ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN are re-releasing their first Best Of compilation, SONGS TO LEARN & SING, on 18 February for the first time since its original release in 1985. The album is a comprehensive collection of songs from their first four albums, taking in their second single Rescue, The Cutter, The Killing Moon and Bring on The Dancing Horses, and arrives as ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN go back on tour throughout 2022 to celebrate 40 years of magical songs.
The album will be available on black vinyl from all music retailers, and as a special edition package on splatter vinyl with an exclusive 7” of the band’s first single Pictures on My Wall / Read It in Books, available exclusively on Dig! Pre-order link: https://lnk.to/EchoandtheBunnymen_SongsToLearnAndSing
ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN were formed in Liverpool in 1978 with Ian McCulloch on vocals and rhythm guitar, Will Sergeant on lead guitar and Les Pattinson on bass. They were soon joined by Pete De Freitas on drums and the rest, as they say, is history.
When SONGS TO LEARN & SING was originally released, the band were already a force to be reckoned with, pioneering the new wave scene with four highly acclaimed studio albums. It began with their classic debut Crocodiles in 1980, released amidst the growing wave of post-punk. Crocodiles cemented the band’s reputation as one of the best around with the NME describing it as “probably the best album this year by a British band”. The album went on to finish in many critics greatest ever debut album lists.
The band followed the album with the release of the Shine So Hard EP in 1981, recorded live at the Pavilion Gardens in Buxton, before releasing their second studio album Heaven Up Here the same year. It became the band’s first UK Top 10 album, winning the 1981 NME Best Album award in the process. Considered to be a darker album, Heaven Up Here was produced by Hugh Jones, and was well received by critics and fans alike, featuring tracks such as A Promise, Over the Wall and Show of Strength.
The band’s cult status was transformed into mainstream success in 1983 with the release of their third album Porcupine, produced by Ian Broudie. providing their best chart performances, with The Cutter reaching #8 in the singles charts and Porcupine finishing #2 in the album charts and being certified Gold.
1984 brought the fourth studio album Ocean Rain, regarded by many as the band’s classic opus. Recorded in Liverpool and Paris, the band used a 35-piece orchestra with award winning composer Adam Peters scoring the strings. The iconic, atmospheric cover artwork was taken in the stunning Carnglaze Caverns in Cornwall by photographer Brian Griffin, who also shot their three previous album covers. Ocean Rain continued the band’s use of strings, creating a dark, ethereal aura. Three classic singles were released from the album – Silver, Seven Seas and the massive anthem The Killing Moon, which reached #9 in the UK singles chart and continues to transcend generations to this day.
These first four albums were reissued on both black and coloured vinyl in 2021 and are available here: https://lnk.to/EchoandtheBunnymen_Vinyl
SONGS TO LEARN & SING
- Rescue
- The Puppet
- Do It Clean
- A Promise
- Back Of Love
- The Cutter
- Never Stop
- The Killing Moon
- Silver
- Seven Seas
- Bring On the Dancing Horses
7” [SPECIAL EDITION ONLY]
- Pictures on My Wall
- Read It in Books
ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN will tour the UK and Ireland in the Spring, celebrating 40 years of magical songs. Tickets are available here: https://www.gigsandtours.com/tour/echo-and-the-bunnymen
FEBRUARY
Tue 01 SHEFFIELD City Hall
Wed 02 LEEDS O2 Academy
Fri 04 BOURNEMOUTH O2 Academy
Sat 05 CARDIFF St David’s Hall
Mon 07 LONDON Roundhouse
Wed 09 DUBLIN Olympia Theatre
Fri 11 NORWCH UEA
Sat 12 GATESHEAD Sage
Mon 14 LIVERPOOL Philharmonic Hall
Wed 16 MANCHESTER Albert Hall
Thu 17 NOTTINGHAM Rock City
Sat 19 CAMBRIDGE Corn Exchange
Sun 20 BRISTOL O2 Academy
Tue 22 LONDON O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire
Wed 23 NORTHAMPTON Derngate
Fri 25 MANCHESTER Albert Hall
Sat 26 BIRMINGHAM O2 Academy
Mon 28 GLASGOW Barrowland
MARCH
Tue 01 GLASGOW Barrowland
APRIL
Wed 06 BEXHILL De La Warr Pavilion
