UMe celebrates the legacy of one of the most quietly influential bands in history, Mother Love Bone, by reissuing the Seattle, WA group’s Shine EP and seminal full-length debut Apple on September 26th, 2025.

Mother Love Bone’s sound, a unique blend of larger-than-life rock ’n’ roll and intense nascent alternative, was first introduced on the Shine EP on March 6th, 1989. This release showcased the interplay between drummer Greg Gilmore, lead guitarist Bruce Fairweather, the late legendary frontman Andrew Wood, and the tandem of guitarist Stone Gossard and bassist Jeff Ament, who would later co-found Pearl Jam.

The band’s influence on the grunge and alternative rock scenes is undeniable, and their music continues to inspire new generations of musicians and fans.

The EP also effectively set the stage for the band to deliver a classic in the form of Apple. The latter arrived on August 14th, 1990, in the wake of Wood’s untimely passing, which had occurred less than five months earlier. Despite this tragic loss, its 13 tracks stood as a testament to both the frontman’s outsized talent and the once-in-a-lifetime chemistry shared by his bandmates. The album yielded favorites such as Crown Of Thorns and This Is Shangrila, among many others. To date, it has generated tens of millions of streams.

This reissue is a testament to the enduring impact of Mother Love Bone’s music and a must-have for any serious music collector. Both Shine and Apple will be available in multiple physical configurations, including CD, standard black vinyl, or limited-edition color vinyl variants.

A limited-edition, newly remastered Japan-exclusive Mini-LP/SHM-CD that includes both the “Shine” EP, as well as the debut full-length album “Apple,” will also be available on October 10th, 2025.

The CD version of the Shine EP includes Capricorn Sister (Album Version) as a bonus track, not included on the LP. The Shine vinyl formats feature a 4-song track list repeated on both sides, and it is available in three options: a standard black vinyl, a limited-edition “Purple Haze” vinyl, and a limited-edition “Skyblue” vinyl LP.

Sides A + B:
1. Thru Fade Away
2. Mindshaker Meltdown
3. Half Ass Monkey Boy
4. Chloe Dancer / Crown Of Thorns

This brilliant, still brilliant EP - and one that is a truly remarkable reflection on the crossover of eras and the development of its protagonists’ considerable skills as songwriters - opens on the drum and guitar-tastic rocker Thru Fade Away and then they bring us the sublime alt-rock of Mindshaker Meltdown, the early Extreme-esque Half Ass Monkey Boy, the set closing on the, for the first part, low slung balladry of Chloe Dancer, the latter Crown Of Thorns a dutiful rockfest (the split duo from the Singles soundtrack of 1992).

Fully remastered for the 35th anniversary, Apple is officially being released for the first time since 1990. The CD version includes two bonus tracks not included on the vinyl format: Gentle Groove and Mr. Danny Boy.

At the same time, the vinyl formats will be available in standard black vinyl, a limited-edition “Red Alert” color vinyl, or a limited-edition “Apple Habanero” color vinyl.

Side A:
1. This is Shangrila
2. Stardog Champion
3. Holy Roller
4. Bone China
5.Come Bite The Apple

Side B:
6. Heartshine
7. Stargazer
8. Captain Hi-Top
9. Man Of Golden Words
10. Capricorn Sister
11. Crown Of Thorns

This totally excellent, vibrantly alt-rock sound opens on the throaty rhythmic rock of This is Shangrila and the jangly rocker Stardog Champion and then we get the foot to the floor Holy Roller, the ambient mid-tempo AOR of Bone China, the all-embracing melodious rock of Come Bite The Apple rounding out the first side.

In the late 80’s and early 90’s where MLB could do no wrong, along next is the drum-led beauty Heartshine and the languishing psych rocker Stargazer and they are in turn backed seamlessly by the Quireboys-imbed Captain Hi-Top, the stunning piano ballad Man Of Golden Words, the side, and therein the set coming to a close on the Aerosmith-hued Capricorn Sister and the dutiful rockfest of Crown Of Thorns.

MLB were at the very tail end of that 80’s hair metal scene, and grunge would’ve exploded regardless, and I think they’d have been left behind. I don’t think MLB would’ve had a major label recording contract much past a second album, but I treasure everything we got from them.

Speaking to Apple’s long-lasting impact, Rolling Stone asserted, Their combination of Northwest grunge and runny-mascara glam sounded like a prediction of where hair metal, just beginning its decline in 1990, could go. Ultimate Classic Rock applauded how On Apple, the quintet combined funk-metal flash, bluesy Led Zeppelin homages, glam-grunge charisma and hard rock & roll aggression while eschewing hair metal’s sleazy pomp in favor of something more soulful.

Classic Rock professed, MLB walked the thin line between cutting-edge rock and evocative echoes from the past. Plus, Pitchfork hailed it among The 25 Best Grunge Albums of the ’90s, going on to attest, Apple is nonetheless a foundational text for prophesying how the genre’s grimy guitar sound could be reengineered for arena-rattling mass appeal.

Official Shine EP Purchase Links

Official Apple Purchase Link

Mother Love Bone - The Love Bone Earth Affair [Never-before-seen footage of Mother Love Bone in concert and Interviews]