The Go-Betweens - World Weary (1982)

The Go-Betweens were an Australian indie rock band formed in 1977 in Brisbane, Queensland, by singer-songwriters and guitarists Robert Forster and Grant McLennan. Forster and McLennan met at the University of Queensland where both were taking a theatre arts course, and once the band had a rhythm section they recorded their debut single 'Lee Remick' in May 1978. The song, an ode to the titular US actress, was released on the independent Able label in September 1978, and the band sent copies to record labels around the world, eventually gaining  some interest from the UK arm of America's Beserkley Records. Beserkley offered the band a contract that proposed the re-issue of 'Lee Remick' and its b-side 'Karen' as two singles, followed by an eight-album deal, but unfortunately the label went bust just weeks later. The band's second single, 'People Say', was recorded in May 1979, and six months later Forster and McLennan left Australia, with a plan to shop their songs from record company to record company simply by visiting their offices and playing them. While in Glasgow, Scotland, in April 1980, they recorded the 'I Need Two Heads' single, which came out on Postcard Records. Forster then returned to Australia, whilst McLennan continued to New York, and on McLennan's return to Brisbane they were joined by Belinda 'Lindy' Morrison on drums, forming the original trio line-up of the band. After Missing Link Records had re-issued 'I Need Two Heads' in Australia to some success, they were offered the chance to record another single, and 'Your Turn My Turn' was released in 1981. The band's first official album 'Send Me A Lullaby', was issued as an eight-track mini-album in November 1981, with Rough Trade in the UK picking it up three months later, and releasing it with an additional four tracks, although even this expanded twelve track version didn't include any of their early singles, apart from 'Your Turn, My Turn'. This album collects together all of those early songs, as well as an unreleased UK single from 1978, some songs from a rare 1981 cassette, and a few demos from the same year. I think most people already hold The Go-Betweens in the highest regard as one of the best indie rock bands ever to come out of Australia, and so I hope that this album includes some songs that even the most devoted fan might not have heard before.   

Track listing

01 Lee Remick (single 1978)
02 Karen (b-side of 'Lee Remick)
03 The Sound Of Rain (unreleased UK 7" single 1978)
04 People Say (single 1979)
05 Don't Let Him Come Back (b-side of 'People Say')
06 I Need Two Heads (single 1980)
07 Stop Before You Say It (b-side of 'I Need Two Heads')
08 World Weary (b-side of 'Your Turn, My Turn' 1981)
09 Undo What You Did (from '5 New Songs' cassette 1981)
10 Cracked Wheat (from '5 New Songs' cassette 1981)
11 A Peaceful Wreck (from '5 New Songs' cassette 1981)
12 One Word (demo 1981)
13 Hope (demo 1981)
14 Sunday Night (demo 1981)
15 The Clowns Are In Town (demo 1981)
16 Serenade Sound (demo 1981)
17 Distant Hands (live at Mosman Hotel 1982)