NO, YOUR EYES ARE NOT DECEIVING YOU!!! WE CAN FINALLY REVEAL THAT ONE OF THE LONGEST AWAITED ALBUMS IN POP HISTORY IS FINALLY BEING UNLEASHED! DETOUR RECORDS STARTED WORK ON A PLANNED RETROSPECTIVE BY THE ONLOOKERS OVER FIFTEEN YEARS AGO. IT WAS A LONG, HARD SLOG BUT WE GOT THERE IN THE END WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM OUR FRIENDS. IN A TWIST OF FATE, WE DISCOVERED THAT POLYDOR’S A&R MAN DENNIS MUNDAY (WHO WORKED WITH THE JAM / STYLE COUNCIL AND SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES) HAD WANTED TO SIGN THE BAND TO POLYDOR BACK IN 1981. FAST FORWARD 20 ODD YEARS AND THE GROUP THEMSELVES BELIEVED THAT ALL THEIR ORIGINAL RECORDINGS HAD BEEN LOST IN THE MISTS OF TIME. LUCKILY FOR US, DENNIS HAD ACTUALLY HELD ONTO THOSE RECORDINGS ON A CASSETTE TAPE AND BETTER STILL THE QUALITY WAS REMARKABLY GOOD. WITH SOME HELP FROM MARTIN KELLY OF HEAVENLY RECORDS - WHO'D BEEN A MASSIVE FAN OF THE BAND AT THE TIME AND SEEN THEM ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS - THE RECORDINGS WERE CLEANED UP, RESTORED AND COMPILED TO STARTLING EFFECT. THE ONLOOKERS EMERGED FROM THE LATE 70'S EARLY 80'S MOD REVIVAL SCENE BUT BY THE TIME THE RECORDINGS ON THIS CD WERE MADE THE GROUP HAD BLOSSOMED INTO ONE OF THE ERA'S MOST INTERESTING AND GIFTED BANDS WITH FANTASTIC SONGS AND AN IMAGE TO MATCH. THE ONLOOKERS LEFT AN INDELIBLE IMPRESSION ON ANYONE WHO ENCOUNTERED THEM DURING THEIR BRIEF LIVE SPAN AND ALTHOUGH THEY MANAGED ONLY ONE 7" RELEASE - THE HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER 'YOU AND I' ON DEMON RECORDS IN 1982 - THE GROUP HAS GAINED A CULT, ALMOST LEGENDARY STATUS OVER THE INTERVENING 30 YEARS. THEIR SONGS AND SOUND AS FRESH TODAY AS THEY WERE BACK THEN. WHILST BOOTLEG CASSETTES AND CD'S OF LIVE CONCERTS HAVE SERVED ONLY TO FAN THE FLAMES OF INTEREST - ONLY RUMOURS EXISTED OF AN ALBUM OF DEMO'S THAT THE ONLOOKERS HAD RECORDED FOR POLYDOR WITH JAM PRODUCER VIC COPPERSMITH-HEAVEN. FINALLY WE ARE PROUD TO PRESENT 19 FULLY RESTORED AND ENHANCED TRACKS AS THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN HEARD BACK IN 1981. THE ACTUAL PACKAGING FOR THIS CD (DESIGNED BY PAUL KELLY) IS TO DIE FOR… A FULL COLOUR SIXTEEN PAGE BOOKLET CRAMMED FULL OF RARE PHOTOS, PRESS CUTTINGS, GIG FLYERS AND A COMPREHENSIVE HISTORY OF THE BAND BY MARTIN KELLY PLUS ADDITIONAL SLEEVE NOTES AND COMMENTARY FROM RICK BLACKMAN, EDDIE PILLER AND BRIAN KOTZ. NO EXPENSE SPARED ON THIS RELEASE... ONCE LOST AND NOW FOUND WE PRESENT THE ONLOOKERS!

FEATURES

YOU AND I

JULIA

YOU KNOW EVERYTHING

HOUSEMAN

SOMEONE'S DAUGHTER

NOW I'M SLEEPING

CHIEFTAIN

DUTY CALL ME

STILL SHE WAITS

GOOD FRIEND OF YOURS

MYSTIC SURROUNDS ME

UNDERSTAND

WINDSOR CASTLE

LONELY LADY

THINKING OF YOU

ROUND AND ROUND

THE PEOPLE THERE

THINGS REMAIN

HOUSEMAN (WITH STRINGS)