When I first heard that Heavenly would be playing their first shows in 28 years(!!) in May, I pounced on the opportunity to see one of the most important musical loves of my life. Not only will I get to see them once, but my greedy ass is going to BOTH their shows with my SisMiss Crys! I like to think my introducing the band to her during her formative high school years had as much an impact on her as they did on me!
The show announcement comes along with other exciting news...the reissues of all four Heavenly albums!
Releasing this Friday, we have their debut "Heavenly vs. Satan".
Originally released in 1991, I'd say their debut is their most jangly, most twee, and most similar to Talula Gosh, the band from whose ashes Heavenly arose. From the opening track, "Cool Guitar Boy" (one of my faves!), you're given a heavy dose of what's to come, quick-paced, energetic, poppy goodness! The faint whistling in "Lemonhead Boy" is one of the most quietly infectious whistles in pop! "Shallow" is undeniably one of their greatest tracks and a staple on many of my college mix-CDs! The greatness doesn't stop there! The speedy "It's You" is a head-bopping 2 1/2 minutes of sing-a-long joy!
The re-issue will also feature Heavenly's first two 1990 singles on the much-beloved Sarah Records with their respective B-sides. The first single "I Fell in Love Last Night" is a pure indie pop classic and perfect introduction to the band, while single #2 "Our Love Is Heavenly" is the most fitting theme song a band could have!
I've featured both videos below and below that, the official press release for the re-issue!
I'm beyond happy for these re-issues, over the moon for their shows in May, and feeling absolutely heavenly to be able to share all this magic with you!
HEAVENLY TO PLAY FIRST SHOW IN 28 YEARS
Heavenly released four albums in the early 1990s. The vinyl is hard to obtain these days, so Skep Wax are going to re-issue all four of them over a two year period. The albums will include a 7” booklet with lyrics and new sleeve notes by the members of the band.
The band will also play one-off show at Bush Hall, London on 20 May 2023. The first for 28 years! Rob, Pete, Cathy and Amelia will be joined by their friend Ian Button on drums.
ABOUT HEAVENLY
Heavenly were one of the pioneers of indiepop. Formed from the smouldering ashes of Talulah Gosh in Oxford in 1989, they retained their energy and attitude and used it to fuel catchy, infectious pop melodies. The influence of 60s girl groups was never far from the surface. This was girl-pop, but with the girls in control. Loved by many but derided as ‘twee’ by some, Heavenly ignored the increasingly macho environment of the contemporary UK scene and forged a separate path, along with other bands on the Sarah Records label.
Later, having co-released their albums on K Records in Olympia, Heavenly toured the US, hooking up with bands in the embryonic riot grrrl scene. Heavenly’s quiet feminism became louder and more articulate, and the hostility of the UK music press less relevant. The indie-punk-twee scene was parting company with the fake-indie of the big labels and their lad-rock bands. Back on home turf, Heavenly invited Bratmobile to tour with them and helped import the sound and politics of the riot grrrl movement to the UK.
Heavenly came to an abrupt and tragic end when drummer Mathew Fletcher took his own life in 1996. After a year’s hiatus, the group reformed as the short-lived Marine Research, before going their separate ways musically. Amelia Fletcher and Rob Pursey currently play in The Catenary Wires and Swansea Sound. Peter Momtchiloff plays in Would-Be-Goods and Tufthunter.
The first album ‘Heavenly vs Satan’ will be released in November 2022. ‘Le Jardin de Heavenly’ will follow in early summer 2023. ‘The Decline and Fall of Heavenly’ and ‘Operation Heavenly’ will arrive in 2024. Special edition T-shirts will go on sale alongside each album.
ABOUT HEAVENLY vs SATAN (SKEPWAX 008)
Recorded in the Oxfordshire countryside, the first Heavenly album was a bid to make a pure pop record. The punk noise of Talulah Gosh had exploded and expired. Amelia had had a go at making a disco hit (‘Can You Keep A Secret’, subsequently released on Fierce Recordings), which was fun, but wasn’t going to trouble the charts. Unbothered by critical or popular reactions, the new band decided to immerse themselves in the creation of a sweet, tuneful pop record.
It’s true that the punk influences aren’t hard to discern (Mathew’s favourite band was The Ramones), but it’s Pete’s elegant guitar and Amelia’s melodies and multi-layered harmonies that win out on these recordings. When Heavenly played live it was a different story: the band was driven by Mathew’s and Rob’s energetic rhythm section, and the guitar amps were turned up. Mathew refused to play ‘Shallow’ - possibly the most popular track on the album – as it was too slow for his tastes. Audiences often complained, demanding a performance of their favourite song. Mathew gave in with a smile, but made sure the band played it at top speed.
The eight-track album was released as CD, LP and cassette by Sarah Records in 1991. Subsequent versions included a Danceteria LP and cassette (France), a Quattro CD (Japan) and a CD by K Records (US). These versions included various additional tracks from early 7” releases.
The Skep Wax re-issue of ‘Heavenly vs Satan’ includes Heavenly’s first two Sarah Records singles – ‘I Fell In Love Last Night/Over And Over’ and ‘Our Love Is Heavenly/Wrap My Arms Around Him’.
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IG/T: @heavenlyindie
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