The fact that they wrote the first rock-opera, released as “The Story Of Simon Simopath” back in 1967, and were splashed with paint on television by Salvador Dali, should have won Patrick Campbell-Lyons and Alex Spyropoulos, collectively known as NIRVANA, a lot of accolades, yet the popularity of certain American band whom they successfully sued brough this British duo a different sort of attention. Lately, though, the veterans of psychedelia have been receiving their due, not only via the reissues of the little ensemble’s classic albums but also though a recent various-artists tribute. And now the time came for the group’s entire output, and more, to get corralled into a single package.
To be out on September 12th, the twelve-CD box set titled “The Show Must Go On” will be as exhaustive as any Madfish offerings and will comprise newly remastered versions of both old and latter-day records, including such song-cycles as 1969’s “Dedicated To Markos III” – or "Black Flower" – and "Orange & Blue" from 1996, as well as three discs of singles, outtakes, demos and other rarities. Of course, there’s a hardback book of 88-page thickness to give it all proper context and complement mini-LP sleeves with original artwork and nicely fit into the box. Intriguing, indeed.
The Show Must Go On:
CD 1 – The Story Of Simon Simopath (stereo):
1. Wings Of Love
2. Lonely Boy
3. We Can Help You
4. Satellite Jockey
5. In The Courtyard Of The Stars
6. You Are Just The One
7. Pentecost Hotel
8. I Never Had A Love Like This Before
9. Take This Hand
10. 1999
CD 2 – The Story Of Simon Simopath (mono):
1-10 – as on CD 1
CD 3 – All Of Us:
1. Rainbow Chaser
2. Tiny Goddess
3. The Touchables (All Of Us)
4. Melanie Blue
5. Trapeze
6. The Show Must Go On
7. Girl In The Park
8. Miami Masquerade
9. Frankie The Great
10. You Can Try It
11. Everybody Loves The Clown
12. St. John’s Wood Affair
CD 4 – Dedicated To Markos III:
1. The World Is Cold Without You
2. Excerpt From “The Blind & The Beautiful”
3. I Talk To My Room
4. Christopher Lucifer
5. Aline Cherie
6. Tres, Tres Bien
7. It Happened Two Sundays Ago
8. Black Flower
9. Love Suite
10. Illinois
CD 5 – Local Anaesthetic:
1. Modus Operandi (Method Of Work)
2. Home (Salutation-Construction-Destruction-Re-Construction Fanfare)
CD 6 – Songs Of Love And Praise:
1. Rainbow Chaser
2. Please Believe Me
3. Lord Up Above
4. She’s Lost It
5. Nova Sketch
6. Pentecost Hotel
7. I Need Your Love Tonight
8. Will There Be Me
9. Stadium
CD 7 – Orange And Blue:
1. Orange And Blue
2. Lithium
3. Stone In The Water
4. As Long As I Can See You
5. Lost In Space
6. Busy Man
7. What Are We Gonna Do Now?
8. Do You Dream?
9. My Little Red Book
10. Allison Smith
11. The Face At The Window
12. Our Love Is The Sea
CD 8 – Patrick Campbell-Lyons – Me And My Friend:
1. Out Of Nowhere
2. Friends
3. Mother England
4. Everybody Should Fly A Kite
5. Tomorrow I’ll Make You Smile
6. Me And My Friend
7. Jesus Christ Junior
8. I Think I Want Him Too
9. 1974
10. Watch Out Cassius Clay
CD 9 – Secrets:
1. Secrets (Intro)
2. I Don’t Care
3. Someone Stole My Mona Lisa
4. Bingo Boy
5. Living In A Blind Spot
6. It’s Good To Have A Heart
7. In The Shadow Of That Old Love Affair
8. I Want To Touch / The Big Fight
9. Two Of A Kind
10. Why Don’t You Like Me
11. Secrets (Reprise)
12. What You Do You Are
13. Freedom Chaser
CD 10 – Bonus Material:
1. I Believe In Magic (B-side)
2. Life Ain’t Easy (take 3)
3. Feelin’ Shattered (B-side)
4. Requiem To John Coltrane (B-side)
5. Flashbulb (B-side)
6. Oh! What A Performance (single version)
7. Darling Darlene (B-side)
8. C Side Of Ocho Rios (B-side)
9. Lonely Boy (instrumental – take 8)
10. I Never Had A Love Like This Before (instrumental)
11. Tiny Goddess (Olympic Studios, June 21st, 1967)
12. Goodbye Baby Bunting (complete version)
13. Omnibus (Olympic Studios original version with different lyrics)
14. Oscar (Oh! What A Performance) (long version #1 with SPOOKY TOOTH)
15. Oscar (Oh! What A Performance) (long version #2 with SPOOKY TOOTH)
CD 11 – Bonus Material:
1. Goodbye Baby Bunting (demo)
2. City Of The South (instrumental)
3. Trapeze (demo)
4. Darling Darlene (long version – take 3)
5. Rainbow Chaser (alt. version without phasing effect)
6. The Touchables (All Of Us) (instrumental – take 23)
7. The Show Must Go On (vocal & bouzouki version)
8. Frankie The Great (alt. version – take 6)
9. You Can Try It (alt. version – take 7)
10. Everybody Loves The Clown (alt. take 6 with singers and no lead vocal)
11. The Touchables (All Of Us) (feat. vocals by the Actresses from “The Touchables”)
13. Black Flower (alt. take, Trident Studios, March 31st, 1968)
14. Love Suite (instrumental – take 1, Trident Studios, May 19th, 1968)
15. Melanie Blue (2017 recording)
CD 12 – Bonus Material:
1. Taxi
2. June
3. We Can Make It Through
4. Illinois (take 2)
5. Love Suite (take 2 – instrumental)
6. The Saddest Day Of My Life
7. I Wanna Go Home
8. Out On The Road
9. Lazy Day Drift
10. Ad Lib
11. Please Believe Me
12. Lord Up Above
13. She’s Lost It
14. Nova Sketch
15. I Need Your Love Tonight
16. Will There Be Me
17. Stadium
18. Everybody Should Fly A Kite (alt. version)
