The Wedding Present and Play It Again Sam close out 2019 with a pair of vinyl LP reissues - the band's celebrated debut George Best and the chronologically connected compilation Tommy. Stalwarts of the flourishing independent scene from the mid-eighties onwards and continuing to impact to this day, the band were avidly championed by BBC Radio One's John Peel and successive early evening DJs.
Reflecting on the impact of their 1987 debut frontman David Gedge explains: "George Best will obviously always hold a special place in my heart because it's the first album I recorded. All those years of playing my parents' LPs and then creating my own record collection - all the time dreaming about being in a band myself - were essentially building to the moment when George Best was released. And, although I think The Wedding Present have made better albums since, there's no denying that there's spirit and passion and ambition running through these tracks. It wasn't particularly planned, but I think the efforts of the four people in the group combined to create a unique and original sound. And it was always going to be a ‘Peel' album because we were such passionate followers of that programme...even though the ardent Liverpool F.C. supporter could hardly bring himself to announce the title on his show - If you're going to name your record after old footballers, why not Steve Heighway?" he complained."
Meanwhile, Tommy - originally released in 1988 and documenting the band's output from 1985-1987 – is comprised of their first four classic singles, various b-sides and BBC session tracks and includes and a version Orange Juice's "Felicity."