Beggars Arkive, in conjunction with the Estate of Mark Lanegan, announce the 20th Anniversary rerelease of Mark Lanegan’s acclaimed album Bubblegum.
Mark Lanegan Bubblegum XX Box Set
Beggars Banquet
Beggars Arkive in conjunction with the Estate of Mark Lanegan, are honored to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Mark Lanegan’s acclaimed 2004 album Bubblegum. On August 23rd, we will release Bubblegum XX - a set of releases that include a remastered double LP edition of the original album and a 4XLP/3XCD/Digital release containing 40 remastered tracks, 12 of which are previously unreleased.
The limited-edition Bubblegum XX 4XLP box contains a 64-page hardcover book with essays by Troy Van Leewuen, Josh Homme, Chris Goss, Alain Johannes, David Catching, Greg Dulli, Duff McKagan, and Brett Netson along with studio notes and previously unseen photographs by Steve Gullick. It includes Bubblegum, which has been cut as a double LP and remastered by Geoff Pesche at Abbey Road. It also includes a remastered edition of Here Comes That Weird Chill (Methamphetamine Blues, Extras & Oddities) to which three bonus tracks have been added. The fourth LP contains demos and unreleased tracks, comprised of outtakes from the Bubblegum sessions and tracks recorded, produced and mixed by Troy Van Leeuwen in various hotel rooms with Mark singing and Troy playing all the instruments. The set was executive produced by Mark’s former manager Brian Klein, who worked with him during the Bubblegum era.
The demos and unreleased tracks are beautiful to hear. Mark’s voice is front and center, and as Josh Homme notes in the book, “Mark’s early solo works are undeniably powerful. They’re sombre, fragile, breath-taking, beautiful and they’re more real than everyone else’s.” Of the thirteen tracks, seven of them are outtakes from the Bubblegum sessions. “Union Tombstone” was a song that Mark wanted Beck to contribute to, and when it was sent to him, he was working on his own album, so it was set aside. Beck added vocals and harmonica to the track this year.
The last six tracks on the album were recorded, produced and mixed by Troy Van Leeuwen in various hotel rooms with just Mark singing and Troy playing all the instruments. About the sessions, Troy said… “So these hotel demo sessions were basically forgotten...When I heard the news of Mark's passing, these memories started rushing back to me. I searched through my archive of drives and somehow magically was able to open up these sessions. I thought to myself, “That NEVER happens.” These ideas couldn’t be more fresh out of the tap. The original rough mixes are a real time capsule that stands up to the 20 years that have passed. It’s a true gift from Mark to those of us who love him and his unvarnished expression of beauty. With every listen, I am humbled and honored to share his gift with you.”
Mark had been demoing songs for a new album, and he was booked to record at Abbey Road. It was a long-time dream of his to record in the legendary London studio, but since he never had the chance to do that, it's fortuitous that the remastering for this release took place there, handled by Geoff Pesche. Mark had never been satisfied with the original cut of Bubblegum, so we are honored to help make his dream come true posthumously.
When Mark Lanegan departed this world in 2022, he left us with a stunning & wildly eclectic body of work that includes two memoirs, and a musical output of seven albums with the Screaming Trees, thirteen solo albums, and collaborative albums and singles with folks including Queens Of The Stone Age, Soulsavers, Gutter Twins & Isobel Campbell and many others. We are all thankful for what we have been left with and honored to celebrate this beautiful album.
(Source: Beggars Arkive)
