Die legendäre New Wave Band The Colourfield aus Manchester erhält endlich eine würdige Werkschau. Am 27. Februar 2026 erscheint das umfangreiche Box-Set Sound of The Colourfield über Chrysalis Records. Diese Veröffentlichung im schicken A5-Mediabook bietet das maximale Maximum für jeden Sammler. Die Box umfasst insgesamt fünf CDs und eine DVD. Damit deckt sie die gesamte aktive Zeit der Gruppe zwischen 1984 und 1987 lückenlos ab. Fans finden hier alle jemals veröffentlichten Alben und Songs der Formation.
Nach seinem Ausstieg bei The Specials und Fun Boy Three gründete Terry Hall im Jahr 1984 The Colourfield. Die Band verzichtete bewusst auf den politisch aufgeladenen Ska seiner früheren Projekte. Stattdessen orientierten sich die Musiker an anspruchsvollem Pop, Soul und Jazz. Sie schufen in den wenigen Jahren ihres Bestehens zeitlose Klassiker. Das Box-Set enthält die beiden Studioalben „Virgins and Philistines“ sowie „Deception“. Beide Werke wurden von den Original-Masterbändern aufwendig remastered.
Unveröffentlichte Schätze und exklusive Einblicke
Das Herzstück dieser Kollektion sind die insgesamt 96 Tracks. Ganze 42 Titel davon waren bisher völlig unveröffentlicht. Zwei komplette CDs sind reserviert für rare Demos, Outtakes und packende Live-Konzerte. Sammler erhalten so einen tiefen Einblick in die kreative Arbeit von Terry Hall und seiner Band. Neben den bekannten Hits wie „Thinking Of You“ finden sich zahlreiche B-Seiten und Remixe. Es ist die definitiv letzte und vollständigste Zusammenfassung ihres Schaffens.
Die DVD in diesem Set bietet zudem einen visuellen Rückblick. Sie enthält sämtliche Promo-Videos der Band. Auch die seltenen Auftritte im BBC-TV sind auf der Disc zu finden. Ein 22 Seiten starkes Booklet rundet das Paket ab. Es enthält neue Interviews mit Zeitzeugen und viele bisher unveröffentlichte Fotos. Das Mediabook ist ein Muss für jeden Liebhaber von anspruchsvollem Pop-Rock. Es feiert das musikalische Erbe einer der spannendsten Bands der 80er Jahre. Sichern Sie sich dieses Highlight ab Ende Februar im gut sortierten Fachhandel.
SOUND OF THE COLOURFIELD
CD ONE: VIRGINS AND PHILISTINES
01 Thinking of You
02 Faint Hearts
03 Castles in The Air
04 Take
05 Cruel Circus
06 Hammond Song
07 Virgins and Philistines
08 Yours Sincerely
09 Armchair Theatre
10 Sorry
Produced by Hugh Jones
Originally released on 26th April 1985
CD TWO: DECEPTION
01 Badlands
02 Running Away
03 From Dawn to Distraction
04 Confession
05 Miss Texas 1967
06 She
07 Heart of America
08 Digging It Deep
09 Monkey in Winter
10 Goodbye Sun Valley
Produced by Richard Gottehrer. Associate producer and engineer Jeffrey Lesser
Additional musicians, Roland Orzabal guitar on Running Away and Confession
Originally released on 23rd March 1987
CD THREE: A-SIDES, B-SIDES AND MIXES
A-sides and B-Sides
01 The Colour Field – A-side 7” single, Jan 1984
02 Sorry [Original Version] – B-side to The Colour Field single, Jan 1984
03 Pushing Up The Daisies – B-side to Take single, July 1984
04 Windmills of Your Mind – B-side to Take 12” single, Jul 1984
05 My Wild Flame – B-side to Thinking of You 7” single, Jan 1985
06 Little Things – B-side to Thinking of You 7” single, Jan 1985
07 Castles in The Air [Single Remix] – A-side, Apr 1985
08 Your Love Was Smashing – B-side to Castles in The Air single, Apr 1985
09 I Can’t Get Enough of You Baby – B-side to Castles in The Air 7” single, Apr 1985
10 Things Could Be Beautiful – A-side single, Jan 1986
11 Frosty Mornings – B-side to Things Could Be Beautiful single, Jan 1986
12 Running Away [Radio Edit] – A-side single, Feb 1987
13 She [Single Remix] – A-side single, Jul 1987
14 Monkey in Winter [with Sinéad O’Connor]- B-side to She 12” single, Jul 1987
Versions
15 The Colour Field [Extended Version] – A-side to 12” single, Jan 1984
16 Take [Extended Version] – Previously Unreleased
17 Thinking of You [Singalong Version] – B-side to Thinking of You single, Jan 1985
18 Castles in The Air [Extended Version] – A-side to 12” single, [Apr 1985
19 My Wild Flame [Extended Version] – B-side of Thinking of You single, Jan 1985
20 Castles in The Air [Instrumental Version] – B-side to Castles in The Air single, Apr 1985
Additional musicians, Pete de Freitas, drums on Take.
CD FOUR: DEMOS & OUTTAKES – All Previously Unreleased
01 The Colour Field [Instrumental Demo] – Cargo Studio, Rochdale [Oct 1983]
02 Cruel Circus [Demo] – Recorded at Cargo Studio, Rochdale [Oct 1983]
03 Armchair Theatre [Instrumental Demo] – Recorded at Cargo Studio, Rochdale [Oct 1983]
04 The Colour Field [Guide backing track] – Recorded at Strawberry Recording Studios, Stockport [Nov 1983]
05 Take [4-Track Demo] – Home recording, Stockport [early 1984]
06 Thinking of You (Instrumental) [4-Track Demo] – Home recording, Stockport [early 1984]
07 Pushing Up The Daisies [4-Track Demo] – Home recording, Stockport [early 1984]
08 Windmills of Your Mind [4-Track Demo] – Home recording, Stockport [early 1984]
09 Yours Sincerely [4-Track Demo] – Home recording, Stockport [early 1984]
10 Castles in The Air [4-Track Demo] – Mixed by Dermot James [Nov 2024]
11 Heart of America [Ian Broudie Version] – Recorded at Amazon Studios, Liverpool [Nov 1985]
12 Jesus and The April Rain [Ian Broudie Version] – Recorded at Strawberry Recording Studios, Stockport [Dec 1985]
13 Digging It Deep [Studio Davout Version] – Recorded at Studio Davout, Paris [Jun 1986]
14 She [Studio Davout Version] – Recorded at Studio Davout, Paris [Jun 1986]
15 Frosty Mornings [Studio Davout Version] – Recorded at Studio Davout, Paris [Jun 1986]
16 Confession [Studio Davout Version] – Recorded at Studio Davout, Paris [Jun 1986]
17 Jesus and The April Rain [Studio Davout Version] – Recorded at Studio Davout, Paris [Jun 1986]
18 Heart of America [Studio Davout Version] – Recorded at Studio Davout, Paris [Jun 1986]
19 Goodbye Sun Valley [Studio Davout Version] – Recorded at Studio Davout, Paris [Jun 1986]
20 Things Could Be Beautiful [Acoustic Version] – Recorded at The Garden Studio, London [Mar 1987]
CD Five: LIVE – * Previously Unreleased
Hammersmith Palais 1985
01 The Colour Field [Live] *
02 Pushing Up The Daisies [Live]
03 Faint Hearts [Live] *
04 Your Love Was Smashing [Live] *
05 Take [Live] *
06 Cruel Circus [Live] *
07 Yours Sincerely [Live]
08 Sorry [Live] *
09 Hammond Song [Live] *
10 Virgins and Philistines [Live] *
11 Thinking of You [Live] *
12 I Can’t Get Enough of You Baby [Live] *
13 Armchair Theatre [Live] *
14 Castles in The Air [Live] *
Performed by Terry Hall vocals. Toby Lyons guitar. Karl Shale bass. Gary Dwyer drums
With Katrina Phillips backing vocals. Pete Barratt piano, keyboards. Jim Morrison guitar. Tim Whittaker percussion
Recorded live at Hammersmith Palais, London, 24th June 1985
Tracks 2 and 7 released as b-sides of Things Could Be Beautiful single, Jan 1986
Warwick University 1986
15 Frosty Mornings [Live] *
16 Take It as It Comes [Live] *
17 Memories Can’t Wait [Live] *
18 Things Could Be Beautiful [Live] *
19 She [Live] *
20 Jesus and The April Rain [Live] *
21 96 Tears [Live] *
Performed by Terry Hall vocals. Toby Lyons guitar. Karl Shale bass. Gary Dwyer drums
With Craig Gannon guitar and Helen Turner keyboards
Recorded live at the University of Warwick, Coventry 27th February 1986. Note: this was recorded direct from the
sound desk to cassette and was not made for commercial release. As such the audio sound quality isn’t up to release
standards but is included here for historical purposes.
All tracks written by Terry Hall and Toby Lyons.
DVD:
Promotional Videos:
01 The Colour Field Directed by Jeff Baynes
02 Take Directed by Jeff Baynes
03 Thinking of You Directed by Bill Butt
04 Castles in The Air Directed by Bill Butt
05 Things Could Be Beautiful Directed by Bill Butt
06 Running Away Directed by Nick Thompson
07 She Directed by Tim Pope
08 ‘Why Am I Standing Here?’ [The Making of the Making of The Colourfield] * Directed by Tim Pope
At The BBC
09 Thinking of You [Whistle Test 22.1.1985]
10 Faint Hearts [Whistle Test 22.1.1985]
11 Thinking of You [Top of The Pops 31.1.1985]
12 Castles in The Air [ORS 1.3.1985]
13 Thinking of You [ORS 1.3.1985]
14 Thinking of You [Pebble Mill at One 19.4.1985]
15 Castles in The Air [Pebble Mill at One 19.4.1985]
- Previously Unreleased
