Infected (The The album)

Untitled

Infected was The The's second album (if one excludes Burning Blue Soul and The Pornography Of Despair, which was never officially released), released in 1986.

It is reputed that the album used 67 different musicians and 3 producers. The money lavished on it and its companion full-length video seemed at the time to be extravagant for an obscure band.

Many of the tracks carried on with Johnson's main topics of his feeling of alienation from society as all whole and the melancholy that this generates in young males. However around this time Johnson was becoming aware of "World Issues" or the culture clash between the West and Islam. The song "Sweet Bird of Truth" is about a pilot trying to save his plane whilst flying over Arabia and was released just prior to Reagan's 1986 Bombing of Libya.

It included the UK hit singles:

• "Heartland" - reached No. 29 (UK) in August 1986
• "Infected" - reached No. 48 (UK) in October 1986
• "Slow Train to Dawn" - reached No. 64 (UK) in January 1987; Matt Johnson's vocals accompanied by Neneh Cherry
• "Sweet Bird of Truth" - reached No. 55 (UK) in May 1987; Matt Johnson's vocals accompanied by Anna Domino

In 2000 Q magazine placed Infected at number 99 in its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever.

Releases

(incomplete)

• Epic Records: #7464-40471-1 - LP, 1986
• Epic Records: #EPC 488611 2 - CD, 1986
• Epic Records: #EPC 26770 - LP, 1986
• Epic Records: #EK 40471 - CD, 1986
• Epic Records: #EK 90746 - CD, 1986
• Epic Records: #504466 2 - CD, 2002 (remastered, contains the original 8 tracks)

Track listing

1. "Infected" - 4:49
2. "Out of the Blue (Into the Fire)" - 5:10
3. "Heartland" - 5:01
4. "Angels of Deception" - 4:37
5. "Sweet Bird of Truth" - 5:22
6. "Slow Train to Dawn" - 4:14
7. "Twilight of a Champion" - 4:22
8. "The Mercy Beat" - 7:22

CD bonus tracks

1. "Infected" (12" version) - 6:12
2. "Sweet Bird of Truth" (12" version) - 7:37
3. "Slow Train to Dawn" (12" version) - 6:36

Personnel

• Steve Aitken: Trombone on 7
• Astarti String Orchestra (leader: Gavin Wright): Strings on 2, 3
• Guy Barker: Trumpet on 1, flugel horn on 2
• Pete Beachill: Trombone on 2
• Andy Blake: Baritone sax on 7
• Dan Brown: Electric bass on 1, 2
• Steve Brown: Electric bass on 4
• Neneh Cherry: Vocals on 6
• Dave Clayton: Synth bass on 6
• Sir Barrence Clempson: Assistant engineer
• Jeff Clyne: Acoustic bass on 2, 4
• The Croquets: Backing vocals on 4, 8
• The Deaf Section: Brass on 8
• Dave DeFries: Trumpet on 7
• Andy Dog: Artwork
• Anna Domino: Backing vocals on 5
• Anne Dudley: Arrangement for 8
• Philip Eastop: French horn on 7
• John Edcott: Trumpet on 7
• Steve Hogarth: Piano on 3
• Luis Jardim: Percussion on 1-4, 8
• Bashiri Johnson: Percussion on 5
• Matt Johnson: Music, lyrics, string writing for 2, 3, guitars, keyboards, vocals, percussion on 2, production on 1-3, 5-7
• Mike Johnson: Engineering on 5, 7
• Judd Lander: Harmonica on 3
• Gary Langan: Production on 4, 8, engineering on 4, 8
• Warne Livesey: String writing and arrangement for 2, 3, Brass writing for 8, bass on 3, backing vocals on 3, organ on 6, production on 1-3, 6, engineering on 1, 2, 5, 6, remixing on 4, 8
• Zeke Manyika: Backing vocals on 1, 3
• Mini Matt: Assistant engineer
• Barbara Milne: Assistant engineer
• Bob Mintzer: Saxophone on 5
• Gary Mobeley: Fairlight operator on 8
• Roli Mosimann: Music for 7, programming on 5, 7, percussion on 5, production on 5, 7
• Tessa Niles: Backing vocals on 1-3
• David Palmer: Drums on 1-4, 6, 8
• Steve Peck: Engineering on 5, 7
• Andrew Poppy: Brass arrangement and composition for 7
• Steve Reece: Assistant engineer
• Mark Robinson: Assistant engineer
• Ashley Slater: Trombone on 7
• Jamie Talbot: Saxophone on 6
• John Thirkell: Trumpet on 6
• Peter Woodroffe: Assistant engineer