Pere Ubu
Cloudland

Release Notes

The album was originally mixed by Paul Hamann at Paisley Park Studios, Minneapolis MN. Subsequently four tracks were re-recorded in London and the others remixed for the 1989 Fontana release.

Stephen Hague was a long-time serious fan of the band. In the 80s and early 90s, especially, he was a very successful producer, working with such acts as The Pet Shop Boys, New Order, Robbie Robertson and Belinda Carlisle. Daniel Miller was the head of Mute Records.

We were booked into one of the most expensive studios in London. They had two digital multitrack recorders. I remember Stephen bouncing drum tracks from one to the other in order to get them aligned. I watched him work hour after hour shifting a drum milliseconds forward or back or substituting a better sounding beat. The concentration was inspiring.

Cloudland is a village in northwestern Georgia between Summerville and Chattanooga on a spur of the Lookout Mountains. In the early 20th Century it was a summer get-away for Floridians. The album, lyrically, is a westward journey starting there.

Production Notes

Engineered by Paul Hamann at Suma between June and September 1988.

Breath, Race The Sun, Waiting For Mary and Bus Called Happiness were re-recorded at Advision Studios, London, engineered by Dave Meegan and mixed by Stephen Hague between October 1988 and January 1989.

Monday Night, Lost Nation Road, Nevada!, The Wire, The Waltz, and Pushin' were mixed by Paul Hamann at Paisley Park, Minneapolis MN in September 1988.

Fire, Flat, Ice Cream Truck, and Cry were mixed by Dave Meegan at Advision, London, between January and February 1989.

Love Love Love and Why Go It Alone? were mixed by Daniel Miller and Rico Conning at Konk Studios, London, in January 1989.

Design by John Thompson / idrome.
Photos by John Thompson and Kathy Ward.
Thanks to Nick Hobbs.

All songs written by Cutler - Jones - Krauss - Maimone - Ravenstine - Thomas, except Love Love Love, written by Herman - Krauss - Laughner - Taylor - Thomas - Wright, and Bang The Drum, written by Feldman - Jones - Krauss - Thomas.

All songs ©1989 Ubu Projex except Love Love Love which is ©1975 EMI Music in the Rest of World and Ubu Projex in North America.

2018 Fire remaster

The album was remastered and edited in 2017 by Paul Hamann and David Thomas.

Mercury Director's Cut 2007

This reissue substitutes in the running order the following Paisley Park mixes by Paul Hamann: Monday Night, Lost Nation Road, Nevada!, The Wire, The Waltz, and Pushin. Five extras were added: the b-sides Wine Dark Sparks and Bang The Drum which were recorded January 28 to February 1 1989 at Suma, engineered by Paul Hamann and produced by Pere Ubu, the Paisley Park mix of Breath (never previously released), Bus Called Happiness recorded live in the studio for the John Peel Show on BBC Radio, June 27 1989 at Eden Sound, London, engineered by Mike Engles and produced by Dale Griffin. Also added was the Groove Corporation dance remix of Love Love Love. The packaging was updated by John Thompson and added were liner notes by David Stubbs.

Pere Ubu (v.5.1)

David Thomas - vocals

Jim Jones - guitar, backing vocals

Allen Ravenstine - EML synthesizers, backing vocals

Tony Maimone - bass, backing vocals

Chris Cutler - drums

Scott Krauss - drums

Guest Player

Stephen Hague - Keyboards

Singles and EPs

• Waiting For Mary b/w Wine Dark Sparks and Flat Released March 1989.
• Love Love Love b/w Fedora Satellite and Say Goodbye Released 1989.
• Breath b/w Bang The Drum Released 1989.

Release History

• Fontana Records 838237 May 15 1989 lp, cd, mc.
• Polygram/Universal 80100799 UK 2004 cd.
• Mercury/Universal 9846415 Apr 16 2007 cd.