In 2018, Cherry Red UK released a 3CD Box exploring the Zion, IL band, Shoes, and their early works (here). For avid Shoes fans, this was an essential. Now, Cherry Red will roll out a 4CD Box featuring the band’s extraordinary output on Elektra Records including a collection of bonus tracks from those sets. How much more love can Shoes fans get?
On April 3, watch for Elektrified: The Elektra Years 1979-1982. For a brief time, Shoes enjoyed a major label push with three albums. Their first, Present Tense (1979) reached a wide audience with a minor hit. The other two albums, excellent though they were, failed to capture the mainstream audience that were quickly absorbing New Wave via MTV in an insane fever pitch. Both Tongue Twister (1980). and Boomerang (1982) languished (but not for fans). After Boomerang, Shoes went back to self-releasing their albums by way of Black Vinyl Records.
Cherry Red has gathered the three Elektra albums, remastered them. and collected a handful of home demo versions for each Elektra album as well as rarities that make it on their own CD. The box will provide a 32-page booklet filled with photos and an extended essay detailing their Elektra years.
Elektrified: The Elektra Years 1979-1982 – Shoes
CD1 (Present Tense)
01 Tomorrow Night
02 Too Late
03 Hangin’ Around with You
04 Your Very Eyes
05 In My Arms Again
06 Somebody Has What I Had
07 Now and Then
08 Every Girl
09 I Don’t Miss You
10 Cruel You
11 Three Times: See Me/Say It/Listen
12 I Don’t Wanna Hear It
Bonus Tracks (8-Track Home Demos)
13 Tomorrow Night
14 Too Late
15 Hangin’ Around with You
16 Your Very Eyes
17 In My Arms Again
18 Somebody Has What I Had
19 Now and Then
20 Every Girl
21 I Don’t Miss You
22 Cruel You
23 Three Times: See Me/Say It/Listen
24 I Don’t Wanna Hear It
CD2 (Tongue Twister)
01 Your Imagination
02 Burned Out Love
03 The Things You Do
04 Only in My Sleep
05 Karen
06 She Satisfies
07 Girls of Today
08 Hopin’ She’s the One
09 When It Hits
10 Yes or No
11. Found a Girl
12 Hate to Run
Bonus Tracks (8-Track Home Demos)
13 Time to Make It
14 Burned Out Love
15 The Things You Do
16 Only in My Sleep
17 Karen
18 She Satisfies
19 Girls of Today
20 Hopin’ She’s the One
21 When It Hits
22 Yes or No
23 Found a Girl
24 Hate to Run
CD3 (Boomerang)
01 In Her Shadow
02 Curiosity
03 Mayday
04 Too Soon
05 Double Talk
06 The Summer Rain
07 Under the Gun
08 The Tube
09 What Love Means
10 Bound to Be a Reason
11. Shake It Away
12 Tested Charms
Bonus Tracks (8-Track Home Demos)
13 In Her Shadow (Demo Version 2)
14 Curiosity
15 Mayday
16 Too Soon
17 Double Talk
18 The Summer Rain
19 Under the Gun
20 What Love Means
21 The Tube
22 Bound to Be a Reason
23 Shake It Away
24 Tested Charms
CD4 (Rarities)
01 Jet Set (Manor Version)
02 Ever Again
03 Take You Away (Demo Version 1)
04 See Me (1st Demo)
05 Jet Set (Demo Version 1)
06 In Her Shadow (Demo Version 1)
07 A Voice Inside Me (Demo Version 1)
08 Take You Away (Demo Version 2)
09 Karen (Acoustic Demo)
10 Jet Set (Demo Version 2)
11 A Voice Inside Me (Demo Version 2)
12 I Wanna Give It to You
Bonus Tracks (Live – Shoes On Ice)
13 Too Late
14 Hangin’ Around with You
15 Cruel You
16 In My Arms Again
17 She Satisfies
18 Hate to Run