1977 (album)

1977
LP, Compact Disk & limited edition CD by Ash
Released	May 6, 1996
Recorded	Rockfield Studios January 1996
Genre	Britpop
Length	61 min 52 s
Record label	Infectious Records
Producer	Ash and Owen Morris
Professional reviews
AMG	4.5 stars out of 5	link
Q	4 stars out of 5	May 1996
Ash Chronology
Trailer (1994)	1977 (1996)	Live at the Wireless (1997)

1977 is a Britpop album by Ash, released in May of 1996 (see 1996 in music). The punk rock-influenced album proved popular in the United Kingdom and, to a lesser degree elsewhere, where Britpop was a small cult phenomenon.

The name is a reference to year of three events which shaped the band - the births of two members of the band, the year Star Wars: A New Hope was released, and the year the first punk albums were released, though it has been suspected that the Star Wars reference is the most important; the album opens with the sound of an X-Wing, the title "Darkside Lightside" is a Star Wars reference, and the band have covered "Cantina Band", on the "Girl From Mars" b-side.

The song "Kung Fu" mentions Jackie Chan in the lyrics. In reciprocation, Chan has used the song for the end credits of his movie Rumble in the Bronx.

The first 50,000 pressings of the CD begin with "Don't Know" and the original version of " Jack Names the Planets" (February 1994 ). There is also a hidden track named "Sick Party" which appears after "Darkside Lightside" on all versions.

Track listing

1. "Lose Control" (Hamilton/Wheeler)
2. "Goldfinger " (Wheeler)
3. "Girl From Mars " (Wheeler)
4. "I'd Give You Anything" (Wheeler)
5. "Gone the Dream" (Wheeler)
6. "Kung Fu" (Wheeler)
7. "Oh Yeah" (Wheeler)
8. "Let It Flow" (Wheeler)
9. "Innocent Smile" (Hamilton)
10. "Angel Interceptor " (McMurray/Wheeler)
11. "Lost in You" (Wheeler)
12. "Darkside Lightside" (Wheeler)

• "Sick Party" (hidden track)

Singles

• "Kung Fu" was released on March 20, 1995 with "Day Of The Triffids" and "Luther Ingo's Star Cruiser".

• "Girl From Mars" was released on July 31, 1995 with "Astral Conversations" and "Cantina Band"

• "Angel Interceptor" was released on October 9, 1995 with "5am Eternal" and "Gimme Some Truth" (by John Lennon)

• "Goldfinger" was released on April 15, 1996 with "I Need Somebody", "Sneaker", and "Get Ready" (Smokey Robinson). "Get Ready" itself was released as a fan club only single in December, 1995 (as a Christmas present), with " Zero Zero"

• "Oh Yeah" was released on June 24, 1996 with "T-Rex", "Everywhere Is All Around" (Wheeler/Carr), and "Does Your Mother Know" (ABBA).

Personnel

• Phil Thornalley - Mixing
• Nick Ingman - String Arrangements
• Owen Morris - Producer, String Arrangements
• Mark "Spike" Stent - Mixing
• Ash - Producer, Photography
• Lisa Moorish - Vocals
• Brian Cannon - Design, Photography, Sleeve Director
• Rick "Rock" McMurray - Drums
• Tim Wheeler - Guitar, Vocals, String Arrangements
• Mark Hamilton - Bass, Sleeve Assistant
• Nick Brine - Assistant Engineer, Mixing Assistant, Studio Assistant