The Charlatans 1988-2003

A few months back, I had a pop at Girls Aloud for throwing in the towel after just a decade in the business. To be fair to them, they are not the only ones. I have lost track of the number of indie bands who were dropped by their label, and promptly split up due to “money issues” and “musical differences”. Now, I have never been in a band, so I can’t comment on how much of a setback being kicked off a label can be, or how much of a financial loss some groups may operate at, but still, you hear about how people who wanted to be rock stars all their lives, only for them to be running their own roofing firm when it all goes pear shaped ten years later. I struggle to understand how or why this happens.

Praise be then for The Charlatans (UK). Despite having lost not one but two band members in tragic and fatal circumstances, this year marks the 25th anniversary of their debut home made demo cassette, which in indie rock terms, is really quite a remarkable achievement. Although, and this is an often overlooked fact, the only member now remaining from the original lineup is bass player Martin Blunt. And you just thought it was the oldies on the “Golden 60s” tours who kept going in that manner.

The Charlatans story is quite a complex one, and so I thought we would cover the first half of their career only in this blog. 2003 may seem like a random cut off point, but the previous year had seen the band’s then current and former labels issue between them three releases, which all had a slightly “retro” feel to them. Anybody not in the know might have assumed the band were about to switch labels, or split up, but no, they simply just carried on, returning with a new album in 2004.

Although the band came to prominence as part of the Madchester Baggy scene, the band actually had their origins in the West Midlands. The earliest incarnation of the group was put together during 1988, with Blunt joined by guitarist/vocalist Baz Ketley, keyboard player Rob Collins and drummer Jon Brookes. There was a feeling that Ketley wasn’t quite suited to the band, but before anybody had the chance to ask him to leave, he actually made his own decision to quit. He was replaced by Tim Burgess as the band’s new singer, and guitarist Jon Day. The band relocated to Burgess’s hometown of Northwich, and as their HQ was set up in the town, this became seen to be their home location - and given it was nearer to Manchester than it was the Midlands, that - and their early Stone Roses-esque dance inspired sound - helped to get them that “Madchester” tag.

The band formed their own label, Dead Dead Good, and in October 1989, released a three track tape of demos called “October 89”. All three songs would be featured, sometimes in re-recorded form, on some of the band’s earliest commercially available releases. Soon after, the band got themselves a distribution deal with Revolver, and released their debut single, “Indian Rope”, in early 1990. Possibly as a nod to the shuffling, Happy Mondays style rhythms the single inhabited, it was issued on a dance floor friendly 12” only with two extra b-sides, including “You Can Talk To Me” from the demo cassette. Once the band found fame and fortune later the same year, the single was reissued with a slightly revamped catalogue number on both 12” and CD.

The single caught the attention of indie label Beggars Banquet, who signed the band to their Situation Two offshoot. Their next single catapulted them into the charts - “The Only One I Know” was a classic, organ driven, indie disco stomper, and became the sound of 1990 alongside “This Is How It Feels” and “Step On”. The b-sides included on some formats “Imperial 109”, half of a much longer song called “109“ (the second half appeared on the debut LP) and, on the CD only, a BBC Radio Session version of “You Can Talk To Me”. Follow up single “Then” appeared in September, another glorious organ driven groove, with Burgess’s little-boy-lost vocals complementing the fuzzy rumble of the track. The b-side was a new song called “Taurus Moaner”, and alternate versions of both songs were used to pad out the various formats of the single.

“Some Friendly”, the band’s first album, followed soon after. It’s a magnificent beast of an album, the only flaw being that as the album progresses, a slight feeling of déjà vu begins to trickle in during the second half of the album, and you begin to struggle to remember which song is which. Although the band were later known to comment about the overproduced sound of the album, with the bass buried in the mix and the sound described as “thin”, this actually helped to bring it’s dance-y elements to the fore. The album climaxed with the monumental “Sproston Green”, even now a regular gig closer, where the growling bass intro and organ fuelled finale are often extended to their limits on stage, taking the five minute original to a length usually double that time.

The vinyl edition, for some reason, was housed in a white outer PVC sleeve. Why, I don’t know. In addition to this, “The Only One I Know” was dropped from the vinyl version, partly due to space constraints but also because the band only wanted to “release one single from each album”, conveniently forgetting that it was on the CD edition. Their next album would also spawn two singles.

With the band seemingly on a bit of a roll, new material surfaced in 1991 with the “Over Rising” single, issued on some formats as a 4 track EP including three more new songs. “Happen To Die” was edited down for inclusion on the single from the original recording, whilst “Opportunity Three” was a remix of album track “Opportunity”. It was also the last release to feature Jon Day, who left soon after, and was replaced by Mark Collins, who turned up thinking the band had wanted a second guitarist, unaware that he was actually being asked to join as Day’s replacement. All of the tracks from the EP are on the 2010 expanded edition of the debut LP, although the version of “Happen To Die” is the unedited mix, which first appeared as a B-side later on in 1992.

The first material on which Mark featured was 1991’s “Me In Time”, a now nearly forgotten single from November, which again, the band have been less than complimentary about in subsequent years (although it has been played on stage in recent times). The 12” and CD included “Subtitle”, an alternate version of which would appear on their next studio album, 1992’s “Between 10th And 11th”. This album, another one of those that sometimes feels at times underwhelming, and slightly hampered by ’second album syndrome’, was nonetheless trailed by the remarkable “Weirdo” 45 in the spring of 1992, all juttering keyboard stabs, and funky as funk drumming. A “US Version” of “Sproston Green” adorned several editions of the single as a B-side.

The band’s first real venture into the world of multi formatting occurred that summer, when single number 2 from the record, a remixed “Tremelo Song”, appeared as the band’s next 45. Two CD editions were issued, the first of which came in a gatefold sleeve designed to hold both discs. Disc 2 was subtitled “The Charlatans Live”, and featured three live recordings (including “Tremelo Song”) from a Manchester Apollo show in April 1992. This CD came in a different cover, and was issued in a simple card sleeve, albeit shrink-wrapped to a big white box - the idea was to put the gatefold single, and anything else you could squeeze in, inside the box. Despite this blatant attempt at chart rigging, the single stalled outside the top 40.

After the Rob Collins armed robbery fiasco in 93 (look it up on the net, not relevant to the story here), the band came back fighting in 1994 with the storming “Can’t Get Out Of Bed” single. This was the first of two releases to include free band postcards inside, with one in the 7” and one in the 12”. More were included in the brilliantly titled follow up CD Single “I Never Want An Easy Life If Me And He Were Ever To Get There”, more Hammond driven indie pop of the highest order. This one came housed in an oversized box, numbered, with the date of release and date of deletion printed inside the packaging - unsold copies were due to be pulled from the shops seven days after it’s release, seemingly another attempt to “hype” the single into the upper reaches of the top 40. It got to number 38. Despite having a catalogue number of BBQ31CD1, suggesting there was a second CD edition, there wasn’t, nor were there any other formats at all. A demo of “Can’t Get Out Of Bed” was one of three new B-sides.

“Up To Our Hips” is a pretty decent album, but still seems to hide slightly in the shadows of “Some Friendly”. What it does show is a band starting to move forwards - “Feel Flows” is an instrumental number, which sounds a bit like it would be used in the middle of a stakeout scene in “The Sweeney” if they redubbed one of the old shows with a new soundtrack. “Autograph” has a Dylan-esque vibe, something the band would take to extremes on later efforts, whilst third single, “Jesus Hairdo” is driven along by a noisy slide guitar vibe throughout. This one was issued, again, on multiple formats - two CD editions were released, one including BBC Session recordings on the “B-side”, which came housed in a green “The Charlatans Collection” box, designed to hold the CD edition of the album, the two “Jesus Hairdo” singles, the “Bed” CD and the “Easy Life” disc, even though that was already in it’s own box! Again, this bout of multi formatting did not result in a big hit single, and the band vowed to stop issuing multiple editions of their 45’s. This they mostly managed until they signed to a major in the late 90’s.

No sooner had the promo campaign for the record calmed down, than new material emerged in the form of zinging new 45 “Crashin’ In”, a magnificent statement of intent, all soaring guitars, pounding drums, and more keyboard wizardry. If you view the “Up To Our Hips” chart position of number 8 as a failure, then this was a real “comeback” single. It was a very early taster of their fourth album, nowhere near completion at this stage in the game, and not released until the late summer of 1995.

In the early summer of 1995, the band issued their first ever double-A, when “Just Lookin’” and “Bullet Comes” appeared as the next single, and the band headed out on tour to coincide. This was another sterling single, and suggested album number 4 was going to be a biggie. The early August release of “Just When You’re Thinkin’ Things Over” seemed to only confirm this, another Dylan sounding piece of masterful indie, a bit like Neil Young jamming with The Stranglers. 12” copies of the single included a remix of album opener “Nine Acre Court”, an alternate mix of which was later tossed away on a music magazine freebie cassette as well.

“The Charlatans”, issued on 28th August 1995, really did seem like the sign of a band ready to take on the world. From the decision to self title the album, to the printing of the song titles on the cover (just like they used to do on those Motown records in the 60s), it was brimming with confidence. “Here Comes A Soul Saver” even nicked a Pink Floyd riff, and the album ended with a magnificent piece of near-instrumental indie-funk called “Thank You”, a brilliantly high energy and interesting end to a great record. The band could not have known then, that even though the final song was not designed as any sort of farewell statement, it would be the last song that keyboardist Rob Collins would feature on on a new Charlatans record.

In 1996, with work at an advanced stage on album number five, Collins died in a car crash on July 22nd. Although there were some reports later on that Collins was on the verge of being fired from the band, the group had lined up shows for August, including a support slot at one of the Oasis uber-gigs at Knebworth Park. The band decided to carry on, and borrowed Primal Scream’s Martin Duffy for both this and their V96 show on August 18th. I was at the latter, and there was a real sense of triumph as the band decided to claw victory from the jaws of defeat, and put on a defiantly upbeat powerhouse of a show. Paul Weller, who had to follow them, seemed almost pedestrian by comparison.

Soon after, the first fruits of the next record emerged when the incendiary “One To Another” appeared as the next single. With a keyboard intro resembling the sound of a bomb dropping, and acid house inspired drum loops, this was even more of a “comeback” single than “Crashin’ In” had been. The history behind it’s creation added to the story of course, but even so, this was the sound of a group really coming out fighting.

With keyboard work on the album completed by Duffy, the band were now presenting themselves as a four piece - at least temporarily. The new album, “Tellin’ Stories”, was previewed in 1997 by the majestic “North Country Boy”, more Dylan meets the Stone Roses (albeit Stone Roses circa 1994), with a video just featuring the now reduced lineup - which I always find quite sad to watch whenever I see it. The title was partly nicked from Bob’s “Nashville Skyline” opener, “Girl From The North Country”.

The album is another glorious treat, and no less than four singles in total were eventually released from it - a far cry from when they wanted to only release one per album! “How High” is a raucous Oasis-like rush of guitars, the title track a majestic mini epic, which ends with a superb extended instrumental section, Brookes’ drumming driving the song along to it’s ending as Collins’ glorious guitar licks swerve in and out of the mix. In keeping with the theme of finishing their albums with notable closing pieces, this one ends with the simply titled “Rob’s Theme”. Despite the heartbreak that came with the making of this album, it seemed to take the band to a higher level of critical and commercial acclaim than ever before, and the band ended the year by headlining the Docklands Arena in London, where the band put on one of the best shows I ever saw them perform, climaxing with an incendiary “Sproston Green”. The album has also been the subject of an expanded reissue, from 2012.

The band’s tenure with Beggars was now at an end, and the band signed to major label MCA. To mark their departure, Beggars issued the “Melting Pot” best of set, mostly dealing in chronological order with the singles, but with some missing (“Indian Rope”) and B-sides and album tracks thrown into the mix instead (“Opportunity Three”, “Here Comes A Soul Saver”, etc). Unlike most major best of sets, there was no new material on here, and no singles were released to coincide. Vinyl copies were originally shrinkwrapped, and with nothing rare on the album, there was thus no reason to open them.

With touring keyboardist Tony Rogers now officially in situ as the band’s new fifth member, the band returned in 1999 with “Us And Us Only”, trailed by the remarkable “Forever” 45, a seven minute long keyboard driven epic, opening with a lengthy build up intro, and a song itself which builds and builds until it soars out of your speakers. It is possibly the best of all the band’s “comeback” singles, or at least, the most ambitious. The album itself saw the band mostly now well beyond their baggy routes, with the influence of Dylan all over the record. “Impossible” featured a harmonica solo which sounded like it had come straight off of “Blonde On Blonde”, whilst “A House Is Not A Home” seemed to have a riff borrowed straight off the ’Albert Hall’ version of “I Don’t Believe You”. The band’s dance background was revisited on “My Beautiful Friend”, which married country rock influences with electronic drum loops.

If you want proof that The Charlatans are a band to cherish, an indie band who went beyond just making a few good Britpop style albums, then 2001’s “Wonderland” should be the final bit of evidence you need. Burgess adopted a falsetto vocal for most of the album, whilst several of the songs, such as lead single “Love Is The Key”, featured a throng of female backing singers, resulting in numbers that sounded unlike anything the band had ever recorded. “A Man Needs To Be Told” was a glorious mix of Dylan inspired country-esque slide guitars, gospel vocals, and a shuffling almost return-to-baggy rhythm, before galloping into a final euphoric sprint to the finish. Despite the success of the album and the first two singles, a planned third single, “You’re So Pretty We’re So Pretty”, was pulled from the release schedules, and only appeared as a single when it was issued in revamped form in 2006 to help plug MCA’s “Forever” compilation.

In 2002, the band collaborated with their former label on a pair of retrospective releases. “Melting Pot” was reissued in a new sleeve, slightly retitled as “Melting Pot: The Best Of The Charlatans”, whilst an accompanying b-sides collection called “Songs From The Other Side” was released on the same day, which again included some of the more oddball b-sides (such as remixes) but not all of the original studio ones. A couple of months later, and MCA got in on the act (kind of) with the release of “Live It Like You Love It”, a live album taped at the band’s Manchester MEN show in December 2001. Although I seem to recall this album being touted as a “buy it now or else” limited edition, an un-limited edition was also issued - the limited one featured a “VIP Backstage pass” style sticker taped to the front of the casing, the non limited ones used the same image but as part of standard CD style artwork.

The band would release one more studio album on MCA in 2004 before once again heading off for pastures new. I hope to cover the later years in a future blog.


Discography

Many of the band’s albums were originally released on the standard formats - of the time - of CD, LP and MC. Tracklistings were usually identical, so I have listed below all of the original pressings. Reissues are only listed where they were done as expanded deluxe editions adding extra, and unreleased, material.

For the singles, I have generally tried to list the formats that are of interest from a musical viewpoint. Where multiple formats for a 45 are shown, this is either because they all feature the same songs, all were (and still are) of interest as they include (or included) something rare, or do/do not include b-sides available on some of the expanded albums or the B-sides set. Singles whose big selling point when first released was ONLY that they came in a unique picture sleeve are not really listed.

ALBUMS

Some Friendly (LP, Situation Two SITU 30, some housed in PVC sleeve [SITU 30 L])
Some Friendly (Cassette, Situation Two SITC 30, includes “The Only One I Know”)
Some Friendly (CD, Situation Two SITU 30 CD, includes “The Only One I Know”)
Some Friendly (2xCD, Beggars Banquet BBQCD 2068, 2010 reissue in newly designed slipcase sleeve with extra tracks, “The Only One I Know” moved onto bonus disc)

Between 10th And 11th (LP, Situation Two SITU 37)
Between 10th And 11th (Cassette, Situation Two SITC 37)
Between 10th And 11th (CD, Situation Two SITU 37 CD)

Up To Our Hips (LP, Beggars Banquet BBQLP 147)
Up To Our Hips (Cassette, Beggars Banquet BBQMC 147)
Up To Our Hips (CD, Beggars Banquet BBQCD 147)

The Charlatans (2xLP, Beggars Banquet BBQLP 174, includes “Chemical Risk”)
The Charlatans (Cassette, Beggars Banquet BBQMC 174)
The Charlatans (CD, Beggars Banquet BBQCD 174)

Tellin’ Stories (LP, Beggars Banquet BBQLP 190)
Tellin’ Stories (Cassette, Beggars Banquet BBQMC 190)
Tellin’ Stories (CD, Beggars Banquet BBQCD 190)

Melting Pot (2xLP, Beggars Banquet BBQLP 198)
Melting Pot (Cassette, Beggars Banquet BBQMC 198)
Melting Pot (CD, Beggars Banquet BBQCD 198, 2002 reissue uses same catalogue number)

Us And Us Only (LP, MCA/Universal MCA 60069)
Us And Us Only (Cassette, MCA/Universal MCC 60069)
Us And Us Only (CD, MCA/Universal MCD 60069)
Us And Us Only (2xCD, MCA/Universal UMC 2904, expanded 2011 reissue)

Wonderland (2xLP, MCA/Universal MCA 60076)
Wonderland (CD, MCA/Universal MCD 60076, some in different textured p/s [MCD 60077])

Songs From The Other Side (CD, Beggars Banquet BEGL 2032 CD)

Live It Like You Love It (CD, MCA/Universal MCD 60079, numbered VIP casing, un-numbered copies have alt. catalogue number [MCD 60080])

Also worthy of a mention, although nigh on impossible to find, is the fan club only live album “Isolation 21.2.91”, available on both LP and CD.


SINGLES

October 89: Indian Rope (Original Take)/You Can Talk To Me/White Shirt (Original Take) (Cassette, Dead Dead Good no catalogue no.)

Indian Rope/You Can Talk To Me/Who Wants To Know (12“, Dead Dead Good GOOD ONE, later reissued as GOOD 1 T)
Indian Rope/You Can Talk To Me/Who Wants To Know (CD, reissue of 12“, Dead Dead Good GOOD 1 CD)

The Only One I Know/Everything Changed (7”, Situation Two SIT 70)
The Only One I Know/Imperial 109 (Edit)/Everything Changed (12”, Situation Two SIT 70 T)
The Only One I Know/Imperial 109 (Edit)/Everything Changed/You Can Talk To Me (BBC Radio 1 John Peel Session 20.3.1990) (CD, Situation Two SIT 70 CD)
[Note: all b-sides on expanded “Some Friendly”.]

Then/Taurus Moaner (Original)/Then (Alternate Take)/Taurus Moaner (Instrumental) (12“, Situation Two SIT 74 T)
Then/Taurus Moaner (Original)/(Instrumental)/Then (Alternate Take) (CD, Situation Two SIT 74 CD)

Over Rising/Way Up There/Opportunity Three/Happen To Die (Edit) (12”, Situation Two SIT 76 T)
Over Rising/Way Up There/Opportunity Three/Happen To Die (Edit) (CD, Situation Two SIT 76 CD)

Me In Time/Occupation H Monster/Subtitle (1st Mix) (12”, Situation Two SIT 84 T)
Me In Time/Occupation H Monster/Subtitle (1st Mix) (CD, Situation Two SIT 84 CD)

Weirdo (Single Version)/Theme From “The Wish”/Sproston Green (US Version)/Weirdo (Alternate Take) (12“ with art print, Situation Two SIT 88 T)
Weirdo (Single Version)/Theme From “The Wish”/Weirdo (Alternate Take)/Sproston Green (US Version) (CD, Situation Two SIT 88 CD)

Tremelo Song (Alternate Take)/Happen To Die (Unedited Version)/Normality Swing (Demo) (CD1, Situation Two SIT 91 CD1)
Tremelo Song (Live)/Then (Live)/Chewing Gum Weekend (Live) (CD2 in unique p/s with box, Situation Two SIT 91 CD2)

Subterranean (Live, Blackpool 1993) (Fan Club CD, Beggars Banquet CHAR 7)

Can’t Get Out Of Bed/Out/Withdrawn (12“, Beggars Banquet BBQ 27 T)
Can’t Get Out Of Bed/Out/Withdrawn (CD, Beggars Banquet BBQ 27 CD)

I Never Want An Easy Life If Me And He Were Ever To Get There/Only A Boho/Subterranean/Can’t Get Out Of Bed (Demo Version) (Numbered CD with 3 postcards, Beggars Banquet BBQ 31 CD1)

Jesus Hairdo/Patrol (Dust Brothers Remix)/Feel Flows (The Carpet Kiss Mix) (12”, Beggars Banquet BBQ 32 T)
Jesus Hairdo/Stir It Up/Patrol (Dust Brothers Remix)/Feel Flows (Van Basten Mix) (CD1, Beggars Banquet BBQ 32 CD1)
Jesus Hairdo/Easy Life (BBC Radio 1 Evening Session Version 14.3.1994)/Another Rider Up In Flames (BBC Radio 1 Evening Session Version 14.3.1994)/Up To Our Hips (BBC Radio 1 Evening Session Version 14.3.1994) (CD2 in different p/s + box + insert, Beggars Banquet BBQ 32 CD2)

Crashin’ In/Back Room Window (7”, Beggars Banquet BBQ 44)
Crashin’ In/Back Room Window (Cassette, Beggars Banquet BBQ 44 C)
Crashin’ In/Green Flashing Eyes/Back Room Window (12“, Beggars Banquet BBQ 44 T)
Crashin’ In/Green Flashing Eyes/Back Room Window (CD, Beggars Banquet BBQ 44 CD)
[Note: all b-sides on “Songs From The Other Side”.]

Just Lookin’/Bullet Comes/Floor Nine (CD, Beggars Banquet BBQ 55 CD)

Just When You’re Thinkin’ Things Over/Frinck (Edit)/Chemical Risk Dub/Nine Acre Dust (12”, Beggars Banquet BBQ 60 T)
Just When You’re Thinkin’ Things Over/Chemical Risk (Toothache Remix)/Frinck/Your Skies Are Mine (CD, Beggars Banquet BBQ 60 CD)
[note: “Frinck” and “Your Skies Are Mine” are on “Songs from The Other Side”. The cassette edition of this single omits “Chemical Risk”.]

One To Another/Two Of Us (7”, Beggars Banquet BBQ 301)
One To Another/Two Of Us (Cassette, Beggars Banquet BBQ 301 C)
One To Another/Two Of Us/Reputation (CD, Beggars Banquet BBQ 301 CD)

North Country Boy/Area 51 (7”, Beggars Banquet BBQ 309)
North Country Boy/Don’t Need A Gun (Cassette, Beggars Banquet BBQ 309 C)
North Country Boy/Area 51/Don’t Need A Gun (CD, Beggars Banquet BBQ 309 CD)

How High/Title Fight (7”, Beggars Banquet BBQ 312)
How High/Title Fight (Cassette, Beggars Banquet BBQ 312 C)
How High/Down With The Mook/Title Fight (CD, Beggars Banquet BBQ 312 CD)

Tellin’ Stories/Thank You (Live, Phoenix Festival 18.7.1997) (7”, Beggars Banquet BBQ 318)
Tellin’ Stories/Thank You (Live, Phoenix Festival 18.7.1997) (Cassette, Beggars Banquet BBQ 318 C)
Tellin’ Stories/Keep It To Yourself/Clean Up Kid/Thank You (Live, Phoenix Festival 18.7.1997) (CD, Beggars Banquet BBQ 318 CD)
[note: all of the b-sides from the above four singles are on the expanded “Tellin’ Stories”.]

Forever (Edit)/When Your Ship Comes In (7” with poster, MCA/Universal MCS 40200)
Forever (Edit)/A Great Place To Leave (Cassette, MCA/Universal MCSC 40200)
Forever (Edit)/A Great Place To Leave/When Your Ship Comes In (CD1, MCA/Universal MCSTD 40200)
Forever (Edit)/(LP Mix)/Sleepy Little Sunshine Boy/Forever (Video) (CD2 in blue p/s, MCA/Universal MCSXD 40200

My Beautiful Friend (Edit)/Scorched (7” with poster, MCA/Universal MCS 40225)
My Beautiful Friend (Edit)/Your Precious Love (Cassette, MCA/Universal MCSC 40225)
My Beautiful Friend (Edit)/Scorched/Your Precious Love (CD1, MCA/Universal MCSTD 40225)
My Beautiful Friend (Lionrock Mix)/(Jagz Kooner Remix)/(Edit)/(Video) (CD2 in brown p/s, MCA/Universal MCSXD 40225)

Impossible (Radio Edit)/Don’t Go Giving It Up/Impossible (Aim Remix) (CD1, MCA/Universal MCSTD 40231)
Impossible (Radio Edit)/You Got It I Want It/Impossible (LP Version)/(Video) (CD2 in brown p/s, MCA/Universal MCSXD 40231)

Love Is The Key (Radio Edit)/Viva La Sociale (7”, MCA/Universal MCS 40262)
Love Is The Key (Radio Edit)/It’s About Time (Cassette, MCA/Universal MCSC 40262)
Love Is The Key (Radio Edit)/It’s About Time/Viva La Sociale (CD, MCA/Universal MCSTD 40262)
Love Is The Key (Live In The Studio)/I Just Can’t Get Over Losing You (Demo)/The Blonde Waltz/Senses/It’s About Time (Newspaper promo CD, unique p/s, MCA/Universal CHARLCD 1)

A Man Needs To Be Told (Radio Edit)/Shotgun/Ballad Of The Band (Ianocce Remix)/A Man Needs To Be Told (Video) (CD1, MCA/Universal MCSTD 40271)
A Man Needs To Be Told/All I Desire/Love Is The Key (Live In The Studio) (CD2 in different p/s, MCA/Universal MCSXD 40271)

Also of interest is the “Between 10th And 11th” flexi disc, issued in the USA around about the same time as the LP of the same name. One of a number of Charlatans songs recorded for the Beeb but never released in studio form, it can now be found on the bonus disc of the 2006 set “Forever”.