C86 : THE ULTIMATE SERIES (Part 1)

I’m sure most folk who drop by these parts will know all about C86, the compilation cassette released by the NME in May 1986 and which, in due course, was the name attached to a style or genre of music, derided by some but loved by many, centred about guitar-bands who recorded, in the main, for small and independent record labels.

The cassette, which came via mail order, contained 22 songs. It proved to be so popular that six months later, a vinyl version was issued by Rough Trade Records. Fast-forward to 2006, and Bob Stanley of Saint Etienne helped mark the 20th anniversary by curating CD86, a two-disc compilation of 48 tracks inspired by the original cassette. This particular compilation was released by Sanctuary Records, but just three of the songs that had been on C86 were included on CD86, albeit fifteen of the original groups had alternative tracks included.

Fast-forward again to 2014, and Cherry Red Records issued NME C86 : Deluxe 3-CD Edition, containing the 22 songs from the cassette, along with 50 other tracks from the era with some sort of link to the genre, along with an 11,500-word booklet of sleeve notes written by former NME journalist Neil Taylor.

Oh, and in August 2022, Whatever Happened To The C86 Kids?, a truly fabulous book written by Nigel Trassell was published. Indeed, the contents of that book were set to form a series for the blog across 2026, but in the end, I’ve decided to be more ambitious/self-indulgent (delete as appropriate).

It’s now 40 years since the cassette was released, and I’m sure there will be some events etc. to mark the occasion in due course. I thought I’d steal a march (of sorts), by running a year-long series looking at, in alphabetical order, the 114 different songs you can find across CD86 compilation and the C86 triple-CD box set. Don’t worry, it won’t be over 114 different postings, as most will feature three or more at a time. But given I’ve had to do the introduction today, then it’s just the one to open things up.

mp3: All I Want For Xmas Is Christmas Is A Dukla Prague Away Kit – Half Man Half Biscuit 

Track 12, Disc 2 of CD86.

Here’s the thing. The version on CD86 is slightly different from the one I’m most familiar with, which is also ‘the official audio’ over on the HMHB You Tube page.

The song was, to the best of my knowledge, originally released on one side of a 7″ single back in 1987, along with a remix of The Trumpton Riots. It was then added to what became a second pressing of the 12″ The Trumpton Riots EP, when it was expanded from four to five songs, and then added to the debut album Back In The D.H.S.S, when it was given its first release on CD in 1988. I don’t own a copy of the 7″ or the expanded 12″ EP, so perhaps it is from one of those.

And of course, HMHB are still very much on the go today, arguably better than ever. Last year saw the release of All Asimov and No Fresh Air, their 16th studio album.  I included one of its tracks in my 25 from 2025 rundown, but Rol over at My Top Ten not loo long ago posted an outstanding review of the LP.  Click here and enjoy.

JC