Ash resurrect long-lost 90s song Bittersweet Blue for 1977 anniversary release
Ash have released Bittersweet Blue, a previously shelved song from the sessions surrounding their 1996 debut 1977, as part of the album’s forthcoming 30th anniversary edition.
The track was written before the band entered Rockfield Studios in 1996 and was played live during a December 1995 support slot with Therapy? at Dublin’s Point Depot. It was eventually recorded in early January 1996, but set aside as the final running order for 1977 took shape.
Having existed largely in fan lore and old bootleg recordings, Bittersweet Blue has now been completed from rediscovered tapes. The release arrives with a new video filmed in the rehearsal space where the band first played the song three decades ago.
A tape mystery solved three decades later
Drummer Rick McMurray said the recovery of the song began when the group’s catalogue was being prepared for digitisation.
“After we began to play Bittersweet Blue live, it was probably the best part of 20 years before that song was mentioned again, when our back catalogue moved to a new home to be digitised,” McMurray said. “That’s when we discovered there were some missing master tapes!
“Fast forward a decade and as we prepared to put together the soon-to-be-released 30th anniversary package, our resident super sleuth, detective Wheeler, resolved the ancient mystery, discovering it had been mislabelled way back when.
“However this was far from the end of the saga because what we had was a usable drum take, bass, some rhythm guitars, a scratchy vocal and not much else. Not even lyrics.
“What was to be done? Well we asked the impossible and Tim delivered, getting in touch with his teenage self, writing lyrics and resurrecting this long-lost treasure for your listening pleasure.”
McMurray added: “And if that’s not enough sonic time travelling, we have visuals to match. It made perfect sense with all of the above going into this for us to shoot the video back in the rehearsal space in the band’s formative years. It’s where we played the song for the first time all those years ago, and it means so much to have this space immortalised for all time.
“Thirty years in the making; this is Bittersweet Blue. We think it’s turned out pretty damn good. Hope the wait’s been worth it!”
Expanded formats for the anniversary edition
The 30th anniversary edition of 1977 is due on 16 October via BMG. It will be available digitally, as a 2CD digisleeve with booklet, and on green and black ‘InkPlosion’ 2LP vinyl in a gatefold sleeve. Pre-order the album here.
The digital and 2CD editions pair the original album with four additional recordings: Bittersweet Blue, Oh Yeah (2026 Version), Girl From Mars (Demo 2026 Mix) and Gone The Dream (Acoustic 2026 Mix). The second CD captures Ash performing 1977 in full at STABAL Studios in 2021, followed by era-specific favourites including Coasting, Sneaker, American Devil and Silver Surfer.
The vinyl edition places the original album on its first LP, with B-sides and rarities collected on the second. Get Ready and Does Your Mother Know are appearing on vinyl for the first time.
The 2LP edition track listing
LP 1 – Original Album (2022 Remaster)
- Lose Control
- Goldfinger
- Girl From Mars
- I’d Give You Anything
- Gone The Dream
- Kung Fu
- Oh Yeah
- Let It Flow
- Innocent Smile
- Angel Interceptor
- Lost In You
- Darkside Lightside
LP 2 – B-sides (2026 Remaster)
- Day Of The Triffids
- Luther Ingo’s Star Cruiser
- Astra Conversations With Toulouse Lautrec
- Cantina Band
- 5am Eternal
- Gimme Some Truth
- I Need Somebody
- Sneaker
- Get Ready
- T Rex
- Everywhere Is All Around
- Does Your Mother Know
The 2CD and digital track listing
CD 1 – Original Album (2022 Remaster)
- Lose Control
- Goldfinger
- Girl From Mars
- I’d Give You Anything
- Gone The Dream
- Kung Fu
- Oh Yeah
- Let It Flow
- Innocent Smile
- Angel Interceptor
- Lost In You
- Darkside Lightside
- Bittersweet Blue
- Oh Yeah (2026 Version)
- Girl From Mars (Demo 2026 Mix)
- Gone The Dream (Acoustic 2026 Mix)
CD 2 – Live From STABAL (2026 Remaster)
- Lose Control (Live From STABAL)
- Goldfinger (Live From STABAL)
- Girl From Mars (Live From STABAL)
- I’d Give You Anything (Live From STABAL)
- Gone The Dream (Live From STABAL)
- Kung Fu (Live From STABAL)
- Oh Yeah (Live From STABAL)
- Let It Flow (Live From STABAL)
- Innocent Smile (Live From STABAL)
- Angel Interceptor (Live From STABAL)
- Lost In You (Live From STABAL)
- Darkside Lightside (Live From STABAL)
- Coasting (Live From STABAL)
- Sneaker (Live From STABAL)
- American Devil (Live From STABAL)
- T. Rex (Live From STABAL)
- Punk Boy (Live From STABAL)
- Silver Surfer (Live From STABAL)
1977 anniversary tour heads to the UK and Ireland
Ash’s international 1977 anniversary dates began in September and continue through Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong and Europe before the run reaches the UK and Ireland in late November. Several shows, including the Roundhouse, Barrowlands and Rock City dates, have already sold out. Tickets are on sale now.
- 17 September – Unit, Tokyo, Japan – Sold out
- 18 September – Quattro, Tokyo, Japan – Sold out
- 19 September – Meta Valley, Osaka, Japan – Sold out
- 21 September – Foo Chow Hall, Singapore
- 23 September – Hong Kong Portal, Hong Kong
- 10 November – De Helling, Utrecht, Netherlands
- 11 November – Gebaude 9, Cologne, Germany
- 12 November – Hole44, Berlin, Germany – Sold out
- 15 November – Effenaar, Eindhoven, Netherlands – Sold out
- 25 November – Electric Ballroom, London, UK
- 26 November – Electric, Bristol, UK
- 28 November – Spiegeltent, Limerick, Ireland
- 29 November – Cyprus Avenue, Cork, Ireland
- 1 December – Arena, Torquay, UK – Sold out
- 2 December – O2 Guildhall, Southampton, UK
- 4 December – Tramshed, Cardiff, UK – Sold out
- 5 December – UEA, Norwich, UK
- 6 December – Rock City, Nottingham, UK – Sold out
- 8 December – Albert Hall, Manchester, UK
- 9 December – Olympia, Dublin, Ireland – Sold out
- 10 December – Ulster Hall, Belfast, UK – Sold out
- 12 December – Northumbria SU, Newcastle, UK – Sold out
- 13 December – Barrowlands, Glasgow, UK – Sold out
- 15 December – O2 Institute, Birmingham, UK
- 16 December – O2 Academy, Leeds, UK
- 17 December – Roundhouse, London, UK – Sold out
