Janice Long session 15.07.86 / John Peel Session 04.01.88 / Radio Clyde Session March 1989

Triple 10" set with a bonus 10" featuring an extra 10" of a Radio Clyde session from March 1989.

Even before the release of the debut single from off-kilter Scottish indie-pop legends Close Lobsters, the late, lamented Janice Long got them in for their first outing at the BBC’s Maida Vale Studios. They recorded a session featuring four staples from their blistering live set at the time – which was peak-hour C86.

Two of the songs included here in early versions ended up re-recorded as A-sides of singles, paving the way to a close shave with stardom via their incredible debut album ‘Foxheads Stalk This Land’, released a year later.

A year and a half after their first BBC session, Close Lobsters returned to Maida Vale at the behest of John Peel. What emerged was a stunning session including three songs destined for their next single ‘What Is There To Smile About?’ – among them the Lobsters classic, ‘Loopholes’ – plus a cover with near-legendary status among fans: their version of ‘Mirror Breaks’ by anarcho-punk outfit The Mob,

Never before released in any shape or form, this is a ten-inch vinyl EP with download codes, a set of postcards (full of previously unseen images from days of yore) and a sleeve essay from The Ferocious Apache.