{"product_id":"the-verve-urban-hymns-2-180g-vinyl-lp","title":"The Verve – Urban Hymns [2× 180g Vinyl LP]","description":"\u003ch3\u003eThe Verve – Urban Hymns [2× 180g Vinyl LP]\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eDetails\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFormat:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2× Vinyl LP, Album, Reissue, Remastered, Gatefold, Stereo\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCatalogue Number:\u003c\/strong\u003e 4787014\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBarcode:\u003c\/strong\u003e 602547870148\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGenre:\u003c\/strong\u003e Britpop \/ Indie Rock \/ Psychedelic Rock \/ Alternative Rock\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLabel:\u003c\/strong\u003e Virgin Records Ltd.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOriginally Released:\u003c\/strong\u003e 29 September 1997\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReissue Released:\u003c\/strong\u003e 9 September 2016\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePressing:\u003c\/strong\u003e 180 Gram Vinyl\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e New \u0026amp; Sealed\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eDescription\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eUrban Hymns\u003c\/em\u003e is the third studio album by The Verve — \u003cstrong\u003eRichard Ashcroft\u003c\/strong\u003e (vocals, guitar), \u003cstrong\u003eNick McCabe\u003c\/strong\u003e (guitar), \u003cstrong\u003eSimon Jones\u003c\/strong\u003e (bass), \u003cstrong\u003ePeter Salisbury\u003c\/strong\u003e (drums) and \u003cstrong\u003eSimon Tong\u003c\/strong\u003e (guitar, keyboards) — released on 29 September 1997 on Hut Records, and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed British albums of the decade. In its first week of release it sold \u003cstrong\u003e250,000 copies in the UK alone\u003c\/strong\u003e, eventually becoming \u003cstrong\u003ecertified 11× Platinum by the BPI\u003c\/strong\u003e — the only album ever released on Virgin Records to achieve three million UK sales — and selling \u003cstrong\u003eover 10 million copies worldwide\u003c\/strong\u003e. It debuted at \u003cstrong\u003enumber one in the UK\u003c\/strong\u003e, Ireland, New Zealand and Sweden, reached the top ten across most of Western Europe and ultimately peaked at \u003cstrong\u003enumber 23 on the US Billboard 200\u003c\/strong\u003e following the licensing of \u003cstrong\u003e\"Bitter Sweet Symphony\"\u003c\/strong\u003e to a Nike advertising campaign. At the \u003cstrong\u003e1998 Brit Awards\u003c\/strong\u003e the band won \u003cstrong\u003eBest Album\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eBest Producer\u003c\/strong\u003e alongside Youth and Chris Potter — a dual recognition that reflected the album's unusual dual-producer identity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe album was recorded at \u003cstrong\u003eOlympic Studios in London\u003c\/strong\u003e in 1996 and into May 1997, with sessions divided between two producers whose contributions are distinct in character: \u003cstrong\u003eMartin \"Youth\" Glover\u003c\/strong\u003e produced the more expansive, atmospheric pieces — including \"Bitter Sweet Symphony\", \"Sonnet\", \"The Drugs Don't Work\", \"Lucky Man\", \"One Day\" and both closing tracks — while \u003cstrong\u003eChris Potter\u003c\/strong\u003e produced the harder-edged material including \"The Rolling People\", \"Catching the Butterfly\", \"Neon Wilderness\", \"Space and Time\", \"Weeping Willow\" and \"Come On\". The recording history was complicated: the band had split in August 1995, reformed within two weeks without McCabe, worked with John Leckie and Owen Morris on aborted sessions, briefly brought in former Suede guitarist Bernard Butler, and only reintegrated McCabe in early 1997 after Ashcroft personally contacted him — with several songs substantially re-recorded to incorporate his guitar parts. The result is an album on which two distinct musical personalities coexist: Ashcroft's orchestrated, emotionally direct songwriting and McCabe's destabilising, psychedelic guitar work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe three principal singles represent the full range of the album's ambition. \u003cstrong\u003e\"Bitter Sweet Symphony\"\u003c\/strong\u003e (number two UK, June 1997) — built on a sample of a Rolling Stones orchestral arrangement, its writing credit ultimately surrendered entirely to ABKCO due to litigation — is one of the most immediately recognisable British records of the 1990s, a five-minute piece of orchestral rock that remains the band's signature. \u003cstrong\u003e\"The Drugs Don't Work\"\u003c\/strong\u003e (number one UK, September 1997) is among the most emotionally direct ballads of the era: Ashcroft's vocal and Potter's production creating something almost unbearably intimate in the album's context. \u003cstrong\u003e\"Lucky Man\"\u003c\/strong\u003e (number seven UK, November 1997) rounds out a single campaign of sustained achievement. Beyond the singles, the album contains some of the band's most celebrated deep cuts: \"Sonnet\", \"The Rolling People\" (seven minutes of psychedelic rock distinguished by McCabe's guitar), \"Catching the Butterfly\", \"One Day\" and the sprawling closer \u003cstrong\u003e\"Come On\"\u003c\/strong\u003e — running to over fifteen minutes and containing a hidden track, a demo version of \"Bitter Sweet Symphony\", after several minutes of silence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis \u003cstrong\u003e2016 reissue\u003c\/strong\u003e on \u003cstrong\u003eVirgin Records Ltd.\u003c\/strong\u003e presents the \u003cstrong\u003e2016 remaster\u003c\/strong\u003e — sourced from digital files prepared from the \u003cstrong\u003eoriginal half-inch tapes\u003c\/strong\u003e, remastered by \u003cstrong\u003eChris Potter and Tony Cousins at Metropolis and Sabian at Fullsound\u003c\/strong\u003e — pressed on \u003cstrong\u003e2× 180 gram black vinyl\u003c\/strong\u003e. Lacquers were cut by \u003cstrong\u003eMatt Colton at Alchemy Mastering\u003c\/strong\u003e and the records were pressed by \u003cstrong\u003eOptimal Media GmbH in Germany\u003c\/strong\u003e. The pressing replicates the original 1997 vinyl edition with the \u003cstrong\u003eband photo on each side label\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003etext around the rim\u003c\/strong\u003e. Includes \u003cstrong\u003eprinted inner sleeves\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eTracklist\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSide A\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBitter Sweet Symphony\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSonnet\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe Rolling People\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSide B\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe Drugs Don't Work\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCatching the Butterfly\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNeon Wilderness\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSide C\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSpace and Time\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWeeping Willow\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLucky Man\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOne Day\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSide D\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThis Time\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVelvet Morning\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCome On \u003cem\u003e(contains hidden track — \"Bitter Sweet Symphony\" demo — after several minutes of silence)\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eCredits\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRichard Ashcroft – Vocals, Guitar\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNick McCabe – Guitar\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSimon Jones – Bass\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePeter Salisbury – Drums\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSimon Tong – Guitar, Keyboards\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMartin \"Youth\" Glover – Producer (tracks A1, A2, B1, C3, C4, D1, D2)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChris Potter – Producer (tracks A3, B2, B3, C1, C2, D3)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChris Potter \u0026amp; Tony Cousins – Mastering (Metropolis \/ Sabian at Fullsound)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMatt Colton – Lacquer Cut (Alchemy Mastering)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLabel – Virgin Records Ltd.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"The Verve","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57504532365699,"sku":"602547870148","price":33.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0932\/9757\/4275\/files\/c98679ed-a84d-446e-b119-64e08d1d831b.webp?v=1772723407","url":"https:\/\/vikingrecords.co.uk\/products\/the-verve-urban-hymns-2-180g-vinyl-lp","provider":"Viking Records Ltd","version":"1.0","type":"link"}