''The First Chapter'' is a compilation album by gothic rock band The Mission. It gathered the material released on the first two EPs released through the Chapter 22 label. Titled ''I'' (featuring "Serpents Kiss") and ''II'' (featuring the double A-side "Like a Hurricane" and "Garden of Delight") the album was released on

Mercury Records Mercury Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group. It had significant success as an independent operation in the 1940s and 1950s. Smash Records and Fontana Records were sub labels of Mercury. In the United States, it i ...

in June 1987. It includes all the songs from the first EP in its entirety, but omits the original versions of "The Crystal Ocean" (from the 12") and "Garden of Delight" (from the 7" and limited edition 12") from the second. The US release was augmented with the B-sides of the ''V (Severina)'' EP. The tracks that were originally left off this compilation were included on the expanded and remastered edition. This restored (and repositioned) both the short intermissions and 'swan song' from the II EP.Listing
for ''The First Chapter'' remastered album released in 2007, (accessed 3 May 2015). Christ True of allmusic.com called the album 'an interesting piece of history of an oft-forgotten era of English rock'.

Track listing

Except where noted, all music by Adams, Brown, Hinkler, Hussey and words by Hussey

UK release

# " Like a Hurricane" (

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 ...

) – 4:55 # "Over the Hills and Far Away" – 3:56 # "Naked and Savage" – 4:46 # "Serpents Kiss" – 4:15 # "

Dancing Barefoot "Dancing Barefoot" is a rock song written by Patti Smith and Ivan Král, and released as a second single from the Patti Smith Group's 1979 album ''Wave''. According to the album sleeve, the song was dedicated to women such as Amedeo Modigliani ...

" (

Patti Smith Patricia Lee Smith (born December 30, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, poet, painter and author who became an influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album ''Horses''. Called the "punk poet ...

Ivan Kral Ivan () is a Slavic male given name, connected with the variant of the Greek name (English: John) from Hebrew meaning 'God is gracious'. It is associated worldwide with Slavic countries. The earliest person known to bear the name was Bulgari ...

) – 3:05 # "The Crystal Ocean" (extended version) – 7:35 # "Garden of Delight" (extended version) – 5:00 # "Wake (RSV)" – 5:00 # "Like a Hurricane" (extended) (Neil Young) – 7:05

US release

The US version drops "Like a Hurricane" (extended) and adds "Tomorrow Never Knows" (edited version) and "Wishing Well" from the band's 5th single "Severina", the latter from its 12" version. # "

Tomorrow Never Knows "Tomorrow Never Knows" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written primarily by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was released in August 1966 as the final track on their album ''Revolver'', although it was the firs ...

" (edited version) (

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...

) – 3:30 # "Over the Hills and Far Away" – 3:56 # "Naked and Savage" – 4:46 # "Serpents Kiss" – 4:15 # "Wake (RSV)" – 5:00 # "Like a Hurricane" (Neil Young) – 4:55 # "Garden of Delight" (extended version) – 5:00 # "Wishing Well" ( Paul Rodgers,

Simon Kirke Simon Frederick St George Kirke (born 28 July 1949) is an English rock drummer best known as a member of Free and Bad Company. He has been the only continuous member of Bad Company since their inception. Life and career Kirke was born in L ...

Paul Kossoff Paul Francis Kossoff (14 September 1950 – 19 March 1976) was an English guitarist, mainly known as the co-founder and guitarist for the rock band Free. He was ranked number 51 in ''Rolling Stone''s list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All ...

John Bundrick John Douglas "Rabbit" Bundrick (born November 21, 1948 in Houston, Texas) is an American–English rock keyboardist. He is best known for his work with The Who and associations with others including Eric Burdon, Bob Marley and the Wailers, Rog ...

Tetsu Yamauchi is a Japanese retired bass guitarist. In the 1970s, he was a member of several popular hard rock bands, including Free, where he replaced former bassist Andy Fraser before the band's final album '' Heartbreaker'', and the Faces, where he replac ...

) – 2:45 # "

" (Patti Smith, Ivan Kral) – 3:05 # "The Crystal Ocean" (extended) – 7:35

Other releases

The Japanese version also includes the tracks "Serpents Kiss" (live) from the band's 4th single "Wasteland" and "Tomorrow Never Knows" (Amphetamix) from the band's 5th single "Severina".

Reissued version

In June 2007, Universal Music re-released the UK edition of ''The First Chapter'' with 9 bonus tracks # "Like a Hurricane" (Neil Young) – 4:51 # "Intermission: Gleaming Dome" ncidental– 0:38 # "Over the Hills and Far Away" – 3:56 # "Intermission: Easy Coast Lament" ncidental– 0:39 # "Naked and Savage" – 4:45 # "Serpents Kiss" – 4:11 # "Dancing Barefoot" (Patti Smith, Ivan Kral) – 3:08 # "The Crystal Ocean (extended)" – 7:33 # "Swan Song: Vigilante Man" ncidental– 0:24 # "Garden of Delight" (extended) – 5:01 # "Wake (RSV)" – 5:01 # "Like a Hurricane" (extended) – 7:07 # "Bridges Burning" (Slaughterhouse Version) – 3:59 # "Serpents Kiss" (Live '86) – 4:11 # "Wake" (Live '86) – 4:56 # "Dancing Barefoot" (Live '86) – 2:06 # "1969" (Live '86) ( Dave Alexander,

Ron Asheton Ronald Franklin Asheton (July 17, 1948 – c. January 6, 2009) was an American musician , who was best known as the guitarist, bassist, and co-songwriter for the rock band the Stooges. He formed the Stooges along with Iggy Pop and his brother, ...

Scott Asheton Scott Randolph Asheton (August 16, 1949 – March 15, 2014) was an American musician, best known as the drummer for the rock band the Stooges. Asheton was born in Washington, D.C. and moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan with his family at the age of ...

, Iggy Pop) – 2:43 # "Shelter from the Storm" (Live, Astoria '88) – 9:26

Personnel

* Craig Adams –

bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...

* Mick Brown – drums * Simon Hinkler –

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected strin ...

* Wayne Hussey – vocals & guitar

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:First Chapter, The 1987 compilation albums The Mission (band) albums Mercury Records compilation albums