ASH
PHOTO CREDIT: ROGER SARGENT
BITTERSWEET BLUE // LOST SINGLE // OUT NOW // VIDEO HERE
30TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION OF DEBUT 1977 LP // 16 OCTOBER
2026 WORLD TOUR // TICKETS HERE
Following the recent announcement of a special 30th Anniversary Edition of their seminal debut album 1977, ASH have revealed a song that many fans will have thought lost forever. Bittersweet Blue was originally written before the Rockfield 96 album recording session, was performed supporting Therapy? at The Point Depot in December 1995 and was finally committed to tape in early January 1996 before being jettisoned in favour of other songs which would comprise the soon to be #1 album.
Bittersweet Blue was turning into a beloved song among the band, so much so that they began to perform it live even before it had complete lyrics, with singer and guitarist Tim Wheeler improvising lyrics in the moment. However, what once looked to be lost to Ash folklore (and possibly a few lucky bootleggers) is now released to the world on 7” single with a brand new video.
Drummer Rick McMurray comments on the resurrection of Bittersweet Blue:
“After we began to play Bittersweet Blue live, it was probably the best part of 20 years before the song was mentioned again, when our back catalogue moved to a new home to be digitised. That’s when we discovered there were some missing master tapes. Fast forward a decade and, as we prepared to put together the 30th anniversary package, our resident super sleuth, detective Wheeler, resolved the ancient mystery and discovered it had been mislabelled way back when. However, this was far from the end of the saga because what we had was a usable drum take, bass, some rhythm guitars, a scratchy vocal and not much else. Not even lyrics.
“What was to be done? Well, we asked the impossible and Tim delivered, getting in touch with his teenage self, writing lyrics and resurrecting this long lost treasure for your listening pleasure. And if that’s not enough sonic time traveling, we have visuals to match. It made perfect sense with all the above going into this for us to shoot the video back in the rehearsal space we used in our formative years. It’s where we played the song for the first time all those years ago. It means so much to have this space immortalised for all time. Thirty years in the making, this is Bittersweet Blue. We think it’s turned out pretty damn good.”
Originally released in 1996, the 1977 album is the #1 platinum-selling debut that launched Ash from teenage upstarts to Britpop-era icons. Three decades on, this 30th Anniversary Edition celebrates the album that defined a generation with its breakneck energy, razor-sharp hooks and unforgettable anthems including Girl From Mars, Goldfinger, Kung Fu and Oh Yeah. The 30th Anniversary Edition will be available on 2LP EcoRecord green and black ‘Inkplosion’ vinyl in gatefold sleeve; 2CD Digisleeve with booklet; and on all digital platforms. Pre-order / Pre-save HERE
The band are also adding more dates to their global 1977 tour. Having already visited Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Hong Kong, the tour heads to the UK and Europe in October, November and December. Tickets HERE
OCTOBER
Wed 14 KINGSTON Circuit (with Banquet Records)
Fri 16 WREXHAM Rockin’ Chair (with Jacaranda Records)
Sat 17 LIVERPOOL Jacaranda Baltic (with Jacaranda Records)
Sun 18 LANCASTER Kanteena (with Jacaranda Records)
Mon 19 CARLISLE Old Fire S4ation (with Jacaranda Records)
Tue 20 EDINBURGH The Caves (with Assai Records)
NOVEMBER
Tue 10 UTRECHT De Helling
Wed 11 COLOGNE Gebaude 9
Thu 12 BERLIN Hole 44 (SOLD OUT)
Sun 15 EINDHOVEN Effenaar (SOLD OUT)
Wed 25 LONDON Electric Ballroom
Thu 26 BRISTOL Electric
Sat 28 LIMERICK Spiegeltent Pavilion
Sun 29 CORK Cyprus Avenue
DECEMBER
Tue 01 TORQUAY Arena (SOLD OUT)
Wed 02 SOUTHAMPTON O2 Guildhall
Fri 04 CARDIFF Tramshed (SOLD OUT)
Sat 05 NORWICH UEA
Sun 06 NOTTINGHAM Rock City
Tue 08 MANCHESTER Albert Hall
Wed 09 DUBLIN Olympia (SOLD OUT)
Thu 10 BELFAST Ulster Hall (SOLD OUT)
Sat 12 NEWCASTLE Northumbria University (SOLD OUT)
Sun 13 GLASGOW Barrowland (SOLD OUT)
Tue 15 BIRMINGHAM O2 Institute
Wed 16 LEEDS O2 Academy
Thu 17 LONDON Roundhouse (SOLD OUT)
The digital and 2CD edition features the original album in full on Disc 1 – 12 tracks of high-voltage power-pop that still sound as urgent and melodic as ever – and four additional tracks: the long lost, near-mythical Bittersweet Blue, Oh Yeah (2026 Version), Girl From Mars (Demo 2026 Mix) and Gone The Dream (Acoustic 2026 Mix). Disc 2 captures a special live set from STABAL Studios in 2021 where the band perform 1977 in full, alongside fan favourites from the era including Oh Yeah, Coasting, Sneaker, American Devil and Silver Surfer.
The 2LP edition presents the original album across LP1 with a specially curated collection of B sides on LP2 that highlight the depth and creativity of the 1977 era. Standout tracks include Day Of The Triffids, Luther Ingo’s Star Cruiser, Astra Conversations With Toulouse Lautrec, Cantina Band, Sneaker and T Rex.
2LP GREEN & BLACK INKPLOSION GATEFOLD VINYL
LP 1 – ORIGINAL ALBUM (2022 REMASTER)
- Lose Control
- Goldfinger
- Girl From Mars
- I’d Give You Anything
- Gone The Dream
- Kung Fu
- Oh Yeah
- Let It Flow
- Innocent Smile
- Angel Interceptor
- Lost In You
- Darkside Lightside
LP 2 – B SIDES (2026 REMASTER)
- Day Of The Triffids
- Luther Ingo’s Star Cruiser
- Astra Conversations With Toulouse Lautrec
- Cantina Band
- 5am Eternal
- Gimme Some Truth
- I Need Somebody
- Sneaker
- Get Ready (never previously on vinyl)
- T Rex
- Everywhere Is All Around
- Does Your Mother Know (never previously on vinyl)
2CD DIGISLEEVE WITH BOOKLET / DIGITAL
CD 1 – ORGINAL ALBUM (2022 REMASTER)
- Lose Control
- Goldfinger
- Girl From Mars
- I’d Give You Anything
- Gone The Dream
- Kung Fu
- Oh Yeah
- Let It Flow
- Innocent Smile
- Angel Interceptor
- Lost In You
- Darkside Lightside
- Bittersweet Blue
- Oh Yeah (2026 Version)
- Girl From Mars (Demo 2026 Mix)
- Gone The Dream (Acoustic 2026 Mix)
CD 2 – LIVE FROM STABAL (2026 REMASTER)
- Lose Control (Live from STABAL)
- Goldfinger (Live from STABAL)
- Girl From Mars (Live from STABAL)
- I’d Give You Anything (Live from STABAL)
- Gone The Dream (Live from STABAL)
- Kung Fu (Live from STABAL)
- Oh Yeah (Live from STABAL)
- Let It Flow (Live from STABAL)
- Innocent Smile (Live from STABAL)
- Angel Interceptor (Live from STABAL)
- Lost In You (Live from STABAL)
- Darkside Lightside (Live from STABAL)
- Coasting (Live from STABAL)
- Sneaker (Live from STABAL)
- American Devil (Live from STABAL)
- T Rex (Live from STABAL)
- Punk Boy (Live from STABAL)
- Silver Surfer (Live from STABAL)
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