Going Blank Again
Versions
1992
- Released:
- 9 March 1992
- Formats:
- CDLPCassette
- Label:
- Creation (UK), Sire (ROW)
The recording of what was to become Going Blank Again started soon after the Today Forever EP had reached the Top 20 in the UK charts with sessions at Black Barn Studios in Ripley, Surrey with Matt Oliver engineering.
This first session was in May 1991 following a 7-week US tour (co-headlining with Lush) and before a second visit to Japan and debut dates in Australia (June/July 1991). In the middle of the recording session, the band played a couple of outdoor shows supporting Pixies (Lille and Crystal Palace) where Chrome Waves and Leave Them All Behind (still titled B-song) were played live for the first time. In fact the band opened their Crystal Palace set with this unheard and untried track in front of 20,000 people.
The band returned to Black Barn in September 1991 and then moved on to Chipping Norton Recording Studios in Oxfordshire with Alan Moulder at the controls in October and November. The album was then mixed at The Church in Crouch End, London in December and January.
In total 26 tracks were shortlisted for the recording sessions (although not all were completed) with 15 being selected for the “final” tracklisting”. But at the mastering studio the band had a change of heart and decided that the album was way too long. A couple of tracks were edited down and used as the intro to other tracks (King Bullshit for Time Machine and Motorway Madness for OX4) whilst 3 others were dropped completely (Tongue Tied, Blue, Everybody Knows). However these three did finally see the light of day (along with King Bullshit) on the Firing Blanks CD that was part of the OX4_The Best Of 3xCD Box Set released on Ignition in 2001. This compilation also featured a couple of other tracks recorded during these sessions – namely BarneyS and Xmas Song
A further 5 tracks (Chrome Waves [electric], Grasshopper, Going Blank Again, Howard Hughes, Stampede) were completed and released across the Leave Them All Behind and Twisterella EPs during 1992.
The cover artwork is a painting by Christopher Gunson which he reworked especially for the album and he also created the tracklisting artwork on the back cover.
