Island Records

Island Records

Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...

 issued this compilation in 2000 as the first step in a program to re-master and re-issue the albums that Richard and Linda Thompson had cut for them.

The tracks are drawn mostly from the duo's three albums for Island: I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight

I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight

Q : "After his 1971 departure from Fairport Convention, Richard Thompson found his ideal foil in recent bride Linda. A hugely inventive guitarist, he gives full vent to his talent on this dark, brooding album...

, Hokey Pokey

Hokey Pokey (album)

Hokey Pokey is the second album by the British duo of singer Linda and singer/songwriter/guitarist Richard Thompson. It was recorded in the autumn of 1974 and released in 1975....

 and Pour Down Like Silver

Pour Down Like Silver

Pour Down Like Silver is the third album by the British duo of singer/songwriter/guitarist Richard and singer Linda Thompson. It was recorded in the summer of 1975 and released in November 1975....

, though two tracks are taken from Richard Thompson's first solo album Henry The Human Fly

Henry the Human Fly

Henry the Human Fly was the first solo album by British singer/songwriter/guitarist Richard Thompson. It was originally released in Britain in April 1972 on the Island label and in the US on the Reprise label....

; there is also an alternate recording of A Heart Needs A Home and a live version of The Calvary Cross with an extended guitar solo, both of which originally appeared on the mid-seventies compilation album (guitar, vocal)

(guitar, vocal)

is a 1976 album by Richard Thompson. It was released by Island Records as a career retrospective after he and his wife Linda had gone into semi-retirement from the business of making and performing music following the release of Pour Down Like Silver .Most tracks are unreleased recordings from...

.

This compilation was released in the UK under the name The End Of The Rainbow: an introduction to Richard & Linda Thompson with an identical track listing and similar art work.

Track listing

All songs written by Richard Thompson

1. "Roll Over Vaughan Williams"
2. "The Poor Ditching Boy"
3. "When I Get To The Border"
4. "Withered And Died"
5. "I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight"
6. "Down Where The Drunkards Roll"
7. "The End Of The Rainbow"
8. "The Great Valerio"
9. "Hokey Pokey"
10. "Never Again"
11. "A Heart Needs A Home"
12. "For Shame Of Doing Wrong"
13. "Night Comes In"
14. "Beat The Retreat"
15. "Dimming Of The Day"
16. "The Calvary Cross"