Name: Them Belfast Gypsies
Brand: Belfast Gypsies

Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Catalogue number

CRSEG075

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Colour

Colour details

Discogs ID

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

2020-06-26

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Supplier GB

Cherry Red (ADA)

Tax rate GB

UPC / Barcode

5013929187528

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Total Cap

1 / CD / Extended format: No / Rough Trade Exclusive: No / Signed copies: No

Artist

Belfast Gypsies

Genre GB

Classic

Label GB

Grapefruit

Grapefruit is a UK-based music label that specializes in psych/garage-era music from the 1966-70 timeframe. Managed by Cherry Red, Grapefruit focuses on releasing single-artist career anthologies and definitive versions of rare and classic albums. Each release features sympathetic artwork, rare photos, detailed liner notes, and high-quality sound from the original masters.

Though it received little attention at the time of its Swedish / Netherlands-only release in 1967, the album Them Belfast Gypsies has long been established as a stone-cold classic of rabid British garage punk/R&amp;B. The album had been recorded over four sessions in May / June 1966 in London and Copenhagen (where the band had relocated for several months), a year or so after brothers Pat (aka John) and Jackie McAuley had left Them and put together a new band of that name.

However, a court case left the McAuley group only able to use the name Them outside of the UK, although they were allowed to call themselves The Other Them while on home territory. As a flag of convenience, they were christened The Belfast Gypsies by their producer, Hollywood hustler Kim Fowley, although the band themselves never used that name. Previous releases of this material have grappled manfully with the lack of master tapes and solid information regarding this most elusive of bands. However, the recent unexpected discovery of the master tapes for the London recordings (which constituted seven of the album’s twelve tracks) means that this latest anthology is a sonic upgrade on previous releases.

It is also the most comprehensive anthology of the band’s work, featuring the first CD release of pre-Fowley, February 1966 demo recordings I Want You and an early attempt at It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue as well as an alternative mix of People! Let’s Freak Out that was issued (without the band’s knowledge) by Island under the pseudonym The Freaks Of Nature.

Featuring rare photos and memorabilia, this release also includes a new 6000 word essay on the band’s labyrinthine existence with new quotes from Jackie McAuley as well as reminiscences from the band’s guitarist, the late Ken McLeod.

Them Belfast Gypsies

Music GB