found the title too obscure and called the album Black and White.  This disagreement between band and label would prove to be an omen of things to come.

When Black and White was released in 1985, it only hit No. 74 on the U.K. charts.  The singles which followed did not fare well, either.  In Malcolm Dome’s new liner notes for this edition, Morley, Bowes and Henshall are interviewed.  They candidly recount the tensions between the band and Epic, who wanted Terraplane to go in a more pop direction.  A second album, Moving Target, was released in 1987, but fared even more poorly on the charts than its predecessor.  After that, Terraplane was over.  Bowes, Morley and James regrouped and reformed with two new members as Thunder, signing to EMI in 1989.  Their first album under the new name, Backstreet Symphony, was released in 1990, hitting #21 in the U.K. and #114 in the U.S.

What will you find on the new Terraplane reissue?  Hit the jump for more!

Release Round-Up: Week of November 24

Simon and Garfunkel, The Complete Albums Collection (Columbia/Legacy) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

This 12-CD box includes all five of Simon & Garfunkel’s stereo studio albums released between 1964 and 1970, newly remastered from first-generation analog sources plus first-time remasters of The Graduate soundtrack and 1981’s The Concert in Central Park; 1972’s Greatest Hits album (which contained some unique performances unavailable elsewhere); and the live concert albums from 1967, 1969 and 2004, as first released in 2002, 2008 and 2004, respectively.

The Velvet Underground: 45th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition (UMe)

6-CD Super Deluxe Box: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.

2-CD Deluxe Edition: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.

UMe continues its series of deluxe, hardcover book-style editions of The Velvet Underground’s discography with this 6-CD edition of the band’s 1969 release including live and studio rarities.  Highlights are also available in a 2-CD edition.

Neil Diamond, All-Time Greatest Hits 2-CD Edition (Capitol) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. )

Capitol is reissuing and expanding the Neil Diamond compilation first issued this past July, and this time it jumps from 23 tracks on one CD to 42 tracks on two CDs. You can expect additions from Diamond’s new Melody Road and 2005 “comeback” 12 Songs as well as classics that didn’t make the cut on the original version such as “Heartlight,” “Desiree” and “Yesterday’s Songs.”

Jethro Tull, WarChild: 40th Anniversary Edition (Chrysalis) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

This 2-CD/2-DVD set features

• The original album and bonus tracks (three previously unreleased), remixed in 5.1 surround and stereo by Steven Wilson
• 10 orchestral pieces (nine previously unreleased) written for the proposed film’s soundtrack, four of which are remixed in 5.1 surround and stereo by Steven Wilson
• Flat transfers of the original LP mix at 96/24, and the original quadrophonic mix (with 2 bonus tracks) in 4.0.
• “The Third Hoorah” promo footage, and footage from a January 1974 photo session/press conference where the WarChild project was announced.

 

Bryan Adams, Reckless: Super Deluxe Edition (A&M)

CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
BD Pure Audio: Amazon U.S.
2CD/DVD/BD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.

Bryan Adams is marking the 30th anniversary of his breakthrough Reckless with a variety of reissues including a super deluxe set with 2 CDs (featuring both studio outtakes and a previously unreleased live concert), 1 DVD (Reckless: The Movie) and a BD-Audio disc with stereo and surround mixes in high resolution.

Dave Mathews Band, Under the Table and Dreaming (Legacy)

CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.

Vinyl: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.

Legacy reissues and remasters Dave Matthews Band’s 1994 studio debut in time for its 20th anniversary on both CD and vinyl.   The CD has three unreleased bonus tracks, including the original studio version of live favorite “Granny” and acoustic versions of “Dancing Nancies” and “The Song That Jane Likes,” and the bonus tracks will also be included on a download card with the vinyl LP.

The Legacy Collection – The Little Mermaid: Original Soundtrack (Walt Disney Records) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. )

Disney continues its Legacy Edition series of deluxe expanded hardbound reissues with a 2-CD set dedicated to Howard Ashman and Alan Menken’s The Little Mermaid!

The Bing Crosby Archive titles (Bing Crosby Enterprises/UMe)

Bing Crosby, American Masters – Bing Crosby Rediscovered: The Soundtrack (Bing Crosby Enterprises/UMe, 2014) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

Bing Crosby, Bing Sings the Irving Berlin Songbook (Bing Crosby Enterprises/UMe, 2014) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

Bing Crosby, Some Fine Old Chestnuts: 60th Anniversary Deluxe Edition (Decca DL 5508, 1954/expanded as DL 8374 – reissued Bing Crosby Enterprises/UMe, 2014) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

Bing Crosby, Songs I Wish I Had Sung the First Time Around: Deluxe Edition (Decca DL 8352, 1956 – reissued Bing Crosby Enterprises/UMe, 2014) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

The Bing Crosby Archive returns with four discs, every one of which is packed with previously unreleased material!  Click on the “Bing Crosby Archive” link above for track listings and full details on each title!

Eric Clapton, Timepieces: The Best of Eric Clapton SACD (Audio Fidelity) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

The 1982 greatest-hits compilation arrives in high-resolution stereo on Audio Fidelity’s new hybrid SACD remastered by Kevin Gray.