Albums · Studio album

The Seaside

Cardiacs

Release date1984

Year1984

LabelAlphabet Business Concern

Formats & catalogue

CassetteALPH 0001

Overview

The Seaside is Cardiacs’ third cassette album and the first release to present the band’s emerging sound with real clarity and scale. The songs combine punk velocity, theatrical vocals, brass and woodwind arrangements, abrupt rhythmic turns and bright, unsettling melodies. Although still rooted in the group’s early cassette era, it already contains much of the musical language that would define Cardiacs throughout the following decade.

Documented editions

5 editions

Edition 5

Vinyl and CD reissue

Year2015

LabelAlphabet Business Concern

Formats & catalogue

LPALPH LP013

CDALPH CD013

The 2015 Original Edition restored the complete tracklist, introduced revised catalogue numbers and returned to artwork based on the Jim Smith cassette cover.

Edition 4

Third cassette edition — black-and-white cover

Year1990

LabelAlphabet Business Concern

Formats & catalogue

CassetteALPH 0001

The third cassette edition appeared in 1990 with a completely different black-and-white image. Like the earlier cassette issues, it is now considered rare.

Edition 3

Original vinyl and CD edition

Year1990

LabelAlphabet Business Concern

Formats & catalogue

LPALPH LP001

CDALPH CD001

The original vinyl and CD editions introduced a separate artwork and presentation from the cassette issues.

Edition 2

Second cassette edition — Jim Smith cover

Year1984

LabelAlphabet Business Concern

Formats & catalogue

CassetteALPH 0001

The second cassette edition replaced the original drawing with a photograph of bass player Jim Smith.

Edition 1

First cassette edition — Little Man and a House cover

Year1983

LabelAlphabet Business Concern

Formats & catalogue

CassetteALPH 0001

The earliest cassette edition features a drawing of the Little Man and a House. Released in 1983, it is regarded as the rarest of the three cassette versions.

Tracklist

57:06

01
Jibber and Twitch4:48
Side AWritten by Tim Smith
02
Gina Lollobrigida3:13
Side AWritten by Tim Smith
03
Hello Mr. Sparrow4:33
Side AWritten by Tim Smith, Sarah Smith
04
It's a Lovely Day3:25
Side AWritten by Tim Smith, Sarah Smith, Colvin Mayers, Mark Cawthra
05
A Wooden Fish on Wheels3:22
Side AWritten by Tim Smith, Mark Cawthra
06
Nurses Whispering Verses6:03
Side AWritten by Tim Smith
07
Is This the Life?5:03
Side BWritten by Tim Smith
08
A Little Man and a House4:15
Side BWritten by Tim Smith
09
Hope Day6:36
Side BWritten by Tim Smith
10
Dinner Time4:35
Side BWritten by Tim Smith
11
Ice a Spot and a Dot on the Dog3:34
Side BWritten by Tim Smith, Mark Cawthra
12
R.E.S.5:26
Side BWritten by Tim Smith
13
To Go Off and Things2:13
Side BWritten by Tim Smith, Mark CawthraLyrics by Mark Cawthra.

Line-up

14 credited

Tim Smith

guitar · vocals

Jim Smith

bass · vocals

Sarah Smith

tenor saxophone · clarinet

Mark Cawthra

keyboards · vocals · drums

Keyboards and vocals on most tracks; drums on ‘A Wooden Fish on Wheels’, ‘Ice a Spot and a Dot on the Dog’ and ‘To Go Off and Things’. His final Cardiacs album.

William D. Drake

keyboards

His first Cardiacs album.

Graham Simmonds

guitar

Marguerite Johnston

alto saxophone

Tim Quy

marimba · percussion

Dominic Luckman

drums

Lanze Lorrens

trumpet · backing vocals

Mike Peters

trumpet

Nick Pell

trumpet

Tim Hills

trombone

Wendy Collins

backing vocals

Archive notes

The Seaside was Cardiacs’ first formal release on the Alphabet Business Concern label and was initially available only through the fan club, mail order and concerts.
Three cassette editions appeared with different covers: the first used the Little Man and a House drawing, the second featured Jim Smith, and the third used a separate black-and-white image.
‘Is This the Life?’, ‘A Little Man and a House’ and ‘R.E.S.’ were re-recorded for A Little Man and a House and the Whole World Window in 1988. ‘Nurses Whispering Verses’ was re-recorded for Sing to God in 1996 with different lyrics.
The 1995 CD reissue omitted ‘Nurses Whispering Verses’, ‘Is This the Life?’, ‘A Little Man and a House’ and ‘Dinner Time’ because the master tape containing those recordings was believed to be damaged.
The Seaside: Original Edition box set, released on 30 November 2015, restored and remastered the complete original album from the surviving tapes.
The 2015 box included a replica cassette and lyric booklet, a photobook, Alphabet Business Concern YOUsletters, photographs, flyers, badges and downloadable alternate mixes.
The 2015 artwork returned Jim Smith to the cover and used imagery based on the full-colour cassette design.
The album’s two distinct line-ups document Mark Cawthra’s movement between drums and keyboards before his amicable departure from the band.

The Seaside

Documented editions

Vinyl and CD reissue

Third cassette edition — black-and-white cover

Original vinyl and CD edition

Second cassette edition — Jim Smith cover

First cassette edition — Little Man and a House cover

Tracklist

Line-up

Tim Smith

Jim Smith

Sarah Smith

Mark Cawthra

William D. Drake

Graham Simmonds

Marguerite Johnston

Tim Quy

Dominic Luckman

Lanze Lorrens

Mike Peters

Nick Pell

Tim Hills

Wendy Collins

Archive notes

Recording & credits

Recording

Production