A Certain Ratio - acr:box - Coloured 7 piece Vinyl Box Set (Signed)

Catalogue Number: ACRBOX1
Release Date: 3rd May 2019

Limited Edition of 1000

Coloured 7 piece vinyl box set - vinyl colours match the 6 colours on the artwork plus white.

24 page 12” booklet

Signed by the band.

"Cult punk funkateers" - UNCUT

"... mould-breakers" - MOJO

"... pioneering, criminally overlooked" - ELECTRONIC SOUND

A CERTAIN RATIO – who celebrate their 40th anniversary this year - have shared details of a new box set, acr:box, out on Mute on 3 May 2019 on vinyl, CD and digitally. acr:box launches with a brand new acoustic version of ‘Won’t Stop Loving You’ (AKA The Big E) here titled ‘W.S.L.U.’, a recent collaboration with Parent’s Sarah Brandwood-Spencer (string arrangement) and Jason Brown (additional guitars).

acr:box was remastered by Martin Moscrop at Abbey Road studios. Featuring over 20 unreleased tracks, the box set will be available as a 7 x coloured vinyl set, 4 x CD set and digitally and its release will coincide with a series of dates.

Following on from 2018’s compilation, acr:set, the box showcases the diversity of the singles, B-sides and alternative versions of tracks that A Certain Ratio have released, but without repeating tracks recently made available. acr:box collates everything that fans had been missing from the recent reissue campaign, and compliments that with a selection found after a deep delve into the archive to find all the hidden gems that had been talked about over the years, but never heard – even a few releases the band had forgotten about!

Looking to make the box set as comprehensive as possible, even the original tapes from the session they recorded for a collaboration with Grace Jones were uncovered and reworked. This session includes the cover version of Talking Heads’ ‘Houses In Motion’, using Jez Kerr’s guide vocals (pre to him becoming the band’s singer). Grace Jones never completed her vocal take, after attending one of the recording sessions with the band.

The box set, which marks the 40th anniversary of A Certain Ratio’s debut release, the Martin Hannett produced ‘All Night Party’ (Factory Records’ first single release) was described recently by Record Collector as “a statement of future intentions: to set funk off against nervous angst.” They went on to be hailed universally as pioneers of what became known as “punk funk” thanks to the success of their second single, ‘Shack Up’, represented here via a radio edit from Electronic, featuring Bernard Sumner and Johnny Marr.

Singles and B-sides.

1. All Night Party
2. The Thin Boys
3. Blown Away
4. Son And Heir
5. Waterline
6. Funaezekea
7. Abracadubra
8. Sommadub
9. Guess Who? (12"
10. Tumba Rumba
11. Knife Slits Water (12" version)
12. Kether Hot Knives (Mix In Special)
13. I Need Someone Tonight
14. Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing
15. Life's a Scream
16. There's Only This
17. Si Fermir O Grido (Touch Cassette Version)
18. Brazilia 6.10
19. Sounds Like Something Dirty
20. The Runner (Greetings Four Version)
21. Inside (Greetings Four Version)
22. Bootsy (Greetings Four Version)
23. Fever 103 (Greetings Four Version)
24. Loosen Up Your Mind
25. The Planet
27. 27 Forever (Jon Dasilva's Testimonial Mix)
26. Turn Me on (7" Edit)
28. Shack up (Electronic Radio Edit)

Unreleased.

29. Houses In Motion (Demo Version 1)
30. Houses In Motion (Demo Version 2)
31. And Then Again (Another version)
32. Piu Lento (John Peel Session)
33. Nostromo A Go Go (Demo)
34. Force (Demo)
35. Backs to The Wall (Demo)
36. The Big E (Demo)
37. Every Pleasure (Demo)
38. Rivers Edge (Demo)
39. Stadium (Demo)
40. Thin Grey Line (Demo)
41. Repercussions (African Mix)
42. BTTW 90 (Demo)
43. Spirit Dance (Demo)
44. Bitter Pill (Never Released)
45. Can You Dance (Never Released)
46. Mello (JD 800 Perc Mix)
47. Tekno 4 an Answer (120bpm)
48. Samba 123 (Demo)
49. Some Day (ACR rework)
50. Happy Meal (Working Title)
51. Flight Won't Stop (Unfinished Demo)
52. Fruit Song (Unfinished Demo)
53. Say What You Mean (Unfinished Demo)
54. W.S.L.U.

Includes a digital copy. All download codes are contained within the vinyl package, generally on a sticker attached to the inner sleeve.