Quiet Sun

Today we  are pleased  to announce the new 2026 version of the first Quiet Sun album – Mainstream - available in a book format package ,that contains a variety of listening options. Also there will be  a  numbered limited edition single Vinyl disc in a gatefold package.

60 page book format containing two discs:

Disc one:

- Blu Ray disc contains 

- Dolby Atmos

- 5.1 mix 

- New, re -mastered at Abbey Road version of the original mix from the original analogue

1/4 inch tapes that it was mixed on at Basing Street Studio .

• New 2026 mix (using the original 24 track Analogue tapes).

Disc two:

• Stereo cd with the new 2026 mix, (using the original 24 track Analogue tapes).

Bill MacCormick said:

‘There are some changes. 

Firstly, the previous album was very heavily EQ ‘d during mixing. It sounds fine but it sounds like a studio album. All of that has been removed. Now it sounds like what it was – four friends coming together after four years apart and pretty much playing the Quiet Sun pieces they could remember live in the studio. And, of course, we had the help of some friends: Brian Eno and my late brother Ian.

As I (or my diaries) recall, Charles, David and I had a couple of brief run throughs at the end of 1974. Phil, though, was in the USA with Roxy. We then took over Basing Street Studio in the evenings throughout January 1975 after Phil’s Diamond Head sessions had finished. 

As a result, most of what’s on the album are first or second takes. With the new version the music sounds like what I hoped we sounded like on the few occasions we played live. Like, for example, the night of 12th February 1971 when we supported Symbiosis at Portsmouth Polytechnic when, after they finished their set, Robert Wyatt, who was drumming with Symbiosis that night, invited us up on stage to jam with the band’s assembly of wonderful jazz musicians. Serendipity. It was the only time Robert saw me play bass before the Mole invitation came through in the late summer.

So, it sounds different. 

But there is also more of it, and all from that time.

There was one track we struggled with a bit. One of Dave Jarrett’s. Four takes exist but, because of space constraints on the album, it was not included. But all of the component parts are there and, with a little bit of modern studio jiggery pokery, it now appears along with a never-before heard piano intro from maestro Jarrett.

Then there is a new, well, not new but extracted, dreamy piano piece with which to end the album. And a few other minor liberties have been taken. We had to have some fun.

So, Mainstream is now seven minutes longer (or 20% for those of you trying to work out whether it will be value for money). And, I know I am biased, but I feel it sounds pretty good.

So now we move onto finishing the new album. We have ten tracks. Some unrecorded QS pieces from 1971, some brand spanking new. We have contributions from friends on saxophone, trumpet, violin, double bass. We have hopes it will by rather fine. Different but similar. 

But when will it be released/escape? 

OK, yes, we missed the 50th anniversary release date. Our bad. So, now look to the 51st. :-)’