The Bluebells - Sisters (Expanded Deluxe)

Following the release of several singles and their eponymous 1983 EP, Glasgow's The Bluebells, with the classic lineup of guitarist Robert Hodgens, drummer David McCluskey, singer Ken McCluskey, bassist Lawrence Donegan and guitarist Russell Irvine (later on Craig Gannon replaced Irvine and Neil Baldwin replaced Donegan), released their outstanding, and what for many years would be their only, full-length release Sisters. That original album exploded with jangly guitar pop gems, often with subtle hints of folk and country, highlighted by three top forty UK hits.  The infectious "Cath" with its singalong pop hooks and ringing guitars, the gorgeous ballad "I'm Falling", and the bouncy, bluegrass-tinged feel-good pop tune "Young At Heart", the last of which hit thirty-eight in the UK in 1984, but then made it to number one when it was re-issued in 1993.  Interestingly, that song was initially released by Bananarama on their Deep Sea Skiving album and was co-written by The Bluebells’ lead singer Robert Hodgens and his girlfriend at the time, Bananarama’s Siobhan Fahey.  Now, thanks to Cherry Red Records, Sisters has been re-issued in an expanded two-disc version that not only contains twenty-two bonus tracks, including non-album singles, B-sides and extended versions, five of which are previously unreleased, but also contains the album the way the band originally wanted it released. 

Since they were on a long European tour when the album was being put together, the version that was released differed quite a bit from what the band wanted.  First up was the opening track "Everybody's Somebody's Fool".  They had recorded a new arrangement, which is the one that was released, but the band wanted one that had been produced by Robin Millar and to them sounded more like The Bluebells.  The original version has a warmer, folkier sound with more emphasis on the rootsier instrumentation.  The band also recorded three tracks with Elvis Costello including the lush “Will She Always Be Waiting”, which includes a sixteen-piece orchestra and was included on the album, but for some reason the other two were left off.  “Some Sweet Day” is a great track that fits right in with the rest of the album with backing vocals from Costello and even a little brass section at the end, while “Aim In Life” is a beautiful cut with sparse instrumentation under the McCluskey brothers’ great vocal harmonies.  That song actually got its start as “Eggy Beard” in the McCluskey Brothers’ earlier band Raw Deal and at the time was more of an angular punk song.  The final missing piece of the puzzle is the original longer version of “Cath” that the band wanted on the album and now also back where it belongs.  The rest of the album includes two tracks that are a little more straight-ahead rock with "Syracuse University" and “Red Guitars”, the last of which still manages to mix in some pop hooks with it’s ba-ba-ba-di-ba chorus, along with the horn and organ driven soul of “Learn To Love”, with some killer backing vocals from the incredible Eddi Reader.  Closing the album are a couple of songs with a strong political slant.  First up is “South Atlantic Way” a driving tune with hints of U2 and The Alarm with lyrics directly addressing the conflict in the Falklands and their stunning take on “The Patriot Game”, a late fifties folk tune with the melody from the traditional song “One Morning In May” and lyrics from Irish writer and songwriter Dominic Behan (also a friend of the McCluskey family).  Rounding out the first disc are five bonus tracks including their debut single “Forevermore”, with its hypnotic jangle, the very Beatles-esque Merseybeat sounding “All I Ever Said”, the acoustic guitar and French horn driven “Fall From Grace”, the upbeat “Happy Birthday (Turn Gold)” and the 12” version of “Cath”.

Disc number two contains the remaining seventeen bonus tracks and while there are quite a few remixes and alternate versions including the original album version of “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool”, the extended version of “Young At Heart”, “Wishful Thinking (Will She Always Be Waiting)”, which is an alternate version of "Will She Always Be Waiting" that has been tweaked a little and doesn't have the string section, alternate and instrumental versions of “Forevermore” (here titled “Forever Yours, Forever Mine (Evermore)”, an alternate version of “Happy Birthday (Turn Gold)” and four more of “Cath” (US Remix, Original Album Version, Remix and Alternative Version), there is still plenty to sink your teeth into.  “Sugar Bridge (It Will Stand)” is a non-album single (here in 7” and 12” versions) and is another infectious pop gem that stands up with some of their best songs.  The remaining songs were b-sides including “H.O.L.L.A.N.D.”, a mellow track with a nice lazy lilt, “Tender Mercy”, a captivating, somewhat somber acoustic song and “All I Am (Is Loving You)”, a heartfelt love song with a bit of an edge.  “Smalltown Martyr” is a fun, more aggressive tune that really rocks out and is a bit of a left turn for the the band, sounding different than anything else they’ve done.  Lastly is their haunting, stark acoustic cover of the 1936 folk song “The Ballad Of Joe Hill” about the labor activist of the same name and the perfect bookend to “The Patriot Game”.  This outstanding collection also contains a very informative twenty page booklet that contains a conversation with Hodgens and MOJO and Record Collector writer Lois Wilson.  While the band has reunited a few times over the years a have released a couple more albums of outtakes and demos, 2023 saw them finally release In the 21st Century, their second album of new material, which is also well worth checking out.  

(Cherry Red Records)