On 28th January 2022, Demon Music Group will release a box set of Bernard Butler’s debut solo album, People Move On including a newly re-vocalled 2021 version of the entire album. A number 11 album on the UK Chart upon its release, People Move On was awarded four stars in The Guardian, Q and Uncut magazines.
In 1997 Bernard Butler signed to Creation Records. What was to become his debut solo album was, recorded throughout spring and summer of that year in RAK and Air Studios.
Pushing himself to his creative limit, as well as writing all the songs, Butler produced the album and played all the instruments, except the drums, by Makoto Sakamoto. The late, great vocalist Denise Johnson sang backing vocals on four of the albums outstanding songs – opener ‘Woman I Know’, ‘People Move On’, ‘Autograph’ and first single ‘Stay’ – and Edwyn Collins appears on ‘Not Alone’.
The resulting album, People Move On, is an ambitious tour de force, rooted in Butler’s exceptional guitar playing, a rich melodicism and warmth all steeped in pop and rock classicism.
In addition to a remastered version, most interestingly the CD box set feature a version of the entire album and b-sides which Butler has completely re-vocalled. Never entirely settled with the original rushed vocals, Butler has chosen to re-imagine the set with freshly recorded vocals bringing experience and a mature perspective on the original recording. The new vocal delivery was recorded by a half century man in constant artistic flux and the result of that should be most obvious; freed to recite words from memory and adjust to please, occasionally carving new melodies, completed with a new sonic blueprint. In the case of ‘I’m Tired’, no instrumental existed and so here is a new one-take performance. In addition, the odd solo of extra guitar for the ‘spotters.
Released in January 1998, the epic first single ’Stay’ acts as the perfect introduction to the sound confirmed by the guitar-drenched ‘You Just Know’, full of Butler’s distinctive glam-riffs and soloing style, and the emotive and life-affirming, string and guitar-driven ‘Not Alone’.
Clocking in at almost eight minutes, album opener ‘Woman I know’ is an exquisite, bold cinematic statement, an unshackling of Butler’s past, with its beautiful guitar tones and bluesy phrasing. Solitude, flux, resilience, the reluctance to be still are carved as the evolving lyrical themes captured on such songs as the elegiac title track, the delicately, acoustic-picked ‘You Light The Fire’, and ‘You’ve Got What It Takes’.
People Move On is an extraordinary debut from one of the greatest musicians of his generation. It’s breadth and scope, ambition and elegance make it a classic of the era.
The 2021 Special Edition is available as a 4CD box set, in a media book, and as a 2 LP set.
The third disc features all the B-sides, with both the original recordings and new vocal recordings. The fourth and final disc consists of five demo recordings from December 1997, a live acoustic set of three songs recorded Upstairs at The Garage in London, March 1998, and six string sessions.
In addition to new vocal recordings, Butler has also taken this opportunity to update the album cover and photo artwork for the 2LP set. The original album photo shoot – a recording session at RAK Studios captured by the legendary Jill Furmanovsky – was shelved by the record company. The updated artwork features Furmanovsky’s black and white photos of Butler absorbed and at work in the studio, which Butler feels capture the essence of where he was truly at as an artist at the time.
Bernard Butler has since co-written, produced or collaborated live and on records for the late great Bert Jansch, Sam Lee, Duffy Kate Nash, James Morrison, Mark Eitzel, Paloma Faith, Ben Watt and Teleman. He is an award-winning producer, having won the Producer’s Award at the BRIT Awards, and the Music Managers Forum Awards’ Producer of the Year and a Grammy for Duffy’s eight million selling debut Rockferry.
4CD Tracklist:
DISC 1: People Move On
1. Woman I Know
2. You Just Know
3. People Move On
4. A Change Of Heart
5. Autograph
6. You Light The Fire
7. Not Alone
8. When You Grow
9. You’ve Got What It Takes
10. Stay
11. In Vain
12. I’m Tired
Disc 2: People Move On [2021 Vocals]
1. Woman I Know
2. You Just Know
3. People Move On
4. A Change Of Heart
5. Autograph
6. You Light The Fire
7. Not Alone
8. When You Grow
9. You’ve Got What It Takes
10. Stay
11. In Vain
12. I’m Tired
Disc 3:
B-Sides
1. Hotel Splendide
2. The Sea
3. Bye Bye
4. It’s Alright
5. My Domain
6. More Than I Thought
B-Sides [2021 Vocals]
7. Hotel Splendide
8. The Sea
9. Bye Bye
10. Bye Bye (Marrakesh)
11. It’s Alright
12. My Domain
13. More Than I Thought
Disc 4:
Domfront Demos
1. Woman I Know
2. In Vain
3. You’ve Got What It Takes
4. Bye Bye
5. Friends & Lovers
Benwell Road Rehearsal
6. People Move On
7. You Just Know
8. Autograph
Upstairs At The Garage
9. People Move On
10. Stay
11. I’m Tired
String Sessions
12. Woman I Know
13. When You Grow
14. A Change Of Heart
15. A Change Of Heart (Bollywood)
16. Not Alone
17. Not Alone (Psycho)
18. The Sea
2LP: People Move On [2021 Vocals]
Side A
1. Woman I Know
2. You Just Know
3. People Move On
Side B
1. A Change Of Heart
2. Autograph
3. You Light The Fire
Side C
1. Not Alone
2. When You Grow
4. You’ve Got What It Takes
Side D
1. Stay
2. In Vain
3. I’m Tired
To celebrate the release, on 28th January Bernard Butler will be in conversation, play live and do a signing at London’s Rough Trade East. Tickets are available now.
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