The Gemil Box
The Gemil Box is a multi-format box set, self-financed and self-released on 18 November 2013, by the Northern Irish alternative rock band: Therapy?. The box was announced on the official site for pre-sale on 23 October,[1] and the track-listing was revealed on 14 November.[2]
| The Gemil Box | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Box set by | ||||
| Released | 18 November 2013 | |||
| Recorded | 1989–2011 | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock | |||
| Label | Self-released | |||
| Producer | Therapy?, Harvey Birrell, Chris Sheldon, Al Clay | |||
| Therapy? chronology | ||||
| ||||
It contains remastered CD versions of four previously released A&M Records albums (Nurse, Troublegum, Infernal Love, and Semi Detached); two discs of previously unreleased material recorded between 1989 and 2011; a disc of demos and reworked songs; a DVD featuring the band's UK Sonisphere 2010 performance and two early home video bootlegs from London in 1991 and 1992; a 12" vinyl containing all 16 of the band's original demo songs; and a cassette of an early live performance from Dublin in 1990. Also included is a 24-page book with pictures and notes by original members Andy Cairns and Michael McKeegan, and download codes for the vinyl and cassette. A limited edition release, the box was sold only via the band's official website and included a signed photograph with all pre-orders placed before 16 November 2013. As from November 2015, all remaining copies were only available from Amazon.
A piece written by vocalist/guitarist Andy Cairns just prior to the box set's release:
"This box set was a labour of love for ourselves, our management and Blast studios. It's all been put together and paid for by ourselves. Michael McKeegan, Gerry & Susan our management team and Polly at Blast have really worked hard on a daily basis to get it out before the end of the year.
Most of the unreleased material had been in various band members cupboards and storage unheard since they were recorded and dusted down for the collection. There's a ton of material there which we hope you'll all love.
'Dark Naughty Steps' is a fave of mine that I wanted to be on ABCOL, 'All Low No High' should have been a single but didn't even make it on an album. The re-work of 'Animal Bones' has some sublime bass playing from Mr McKeegan and the drum pattern of 'Glamour of Potential' is Meester Cooper, The Derby Demon, at his finest. Speaking of drum patterns there's a classic one from Fyfe on ‘Mind Body Soul’ which was a constant in our live sets pre-'Babyteeth'. Watch out too for lots of lovely unheard cello playing from Martin McCarrick.
Most of the photographs in the booklet are from our private collections, taken on Polaroids and cheap cameras in various countries in the world over all of our career. From hotel rooms, tour buses and plain old sightseeing, there's candid shots aplenty and a few wee celebrities chucked in there too.
You might not want to know this but the 'Live at the White Horse' tape languished at the back of my sock drawer for years hidden inside a felt bag. It was only when I moved house for the 5th time that I discovered it. The track on it titled 'Reality Fuck' probably features my personal favourite guitar sound, a holy grail that I've been trying to get back since!".[3]
Problems
On the day of release, it was noted that the digital files used for both the vinyl and downloadable versions of the 'Meat Abstract' demo tracks suffered from skips, particularly noticeable on "Punishment Kiss". Once informed, the band had the downloadable versions corrected. Unfortunately there was no re-press of the 'Listen You Fuckers' LP to correct the issue so skips are present on all copies.
Track listing
All songs written by Andrew J. Cairns, unless noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Nausea" | Cairns, Ewing, McKeegan | 3:57 |
| 2. | "Teethgrinder" | Cairns, Ewing, McKeegan | 3:27 |
| 3. | "Disgracelands" | Cairns, Ewing, McKeegan | 3:43 |
| 4. | "Accelerator" | Cairns, Ewing, McKeegan | 2:15 |
| 5. | "Neck Freak" | Cairns, Ewing, McKeegan | 5:50 |
| 6. | "Perversonality" | Cairns, Ewing, McKeegan | 3:53 |
| 7. | "Gone" | Cairns, Ewing, McKeegan | 6:23 |
| 8. | "Zipless" | Cairns, Ewing, McKeegan | 2:53 |
| 9. | "Deep Sleep" | Cairns, Ewing, McKeegan | 5:15 |
| 10. | "Hypermania" | Cairns, Ewing, McKeegan | 2:48 |
| Total length: | 40:25 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Knives" | 1:55 | |
| 2. | "Screamager" | Cairns, Ewing, McKeegan | 2:39 |
| 3. | "Hellbelly" | 3:20 | |
| 4. | "Stop It, You’re Killing Me" | 3:51 | |
| 5. | "Nowhere" | 2:26 | |
| 6. | "Die Laughing" | Cairns, Ewing, McKeegan | 2:49 |
| 7. | "Unbeliever" | 3:28 | |
| 8. | "Trigger Inside" | 3:56 | |
| 9. | "Lunacy Booth" | 3:55 | |
| 10. | "Isolation" | Curtis, Sumner, Hook, Morris | 3:11 |
| 11. | "Turn" | Cairns, Ewing, McKeegan | 3:50 |
| 12. | "Femtex" | 3:14 | |
| 13. | "Unrequited" | 3:03 | |
| 14. | "Brainsaw" (features hidden track "You Are My Sunshine" (Davis/Mitchell)) | 25:35 | |
| Total length: | 67:13 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Epilepsy" | Cairns, McKeegan | 3:51 |
| 2. | "Stories" | 3:12 | |
| 3. | "A Moment of Clarity" | 6:04 | |
| 4. | "Jude the Obscene" | 3:33 | |
| 5. | "Bowels of Love" | 2:54 | |
| 6. | "Misery" | 3:41 | |
| 7. | "Bad Mother" | Cairns, McCarrick | 5:48 |
| 8. | "Me Vs. You" | 6:24 | |
| 9. | "Loose" | 3:03 | |
| 10. | "Diane" | Hart | 5:02 |
| 11. | "30 Seconds" | 5:28 | |
| Total length: | 49:02 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Church of Noise" | 3:06 | |
| 2. | "Tightrope Walker" | Cairns, McCarrick, Hopkins | 3:19 |
| 3. | "Black Eye, Purple Sky" | 3:11 | |
| 4. | "Lonely, Cryin', Only" | Cairns, McCarrick | 2:40 |
| 5. | "Born Too Soon" | 3:47 | |
| 6. | "Stay Happy" | Cairns, Therapy? | 3:53 |
| 7. | "Safe" | Cairns, McCarrick, McKeegan, Hopkins | 4:02 |
| 8. | "Straight Life" | Cairns, McCarrick | 4:47 |
| 9. | "Heaven's Gate" | 3:49 | |
| 10. | "Don't Expect Roses" | Cairns, Therapy? | 2:44 |
| 11. | "Tramline" | Cairns, McCarrick | 4:46 |
| 12. | "The Boy's Asleep" | Cairns, McCarrick, McKeegan | 4:35 |
| Total length: | 44:41 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Bad Excuse For Daylight" (2010 rework) | Cairns, McKeegan, Cooper | 2:56 |
| 2. | "Clowns Galore" (2010 rework) | Cairns, McKeegan, Cooper | 4:11 |
| 3. | "Prison Breaker" (2010 rework) | Cairns, McKeegan, Ewing | 5:09 |
| 4. | "Rise Up" (2010 rework) | Cairns, McKeegan, Cooper | 2:44 |
| 5. | "Animal Bones" (2010 rework) | Cairns, McKeegan, Ewing | 2:48 |
| 6. | "Teethgrinder" (1992 demo) | Cairns, McKeegan, Ewing | 3:35 |
| 7. | "Disgracelands" (1992 demo) | Cairns, McKeegan, Ewing | 3:40 |
| 8. | "Accelerator" (1992 demo) | Cairns, McKeegan, Ewing | 2:17 |
| 9. | "Little Tongues First" (1999 demo) | Cairns, McKeegan, McCarrick, Hopkins | 4:55 |
| 10. | "Wall of Mouths" (1999 demo) | Cairns, McKeegan, McCarrick, Hopkins | 3:58 |
| 11. | "Sister" (1999 demo) | Cairns, McKeegan, McCarrick, Hopkins | 5:42 |
| 12. | "This One's For You" (2000 demo) | Cairns, McKeegan, McCarrick, Hopkins | 4:02 |
| 13. | "Dance" (2000 demo) | Cairns, McKeegan, McCarrick, Hopkins | 4:19 |
| 14. | "Gimme Back My Brain" (2000 demo) | Cairns, McKeegan, McCarrick, Hopkins | 2:41 |
| 15. | "Stand in Line" (2002 demo) | Cairns, McKeegan, McCarrick, Cooper | 3:22 |
| 16. | "Rust" (2002 demo) | Cairns, McKeegan, McCarrick, Cooper | 2:13 |
| 17. | "Limbo" (2002 demo) | Cairns, McKeegan, McCarrick, Cooper | 3:00 |
| 18. | "Deluded Son" (2005 demo) | Cairns, McKeegan, Cooper | 3:01 |
| 19. | "Sprung" (2005 demo) | Cairns, McKeegan, Cooper | 3:56 |
| 20. | "Play On" (2005 demo) | Cairns, McKeegan, Cooper | 3:51 |
| Total length: | 72:22 | ||
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Dark Naughty Steps" ("A Brief Crack of Light" out-take) | 3:40 |
| 2. | "All Low No High" ("A Brief Crack of Light" out-take) | 4:07 |
| 3. | "Glamour of Potential" ("A Brief Crack of Light" out-take) | 3:50 |
| 4. | "Pitiless Void" ("A Brief Crack of Light" out-take) | 3:55 |
| 5. | "Muckamore Abbey" ("A Brief Crack of Light" out-take) | 6:21 |
| 6. | "Groovy Stoner" ("Crooked Timber" out-take) | 3:22 |
| 7. | "Bounce" ("One Cure Fits All" demo out-take) | 3:41 |
| 8. | "Bounce (outro)" ("One Cure Fits All" demo out-take) | 2:04 |
| 9. | "Plebeians" ("Never Apologise Never Explain" out-take) | 2:25 |
| 10. | "Untitled" ("High Anxiety" out-take) | 2:48 |
| 11. | "Valentine's Day 2001" ("Shameless" out-take) | 3:23 |
| 12. | "Gimme Back My Moog" ("Shameless" out-take) | 0:57 |
| 13. | "Shameless" ("Shameless" out-take) | 2:20 |
| 14. | "Glass on the Beach" ("Suicide Pact - You First" demo out-take) | 3:24 |
| 15. | "Seven Angels" ("Suicide Pact – You First" demo out-take) | 3:42 |
| 16. | "Tops Off" (Demo out-take '98) | 2:21 |
| 17. | "Returns" (Demo out-take '98) | 6:40 |
| Total length: | 59:02 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Pride of No One" ("Semi-Detached" out-take) | 3:21 |
| 2. | "Armageddon Checklist" ("Semi-Detached" out-take) | 1:18 |
| 3. | "Something To Kill For" ("Semi-Detached" out-take) | 4:06 |
| 4. | "Cello Song" ("Semi-Detached" out-take) | 3:44 |
| 5. | "Bye Bye Buddy" ("Semi-Detached" out-take) | 3:22 |
| 6. | "New Song_01" (Rehearsal out-take '96) | 1:05 |
| 7. | "Marie Celeste (full band version)" (Rehearsal out-take '96) | 2:57 |
| 8. | "New Song_02" ("Infernal Love" demo out-take) | 4:01 |
| 9. | "New Song_03" ("Infernal Love" demo out-take) | 3:42 |
| 10. | "Stay Awhile" ("Infernal Love" demo out-take) | 6:43 |
| 11. | "Live Without This" ("Infernal Love" demo out-take) | 4:39 |
| 12. | "Mind Body Soul" ("Infernal Love" demo out-take) | 1:42 |
| 13. | "Go Where You Go" ("Infernal Love" demo out-take) | 6:18 |
| 14. | "Glenn Millar" ("Infernal Love" demo out-take) | 3:47 |
| 15. | "Loneliest Place" (Demo out-take '94) | 3:17 |
| 16. | "Unreleased Reh" (Rehearsal '89) | 4:08 |
| 17. | "?" (hidden track) | 3:58 |
| Total length: | 62:10 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Knives" | |
| 2. | "Screamager" | |
| 3. | "Hellbelly" | |
| 4. | "Stop It, You’re Killing Me" | |
| 5. | "Nowhere" | |
| 6. | "Die Laughing" | |
| 7. | "Unbeliever" | |
| 8. | "Trigger Inside" | |
| 9. | "Lunacy Booth" | |
| 10. | "Isolation" | |
| 11. | "Turn" | |
| 12. | "Femtex" | |
| 13. | "Unrequited" | |
| 14. | "Brainsaw" | |
| 15. | "Punishment Kiss" (Live at ULU, London, 12 December 1991) | |
| 16. | "Potato Junkie" (Live at ULU, London, 12 December 1991) | |
| 17. | "Skyward" (Live at ULU, London, 12 December 1991) | |
| 18. | "Skinning Pit" (Live at ULU, London, 12 December 1991) | |
| 19. | "Innocent X" (Live at ULU, London, 12 December 1991) | |
| 20. | "Meat Abstract" (Live at ULU, London, 12 December 1991) | |
| 21. | "Dancin' with Manson" (Live at ULU, London, 12 December 1991) | |
| 22. | "Punishment Kiss" (Live at Mean Fiddler, London, 6 March 1992) | |
| 23. | "Prison Breaker" (Live at Mean Fiddler, London, 6 March 1992) | |
| 24. | "Perversonality" (Live at Mean Fiddler, London, 6 March 1992) | |
| 25. | "Skinning Pit" (Live at Mean Fiddler, London, 6 March 1992) | |
| 26. | "Fantasy Bag" (Live at Mean Fiddler, London, 6 March 1992) | |
| 27. | "Innocent X" (Live at Mean Fiddler, London, 6 March 1992) | |
| 28. | "Neck Freak" (Live at Mean Fiddler, London, 6 March 1992) | |
| 29. | "Skyward" (Live at Mean Fiddler, London, 6 March 1992) | |
| 30. | "Meat Abstract" (Live at Mean Fiddler, London, 6 March 1992) | |
| 31. | "Potato Junkie" (Live at Mean Fiddler, London, 6 March 1992) | |
| 32. | "Dancin' with Manson" (Live at Mean Fiddler, London, 6 March 1992) | |
| Total length: | 134:00 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Animal Bones" | 4:05 |
| 2. | "Potato Junkie" | 3:00 |
| 3. | "Punishment Kiss" | 4:56 |
| 4. | "Innocent Abstraction" | 8:42 |
| 5. | "Skyward" | 3:14 |
| 6. | "Reality Fuck" | 4:56 |
| 7. | "Dancin' with Manson" | 5:45 |
| Total length: | 34:39 | |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Bloody Blue" (Thirty Seconds of Silence demo tape, 1989) | Cairns, Ewing | 1:13 |
| 2. | "Skyward" (Thirty Seconds of Silence demo tape, 1989) | Cairns, Ewing | 2:45 |
| 3. | "Body O.D." (Thirty Seconds of Silence demo tape, 1989) | Cairns, Ewing | 3:24 |
| 4. | "Beefheart/Albini" (Thirty Seconds of Silence demo tape, 1989) | Cairns, Ewing | 1:05 |
| 5. | "Multifuck" (Meat Abstract demo tape, 1989) | Cairns, Ewing, McKeegan | 3:20 |
| 6. | "Here Is…" (Meat Abstract demo tape, 1989) | Cairns, Ewing, McKeegan | 2:15 |
| 7. | "S.W.T." (Meat Abstract demo tape, 1989) | Cairns, Ewing, McKeegan | 3:07 |
| 8. | "Punishment Kiss" (Meat Abstract demo tape, 1989) | Cairns, Ewing, McKeegan | 4:25 |
| 9. | "Hate Kill Destroy" (1998) | Cairns, McKeegan, McCarrick, Hopkins | 3:40 |
| 10. | "Never Ending" (1998) | Cairns, McKeegan, McCarrick, Hopkins | 3:52 |
| 11. | "Ghost Train" (1998) | Cairns, McKeegan, McCarrick, Hopkins | 4:15 |
| 12. | "Other People's Misery" (1998) | Cairns, McKeegan, McCarrick, Hopkins | 2:16 |
| 13. | "If It Kills Me" (2002) | Cairns, McKeegan, McCarrick | 3:31 |
| 14. | "High Anxiety" (2002) | Cairns, McKeegan, McCarrick | 2:31 |
| 15. | "Hey Satan You Rock" (2002) | Cairns, McKeegan, McCarrick | 2:41 |
| 16. | "Mama, You Can Call the Ambulance Now" (2002) | Cairns, McKeegan, McCarrick | 2:44 |
| Total length: | 47:05 | ||
Personnel
- Therapy?
- Andy Cairns – vocals, guitar (1989–present), bass guitar on ‘Listen You Fuckers’ (tracks 1–4)
- Michael McKeegan – bass guitar (1989–present), guitar on "Bowels of Love”
- Neil Cooper – drums (2002–present)
- Fyfe Ewing – vocals, drums (1989–1995)
- Graham Hopkins – drums, vocals (1996–2001)
- Martin McCarrick – cello, guitar, piano, vocals (1994–2003)
- Additional musicians
- Keith Baxter – drums on ‘Listen You Fuckers’ (tracks 13–16)
- David James – cello on "Gone”
- Page Hamilton – guitar solo on "Unbeliever"
- Lesley Rankine – vocals on "Lunacy Booth"
- Eileen Rose – vocals on "Femtex"
- Simon Clarke – saxophone on ‘Infernal Love’
- David Holmes – insanity on ‘Infernal Love’
- Production
- Harvey Birrell – producer ("Nurse"), 2013 remastering ("Nurse", "Troublegum", "Infernal Love", "Semi-Detached")
- Nick Atkins – engineer ("Nurse")
- Chris Sheldon – producer, engineer ("Troublegum" and "Semi-Detached")
- Darren Alison – engineer ("Troublegum")
- Al Clay – producer, engineer ("Infernal Love")
- Matt Sime – producer ("Tramline"), additional engineer ("Semi-Detached")
- Adam Sinclair – audio mixer ("Live at Sonisphere 2010")
Notes
- "The Gemil Box Imminent".
- "Gemil Box – the full tracklisting". Archived from the original on 27 February 2014. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
- "Message board post by Michael McKeegan detailing Andy Cairns' message".