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Stephen Duffy / I Love My Friends deluxe vinyl and CD reissue

By Paul Sinclair

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Stephen Duffy / I Love My Friends deluxe vinyl and CD reissue

LP+7″ • 2CD set includes unreleased demos • SIGNED sets available

Stephen Duffy‘s 1997 album I Love My Friends will be reissued in May by Pete Paphides’ new label Needle Mythology on vinyl and double CD.

The Stephen Street-produced album is remastered and revised, with this new edition restoring Duffy’s original track listing and running order which was compromised at the time courtesy of label interference.

The two Andy Partridge-produced songs that were grafted onto the album fairly late in the day (‘You Are’ and ‘What If I Fall In Love With You’) are demoted to a seven-inch single (included with the new vinyl LP) to allow room for ‘Mao Badge’ and ‘In The Evening Of Her Day’.

A two-CD edition of the album appends ‘You Are’ and ‘What If I Fall In Love With You’ as bonus tracks and includes Blown Away: Selected Demos Volume 1 – a bonus CD of 12 demos – almost all of them previously unreleased.

1980’s pop fans remember Stephen Duffy (then Stephen ‘Tin Tin’ Duffy) for his song ‘Kiss Me’, which was a sizeable hit (third time of asking) in 1985. After a couple of albums and one more hit of note (‘Icing On The Cake’) Duffy went in a different direction forming folk-rock band The Lilac Time, with his brother Nick. In the early nineties Duffy resumed his solo aspirations and would release three strong pop/rock albums that spanned the beginning, middle and end of the Britpop period. I Love My Friends was the third in that series. The following decade would see Stephen collaborate with Robbie Williams, co-writing and co-producing his 2005 album Intensive Care and acting as musical director for one of his world tours.

The 2CD edition of ‘I Love My Friends’ features a disc of demos

For the 2019 reissue, I Love My Friends is presented as a gatefold vinyl package, with the album pressed onto 180g black vinyl. It comes with the bonus, two-track, seven-inch single. It features new artwork overseen by Duffy and designer James Gosling and sleeve notes from Stephen Duffy himself. Full lyrics for all the songs are included on the printed inner sleeve.

The CD edition is packaged as a ‘mini-LP CD’ vinyl replica and it should be noted that the demos on the 2CD set will not be available on any streaming platforms.

The vinyl LP+7″ and 2CD sets are released on 10 May 2019. Note that the vinyl doesn’t include a download code. A limited number of SIGNED editions of both formats are exclusive to the SDE shop. Order via this  link or simply use the buttons below. Ian Broudie’s 2004 solo album ‘Tales Told’ gets the same treatment.

I Love My Friends deluxe LP + 7″ single

Side A
1. Tune In
2. The Deal
3. Eucharist
4. Mao Badge
5. Lovers’ Beware
6. In The Evening Of Her Day

Side B
1. Holding Hands With Grace
2. The Postcard
3. Seventeen
4. Twenty Three
5. Autopsy
6. She Belongs To All
7. One Day One Of These Fucks Will Change Your Life

7″ single

Side A / You Are

Side B / What If I Fell In Love With You

I Love My Friends 2CD edition

CD 1 / The album as originally conceived

1. Tune In
2. The Deal
3. Eucharist
4. Mao Badge
5. Lovers’ Beware
6. In The Evening Of Her Day
7. Holding Hands With Grace
8. The Postcard
9. Seventeen
10. Twenty Three
11. Autopsy
12. She Belongs To All
13. One Day One Of These Fucks Will Change Your Life

Bonus tracks

14. You Are
15. What If I Fell In Love With You

CD 2 /  Blown Away: Selected Demos Volume 1

1. Night Thoughts
2. Blown Away
3. The Whole Earth Singing
4. C’est La Vie, C’est La Guerre
5. Go
6. Suburban Symphony
7. Another Golden Shot
8. The Waitresses Story
9. An Ear For Silent Voices
10. The Girl Of The Year
11. Lupin
12. We Continue For Australasia

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63 Comments

63 thoughts on “Stephen Duffy / I Love My Friends deluxe vinyl and CD reissue”

  1. Pingback: The Lilac Time / Return to Us | superdeluxeedition

  2. Thank you for the reissue!
    Can’t wait to spin You Are at my next set.
    For now….the sound fills the house with pure perfection and matches the window’s view.
    Here’s hoping Looking for the Day, Lilac 6, Keep Going & Runout Groove
    get reissued in vinyl. Stoked for Return to Us.
    The poetic song of Duffy & Lilac color life terrific—thank you for songs with heart
    whatever it takes to make it through. We’re grateful.

  3. Pingback: Friends reunited: Stephen Duffy speaks to SDE about his new reissue | superdeluxeedition

  4. My copy turned up today and what a thing of beauty it is. If anyone reads this belated post then do not hesitate, Needle Mythology have done a fabulous job with this re-issue.
    It’s rather wonderful to see my old mate Dermot James get a name-check on the cover too. Thanks for everything Dermie, you were always a star…..

  5. Pingback: Ian Broudie / Tales Told reissue | superdeluxeedition

  6. Stephen would be a perfect SDE interviewee – so much to talk about with his beginnings in Duran Duran, the 80s “pop” years, The Lilac Time, solo projects, and even the collaboration with Robbie Williams! What are the chances Paul?

  7. Gosh this will be the third copy/version of this album in my collection as I have a copy of the Indolent and Cooking Vinyl copies of the same name.

    Still looking forward to this release with all the added goodies!

  8. Just ordered! Been a fan since the beginning of time. While I’m here…. Astronauts is in desperate need of a remaster and a Super Deluxe Edition would be the right place for it to be re-released.

  9. Stephen’s website states that The Lilac Time’s long delayed new album “Return To Us” will be released in August. Joy! Now, how about a release of the “Memory & Desire” documentary that I have been waiting to see for a decade? Please?

  10. The “Blown Away: Selected Demos Volume 1” collection on the second CD looks intriguing; not least the “Volume 1” suffix, suggesting a treasure trove of demos may be unveiled over a succession of releases. The track listing for volume 1 also captures the imagination:

    1) “Night Thoughts”, “Blown Away”, “The Whole Earth Singing”, “Go”, “Another Golden Shot”, “Lupin” and “We Continue For Australasia” are all new to me and don’t obviously appear to reference any lyrics from Duffy’s back catalogue.

    2) “C’est La Vie, C’est La Guerre” was a b-side of 1993 single “Natalie”. A demo version of this song has previously been released as part of the 1998 Japanese expanded reissue of The Lilac Time’s “Astronauts”, renamed “Astronauts+”. I suspect this latter version will be the same as that included on “Blown Away”.

    3) “Suburban Symphony” was included on the 2003 various artist compilation “The Wish List”, celebrating 50 years of the Multiple Sclerosis Society, and is credited to Stephen Duffy & The Lilac Time. I suspect this version may differ to that on “Blown Away”.

    4) Both “The Waitresses Story” and “The Girl Of The Year” were b-sides to 1995 single “London Girls”. I suspect these versions will differ to those on “Blown Away”.

    5) “An Ear For Silent Voices” was included on the aforementioned “Astronauts+”. The recording is fairly sparse, and I suspect this version will be the same as that on “Blown Away”.

    1. I WOULD BE SOOOOOOO HAPPPY WITH A HUGE CD SINGLE OF ‘HOLD IT’ AND AFFICLIATED B-SIDES, with ‘Joad/ETC……IT BLEW MY MIND…..TO ME?…MASTERICE….”keys and loose change jangle”…….

    2. So, I digress; ( red wine II): I lived in sub-urban Dartmouth, Nova Scotia and the Banook canoe Club were having a dance and it was a hot-summer-night and they were grooving to Huey Lews/Madonna and Christine Scott had her big Fun Boy Three Cello hair at the New Sound and I’d bought TinTin’s Hold It and was freaked=out by it’s production…….for a few minutes Hold It held it’s urban New Y9rk place in sound/grass uknown….it was Space-in-Time.

    3. Hello Gazelle,

      1) ‘Night Thoughts’ and ‘We Continue For Australasia’ are short spoken word pieces taken from vintage BBC radio broadcasts.

      2) The version of ‘C’est La Vie, C’est La Guerre’ is different to the those on Natalie and Astronauts+.

      3) The Blown Away version of ‘Suburban Symphony’ is an unreleased alternate mix.

      4) Both ‘The Waitress’ Story’ and ‘The Girl Of The Year’ are previously unheard versions.

      5) ‘An Ear For Silent Voices’ is indeed the same version as on Astronauts+.

      Hope that helps.

  14. PLEASE, can we get vinyl reissues of Music in Colors and Duffy record too? Duffy in orange vinyl and Music in Colors in pink or teal vinyl. We a second vinyl record for both albums
    with b-sides and outtakes??

  17. So just for clarification
    4. Mao Badge
    6. In The Evening Of Her Day
    7. Holding Hands With Grace
    Are new to this Reissue, while the two Andy partridge tracks were moved to “extras” status, and Something Good is MIA altogether. Was that track also not intended to be part of the original album too?

    1. Maybe the lyrics in the first verse of Something Good seem a bit dated or insensitive now.

      It could fit in on the Me Me Me reissue. (Suggestion.) We’ve been waiting a while for the rumored second single “Proper Girls.” Of course, “Hanging Around” with vocals only by Stephen was one of the deleted “17” CD single b-sides–not included in this ILMF edition.

      1. Hello John,

        Proper Girls never made it to a final master recording sadly. I worked for Indolent at the time and the vocalist on the single was to be a then 16 year old Sophie Ellis Bextor and whilst she came into the office (in school uniform) her vocals were never recorded. The only version that exists is a demo featuring Alex James’s then girlfriend Justine.

        The Stephen only version of Hanging Around (which replaced the still unreleased track ‘Hard For Her’ on the 17 single) will not be making a reappearance any time soon.

        ‘Something Good’ was always seen as a bit of a weak link on the album and that’s why it’s no longer there, by the way the ‘Oi’ on that track was Stephen’s A&R man and founder of Indolent, Ben Wardle.

        1. Thanks, Julian, these are some fun facts! I would still love to hear all bits and bobs in whatever form. At first I was thinking, oh, would those be Elastica vocals on that demo, but that must have been another Justine associated with the other Blur fellow. ;) And of course the model on the 17 CD singles might as well be Sophie Ellis Bextor, dead ringer almost.

          Wait, I have heard Hard for Her! It escaped into the wild on the US and Japan versions of Looking for a Day in the Night and the CD single of Dream that We All Share.

  18. Ordered both, and can not wait.
    And Seconded re Cocksure/Because we Love You, which is one of my favourite records of all time.
    Oh, this day has gone from a grim grey midweek one to one with a lot more to look forward to. Thanks.

  20. This was in instant, mandatory purchase! I only have the withdrawn CD and a handful of the CD singles, including a Canadian “You Are” EP found in Toronto. I was just wondering when and where I might get the 3xCD “17” singles and their B-sides and it looks like I will still have to wait more years until I can track them down. In the meantime, I can hear a radically different version of one of my go-to Duffy albums.

  21. This is as exciting as it is unexpected. Stephen Duffy is a genius and I’m so glad he finally got to make some decent money from his time writing for Mr Williams. I shall be ordering despite the fact that I already have the original Cooking Vinyl issue as well as the reissue with extra tracks. Calling the label Needle Mythology is just the “icing on the cake” for a lifelong (well since I first heard Return To Yesterday in 1988) SAJD fan. I agree with Chris Squires that the track listing is very interesting with songs I’ve never heard coupled with the possibilities of alternates demo versions of songs I know and love has really made my day. Despite being in the business in the 90s and picking up numerous promos (for example, I have a cassette for Indolent’s abandoned 17 release with its assorted b-sides) I never knew the Partridge produced songs were late additions, nor that In The Evening Of Her Day was meant to be on the album. It does explain a great deal as I could never fathom how such a beautiful song (and an expensive one to record given the use of strings) could have been tucked away on a b-side. I just assumed it was just Stephen being Stephen – his b-sides were always fabulous, like the Smiths and even Suede. Hopefully, we’ll see more Duffy related reissues as well as the new album Lilacs’ album Return To Us sooner than later…

  22. Ordered the CD for the demos, cheers Paul. I have the original vinyl too. I love all of Stephen Duffy’s work, including a couple of things he did with Robbie Williams (The Trouble With Me is sublime). I’m guessing that’s why he can afford to be a hermit these days :)

  23. Ordered – many thanks Paul.

    Somewhat disappointed about the rearrangement of the tracks as:
    1 – I’m a big fan of XTC/Andy Partridge
    2 – The displaced tracks are actually very good.

    Still it’s Stephen Duffy so it’s a must-buy!

    I would love to see a reissue of Music in Colours, the album he did with Nigel Kennedy. A somewhat odd collaboration, some would say, but it works very well (and worth the entry-price for ‘Holte End Hotel’ alone).

    Thanks again Paul.

          1. In the realms of – “You wouldn’t believe it” on our Honeymoon we were on a transatlantic flight to the USA on Virgin. To relieve the boredom I tuned in to the on-board video system in the headrest and there was a music section with a repeating programme of about 12 music videos lasting 45 minutes. One of the videos was Natalie. A failed track from a forgotten artist and there he was on the in flight entertainment. It was, at that point in 1995, the first time I had seen the video for it. So I watched it every 45 minutes for about 6 hours.

  26. For the sake of pedantry I just wanted to point out that “Holding hands with Grace” has also been added to the album – previously one of the b-sides of the “17” single.

  27. Absolutely LOVE Stephen Duffy. Thrilled that this album is being remastered. Disappointed that all the B-Sides of the era are not included. Sad that the brilliant “You Are” has been relegated to red-headed stepchild status.

    2. As I may incorrectly recall, “You Are” was played twice at the Hamburg show in 1998, possibly in an effort to get a good live take of one of them (which could have been ruined by overzealous rhythmic hand clapping from one member of the audience, allegedly), so there may have been some desire for promotion of the tune.

  28. Wonderful news and a great album. I understand the relegation of the Andy Partridge songs but honestly those are pretty great tunes too so I shall sadly miss them in the “official” tracklisting. At least we get a 7″. Thanks for the info!

    Now if we could just get some of the Lightning Seeds’ albums reissued. I particularly want Jollification and Dizzy Heights. Tales Told is rather ho hum really…

  30. Hi Paul,
    How limited are the limited signed editions. I mention it because I’ve long learned the hard way (Mobile Fidelity opeen up your ears) that the so-called limited editions are not so limited in the end. Any ideas?

    Thanks from sunny Spain.

  31. Lovely. Just going to stand up for You Are though – it may have been the result of label interference but for anyone who hasn’t heard it it’s actually a rather good song.

  33. Rather like waiting for the Number 51 bus, you wait 1,503 days for an article on Stephen Duffy and two come along at once. (yes it is 1,503 days since “No Sad Songs” – unbelievable.

    Equally nice is when something long hoped for, and posted about in the SDE New Year post about the year ahead, actually happens.

    Another thing mentioned in the same New Year post was the possible release of “Cocksure” the difficult second album that was butchered by Virgin into “Because We Love You” and even though it wasn’t as Stephen wanted it is still one of my favourites (Julie Christie – yikes, such beauty). Now……. fingers crossed. If Pete has an idea of other albums he would like to see happen maybe Cocksure is one of them because it was mentioned in various articles about being re-issued with Stephen’s original vision restored…..just like this version of I Love My Friends. The only problem with that is that BWLY exists on Vinyl whereas the stated aim of Needle Mythology is to release albums that don’t pre-exist on vinyl. Make an exception Pete.

    That’s it, I’m done, too much heaven. I can safely recharge knowing I have at least another 1,000 days before another SAJD happening.

    1. Chris – I’m guessing y0u know about the upcoming new album and that he’s busy writing his memoirs? There’s even been rumours of some shows.

      I’m just hoping they don’t go on to release all his albums on vinyl again, cos I no longer have a turntable and I am resisting getting one, because I’m not re-buying stuff I already own for the 4th/5th/6th time! Anyway, since my spinal cord surgery I’m too clumsy for vinyl. But, of course, if the Duffy catalogue is reissued on vinyl I’ll buy them anyway, even if they aren’t going to get played.

  35. Oh no, I already commented on the Needle Mythology thread, so can’t repeat myself here!

    Just happy to get anything from the illustrious Mr Duffy. He’a quite the hermit these days, or so it seems to me. Thanks Paul, too, for the info and everything!

  36. I thought the second disc would be B sides from the 17 and You Are CD singles. There are a ton of these and I’m still missing a couple of the 17 singles (it came out in 4 parts I think).

  37. I’ve already got several different versions of this album, as I’m a Duffy completist, so soon I’ll have two more! Thanks for this one Paul. Really looking forward to hearing the demos, cos there are a few titles there I don’t recognise. We’ve also got a new Lilac Time album to look forward to soon, and hopefully some live appearances, as well as an autobiography in the works, so a good year for Duffy fans.

    1. Hi Paul, as you probably know there were some pretty definitive boots made back in the day and some of the names here have totally taken me by surprise. I stumbled across Suburban Symphony as some kind soul sent me a CD-R copy of it back in about 2000/2001. It’ll also be interesting to see if there are any differences in these “demo” versions of song titles we already know, The Waitresses Story for instance, would it be too much to ask if this was an alternate version to what appeared on London Girls (1995) or as Japanese Bonus tracks in 2002 or the UK Re-issue in 2005? “Demo” would suggest “early version” and a version was released as early as 1995.

      C’est La Vie, C’est La Guerre goes back to the Natalie single in 1993! So that delves back even further to Music in Colors.

      There is such cross pollination of b-sides and Bonus tracks between the Duffy period (1995) and ILMF (1997 /8) that my guess is the known names will be the known versions. In the words of Sir Kevin of Keegan “I would love it if I was wrong, absolutely, Love it”

      1. I think Suburban Symphony is on one of those Cooking Vinyl samplers or one of those charity compilations that he popped up on. I’ve certainly got it on CD, but the cupboard it’s in is at the other side of the room and I’m too jiggered to get up and look after shooting some footballs at the boy in the back garden (he’s decided he wants to be a goalkeeper despite being a) too small and, most crucially b) scared of the ball!). I’m too old and knackered to be playing football.

      2. (i’m working with Stephen and Pete on these releases, both The Waitress’ Story and C’est La Vie on Blown Away are different to the ones that were released and Cocksure is ready it’s just a matter of figuring out how best to release it.

        1. Stop it, I can’t take any more!

          So in effect, not only are we getting a re-mastered, re-jigged album but pretty much a whole ‘nother album we haven’t heard before. Not just straight b-sides (brilliant though they are.)

          As Dav and Gazelle noted above I hadn’t even noticed the further swap out of Something Good for Holding Hands with Grace (call yourself a fan – pah!).

          Pete, Julian, Paul and of course Stephen. Thank you for getting this done, really it would have been easier to sit on your hands but you have seen something amiss and done something about it. Much, much Kudos. 2019 hasn’t all gone to shit after all….

          Cocksure is done? On CD and Vinyl please, miss nothing out and make a full vinyl set even if it is 4LPs. Inversions, Diversions, Dixie versions made just to piss Virgin off, Carry on versions, Reversions the whole bloomin’ shooting match please. Oh, and don’t miss out The Disenchanted.

          4LPs £50 – £55 done! Nitzer Ebb did it for £35. Spend the extra £15 on a lovely period book (let).

          Also, whilst I have you, take a look at the Heaven 17 box. A 10 CD / DVD / BD set encompassing TUAD, BWLY, Music in Colors, Duffy and ILMF and all available b-sides and demos would be quite nice. Going right back to 1 year post Kiss Me US Remix / Bob Lamb version lull of The Olympic mix of Baby Impossible and the proper She Loves Me / She Loves It.

          Is that too much to ask?

          I am not sure Stephen has ever been sure about how much he has been respected and loved these last 35 years. He should be in no doubt.

  38. Ordered, thank you Paul, Stephen Duffy is a genius. Glad to see this gem getting the Deluxe Edition. I hope an interview is to follow as well as the new Lilac Time. Does Blown Away: Selected Demos Volume 1 mean that Volumes 2 and 3 are to come?!

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