To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the release of The Jam’s last studio album, Universal are releasing a super deluxe edition of the album packed full of extras.
It’s available in two variants – the 2 CD deluxe edition version which features the original album, the singles and B sides and a disc of demos and alternate tracks; and a Super deluxe edition which contains four discs. The first two are the same as in the deluxe edition, the third is Live at Wembley (Dec. 3rd 1982), and the fourth disc is a DVD with footage from Top of the pops, a Danish TV show, live footage and some promo videos.
The super deluxe version also includes an outer box in original striped bag style cover – ‘The Jam – A Gift’, a Hardback 72-page, full-colour book including new interviews with Paul Weller, a new essay by John Harris and a forward by Paul Weller, a Set of postcard prints and a Replica 1982 tour programme, making it a very impressive package.
It’s an impressive package – even the simple two disc version gives you the eleven tracks from the original album plus another 25 tracks consisting of singles, B sides, demos and alternate versions of songs – thats a lot of extra’s. The Super deluxe edition is even more impressive but is significantly more expensive. The 2CD version is the same price as most normal CDs – around £13, so is a bargain really with all those extras, whereas the Super deluxe edition is in the region of £80 – still not expensive if you look at what you get with it, but making it only really for the more dedicated fans of The Jam.
The original album still sounds great, and of course includes the song ”A town called Malice”, one of the bands best known songs. There’s some great stuff in the extras including a great cover of the Motown song originally recorded by Edwin Starr – ”War”. The live CD is great too and if you can afford the super deluxe version then this CD certainly makes it worth going for.
A great reissue – a classic album plus a huge amount of extras makes this well worth buying.
”The Gift” will be released on 19th November 2012
Super-deluxe box tracklisting:
Disc One – Original album / Singles & B-Sides
1. Happy Together
2. Ghosts
3. Precious
4. Just Who Is The 5 O’clock Hero
5. “Trans-Global Express”
6. Running On The Spot
7. Circus
8. The Planner’s Dream Goes Wrong
9. Carnation
10. Town Called Malice
11. The Gift
12. Precious (12”)
13. The Great Depression
14. The Bitterest Pill (I Ever Had To Swallow)
15. Pity Poor Alfie / Fever
16. Pity Poor Alfie (swing version)
17. Beat Surrender
18. Shopping
19. Move On Up
20. Stoned Out Of My Mind
21. War
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Disc Two – Demos & alternate tracks
1. Skirt (demo) #
2. Get Yourself Together (demo) Originally released on ‘Extras’
3. Ghosts (instrumental demo) #
4. Just Who Is The 5 O’clock Hero (demo) #
5. Running On The Spot (demo) #
6. The Planner’s Dream Goes Wrong (demo) #
7. Carnation (instrumental demo) #
8. Precious (demo) Originally released on ‘Direction, Reaction, Creation’
9. The Bitterest Pill (demo) #
10. Alfie (demo ‘2’) #
11. We’ve Only Started (‘old version’) #
12. Only Started (instrumental demo) #
13. Shopping (AKA ‘Paul’s demo’) #
14. Beat Surrender (demo) #
15. Solid Bond In Your Heart (demo) #
# Previously unreleased
——————————————————————————————
Disc Three – Live at Wembley (Dec. 3rd 1982)
1. Start!
2. It’s Too Bad
3. Beat Surrender
4. Away From The Numbers
5. Ghosts
6. In The Crowd
7. Boy About Town
8. So Sad About Us
9. All Mod Cons
10. To Be Someone
11. Smithers-Jones
12. That’s Entertainment
13. The Great Depression
14. Precious
15. Move On Up
16. Circus
17. Down In The Tube Station At Midnight
18. David Watts
19. Mr Clean
20. Town Called Malice
21. But I’m Different Now
22. “Trans-Global Express”
23. In The City
——————————————————————————————
Disc 4 – DVD
Part 1 – Trans-Global Unity Express
Live video from Birmingham March 1982
Part 2 – The promo videos
1. Town Called Malice
2. Precious
3. The Bitterest Pill
Part 3 – Danish TV special
The Jam play songs from the Gift album. Recorded live in Studio 3,
TV-Byen, Copenhagen April 19 1982, broadcast April 23 1982.
1. Running On The Spot
2. Circus
3. Happy Together
4. Ghosts
5. In The Crowd
6. Town Called Malice
7. Pity Poor Alfie / Fever
8. Precious
9. Just Who Is The 5 O’clock Hero
10. The Gift
11. Move On Up
12. Trans-Global Express
Part 4 – Top Of The Pops
Recorded February 18 1982
1. Precious
2. Town Called Malice
