LOVE CROWNS & CRUCIFIES (PAUL SIMPSON SLEEVE) (2LP) | VINYL RECORD (LP)

Care, Album cover chosen by Paul Simpson. Double vinyl LP pressing. 2026 archive release of the long-lost album by the British pop duo founded by Paul Simpson (The Wild Swans) and Ian Broudie (Original Mirrors/Lightning Seeds). "The blueprint was simple: Hot Chocolate rhythms, George Murray bass lines, classical music instruments with pop sensibilities. We, the architects, however, were complicated." - Paul Simpson. Care were brought together late in 1982 by mutual friend Will Sergeant, when Paul was looking for someone to play a guitar part for a new song he had written. Ian obliged and asked him to return the favour by singing on one of his songs Tall Ships. When Bunnymen manager Bill Drummond heard the result, now retitled My Boyish Days (Drink To Me), he secured the pair a deal with Arista on the back of it. Care would go on to release three acclaimed singles over the course of a twelve-month period between 1983 and 1984 - My Boyish Days (Drink To Me), Flaming Sword and Whatever Possessed You - before Simpson, still struggling to come to terms with the break-up of his previous band decided not to continue. Although top 40 success eluded Care in the UK, the group quickly found an adoring fanbase in the Philippines, where all three singles became huge hits. Working closely with Paul Simpson and with the approval of Ian Broudie, Needle Mythology has been given access to the original quarter-inch tapes which housed everything that Broudie and Simpson recorded together. The process of digitising the contents of all the original tapes unearthed a number of exciting finds, among them the yearning Colour and Sound; an instrumental alternate arrangement of On The White Cloud and the thrilling original demos of Drink To Me (My Boyish Days) and Flaming Sword, featuring the late Bunnymen drummer Pete de Freitas. Love Crowns and Crucifies has been newly mastered by Miles Showell at Abbey Road and personally approved by Ian Broudie and Paul Simpson.