Spring Hill Fair
Encyclopedia
Spring Hill Fair was released in September 1984 in the UK
on Sire Records
. It was The Go-Betweens
' third album. The LP was recorded at Studio Miraval
in Le Val
, France
. Prior to the recording of the album, bass player
Robert Vickers had joined the group, enabling Grant McLennan
to move to lead guitar
. The original release consisted of ten songs. In 2002, Circus released an expanded CD
which included a second disc of ten bonus tracks and a music video
for the song, "Bachelor Kisses
".. The album was named Spring Hill Fair after an annual fair in Spring Hill, Queensland
, suburb of Brisbane Grammar School
, Forster's high school.
All songs written by Grant McLennan and Robert Forster. Tracks 1, 6, 8, and 9 lyrics by McLennan; Tracks 3, 4, 5, 7, and 10 lyrics by Forster; Track 2 lyrics by McLennan/Forster.
Bonus Tracks on 2002 CD Reissue Disc 2:
All songs written by McLennan and Forster. Tracks 1, 3, 5, 7 lyrics by McLennan; Tracks 2, 4, 6, 8, and 9 lyrics by Forster.
with:
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...
on Sire Records
Sire Records
Sire Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:The label was founded in 1966 as Sire Productions by Seymour Stein and Richard Gottehrer, each investing ten thousand dollars into the new company. Its early releases as a...
. It was The Go-Betweens
The Go-Betweens
The Go-Betweens were an indie rock band formed in Brisbane, Australia in 1977 by singer-songwriters and guitarists, Robert Forster and Grant McLennan. They were later joined by Lindy Morrison on drums, Robert Vickers on bass guitar and Amanda Brown on violin, oboe, guitar, and backing vocals,...
' third album. The LP was recorded at Studio Miraval
Studio Miraval
Studio Miraval is a recording studio in Le Val in southern France, situated in the heart of the department of Var near the French Riviera. Many famous musicians have recorded there, including Rammstein, Sade, AC/DC, and Shirley Bassey. It is a residential studio, much like Château d'Hérouville,...
in Le Val
Le Val
Le Val is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-References:*...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Prior to the recording of the album, bass player
Bass Player
Bass player can refer to:*Bass Player , an album by Rhombus*Bass Player , a magazine for bassists*Bassist, or bass player, a musician who plays the bass guitar...
Robert Vickers had joined the group, enabling Grant McLennan
Grant McLennan
Grant William McLennan was an Australian singer-songwriter with the alternative rock band The Go-Betweens, which he co-founded with Robert Forster in Brisbane, Australia in 1977...
to move to lead guitar
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
. The original release consisted of ten songs. In 2002, Circus released an expanded CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
which included a second disc of ten bonus tracks and a music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for the song, "Bachelor Kisses
Bachelor Kisses
"Bachelor Kisses" was the second single released by The Go-Betweens from their third album, Spring Hill Fair. It was released in August 1984 by Sire Records. In the UK a 12" single was also released on Sire...
".. The album was named Spring Hill Fair after an annual fair in Spring Hill, Queensland
Spring Hill, Queensland
Spring Hill is an inner suburb of Brisbane, Australia located 2 km north of the central business district. Parts of Spring Hill can be considered to be extensions of the Brisbane CBD.-Schools:Spring Hill is serviced by a number of schools...
, suburb of Brisbane Grammar School
Brisbane Grammar School
Brisbane Grammar School is an independent, non-denominational, day and boarding school for boys, located in Spring Hill, an inner suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia...
, Forster's high school.
Track listing
- "Bachelor KissesBachelor Kisses"Bachelor Kisses" was the second single released by The Go-Betweens from their third album, Spring Hill Fair. It was released in August 1984 by Sire Records. In the UK a 12" single was also released on Sire...
" – 3:33 - "Five Words" – 4:05
- "The Old Way Out" – 3:41
- "You've Never Lived" – 3:55
- "Part Company" – 4:53
- "Slow Slow Music" – 3:05
- "Draining the Pool for You" – 4:16
- "River of Money" – 5:10
- "Unkind and Unwise" – 3:05
- "Man O' Sand to Girl O' Sea" – 4:41
All songs written by Grant McLennan and Robert Forster. Tracks 1, 6, 8, and 9 lyrics by McLennan; Tracks 3, 4, 5, 7, and 10 lyrics by Forster; Track 2 lyrics by McLennan/Forster.
Bonus Tracks on 2002 CD Reissue Disc 2:
- "Emperor's Courtessan" – 2:23
- "Rare Breed" – 2:53
- "Newton Told Me" – 2:33
- "Just Right for Him" – 3:29
- "Attraction" – 2:25
- "The Power That I Now Have" – 2:45
- "Second-Hand Furniture" – 4:13
- "Marco Polo Jr." – 4:12
- "Sweet Tasting Hours" – 3:40
- "Unkind & Unwise (Instrumental)" – 3:04
- "Bachelor Kisses" (Video)
All songs written by McLennan and Forster. Tracks 1, 3, 5, 7 lyrics by McLennan; Tracks 2, 4, 6, 8, and 9 lyrics by Forster.
Personnel
The Go-Betweens consisted of:- Robert ForsterRobert Forster (musician)Robert Forster is an Australian singer-songwriter, best known for his work with songwriting partner Grant McLennan, with whom he co-founded The Go-Betweens.Forster grew up in Brisbane, Australia attending Brisbane Grammar School...
- vocals, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Grant McLennanGrant McLennanGrant William McLennan was an Australian singer-songwriter with the alternative rock band The Go-Betweens, which he co-founded with Robert Forster in Brisbane, Australia in 1977...
- vocals, guitar - Lindy MorrisonLindy MorrisonBelinda "Lindy" Morrison is an Australian musician originally from Queensland. She was the drummer in indie rock group The Go-Betweens from 1980 to 1989, appearing on all the band's releases from their first LP in 1981 until the band's first break up on 26 December 1989...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, backing vocals - Robert Vickers - bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
with:
- Graeme Pleeth - keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, brass and string arrangements - Denis Gautier - trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
- Marc Fontana - saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
- Ana da SilvaAna da SilvaAna da Silva is a founding member of The Raincoats. In approximately 1984 she provided backing vocals on The Go-Betweens' "Bachelor Kisses". In February 2005, she released a solo album The Lighthouse on Chicks on Speed Records. Stuart Moxham of the Young Marble Giants collaborated on one of the...
- backing vocals on "Bachelor Kisses"