BBC Sessions 1994-1999 collects classic Ash tracks and covers specially commissioned for BBC sessions by their great friends and supporters Steve Lamacq and the Late Great John Peel. A Record Store day exclusive, these tracks have never before been released.
With the last year enforcing the first serious downtime on the band, it also enabled them to find the time to trawl the archive to put together a RSD release with some real value, something that shines a light on their early development. This collection really highlights how they grew up in public, from Northern Irish underground garage band, through the years of the mad fame of the #1 debut album, to the expansion of the line up and sound with the introduction of guitar legend Charlotte Hatherley. Some of these tracks are made available for the first time since they were broadcast 25 or so years ago, and include the voice of the late great John Peel introducing them for the PEEL Acres session in April 1999.
The band said: "Ash have been big fans of RSD for years. The event captures the excitement and buzz we all felt as kids trawling independent record stores for our favourite releases that were our teenage lifeblood. Its also a huge deal for us to make our RSD debut with a BBC sessions record. Sharing of Nirvanas legendary session appearances via cassette recordings of Peels show were a massive influence on us in the early days. Hearing their already stripped down aesthetic pared down to the absolute core was so special as was their inspired choices of covers. Its such an honour to be able to reveal this side of Ash on vinyl for the first time, still following in our heroes footsteps all these years later!
The numbered release is limited to 1,000 copies on bright pink vinyl. It follows their compilation Teenage Wildlife: 25 Years of Ash which reached #1 on both the UK's and Ireland's Official Independent Albums Chart in February 2020.
LP 1:
1. Petrol (The John Peel Session, Maida Vale 3rd April 1994)
2. Silver Surfer (The John Peel Session, Maida Vale 3rd April 1994)
3. Jazz 59 (The John Peel Session, Maida Vale 3rd April 1994)
4. Girl From Mars (The Evening Session, Maida Vale 14th October 1994)
5. Coasting (The Evening Session, Maida Vale 14th October 1994)
6. American Devil (The Evening Session, Maida Vale 14th October 1994)
7. Darkside Lightside (The John Peel Session, Maida Vale 14th April 1996)
LP 2:
1. Does Your Mother Know (The Evening Session, Maida Vale 15th April 1996)
2. Wildsurf (Evening Session, Maida Vale 23rd September 1998)
3. Jesus Says (Evening Session, Maida Vale 23rd September 1998)
4. Who You Drivin Now? (Evening Session, Maida Vale 23rd September 1998)
5. Folk Song (John Peel Session, Live at Peel Acres 15th April 1999)
6. Something Like You (John Peel Session, Live at Peel Acres 15th April 1999)