Gang of Four’s 77-81 Box Set Gets New Release Date

2 Feb at 18:06

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The expansive collection was originally set for release in December

Gang of Four have revealed new release details for the 77-81 box set, a collection of the group’s work that faced production delays after it was first announced last fall. Now, it will be out on March 12, and a CD version will be available on April 23. Listen to a demo of the unreleased song “Elevator,” and find a lyric video for “Damaged Goods,” below.

Gang of Four’s Jon King shared a statement about “Elevator”:

Andy [Gill] & I both lived in a shitty house in Leeds where we used to sing The Band or Muddy Waters songs, chugging disgusting homebrew beer that I fermented in a dustbin. We started writing songs—mostly homages to Dr. Feelgood or the Velvets—recording them on a crappy cassette player. Inspired by the New York scene and with UK punk rock on a thrilling rampage, Hugo [Burnham], Gill, and I formed a band.

The first couple of gigs were those early songs and a fast Beatles cover. Dave [Allen] joining us raised the bar. He was really good, and we quickly came up with new material we all wrote together, built on grooves from Dave & Hugo, over which Andy and I would improvise until we’d got somewhere.

“Elevator” always worked well live. It was a keeper until it wasn’t. By the time we got into the Workhouse studio to record Entertainment, it was in the dumper. I’d forgotten ever writing it until it was dug up for the box set cassette. I like it: the jangly riff, propulsive rhythm, and dopey lyrics take me right back to the day.

The band’s founding guitarist Andy Gill died in February 2020, and later that month, the group released the EP This Heaven Gives Me Migraines. The band followed it with an EP titled ANTI HERO in July. An expansive Gang of Four tribute album is set to arrive in May.

Read “Remembering Gang of Four’s Andy Gill, Who Ripped Punk to Shreds” on the Pitch.

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