Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Domino Announce The Go-Betweens Box Set

The Domino Recording Company is honoured to announce the upcoming release of an extraordinary anthology for one of the most beloved and influential Australian groups of all time, The Go-Betweens. G Stands For Go-Betweens Volume One extensively documents the band’s origins in an ambitious box containing four vinyl albums, four compact discs and an extensive 112-page book, featuring a trove of archival photos and extensive historical liner notes from founding member Robert Forster, along with additional pieces from guest essayists, fans and contemporaries.


The box set captures the band’s output from 1978 through 1984 and includes the first vinyl re-pressings of their first three studio albums in over thirty years (Send Me A Lullaby, Before Hollywood & Spring Hill Fair), all re-mastered from the original analogue tapes. G Stands For Go-Betweens also brings together their early classic and collectible singles together on a fourth vinyl LP entitled The First Five Singles featuring new artwork from its creators. Additionally, the set comes with four compact discs of rare, hard-to-find and unreleased demos, recordings, radio sessions and a complete live concert radio broadcast from 1982. If that’s not enough, the set comes with a silkscreen of their first promotional poster for their debut single, “Lee Remick”, as well as a reproduction of their very first press release from their own Able Label.


For a complete tracklist and in-depth information on this release, please visit the following: dominorecordco.com/gobetweens/


We will begin taking pre-orders for this very special limited edition release today and will continue to do so until October 31st. While a very small overrun may be made available to a few select retail outlets at a later date, this is a deluxe limited package and we will only be pressing this very special collection once. The only way to guarantee your own copy is to order from Domino Mart HERE. The stock is estimated to be delivered to customers at the beginning of January.


But here’s the special part: the first 600 orders will get a randomly selected book from the late Grant McLennan’s personal literary collection along with a specially-printed bookmark signed by Robert Forster, certifying their veracity. These books were collected by Grant through his lifetime and some were signed and dated by him on purchase (though no guarantee that every book will have said inscription…it will be the luck of the draw). Recipients will be invited to join the Grant McLennan Book Club over at www.go-betweens.net to share anecdotes and book reports on the copies they receive.


The Go-Betweens were formed by Robert Forster and Grant McLennan in Brisbane, Australia in 1978 while studying at the University of Queensland. The duo, augmented by various drummers and guests, recorded a series of acclaimed singles for seminal Australian labels such as their own Able Label and Missing Link. After a sojourn to London and Glasgow that led to their brief relationship with the legendary Postcard label, they were joined by their more permanent rhythmic counterpart, drummer Lindy Morrison, upon their return home prior to recording their debut album, Send Me A Lullaby. That release brought them to the attention of Rough Trade and a lengthy re-location to London. It was then that the band recorded their breakthrough album, Before Hollywood. Produced by John Brand (Aztec Camera, The Waterboys), the album contains some of the group’s most beloved recordings, including McLennan’s “Cattle And Cane” and Forster’s “By Chance”. Shortly thereafter, McLennan would hand off bass playing duties to new member Robert Vickers, who joined the group prior to the recording of Spring Hill Fair.


During their initial phase, the group went on to record three additional albums for Beggars Banquet before splitting up in 1989 in spite of their greatest commercial success with the album 16 Lovers Lane. Forster and McLennan went on to extensive solo careers before reuniting in 2000 and making three more Go-Betweens album together, including the ARIA-winning finalé, Oceans Apart. Sadly, the reunion came to a sudden end when McLennan passed away on May 6th, 2006 from a heart attack and The Go-Betweens disbanded for good.


It would be hard to overstate the shadows cast across the musical landscape of the last three decades by the Go-Betweens’ self-ascribed “striped sunlight sound”. The duo of McLennan and Forster ranks alongside the best of the best songwriting partnerships, influencing younger musicians both expected (such as Belle & Sebastian who reference the group on “Shoot The Sexual Athlete”) and unexpected (as with the late, great Jay Reatard’s fiery cover of “Don’t Let Him Come Back”). This anthology is sure to provide inspiration to a new generation of musicians while providing a very special personal experience for the existing fans.


4 LP + 4 CD collection documents the band’s origins and includes extensive rare & archival material and liner notes from Robert Forster


 


First 600 orders worldwide get a book from Grant McLennan’s personal library and a signed bookmark from Robert Forster


 


Listen to the classic singles “Cattle And Cane” and “Part Company” HERE


Watch the video for “Cattle And Cane” HERE


Order the box set HERE