Stocking Filler - F/P's Forgotten Chapter ?

Bally Rotter Records have announced the re-release of FP's classic Christmas 1991 EP Stocking Filler which has been mastered on to CD for the very first time. The CD will hit the stores in good time for the holiday season !

The Stocking Filler release will complete the entire re-release of FP's back catalogue of studio work onto CD, with only the Live in Northwich trilogy of albums, plus the 2 Genius compilations, remaining unreleased.

As only a 4-track EP, and with a somewhat frivolous reputation, Stocking Filler has been a largely overlooked release, overshadowed somewhat by FP's early studio albums. Not much has been written or heard of this interesting release since the very early years of the band.

Recorded and released in December 1991 the EP actually serves as a very interesting

bridge between the band's first and second studio albums, Nancy's Tea Party and the Magic Bowler Hat Ride. Although regarded, rather unfairly, as just a Christmas throw-away, the EP shows definite signs of progression, reflecting a quality far closer to the material on Magic than on Nancy's.

The EP also boasts Fawcett's greatest work to-date in I Never Said Goodbye. Poustie delivers a more mature song than practically everything on Nancy's in Playing For You and a high quality, albeit sleazy, rocker in Take a Chance. But above all the EP has been remembered predominantly for the infamous Christmas song itself Another Funky Christmas which is about the most quirky and madcap song the band has ever recorded. An enthusiastic and zany take on the Christmas song genre, the song features Nick alone on acoustic guitar with Chris adding the fabulously loony lead vocals and Nick and special guest Myles Ford providing backing vocals.

The song is a real hark back to the early days of FP when enthusiasm and having fun seemed more important than anything else. In this respect the song is a really enjoyable and funny listen - which is what the band had obviously intended.

The repackaged CD art faithfully captures the wacky spirit of Another Funky Christmas with a hilarious inner sleeve of Chris and Nick and a somewhat X-rated backsleeve that you will have to see for yourself ! So, if you are searching for gift ideas this Christmas, there is probably no better stocking filler than this vintage '91 classic !

Bally Rotter Records releases "Stocking Filler" on Novermber 3rd 2003.

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