Music competition: Win Echo and The Bunnymen 'best of' compilation on black heavy vinyl - The Stratford Observer

Music competition: Win Echo and The Bunnymen 'best of' compilation on black heavy vinyl

Stratford Editorial 11th Feb, 2022   0

ECHO & The Bunnymen’s first best-of compilation ‘Songs To Learn And Sing’ will be back on vinyl for the first time since its original release in 1985.

The album is a comprehensive collection of the band’s first four albums, from their second single ‘Rescue’, to ‘The Cutter’ and the anthemic ‘The Killing Moon’.

It also includes ‘Bring On The Dancing Horses’, originally released in conjunction with ‘Songs To Learn & Sing’ back in 1985. It arrives back on vinyl.

‘Songs To Learn & Sing’ will be available on black 1LP on February 18 from all music retailers, as well as being released in a special edition package featuring the album on splatter vinyl alongside a 7” of the band’s first single, ‘Pictures On My Wall’ / ‘Read It In Books’, available exclusively on Dig!




Echo & The Bunnymen were formed in Liverpool in 1978 with Ian McCulloch on vocals and rhythm guitar, Will Sergeant on lead guitar and Les Pattinson on bass.

They were soon joined by Pete De Freitas on drums and the rest, as they say, is history.


By the time of ‘Songs To Learn & Sing’ original release the band were a force to be reckoned with, pioneering the post-punk, new wave scene with four highly acclaimed studio albums.

It all started with their classic debut album ‘Crocodiles’ in 1980, which gave the band a reputation as one of the best around, with the NME describing it as “probably the best album this year by a British band”.

The album ultimately broke into the Top 20, finishing in many critics greatest ever debut album lists.

The Bunnymen followed the album with the release of the ‘Shine So Hard’ EP in 1981, recorded live at the Pavilion Gardens in Buxton, before releasing their second studio album ‘Heaven Up Here’ in the same year.

It became the band’s first UK Top 10 album, winning the 1981 NME Best Album award in the process.

Considered to be a slightly darker album, ‘Heaven Up Here’ was produced by Hugh Jones and was well received by critics and fans alike, featuring tracks such as ‘A Promise’, ‘Over the Wall’ and ‘Show of Strength’.

The band’s cult status was soon transformed into mainstream success in 1983 with the release of their third album ‘Porcupine’, produced by Ian Broudie.

‘Porcupine’ provided their best chart performances, with ‘The Cutter’ reaching #8 in the singles charts and ‘Porcupine’ finishing #2 in the album charts before being certified Gold.

1984 brought the fourth studio album ‘Ocean Rain’, regarded by many as the band’s classic opus.

Recorded in Liverpool and Paris, the band used a 35-piece orchestra with award winning composer Adam Peters scoring the strings.

The iconic, atmospheric cover artwork was taken in the stunning Carnglaze Caverns in Cornwall by photographer Brian Griffin, who also shot their three previous album covers.

‘Ocean Rain’ continued the band’s use of strings, creating a dark, ethereal aura.

Three classic singles were released from the album – ‘Silver, Seven Seas’ and the massive anthem ‘The Killing Moon’, which reached #9 in the UK singles chart, and continues to transcend generations to this day.

In 2021, these four albums were reissued on both black and coloured vinyl and are available to buy from this link: https://lnk.to/EchoandtheBunnymen_Vinyl

‘Songs To Learn & Sing’ Tracklisting

Side A:

1. Rescue

2. The Puppet

3. Do It Clean

4. A Promise

5. Back Of Love

6. The Cutter

Side B:

1. Never Stop

2. The Killing Moon

3. Silver

4. Seven Seas

5. Bring On The Dancing Horses

WIN ONE OF THREE COPIES OF THE BLACK HEAVY VINYL EDITION OF ‘SONGS TO LEARN & SING’

We have three copies of the Black Heavy Vinyl version of ‘Songs To Learn & Sing’ from Echo & The Bunnymen in our competition.

To enter the competition simply tell us what number did ‘The Killing Moon’ reach in the UK singles chart?

Email your answer with “Bunnymen competition” in the subject bar, complete with your phone number and address, to [email protected] by no later than Friday, February 18 and three winners will be chosen at random.

No correspondence will be entered into and there is no cash alternative.

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