Name: Eden (Half Speed Master)
Brand: Everything But The Girl

Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Catalogue number

EBTG001V

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Colour

Black

Colour details

Discogs ID

[r20229358]

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Format multiplier

Download code

Download code: No

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: No

Extended format

Extended format: No

Format detail

Format Music GB

Limited edition

Release date

2021-09-17

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Supplier GB

Proper

Tax rate GB

Standard:20

UPC / Barcode

5060516095865

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Total Cap

1 / Extended format: No / LP / Rough Trade Exclusive: No / Signed copies: No / black

Artist

Everything But The Girl

Genre GB

Label GB

Buzzin Fly Records

Buzzin Fly Records is a renowned Deep House and Electronic label founded by Ben Watt, known for his involvement in Everything But The Girl. Established in 2003, the label ceased releasing new music in April 2013 but continues to offer its impressive back catalogue for sale. While Buzzin Fly Records may have closed its doors to new releases, its sister label Strange Feeling Records remains active. With an open office and online shop, fans can still access and enjoy the incredible music from this influential label.

Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt are pioneers in the lite-jazz music scene, known as Everything But The Girl. They have been refining their jazz versus electronica sound since the early 1980s, releasing eight studio albums. Their collaboration with Massive Attack on "Protection" and their hit album "Amplified Heart" brought them wider recognition in 1994. Their smash hit "Missing," remixed by Todd Terry in 1995, remains popular today. Tracey's vocals were featured on club tracks by Deep Dish and others, taking their music in a more beat-oriented direction. In late 2001, they contributed to the DMC "Back To Mine" series.
In an exciting announcement for fans, Thorn and Watt revealed that they have reunited after 24 years apart and recorded a new album set for release in 2023. The duo got their name from a furniture store ad that advertised "everything but the girl" for bedroom needs.
Discover Everything But The Girl's unique blend of jazz and electronica that has captivated audiences for decades. From their early days as trailblazers to their recent reunion, this influential duo continues to make waves in the music industry.

Check out our latest restocks of vinyl records, CDs, books and merchandise at Rough Trade. Dive into rare finds, classic albums and add something special to your collection.

Back In Stock

Everything But The Girl's best-selling debut album, 'Eden' is the latest re-release from the duo to benefit from half-speed remastering at Abbey Road Studios by Miles Showell, and a fresh 180gm vinyl pressing.

Originally released in May 1984, the album spent almost six months on the official UK album chart peaking at number 14 and spawned the UK Top 40 hit, Each and Every One. The label wanted further singles but the duo preferred the album to grow by word of mouth. Eden achieved gold album status in the UK and has gone on to sell more than 500,000 copies worldwide.

Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn met at the University of Hull in 1981; they formed Everything But The Girl initially as a side-project, as both had already established themselves on the UK independent music scene as teenagers - Tracey with her lo-fi minimal girl group, Marine Girls (later name-checked as one of Kurt Cobain's favourite bands); Ben as a young guitarist and singer-songwriter, collaborating with alt-folk icon Robert Wyatt on his debut EP.

In the summer of 1983 the pair - having each gone on to to release debut solo albums - decided to pool their new songs for Eden. It was recorded with producer Robin Millar (chosen for his work with Weekend and The Pale Fountains) at his Power Plant Studios in Willesden, North West London.

"All the songs were written on guitar in Hull in early 1983. We were living in one room with a shared kitchen on Pearson Park," recalls Tracey. "Power Plant seemed very glamorous by comparison. Sade was recording downstairs. We were upstairs."

The sessions featured a band handpicked by Ben and Tracey: Working Week's Simon Booth on second guitar, This Heat’s Charles Hayward on drums, and South American musicians Chucho Merchan (double bass) and Bosco D’Oliveira (percussion) plus a clutch of top horn players from the English jazz scene. The line-up was part friends from London, part musicians Ben admired from trips to the Bull's Head jazz room with his dad when growing up, in particular Peter King (alto sax).

"We were intent on being non-rock," says Ben. "No clichés. No snare drums, no solid body electric guitars or electric bass. We wanted soft horns, Gretsch guitars, no fuss, a lightness of touch. We were into pop, latin, torch songs, sharp lyrics."

The album was released on the newly-formed imprint Blanco Y Negro (co-run by Mike Alway and Rough Trade's Geoff Travis) through Warner, and signalled Everything But The Girl’s move from an independent - Cherry Red - to a major label.

The artwork by Marine Girls band member Jane Fox was delivered as a three-dimensional collage of hand-drawn art and torn paper. Warner (who were marketing and distributing the record) didn’t really know what to do with it. The original version didn’t even have the name of the band on it. In the end it was photographed and printed on ‘reverse-board stock’ - unusual for a major release at the time.