The Mighty Lemon Drops - Uptight: The Early Recordings 1985-1986 (2014)

Hailing from the Midlands, THE MIGHTY LEMON DROPS emerged in the mid-1980s as one of the most exciting Indie Rock bands of their time. After their Indie hit debut single, ‘Like An Angel’ on Dan Treacy’s Dreamworld label, they signed to Chrysalis’ imprint Blue Guitar and then Sire, releasing six studio albums before disbanding in 1992. Uptight offers a unique insight into the band’s roots. Alongside that classic debut EP are BBC radio tracks and a session for the NME’s C86 cassette (including their C86 track ‘Happy Head’). It ends with their mid-1985 cassette sold at gigs, Some Of My Best Friends Are Songs, with Martin Gilks (tragically killed in a motorbike accident in 2006) on drums, which ends with a cover of The Velvet Underground classic, ‘There She Goes Again’.

TRACKLIST
1. Like an Angel 3:59
2. Somethings Happen 3:39
3. Sympathise with Us 4:33
4. Now She's Gone 3:15
5. All the Way 2:48
6. The Other Side of You 2:52
7. Waiting for the Rain 2:21
8. When I Dream 2:10
9. Happy Head 2:45
10. Pass You By 2:46
11. Turn Me Around 3:01
12. Take Me Up 2:46
13. My Biggest Thrill 2:44
14. Behind Your Back 2:22
15. Hypnotized 3:09
16. Uptight 2:50
17. Pass You By (C86 Version) 3:06
18. Take My Heart 3:28
19. Like an Angel (C86 Version) 4:08
20. My Feelings 3:50 £0.99 Buy MP3
21. Sympathize with Us (Original Cassette Version) 4:26
22. Now She's Gone 3:19
23. On My Mind (Live) 3:32
24. There She Goes Again 2:37

• Uptight has been compiled and annotated by band members Dave Newton and Tony Linehan.

Tracks 1 - 4 issued on 7"/12" editions of "Like An Angel" (July 1985).
Track 5 recorded for Andy Kershaw Show, BBC Radio 1 (December 1985).
Tracks 6 - 8 recorded for Janice Long Show, BBC Radio 1 (February 1986).
Tracks 9 - 11 recorded for C86 (March 1986).
Tracks 12 - 16 demos recorded in Birmingham (June/July 1986).
Tracks 17 - 24 issued as cassette "Some Of My Best Friends Are Songs" (May/June 1985).