The Seaside is a Rock album by Cardiacs, originally released in 1983. On Gatefold: 8 pressings tracked.
About
The Seaside is the third demo album from English rock group Cardiacs. The album originally featured the second recording of what would become the band's only hit single, "Is This the Life?". It is the last of the band's releases to feature keyboard player/drummer/singer Mark Cawthra and the first to feature keyboard player William D. Drake (as well as being the only album to feature two other musicians who were briefly Cardiacs members - Graham Simmonds and Marguerite Johnson). The album is composed of material the band had written and performed between 1980 and 1983. Initially The Seaside was only produced on cassette (as with earlier Cardiacs album releases), and was only made available through the band's fan club and at concerts. It is notable for having been the first formal release on the band's own label, the Alphabet Business Concern. Three editions of the cassette album were produced, each with a different cover - the first featuring a drawing of the “Little Man and a House” (as pictured above), the second a colour picture of bass player Jim Smith, and the third being a completely different picture in black-and-white. The three editions of the cassette album were released in 1983, 1984, and 1990, respectively. All versions are rare, with the 'Little Man and a House' cover being the rarest. Several tracks on the cassette album were re-recorded for subsequent releases. "Is This the Life?", "A Little Man and a House" and "R.E.S." were all re-recorded and released five years later on Cardiacs' 1988 album A Little Man and a House and the Whole World Window. "Nurses Whispering Verses" was eventually re-recorded a decade later for the band's 1996 album Sing to God (albeit with different lyrics). The album captures the band in a transitional phase, with two distinct lineups of the band featured. Both featured Mark Cawthra (who moved between drums and keyboards during different recording sessions) and his voice is featured prominently on the album, occasionally sharing lead vocals with Tim Smith. Cawthra would leave the band amicably during the sessions for The Seaside in order to pursue his own projects.
via Last.fm
The Clerk says
The Clerk knows this whole record — the pressing quirks, the credits, the take.
Tracklist
- 1Jibber and Twitch4:34
- 2Gena Lollabridgida3:12
- 3Hello Mr Sparrow4:34
- 4It's a Lovely Day3:25
- 5A Wooden Fish On Wheels3:23
- 6Hope Day6:25
- 7Ice a Spot and a Dot On the Dog3:34
- 8R.E.S.5:26
- 9To Go Off and Things2:13
Sound DNA
- Rock
- Art Rock
- warm
- wistful
- art school
The 1984 cassette editions have an off-white shell with blue on-body printing. However, 3 different versions of the cover insert exist:
1. Black and white "man/house" with band name in a green block on the spine and spot colour on the front.
2. Black and white with Jim's face on the front cover and additional fold out panels. Spine is black and white in very simple typeface.
3. Full colour with Jim's face and additional fold out panels with group photo and merchandise details. The colour ones were on sale for some time, and after a couple of years, the merchandise panel of the foldout was cut off the remaining copies by hand as it had became out of date.
Due to "Wanton destruction, albeit rumoured accidental" LP, CD and cassette versions issued in 1990, and a 1995 CD reissue omit four tracks from the original cassette editions. The 1990s releases can currently be found here (opens in a new tab).
As of October 2015 it appears that reports of the destruction, albeit rumoured accidental, of some of the original recordings, were exaggerated.
No album singles exist, although A Little Man and a House, Hope Day, R.E.S. and To Go Off and Things were reissued a year later as the 12" EP Seaside Treats (opens in a new tab) and (sans Hope Day) as music videos on a VHS of the same name (opens in a new tab). A different music video for A Little Man and a House was featured on the compilation VHS Pirates of the Panasoniks (opens in a new tab). Both VHSs were distributed via.
Credits
The people behind it.
Performers
- Dominic LuckmanDRUMS
- Graham SimmondsGUITAR
- Jim SmithBASS, VOCALS BASS, VOICE
- Lanze LorrensTRUMPET, VOCALS TRUMPET, VOICE
- Marguerite JohnstonALTO SAXOPHONE
- Mike PetersTRUMPET
- Nick PellTRUMPET
- Sarah SmithTENOR SAXOPHONE, CLARINET TENOR SAXOPHONE, CLARINET, KEYBOARDS
- Tim HillsTROMBONE
- Tim QuyMARIMBA, PERCUSSION
- Tim SmithGUITAR, VOICE
- Wendy CollinsVOCALS
- William D. DrakeKEYBOARDS
- Mark CawthraDRUMS
Rare pressing on Gatefold · 8 pressings tracked on Gatefold
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