Bryan Ferry has announced the latest installment in his career. On November 17, Bryan’s ninth solo studio album ‘Mamouna’ will be reissued for the first time since 1994. The release celebrates the 30th anniversary of Bryan Ferry’s solo catalogue, and will also feature a second, previously unreleased studio album titled ‘Horoscope.’
The 2LP edition includes the ‘Mamouna’ and Horoscope albums, both mastered by Bob Ludwig, while the 3CD deluxe edition features an additional disc, ‘Sketches’, including 10 tracks of rarities and outtakes chronicling the genesis of Ferry’s songwriting for the ‘Mamouna’ project, mastered at Metropolis Studios by John Davis.
The announcement clashes with the 50th anniversary of Bryan Ferry’s solo career which started in 1973 with the album ‘These Foolish Things’. The news follows last year’s Roxy Music arena tour of North America and the UK, widely praised by critics and fans for their live performances of some of the most celebrated songs.
‘Mamouna’ ended a seven-year gap in new material from Ferry. The ‘Mamouna’ album story begins after he completed his 1988 /1989 world tour, following the success of 1987 album ‘Bête Noire’. In 1989 he started working on a collection of new songs under the project title ‘Horoscope.’ The work was postponed in 1992 whilst he worked on an album of cover songs, ‘Taxi,’ released in 1993.
Bryan returned to the ‘Horoscope’ project in 1994 with the new album title ‘Mamouna.’ The album featured in Rolling Stone Magazine’s best albums of the year, described as “dense richly textured art”, and “wonderfully dark, seductive” by Entertainment Weekly. Bryan toured to promote the album across Europe, the USA, Australia, Japan, and South America.
Now available to hear for the first time, ‘Horoscope’ tracks the journey of ‘Mamouna.’ The 2023 release features eight songs, including a 10-minute version of Roxy Music’s ‘Mother Of Pearl’, which also celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.
‘Sketches’ includes early versions of the songs, with solo keyboard performances by Ferry offering a unique demonstration into the workings of one of the most influential and successful songwriters and performers of all time.
The album features performances from musical collaborators from across Ferry’s career including Roxy Musicmembers Phil Manzanera and Brian Eno (the song ‘Wildcat Days’ marking Bryan Ferry and Brian Eno’s first ever co-write), Maceo Parker, Carleen Anderson, Steve Ferrone, David Williams, Nile Rodgers and more. Full credits are detailed below.
The release is available on x2LP 180g heavyweight vinyl, half-speed cut at Abbey Road Studios, London, and on x3 CD. Pre-order HERE.
Disc 1 – ‘Mamouna’
Don’t Want to Know
N.Y.C.
Your Painted Smile
Mamouna
The Only Face
The 39 Steps
Which Way to Turn
Wildcat Days
Gemini Moon
Chain Reaction
Disc 2 – ‘Horoscope’
Where Do We Go from Here
The Only Face (Horoscope Version)
Desdemona
S&M
Loop De Li
Gemini Moon (Horoscope Version)
Raga
Mother of Pearl
Disc 3 – ‘Sketches’
Mamouna (Instrumental Edit ’89/’94)
Your Painted Smile (Instrumental – First Draft ’89)
Your Painted Smile (With Guide Vocal) (Later Version ’89)
Your Painted Smile (Piano and Vocal ’93)
NYC/Desdemona (Instrumental ’91)
Robot (Instrumental) [first Draft ’89]
The Only Face (Instrumental) (First Draft ’89)
The Only Face (Piano and Vocal ’93)
Loop De Li (Instrumental) (first Draft ’89)
Horoscope Strings (Instrumental ’90)
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