{"title":"The Orchids","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"unholy-soul-and-singles","title":"Unholy Soul and Singles","description":"\u003cp\u003ethe second of three cd album re-issues by acclaimed glasgow band the orchids, who recorded for cult label sarah between 1987 and 1994. formed in 1987, this prolific yet overlooked five-piece recorded a string of singles for sarah as well as three excellent albums. often compared to similarly cerebral pop operators such as felt, aztec camera and primal scream, the band split in 1995 at the height of their powers. almost all of their records were produced by ian carmichael of one dove. newly remastered for cd, 'unholy soul and singles' (from 1991) runs for 70 minutes and includes nine bonus tracks as well as liner notes by alistair fitchett. stand-out tracks on 'unholy soul' include 'dirty clothing', 'bringing you the love', 'the sadness of sex pt 1' and the should-have-been single 'peaches'. among the pick of the bonus cuts are the singles 'something for the longing' and 'bemused, confused and bedraggled'. on ltm\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"No Label","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50436968776011,"sku":"258629","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/c50b2183-7187-407c-93a5-cbfc285fd0b2_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726923993"},{"product_id":"dreaming-kind","title":"Dreaming Kind","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe long-awaited new album from the best pop band in Scotland. The Orchids were making sophisticated pop music right back in the early 1990s when Sarah Records first started. Their songs were as emotionally pure as anything else on that label, but they were always a step ahead of their peers in terms of song arrangements and musical ambition. With a casual, unpretentious air they made writing perfect pop songs seem easy, almost accidental, and several great releases followed. The Orchids gained a passionate following: people knew a good thing when they heard it and they hugged it close. But maybe now it’s time for the rest of the world to be let in on the secret.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe songs themselves are a beautiful mix of strength and gentleness. They wrap you in a powerful embrace, making you feel comfortable and secure – and then whisper their insecurities and anxieties into your ear. They say: ‘it’s OK to admit weakness. It’s OK to be fragile. That’s where true strength comes from’. From Glasgow, and proudly Scottish, the band shares a musical lineage with other great groups from that city, from Aztec Camera to Orange Juice, Lloyd Cole to Teenage Fanclub - bands that specialise in song-writing that can tell big stories through small personal fragments, that can make the ordinary extraordinary. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIan Carmichael has helped the band create a perfectly produced masterpiece. He subtly accentuates the drama of the songs, with a sophisticated choreography and gloss that never overwhelms the tenderness of the music. In ‘This Boy Is A Mess’ (the first single from the album), the lyric confesses frailty while the arrangement gets stronger and stronger. It is bittersweet and exhilarating at the same time. ‘I Want You, I Need You’ has harmonies as big as a house – but the yearning message remains intimate and close. ‘I Don’t Mean To Stare’ is an elegant version of the song that first appeared on Skep Wax compilation Under The Bridge.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAlbum opener ‘Didn’t We Love You’ daringly opens up empty spaces where the reverb of the drums is the only thing you can hear... and then floods your ears with a harmonised chorus, sweet guitar melodies and sweeping effects. Even then, the lyrical lament, expressing the desire to live in a better place - a place unspoilt by the greedy phonies who’ve taken over – comes across as clearly as if Hackett were leaning over for a friendly chat in the snug bar of The Orchids’ favourite Glasgow pub.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Skep Wax Records","offers":[{"title":"Black | LP","offer_id":50470794887499,"sku":"1157641","price":22.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50470795182411,"sku":"1157639","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/426aa6fe-d4a3-4c02-aa3f-28df302b20b6_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727382963"},{"product_id":"john-peel-session-080590","title":"John Peel Session 08.05.90","description":"\u003cp\u003eNever before released on vinyl, this is the Sarah Records’ legends at their finest on their debut session for John Peel in 1990. The four songs here include a cracking version of live favourite ‘Caveman’ (better than the \u003ci\u003eLyceum\u003c\/i\u003e mini-LP version, how the band wanted it!) and two others destined to end up on their \u003ci\u003eUnholy Soul\u003c\/i\u003e album – plus one song never properly released at all. Precious package also features a set of six postcards with unseen pics from studio and tour and download codes.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Precious Recordings of London","offers":[{"title":"10\"","offer_id":50486747365707,"sku":"2005789","price":15.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/0-2_eaa93180_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727614825"},{"product_id":"john-peel-session-090494","title":"John Peel Session 09.04.94","description":"\u003cp\u003eNow you’re gonna want this – more unreleased Orchids material! This is the enigmatic Scottish five-piece’s second session for John Peel, four years after the first, by which time they’d started phoning in football reports to the legendary DJ. Two of these songs were never released at the time, though one came out as a demo about 25 years later (the shoulda-been-single ‘Patience Is Mine’) – and the other two were very different on \u003ci\u003eStriving For The Lazy Perfection\u003c\/i\u003e. Package also features a set of six postcards with unseen pics from their famous session at Toad Hall Studios in Glasgow.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Precious Recordings of London","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50521726353739,"sku":"2005790","price":15.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/0-1_8e6d72b1_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727994351"},{"product_id":"lyceum","title":"Lyceum","description":"\u003cp\u003eHailing from the suburbs of Glasgow, this five-piece are best known for their three starry-eyed albums on the renowned Sarah Records - this being an expanded version of their first (an eight-track 10” at the time).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBy the tail end of the 1980s, the independent music scene in the UK was turning its back on the polish and over-indulgence of the mid-80s with its gated drums and wallpaper production. Influences were more likely to be Television and the Television Personalities than MTV. The Orchids and The Sea Urchins were the first two bands to release 7” singles on the Sarah label.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Scottish five-piece released \u003cem\u003e‘I’ve Got a Habit’\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003e‘Underneath the Window, Underneath the Sink’\u003c\/em\u003e as EPs before really finding their feet with \u003cem\u003e‘Lyceum’\u003c\/em\u003e. The album opens with \u003cem\u003e‘It’s Only Obvious’\u003c\/em\u003e and its gloriously youthful chorus of “who needs tomorrow when all I need, all I needed was you”. James Hackett somehow appears both forthright and rejected, something that one of their musical heroes The Go-Betweens also had down to a fine art.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis record by \u003cstrong\u003eThe Orchids\u003c\/strong\u003e was a spirited source of comfort for an 18-year-old at the time and still shudders with the best type of melancholy, one that’s spirited not indulgent. If you’re not familiar with the band’s charm, this is where you should begin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e2LP - Remastered from the original Toad Hall Studios tapes. Includes 10 bonus tracks from \u003cstrong\u003eThe Orchids'\u003c\/strong\u003e first 3 singles on Sarah Records. Standard weight double black vinyl with printed inner sleeves.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Circuitry","offers":[{"title":"2LP - Black","offer_id":52772580065611,"sku":"R4748-3256","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":52772580098379,"sku":"R4748-7570","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/PLEXUS001_b9a39891-da85-4f86-b174-c9b8afccc754.jpg?v=1752298820"}],"url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/collections\/the-orchids.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}