Nick Heyward curates 4CD boxset celebrating his ’90s output

Nick Heyward curates 4CD deluxe boxset celebrating his 90s output on the Epic and Creation labels.

1993-1998: The Epic & Creation Years is a 76-track, deluxe collection which covers a creatively rich period for the singer-songwriter.

It includes the three studio albums he recorded during that time, two of which are making their vinyl debuts, along with a treasure trove of B-sides, demos, live recordings, rare tracks, and previously unreleased gems. The set is housed in deluxe 7″ packaging and accompanied by a 24-page booklet. The set also features a brand new interview with Nick Heyward conducted by renowned author and journalist Daryl Easlea, and the first thousand copies come with a limited edition print signed by Nick.

In addition, From Monday To Sunday, Tangled and The Apple Bed are being released on coloured vinyl. The latter two are making their vinyl debut, and the former is making its first appearance outside of a rare one-off pressing in the Netherlands. They will be pressed on orange, blue and green vinyl, respectively.

Changing Times

Heyward says of that time, “I was made for the 90s, loved all of it, right from the beginning with World Party’s Goodbye Jumbo, and Crowded House’s Woodface. Things looked hopeful again for singer-songwriters after dance music seeming to dominate in the late 1980s.

“I really loved those albums, they were inspiring. I didn’t feel like the 90s had much of a connection with the 80s. Terry Hall felt the same, he said it was just suddenly completely different. It was almost made for us, pop music and writing-wise. I never felt happier.”

After achieving a string of evergreen hits with Haircut 100, including Favourite Shirt (Boy Meets Girl), Love Plus One, and Fantastic Day, as well as acclaimed solo singles Whistle Down the Wind, Take That Situation, On A Sunday and Blue Hat for a Blue Day, the 1990s marked a new chapter in Nick’s career.

Signed to Epic Records, he released his fourth solo album, From Monday To Sunday, home to standout singles Kite and He Doesn’t Love You Like I Do and classic album tracks such as January Man and a paean to British Summer holidays, Caravan. The album managed the remarkable feat of sounding both fresh and warmly nostalgic.

The Britpop Years

Two years later came Tangled, a beautifully crafted follow-up featuring a guest spot from Andy Bell, formerly of Ride, but later and currently, Oasis. The second single from the album, the irresistibly catchy Rollerblade, reached the UK Top 40, and the second CD single for it, entitled A Hard Day’s Nick, featured three Beatles covers recorded with Bell, all of which are on this new set.

In 1997, Nick found a fitting home with Creation Records, the beating heart of the Britpop era, which was now also under the Sony Music umbrella. The resulting album, the self-produced The Apple Bed, featured some of Nick’s finest songs, especially the second single and album closer The Man You Used To Be, which further cemented his reputation as a master songwriter.

A Fertile Period

Summing up the years that Nick was with Sony & Creation, he says, “It’s nice to be able to look back and enjoy these three albums. Even the argumentative songs I didn’t particularly like singing and re-living. I remember Ian Broudie saying he really liked Carry On Loving and Terry Hall telling me, ‘I Really Don’t Know You is really good’. I replied, ‘Thanks, Terry’, and he said with that Terry look we all knew, ‘No, no, no, really, really good’.

“They’re both forever pop gods to me, and we all seem to be smitten with the pursuit of the perfect pop song. Looking back on it now, the 90s was so inspired, wasn’t it? Such a fertile period for everyone in the arts.”

For full tracklisting and to pre-order 1993–1998: The Epic & Creation Years, click here

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