Soul Mining was The The

The The

The The are an English musical and multimedia group that have been active in various forms since 1979, with singer/songwriter Matt Johnson being the only constant band member.-Early years :...

's second album. (The first, Burning Blue Soul

Burning Blue Soul

Burning Blue Soul is an album released under the artist name of Matt Johnson. This album was re-released in 1993 under Matt Johnson's band's name, The The, featuring on some tracks very different mixes from the original 1981 "psychedelic eye" cover release...

, was released in 1981 and credited to Matt Johnson

Matt Johnson (singer)

Matt Johnson is a musician best known as the founder and only constant member of the group The The. Johnson is known for his often deeply introspective lyrics. Musically he ranges from slow acoustic hooks to techno-pop....

, but some reissues have credited it to The The.) Soul Mining was released in 1983 and included the UK

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 singles "Uncertain Smile" which reached No. 68 in December 1982 and "Perfect" which made No. 71 in September 1983, featuring harmonica player David Johansen

David Johansen

David Roger Johansen is an American rock, protopunk, blues, and pop singer, as well as a songwriter and actor. He is best known as a member of the seminal protopunk band The New York Dolls and also achieved commercial success under the pseudonym Buster Poindexter.-Early life:Johansen was born in...

. The album version of "Uncertain Smile" featured the piano playing of Jools Holland

Jools Holland

Julian Miles "Jools" Holland OBE, DL is an English pianist, bandleader, singer, composer, and television presenter. He was a founder of the band Squeeze and his work has involved him with many artists including Sting, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, The Who, David Gilmour and Bono.Holland is a...

. Holland revealed in his 2007 autobiography that it is in fact two separate solos joined together. The original single used flute and sax solos played by Crispin Cioe of the Uptown Horns. The cover artwork is by Andy Johnson, Matt Johnson's brother, aka Andy Dog.

There are four different versions of the album in existence. Johnson originally intended the album to finish with "Giant", but record company Epic insisted that seven songs was too few and a re-recorded version of "Perfect" was added to the US vinyl, CD and cassette versions, much to Johnson's annoyance. The UK cassette version also included the five extra tracks listed below. There was also a limited edition of the original album which included a 12" with an extended remix of Perfect b/sided with "Fruit of the Heart" and "Soup of Mixed Emotions" (XPR1250). For the 20th anniversary of Soul Mining, the album was digitally remastered without "Perfect", as Johnson had originally intended.

The album appears on the list of "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".

Side one

1. "I've Been Waiting for Tomorrow (All of My Life)" - 5:45
2. "This Is the Day
   This Is the Day (song)
   "This Is the Day" was written by Matt Johnson and recorded for the 1983 The The album Soul Mining.-Manic Street Preachers version:In September 2011, "This Is the Day" was covered by the Manic Street Preachers as a single to promote their National Treasures – The Complete Singles compilation album...
   
   " - 5:00
3. "The Sinking Feeling" - 3:43
4. "Uncertain Smile" - 6:53

Side two

1. "The Twilight Hour" - 5:57
2. "Soul Mining" - 4:50
3. "Giant" - 9:34
4. "Perfect" Bonus track on CD, cassette, and US vinyl albums

The UK cassette album adds five additional bonus tracks unavailable elsewhere:

• "Three Orange Kisses from Kazan"
• "The Nature of Virtue"
• "Mental Healing Process"
• "Waitin' for the Upturn"
• "Fruit of the Heart"

The US cassette album adds bonus extended remixes:

• "I've Been Waiting for Tomorrow (All of My Life) (Special Mix)", after "Uncertain Smile" at the end of side A
• "This Is The Day (12" Version)", after "Perfect" at the end of side B

Personnel

• Matt Johnson
  Matt Johnson (singer)
  Matt Johnson is a musician best known as the founder and only constant member of the group The The. Johnson is known for his often deeply introspective lyrics. Musically he ranges from slow acoustic hooks to techno-pop....
  
   - vocals, keyboards, percussion, loops
• Anne Stephenson - violin
• Martin McCarrick
  Martin McCarrick
  Martin McCarrick is an English cellist, keyboardist and guitarist.He is best known for his work Siouxsie and the Banshees from 1987 until 1995. He recorded with them three studio albums : Peepshow, Superstition and The Rapture...
  
   - cello
• Paul Boyle - fiddle
• Jools Holland
  Jools Holland
  Julian Miles "Jools" Holland OBE, DL is an English pianist, bandleader, singer, composer, and television presenter. He was a founder of the band Squeeze and his work has involved him with many artists including Sting, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, The Who, David Gilmour and Bono.Holland is a...
  
   - piano
• Thomas Leer
  Thomas Leer
  Thomas Leer is a British musician who as well as releasing a number of albums and singles in his own right, was also one half of the 1980s electropop band Act...
  
   - synthesiser
• Jeremy Meek - bass guitar
• Camelle G. Hinds - bass guitar
• Andy Duncan - drums
• Zeke Manyika
  Zeke Manyika
  Zeke Manyika is a drummer, vocalist and songwriter.Manyika was born in Zimbabwe, but has lived in Britain for most of his life. From 1982 to 1984 he was a member of the pop group Orange Juice, and contributed to their biggest hit single, "Rip It Up"...
  
   - drums
• Jim Thirlwell - sticks and tins
• Steve James Sherlock - sax and flute (UK cassette album edition)
• Paul "Wix" Wickens - accordion