"This is what Syd Barrett might have created, had he waited until he'd matured before joining a band" Record Collector magazine

"Real Music!..........finally music that makes you think and really listen!" David Axelrod

37 years since they began, May 9 will see the dynamic duo and Fruits de Mer releasing a double CD - 'An introduction to The Chemistry Set', containing two and a half hours of music selected by Paul Lake and Dave McLean from the band's Fruits de Mer back-catalogue (and a little bit more), with all tracks remastered.

When I asked the band how they chose the tracks, they were in unison replying; "They are our favourite songs and, yes, we have missed out some tracks but these songs are the closest to our hearts".

The 2CD set includes tracks from their album 'This Day Will Never Happen Again', released before they discovered Fruits de Mer(!), and ends with Paul and Dave's first-ever solo recordings, released on CD for the first time.

The Chemistry Set's discography stands at 54 releases and, since their comeback in 2008, every single and album have 'sold out' on release; their releases regularly appear on ebay and discogs at significantly higher prices than the original releases; this set is limited to 300 copies, so it's likely that history will repeat itself.

(incidentally, if you're new to The Chemisty Set, they cite their influences as including The Beatles, Arthur Lee & Love, Jimi Hendrix, The Kinks and Pink Floyd (Syd era)

Complete track listing

CD1

01. Silver Birch - Phased Version - from It's a Phase We're Going Through 12" LP
02 Time To Breathe - from Time To Breathe 7" EP
03 Come Kiss Me Vibrate And Smile - from Time To Breathe 7" EP
04 Elapsed Memories - from Elapsed Memories 7" EP
05 A Cure For The Inflicted Afflicted - From Elapsed Memories 7" EP
06 Love Or Confusion - from Elapsed Memories 7" EP
07 Lovely Cuppa Tea - from Lovely Cuppa Tea 7" EP
08 The Rubicon - from Lovely Cuppa Tea 7" EP
09 Legend Of A Mind - from Lovely Cuppa Tea 7" EP
10 Firefly - from Firefly 7" Single
11 Sail Away - from Firefly 7" Single
12 Paint Me A Dream - from Paint Me A Dream 7" Single (Hypnotic Bridge Records)
13 The Witch - from Paint Me A Dream 7" Single (Hypnotic Bridge Records)
14 Dear Mr Fantasy - from Paul Lake - Dear Mr Fantasy 7" Lathe Cut Single
15 Faintly Blowing - Mono Version - from Dave McLean - Faintly Blowing 8" Lathe Cut Single
16 The Witch 138 (Our Favourite Ever Remix) (Remixed by Marc Swordfish) - Bonus CD with Pink Felt Trip 12" LP

CD2

01 She's Taking Me Down - from This Day Will Never Happen Again CD
02 The World Is Hollow And I Touched The Sky - from This Day Will Never Happen Again CD
03 If Rome Was Meant To Fall - from This Day Will Never Happen Again CD
04 This Day Will Never Happen Again - from This Day Will Never Happen Again CD
05 We Live As We Dream Alone - from This Day Will Never Happen Again CD
06 Crawling Back To You - from The Endless More And More LP
07 The Fountains Of Neptune - from The Endless More And More LP
08 The Open Window - from The Endless More And More LP
09 Albert Hoffman - from The Endless More And More LP
10 Winter Sun - from The Endless More And More LP
11 The Splendour Of The Universe - from The Endless More And More LP
12 International Rescue - from The Endless More And More LP
13 The Canyon Of The Crescent Moon - from The Endless More And More LP
14 Pink Felt Trip - from Pink Felt Trip LP
15 Psychotronic Man - from Pink Felt Trip LP
16 Self-Expression Trinity - from Pink Felt Trip LP

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