Soul Mining

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Soul Mining

Studio album by The The

Released

1983

Length

47:35

Label

Some Bizarre

Professional reviews

All Music Guide link

The The chronology

Burning Blue Soul
(1981)

Soul Mining
(1983)

Infected
(1986)

Soul Mining was Matt Johnson's second album (his first, Burning Blue Soul, was released in 1979 as Matt Johnson, though reissues have tended to use The The). It was released in 1983 and included the UK hit singles "Uncertain Smile" which had reached No. 68 in December 1982 and "Perfect" which made No. 71 in September 1983 with David Johanson of the New York Dolls playing harmonica. The album version of "Uncertain Smile" featured the piano playing of Jools Holland. Jools revealed in his 2007 biography it is in fact two separate solos joined together. The original single used flute and sax solos played by Crispin Cioe of the Uptown Horns. The cover artwork is by Andy Johnson, Matt Johnson's brother, aka Andy Dog.

There are four different versions of the album in existence. Johnson originally intended the album to finish with "Giant", but EPIC insisted that 7 songs were too few and a rerecorded version of "Perfect" was added, much to Johnson's annoyance. The vinyl, CD and cassette versions contained "Perfect". The cassette version also included the five extra tracks listed below. There was also a limited edition of the original Album which included a 12inch with an extended remix of Perfect b/sided with Fruit of the Heart & Soup of mixed emotions (XPR1250). For the 20th anniversary of Soul Mining, the album was digitally remastered without "Perfect", as Johnson had originally intended.

[edit] Track listing

"I've Been Waiting for Tomorrow (All of My Life)" - 5:45
"This is the Day" - 5:00
"The Sinking Feeling" - 3:43
"Uncertain Smile" - 6:53
"The Twilight Hour" - 5:57
"Soul Mining" - 4:50
"GIANT" - 9:34
"Perfect" Bonus track on CD, cassette, and US vinyl albums

The UK cassette album adds five additional bonus tracks unavailable elsewhere:

"Three Orange Kisses from Kazan"
"The Nature of Virtue"
"Mental Healing Process"
"Waitin' for the Upturn"
"Fruit of the Heart"

The US cassette album adds bonus extended remixes:

"I've Been Waiting for Tomorrow (All of My Life) (Special Mix)", after "Uncertain Smile" at the end of side A
"This Is The Day (12" Version)", after "Perfect Smile" at the end of side B