June 8 street date. Can it really be twenty years ago that The Charlatans furtively and then confidently appeared in the Stone
Roses and Happy Mondays' slipstream to carve their own distinctive, tough, psychedelic soundtrack for those brief, heady years when Manchester was the centre of the world? From that auspicious start they experienced career highs and lows, broadened their musical base and endured to become one of the era’s most respected and successful bands. Beggars Archive is marking the occasion with a gloriously re-mastered re-issue of the band’s No.1 UK debut album, "Some Friendly", accompanied by a second CD of singles and sessions. This Expanded Edition includes "Some Friendly" restored to it’s original vinyl sequence, plus the second disc of non-album singles and previously unreleased BBC sessions. It includes the UK top 10 single (and perennial classic) "The Only One I Know", the follow-up, "Then", and the "Over Rising" EP.
August 3 street date. Exclusive LIMITED EDITION live recording. On the 31st of May 2010, The Charlatans (UK) performed a spectacular live show at the Historic Grade II listed Camden Roundhouse in London to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their seminal album, 'Some Friendly'. The tour featured hits from the album as well as a few surprises that left the audience begging for more. This show was recorded live, and CDs were produced instantly on the night by live music specialists Concert Live and were available to the audience within minutes of the last note being played. This 3CD live recording is presented in exclusive packaging with bespoke artwork, perfectly reflecting the passion and dedication exuded by the band both on and off stage.
May 29 street date. Released in 1997, when it went straight to the top of the UK album charts, this year marks the 15th anniversary of The Charlantans’ "Tellin’ Stories". Beggars Banquet is making it available as a highly limited edition UK import
double coloured vinyl in a gatefold sleeve and double jewel case CD in O card. Disc one is the original album, remastered and cut from the analogue studio tapes, while the second disc is a collection of the single B sides plus an unreleased, early version of ‘Don’t Need A Gun’, originally entitled ‘Rainbow Chasing’. Of the eight B sides only half were re-issued on the anthology ‘Songs From The Other Side’. Building on the sound of their eponymous, previous release (The Charlatans - also a No.1), the band’s performance has the feel of a classic British Rock band, combined with the more focussed songwriting of Britpop’. It has aged well.
December 18 street date. Made by the same team who put together the critically acclaimed films on Arthur Lee and Love as well as the more recent Mott The Hoople documentary. Mountain Picnic Blues is a documentary on The Charlatans' 1997 LP Tellin' Stories. Featuring the hit singles "One To Another" and "North Country Boy", the LP was a number one hit and a creative high point for the band. The record's creation however was overshadowed by the tragic death of keyboard player Rob Collins. The documentary features interviews with all band members and tells the story of the circumstances surrounding its recording and it's completion in the aftermath of Rob Collins' death. The DVD also features the band playing the album live in its entirety, filmed this year at Glasgow Barrowlands, as part of the triumphant Tellin' Stories 15th anniversary concerts. DVD contains : Mountain Picnic Blues (The Making of Tellin' Stories) approx 70 mins plus the following bonus footage : Tellin' Stories live concert (approx 60 mins) Bonus live material (approx 20 mins) Booklet.
November 6 street date. 180 GRAM COLORED VINYL. With the 50th anniversary of the legendary Charlatans’ debut occurring this summer, Big Beat are celebrating with this carefully conceived deluxe vinyl edition of the original line-up’s best recordings, "The Limit Of The Marvelous". The iconic quintet are widely acknowledged with kickstarting the entire San Francisco 1960s renaissance. The Charlatans presented themselves with an iconic blend of Americana-infused popular styles, encompassing olde-English folk, country, swing, bluegrass and 50s rock’n’roll. And the band’s conceptual image radiated a class that few of their hirsute, tie-dyed peers could hope to match. "The Limit Of The Marvelous" distils the best cuts from Big Beat’s essential "Amazing Charlatans" CD to approximate the long-player the group should have issued at their peak in 1966. It juxtaposes idiosyncratic folk-rock such as ‘Codine Blues’ and ‘Alabama Bound’ with dustbowl-dry originals from the pen of guitarist/drummer Dan Hicks, including the first recording of his signature ‘How Can I Miss You When You Won’t Go Away.’ Housed in a Globe Propaganda-approved sleeve complete with copious illustrations of this most photogenic of outfits, "The Limit Of The Marvelous" is a fitting reminder in their anniversary year of the continuing magic of the Charlatans.
AVAILABLE NOW. ‘Melting Pot’ is a greatest hits album by The Charlatans, featuring tracks from their time at Beggars Banquet between 1990 and 1997 and available on vinyl for the first time since 1998. The cover features a picture of The Weaverdale cafe (now renamed The Melting Pot) in Northwich, the site of the group's first meeting after signing to Beggars in 1990. The Charlatan’s story is a dramatic one. Since their emergence in1990 they have weathered many storms and endured the kinds of upsets, traumas, and set backs that would have broken lesser bands. By 1998 they had 12 hit singles and 5 hit albums, 3 of which entered the UK charts at number 1, the only UK band in the 90s to perform such a feat. Considered by many to be their strongest period, Melting Pot is a compilation of their seven years with Beggars. It is important to note that Melting Pot is not simply a collection of songs. Such an album would not be representative of a career which contains far more "hits" than have been released as singles, and far more classic, enduring songs that have been commercially huge. Crucially, each track has been chosen and sequenced by the band themselves, who have selected favourite tunes. those which have particular meaning or those which reflect highlights in the band’s history. In this respect there are of course some omissions. It being impossible to include everything the band would like on an already bursting 17 song LP. Melting Pot is then, much more than a greatest hits album. It is an aural history of one of the most enduring rock bands from the UK.
December 6 street date. The founder of the Charlatans was George Hunter, who conceived of the band as a visual experience. Rolling Stone magazine described their music as as “a jaunty, ragtime rhythm that was of a piece with their style. Their repertoire remained essentially folk material – blues, ballads, good time jug band tunes plus a few original numbers and the odd Rolling Stones tune.” The Charlatans never enjoyed the popularity or commercial success that their innovative musical and visual approach so richly deserved.
July 3 street date. Beggars Arkive is excited to reissue "Between 10th and 11th", the second album by The Charlatans, out on July 3rd. Available on double clear vinyl and double CD, the reissue contains the original album plus remastered tracks from the often-bootlegged live show from Chicago in 1991, known as "Isolation 21.2.91", a holy grail amongst fans. "Between 10th and 11th" was originally released in 1992 and contained the hit "Weirdo", as well as singles "Tremolo Song" and "I Don't Want To See The Sights". Produced by Flood, you can hear the pure crispness in the audio. Entertainment Weekly said that "Between 10th and 11th" "consolidates the band's riveting, hypnotic attack, all musical tips o' the hat to the 60s and 70s, smeared over a smorgasbord of unrelenting dance beats and topped with hook ("I Don’t Want to See the Sights") after hook ("Weirdo")."