A LIMITED EDITION seven disc CD boxset bringing together ‘the complete recorded history’ of Poison Girls will be released this autumn by PM Press, in association with Active Distribution, Free Dirt and Cooking Vinyl.
As well as bringing together complete versions of all of Poison Girls’ vinyl releases – from Piano Lessons to The Price of Grain, the collection – compiled with the full involvement of Richard Famous and Pete Fender – will include never-before-released live and demo materials from across the the decade and more of the band’s life.
The box set includes a 96-page full-colour booklet which provides a comprehensive set of lyrics to all songs and an illustrated 6,000 word history of the band.
The unparalleled musical collection will be released in conjunction with the new 320-page, full colour history of Poison Girls This is a Message to Persons Unknown, written by Rich Cross, edited by Erin Yanke and designed by Alec Dunn being published by PM Press.
This limited-release seven CD box set brings together all of Poison Girls studio and live albums, plus all of the band’s singles released on the Xntrix, Small Wonder, Crass Records, Illuminated, and Upright labels.
Also included are demo recordings of unreleased tracks from early in the band’s career, songs by spin-off duo That Famous Subversa, and live and home recordings from the final years of the band’s life—material that has never been released before. The box set includes a fully illustrated, full-color 96-page booklet that contains an exhaustive set of song lyrics and a succinct history of the band written by Rich Cross.
The box set is sequenced by Rich Cross and Richard Famous and co-released by PM Press, Cooking Vinyl, Free Dirt, and Active Distribution. Only 1000 box sets will be produced.
DISC ONE: “Persons Unknown” single / Hex twelve-inch, Piano Lessons single / demo recordings 1978-79
DISC TWO: “Statement” flexi / Chappaquiddick Bridge LP / Dirty Work single
DISC THREE: Total Exposure LP, live 1981 / “The Offending Article”
DISC FOUR: Where’s the Pleasure LP / “Statement” (Orchestral version)
DISC FIVE: One Good Reason single / Not A Real Woman single / Seven Year Scratch LP—live tracks, 1983
DISC SIX: Songs of Praise LP / Happy Now single / live tracks 1984-85
DISC SEVEN: Price of Grain twelve-inch / Leytonstone studio recordings / Unreleased live recordings, 1987 / Songs by That Famous Subversa / “Statement” live, 1995 / “Persons Unknown”, live 2015
— PM Press
Pre-orders for Persons Unknown: The Complete Recorded History can currently be pledged through the The Story of Poison Girls – Book and Box Set Kickstarter campaign – either on its own, or in combination with the This is a Message to Persons Unknown book, and other pledge rewards.
Poison Girls. 2025. Persons Unknown: The Complete Recorded History. PM Press, Active Distribution, Free Dirt and Cooking Vinyl. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ww3/poisongirls
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