In 1992,
The Wedding Present
The Wedding Present are an English indie rock group originally formed in 1985 in Leeds, England, from the ashes of The Lost Pandas. The band's music has evolved from fast-paced indie rock in the vein of their most obvious influences The Fall, ...
decided to release a limited edition
single every month, each featuring an original track on the
A side
The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...
and a cover on the
B side
The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company ...
. The tracks were compiled as two
LPs called ''Hit Parade 1'' and ''
Hit Parade 2
''Hit Parade 2'' is a compilation album by The Wedding Present released in January 1993. Having decided to release a limited edition single every month for all of 1992 (each featuring an original track on the A side and a cover version on the B ...
'' and re-released as a double CD in 2003 called ''The Hit Parade''.
The plan to release 12 singles in a year was an attempt to match
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
's record of 12 top 40 singles in a year which he had achieved in 1957.
The singles, each in an edition of 10,000, were deleted soon after release. They were critically acclaimed and each charted in the top 40.
Revisiting the album in 2013, the band played all the songs on their UK and European tour.
Track listing
# "Blue Eyes"
# "Go Go Dancer"
# "Three"
# "Silver Shorts"
# "Come Play With Me"
# "California"
# "
Cattle and Cane" (
The Go-Betweens
The Go-Betweens were an Australian indie rock band formed in Brisbane, Queensland, in 1977. The band was co-founded and led by singer-songwriters and guitarists Robert Forster and Grant McLennan, who were its only constant members throughout ...
)
# "Don't Cry No Tears" (
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, joining Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Richie Fur ...
and
Crazy Horse)
# "Think That it Might" (
Altered Images
Altered Images are a Scottish new wave/post-punk band who found success in the early 1980s. Fronted by singer Clare Grogan, the group branched into mainstream pop music, having six UK top-40 hit singles and three top-30 albums from 1981 to 1 ...
)
# "
Falling" (
Julee Cruise
Julee Ann Cruise (December 1, 1956 – June 9, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter and actress, known for her collaborations with composer Angelo Badalamenti and film director David Lynch in the late 1980s and early 1990s. She released fo ...
)
# "
Pleasant Valley Sunday
"Pleasant Valley Sunday" is a song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King, most famous for the version recorded by the Monkees in 1967. Inspired by a street named Pleasant Valley Way and their move to suburban West Orange, New Jersey, Goffin ...
" (
The Monkees
The Monkees were an American rock and pop band, formed in Los Angeles in 1966, whose lineup consisted of the American actor/musicians Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork alongside English actor/singer Davy Jones. The group was con ...
)
# "Let's Make Some Plans" (
Close Lobsters)
References
{{Authority control
1992 compilation albums
The Wedding Present albums