Gold Mother


Gold Mother is the third studio album from English band James, originally released in June 1990 but with several important reissues prompted by the popularity of non-album singles.
Receiving critical acclaim upon release, Gold Mother was placed by the NME at #5 in their list of Albums of the Year 1990.
The front and back covers were created by Adrian Wilson using an early television graphics computer, the Quantel Paintbox.

Release history

The album has a complicated release history.
It was originally recorded for Rough Trade Records, but James asked to be released from their contract there and took the album with them to Fontana, who initially released it worldwide as Gold Mother. After the success of the Flood mix of "Come Home" and the non-album singles "Lose Control" and "Sit Down", it was re-released in May 1991.
In the US and Canada, the 1991 re-release was called James, while in the rest of the world it retained the name Gold Mother. In both cases, the tracks "Crescendo" and "Hang On" were omitted and the tracks "Sit Down" and "Lose Control" were inserted, though in different places in the running order.
In 2001, it was re-released again with the revised Gold Mother running order and five bonus tracks, including the two previously excised.

Track listing

All tracks composed by Tim Booth, Jim Glennie and Larry Gott; except where indicated.

Original (1990) release

;Gold Mother
  1. "Come Home"
  2. "Government Walls"
  3. "God Only Knows"
  4. "You Can't Tell How Much Suffering "
  5. "Crescendo"
  6. "How Was It for You"
  7. "Hang On"
  8. "Walking the Ghost"
  9. "Gold Mother"
  10. "Top of the World"

    1991 re-release

;James
  1. "Sit Down"
  2. "Come Home"
  3. "Government Walls"
  4. "God Only Knows"
  5. "You Can't Tell How Much Suffering "
  6. "How Was It for You"
  7. "Lose Control"
  8. "Walking the Ghost"
  9. "Gold Mother"
  10. "Top of the World"
;Gold Mother
  1. "Come Home "
  2. "Lose Control"
  3. "Government Walls"
  4. "God Only Knows"
  5. "You Can't Tell How Much Suffering "
  6. "How Was It for You"
  7. "Sit Down"
  8. "Walking the Ghost"
  9. "Gold Mother"
  10. "Top of the World"

    2001 remaster bonus tracks

  11. "Crescendo"
  12. "Hang On"
  13. "Come Home"
  14. "Lose Control"
  15. "Sit Down"

    Singles

Original release

;US/CA
;RoTW

James