Various Artists: Pillows & Prayers - Cherry Red Records 1982-1983, 40th Anniversary Vinyl Edition

• THE CLASSIC 1982 COMPILATION.

• RE-ISSUED ON VINYL FOR THE FIRST TIME TO CELEBRATE IT’S 40TH ANNIVERSARY.

• FEATURING EARLY 80S CHERRY RED FIGUREHEADS TRACEY THORN, THOMAS LEER, FELT, MARINE GIRLS, MONOCHROME SET, BEN WATT, EYELESS IN GAZA, ATTILA THE STOCKBROKER AND MORE.

Originally conceived as a simple label sampler by Cherry Red A&R man Mike Alway, ‘Pillows And Prayers’ quickly became both an iconic compilation and a must-have artefact of early 80s Thatcherite Britain.

Famously retailing at “No more than 99p”, the album provided an accessible gateway to both the Cherry Red label and the independent scene it was a part of. Ultimately, over 100,000 people took up the offer, found a pound from somewhere and became a part of something that resonated perfectly with its own time and place.

From the hesitant lo-fi of Marine Girls, through the ranting verse of Attila The Stockbroker and the delicate spoken word of Quentin Crisp to The Passage’s state-of-the-art synth pop, ‘Pillows And Prayers’ remains a fascinatingly eclectic brew, and something of a membership card to that world, standing alongside the NME’s ‘C86’ cassette as an 80s indie time capsule which remains relevant and in demand today.

Reissued on vinyl for the first time, and accompanied by a companion deluxe 3CD edition, ‘Pillows And Prayers’ continues to endure, and to invite new listeners.

Track Listing:

SIDE ONE
1 FIVE OR SIX - PORTRAIT
2 THE MONOCHROME SET - EINE SYMPHONIE DES GRAUENS
3 THOMAS LEER - ALL ABOUT YOU
4 TRACEY THORN - PLAIN SAILING
5 BEN WATT - SOME THINGS DON’T MATTER
6 KEVIN COYNE - LOVE IN YOUR HEART
7 PIERO MILESI - MODI 2 (EXTRACT)
8 JOE CROW - COMPULSION

SIDE TWO
1 MARINE GIRLS - LAZY WAYS
2 FELT - MY FACE IS ON FIRE
3 EYELESS IN GAZA - NO NOISE
4 THE PASSAGE - XOYO
5 EVERYTHING BUT THE GIRL - ON MY MIND
6 ATTILA THE STOCKBROKER - A BANG AND A WIMPY
7 THE MISUNDERSTOOD - I UNSEEN
8 THE NIGHTINGALES - DON’T BLINK
9 QUENTIN CRISP - STOP THE MUSIC FOR A MINUTE