Electric Fire
Album in a nutshell
UK/ Europe issue date | 28 September 1998 |
Japan issue date | 28 October 1998 |
US/ Canada issue date | not issued |
Unofficial issues in countries | Russia |
Singles | 2: Pressure On, Surrender |
Non-album songs | One Night Stand |
Demos/ Unreleased | Nation Of Haircuts (Number 4 All Over), Lucille |
Issue format | CD, Orange LP |
Track order remarks | On LP issue No More Fun is 6th on side A, the rest follows as standard version. Japanese edition had Nation Of Haircuts (Club Cut) and People On Streets (Mashed) as bonus. |
The tracklisting:
- “Pressure On” (Taylor)
- “Nation Of Haircuts” (Taylor)
- “Believe In Yourself” (Taylor)
- “Surrender” (Taylor)
- “People On Streets” (Taylor)
- “The Whisperers” (Taylor, Nicolas Evans)
- “Is It Me?” (Taylor)
- “No More Fun” (Taylor)
- “Tonight” (Taylor)
- “Where Are You Now?” (Taylor)
- “Working Class Hero” (Lennon)
- “London Town – C’mon Down” (Taylor)
1998 Nightjar Productions Ltd. Released on EMI Parlophone, 28 September 1998, produced by Joshua J. Macrae & RMT. Recorded at Cosford Mill Studios, Surrey. Mastered by Kevin Metcalfe at The Sound Masters.
The album had two singles issued, first of those was “Pressure On” (issued 28 September 1998, instead of previously being scheduled for 21st September, and earlier for 14th September), the second – “Surrender” (issued 29 March 1999 – but was to be issued on 22nd March). The album itself was also scheduled for 21st September. Roger Taylor recorded the album almost at once, it wasn’t a compilation of previously recorded songs which were just put together. From what I know, Taylor wanted to release a solo album but didn’t mean to tour to promote it. But after he got a Guinness World Book of Records prize in 1998, for his 24th September 1998 Cyberbarn online show as the longest online transmission of a concert ever, and after his “Electric Fire” album sold well, he decided to tour the UK. So he had toured for one month, March 1999, with two dates in April.
Japanese edition of the album had 2 bonus tracks: “Nation Of Haircuts” (Club Cut) and “People On Streets” (Mashed).
The album includes one cover song, Lennon’s “Working Class Hero”. There is no doubt for me Taylor’s version is much much better (even if there is a say that one should not try to make things which are already perfect better). Arrangement is richer, as I can say. The arrangation’s easy in Lennon’s and complicated in Taylor’s. You just listen to words when it’s Lennon, and you listen to all when it’s Taylor. It’s not only the words there but also the mood is fantastic. And Lennon’s mood rather makes me a bit sleepy, although I like some of his solo work.
From what Taylor says, “Surrender” is about what happens at home every day, no love, no hope, no nothing. “A Nation Of Haircuts” is“surprise to the UK particular”. “Believe In Yourself” is about everyone who is shy and not sure of him- herself. “No More Fun” is about no more fun in music, maybe he meant today’s music (no rock!), but he says there is lots of fun anyway.
LP version of the album has orange vinyl. It has different track order. To “People On Streets” we have all the same, but last track on A-side is “No More Fun”. Then goes “The Whisperers” on B-side, and so on, without 8th track, which is “No More Fun” of course. Sounds good, really. And that vinyl album doesn’t have the words “One Night Stand” at the end being the title of an additional track, available for listening on Rog’s official site at the time (these words were put after 7 seconds break at the end of a CD album).
In 1998 Roger also gave one concert promoting his new album, together with Treana Morris and Jonathan Perkins (both sung on the album) – it took place on October 14th, 1998.
At the beginning, the track listing of the album was to be like that: “Pressure On”, “No More Fun”, “A Nation Of Haircuts”, “Tonight”, “Surrender”, “Is It Me Or Is It You?”, “Believe In Yourself”, “Where Are You Now”, “People On Streets”, “Working Class Hero”, “The Whisperers”, “London Town Come On Down”.
Treana Morris and Jonathan Perkins sung with Roger on song “Surrender”, but later Perkins only did one-off appearance at Roger’s concert (mentioned before). And Treana did the whole tour of 1999 with Roger, being both: a support act and backing vocalist to some of Roger’s songs. These days she sometimes takes part in charity shows with Roger and is a singer of the band Wiredaisies.
Vinyl albums (LPs)
- (1998) UK: Parlophone 496 7241 (orange vinyl)
- (1998) UK: acetate
CD albums (CDs)
- (1998) UK: Parlophone 496 7240
- (1998) UK: Parlophone CDPP 076 (advance listening CD promo with blue cover)
- (1998) NL: Parlophone 7243 4 96724 0 6
- (1998) JP: Toshiba-EMI TOCP-50706
Cassette albums (MCs)
- (1998) UK: Parlophone 496 7244
- (1998) UK: advance promo tape (without specially designed cover)
Vinyl singles
- “Pressure On” / “People On Streets” (Mashed)/ “Tonight” (Dub Sangria), 7″ numbered orange vinyl, (28 Sep 1998) UK: R 6507 (5000 copies)
Picture discs
- “Surrender” (single mix or radio mix)/ “London Town C’mon Down” (single mix), 7″ numbered picture disc w.picture sleeve, (22 Mar 1999) UK: R 6517 (8868877)
CD singles
- “Surrender” /”Nation Of Haircuts” (Club Cut)/ “Lucille”, (22 Mar 1999) CD 1 – finally NOT ISSUED
- “Surrender” /”Nation Of Haircuts” (Number 4 All Over)/ “London Town C’mon Down” (single mix), (22 Mar 1999) CD 2 – finally NOT ISSUED
- “Surrender” (radio mix) /”Nation Of Haircuts” (Club Cut)/ “London Town C’mon Down” (single mix), (29 Mar 1999) NL:(8869312)
- “Surrender” (radio mix) /”Nation Of Haircuts” (Club Cut)/ “London Town C’mon Down” (single mix), Pt. 1 limited numbered collector’s edition with 2 postcards, (29 Mar 1999) UK: CDRS 6517 (8868872)
- “Surrender” (live) /”No More Fun” (live)/ “Tonight” (live)/ “Surrender” (the video live), Pt. 2 live version, video and 2 postcards, (29 Mar 1999) UK: CDR 6517 (8868880)
- “Surrender!”, promo (1 trk), UK: CDRDJ 6517
- “Waiting For The Feeling”, promo sampler with tracks by different artists, includes “Surrender”, picture sleeve, (2000) UK: EMISAMPLER02
- “Pressure On” / “People On Streets” (Mashed)/ “Tonight” (Dub Sangria), + sticker, digipack, (28 Sep 1998) UK: CDR 6507 (8861232)
- “Pressure On” ‘The Independent Manchester Utd. Supporters Assoc. Edition’/ “Dear Mr Murdoch”/ “Keep A Knockin'”, UK: CDRS 6507 (8862912)
- “Pressure On” / “A Nation Of Haircuts”/ “Surrender”, promo with a note in German, DE : FIRE1
- “Pressure On”, promo (1 trk), UK: CDRDJ 6507
- “Dear Mr Murdoch” – (15 September 1998) UK Abbey Road acetate