The Margin
Encyclopedia
The Margin is a live album by Peter Hammill
, documenting early nineteen-eighties concerts by his K Group. Hammill was K (on vocals, piano and guitar), Nic Potter
was Mozart (on bass guitar), Guy Evans
was Brain (on drums), and John Ellis
was Fury (on backing vocals and guitar). The album was originally released as a double album
on Foundry Records in 1985. It was reissued some years later on CD on Virgin Records
in the UK with one track missing in order to make it fit onto a single CD and on Line Records
in Germany with two tracks missing. Hammill then reissued it again on his own Fie! record label, as The Margin +. This issue did not restore the track lost from the UK CD edition from the original vinyl release, "The Second Hand", but included an additional disc of material previously released as a live bootleg
called The Secret Asteroid Jungle. The liner notes explain that Hammill chose to include a different performance of "The Second Hand".
The original album (and the first disc of The Margin +) is a live-recording without audience sounds ("No applause, no overdubs - This is what happened on stage"), the additional disc of The Margin + does have audience sounds ("Applause, no overdubs - This is what happened out front").
The album cover is a stark black and white photograph of Hammill by the noted Dutch photographer Anton Corbijn
. It has become an iconic image of Hammill, often used for live posters and other promotional material.
Peter Hammill
Peter Joseph Andrew Hammill is an English singer-songwriter, and a founding member of the progressive rock band Van der Graaf Generator. Most noted for his vocal abilities, his main instruments are guitar and piano...
, documenting early nineteen-eighties concerts by his K Group. Hammill was K (on vocals, piano and guitar), Nic Potter
Nic Potter
Nic Potter is a British bassist, composer and painter, best known for his work with the group Van der Graaf Generator in the 1970s.-Career:...
was Mozart (on bass guitar), Guy Evans
Guy Evans
Guy Randolph Evans is an English progressive rock drummer, percussionist and composer, and a member of Van der Graaf Generator....
was Brain (on drums), and John Ellis
John Ellis (guitarist)
John Ellis is an English guitarist and songwriter.-Career:He was a co-founder of the pub rock band Bazooka Joe in 1970 and a founding member of the punk rock band The Vibrators. Ellis formed The Vibrators in 1974 while still at art school studying illustration. The Vibrators released two albums...
was Fury (on backing vocals and guitar). The album was originally released as a double album
Double album
A double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....
on Foundry Records in 1985. It was reissued some years later on CD on Virgin Records
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
in the UK with one track missing in order to make it fit onto a single CD and on Line Records
Line Records
Line Records is a Brazilian gospel record label and it belongs to Universal Church of the Kingdom of God. Was founded in Rio de Janeiro, in 1992 with the intent to tend the gospel music demand.-Artists:*Adilson Silva*Adriana Ferreira*Adriana Marques...
in Germany with two tracks missing. Hammill then reissued it again on his own Fie! record label, as The Margin +. This issue did not restore the track lost from the UK CD edition from the original vinyl release, "The Second Hand", but included an additional disc of material previously released as a live bootleg
Bootleg recording
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
called The Secret Asteroid Jungle. The liner notes explain that Hammill chose to include a different performance of "The Second Hand".
The original album (and the first disc of The Margin +) is a live-recording without audience sounds ("No applause, no overdubs - This is what happened on stage"), the additional disc of The Margin + does have audience sounds ("Applause, no overdubs - This is what happened out front").
The album cover is a stark black and white photograph of Hammill by the noted Dutch photographer Anton Corbijn
Anton Corbijn
Anton Corbijn is a Dutch photographer, music video and film director. He is the creative director behind the visual output of Depeche Mode and U2, having handled the principal promotion and sleeve photography for both for more than a decade...
. It has become an iconic image of Hammill, often used for live posters and other promotional material.
The Margin
- "The Future Now" (3:46)
- "Porton Down" (5:38)
- "Stranger Still" (6:22)
- "Sign" (6:36)
- "Jargon King" (3:15)
- "The Second Hand" (5:57) (missing on the CD reissue)
- "Empress's Clothes" (5:49)
- "The Sphinx In The Face" (5:12)
- "Labour Of Love" (5:48)
- "Sitting Targets" (5:44)
- "Patient" (7:28)
- "Flight" (20:35)
+
- "The Second Hand" (6:03)
- "My Experience" (4:13)
- "Paradox Drive" (4:18)
- "Modern" (7:42)
- "Film Noir" (5:06)
- "The Great Experiment" (5:47)
- "Happy Hour" (9:46)
- "Central Hotel" (5:01)
- "Again" (4:22)
- "If I Could" (5:52)
Personnel
The K Group- Peter Hammill: vocals, guitar, piano
- John EllisJohn Ellis (guitarist)John Ellis is an English guitarist and songwriter.-Career:He was a co-founder of the pub rock band Bazooka Joe in 1970 and a founding member of the punk rock band The Vibrators. Ellis formed The Vibrators in 1974 while still at art school studying illustration. The Vibrators released two albums...
: lead guitar and backing vocals - Nic PotterNic PotterNic Potter is a British bassist, composer and painter, best known for his work with the group Van der Graaf Generator in the 1970s.-Career:...
: bass guitar - Guy EvansGuy EvansGuy Randolph Evans is an English progressive rock drummer, percussionist and composer, and a member of Van der Graaf Generator....
: drums, percussion