Noting the rise in interest in vinyl, the American arm of Beggars Banquet is launching a new line of stripped-down vinyl reissues from artists such as The Fall and The Cult, in addition to releasing some older best-of sets from the likes of the Pixies and Love and Rockets on 12-inch for the first time.
On Wednesday, Beggars Archive — the celebrated indie label’s reissue imprint — announced that Beggars USA is teaming with the U.K.’s Vinyl 180 this fall to release new domestic editions of The Fall’s The Wonderful and Frightening World of the Fall (1984) and This Nation’s Saving Grace (1985), as well as The Cult’s Love (1985).
Those “first three titles” are due out Nov. 23, and will be pressed on standard vinyl, rather than the 180-gram vinyl used for the pricier European pressings (although they’ll utilize the same masters), and will be housed in regular “single album” jackets rather than gatefold sleeves. According to Beggars, those titles will retail for $15.98 — significantly less than it would cost to buy the European 180-gram, gatefold releases on import.
Beggars USA also is reissuing some titles on vinyl that never have been released in that format. The label is starting with best-ofs by the Pixies (Wave of Mutilation: Best of Pixies, 2004), Love and Rockets (Sorted! The Best of Love and Rockets, 2003) and The Cult (Pure Cult: The Singles 1984-1995, 2000). Those sets, according to Beggars, each will be double LPs housed in gatefold sleeves; prices and release dates are not yet set.
Finally, despite bemoaning that “catalog CD sales seem to have gone into a Twilight Zone these days,” Beggars Archive offered reassurance that it isn’t abandoning compact discs, particularly its deluxe Omnibus Edition releases. The label also is working with reissue specialists Cherry Red Records to “release some deep and deleted gems” on CD, including the catalog of late-’80s/early-’90s U.K. garage rockers Thee Hypnotics.
BEGGARS USA VINYL REISSUES:
The Cult, Love (Nov. 23)
The Cult, Pure Cult: The Singles 1984-1995 (TBA)
The Fall, The Wonderful and Frightening World of the Fall (Nov. 23)
The Fall, This Nation’s Saving Grace (Nov. 23)
Love and Rockets, Sorted! The Best of Love and Rockets (TBA)
Pixies, Wave of Mutilation: Best of Pixies (TBA)
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
- Beggars preps ‘The Wonderful and Frightening World of the Fall’ 4CD reissue
- Pixies’ ‘Doolittle’ getting ‘Omnibus Edition’ reissue with new surround mix, demos
- Daniel Ash closes door on Love and Rockets: ‘It’s boring for me to do those songs’
- The Cult’s ‘Love’ to be reissued in deluxe 4-disc ‘Omnibus Edition’ box set
