Very Terry Edwards / Various Very Terry Edwards / Various CD

A 60th birthday celebration spanning 60 tracks over 40 years. Triple CD clamshell boxset with 24 page booklet. It's unusual to write sales notes in first person, but this is no ordinary compilation. Very Terry Edwards is a birthday present to myself as much as anything else. When the earliest recording here was made the 18-year old me couldn't comprehend being 60, yet here I am presenting a triple album containing 60 titles recorded between 1979 and 2020, through thick and thin. And yes - that is me on a camel, in a suit, by the Egyptian pyramids on the front. No digital trickery. You'd expect an overview of my career to have some odd bedfellows and more than it's share of quirks and foibles, but it's been compiled to flow musically rather than have a chronological narrative. I immediately break my own rules by starting with The Higsons' earliest release and debut single, but redeem myself by following up with the most recent recordings - two ballads recorded with Paul Cuddeford (Ian Hunter, Holy Holy) in February 2020. There is more method than madness - groups of songs which follow a theme or genre are found together regardless of when they're from. Robyn Hitchcock, Eric 'Drew' Feldman, Big Joan and Spleen are pooled, representing Beefheart & Bristol; the Space-Age section boasts Jimi Tenor, Mike Garson and Kimberley Rew; whereas classical cuts by Havering Youth Orchestra and a duet with Seamus Beaghen rub shoulders, nicely distanced from ska/reggae tunes by Rhoda Dakar, Lee Thompson's Ska Orchestra and other sundry members of Madness - plus there's a section on CD3 which is forever punk/post-punk featuring The Nightingales w/Vic Goddard, Serious Drinking, Snuff, Glen Matlock and Gallon Drunk. Several tracks are previously unreleased, notably the two BBC sessions. Sure, there are many turns not featured here and I've chosen my favourite tracks above more famous ones in many cases but the whole is, ultimately, Very Terry Edwards. If you miss things I'm on by the likes of Siouxsie, Julian Cope, Madness, Tindersticks, Hot Chip and PJ Harvey (though there's a cracking cover of Medicinals on CD2) I'm sure you can find them quite easily elsewhere. You never know - I might try it again in 5, 10, 15 years' time... Terry Edwards - Summer 2020.

1. THE HIGSONS - We Will Never Grow Old 2. THE HIGSONS - I DonÆt Want To Live With Monkeys 3. THE HIGSONS - Touchdown 4. THE HIGSONS - Lying On The Telephone 5. TERRY EDWARDS ; PAUL CUDDEFORD û Johnsburg, Illinois 6. TERRY EDWARDS ; PAUL CUDDEFORD û My Funny Valentine 7. ERIKA STUCKY û Oh Lord DonÆt Let Them Drop That Atomic Bomb On Me 8. THE WOLFHOUNDS - My Legendary Childhood 9. ROBYN HITCHCOCK û There AinÆt No Santa Claus On The Evening Stage 10. KNIFE ; FORK - Dream Sweet 11. BIG JOAN - The Suckers Bug (Sucker To Shreds) 12. SPLEEN û Vulpine 13. NEW YORK NEW YORK - Roger Wilson Said 14. TERRY EDWARDS û Everything Is Alright When YouÆre Down 15. STUART A. STAPLES û Say Something Now 16. BUTTERFIELD 8 - Oakapple Tango 17. TERRY EDWARDS - Dipped In Tea 18. JIMI TENOR - Black Hole 19. MIKE GARSON - Starman 20. KIMBERLEY REW - My Work Here Is Done I Must Return To My Planetà 21. TERRY EDWARDS ; THE SCAPEGOATS - Boots Off!! 22. TERRY EDWARDS ; THE SCAPEGOATS - Pedestrian 23. BUTTERFIELD 8 - Watermelon Man 24. TERRY EDWARDS - Friday IÆm In Love 25. TERRY EDWARDS ; NEIL FRASER (Rec for 6Music, 2015) - Harlem Nocturne 26. TERRY EDWARDS ; NEIL FRASER (Rec for 6Music, 2015) - Blind Love 27. TERRY EDWARDS ; NEIL FRASER (Rec for 6Music, 2015) - Fear Is A ManÆs Best Friend 28. TERRY EDWARDS ; NEIL FRASER (Rec for 6Music, 2015) - Gardening Leave 29. LISA RONSON - ShakinÆ All Over 30. FRANZ FERDINAND - Feel The Love Go 31. 18 WHEELER - Stay 32. TERRY EDWARDS ; DAVID COULTER - The Knife 33. THE FINNMARK FOUR - Medicinals 34. TERRY EDWARDS - IÆll Go Crazy 35. DEPARTMENT S - Somewhere Between Heaven And TescoÆs 36. NITWOOD - Carburettor 37. TERRY EDWARDS - Inspired By I.P.C.R.E.S.S 38. TERRY EDWARDS - Maybe ItÆs Because IÆm A Londoner 39. TERRY EDWARDS and SEAMUS BEAGHEN - A Musical Offering You CanÆt Refuse 40. THE HAVERING YOUTH ORCHESTRA - Finlandiaà. 41. NEAR JAZZ EXPERIENCE (Rec for 6Music 2017) - Voodoo Child 42 42. NEAR JAZZ EXPERIENCE (Rec for 6Music 2017) - Double Trouble 43 43. NEAR JAZZ EXPERIENCE (Rec for 6Music 2017) - Limbo Jazz 44. THE LEE THOMPSON SKA ORCHESTRA - Ali Baba 45. RHODA DAKAR - Comfort Zone 46. TERRY EDWARDSÆ SKA ALLSTARS - Totally Wired 47. THE NIGHTINGALES with VIC GODDARD - Commercial Suicide Man 48. SERIOUS DRINKING - DonÆt You Want Me 49. SNUFF - Chocs Away 50 50. SNUFF - Dirty Old Legend 51. GLEN MATLOCK ; THE PHILISTINES - The Swanker 52. GALLON DRUNK - The Rotten Mile 53. TERRY EDWARDS ; THE SCAPEGOATS - Margaret Thatcher We Still Hate You 54. TERRY EDWARDS ; THE SCAPEGOATS - YouÆll See Glimpses 55. THE BLOCKHEADS - Inbetweenies 56. LUSH - Burnham Beeches 57. GALLON DRUNK - The Shadow Of Your Smile (inst) 58. TERRY EDWARDS - Half Nelson 59. DARREN HAYMAN ; THE SECONDARY MODERN - Art ; Design 60. SLICK SIXTY - MargoÆs B;B