Soul Mining

Untitled

Soul Mining was The The's second album. (The first, Burning Blue Soul, was released in 1981 and credited to Matt Johnson, but reissues have tended to credit it to The The.) It was released in 1983 and included the UK hit singles "Uncertain Smile" which reached No. 68 in December 1982 and "Perfect" which made No. 71 in September 1983, which featured David Johansen on harmonica. The album version of "Uncertain Smile" featured the piano playing of Jools Holland. Holland revealed in his 2007 biography that it is in fact two separate solos joined together. The original single used flute and sax solos played by Crispin Cioe of the Uptown Horns. The cover artwork is by Andy Johnson, Matt Johnson's brother, aka Andy Dog.

There are four different versions of the album in existence. Johnson originally intended the album to finish with "Giant", but EPIC insisted that 7 songs were too few and a rerecorded version of "Perfect" was added to the US vinyl, CD and cassette versions, much to Johnson's annoyance. The UK cassette version also included the five extra tracks listed below. There was also a limited edition of the original Album which included a 12 inch with an extended remix of Perfect b/sided with Fruit of the Heart & Soup of mixed emotions (XPR1250). For the 20th anniversary of Soul Mining, the album was digitally remastered without "Perfect", as Johnson had originally intended.

The album appears on the list of "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".

Track listing

Side one

1. "I've Been Waiting for Tomorrow (All of My Life)" - 5:45
2. "This Is the Day" - 5:00
3. "The Sinking Feeling" - 3:43
4. "Uncertain Smile" - 6:53

Side two

1. "The Twilight Hour" - 5:57
2. "Soul Mining" - 4:50
3. "GIANT" - 9:34
4. "Perfect" Bonus track on CD, cassette, and US vinyl albums

The UK cassette album adds five additional bonus tracks unavailable elsewhere:

• "Three Orange Kisses from Kazan"
• "The Nature of Virtue"
• "Mental Healing Process"
• "Waitin' for the Upturn"
• "Fruit of the Heart"

The US cassette album adds bonus extended remixes:

• "I've Been Waiting for Tomorrow (All of My Life) (Special Mix)", after "Uncertain Smile" at the end of side A
• "This Is The Day (12" Version)", after "Perfect" at the end of side B

Personnel

• Matt Johnson - vocals, keyboards, percussion, loops
• Anne Stephenson - violin
• Martin McCarrick - cello
• Paul Boyle - fiddle
• Jools Holland - piano
• Thomas Leer - synthesizer
• Jeremy Meek - bass guitar
• Camelle G. Hinds - bass guitar
• Andy Duncan - drums
• Zeke Manyika - drums
• Jim Thirlwell - sticks and tins
• Steve James Sherlock - sax and flute (uk cassette album edition)
• Paul "Wix" Wickens - accordion