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1977
Studio album by Ash
Released	May 6, 1996
Recorded	Rockfield Studios January 1996
Genre	Indie Rock Britpop Punk Pop
Length	61:52 3:49:37 (Collector's edition)
Label	Infectious Records/Reprise Records/Edel Music
Producer	Ash and Owen Morris
Professional reviews
Allmusic link Drowned in Sound (8/10) link NME (7/10) Q May 1996
Ash chronology
Trailer (1994) 1977 (1996) Live at the Wireless (1997)

1977 is the first full length album by Ash, released in May 1996 (see 1996 in music). The punk rock influenced album proved popular in the United Kingdom and, to a lesser degree elsewhere, where Britpop was a small cult phenomenon.

The name is a reference to year of three events which shaped the band - the births of two members of the band, the year Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope was released, and the year the first punk albums were released, though it has been suspected that the Star Wars reference is the most important; the album opens with the sound of a TIE Fighter, and ends with the track "Darkside Lightside", whose title is a Star Wars reference, and which also ends with a choral version of the Star Wars main theme. The band have also covered "Cantina Band", on the "Girl From Mars" b-side.

The song "Lose Control" was featured in the game Gran Turismo. It is also the first song by the band to be used in a video-game, followed by Orpheus from the album Meltdown featured in the game Burnout 3: Takedown; both of which are racing games.

The song "Kung Fu" mentions Jackie Chan in the lyrics. In reciprocation, Chan has used the song for the end credits of his movie Rumble in the Bronx.

The first 50,000 pressings of the CD begins with the original version of "Jack Names the Planets" and its B-side "Don't Know" (February 1994) which are situated in the album's pregap and are accessed by 'rewinding' from track one. There is also a hidden track named "Sick Party" which appears after "Darkside Lightside" on all versions.

Several music magazines placed the album in their end-of-year lists for 1996, including NME, Melody Maker, Q, Select and Kerrang. [1]

The album is currently certified Platinum by the BPI and, according to the auto-biography on the official site, it has sold over 2 million copies around the world.

Ash played the album in its entirety at London Roundhouse on Friday 5 September 2008. Following the huge demand and speed of which the Roundhouse show sold out, they also added a show at London Astoria for the following day, Saturday 6 September 2008.

A 3 disc collector's edition of the album was released on November 3, 2008.

Track listing

• "Jack Names The Planets" (hidden track, Original Pressing Only)
• "Don't Know" (hidden track, Original Pressing Only)

1. "Lose Control" (Hamilton/Wheeler) – 3:37
2. "Goldfinger" (Wheeler) – 4:31
3. "Girl from Mars" (Wheeler) – 3:30
4. "I'd Give You Anything" (Wheeler) – 4:31
5. "Gone the Dream" (Wheeler) – 3:29
6. "Kung Fu" (Wheeler) – 2:17
7. "Oh Yeah" (Wheeler) – 4:45
8. "Let It Flow" (Wheeler) – 4:42
9. "Innocent Smile" (Hamilton) – 5:52
10. "Angel Interceptor" (McMurray/Wheeler) – 4:04
11. "Lost in You" (Wheeler) – 4:19
12. "Darkside Lightside" (Wheeler) – 16:49

• "Sick Party" (hidden track)

Collector's Edition

Disc: 1

Tracks 1-12 are from the original 1977 release
Tracks 13-19 are from the Trailer EP

1. "Lose Control" - 3:39
2. "Goldfinger" - 4:33
3. "Girl From Mars" - 3:30
4. "I'd Give You Anything" - 4:33
5. "Gone The Dream" - 3:31
6. "Kung Fu" - 2:19
7. "Oh Yeah" - 4:47
8. "Let It Flow" - 4:44
9. "Innocent Smile" - 5:54
10. "Angel Interceptor" - 4:06
11. "Lost In You" - 4:21
12. "Darkside Lightside" - 5:07
13. "Season" - 3:02
14. "Jack Names the Planets" - 3:12
15. "Intense Thing" - 4:36
16. "Uncle Pat" - 3:14
17. "Get Out" - 1:31
18. "Petrol" - 4:25
19. "Obscure Thing" - 4:23

Disc: 2

Tracks 1-11 were recorded live at Live at the Wireless, Triple J Studios, Australia, January 1996
Tracks 12-24 were live at Reading Festival '96, Reading, Berkshire, England, August 1996

1. "A Clear Invitation To The Dance (Part I)" - 1:03
2. "Darkside Lightside" - 3:04
3. "Girl From Mars" - 2:58
4. "Oh Yeah" - 4:22
5. "T. Rex" - 2:08
6. "I'd Give You Anything" - 3:12
7. "Kung Fu" - 2:25
8. "What Deaner Was Talking About" - 2:17
9. "Goldfinger" - 4:17
10. "Petrol" - 4:13
11. "A Clear Invitation To The Dance (Part II)" - 1:06
12. "Lose Control" - 3:34
13. "Jack Names the Planets" - 2:21
14. "T. Rex" - 2:27
15. "Goldfinger" - 4:28
16. "Angel Interceptor" - 3:16
17. "Darkside Lightside" - 3:11
18. "Oh Yeah" - 4:28
19. "Innocent Smile" - 4:45
20. "Lost In You" - 3:59
21. "Petrol" - 3:57
22. "Gone The Dream" - 3:37
23. "Girl From Mars" - 3:31
24. "Kung Fu" - 3:07

Disc: 3

Track 1 is from the band's 4-track demo tape
Tracks 2-3 are from the album's 7" vinyl version, issued by La-La Land Records
Tracks 4-7 are from the US version of the album Trailer
Tracks 8-19, 21-22 are b-sides from the Trailer and 1977 (and their respective singles) recording sessions
Track 20 is a non-album single from the "A Life Less Ordinary" soundtrack

1. "Girl From Mars" (4-Track Demo) - 2:33
2. "Jack Names the Planets" (La-La Land Records 7" version) - 2:55
3. "Don't Know" (La-La Land Records 7" version) - 2:58
4. "Punk Boy" (Helen Love cover) - 2:07
5. "Different Today" - 2:54
6. "Hulk Hogan Bubblebath" - 5:11
7. "Day Of The Triffids" - 1:49
8. "Luther Ingo's Star Cruiser" - 3:36
9. "Astral Conversations With Toulouse Lautrec" - 6:09
10. "Cantina Band" - 3:28
11. "5am Eternal" - 4:03
12. "Gimme Some Truth" - 5:27
13. "I Need Somebody" - 2:39
14. "Sneaker" - 3:17
15. "Get Ready" (The Temptations cover)- 2:51
16. "T. Rex" - 2:25
17. "Everywhere Is All Around" - 2:33
18. "Does Your Mother Know" (ABBA cover) - 3:02
19. I Only Want To Be With You" - 2:37
20. "A Life Less Ordinary" (Tim Simenon version) - 3:44
21. "Sick Party" - 5:43
22. "The Scream" - 4:23

Singles

• "Kung Fu" was released on March 20, 1995 with "Day Of The Triffids" and "Luther Ingo's Star Cruiser".

• "Girl From Mars" was released on July 31, 1995 with "Astral Conversations" and "Cantina Band"

• "Angel Interceptor" was released on October 9, 1995 with "5am Eternal" and "Gimme Some Truth" (by John Lennon)

• "Goldfinger" was released on April 15, 1996 with "I Need Somebody", "Sneaker", and "Get Ready" (Smokey Robinson). "Get Ready" itself was released as a fan club only single in December, 1995 (as a Christmas present), with " Zero Zero"

• "Oh Yeah" was released on June 24, 1996 with "T. Rex", "Everywhere Is All Around" (Wheeler/Carr), and "Does Your Mother Know" (ABBA).

Personnel

Ash

• Mark Hamilton – bass, sleeve assistant
• Rick McMurray – drums
• Tim Wheeler – guitar, vocals, string arrangements

Additional musicians

• Lisa Moorish – vocals

Technical personnel

• Ash – producer, photography
• Owen Morris – producer, string arrangements
• Phil Thornalley – mixing
• Nick Ingman – string arrangements
• Mark "Spike" Stent – mixing
• Brian Cannon – design, photography, sleeve director
• Nick Brine – assistant engineer, mixing assistant, studio assistant