The Living Return (1994)

Mercury Records
LP - 522 650-1
Tape - 522 650-4
CD - 522 650-2 (US)
CD - 522 691-2 (UK)
Released on September 13

*UK version was available as a two CD set which contained "The Living Return" as well as a 6 track bonus CD of "Live At The Jazz Cafe."

Produced by Ray Hayden for Opaz Productions
Co-produced by Swing Out Sister
Recorded at Opaz Studios

"La La (Means I Love You)" Produced by Swing Out Sister; Recorded and mixed by Mark McGuire at the Strongroom; Mixed at the Strongroom.

Additional mixing at Metropolis Studios
Mix engineer Mark McGuire; Assisted by Like Gifford (Strongroom)
Jamie Cullam (Metropolis);
Programming by Danny Gluckstein

All tracks written and arranged by Andy Connell and Corinne Drewery
Except 5, 10 & 12 written by Connell/Drewery/Johnson/Cansfield
7 written by Bell/Hart
11b written by Drewery/Connell/White/Moreira/Werneck/Reis/Wonder/Moy/Cosby/Lins/Martins/De Oliveire/Hancock/Maupin Burick

All tracks published by EMO Virgin Music Publishing except 5, 10 & 12 published by EMI Virgin Music Publishing/Copyright Control
7 published by Warner Chappell Music Ltd.
11b published by EMI Virgin Music Publishing/EMI Songs Ltd./BMG Music Ltd./Brampton Music Int./Black Bull Music/Jobette Music Co. Inc./Warner Chappell Music Ltd./Hancock Music Co.

Thanks to:
Stuart James, Sue Pollock, James Martin, Rick Guest, Tish Black,
Malcom Beckford, Conrad Blane, Vince Ward, The Sons of Samarkand,
Patrick Forge, The Voodoo Lounge, Melissa's Diner, Sara Vaughn, Ray Hayden/
Shamin Naronha/Sue Naronha at Opaz, Alisdair Johnson/Andy Houston/
Emma Pearson/Richard Botte at Strongroom
Brian Carr
All At Phonogram/Mercury UK
All at Polygram/Mercury US
Chris Simpson and all at Roland UK
Ed/Ian/Stephen and Paul at Richochet
Bennett and Liz at One Love

Corinne Drewery Lead Vocals
Andy Connell Keyboards

Derick Johnson Bass Guitar
Myke Wilson Drums (Timbale solo on 11b)
Tim Cansfield Guitars
Chris Manis Percussion
John Thirkell Trumpet & Flugelhorn
Gary Plumley Saxophone & Flute
Richard Edwards Trombone
Erica Harrold/Additional Vocals
Sylvia Mason-James/Additional Vocals
Derek Green Additonal Vocals
Matt Backer Guitar on 7

Urban gypsies, techno-realists, system survivors and soul detectors, Swing Out Sister spent the best part of the eighties perfecting quintessential British pop, in hit songs which earned them acclaim all over the world.
Now, following three studio oriented albums, "It's Better To Travel", "Kaleidoscope World" and "Get In Touch With Yourself", Swing Out Sister's Andy Connell and Corinne Drewery have moved towards a more fluid sound, a band-oriented sound which sashays and sways with delicate rhythms...a new sound which manages to capture the band's triumphant live feel without relinquishing their fine pop sensibility and high production values.

Their brilliant new LP "The Living Return" is something of a radical departure in as much as it acknowledges their latent jazz tenancies, a penchant that can be heard on everything they've recorded from "Blue Mood", "Surrender", and "Where In the World" right through to "Get In Touch With Yourself" and "Am I the Same Girl". This has added a new dimension to the already multi-faceted Swing Out Sister sound. The tunes are still there too, and "Feel Free" and "Making the Right Move" - two songs from the new LP - are without a doubt the finest things the band have ever recorded - haunting, lyrical, and quite, quite uplifting.

On stage, the band have always excelled at creating a unique blend of pop, soul and jazz, and last year decided to commit their live sound - which has been honed on a hundred states from Manhattan to Osaka - to disc. Whilst mid-tour with their band, consisting of Myke Wilson (ex Jazz Defektors) on drums, Derick Johnson (ex 52nd Street) on bass, Tim Cansfield (honorary Calypsonian) on guitar, Latin-esque percussionist Christ Manis (Pa'lante) soaring vocalists Sylvie Mason-James, Erica Harodl and Derek Green, and their brass section - John Thirkell on Trumpet, Gary Plumley on saxophone and Richard Edwards on trombone - they recorded several gigs resulting in the album "Live at the Jazz Café". Only released in Japan, but nevertheless confirming that Swing Out Sister had a wealth of unexploited talents in the field of live performance and arrangement, they decided to pursue this raw and live route with "The Living Return". With new songs like "Better Make It Better", "Don't Let Yourself Down", "Stop and Think It Over" along with the aforementioned "Feel Free" and "Making the Right Move", the band have proved beyond all doubt that it's possible to add warmth and depth to studio recordings without losing spontaneity.

Swing Out Sister's jazz-tinged pop is the missing link between Francis Lai and Curits Mayfield, between Martin Denny and Gil Scott Heron, between Earth Wind and Fire and Tania Maria, between the Ohio Players and Burt Bacharach..it is, of course, something quite unique, something hard to pin down.

But then to paraphrase the late, great Louis Armstrong, if you have to ask what Swing Out Sister is, you'll never know.

DYLAN JONES MAY 1994