Appearing from the break up of the 101ers, Joe Strummers band pre the Clash, and punk outfit The Derelicts, Barbara Gogan and drummer Clive Timperley formed The Passions in 1978, following their first single release in 1979 the band were signed to Fiction records and recorded their debut album Michael and Miranda released in 1980.
This re-release comes with great sleeve notes and a diary of the recording of the album by Clive Timperley plus gig dates from that year, and full lyric sheet, and bonus tracks of the singles Hunted and Needles and Pins which has been digitally restored from the original vinyl release, the masters being lost some years back.
Although Im in Love With a German Filmstar was undoubtably the bands biggest and most popular song, this album is a fine body of post punk work, Man on the Tube and Suspicion have that Kleenex/Slits feel, and tracks like Absentee would not be out of place today on a Savages album.
35 years on from its original release on Fiction Records the album is now available again, and very good it is too. Grab it on the ever brilliant Cherry Red label from November 20th.
Reissue: The Passions – Michael and Miranda
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