WIld River, the debut solo album from the late Big Big Train singer David Longdon, is to be reissued in re-mixed, re-mastered and expanded form through English Electric Recordings on October 12.
You can watch a video trailer for the new album as well as a video for the first single, Always, below.
Originally released in 2004, Wild River has been out of print for some time, although Longdon always had plans to remix and re-package the album. Longdon's tragic death in November 2021 meant this never happened. However, in a final act of remembrance by his long-time colleague and Big Big Train's noted engineer Rob Aubrey, Longdon’s wishes have now been fulfilled. The album packaging has also been re-designed by Longdon’s friend and collaborator Steve Vantsis.
“It still fills me with sadness that he’s gone, but Wild River needed to be made available again as it is such a strong album," says Aubrey.
"David was really proud of those songs,” adds Longdon's partner Sarah Ewing. “He produced and engineered the album himself, but always felt that the recording, the production and the mix never quite met his expectations. Over the years he became much more skilled at his craft, and had he been alive now, he would have been able to deliver the album the way he always wanted it to be. He’d also always wanted to improve the cover art, but at the time he’d spent all his money on the recording and mixing.
“I don’t think it sounds like an album that’s 20 years old; it sounds very immediate and contemporary and that speaks of David’s talent. It’s hard for me to be objective, but I hear the younger David and in that regard it’s a beautiful time capsule."
Wild River will be released on limited edition green and daffodil yellow coloured double vinyl as well as black vinyl and 2CD and digital formats. You can see the new albukm artwork and tracklisiting below.
Vinyl formats of the album feature four songs recorded live in 2004, while the CD format features nine live songs. The vinyl and CD formats all feature a bonus studio track not available on the 2004 edition of the album, while the CD format also includes an extended version of one song from the studio recordings.
David Longdon: Wild River
Vinyl edition
Side 1
1. Always
2. Honey Trap
3. Mandy
4. About Time
5. Vertigo
Side 2
1.Wild River
2. Loving & Giving
3. In Essence
4. This House
Side 3
1. Joely
2. Falling Down To Earth
3. On To The Headland
4. Beyond Belief
Side 4
1. Every Silver Lining (Live)
2. April Fool (Live)
4. Can I Come With You? (Live)
5. Pipe Dream (Live)
CD version
CD 1
1. Always
2. Honey Trap
3. Mandy
4. About Time
5. Vertigo
6. Wild River
7. Loving & Giving
8. In Essence
9. This House
10. Joely
11. Falling Down To Earth
12. On To The Headland
CD2
1. Always (Live)
2. Every Silver Lining (Live)
3. Loving & Giving (Live)
4. April Fool (Live)
5. Falling Down To Earth (Live)
6. Can I Come With You? (Live)
7. Pipe Dream (Live)
8. Mandy (Live)
9. Wild River (Live)
10. On To The Headland (Extended Version with Poem)
11. Beyond Belief
