Sunday 25 September 2016

The Verve: The 1990 Wigan Demos

TREON118
This is a collection of early demo tracks by the Verve recorded in Wigan during 1990 and 1991.

Notes:
 "Verve, from Wigan, in Lancashire, England, formed in 1990.  Richard Ashcroft, Simon Jones, and Peter Salisbury grew up together in Wigan and all attended Upholland High School.  They took in Nick McCabe from Winstanley College.  After seeing Nick play at a college practice room in 1989, Richard described his sound as like "a whole other universe to me".  They played their first show for the birthday of Richard's then flatmate Paul Frodsham at the Honeysuckle pub in Poolstock, Wigan on August 15, 1990.

Verve played two songs, "The Sun, The Sea" and the strangely titled "Your Back".  Verve didn't play for many months and as 1990 ended, Richard rang up his mates.  'Are we in a band or what?' he asked them and made a statement that would take them to the top of the charts in the years to come.  They made a demo tape throughout 1990. Hut scout Miles Leonard remembers, "Their demo was so much better than anything else I was hearing". The band signed to Hut records in September 1991. Verve released three singles in 1992, All in the Mind, She's A Superstar, and Gravity Grave.  They were easily making music years ahead of their time.

This is the 1990 demo recording issued by Verve.  It contains many of the early songs made by the Verve many of which did not make it in either of their first three singles or their first album.  It is a great collection of early Verve songs excellent for the avid Verve fan.  Richard's voice sounds very young.  In reality, this is the very beginning steps for the start of the group. They would later go on to bring the world great music."


Tracklist:
01 - The Sun, The Sea
02 - Here She Comes
03 - Slide Away (Take #1)
04 - Open Your Eyes
05 - Higher I Go
06 - All In The Mind
07 - Just To See You Move
08 - Who's Clean
09 - Verve Are Rising
10 - Slide Away (Take #2)

Password: VerveWigan

1 comment: