Volume 1: Dr. Heckle and Mr. Jive

Led by the dancefloor anthem that rocked into the UK pop charts all the way to #3, "Papa's Got A Brand New Pigbag," a song that has since become a signature at football matches and television shows alike, Pigbag returns with the definitive collection of their output: Pigbag Volume One and Pigbag Volume Two, encompassing both of their full length releases Dr. Heckle & Mr. Jive (1982) and Lend An Ear (1983), along with a collection of their pulsing singles and B-sides and a clutch of amazing live performances. Volumes One and Two kick it up a notch with fresh mastered versions of stone-cold groove classics that sound more at place with the current indie/world music resurgence than they ever have. Mixing punk, funk, jazz, ska, reggae and Afrobeat into a bewitching brew, Pigbag delivers. This is hardly a simple re-issue, but rather a long needed re-introduction. Formed from creative jam sessions in punk's aftermath, the young group gathered steam after convincing Simon Underwood to join the fun following his departure from The Pop Group. Soon, the band would find themselves on Dick O'Dell's Y Records and naming themselves after early member Chris Hamlin's bag that he always carried. Cheekily naming their first single in reference to the James Brown number, they delivered an instrumental classic of their own with "Papa's Got A Brand New Pigbag" and stormed the charts. Following with funky singles and the massive success of debut album Dr. Heckle & Mr. Jive, they embarked on a tour that began to fragment the group, while also bringing several appearances on "Top of the Pops" and other highlights. All the while, "Papa" pounded relentlessly on the dancefloor and the football terraces, culminating in a triumphant third showing on the Christmas edition of "Top of the Pops." For their second album, Lend An Ear, the group would add vocalist Angela Jaeger and stretch their sound accordingly. The public remained transfixed on their earlier singles and never warmed to the change as quickly as the band would have liked, and soon they would decide to part ways. Deluxe gatefold mini-LP style packaging with a 12-page booklet and die cut lettering on cover.