Pitchfork

Maligned by some and adored by too few during its brief career, Delta 5 are due to get the retrospective treatment afforded to every forgotten band these days. Kill Rock Stars have collected their first three singles (which were compiled by Rough Trade on 1981's 6) and added some juicy Peel and Skinner BBC Radio sessions and live tracks to fill out the story a bit much to everyone's benefit. The collection, titled Singles and Sessions 1979-81, is due to be released January 25.

School chums with Leeds legends the Mekons and Gang of Four, Delta 5 was a rare breed of band, not only for its "unusual" make-up (three girls, two boys; two-bass attack) but also for their dance-pop sound, outspoken lyrics and charming amateurish playing (which they were derided for in some circles). Delta 5 probably deserved a better fate than disappearing so quickly into obscurity but they proved to be too much of an acquired taste at the time. But time is a great healer of injustices-- Delta 5 is increasingly referenced now and it's easy to see why when listening to their inspired singles.

Singles and Sessions 1979-81 contains liner notes written by American music culture journalist Greil Marcus and longtime Delta 5 cohort and Mekons leader Jon Langford.

Singles and Sessions 1979-81:

01 Mind Your Own Business
02 Now That You've Gone
03 Anticipation
04 You
05 Try
06 Colour
07 Delta 5 #
08 Make Up #
09 Triangle #
10 Innocenti +
11 Train Song +
12 Final Scene +
13 Singing the Praises +
14 Shadow $
15 Circuit $
16 Journey $

# John Peel BBC radio session, February 4, 1980
+ Richard Skinner BBC radio session, July 16, 1981
$ Live at Berkeley Square, CA, September 27, 1980