The Lilac Time - The Lilac Time (1987)
"Since returning from Jamaica I had acquired & immersed myself in Nick Drake & reacquainted
myself with Wee Tam & the Big Huge era Incredible String band." The times, for Stephen at any rate, were a changin'.
Remember Bob Lamb, you should and you should give him a big hug next time you see him. He had recorded
the first demos for Duran Duran, UB40, The Hawks & TinTin. He had spent the last of his UB40 money on
upgrading his 4 track in Kings Heath to studio standard. "Bob was the only person I knew who could make a
record quickly and cheaply. He also knew me before TinTin and so wouldn't be surprised by the folk stylings.
He was also an amazing drummer..."
Reunion Ball, Rockland, Return to Yesterday, And the Ship Sails On and Rain on a River were recorded
between the 26th & 29th of August. "At the end of the week I felt like I'd found my voice
(although I had been pretending to be Stevie Nicks at the time) and I returned to London happy with my epiphany."
Virgin were having none of it though, they wanted a girl singer and dance music, End of!
Stephen enlisted Nick and his girlfriend's best friend, Michael Weston. "We all drove down to Searles
Cottage on a dank British summer evening. Searles was an old dairy & sat in a few wild acres. We
rehearsed and drank wine." Searles Cottage is on the front cover of both versions of this album. Demos
were made and finished back at Bob's later that summer and a whole year after the first tracks had been
laid down. A call to old friends from the Hawks and Duran days at Swordfish records meant 2000 LPs and 1000 CDs
were out on November 2nd 1987.
Touring followed next February onwards, supporting Dr. and the Medics. "My brother would strap himself
into whatever vehicle turned up and endure another mind numbing schlep from one nowhere to another.
We couldn't agree what to listen to so we listened to the engine."
The album was picked up by Phonogram and great things were expected. "I bought a house in Great Malvern
with my publishing advance and put the band in a 18th century farmhouse without a phone. I'm obsessed with
Crosby Stills Nash Young & Iris Murdoch and think myself an amalgam of all five."
Essential listen: If you can unearth the original Swordfish version of the album on either
CD or Vinyl you will be treated to something so pure, so beautiful you will wonder how it passed
the paying punters by. The music press got it, amazingly the record companies got it... we, the public, didn't.
Pay close attention to the simplicity of Black Velvet and the summer lane loveliness of Return To Yesterday.
Essential buy: Get the Swordfish CD if you can, expect to pay no more than £ 20. The nicest
piece of marketing was the Black Velvet Christmas card which is beautiful and about a fiver.
Apparently there are a whole bunch of promotional Black Velvet bottles of drink... if you have one do let us know.
Chris
~ Click on the cover images for more details ~
| Artist/Composer | Title | Release Year | Format | Cat. Number | Label | Country | Length | Tracks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
The Lilac Time | The Lilac Time | 1987 | LP | SWF LP6 | Swordfish | United Kingdom | 36:49 | 10 |
|
The Lilac Time | The Lilac Time | 1987 | CD | SWF CD6 | Swordfish | United Kingdom | 36:49 | 10 |
|
The Lilac Time | The Lilac Time | 1988 | LP | SFLP 6 (Int. 834 835-1) | Fontana/Phonogram, UK | United Kingdom | 36:49 | 10 |
|
The Lilac Time | The Lilac Time | 1988 | CD | SFCD 6 (Int. 834 835-2) | Fontana/Phonogram, UK | United Kingdom | 37:22 | 10 |
|
The Lilac Time | The Lilac Time | 1988 | Cassette | SFMC 6 (Int. 834 835-4) | Fontana/Phonogram, UK | United Kingdom | 36:49 | 10 |
|
The Lilac Time | The Lilac Time | 1988 | CD | 28PD-542 | Nippon Phonogram | Japan | 37:21 | 10 |
|
The Lilac Time | The Lilac Time | 1988 | LP | 836744-1 | Mercury/Polygram | USA | 36:53 | 10 |
|
The Lilac Time | The Lilac Time | 1988 | CD | 836744-2 | Mercury/Polygram | USA | 44:58 | 12 |
|
The Lilac Time | The Lilac Time | 1988 | Cassette | 836744-3 | Mercury/Polygram | USA | 36:53 | 10 |
|
The Lilac Time | The Lilac Time | 1999 | CD | BRIDGE-002 | Polygram K.K. | Japan | 37:24 | 10 |
|
The Lilac Time | The Lilac Time | 2004 | CD | 80100936 | Universal/Polygram | United Kingdom | 37:22 | 10 |
|
The Lilac Time | The Lilac Time | 2006 | CD | 983890 5 | Mercury / Universal | United Kingdom | 70:54 | 19 |
|
The Lilac Time | Return To Yesterday | 1987 | 7 inch | LILAC 1 | Swordfish | United Kingdom | 07:25 | 2 |
|
The Lilac Time | Return To Yesterday | 1987 | 12 inch | 12 LILAC 1 | Swordfish | United Kingdom | 14:32 | 4 |
|
The Lilac Time | Return To Yesterday | 1988 | 7 inch | LILAC 2 (Int. 870 481-7) | Fontana/Phonogram, UK | United Kingdom | 07:23 | 2 |
|
The Lilac Time | Return To Yesterday | 1988 | 12 inch | LILAC 212 | Fontana/Phonogram, UK | United Kingdom | 14:01 | 4 |
|
The Lilac Time | Return To Yesterday | 1988 | CD single | LILCD 2 (Int. 870 481-2) | Fontana/Phonogram, UK | United Kingdom | 13:57 | 4 |
|
The Lilac Time | Return To Yesterday | 1988 | CD Video | 080 460-2 | Fontana/Phonogram, UK | United Kingdom | 17:35 | 5 |
|
The Lilac Time | Return To Yesterday | 1988 | 7 inch | LILDJ 2 | Fontana/Phonogram, UK | United Kingdom | 07:23 | 2 |
|
The Lilac Time | Return To Yesterday | 1988 | 12 inch | LILACDJ 212 | Fontana/Phonogram, UK | United Kingdom | 14:01 | 4 |
|
The Lilac Time | You've Got To Love | 1988 | 7 inch | LILAC 3 (Int. 870 594-7) | Fontana/Phonogram, UK | United Kingdom | 08:23 | 2 |
|
The Lilac Time | You've Got To Love | 1988 | 12 inch | LILAC 312 (Int. 870 594-1) | Fontana/Phonogram, UK | United Kingdom | 13:15 | 3 |
|
The Lilac Time | You've Got To Love | 1988 | 12 inch | LILAC 312 (Int. 870 594-1) | Fontana/Phonogram, UK | United Kingdom | 13:15 | 3 |
|
The Lilac Time | You've Got To Love | 1988 | 12 inch | LILAC 312 (Int. 870 594-1) | Fontana/Phonogram, UK | United Kingdom | 13:15 | 3 |
|
The Lilac Time | You've Got To Love | 1988 | CD single | LILCD 3 (Int. 870 594-2) | Fontana/Phonogram, UK | United Kingdom | 16:13 | 4 |
|
The Lilac Time | Black Velvet | 1988 | 7 inch | LILAC 4 (Int. 872 240-7) | Fontana/Phonogram, UK | United Kingdom | 05:34 | 2 |
|
The Lilac Time | Black Velvet | 1988 | 7 inch | LILXM 4 (Int. 872 474-7) | Fontana/Phonogram, UK | United Kingdom | 05:34 | 2 |
|
The Lilac Time | Black Velvet | 1988 | 12 inch | LILAC 412 (Int. 872 241-1) | Fontana/Phonogram, UK | United Kingdom | 08:34 | 3 |
|
The Lilac Time | Black Velvet | 1988 | CD single | LILCD 4 (Int. 872 241-2) | Fontana/Phonogram, UK | United Kingdom | 12:47 | 4 |