Belfast Gypsies

Stone-cold classic of rabid British garage punk/R&B – on translucent red vinyl! Though it received little attention at the time of its Swedish/Netherlands-only release in 1967, the album Them: Belfast Gypsies has long since become established as a stone-cold classic of rabid British garage punk/R&B. The album was recorded over four sessions in May and June 1966 in London and Copenhagen, where the band had relocated for several months. The recordings came a year or so after brothers Pat and Jackie McAuley had left Them and put together a new band under the same name. However, a court case meant the McAuley group could only use the name Them outside the UK, although they were allowed to call themselves "The Other Them" on home territory. As a flag of convenience, they were christened The Belfast Gypsies by their producer, Hollywood hustler Kim Fowley, although the band themselves never used the name. Previous releases of this material have grappled with the lack of master tapes and solid information surrounding this most elusive of bands. However, the unexpected discovery of the master tapes for the London recordings – which make up seven of the album's twelve tracks – means this latest anthology offers a significant sonic upgrade on previous releases. 1. GLORIA’S DREAM 2. THE CRAZY WORLD INSIDE ME 3. MIDNIGHT TRAIN 4. ARIA OF THE FALLEN ANGELS 5. IT’S ALL OVER NOW, BABY BLUE 6. PEOPLE LET’S FREAK OUT 7. BOOM BOOM 8. THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT 9. PORTLAND TOWN 10. HEY GYP (DIG THE SLOWNESS) 11. SUICIDE SONG 12. SECRET POLICE