Blur Announce ‘Blur 21’ Box Set Release

Blur have announced plans to re-release their back catalogue as a special deluxe box set in celebration of the twenty-first anniversary of their debut album ‘Leisure’.

The package will come as a special 21-disc set, including 2cd special editions of each of the band’s seven albums, four discs of rarities, three DVDs including two hours of unreleased footage, two live shows and a disc of video rarities, a collectable 7’ of a rare and previously unreleased live recording of Seymour-era song ‘Superman’ and a hard-bound book including liner notes based on brand new interviews with the band and previously unseen photos. You can read the full details of the release at the bottom of this page.

There will also be a special vinyl box set, featuring each of the band’s records on 12’ in a sturdy hard case.

Each of the albums will also be re-released separately, on both CD and vinyl, including unreleased extras, artwork postcards, expanded booklets and liner notes. The whole shebang is set to be available from July 30th, and is listed via Amazon at £157.99.

You can find more details on the release at blur.co.uk/blur21

Earlier this evening, the band began posting ‘#blur21’ via their social network profiles.

This was then followed by a post via Facebook. It read: ‘You might be wondering what this #blur21 is about. Well.. It has been 21 years since the release of Leisure, so we have been cooking up a nice box of treats for you. Stay tuned for more info at the stroke of midnight (UK time)’

A video was posted online alongside the announcement. You can check it out below:



Earlier this month Damon Albarn claimed that this summer’s shows would ‘in all likelihood’ spell the end for Blur. ‘It’s fine when we play live,’ he revealed. ‘It’s really magical still – but actually recording new stuff, and swapping musical influences… it’s quite difficult.’

The full details of the Blur 21 box set read.

CD Album x 18 units + DVD x 3 units + 7” Single

CD1 - LEISURE REMASTERED:
1. She’s So High
2. Bang
3. Slow Down
4. Repetition
5. Bad Day
6. Sing
7. There’s No Other Way
8. Fool
9. Come Together
10. High Cool
11. Birthday
12. Wear Me Down

CD2 - LEISURE BONUS MATERIAL:
1. I Know (Extended Mix)
2. Down
3. There’s No Other Way (Extended Version)
4. Inertia
5. Mr Briggs
6. I’m All Over
7. Won’t Do It
8. Day Upon Day (Live)
9. There’s No Other Way (Blur Remix)
10. Bang (Extended Version)
11. Explain
12. Luminous
13. Berserk
14. Uncle Love
15. I Love Her (Demo Version) (Fan Club Single)
16. Close (Fan Club Single)

CD3 - MODERN LIFE IS RUBBISH REMASTERED:
1. For Tomorrow
2. Advert
3. Colin Zeal
4. Pressure On Julian
5. Star Shaped
6. Blue Jeans
7. Chemical World
8. Intermission
9. Sunday Sunday
10. Oily Water
11. Miss America
12. Villa Rosie
13. Coping
14. Turn It Up
15. Resigned
16. Commercial Break

CD4 - MODERN LIFE IS RUBBISH BONUS MATERIAL:
1. Popscene
2. Mace
3. Badgeman Brown
4. I’m Fine
5. Garden Central
6. For Tomorrow (Visit to Primrose Hill Extended Version)
7. Into Another
8. Peach
9. Bone Bag
10. Hanging Over
11. When the Cows Come Home
12. Beachcoma
13. Chemical World (Reworked)
14. Es Schmecht
15. Young and Lovely
16. Maggie May
17. My Ark
18. Daisy Bell (A Bicycle Made for Two)
19. Let’s All Go Down the Strand

CD5 - PARKLIFE REMASTERED:
1. Girls and Boys
2. Tracy Jacks
3. End of a Century
4. Parklife
5. Bank Holiday
6. Bad Head
7. The Debt Collector
8. Far Out
9. To the End
10. London Loves
11. Trouble in the Message Centre
12. Clover Over Dover
13. Magic America
14. Jubilee
15. This Is a Low
16. Lot 105

CD6 - PARKLIFE BONUS MATERIAL:
1. Magpie
2. Anniversary Waltz
3. People in Europe
4. Peter Panic
5. Girls and Boys (Pet Shop Boys 12” Remix)
6. Threadneedle Street
7. Got Yer!
8. Beard
9. To The End (French Version)
10. Supa Shoppa
11. Theme From An Imaginary Film
12. Red Necks
13. Alex’s Song
14. Jubilee (Acoustic) (BBC Radio 1 Session, 1994) *
15. Parklife (Acoustic) (BBC Radio 1 Session, 1994) *
16. End Of A Century (Cadena 40 Principales Acoustic Version)
* PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED

CD7 - THE GREAT ESCAPE REMASTERED:
1. Stereotypes
2. Country House
3. Best Days
4. Charmless Man
5. Fade Away
6. Top Man
7. The Universal
8. Mr Robinson’s Quango
9. He Thought of Cars
10. It Could Be You
11. Ernold Same
12. Globe Alone
13. Dan Abnormal
14. Entertain Me
15. Yuko and Hiro

CD8 - THE GREAT ESCAPE BONUS MATERIAL:
1. One Born Every Minute
2. To the End (La Comedie) (Feat. Francoise Hardy)
3. Ultranol
4. No Monsters in Me
5. Entertain Me (Live It!) (Remix)
6. The Man Who Left Himself
7. Tame
8. Ludwig
9. The Horrors
10. A Song
11. St Louis
12. Country House (Live at Mile End)
13. Girls and Boys (Live at Mile End)
14. Parklife (Live at Mile End)
15. For Tomorrow (Live at Mile End)
16. Charmless Man (Live At The Budokan)
17. Chemical World (Live At The Budokan)
18. Eine Kleine Lift Musik

CD9 - BLUR REMASTERED:
1. Beetlebum
2. Song 2
3. Country Sad Ballad Man
4. M.O.R.
5. On Your Own
6. Theme from Retro
7. You’re So Great
8. Death of a Party
9. Chinese Bombs
10. I’m Just a Killer for Your Love
11. Look Inside America
12. Strange News from Another Star
13. Movin’ On
14. Essex Dogs

CD10 - BLUR BONUS MATERIAL:
1. All Your Life
2. A Spell (For Money)
3. Woodpigeon Song
4. Dancehall
5. Get Out of Cities
6. Polished Stone
7. Bustin’ + Dronin’
8. M.O.R. (Road Version)
9. Swallows in the Heatwave
10. Death Of A Party (7” Remix)
11. Cowboy Song
12. Beetlebum (Live Acoustic Version)
13. On Your Own (Live Acoustic Version)
14. Country Sad Ballad Man (Live Acoustic Version)
15. This Is A Low (Live Acoustic Version)
16. M.O.R. (Live In Utrecht)
17. Death Of A Party (Live In Utrecht)
18. Song 2 (Live In Utrecht)

CD11 - 13:
1. Tender
2. Bugman
3. Coffee and TV
4. Swamp Song
5. 1992
6. B.L.U.R.E.M.I
7. Battle
8. Mellow Song
9. Trailerpark
10. Caramel
11. Trimm Trabb
12. No Distance Left to Run
13. Optigan I

CD12 - 13 BONUS MATERIAL:
1. French Song
2. All We Want
3. Mellow Jam
4. X-Offender (Damon/Control Freak’s Bugman Remix)
5. Coyote (Dave’s Bugman Remix)
6. Trade Stylee (Alex’s Bugman Remix)
7. Metal Hip Slop (Graham’s Bugman Remix)
8. So You
9. Beagle 2
10. Tender (Cornelius Remix)
11. Far Out (Beagle 2 Remix)
12. I Got Law (Demo)
13. Music Is My Radar
14. Black Book

CD13 - THINK TANK:
1. Ambulance
2. Out of Time
3. Crazy Beat
4. Good Song
5. On the Way to the Club
6. Brothers and Sisters
7. Caravan
8. We’ve Got a File On You
9. Moroccan Peoples Revolutionary Bowls Club
10. Sweet Song
11. Jets
12. Gene By Gene
13. Battery in Your Leg
14. Me, White Noise (Hidden Track)

CD14 - THINK TANK BONUS MATERIAL:
1. Money Makes Me Crazy (Marrakech Mix)
2. Tune 2
3. The Outsider
4. Don’t Be
5. Morricone
6. Me, White Noise (Alternate Version)
7. Some Glad Morning (Fan Club Single)
8. Don’t Be (Acoustic mix)
9. Sweet Song (demo)
10. Caravan (XFM Session, October 2003) *
11. End Of A Century (XFM Session, October 2003) *
12. Good Song (XFM Session, October 2003) *
13. Out Of Time (XFM Session, October 2003) *
14. Tender (XFM Session, October 2003) *
* PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED

CD15 - RARITIES 1 (SEYMOUR & LEISURE ERA):
1. Dizzy (Seymour Rehearsal & Demo)
2. Mixed Up (Seymour Rehearsal & Demo)
3. Birthday (Seymour Demo) *
4. Sing (To Me) (Sing Demo) (Fan Club Single)
5. Fool (Seymour 4-Track Demo) *
6. She’s So High (Seymour Rehearsal) *
7. Won’t Do It (Demo) (Fan Club Single)
8. I Know (Falconer Studio Demo) *
9. Repetition (Falconer Studio Demo) *
10. High Cool (7” Master) *
11. Always (I’m Fine Early Version) *
12. Come Together (Demo) (Fan Club Single)
13. I’m All Over (Demo) *
14. Wear Me Down (Demo) *
* PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED

CD16 - RARITIES 2 (MODERN LIFE IS RUBBISH ERA):
1. I Love Her (Alt Version) *
2. Popscene (1991 Demo) *
3. Beached Whale (4-Track Demo) *
4. Death Of A Party (Demo) (Fan Club Single)
5. Pap Pop (4-Track Demo) *
6. Pressure On Julian (Demo) *
7. Colin Zeal (Demo) *
8. Sunday Sunday (Demo) *
9. Never Clever
10. Advert (Demo) *
11. Star Shaped (Demo) *
12. She Don’t Mind (Blue Jeans demo) *
13. Coping (Andy Partridge version) *
14. Sunday Sleep (Sunday Sunday Andy Partridge Version) *
15. 7 Days (Andy Partridge Version) *
16. Kazoo (Turn It Up Early Version) *
17. The Wassailing Song (The 7” Giveaway at Hibernian Club, Fulham)
18. When The Cows Come Home (demo) *
19. For Tomorrow (Mix 1 – Early Demo) *
20. Magpie (Early Demo) *
* PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED

CD17 - RARITIES 3 (PARKLIFE & THE GREAT ESCAPE ERA):
1. Parklife (Demo) *
2. Clover Over Dover (Demo) *
3. Jubilee (Demo) *
4. One A Minute (One Born Every Minute Demo) *
5. Badhead (Demo) *
6. Far Out (Electric Version) *
7. The Debt Collector (Demo) *
8. Trouble In The Message Centre (Demo) *
9. Rednecks (Take 1) *
10. Rednecks (Take 2) *
11. Alex’s Song (Demo) *
12. Cross Channel Love (Home Demo) *
13. Ernold Same (Demo) *
14. Saturday Morning (Demo) *
15. Hope You Find Your Suburb (A.K.A. Eine Kleine Lift Musik Vocal Demo) *
16. Rico (Fade Away Demo) *
17. Bored House Wives (Entertain Me Early Version) *
* PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED

CD18 - RARITIES 4 (BLUR, 13, BEST OF & THINK TANK ERA):
1. Beetlebum (Demo) *
2. On Your Own (Mario Caldato Jr Mix) *
3. Woodpigeon Song (Original Full Length) *
4. Battle (Jam, Mayfair Studios 11 August 1999) *
5. Caramel (Ambient Version) *
6. So You (Alternative Version) *
7. Squeezebox (Music Is My Radar Alternative Version) *
8. Jawbone (Black Book Alternative Version) *
9. “1” (Bill Laswell Session, 2000) *
10. “3” (Bill Laswell Session, 2000) *
11. Sir Elton John’s Cock *
12. Avoid The Traffic *
13. Money Makes Me Crazy (Deepest Darkest Devon Mix)
14. Don’t Bomb When You’re The Bomb *
15. Nutter *
16. Piano *
17. Kissin’ Time
18. Fool’s Day
19. Track tbc
* PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED

DVD1 - SHOWTIME: LIVE AT ALEXANDRA PALACE, 7 OCTOBER 1994:
1. Lot 105
2. Sunday Sunday
3. Jubilee
4. Tracy Jacks
5. Magic America
6. End Of A Century
7. Popscene
8. Trouble In The Message Centre
9. She’s So High
10. Chemical World
11. Bad Head
12. There’s No Other Way
13. To The End
14. Advert
15. Supa Shoppa
16. Mr Robinson’s Quango
17. Parklife
18. Girls And Boys
19. Bank Holiday
20. This Is A Low

DVD2 - THE SINGLES NIGHT - LIVE AT WEMBLEY, 11 DECEMBER 1999:
1. I Know *
2. She’s So High *
3. There’s No Other Way *
4. Popscene *
5. For Tomorrow *
6. Chemical World *
7. Girls And Boys *
8. To The End *
9. Parklife (With Phil Daniels) *
10. End Of A Century *
11. Country House *
12. The Universal *
13. Charmless Man *
14. Beetlebum *
15. Song 2 *
16. On Your Own *
17. M.O.R. *
18. Tender *
19. Coffee & TV *
20. No Distance Left To Run *
* PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED

DVD3 - RARITIES:
1. B.L.U.R.E.M.I (Live 13 at London Depot, 10 March 1999) *
2. No Distance Left To Run (Live 13 at London Depot, 10 March 1999)
3. Tender (Live 13 at London Depot, 10 March 1999)
4. Battle (Live 13 at London Depot, 10 March 1999)
5. Beetlebum (Live 13 at London Depot, 10 March 1999) *
6. Bugman (Live 13 at London Depot, 10 March 1999) *
7. Trimm Trabb (Live 13 at London Depot, 10 March 1999) *
8. Mellow Song (Live 13 at London Depot, 10 March 1999) *
9. Song 2 (Live 13 at London Depot, 10 March 1999) *
10. Seymour: Dizzy *
11. There’s No Other Way (BBC Eggs & Baker) (Blur’s 1st TV Performance) *
12. To The End (La Comedie) Feat. Francoise Hardy (French Promo Video)
13. It Could Be You (Japanese Promo Video) *
14. Music Is My Radar (Promo Video)
15. Out Of Time (Promo Video)
16. Crazy Beat (Promo Video)
17. Good Song (Promo Video)

* PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED

7” SINGLE (PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED):
1. Superman (Recorded December 1989 at The Square in Harlow, Essex)
BOX INFO:

Blur 21: The Box is the ultimate and definitive anthology of Blur’s incredible career. Spanning 21-discs and including over 5 ½ hours of previously unreleased material, Blur 21: The Box collects together the remastered and expanded editions of all the albums, four discs of Blur rarities, three DVDs of live performances and rarities, a collectable 7’’ single and a hard-bound book - all housed in a super-deluxe material-covered box. Each box will also include a code to download all the audio contents as high-quality mp3s. Contents include:

Remastered and expanded studio albums:

Blur’s first five studio albums have now been remastered and expanded from the original tapes by Frank Arkwright (The Smiths, Arcade Fire, New Order, Joy Division), with the remastering overseen by legendary producer, Stephen Street. All seven albums come with an accompanying disc of bonus material, in all covering a wealth of b-sides, little-heard gems, alternative mixes, live tracks, demos, rare tracks, acoustic versions, Fan Club singles and previously unreleased radio sessions.

4 CDs of Blur rarities:

Gathering together a massive 65 previously unreleased tracks (in all over 3 ½ hours of previously unreleased material) the four rarities CDs exclusive to The Blur Box are a treasure-trove of tracks selected from the Blur vault and band member’s own archives. The rarities discs start with Seymour (Blur’s previous band name) demos and rehearsals showing the track writing process of early Blur songs, as well as the earliest known recordings of many other Blur classics. Continuing chronologically into the Modern Life Is Rubbish era, CD two of the rarities includes demos of tracks that never went on to be fully recorded and have remained unheard to this day (Beached Whale and Pap Pop) and the aborted Andy Partridge (XTC) session, recorded for Modern Life Is Rubbish before the band returned to the producer of their debut record, Stephen Street. CD three of the rarities covers the Parklife and The Great Escape era, bringing together more demo versions, a snap-shot of a band enjoying themselves in the studio with the two takes of Rednecks, the Alex James penned Alex’s Song now returned to its intended speed, the never fully recorded or released Cross Channel and the vocal version of previously instrumental Eine Kleine Lift Musik, entitled here as Hope You Find Your Suburb. The fourth and final CD of Blur rarities covers the remainder of the band’s career, presenting for the first time a jam from Mayfair Studios of the track Battle, a Bill Laswell session at Sarm Studios (which gives the first indication of the direction Damon would later take with Gorillaz), the infamously named Sir Elton John’s Cock, other never-developed session recordings and a collection of later non-album released Blur tracks.

3 DVDs of live performances and rarities:

The 3 DVD set (exclusive to the Blur Box) collects together Showtime, the classic Parklife era live show (complete with frilly lampshades on stage) from Alexandra Palace on 7th October 1994, the previously unreleased 1 ½ hour long Singles Night show from Wembley on 11th December 1999 and an entire DVD of Blur video rarities, which include a band-made video for the Seymour track Dizzy, Blur’s first ever TV performance on BBC Eggs & Baker, a recording of Blur and Francoise Hardy performing To The End in Abbey Road’s Studio 2 (previously unreleased outside of France) and the Japanese promo for It Could Be You.

Collectable 7’’ Single:

A 7’ single of the previously unreleased Seymour track Superman (recorded in December 1989 at The Square in Harlow, Essex), housed in an Food Records replica bag.

Hard-bound Blur book:

High-quality hard-back book charting the history of Blur with extensive liner notes based on a brand new interview with the band and previously unseen photos from throughout the band’s career.