Ocean Rain - Releases

Releases

Ocean Rain was first released on 8 May 1984 as an LP and on cassette by Korova in Europe. It was subsequently released by Sire Records in the United States on 14 May and on CD in Europe and the United States on 24 August 1984. The album was marketed as "the greatest album ever made" and McCulloch later said it was because they believed it was. Although he also said it was meant as a joke when he said, "That wasn't my idea! I was on the phone to, just joshing and I said 'Oh, it's the greatest album ever made.' And he used it on the poster." In a 2005 interview for Record Collector magazine, Sergeant asked, "Why not?". After wondering "what all the fuss was about", he went on to ask, "Doesn't every band think that way when they've got a new record out?"

Along with the other four of the band's first five albums, Ocean Rain was remastered and reissued on CD in 2003 – these releases were marketed as 25th anniversary editions. Eight bonus tracks were added to the album: "Angels and Devils", which had been recorded at The Automatt in San Francisco, was the B-side to the single "Silver" and was produced by The Bunnymen and Alan Perman; five Life At Brian's – Lean and Hungry tracks ("All You Need Is Love", "The Killing Moon", "Stars Are Stars", "Villiers Terrace" and "Silver") which had been recorded for the Channel 4 programme Play At Home; and two live tracks ("My Kingdom" and "Ocean Rain") which were recorded for A Crystal Day, a Channel 4 special for The Tube. The Life At Brian's – Lean and Hungry track, "Silver", and the two A Crystal Day tracks had previously been unreleased.

The reissued album in 2003 was produced by Andy Zax and Bill Inglot. A collector's edition was released in October 2008 which, while still including "Angels and Devils", replaced the bonus tracks of the 25th anniversary edition with the extended 12-inch single versions of "Silver" and "The Killing Moon". The collector's edition also includes a bonus disc containing a recording of the band's 1983 Royal Albert Hall concert.

There were three tracks from the original Ocean Rain album which have been released as singles. The first of these was "The Killing Moon" which was released on 20 January 1984. The second single was "Silver" which was released on 13 April 1984. The final single to be released from the original album was "Seven Seas" which was released on 6 July 1984. This was the first time Echo & the Bunnymen have released more than two singles from one album.