''Sisters'' is the debut

album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

Scottish Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: *Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland *Scottish English *Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...

indie pop Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and sub ...

band

the Bluebells The Bluebells are a Scottish indie pop, indie new wave music, new wave band, active between 1981 and 1986 (later briefly reforming in 1993, 2008–2009, 2011 and 2018). Career The Bluebells performed jangle pop, jangly guitar-based pop not dis ...

, released in 1984. The only "proper" full-length album released by the band during their short career (1983's ''

The Bluebells The Bluebells are a Scottish indie pop, indie new wave music, new wave band, active between 1981 and 1986 (later briefly reforming in 1993, 2008–2009, 2011 and 2018). Career The Bluebells performed jangle pop, jangly guitar-based pop not dis ...

'' was a mini-album released in the U.S. showcasing their singles), ''Sisters'' featured remixed versions of earlier singles "Cath" and "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" as well as the contemporary singles " I'm Falling" and " Young at Heart". The album reached No. 22 on the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...

in August 1984. In 2020, it was announced that the album would be re-released by

Last Night From Glasgow A last is a mechanical form shaped like a human foot. It is used by shoemakers and cordwainers in the manufacture and repair of shoes. Lasts typically come in pairs and have been made from various materials, including hardwoods, cast iron, and ...

, on their Past Night From Glasgow label, on

vinyl Vinyl may refer to: Chemistry * Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer * Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation * Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry * Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from vinyl m ...

and CD.

Critical reception

The Rolling Stone Album Guide ''The Rolling Stone Album Guide'', previously known as ''The Rolling Stone Record Guide'', is a book that contains professional music reviews written and edited by staff members from ''Rolling Stone'' magazine. Its first edition was published in 1 ...

'' called ''Sisters'' "highly accomplished and truly smart pop." ''

Trouser Press ''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who Dave Schulps and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference to ...

'' deemed it "utterly wonderful," writing that the songs are "subtly shaded with country fiddles and mandolins, ringing guitars, a light bouncy beat and choruses that you’ll be humming all the way home." ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'' listed it as the 50th best album of 1984.

Track listing

All songs by Robert Hodgens, except where noted. All songs produced by Bob Andrews and Colin Fairley, except where noted.

Original release

#"Everybody's Somebody's Fool" – 3:40 #" Young at Heart" (Robert Hodgens, Bobby Valentino,

Siobhan Fahey Siobhan Maire Fahey (; born 10 September 1958) is an Irish singer whose vocal range is a light contralto. She was a founding member of the group Bananarama, who have had ten top-10 hits including the US number one hit single "Venus". She later ...

Sara Dallin Sara Elizabeth Dallin (born 17 December 1961) is an English singer and a founding member of the pop group Bananarama. The group has achieved 28 UK top 50 and 11 US top 100 singles, including a US number one with "Venus" (1986). Other hits includ ...

Keren Woodward Keren Jane Woodward (born 2 April 1961) is an English singer and, with Sara Dallin and Siobhan Fahey, a founding member of the girl group Bananarama. In 1986, the trio reached number one on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 with their version of "Ven ...

) – 3:24 #" I'm Falling" (Robert Hodgens, Kenneth McCluskey) – 5:12 #"Will She Always Be Waiting" – 4:10 Produced by

Elvis Costello Declan Patrick MacManus Order of the British Empire, OBE (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer-songwriter and record producer. He has won multiple awards in his career, including a Grammy Award in ...

and Colin Fairley #"Cath" – 3:07 #"Red Guitars" – 3:14 #"Syracuse University" – 4:30 #"Learn to Love" – 3:35 Produced by

Alan Shacklock Alan Shacklock (born 20 June 1951) is an English musician, composer, arranger and recording producer, who lives and works in Nashville, Tennessee. His 1972 song "The Mexican" as performed by Babe Ruth is considered influential in the early devel ...

The Patriot Game "The Patriot Game" is an Irish ballad with lyrics by Dominic Behan and a melody from the traditional tune " One Morning in May". History The song concerns an incident during the Border Campaign launched by the Irish Republican Army during the 19 ...

" (

Dominic Behan Dominic Behan ( ; ga, Doiminic Ó Beacháin; 22 October 1928 – 3 August 1989) was an Irish songwriter, singer, short story writer, novelist and playwright who wrote in Irish and English. He was also a socialist and an Irish republican. Born i ...

) – 4:00 #"South Atlantic Way" – 5:38

Cassette version

The track "Holland" stands for "Hope our love lasts and never dies". Side one #"Everybody's Somebody's Fool" – 3:40 #" Young at Heart" (Robert Hodgens,

) – 3:24 #" I'm Falling" (Robert Hodgens, Kenneth McCluskey) – 5:12 #"Will She Always Be Waiting" – 4:10 Produced by

and Colin Fairley #"Cath" – 3:07 #"Holland" (Kenneth Mccluskey, David McCluskey) – 3:30 Side two #"Red Guitars" – 3:14 #"Syracuse University" – 4:30 #"Learn to Love" – 3:35 Produced by

#"The Patriot Game" (

) – 4:00 #"South Atlantic Way" – 5:38 #"Aim in Life" (McCluskey) – 3.02 Produced by

Personnel

* Kenneth McCluskey – lead vocals, harmonica * Neil Baldwin – bass (2, 6, 7, 10) * Robert Hodgens – vocals, guitar *

Craig Gannon Craig Gannon (born 30 July 1966) is an English guitar player, best known as the second guitarist in the Smiths. He is now a composer for film and television. Career Born in Manchester, Gannon had played in bands with friends since he was 12 ye ...

– guitar (1, 6, 7, 10) * David McCluskey – drums * Bobby Valentino – violin *Laurence Donegan – bass (2–5, 8, 9) *Russell Irvine – guitar (2–5, 8, 9) *

Ray Russell Ray Russell (September 4, 1924 – March 15, 1999) was an American editor and writer of short stories, novels, and screenplays. Russell is best known for his horror fiction, although he also wrote mystery and science fiction stories. His most ...

– string arrangements ;Technical *

Derek Ridgers Derek Ridgers (born 20 October 1950) is a British photographer known for his photography of music, film and club/street culture. He has photographed people including James Brown, the Spice Girls, Clint Eastwood and Johnny Depp, as well as po ...

, Paul Cox – photography *Peter Barrett – artwork *Recorded at Highland Studios, Inverness and Jam Studios, London; mixed at

Abbey Road Studios Abbey Road Studios (formerly EMI Recording Studios) is a recording studio at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music c ...

and Red Bus Studios, London

References

{{Authority control 1984 debut albums The Bluebells albums London Records albums Sire Records albums Albums produced by Bob Andrews (keyboardist) Albums produced by Elvis Costello