Red Sleeping Beauty - From Sarah With Love EP
Red Sleeping Beauty - From Sarah With Love EP
Swedish legends Red Sleeping Beauty return to the new release racks with an exclusive new 7” single that pays tribute to the brilliance of the late 80s/early 90s English label Sarah Records.
The single kicks off with ‘Solid Gold’—a collaboration with Sarah Records heroine Amelia Fletcher (Talulah Gosh, Heavenly, Marine Research, Tender Trap, The Catenary Wires) providing ace lead vocals and her usual dose of pop magic. With this song, Red Sleeping Beauty have come full circle. Starting out as a jangly guitar pop band in the 1990s and coming back after a 20-year hiatus in 2016 as an electronic synth pop trio, Red Sleeping Beauty return to their roots on this track—a bouncy, jangly, singalong guitar pop smash.
The lead track on the flipside is ‘Second Time’—a collaboration with Sarah Records goddess Mary Wyer (Even As We Speak) delivering lush lead vocals and the Australian charm that only Mary could add to this essential track. It sounds like the kind of song Saint Etienne released at their peak—a hi-energy, sophisticatedly laid back, dance floor filler.
To complement these all-star collaborations, Red Sleeping Beauty recorded cover versions of two early Sarah Records hits—‘Pristine Christine’ originally released by The Sea Urchins on Sarah 001 and ‘I’m In Love With A Girl Who Doesn’t Know I Exist’ originally released by Another Sunny Day on Sarah 007. Realizing it is impossible to improve on such perfect songs, the band chose to reinterpret them in the characteristic Red Sleeping Beauty style to create a perfect four-track EP.
Limited to 450 copies on black vinyl and with artwork reminiscent of classic Sarah singles, this 7” release is a heartfelt tribute to one of the most influential indie labels of all time and an essential addition to the Red Sleeping Beauty and Matinée discographies.
Special thanks to Amelia and Mary for their ace collaborations, to Another Sunny Day and The Sea Urchins for inspiring the two cover versions, and to Clare and Matt at Sarah Records for giving us something to celebrate.
- Solid Gold
- Pristine Christine
- Second Time
- I'm In Love With A Girl Who Doesn't Know I Exist
reviews
A little more than a year ago I featured the lead single from this EP as a Track of the Week, and now I'm here to feature the flip as another. Red Sleeping Beauty are here with their new EP, From Sarah with Love, a tribute to the legendary label. And Matinée Recordings have now offered up "Second Time" with Mary Wyer of Even As We Speak. This number is a sleek, shimmering bit of business. There's certainly a hint of Saint Etienne's Sarah Cracknell here, but also that inimitable Even As We Speak sense of the possibilites of pop. The lush surfaces of this number contrast with the realities of the lyrics and vocals. The whole effect is one that's catchy but poignant. "Second Time" and "Solid Gold" (featuring Amelia Fletcher of Heavenly, Swansea Sound, The Catenary Wires, Marine Research, etc.) are paired up with two Sarah Records covers here by Red Sleeping Beauty. There's a run at "I'm in Love with a Girl Who Doesn't Know I Exist" by Another Sunny Day, and a brisk remake of the classic "Pristine Christine" by The Sea Urchins. Every track here is excellent, and a fan of any of these musicians, or the two songs being covered should find an entry-point to the pleasures of this fine EP. From Sarah with Love is out now via Matinée Recordings. —A Pessimist Is Never Disappointed (Track of the Week)
I first started listening to this fantastic Swedish indie pop band back in the 90s when they had recordings out on the Siesta and Marsh-Marigold labels. They reformed a few years back and have released a few more records since then (more synth-pop these days). As the title states, this is a love letter to the legendary UK indie pop label, Sarah Records. The first single here “Solid Gold” (featuring The Catenary Wires/Heavenly’s Amelia Fletcher) came out a year or so ago (and is a superb, soaring tune), but this EP adds three more ace cuts. There’s a pumping, dancy version of the Sea Urchins’s classic “Pristine Christine” as well as an RSB original called “Second Time” (which features guest vocals from Even As We Speak’s Mary Wyer) and is sleek and almost glossy (in the best way). They end this 4-song EP with a cover of Another Sunny Day’s (ie: Harvey Williams) “I’m In Love With A Girl Who Doesn’t Know I Exist,” a more somber melodic cut given the RSB treatment. Fans of RSB and the Sarah label will find a lot to like here and who knows, it may even grab some newbie fans looking for something new. I sure hope so! —Dagger Zine
Taken from the From Sarah With Love EP, Red Sleeping Beauty turn the Sea Urchins all-time classic into a sublime piece of synth-pop. I thought it would not work, but amazingly it does! The EP can be purchased from Matinée Recordings. —Records I Like
