Rig 'Perfect' - The debut album

Rig released their first ever album comprising of an unreleased mini-album and several rare and unreleased tracks in November 2020. The ten track alum is called 'Perfect' and was released on Dead Dead Good Records (Catalogue number GOODLP24) via Phoenix Music International Ltd on 27th November 2020.

It is available via all the main streaming services here. This is the story of how it happened.

Perfect. The debut album from Rig

At the start of 1990 Rig were flying high. They had just completed a series of big shows supporting the Inspiral Carpets and the new year brought them their own headline gigs. The band were being touted as the next big thing to break through from Manchester and they were enjoying stacks of local and national press attention. Their debut single Dig was about to be released and they were also giving away other tracks (recorded the previous year) to compilation albums that would receive critical acclaim.

Rig, Suite 16 Recording Studio, 1990

They barnstormed through the early part of the year with some intense live performances show casing new songs and enhancing their reputation. This rare footage from the legendary Richmonds in Brighton shows the band playing an energetic version of V-funk, the album opener on 30th May 1990.

So confidence was high. Rig's sound was evolving and the band were keen to get the new material recorded and capture the excitement of the time. So between February and April 1990 alongside a hectic live schedule they decamped to Suite 16 Studios in Rochdale. Manchester legend Stuart James who had worked with A Certain Ratio and many of the factory bands came onboard as Producer and Rex Sargeant was the engineer at the helm for the sessions. 

Stuart James, Producer and Manchester legend. 1990

The six tracks recorded had an energy and an almost pop feel to them courtesy of Stuart's production. They took in influences from Talking Heads to New Order, to INXS and Gang of Four. Adding another pop element was Andy Connell from Swing Out Sister, who joined some of the sessions and contributed keyboards to several tracks.

The band working on the album pre-production with Stuart James, early 1990

Unfortunately just after the mini-album was completed the band's record label Cut Deep Records folded and with it went the opportunity to get the album out. And whilst some of the tracks would later be re-recorded and released on Dead Dead Good records there was a feel and synergy about the six tracks that made them a great collective piece of work. The band quickly moved on, meaning the mini-album session recordings stayed on the shelf.....until now.

Fun and games, Suite 16. 1990

Thirty years later guitarist and archivist of the band, Darren set about digitising the band's history. This began as an attempt to get press clipping and photographs from the period online, but soon developed into releasing material after picking up the relationship with Dead Dead Good Records again.

Having been given the opportunity to re-release the original singles, the band set about locating the original master reel tapes for other material, some released, some not. This required tracking down dusty boxes of reels, DATs and cassettes hidden in lofts for 30 years and some major detective work in deciphering old notes and scribblings to find the best versions of tracks.

The original reel to reel tapes were sent away to be transferred, but the age of the tapes meant they first had to be baked in an oven to remove moisture and make the tape playable for the contents to be transferred. Thankfully all the reels survived the process and the band were able to make digital copies of the band’s early analogue music (before CD releases) for the first time.

Simeon, Adam, Darren, Carl, DJ Blue, Baz

Given that some of the reels had been mastered for radio or vinyl delivery three decades ago, the band took the decision to remaster all the tracks that would be made available for release. That task was given to an Italian Producer and Sound Engineer Matteo Cifelli, who “thoroughly enjoyed the vibe” on this project.

The results of all this hard work are incredible. The tracks sound huge, and more than do justice to the energy and spirit that was put into them the first time round.

The full gang, Suite 16, March 1990

It was a huge bonus to uncover the unreleased mini-album which the band used to form the basis of their first ever album release and realises a huge ambition for all involved.

The first six tracks of the new album are the original mini-album as intended which include two tracks never released previously in any version. These are followed by Moody (dance) which was the natural follow on single at the time. Also included are live favourites B.R.O. and Thud which were previously only available on the seminal complication albums 'Hit the North' and 'Home'. The final track is from the Dead Dead Good sessions for the band's second single, another previously unreleased track.  

The full track listing of 'Perfect' by Rig.

1. V-Funk
2. Perfect
3. Loop Six
4. Sweat
5. Spank
6. Ultra Juicy
7. Moody (dance)
8. B.R.O. 
9. Thud
10. Spoilt Bastard

Tracks 1-6 Produced by Stuart James
Engineered by Rex Sargeant

Track 7
Produced by Martin Moscrop
Engineered by Jonathan Baz Barrett and Pete Smith

Tracks 8 & 9
Produced by Rig
Engineered by John Pennington and Jonathan Baz Barrett

Track 10
Produced by Rig
Engineered by Jonathan Baz Barrett

The album cover is the San Giovanni Di Ugento Lighthouse on the Salento Peninsula in Southern Italy.

The rear cover is the Cave of Poetry in Puglia, Southern Italy.

Both photographs by guitarist Darren Jones.