SHAZAM! After nearly 19 years, The Rapiers' 2nd LP, "1961",
is back in print on the label that first released it, Ace Records. 

Featuring a nine-minute radio chat with Colin Pryce-Jones, "Spotlight on The Rapiers" samples the group's recording career from 1985 to 2000 and the LPs "Straight to the Point", "Return of The Rapiers", "You're Never Alone With" and Colin's "Guitar Heaven" solo outing. Best of all, "Spotlight" also collects all four sides from the band's 1995 "Live at the London Palladium" EP and marks the debut on shiny disc of one of their stage trademarks, "Saturday Night at the Duckpond". Here's the track listing: "New Orleans" "Dr. Feelgood" "Raining in My Heart" "Saturday Night at the Duckpond" "Go Back to Daddy" "Jack's Good" "(I Feel Like) I'm Losing You" "Theme From The Avengers" "Green Jeans" "Spanish Armada" "Move It Baby" "Peaceful" "Early Morning Twist" "Stay Around" "The Lynch Mob Ride Again" Radio Caroline interview

HOW TO ORDER Such a deal! "Spotlight on The Rapiers" is just £10 from Fury Records. Want it on vinyl? Germany's Soundflat Records has its own 14-track edition with a different track line-up and bonus liners from Colin.

The Rapiers' ultra cool, ultra swinging and ultra suave "You're Never Alone With" CD
features 15 (!) all-new tracks, including the Pryce-Jones original "The Lynch Mob Ride
Again," kicking off the album in typically breakneck fashion. Other top picks: a very
gorgeous  "Robbesque" instrumental tribute to long-time fan and Shadows expert
Rob Bradford, a spot-on Mersey treatment of The Remo Four classic "Lies", the very
moody "Lonely Man Theme"  and a honking cover of Pat Wayne and the Beachcombers'
'62 stomper "Go Back to Daddy".

Order "You're Never Alone With" from Amazon UK, Amazon US, Bim-Bam Records
or Fury Records.

Reviews

From surf music expert Phil Dirt :

"[The Rapiers]  have retained their credibility and edge very well. The production, while
modern and clean, is much as Joe Meek would have done it back in the early sixties.
Highly compressed and thick, yet with every detail crisp and clear. Nine excellent instros
and six vintage rock 'n' roll vocals grace the disc. While well within the British rock
instro genre made most familiar by the Shadows, this is fresh and very much the Rapiers'
own sound. An excellent CD."

Earning the coveted "Miserable Without It" designation: "The Lynch Mob Ride Again,"
"The Phantom Stage," "Captain Scarlet." 

From mwe3.com:

"The Rapiers fondly revive the time honored sound of the Euro-style instrumental guitar
beat. 'You're Never Alone With' is a tasty 15-track platter of instrumental guitar cuts and
assorted vocal tunes..."

From "Red Hot 'N' Rockin'":

"Although they have released several vinyl EPs, a 10" all instrumental vinyl LP, a CD of
restrospective recordings and played hundreds of concerts — this is The Rapiers' first CD
release in almost 10 years. This CD is all you'd expect from The Rapiers — classic
instrumentals, a few '60s numbers, and Shadows sound-a-likes. The opening track ["The
Lynch Mob Ride Again"] has been self-penned by Colin Pryce-Jones, but if you didn't
know different, you would swear it was an old Shadows track."

For your sampling pleasure, RHNR kindly provides Real Audio music clips of album
tracks "A Certain Girl" and "Captain Scarlet."

Fiery and melt-your-heart inspirational tracks done in the styles of instrumental giants,
it's Colin's debut solo album on Fury Records. Appropriately titled "Guitar Heaven," it
features 13 hymn standards such as "Jerusalem" and "I Believe" given early '60s
instrumental treatments a la the Shadows, Tornados, Tony Meehan & Jet Harris,
Ventures, Dick Dale and Sandy Nelson.

Colin's put his heart and soul into this project, even after some naysayers said it
wouldn't fly. "It's something I've always wanted to do, I'm very proud of it."

Aided by Rapiers drummer John Tuck and veteran West End drummer Steve Rushton,
Colin plays every guitar part, plus keyboards. Absolute stand-out tracks include
"Jerusalem" (wrapped in a VERY "Diamonds" arrangement), "Praise My Soul" (just
brimming with a mix of Searchers and Dakotas "Cruel Sea" 12-string sound) and the
Pryce-Jones original "Peaceful" (worthy of a lost Shads classic).

Reviews

And the word is good. Check Rob Bradford's take on "Guitar Heaven," past Rapiers
recordings and Colin's musical pedigree at Black Cat Rockabilly. Then swing over to
Nervous Records, who sample a recent Pipeline Magazine review, likening Colin's
effort to a "fancy dress party." Reverb Central's Phil Dirt, singling out "Amazing
Grace," "I Believe" and Swing Low Sweet Chariot," simply calls it "utterly amazing."
Robert Silverstein at mwe3.com has the final word: "Incredibly, all the tracks sound
fabulous and truly lend themselves to the guitar instrumental genre."