MANSUN Announce ‘Closed For Business’ 25th anniversary deluxe box set – Out 27th November 2020

MANSUN Announce ‘Closed For Business’ 25th anniversary deluxe box set - Out 27th November 2020 1

To mark the 25th anniversary of the band, Mansun has announced details of a comprehensive 25 disc deluxe box set which collects together everything they ever recorded. Released on Friday 27th November 2020 on KScope, the box contains remasters of their four original studio albums, single edits and B-sides, radio sessions and ten live discs including BBC broadcasts, demos, rarities and outtakes and a DVD featuring a live film from Brixton Academy, all BBC performances and the ‘Nobody Cares When You’re Gone’ documentary.

The box additionally includes a 160-page hardback book written by renowned music journalist Peter Doggett featuring newly discovered photos from fans and photographers around the world, a 112-page book documenting the official fanzines ‘Smelling The Roses, ‘Take It Easy’ & ‘Cult Of Positivity’, a 48-page studio book cataloguing newly discovers archival ephemera, 5 x12” art prints, 4 postcards and a handwritten ‘Closed For Business’ lyric sheet signed by Paul Draper.

The box follows the recent KScope re-issues of their first two albums, 1997’s Attack Of The Grey Lantern and its 1998 follow-up, Six. One of Britain’s most inventive and controversial band, Mansun emerged at the height of the Britpop movement, but quickly demonstrated an eclecticism and spiky intelligence that marked them out from their peers. Their astonishing work-rate and fearless ambition resulted in a torrent of remarkable records between 1995 and 2000 and attracted a committed fanbase that remains loyal to this day.

Listen to the unreleased studio version of ‘Grey Lantern’ – BELOW:

Mansun was the brainchild of Paul Draper, a prodigal songwriter and multi-instrumentalist based in Chester. Never an easy fit with the London music industry, they made their debut in 1995 with ‘Take It Easy Chicken’. This was a genuinely independent single: ‘we put the records in the sleeves ourselves’, Draper recalls. It caught the ear of Radio 1 legend John Peel, and by the end of the year, Mansun were being tipped for national success.

In 1996, they were signed by the Beatles’ old label, Parlophone, who issued the first of Mansun’s trademark series of EPs. These became a showcase for Draper’s unique pop vision, which combined the innate melodic genius of the Beatles with punky energy and a rhythmic foundation built on Draper’s love of hip-hop and dance music. Summer festival dates and an exhausting touring schedule helped to kick-start a run of 15 consecutive Top 40 singles.

Despite their growing acclaim, the chart-topping success of their 1997 LP, Attack of the Grey Lantern, took everyone but the band by surprise. Few acts had ever dared to create a debut album this expansive and imaginative. But Draper and Mansun were only just getting started. In 1998, they unveiled Six, an album that eschewed easy commercial acceptance in favour of an epic landscape of musical adventurism and philosophical speculation. As Draper explained at the time, ‘The worst thing you can do is play safe’.

The strain of creating two of the best British rock albums of all time within eighteen months inevitably took its toll. The making of their more orthodox 2000 album, Little Kix, was racked by internal dissension, and Mansun effectively parted company for a year after its release. They returned for one more UK tour in 2002 but then disintegrated. Tracks from their last sessions were retrieved for the posthumous compilation Kleptomania, issued in 2004.

Mansun

Closed For Business finally reveals the full scope of Mansun’s brief, tumultuous career. It brings together their original albums, the dozens of overlooked gems featured on their EPs, several discs of unissued demos and studio out-takes, BBC radio sessions, and full-length concert recordings. Paul Draper has also opened his archives to provide the raw material for the set’s unmatched collection of Mansun memorabilia, which includes handwritten lyric sheets for many of his finest songs. This box set finally does full justice to the vision of a band whose almost reckless disregard for the rules of the game reaped magnificent rewards.

MANSUN CLOSED FOR BUSINESS BOX SET – 25 DISCS

ATTACK OF THE GREY LANTERN

The Chad Who Loved Me
Mansun’s Only Love Song
Taxloss
You, Who Do You Hate?
Wide Open Space
Stripper Vicar
Disgusting
She Makes My Nose Bleed
Naked Twister
Egg Shaped Fred
Dark Mavis / An Open Letter To The Lyrical Trainspotter

SIX

Six
Negative
Shotgun
Inverse Midas
Anti Everything
Fall Out
Serotonin
Cancer
Witness To A Murder (Part 2)
Television
Special / Blown It (Delete As Appropriate)
Legacy
Being A Girl

LITTLE KIX

Butterfly (A New Beginning)
I Can Only Disappoint U
Comes As No Surprise
Electric Man
Love Is
Soundtrack 4 2 Lovers
Forgive Me
Until The Next Life
Fool
We Are The Boys
Goodbye

KLEPTOMANIA

Getting Your Way
Slipping Away
Keep Telling Myself
Harris
Love Remains
Cry 2 My Face
No Signal/No Complaints
Home
Fragile
Wanted So Much
Good Intentions Heal The Soul
The Dog From Two Doors Down (Hidden track)

SINGLES, EPs, B-SIDES PART 1

Take It Easy Chicken (Manson single version)
Skin Up Pin Up
Flourella
Egg Shaped Fred
Ski-Jump Nose
Lemonade Secret Drinker
Thief
Drastic Sturgeon
The Greatest Pain
Moronica
Stripper Vicar
The Edge
The Duchess
An Open Letter To The Lyrical Trainspotter
No One Knows Us
Things Keep Falling Off Buildings

SINGLES, EPs, B-SIDES PART 2

Wide Open Space
Rebel Without A Quilt
Vision Impaired
The Gods Of Not Very Much
Moronica (Acoustic)
Lemonade Secret Drinker (Acoustic)
She Makes My Nose Bleed
The Most To Gain
The Holy Blood And The Holy Grail
Live Open Space
Drastic Sturgeon (Live)
She Makes My Nose Bleed (Acoustic)
Taxloss
Grey Lantern
The Impending Collapse Of It All
The Chad Who Loved Me / Ski Jump Nose (Live)
Wide Open Space (Acoustic)
Taxloss (Single Edit)

SINGLES, EPs, B-SIDES PART 3

Closed For Business
K.I.Double.S.I.N.G.
Everyone Must Win
The World’s Still Open
Dark Mavis (Acoustic)
Stripper Vicar (Live)
Legacy (Radio Edit)
Can’t Afford To Die
Spasm Of Identity
Check Under The Bed
GSOH
Face In The Crowd
Being A Girl (Part One)
Hideout
Railings
I Care
Been Here Before

SINGLES, EPs, B-SIDES PART 4

Negative (Edit)
When The Wind Blows
King Of Beauty
I Deserve What I Get
Take It Easy Chicken (Live)
Six (Single Version)
Church Of The Drive thru Elvis
But The Trains Run On Time
What It’s Like To Be Hated
Being A Girl (Parts One & Two) [Live]
I Can OnlyDisappoint U (Single Edit)
Decisions, Decisions
Repair Man
My Idea Of Fun
Golden Stone

SINGLES, EPs, B-SIDES PART 5

Electric Man (Single Edit)
The Drifters
The Apartment
Electric Man (Acoustic)
Fool (Edit)
I’ve Seen The Top Of The Mountain
Promises
Fade In Time
Black Infinite Space

Mansun

TRIPLE J, LIVE AT THE WIRELESS, SYDNEY, 1/4/97

The Chad Who Loved Me
Ski Jump Nose
Open Letter To The Lyrical Trainspotter
Ski Jump Nose (Reprise)
Stripper Vicar
Mansun’s Only Love Song
Naked Twister
She Makes My Nose Bleed
Take It Easy Chicken

NYNEX ARENA, MANCHESTER – BBC RADIO ONE BROADCAST, 24/5/97

Stripper Vicar
Mansun’s Only Love Song
Taxloss
Naked Twister
Egg Shaped Fred
Wide Open Space
She Makes My Nose Bleed
Take It Easy Chicken

GLASGOW BARROWLANDS, 25/5/97

The Chad Who Loved Me
Stripper Vicar
Mansun’s Only Love Song
Taxloss
The Edge
Drastic Sturgeon
Naked Twister
Egg Shaped Fred
Wide Open Space
She Makes My Nose Bleed
Take It Easy Chicken

QUART FESTIVAL, KRISTIANSAND, NORWAY, 2/7/97

Stripper Vicar
Mansun’s Only Love Song
Taxloss
Naked Twister
Egg Shaped Fred
Take It Easy Chicken

GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL 27/6/98

Everyone Must Win
Stripper Vicar
Mansun’s Only Love Song
Shotgun
Drastic Sturgeon
Wide Open Space
She Makes My Nose Bleed
Take It Easy Chicken
Taxloss

BRIXTON ACADEMY, 23/10/98

Negative
Being a Girl
Stripper Vicar
Everyone Must Win
Special/Blown It (Delete as Appropriate)
Shotgun
Wide Open Space
Television
Mansun’s Only Love Song
Six
She Makes My Nose Bleed
Taxloss
The Chad Who Loved Me / Drastic Sturgeon
Legacy
Take It Easy Chicken

MARGATE WINTER GARDENS, 24/1/99

Negative
Being a Girl
Stripper Vicar
Everyone Must Win
Special/Blown It (Delete as Appropriate)
Shotgun
Wide Open Space
Television
Mansun’s Only Love Song
Six
She Makes My Nose Bleed
Taxloss
The Chad Who Loved Me
Drastic Sturgeon
Legacy
Take It Easy Chicken

READING FESTIVAL, RADIO ONE BROADCAST, 29/8/99

Take It Easy Chicken
Stripper Vicar
Drastic Sturgeon
Being a Girl
Special/Blown It (Delete As Appropriate)
Everyone Must Win
Six
Ski Jump Nose
Mansun’s Only Love Song
Wide Open Space
She Makes My Nose Bleed
Taxloss
V2000, 19/8/00
Being a Girl
Comes As No Surprise
Stripper Vicar
Special/Blown It (Delete As Appropriate)
Electric Man
Love Is
Wide Open Space
She Makes My Nose Bleed
Taxloss

ONE LIVE IN CARDIFF, RADIO ONE BROADCAST, LAMACQ LIVE, 23/10/00

I Can Only Disappoint U
Being a Girl
The Chad Who Loved Me
Stripper Vicar
Comes As No Surprise
Electric Man
Love Is
Wide Open Space
Taxloss
Fool
Legacy
Special / Blown It (Delete As Appropriate)
Everyone Must Win
She Makes My Nose Bleed
Take it Easy Chicken

RADIO SESSIONS

Mark Radcliffe Radio One Session, 20/11/95
Drastic Sturgeon
Naked Twister
She Makes My Nose Bleed
Peel Session, BBC Radio One, 24/3/96
The Chad Who Loved Me
Ski Jump Nose
Lemonade Secret Drinker
Egg Shaped Fred

BBC Radio One Session, 23/9/97
Everyone Must Win
K.I.Double.S.I.N.G.
The World’s Still Open
Lemonade Secret Drinker
Closed For Business

John Peel Special, BBC Maida Vale Studios, to celebrate 25 years of Festive 50, 19/12/00
Shot By Both Sides (sung by Chad)

DEMOS & RARITIES VOLUME ONE

Take It Easy Chicken (Unsigned Demo)
She Makes My Nose Bleed (Unsigned Demo)
Moronica (Unsigned Demo)
No One Knows Us (Demo)
Flourella (Demo)
Stripper Vicar (Demo)
Skin Up Pin Up (Demo)
Drastic Sturgeon (Demo)
Egg Shaped Fred (Demo)
Ski Jump Nose (Demo)
Things Keep Falling Off Buildings (Demo)
The Greatest Pain (Piano Take)
Naked Twister (Near Final)
Mansun’s Only Love Song (Full Length)

DEMOS & RARITIES VOLUME TWO

The Chad Who Loved Me (Near Final)
She Makes My Nose Bleed (Near Final)
Ski Jump Nose (Acoustic)
You, Who Do You Hate? (Demo)
Stripper Vicar (Parr St. Mix)
Closed For Business (Demo)
Anti-Everything (Extended Instrumental)
Grey Lantern (Alt Studio Version Take 2)
Television (Live)
Mansun’s Only Love Song
Taxloss (Live)
Everyone Must Win (Live)
Dark Mavis (Near Final)

DEMOS & RARITIES VOLUME THREE

Rock ‘n’ Roll Loser (Demo)
Watcher
An Open letter to a Lyrical Trainspotter (Take 2)
Way It Is (Demo)
The Impending Collapse Of It All (Demo)
She Makes My Nose Bleed (Unknown Acoustic)
Egg Shaped Fred (Acoustic)
Railings (Demo)
Promises (Demo)
Naked Twister (Unknown Acoustic)
South of the Painted Hall
The Drifters (Demo)
These Days
You, Who Do Hate? (Near Final)

DEMOS & RARITIES VOLUME FOUR

Things Keep Falling Off Bridges (Backing Track)
Flourella (Studio Monitor Mix)
The Greatest Pain (Alternative Mix)
Grey Lantern (Unreleased Studio Version)
Rebel Without A Quilt (Take 2)
I Wanted So Much
The Edge (Backing Track)
This Is My Home
Forgive Me (Demo)
Superstar (Demo)
Witness To A Murder (Part 1)
Chad’s Song (Guide)
King Of Beauty (Writing Session)

DVD

Brixton Academy (23/10/98) (80 mins)

Negative
Being a Girl
Stripper Vicar
Everyone Must Win
Special/Blown It (Delete as Appropriate)
Shotgun
Wide Open Space
Television
Mansun’s Only Love Song
Six
She Makes My Nose Bleed
Taxloss
The Chad Who Loved Me
Drastic Sturgeon
Legacy
Take It Easy Chicken

Top Of The Pops performances:

Wide Open Space (6/12/96)
She Makes My Nose Bleed (14/2/97)
Taxloss (9/5/97)
Closed For Business (17/10/97)
Legacy (10/7/98)
Being A Girl (4/9/98)
Six (12/2/99)
I Can Only Disappoint U (11/8/00)

Later With Jools Holland (14/6/97)

Wide Open Space
Mansun’s Only Love Song

Later With Jools Holland (21/10/00)

I Can Only Disappoint U
Electric Man
Isle of Man(sun)
Stripper Vicar

Xsnoize Author
Mark Millar is the founder of XS Noize and looks after the daily running of the website as well as hosting interviews for the weekly XS Noize Podcast. Mark's favourite album is Achtung Baby by U2.

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