The Wake - Harmony + Singles

  • Sale
  • Regular price £34.99


Factory Benelux presents a new 3 disc black vinyl edition of Harmony, the debut album by influential Scottish group The Wake. Originally released by Factory Records in December 1982, this new expanded edition marks the 40th anniversary of this landmark post-punk album.

The Wake formed in Glasgow in 1981 after singer/guitarist Caesar left Altered Images, and joined Factory the following year. Harmony was recorded at Strawberry Studios in Stockport with producer Chris Nagle (formerly Martin Hannett’s preferred engineer), by which time the group comprised Caesar (vocals, guitar), Carolyn Allen (keyboards), Steven Allen (drums) and Bobby Gillespie (bass). On release as Fact 60 the original 7 track mini album earned a 5 star review in Sounds magazine, hailed as the missing indiepop link between Factory and Postcard Records.

Bonus tracks on Disc 2 include The Wake’s dub-informed second single, Something Outside b/w Host, and also their John Peel session from July 1983 – the last recordings to feature Gillespie before his departure for The Jesus and Mary Chain and Primal Scream.

Disc 3 offers a desk recorded live set from Ayr Pavilion on 15 April 1983 during a tour with New Order. The concert includes several songs never recorded in the studio, including Recovery and Country of the Blind.

The enhanced trifold artwork for this new edition includes images of the band by noted photographer Paul Slattery, taken at the Mitchell Library in Glasgow, as well as new liner notes by Caesar.

After releasing several further albums on Factory and Sarah Records during the 1980s and 1990s, The Wake returned to recording with A Light Far Out in 2012. A new studio album is expected in 2023.

Vinyl tracklist:

A1. Favour A2. Heartburn A3. An Immaculate Conception A4. Judas B1. Testament B2. Patrol B3. The Old Men B4. Chance C1. Something Outside C2. Host D1. The Drill (Peel)

D2. Uniform (Peel) D3. Here Comes Everybody (Peel) E1. Heartburn (live) E2. Host (live)

E3. Recovery (live) E4. Uniform (live) F1. The Old Men (live) F2. Something Outside (live)

F3. Country of the Blind (live) F4. The Drill (live)