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6 Degrees Entertainment

Title - 'The Lone Ranger: Deluxe Edition'
Artist - Suggs

Graham McPherson, better known as Suggs, is an English singer, actor, former radio DJ, television and radio personality. That said, Suggs truly came to prominence in the late 1970s as the lead vocalist for the ska/pop band Madness, which released fifteen singles that entered the top ten charts in the United Kingdom during the 1970s, 1980s and the 1990s!

With hit single after hit single including 'My Girl', 'Baggy Trousers', 'Embarrassment', 'It Must Be Love', 'House of Fun', 'Driving in My Car', 'Our House', 'Wings of a Dove' and their last chart hit, 'Lovestruck', the band could not put a chart foot wrong! Suggs began a solo career in 1995, releasing two studio albums thereafter (The Lone Ranger - 1995), and then The Three Pyramids Club - 1998). His solo single hits include 'I'm Only Sleeping', 'Camden Town', 'Cecilia', and 'Blue Day' (featuring the Chelsea FC team).

Originally released in October 1995 this highly anticipated reissue of The Lone Ranger is the most comprehensive collection available of the original album plus related tracks showcasing Suggs at his lyrical best. It peaked at #14 on the UK Album Charts, with the most successful song from the album being 'Cecilia', a cover of the Simon and Garfunkel classic, which went to #4 in the UK Singles Chart.

This incredible, chock full of musical gems 2CD set not only brings us the full length original album (all 11 tracks), but also includes four single B-sides, along with en masse of remixes, instrumentals and various other bonus tracks.

The CD booklet features the original artwork, a UK Discography, lyrics of the original album tracks all in a 16 page color booklet. Could you ask for anything more?!

In truth, I've always has a soft spot for Madness. I loved their music from day one, always felt good listening to their music, loved watching their new music videos on TOTP each time one came out. I collected, religiously, ALL their 7" singles, picture discs and albums on vinyl, and even have ALL their albums now in double CD packages! I didn't follow Suggs' solo career as much, that has to be admitted, but to be fair, I don't think it lit the musical world up much either.

1. I'm Only Sleeping 2. Camden Town 3. Alcohol 4. Am 5. The Tune 6. Cecilia 7. Haunted 8. Off on Holiday 9. Green Eyes 10. Fortune Fish 11. She's Gone 12. Bedazzled 13. Animal 14. When You Came 15. Sleigh Ride 16. Alright 17. I Feel Good 18. Cecilia (7" Mix)

Regardless, his debut, the aptly-named The Lone Ranger the album kicks off with 'I'm Only Sleeping,' which was also Suggs’ debut single. Released in July 1995, it peaked at #7 on the UK Singles charts and is a cover of Lennon & McCartney’s very own track that appeared on the 1966 Beatles album Revolver. Produced by Sly & Robbie it would go on to be the second highest solo single chart placing for Suggs. Next up is 'Camden Town.' Once again produced by Sly & Robbie, it reached #14 and also features Louchie Lou and Michie One, a ragga duo from London. (FYI: The album version plus the Camden Chili Pepper Dub and Ragga In London Dub Instrumental mixes are included on the second disc in this collection).

Next up is 'Alcohol,' which was the final single taken from the album, but not in its original LP form! Allow me to explain. The third track on this album is indeed entitled 'Alcohol,' but the track Suggs released as the final single was actually a re-working of that very same album track, entitled ‘No More Alcohol'! Again featuring Louchie Lou & Michie One if you loved the newly-renamed / re-worked track you're in luck as there are six (6) other versions featured on this 2CD collection! [The original album version, the 7″ Mix, Rapino’s Dance mix, 100% Proof Mix, Karaoke Mix and the Segue Mix, featuring 'No More Alcohol' and 'Cecilia' Single Mixes!].

After 'Am' comes 'The Tune,' which was Suggs’ third hit of the year. It was released as a Christmas EP, mixed by Sly & Robbie (who else) and was written by album collaborator and Madness band mate Mike Barson. The B-sides featured covers of the Christmas classic 'Sleigh Ride' and Supergrass’ ‘Alright’. Both are featured on this compilation.

Next up is his biggest solo hit single, that aforementioned cover of the Simon & Garfunkel classic, 'Cecilia'. The best-selling single from the album, peaking at #4, it sold in excess of over 500,000 copies. Produced and mixed by, of course, Sly & Robbie, the album version, the 7″, three remixes by the Rapino Brothers, and four other remixed versions are also included here on the second disc. The original album, top heavy with hit singles, then plays out with the albums tracks, 'Haunted', 'Off On Holiday', 'Green Eyes', 'Fortune Fish', and finally 'She's Gone'.

With B-sides and 7" Mix's rounding out the first disc, as you can clearly see, this brand new The Lone Ranger: Deluxe Edition releasing April 22nd via Cherry Red Records is as comprehensive a selection from Suggs' debut solo album as there has EVER been!

12. Bedazzled 13. Animal 14. When You Came 15. Sleigh Ride 16. Alright 17. I Feel Good 18. Cecilia (7" Mix) 19. No More Alcohol (7" Mix)

That said, and being a stickler for all-things new, rare, previously unreleased, remixed (to a point), and such (when it comes to such "Expanded" and "Deluxe" Edition 2CD albums), I'm gutted to have sat through en masse of 15 tracks (on the second disc) that ALL do nothing more than repeat the beats previously heard! In 15 tracks there are only five (5), yes five songs, and only two (2) are interesting instrumentals - 'Off On Holiday' and 'The Tune'.

As aforementioned above, but detailed once again now for the hard of reading, we get two (2) versions of 'Camden Town', seven (7) versions of 'Cecilia', and four (4) versions of 'No More Alcohol'! It's all just too much, for it's plainly obvious as you troll through the additional "Deluxe" CD that these are just quickly-put-together remixes to help "plump out" this set, sorry. Not Cherry Red's fault, but moreover the producer who was allowed to come up with the idea in the first place!

1. Camden Town (Camden Chili Pepper Dub) 2. Camden Town (Ragga in London Dub Instrumental) 3. Off on Holiday (Instrumental) 4. The Tune (Instrumental) 5. Cecilia (Rapino's 7" Mix) 6. Cecilia (Rapino's 12" Disco Instrumental) 7. Cecilia (Rapino's 12" Disco Mix) 8. Cecilia (Deep Pan Mix) 9. Cecilia (Drumapella) 10. Cecilia (Alternative Mix) 11. No More Alcohol (Rapino's Dance Mix) 12. No More Alcohol (Segue Mix) 13. Cecilia (Segue Mix) 14. No More Alcohol (100% Proof Mix) 15. No More Alcohol (Karaoke Mix)

'The Lone Ranger: Deluxe Edition' CD Purchase Link

www.suggsmcpherson.co.uk

www.cherryred.co.uk





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