Matt Johnson last weekend released a new 7-inch by The The for the first of three Record Store Day “drops,” a single called “I Want 2 B U” that calls to mind “This Is the Day” because Johnson wrote and recorded it with the “quirky Omnichord instrument” he used on that 1983 classic.
The 7-inch was a quick sell-out, and the song has not been released digitally — though it has now been uploaded to YouTube, and you can hear that right here.
The new song and its B-side, “Velvet Muscle Scream,” are both taken from the film “Muscle,” directed by Gerard Johnson. The vinyl single features artwork by Johnson’s late brother Andy Dog, who designed all of the sleeves for the early The The albums and singles.
The single follows The The’s 2017 Record Store Day release of “We Can’t Stop What’s Coming,” which at the time was the group’s first new music in a decade and foreshadowed the band’s live return in 2018.
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
- The The to release new single ‘I WANT 2 B U’ for Record Store Day — listen to preview
- The The’s Matt Johnson joins Johnny Marr to sing Lovin’ Spoonful’s ‘Summer in the City’
- The The plays first show in 16 years, opens ‘Comeback Special’ with career-spanning set
- The The expands reunion tour with 3 ‘very low-key’ U.K. warm-up concerts in May
- The The announces new 3-disc ‘Radio Cineola Trilogy’ box set, first concerts in 16 years
- Watch: The The’s emotional new music video for ‘We Can’t Stop What’s Coming’
- The The re-enlists Johnny Marr on first new single in 10 years for Record Store Day
The Omnichord was not in the 1983 version. It was used in the 1994 re-recording “That Was The Day” from the Threesome soundtrack.
“One of my ghosts is “This Is The Day”, the 1983 single written on an omnichord by Matt Johnson, lead singer of London post-punk band The The. It’s a paean to emerging from adolescence with the world in front of you, self-inflicted sleepless nights, and an inability to quite grasp the sheer enormity of it all. It’s about time slipping through your fingers, and self-doubt – but mostly, it’s about change, and the lack of control we have over it.” https://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/41185/1/the-the-this-is-the-day-matt-johnson-interview
This is basically That Was The Day with new lyrics. However, Matt Johnson doesn’t really do anything wrong, so it’s still good.
The video shows as being marked “private”. Is there another link to hear it from?
I’ve had the same problem as you, Will. I’d really like to hear this!