Durutti Column, The - Circuses and Bread

Limited edition clear + orange color vinyl 2xLP.
CD in six panel digipak with liner notes and rare band images.

Factory Benelux presents a remastered CD and 2xLP coloured vinyl edition of Circuses and Bread, the seventh studio album by Manchester ensemble The Durutti Column. Originally released by Factory Benelux and Factory in 1986, the original 9 tracks have now been expanded with 6 bonus pieces.

Self-produced by Vini Reilly at Strawberry and Revolution studios, the album saw Durutti playing as a quartet, with Reilly on guitar, vocals and keyboards, Bruce Mitchell in drums and percussion, John Metcalfe (viola) and Tim Kellett (trumpet).

‘The music ends up being very simple,’ Vini told NME. ‘People can dismiss it as being very simplistic, easy listening or whatever. It’s very honest, it’s very personal. People say it’s ambient, and it’s like Eno. I don’t like that, because the music’s made to be listened to, it’s not wallpaper.’

Of extended piece Blind Elevator Girl – Osaka, Vini adds: ‘The music really writes itself. For example, we’re in Osaka, in Japan, getting in this elevator. It’s very crowded with all these Japanese businessmen talking about distribution deals, and going on and on. On this lift was a beautiful Japanese girl, in an immaculate uniform. Each floor we arrived at, she’s starting talking Japanese, obviously saying what was on each floor. We went higher and higher, and finally we get to the top. And then, sort of walking out of the elevator, I suddenly realised she was blind... It got to me, this girl. It was incredible. So maybe a day later, I was thinking about that, and the whole tune came out. And every single piece of music is like that.’

Bonus tracks include Italian-only EP Greetings Three, scarce compilation track The Aftermath, and a previously unreleased working version of 1987 single Our Lady of the Angels produced by the late Stuart ‘Jammer’ James.

The cover art retains the original design by 8vo. The remastered vinyl set is housed in gatefold sleeve, with liner notes and rare band images. A CD version is also available (FBN 154 CD).

2xLP tracklist:

A1. For Pauline
A2. Tomorrow
A3. Dance II
A4. For Hilary
A5. Street Fight
B1. Royal Infirmary
B2. Black Horses
B3. Dance I
C1. Blind Elevator Girl – Osaka
C2. The Aftermath
C3. Our Lady of the Angels (Stu ‘Jammer’ James Mix)
D1. Florence Sunset
D2. All That Love and Maths Can Do
D3. San Giovanni Dawn
D4. For Friends In Italy

CD tracklist:

1. For Pauline
2. Tomorrow
3. Dance II
4. For Hilary
5. Street Fight
6. Royal Infirmary
7. Black Horses
8. Dance I
9. Blind Elevator Girl - Osaka
10. All That Love and Maths Can Do
11. Florence Sunset
12. San Giovanni Dawn
13. For Friends In Italy
14. The Aftermath
15. Our Lady of the Angels (Stu ‘Jammer’ James Mix)