ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN – PORCUPINE LP – Nr MINT A2 INDIE POST PUNK

Echo & The Bunnymen – Porcupine
(Korova Records  1983  KODE6)
Matrix No’s: A2/B4

Vinyl in Nr MINT condition

Sleeve & Inner Sleeve in Nr MINT condition

Echo & the Bunnymen are an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1978. The original line-up consisted of vocalist Ian McCulloch, guitarist Will Sergeant and bass player Les Pattinson, supplemented by a drum machine. By 1980, Pete de Freitas joined as the band’s drummer.

Their 1980 debut album, Crocodiles, went into the top 20 of the UK Albums Chart. The band’s cult status was followed by mainstream success in 1983 as they scored a UK Top 10 hit with “The Cutter”, and the attendant album, Porcupine, which reached number 2 in the UK. Ocean Rain (1984), continued the band’s UK chart success, and has since been regarded as one of the landmark releases of the post-punk movement, with the single “The Killing Moon”.

In 1988, the band split. In 1989, de Freitas was killed in a motorcycle accident and the band briefly re-emerged with a new singer. After working together as Electrafixion, McCulloch and Sergeant regrouped with Pattinson in 1997 and returned as Echo & the Bunnymen.

Porcupine is the third studio album by the British post-punk band Echo & the Bunnymen. First released on 4 February 1983, it became the band’s highest charting release when it reached number two on the UK Albums Chart despite initially receiving poor reviews. It also reached number 137 on the American Billboard 200, number 85 on the Canadian RPM 100 Albums and number 24 on the Swedish chart. In 1984 the album was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry. Porcupine included the singles “The Back of Love” and “The Cutter”.

The album was recorded at Trident Studios in London, Rockfield Studios in South Wales and Amazon Studios in Liverpool. It was produced by Ian Broudie, who was credited as “Kingbird” and who had co-produced the band’s first album, 1980’s Crocodiles, and their second single, “Rescue”. After being rejected by the band’s label, the album was re-recorded with Shankar providing strings. It was originally released as an LP in 1983 before being reissued on CD in 1988. The album was again reissued on CD in 2003, along with the other four of the band’s first five studio albums, having been remastered and expanded. A VHS video called Porcupine – An Atlas Adventure was also released containing six promotional videos of tracks from the album.

Track listing

All tracks written by Will Sergeant, Ian McCulloch, Les Pattinson and Pete de Freitas.

Side one

1. “The Cutter” – 3:56
2. “The Back of Love” – 3:14
3. “My White Devil” – 4:41
4. “Clay” – 4:15
5. “Porcupine” – 6:01

Side two

1. “Heads Will Roll” – 3:33
2. “Ripeness” – 4:50
3. “Higher Hell” – 5:01
4. “Gods Will Be Gods” – 5:25
5. “In Bluer Skies” – 4:33

Personnel

• Ian McCulloch – vocals, guitar
• Will Sergeant – lead guitar
• Les Pattinson – bass
• Pete de Freitas – drums
• Shankar – strings
• Ian Broudie – producer
• Dave Bascombe – engineer
• Paul Cobald – engineer
• Colin Fairley – engineer
• Dave Woolley – engineer
• Steve Short – engineer
• Steve Presige – engineer
• Brian Griffin – photography
• Martyn Atkins – cover design