“Hard Luck Stories 1972-1982”: that’s how a new box set from Richard and Linda Thompson – scheduled for September 11th release – is titled. The English duo’s output has always been an acquired taste but for those who ventured into it after Richard left FAIRPORT CONVENTION and attempted to start a solo career with “Henry The Human Fly” were in for a treat, and the popularity of the husband-and-wife’s oeuvre never wavered after their partnership, civil and creative, had dissolved. As the duo’s 2011 box set “Live At The BBC” proved, their material would excite the faithful, Sufi or otherwise, and the 2004 remasters of their Island albums didn’t quench the fans’ thirst. Which is why the new set, comprising all the small band’s studio records, plus previously unheard pieces, including a whole disc of concert tapes, and another one of early cuts, looks very much apppetizing.
That’s what’s inside it:
Hard Luck Stories 1972-1982
CD1 – Sometime It Happens – The Early Years:
1. Sweet Little Rock And Roller (alt. version) – THE BUNCH
2. The Locomotion – THE BUNCH
3. My Girl In The Month Of May – THE BUNCH
4. When Will I Be Loved (duet with Sandy Denny)
5. Amazon Queen
from Richard’s “Henry The Human Fly”:
6. Shaky Nancy
7. The Angels Took My Racehorse Away
from Brian Patten’s “Vanishing Trick”:
8. Embroidered Butterflies
9. After Frost
from Linda’s “Dreams Fly Away”:
10. Sometimes It Happens (demo)
from Linda’s “Give Me A Sad Song”:
11. Restless Boy (demo)
12. The World Is A Beautiful Place
London University College, 25/10/1972:
13. Shady Lies
14. Napoleon’s Dream
CD2 – I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight:
1. When I Get To The Border
2. The Calvary Cross
3. Withered And Died
4. I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight
5. Down Where The Drunkards Roll
6. We Sing Hallelujah
7. Has He Got A Friend For Me?
8. The Little Beggar Girl
9. The End Of The Rainbow
10. The Great Valerio
bonus tracks:
11. Mother And Son (previously unreleased)
12. Down Where The Drunkards Roll (Take 1 – previously unreleased)
13. The End Of The Rainbow (Linda’s vocal – previously unreleased)
14. A Heart Needs A Home (demo – previously unreleased)
15. The Great Valerio (live at the Rainbow, 16/03/1975
Hard Luck Stories 1972-1982
CD3 – Hokey Pokey:
1. Hokey Pokey Song (The Ice Cream Song)
2. I’ll Regret It All In The Morning
3. Smiffy’s Glass Eye
4. Egypt Room
5. Never Again
6. Georgie On A Spree
7. Old Man Inside A Young Man
8. The Sun Never Shines On The Poor
9. A Heart Needs A Home
10. Mole In A Hole
bonus tracks:
11. Hokey Pokey (Live on “Marc Time”, 1975 – previously unreleased)
12. A Heart Needs A Home – (alt. 1976 version)
CD4 – Pour Down Like Silver:
1. Streets Of Paradise
2. For Shame Of Doing Wrong
3. The Poor Boy Is Taken Away
4. Night Comes In
5. Jet Plane In A Rocking Chair
6. Beat The Retreat
7. Hard Luck Stories
8. Dimming Of The Day / Dargai
bonus tracks:
9. Wanted Man (previously unreleased)
10. Last Chance (previously unreleased)
11. Dimming Of The Day (demo – previously unreleased)
Live at Oxford Polytechnic, 27/11/1975:
12. Things You Gave Me
13. It’ll Be Me
14. Calvary Cross
CD5 – The Madness Of Love – Live
Live at Queen Elizabeth Hall – 25/04/1975:
1. Dargai
2. Never Again
3. Dark End Of The Street
4. Beat The Retreat
5. The Sun Never Shines On The Poor
Theatre Royal, London – 01/05/1977:
6. If I Were A Woman and You Were A Man –
7. The Madness of Love
8. Night Comes In (Linda’s vocal)
9. A Bird In Gods Garden
10. The King Of Love
11. Layla
CD6 – First Light:
1. Restless Highway
2. Sweet Surrender
3. Don’t Let A Thief Steal Into Your Heart
4. The Choice Wife
5. Died For Love
6. Strange Affair
7. Layla
8. Pavane
9. House of Cards
10. First Light
bonus tracks – demos:
11. Strange Affair (previously unreleased)
12. Drunk (previously unreleased)
13. The Dust Of Your Road (previously unreleased)
14. Layla (previously unreleased)
15. Died For Love (previously unreleased)
16. First Light
CD7 – Sunnyvista:
1. Civilization
2. Borrowed Time
3. Saturday Rolling Around
4. You’re Going To Need Somebody
5. Why Do You Turn Your Back?
6. Sunnyvista
7. Lonely Hearts
8. Sisters
9. Justice In The Streets
10. Traces Of My Love
bonus tracks:
11. Georgie On A Spree (7″ single version)
demos – previously unreleased:
12. Lucky In Life
13. Speechless Child
14. Traces Of My Love
Gerry Rafferty versions:
15. For Shame Of Doing Wrong
16. The Wrong Heartbeat
17. Back Street Slide (Gerry Rafferty session, 1996 remix)
CD8 – Shoot Out The Lights:
1. Don’t Renege On Our Love
2. Walking On A Wire
3. A Man In Need
4. Just The Motion
5. Shoot Out The Lights
6. Back Street Slide
7. Did She Jump Or Was She Pushed?
O8. Wall of Death
bonus tracks:
9. Living In Luxury (7″ single version)
10. The Wrong Heartbeat (“SOTL” version – previously unreleased)
Gerry Rafferty session, 1996 remixes:
11. I’m A Dreamer
12. Walking On A Wire
Live, 2nd Story, Bloomington, Indiana – 29/5/1982:
13. Pavanne
14. High School Confidential
