The Wild Swans Incandescent Raritan

1. Burscough Fc Forum
2. The Wild Swans Incandescent Raritan Park

This particular program, which aired May 15th of 2010, featured the long awaited return of The Wild Swans. Here, Janice introduced the new lineup which consists of Paul Simpson, Steve Beswick, Rob Hack and Richard Turvey. They played acoustically live on the BBC Radio. It's almost ten years since Incandescent.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Wild Swans were a Post-punk band from Liverpool, England, which formed in 1980 shortly after Paul Simpson (ex-keyboards)left The Teardrop Explodes and teamedup (on vocals) with Jeremy Kelly (guitar), Ged Quinn (keyboards), and Justin Stavely(drums). Stavely was later replaced by Alan Wills and although bassplayers came and went, Joseph Fearon played on both of the studioalbums, recorded by a reincarnated Mark II version of the band.

Enjoying a degree of success and/or cult status in the USA, Germany, UK, Japan, and especially the Philippines, The WildSwans also spawned two interesting splinter projects; Care and The LotusEaters. As the parent outfit, The Wild Swans remained thecornerstone and will, arguably, be remembered as the most reveredand influential of the three projects.

Mark I

The band formed in 1980 and created a unique and distinctivesound based around by Kelly's jangling guitars, Quinn's chimingpiano and bed-rock synthesis, and crowned by Simpson'spost-Romantic lyrics and brooding delivery. An opportunity arosewhen Pete deFreitas of Echo & the Bunnymen (an oldfriend and flatmate of Simpson's) agreed to fund their first single'The Revolutionary Spirit' (1982, Zoo Records). De Freitas, who ended upfinancier, drummer and producer for the single, was credited underhis middle names, Louis Vincent. Despite turning out to be Zoo'slast ever, the single received a measure of critical acclaim and intime, developed cult status, capturing the youthful optimism thatexisted on the Liverpool indie scene in those early days ofpost-punk. Subsequent to the release of The Revolutionary Spirit,weekly rehearsals were given a degree of urgency when the band wasoffered a BBC Radio 1 John Peel session. Songs on this session,written by the composers: Simpson, Quinn and Kelly, are definitiveof The Wild Swans' unique sound and include No Bleeding,Enchanted and Thirst.

The Wild Swans were sporadically active in the early 1980s;touring with Echo and The Bunnymen in 1981 following a residencywith The Teardrop Explodes. A Dave Jensen session came in spring1982, with the band penning - The Iron Bed, Flowers Of England andNow You're Perfect. The first split occurred very soon after thisauspicious BBC Radio 1 session was broadcast and resulted in Kellyand Quinn starting up The LotusEaters with co-founder Peter Coyle. Simpson followed suit withthe Care project, teaming up with Ian Broudie. Strangely, Arista Records,who had refused to sign The Wild Swans, then snapped up both of theoffshoots. Simpson later described this as 'paying twice the pricefor half of the magic.'

In 1986, the session recorded for the Radio 1John Peel Show, was finally released on StrangeFruit Records, containing the tracks 'No Bleeding,'Enchanted,' and 'Thirst.' For fans, the EP represented the closestthing to 'the album that never was' and hope of a re-union wasrekindled.

Mark II

Then in 1988, a second incarnation of the band came togethercomprising Paul Simpson, Jem Kelly and, briefly, Ged Quinn. Theband was joined on bass by Joe Fearon and a long-awaited, debutalbum finally emerged. Titled Bringing Home The Ashes(1988, Sire/Reprise Records), it was produced byPaul Hardiman and yielded two singles, 'Young Manhood' and 'BibleDreams'. Simpson is nowadays disparaging of the sound developed onthe album and feels that some of the aura and magic surrounding the(Mark I) Wild Swans had been lost. 'Major label thinking is like avirus, you forget why you started the band and fall into the 'hit'record mind-set'. He went on to offer even more stark words ofwisdom for those thinking of setting up a band: 'Major labels suckthe poetry from your bones and fill the gaps with a cement madefrom cocaine and crushed teenagers'. Jem Kelly, qualifies thisnegativity, 'The sound on the album is defined largely by the '80sgated snare drum, which dates it, but the songs remain strong 20years later and Paul's lyrics have retained their relevance'. Thealbum was issued on CD in the States initially, followed by UK andGerman releases. In 1996, the album was re-released in thePhilippines, and in 1999 in Japan, although at the moment itremains frustratingly deleted in the UK. In 1991 a rare bootlegyellow vinyl 12' disc was issued in the Philippines, featuring anuncredited dance remix of Bringing Home the Ashes. ThePhilippines also played host to the 2006 compilation, The WildSwans - The Platinum Collection, which collected all tentracks from Bringing Home the Ashes as well as eight ofthe ten tracks from its follow up.

A second album on Sire was released in 1989, subsequent to thedeparture of Jem Kelly. Space Flower was produced by IanBroudie and both Chris Sharrock (drums) and Ian McNabb (additional guitars, vocals) ofthe Liverpool three piece, the Icicle Works appeared as guestmusicians. Broudie pitched in too, on guitars and organ. Simpsonrefers to this latter version of the band as simply, 'himself and afew friends'. The material written for the album had a hint ofthings to come from Simpson's next project,'Skyray', but mostcuriously, a food-flavoured theme, depicted by the tracks 'MeltingBlue Delicious', 'Tangerine Temple', 'Chocolate Bubble-Gum' and'Vanilla Melange'. The album was released in the US, Germany andJapan, but not in the UK. A planned single release of 'Melting BlueDelicious' failed to materialise, although two remixes of the trackwere done; the radical 'St. Petersburg Mix' (remixed by PaulSimpson's old Zoo Records bosses Dave Balfe and Bill Drummond) anda slightly remixed single version, apparently done by Drummond onhis own. The 'St. Petersburg Mix' appeared on a 1990 Sire Recordspromo CD called Just Say Da (Just Say Yes Volume 4) andthe single mix is the first track on 2000's Unearthed -Liverpool Cult Classics Volume 1, released on Viper Records.Drummond subsequently provided vocals for the eponymous track onthe Skyray album Mind Lagoons in 1999 (where he iscredited under the pseudonym 'Tensing Browne').

The Wild Swans split up again shortly after SpaceFlower and Simpson went on to form his own project 'Skyray',recording several singles, EPs and albums.

Retrospectively

In 2003, a retrospective collection of rare Wild Swansrecordings was compiled and released by Renascent Records.Incandescent, is a double CD containing material from1981-1987, but mostly from the band's earliest period. It includesthe Peel, Jensenand Long Sessions,as well as a number of live songs, demos and alternative versions.An accompanying booklet features biographical information on theband and a detailed track by track commentary from Simpson. Thefamiliar 'Icarus Swan' artwork, which first appeared on the coverof 'The Revolutionary Spirit', also returns for a second outing. Ina 2004 interview, Simpson was asked for his verdict on The WildSwans and replied:

For me The Wild Swans was like a beautiful, holy, sexy,disturbing, dreamy nightmare about breaking into heaven to have sexwith the angels. Unfortunately I was woken from my reverie bysomeone yelling into my ear 'Paul, it's 3 a.m. it's pissing withrain, it's your turn to clean the toilet and, oh yeah, your dog isdead'.

– Paul Simpson,vocalist

In 2007, after many years of deletion, Sire Records finallyelected to re-release both Bringing Home the Ashes andSpace Flower, this time giving them a full UK release.Both albums were re-packaged as a 2-CD set calledMagnitude, whose cover and artwork this time mirrored1988's Wild Swans - Music and Talk From Liverpool album,complete with familiar Swan design. The album itself was releasedas part of Sire's April 2007 relaunch of the Korova label,alongside other re-releases from acts like IanMcCulloch and Electrafixion, all 2-CD sets with extratracks.

Magnitude CD 1 features the whole of Bringing Homethe Ashes and the four b-sides from the singles 'YoungManhood' and 'Bible Dreams', all mastered from the originaltapes.

CD 2 features the first UK appearance of the SpaceFlower album, with the addition of an extra track, recordedback in 1989 but left off the album at the time, called 'TastesLike Tuesday'. Another studio recording is the Bill Drummondunreleased single remix of 'Melting Blue Delicious', a very Madchester-stylereworking, incorporating some of Drummond's dancefloor-friendlyabilities as one half of TheKLF.

The second disc concludes with five demo recordings, made bySimpson back in late 1988, including early versions of 'MeltingBlue Delicious' (called 'Telescope') and another mix of 'TastesLike Tuesday'.

The demos had initially piqued Sire's interest, but by the timethe album was actually recorded, their ardour had distinctlycooled. None have been released before, but their inclusion onMagnitude provides a crisp melodic immediacy that bridgesthe gap between both albums.

Magnitude enjoyed a relatively short physical shelflife as a 2-CD set, however, as in June 2007 Warner Brothers (UK) was disbanded by theparent company, and the recent 2-CD reissues of Liverpool andrelated acts was ceased. After this date, no more physical CDs ofMagnitude were pressed, although it is still available asdownload. In early 2008, a US reissuecompany called 'Wounded Bird' re-released both discs of theMagnitude Set, this time as the two original albums withextra tracks. These CDs are still available to buy as of January2009 although prices for these are rising.

Mark III

Paul Simpson declared his intention to resurrect The Wild Swanson his Myspace site late in 2007:

'This unhappy band has been unfinished business for me for over20 years, haunting my days and nights, obsessing my thoughts at theexpense of my health and sanity. I never got over the suddenimplosion of the first incarnation and was devastated by the crashand burn of the second. In returning from the ambient wilderness Iam not trying to recreate the unique sound of any of the formermembers, how could I? It is the original spirit of the group I amafter, the original blueprint for an English electric brotherhood.I formed and named the band shortly after leaving The TeardropExplodes back in 1980, individually recruiting the members andestablishing both the look and the compass direction. I lived andbreathed The Wild Swans Mk. I and was traumatised to see it seizedand taken from me, so this shouldn't be viewed as a reformation oreven an exorcism, it is a continuum; different but the same'.

– Paul Simpson,vocalist

The Wild Swans return single

The Wild Swans Mark III released a new recording as a limitededition 10' vinyl single on the Occultation label in May 2009entitled 'English Electric Lightning/The Coldest Winter for aHundred Years'.

The single featured at number four on the Mojo magazine'Playlist' in April 2009 and has been positively reviewed in themedia: ‘The hymn-like melody and Gothic vocals evoke fond memoriesof classic single, Revolutionary Spirit, whilst clever lyricaljuxtapositions hammer home this harsh lament for modern Britain.Another classic. Welcome back.’ – Alan O’Hare, Liverpool.commagazine ‘English Electric Lightning' is magnificent, a soaring andhymnal six minutes of chiming guitars and surging keyboards, whichfinally lives up to all the potential alluded at all those yearsago with Revolutionary Spirit’. A brave and ambitious single. [TheWild Swans] have at last matched up to all their early enormouspossibility' – John Clarkson, pennyblackmusic.com ‘…it's an instantWild Swans classic with killer chorus and a contemporary feel.`English Electric Lightning' is the finest track of 2009 so far!’ –Jim Henderson, getreadytorockradio

‘. I am all for the resolute return of the Wild Swans,lionhearts stirred from their slumbers by a sense of duty anddestiny…[Paul Simpson] swoops like an avenging angel. Theappropriately magnificent and truly grand English ElectricLightning strikes quite a chord’ – Kevin Pearce, Your Heart Out.‘Worth the wait? Hell yes. English Electric Lightning is a worthysuccessor to Revolutionary Spirit and finds Paul Simpson in finefettle, positive and forceful.like a young turk about to take onthe world’ – When Skies are Grey magazine

The current band line up features founder and original memberPaul Simpson, now joined by Ricky Rene Maymi (Brian Jonestown Massacre), Les Pattinson(Echo and the Bunnymen),Mike Mooney (Julian Cope/Spiritualized),Steve Beswick (Slipstream) and Richard Turvey. GedQuinn remains an honourary member of the band.

The Wild Swans 2009 Gigs

On 23 and 24 July 2009 The Wild Swans performed live for thefirst time since their 1989 demise. The sell out gigs wereperformed to a small audience of 200 each night at Liverpool'sStatic gallery. The band line up comprised Paul Simpson, LesPattinson (Echo and theBunnymen), Ricky Maymi, Mike Mooney and Steve Beswick withHenry Priestman (It's Immaterial) sitting in for GedQuinn on keyboards. Will Sergeant (Echo and theBunnymen) joined the band for the encores and was DJ eachnight.

Reviews of the gigs included the comments:

'There was rejoicing in Liverpool..' Mojo

'.there was a sweetness and a freshness to the Wild Swans' livesound that confirmed them as the real deal' Vicky Anderson,Liverpool Echo

'In a world of phonies, fakes and fat cats, the Wild Swans'comeback is a triumph. And has left us with a taste for more' -Alan O'Hare, pennyblackmusic

'[The Wild Swans]reminding the stunned audience just howincandescent a band they were, and indeed on the evidence oftonight’s performance, still are' - Culture Deluxe

The Wild Swans played a third gig at Static Gallery, Liverpoolon 11 December 2009 with latest band member Richard Turvey onkeyboards.

The Wild Swans second single of 2009

The Wild Swans single 'Liquid Mercury/The Wickedest man in theWorld' was be released on Occultation on 30 November 2009.

Paul Simpson said of this single: Both the A and B side of thenew single are paeans to my Liverpool home on the banks of theRiver Mersey and the horrific/beatific years living in afirst-floor Liverpool bed-sit during the great recession of 1981/2.14 Rodney Street is now a sophisticated bistro café bar but 28years ago, Flat 3 was my Bateau-Levoir; £8 pounds a week for asingle bed, cracked Belfast sink, broken Baby Belling cooker and a2-bar electric fire hazard. It was here that both The TeardropExplodes and The Wild Swans were born and named. The ‘J’ mentionedin the choruses of Liquid Mercury refers to original Wild Swansguitarist Jeremy Kelly, the ‘flaming hair’ being the ginger crimphe sported in the MK 1 phase of the band but ‘J’ also encompassesoriginal rhythm section (the now sadly deceased) Jim Weston anddandy drummer Justin Stavely, not forgetting my old friend andfellow astronaut Julian H. Cope... The Wild Swans were and are mylife and the betrayal I felt when the band imploded around me backin 1982 has haunted me ever since. Over the years many closefriends advised me to ‘Let it go’ but I found that try as I might Isimply could not.

The Single was placed at number 5 in the Mojo Vinyl Countdownand was declared single of the year by Pennyblackmusic and EvilSponge

The forthcoming album, The Coldest Winter for a HundredYears, is currently being recorded for release early in 2010.Twenty three tracks are underway.

See also

References

• Interview 2
• Interview 3
• Interview 4 2009
• Interview 5 July2009
• [http://www.pennyblackmusic.co.uk/MagSitePages/Article.aspx?id=5195Gig Review July 2009
• [http://www.noripcord.com/features/wild-swans-interviewInterview 6 September 2009

Externallinks

The Wild Swans are a post-punk band from Liverpool, England, which originally formed in 1980 shortly after Paul Simpson (ex-keyboards) left The Teardrop Explodes. The band's personnel has been subject to regular turnover, with vocalist Simpson being the only constant member.

The original incarnation of The Wild Swans lasted until 1982, issuing one single. A reconstituted version of the band issued two albums from 1988 to 1990 before dissolving again. More recently, Simpson put a new lineup together and the group played numerous live dates from 2009–2011, and issued a new studio album in 2011.

The Wild Swans have not to date had any mainstream chart hits, but they have enjoyed a degree of success and/or cult status in Germany, Japan, the UK, the US, and especially the Philippines. The Wild Swans also spun off two charting splinter projects; Care and The Lotus Eaters. Members of The Wild Swans have also been members of Echo & The Bunnymen, The Icicle Works, The Woodentops and The Lightning Seeds.

• 1History
• 2Discography
  • 2.1Albums

History[edit]

Origins: The Wild Swans, Mark I (1980–1982)[edit]

The Wild Swans formed in 1980 when Paul Simpson, who had left The Teardrop Explodes after the recording of their first single, teamed up (on vocals) with Jeremy Kelly (guitar), Ged Quinn (keyboards), James Weston (bass) and Justin Stavely (drums).^[1]

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An opportunity arose when Pete de Freitas of Echo & the Bunnymen (an old friend and flatmate of Simpson's) agreed to fund their first single 'The Revolutionary Spirit' (1982, Zoo Records).^[1] Stavely had dropped out of the band, so De Freitas ended up financier, drummer and producer for the single;^[2] he was credited under his middle names, Louis Vincent. The single spent 9 weeks on the UK Independent Chart, peaking at no. 13.^[3]

Despite turning out to be Zoo's last ever release, the single received a measure of critical acclaim and in time, developed cult status. Subsequent to the release of 'The Revolutionary Spirit', weekly rehearsals were given a degree of urgency when the band was offered a BBC Radio 1John Peel session. Songs on this session, all written by the team of Simpson, Quinn and Kelly, include 'No Bleeding', 'Enchanted' and 'Thirst'. By this point, the band was rounded out by two new members: Baz Hughes (bass) and Joe McKechnie (drums).

The Wild Swans were sporadically active in the early 1980s; touring with Echo and The Bunnymen in 1981 following a residency with The Teardrop Explodes. A David Jensen session came in spring 1982, with the band penning and performing 'The Iron Bed', 'Flowers Of England' and 'Now You're Perfect'. The group split very soon after this BBC Radio 1 session was broadcast.^[4]

Post-split: Care and The Lotus Eaters (1982–1985)[edit]

Once the band split, Kelly and Quinn started up The Lotus Eaters with co-founder Peter Coyle.^[1] Simpson followed suit with the duo Care, teaming up with Ian Broudie.^[1][5] Strangely, Arista Records, who had refused to sign The Wild Swans, then snapped up both of the offshoots.

Both groups issued several singles. The Lotus Eaters scoring a chart hit, and releasing an album in 1984. Care, meanwhile, reached number 48 in the UK charts with the single 'Flaming Sword'.^[6] Both bands had broken up by 1985, with Care having recorded an unreleased album.

Revival: The Wild Swans, Mark II (1986–1990)[edit]

In 1986, the session recorded for the Radio 1John Peel Show, was finally released on Strange Fruit Records, containing the tracks 'No Bleeding', 'Enchanted', and 'Thirst'. It repeated the single's success, peaking at no. 13 on the independent chart.^[3] Shortly thereafter, Simpson, Kelly and Quinn got together and began playing once again as The Wild Swans.^[4]

By 1988, Quinn had dropped out, Simpson and Kelly were joined on bass by Joe Fearon, and a long-awaited debut album finally emerged.^[7] Titled Bringing Home The Ashes (1988, Sire/Reprise Records), and featuring session players on keyboards and drums, it was produced by Paul Hardiman and yielded two singles, 'Young Manhood' and 'Bible Dreams'.^[8] Simpson is nowadays disparaging of the sound developed on the album and feels that some of the aura and magic surrounding the (Mark I) Wild Swans had been lost. 'Major label thinking is like a virus, you forget why you started the band and fall into the 'hit' record mind-set'.^[9] He went on to offer even more stark words of wisdom for those thinking of setting up a band: 'Major labels suck the poetry from your bones and fill the gaps with a cement made from cocaine and crushed teenagers.'^[10][9]

Bringing Home The Ashes was issued in the United States initially, followed by UK and German releases. A near-simultaneous promo-only release called Music and Talk From Liverpool included Wild Swans tracks interspersed with interviews with Jeremy Kelly.

A second album on Sire, Space Flower, was released in 1990, subsequent to the departure of Kelly.^[11] It was produced by Ian Broudie, and featured a line-up of Paul Simpson (vocals, mellotron, effects), Joe Fearon (bass), Ian Broudie (guitars, keyboards), Chris Sharrock (drums) and Ian McNabb (additional guitars, vocals).^[12][10] Sharrock and McNabb were both of the Liverpool three piece The Icicle Works.^[12] Much of the material written for the album had a food-flavoured theme, depicted by the tracks 'Melting Blue Delicious', 'Tangerine Temple', 'Chocolate Bubble-Gum' and 'Vanilla Melange'. The album was released in the US, Germany and Japan, but not initially in the UK.

The Wild Swans split up again shortly after Space Flower and Simpson went on to form his own project 'Skyray', recording several singles, EPs and albums, and the spoken word project Dream Diaries.^[1]

Reissues and retrospectives (2003–2007)[edit]

In 2003, a retrospective collection of rare Wild Swans recordings was compiled and released by Renascent Records. Incandescent, is a double album containing material from 1981–1987, but mostly from the band's earliest period. It includes the Peel, Jensen and Long Sessions, as well as a number of live songs, demos and alternative versions. An accompanying booklet featured biographical information on the band and a detailed track by track commentary from Simpson. The familiar 'Icarus Swan' artwork, which first appeared on the cover of 'The Revolutionary Spirit', also returned for a second outing.

In 2007, after many years of deletion, Sire Records finally elected to re-release both Bringing Home the Ashes and Space Flower, this time giving them a full UK release. Both albums were re-packaged as a 2-CD set called Magnitude, whose cover and artwork this time mirrored 1988's Wild Swans - Music and Talk From Liverpool album, complete with familiar Swan design. The album itself was released as part of Sire's April 2007 relaunch of the Korova label, alongside other re-releases from acts like Ian McCulloch and Electrafixion, all 2-CD sets with extra tracks.

Magnitude CD 1 features the whole of Bringing Home the Ashes and the four b-sides from the singles 'Young Manhood' and 'Bible Dreams', all mastered from the original tapes.

CD 2 features the first UK appearance of the Space Flower album, with the addition of an extra track, recorded back in 1989 but left off the album at the time, called 'Tastes Like Tuesday'. Another studio recording is the Bill Drummond unreleased single remix of 'Melting Blue Delicious'. The second disc concludes with five demo recordings, made by Simpson back in late 1988, including early versions of 'Melting Blue Delicious' (called 'Telescope') and another mix of 'Tastes Like Tuesday'.

Magnitude enjoyed a relatively short physical shelf life as a 2-CD set, as in June 2007 Warner Brothers (UK) was disbanded by the parent company and the album was deleted.

Second revival: The Wild Swans, Mark III (2009–2011)[edit]

Paul Simpson declared his intention to resurrect The Wild Swans on his Myspace site in late 2007:

'This unhappy band has been unfinished business for me for over 20 years, haunting my days and nights, obsessing my thoughts at the expense of my health and sanity. I never got over the sudden implosion of the first incarnation and was devastated by the crash and burn of the second. In returning from the ambient wilderness I am not trying to recreate the unique sound of any of the former members, how could I? It is the original spirit of the group I am after, the original blueprint for an English electric brotherhood. I formed and named the band shortly after leaving The Teardrop Explodes back in 1980, individually recruiting the members and establishing both the look and the compass direction. I lived and breathed The Wild Swans Mk. I and was traumatised to see it seized and taken from me, so this shouldn't be viewed as a reformation or even an exorcism, it is a continuum; different but the same.'^[13]

A year and a half later, the band had indeed reformed, albeit with a very revised line-up: founder and original member Paul Simpson was now joined by original member Ged Quinn, Ricky Rene Maymi (Brian Jonestown Massacre), Les Pattinson (Echo and the Bunnymen), Mike Mooney (Julian Cope/Spiritualized), and Steve Beswick (The Heart Throbs/Slipstream).^[1]. Quinn very quickly dropped out of performing with the group, but was still regarded as an 'honourary' member who made contributions to the group's promotional artwork.

The 'Mark III' version of The Wild Swans released the group's first single in over 20 years in May 2009, a limited edition 10' vinyl single on the Occultation label entitled 'English Electric Lightning', with Henry Priestman guesting on keyboards. The single featured at number four on the Mojo magazine 'Playlist' in April 2009, and received favourable reviews in a number of publications. The Wild Swans follow-up single 'Liquid Mercury' was released on Occultation on 30 November 2009, and was placed at number 5 in the Mojo Vinyl Countdown.

On 23 and 24 July 2009, The Wild Swans performed live for the first time since their 1990 demise. The sell out gigs were performed to an audience of 200 each night at Liverpool's Static gallery. Henry Priestman guested on keyboards, and guitarist Will Sergeant (Echo and the Bunnymen) joined the band for the encores and was DJ each night. The Wild Swans played a third gig at Static Gallery, Liverpool on 11 December 2009, having officially expanded to a sextet with the addition of newest band member Richard Turvey on keyboards.

On 6 February 2010, The Wild Swans released a five-track live download (The Wild Swans Live at Static Gallery 2009) featuring the tracks 'Archangels', 'The Revolutionary Spirit', 'Tangerine Temple', 'Melting Blue Delicious' and 'Bringing Home the Ashes'. The release was briefly available online to help fund recording costs and was withdrawn from sale in March 2010. The latter three tracks feature guest guitarist Will Sergeant and marked the first recording of Will Sergeant and Les Pattinson playing together since 1997.

Recording of the new album, The Coldest Winter for a Hundred Years, finished on 10 September 2010; it was released early in 2011.^[2][14] In February 2010, Paul Simpson said 'For the first time ever I am happy with the results, the unmixed tracks are sounding so good its scary. It may be 20 odd years late but I think we have finally made the definitive Wild Swans masterpiece.' The 13-track album featured 11 new songs alongside the A-sides of both 2009 singles ('Liquid Mercury' appearing in a noticeably different form from the original single mix.) The B-sides, which included the track after which the album is named, did not appear on the album. Joining the sextet as guest performers on a handful of the album's newer tracks were Will Sergeant and Candie Payne; Ged Quinn painted the album cover.

Burscough Fc Forum

Later that year, the band issued a 3-song EP of outtakes from the Coldest Winter sessions entitled Tracks In Snow.

In June 2011, The Wild Swans embarked on a five-date UK tour. Producer Rich Turvey played keyboards and Stuart Mann joined the band on drums. Later that year, the band performed two successful shows in the Philippines, one concert in Cebu City on 30 September and the other at the SM Mall of Asia, Manila on 1 October.^[15][16]

Though no official announcement has been made as to the band's current status, The Wild Swans have neither played live nor recorded any new material since 2011.

Discography[edit]

Albums[edit]

The Wild Swans Incandescent Raritan Park

Original studio albums[edit]

• Bringing Home the Ashes (1988), Sire/Reprise
• Space Flower (1990), Sire/Reprise
• The Coldest Winter for a Hundred Years (2011), Occultation

EPs[edit]

• The Peel Sessions (1986), Strange Fruit
• Tracks in Snow (2011), Occultation - outtakes from the Coldest Winter sessions

Live albums[edit]

• For One Stormy Night Only (2010), Astral Girl

Compilation albums[edit]

• Incandescent (2003), Renascent - compilation of 1980s radio sessions, demo tracks and rarities
• The Platinum Collection (2006), Warner Music Philippines
• Magnitude (2007), Korova/Sire/Rhino - compiles the first two studio albums, plus B-sides and outtakes

Singles[edit]

Band member timeline[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^ ^abcdefAnderson, Vicky (2009) 'Lost band ready to take flight twenty years on', Liverpool Echo, 16 March 2009. Retrieved 23 July 2017
2. ^ ^abCameron, Keith (2014) 'Of Bunnymen and Wild Swans', keithcameron.co.uk, 11 June 2014. Retrieved 23 July 2017
3. ^ ^abLazell, Barry (1997) Indie Hits 1980-1989, Cherry Red Books, ISBN0-95172-069-4, p. 254
4. ^ ^ab'The Wild Swans Biography', Allmusic. Retrieved 23 July 2017
5. ^Larkin, Colin (2011) The Encyclopedia of Popular Music, 5th edition, Omnibus Press/Bish Bash, ISBN978-1846098567
6. ^'Care - 'Flaming Sword', Official Charts Company. Retrieved 23 July 2017
7. ^Wright, Christian Logan (1988) 'Call of the Wild Swans', Spin, August 1988, p. 16. Retrieved 23 July 2017 via Google Books
8. ^Sutton, Michael 'Bringing Home the Ashes Review', Allmusic. Retrieved 23 July 2017
9. ^ ^abHarrison, D.C. (2004) 'Wild Swans - Interview with Paul Simpson', No Ripcord, 24 August 2004. Retrieved 23 July 2017
10. ^ ^abBergstrom, John (2005) 'The Cut-Out Bin #1: The Wild Swans, Space Flower (1990)', PopMatters, 15 July 2005. Retrieved 23 July 2017
11. ^McDonald, Steven 'Space Flower Review', Allmusic. Retrieved 23 July 2017
12. ^ ^abRobbins, Ira 'Wild Swans', Trouser Press. Retrieved 23 July 2017
13. ^Paul Simpson's MySpace, 2007
14. ^Cooper, Neil (2011) 'The Wild Swans - The Coldest Winter For A Hundred Years', The List, 10 August 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2017
15. ^'The Wild Swans in Manila', The Philippine Star, 19 September 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2017
16. ^'The Wild Swans', Sun Star Cebu, 8 October 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2017