The The’s classic 1983 album Soul Mining is receiving deluxe edition treatment. The album will be released as part of a box set featuring a reproduction of the original vinyl release, an additional 12” of remixes and alternate versions and re-mastered audio dubbed from the original vinyl pressing which will be included as a download code. It’ll also feature liner notes written by The The’s Matt Johnson printed as a pastiche of a newspaper.
The album’s troublesome studio sessions started in New York in 1982, with the LP originally to be released for London Records. This first session resulted in ‘Uncertain Smile’ while a follow-up with the New York Dolls’ David Johansen birthed the track ‘Perfect’. However, these sessions were scrapped as well as the deal with London Records as the band moved to CBS Records and to John Foxx’s studio in Shoreditch. The tracklisting of the album has been returned to what Johnson originally intended with ‘Perfect’, which was included at the request of the US label, removed from the main album while tracks included on the cassette album have been removed as they were originally part of sessions for the unreleased Pornography Of Despair album.
Johnson intended the album to move away from a traditional band lineup and aimed to create a cinematic record with new textures. For these new experiments Johnson brought together an unusual selection of collaborators: JG Thirlwell (Foetus), Zeke Manyika (Orange Juice), Jools Holland and electronic artist Thomas Leer.
The package will be released on June 30th on Sony and is available to pre-order now.
