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A Distant Shore (album)

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A Distant Shore
Studio album by
Released1982 (1982)
GenreAcoustic
Length23:00
LabelCherry Red
Tracey Thorn chronology
A Distant Shore
(1982)
Out of the Woods
(2007)
Singles from A Distant Shore
  1. "Plain Sailing / Goodbye Joe"
    Released: 1982
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Smash Hits6/10[2]

A Distant Shore is the first studio album by Tracey Thorn, released via Cherry Red Records in 1982.[3] It includes a cover version of The Velvet Underground's "Femme Fatale".[4]

Recorded for just £138, the album reached number 1 in the UK Indie Chart in 1983.[5] In 2010, it was awarded a gold certification from the Independent Music Companies Association, which indicated sales of at least 100,000 copies throughout Europe.[6]

Reception

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In a positive review for Sounds, Penny Kiley wrote "This record, musically understated as it is, provides a quiet and necessary counterpart to some of the choices of listening we’ve had. We’ve lived so long with melodrama that we’ve forgotten there are other ways of showing passion."[7]

Track listing

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All tracks are written by Tracey Thorn, except "Femme Fatale" by Lou Reed.

No.TitleLength
1."Small Town Girl"3:55
2."Simply Couldn't Care"2:46
3."Seascape"2:36
4."Femme Fatale"2:39
5."Dreamy"2:54
6."Plain Sailing"2:05
7."New Opened Eyes"2:56
8."Too Happy"3:10

Reissue

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The album was reissued in an expanded edition on vinyl and CD by Cherry Red Records in 2024.[8] There are five additional tracks selected by Tracey Thorn. Lucky Day was recorded at the same session as the original A Distant Shore tracks. The other four tracks are demo recordings from another session and were eventually re-worked for inclusion on Eden, the first album by Everything but the Girl.

Reissue track listing

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All tracks are written by Tracey Thorn, except "Femme Fatale" by Lou Reed.

No.TitleLength
1."Small Town Girl" 
2."Simply Couldn't Care" 
3."Seascape" 
4."Femme Fatale" 
5."Dreamy" 
6."Plain Sailing" 
7."New Opened Eyes" 
8."Too Happy" 
9."Lucky Day (demo)" 
10."Another Bridge (demo)" 
11."Even So (demo)" 
12."The Spice Of Life (demo)" 
13."Fascination (demo)" 

Personnel

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Credits adapted from liner notes.

  • Tracey Thorn – vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar
  • Pat Bermingham – recording
  • Jane Fox – cover drawing

Charts

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Chart performance for A Distant Shore
Chart (2024) Peak
position
Scottish Albums (OCC)[9] 74
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[10] 35

Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[11] Silver 60,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ Ribas, Michael. "A Distant Shore - Tracey Thorn". AllMusic. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  2. ^ Rimmer, Dave (2–15 September 1982). "Albums: Tracey Thorn – A Distant Shore (Cherry Red)". Smash Hits. Vol. 4, no. 18. Peterborough: EMAP National Publications, Ltd. p. 25. ISSN 0260-3004. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
  3. ^ Barnett, Laura (1 January 2013). "Tracey Thorn on her first solo mini-album, A Distant Shore". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  4. ^ Paoletta, Michael (4 August 2001). "Vital Reissues". Billboard. p. 19.
  5. ^ "A Distant Shore". Cherry Red Records. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  6. ^ "IMPALA Press Release, 27th January 2010, Midem, Cannes". Independent Music Companies Association. 27 January 2010. Archived from the original on 14 August 2017. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  7. ^ Kiley, Penny (4 September 1982). "On the beach". Sounds: 18.
  8. ^ "Tracey Thorn: A Distant Shore, Expanded 12" Vinyl Edition". www.cherryred.co.uk. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  9. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
  10. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
  11. ^ "British album certifications – Tracy Thorn – Distant shore". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
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