First time on vinyl since 1980 for this stunning Skids curio

One of the best British bands to come out of the 1976 / 1977 musical rupture that was punk, Dunfermline’s Skids went on to demonstrate they had so much more to them than some of their contemporaries. Always a tight and powerful musical powerhouse they enjoyed a string of vibrant chart hits between 1978 and 1979 and their debut album 1979’s ‘Scared To Dance’ is rightly recognised as a landmark of the era.

Its follow up, ‘Days In Europa’ arrived hot on the heels of chart success but had a complex lifespan. In its first incarnation, it had been issued with a sleeve that drew criticism from some quarters and there were misgivings, too, from their label over the album’s mix. Within a year of its release Virgin Records withdrew ‘Days In Europa’ Mark I and commissioned a new, punchier mix for most of its tracks. Step forward, up-and-coming Canadian Bruce Fairburn with a brief to bring out the best in Bill Nelson’s original production.

For ‘Days In Europa (1980 Mix)’  1979 single ‘Working For The Yankee Dollar’ was completely rerecorded and standalone hit ‘Masquerade’ added to the tracklist – joining ‘Yankee’, ‘Animation’ and ‘Charade’ to make the album a four-hit powerhouse. Meanwhile the sleeve image was replaced with a new painting. The resulting ‘1980 version’ thereby found its way into numerous Skids fans’ collections, rivalling Mark I in their affections ever since.

Since the early-80s, however, ‘Days In Europa (1980 Mix)’ has remained on ice. Included on CD in 2025’s 5CD Demon / Edsel set ‘Boy, Man & Soldier’, 2027 sees its first reissue on vinyl since at least 1984. Comes in complete, restored 1980 sleeve artwork and is pressed on chartreuse green vinyl.

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