Limited Edition on RED vinyl

Some time ago we came up with the idea of celebrating 40 years since the original release of Smiling At Grief, by releasing a ‘brand-new’ version of the cassette album, which we have done by asking friends and peers if they would remix the album using the original master tracks.

The response has been really amazing and rather humbling… as over the last few months, we have received contributions from Steven Wilson, Peter Jones, Simon Godfrey, Tim Bowness and Brian Hulse, Rob Reed, Lee Abraham & Stu Nicholson, Karl Groom, Dean Baker, Mark Spencer and Andy Tillison, with more to come!

Some are straight remixes, some have been enhanced with new instrumentation, and some have been radically reworked. We feel that all of them more than do justice to the original versions, and we think you’ll like it!

LP Tracklisting

1. East Of Eden (Steven Wilson)
2. This City (Peter Jones)
3. The Honeymoon Is Over (Karl Groom)
4. Creepshow (Simon Godfrey)
5. Puppets (intro) (Mark Spencer)
6. Puppets (Rob Reed & Lee Abraham & Stuart Nicholson)
7. Three Dancers (Steven Wilson)
8. Makes No Sense (new recording by Tim Bowness & Brian Hulse)
9. Fur Helene Part II (Dean Baker)

The idea is to release three versions: A vinyl version (our first on our own label since 1982) reproducing the original Smiling At Grief album track by track with new mixes. There will be new artwork, and the plan is that the LP will be issued on heavyweight vinyl. It will be followed by double CD and download versions which will add several alternative mixes. The plan is that the LP will be released in March/April 2022.

So why are we inviting pre-orders for the LP now?

Well as some of you may know demand for vinyl is currently far exceeding supply. As a result lead-times are now at least 6 months. However to secure a manufacturing slot, we need to supply all the materials, and confirm the quantity to make now! Although we are very excited about this ‘new’ venture, we are also a little nervous as we are unsure what the level of interest will be. Obviously, as it will be a one-off pressing (and a strictly limited edition), we don’t want to make too many, or too few!

So if you pre-order now (November 2021), you will not only secure a copy, but give us a good idea of how many LPs to manufacture. These will be shipped at the end of November 2022 in time for Christmas.

UK customers can pre-order here on the Twelfth Night website: £18 + £ 4 p&p = £22

Unfortunately at the moment we are not able to accept pre-orders from anyone outside of the UK. This is because of the various different costs of overseas postage.

However so as to ensure nobody misses out, overseas customers can still reserve a copy by using PayPal to send the cost of the LP (£18) directly to us using the email address brian@twelfthnight.info If you describe it as a payment to a ‘friend’ it should arrive without any fees being deducted. Don’t forget to say in the message that it is for a copy of the SAG LP.

Then when the album is ready we will contact you individually to let you know what the postage and packing costs will be. At current prices it would be around £8.50 for the EU, £17 for the USA, and £13 for most of the other countries in the rest of the world.

So what happened back in 1981…

As keyboard player Rick Battersby started his ‘sabbactical’ year during the recording sessions he only features on some of the tracks. Although Clive took over keyboard duties the 4-piece line-up was relatively short-lived, though it did go on to write and record the Fact and Fiction album. The original purpose of Smiling At Grief had been to gather together some demos to try to stimulate record company interest and to satisfy the growing number of fans who had been eagerly awaiting new material, particularly now that Geoff had joined the band. Having the opportunity to record the instrumental live favourite Fur Helene part II as well, meant that there was sufficient material to relase an album, and so it was… but only on cassette tape, and not on vinyl… until now!

The tracks were first released on the Smiling at Grief cassette album, having been recorded at Woodcray Manor Farm Studios, Berkshire, in November 1981.