PRE-ORDER: This item will be shipped with the aim to deliver on release day.
Release Date: 28 August 2026
Label: Esoteric / Cherry Red
Packaging Type: Clamshell
No of Units: 6
Barcode: 5013929474468
Genres: Rock Progressive Rock
Description
• NEW REMASTERED 6CD CLAMSHELL BOX SET FEATURING THE RECORDED WORK OF KEVIN AYERS BETWEEN 1974 AND 1980.
• INCLUDES THE ALBUMS 'THE CONFESSIONS OF DOCTOR DREAM’, 'SWEET DECEIVER’, 'YES WE HAVE NO MANANAS’, 'RAINBOW TAKEAWAY’ AND 'THAT’S WHAT YOU GET BABE’.
• PLUS SINGLES, BBC RADIO SESSIONS AND 13 PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED LIVE RECORDINGS.
In 1974 Kevin Ayers departed EMI’s Harvest, his label home since 1969, and moved to Island Records, recording the classic album 'The Confessions Of Doctor Dream’ the same year.
Produced by Rupert Hine, the album included the lengthy title track, a reworking of the Soft Machine track 'Why Are We Sleeping?’ and saw guest appearances from Mike Oldfield and Mike Ratledge, among others. It was also the first album to feature Kevin’s long-time musical collaborator Ollie Halsall on guitar and was greeted with praise from both critics and fans alike.
The 'Sweet Deceiver’ album was released in 1975 and featured contributions from Elton John, following which, in 1976, Kevin returned to EMI Harvest to record 'Yes, We Have No Mananas – So Get Your Mananas Today’ another highly acclaimed record. To promote the album Kevin formed a new live band which included future Police guitarist Andy Summers within its ranks. 'Rainbow Takeaway’ appeared in 1978 and Kevin’s final album for Harvest, 'That’s What You Get Babe’ appeared in 1980.
This new box set covering Kevin's work from the latter part of his career with Island and EMI Harvest has been remastered from the original master tapes and features all of the aforementioned albums, along with a further 35 bonus tracks drawn from singles, BBC Radio sessions and 13 previously unreleased live recordings from Paris in 1975 and Bremen in 1976. 'Where Do The Stars End’ also includes an illustrated book with a new essay.
Tracklisting
DISC ONE
The Confessions Of Doctor Dream And Other Stories
Released in May 1974
1. Day By Day
2. See You Later
3. Didn’t Feel Lonely Till I Thought of You
4. Everybody’s Sometime And Some People’s All the Time Blues
5. It Begins With A Blessing / Once I Awakened / But It Ends With A Curse
6. Ballbearing Blues
7. The Confessions Of Doctor Dream – Part One: Irreversible Neural Damage
8. The Confessions Of Doctor Dream – Part Two: Invitation
9. The Confessions Of Doctor Dream – Part Three: The One Chance Dance
10. The Confessions Of Doctor Dream – Part Four: Dr. Dream Theme
11. Two Goes Into Four
Bonus tracks
12. The Up Song (A-side of single March 1974)
13. After The Show (A-side of single July 1974)
14. Thank You Very Much (B-side of single 1974)
DISC TWO
Sweet Deceiver
Released in March 1975
1. Observations
2. Guru Banana
3. City Waltz
4. Toujours La Voyage
5. Sweet Deceiver
6. Diminished But Not Finished
7. Circular Letter
8. Once Upon An Ocean
9. Farewell Again (Another Dawn)
Bonus tracks
10. Stranger In Blue Suede Shoes (live in Paris 1975) (previously unreleased)
11. Hat Song (live in Paris 1975) (previously unreleased)
12. Interview (live in Paris 1975) (previously unreleased)
13. The Confessions Of Dr. Dream (live in Paris 1975) (previously unreleased)
i. Invitation
ii. The One Chance Dance
iii. The Dr. Dream Theme
14. Stop This Train (Again Doing It) (live in Paris 1975) (previously unreleased)
15. Farewell Again (Another Dawn) (live in Paris 1975) (previously unreleased)
DISC THREE
BBC Sessions 1974 – 1975
1. Another Whimsical Song (BBC John Peel session July 1974)
2. Didn’t Feel Lonely Till I Thought of You (BBC John Peel session July 1974)
3. Lady Rachel (BBC John Peel session July 1974)
4. Stop This Train (BBC John Peel session July 1974)
5. Stranger In Blue Suede Shoes (BBC Rock On session July 1974)
6. Didn’t Feel Lonely Till I Thought of You (BBC Radio 1 In Concert March 1975)
7. Observations (BBC Radio 1 In Concert March 1975)
8. Stranger In Blue Suede Shoes (BBC Radio 1 In Concert March 1975)
9. Interview (BBC Radio 1 In Concert March 1975)
10. Farewell Again (BBC Radio 1 In Concert March 1975)
DISC FOUR
'Yes, We Have No Mananas – So Get Your Mananas Today
Released in June 1976
1. Star
2. Mr. Cool
3. The Owl
4. Love’s Gonna Turn You Round
5. Falling In Love Again
6. Help Me
7. Ballad of Mr. Snake
8. Everyone Knows the Song
9. Yes I Do
10. Blue
Bonus tracks
11. Mr. Cool (BBC John Peel session July 1976)
12. Love’s Gonna Turn You Round (BBC John Peel session July 1976)
13. Star (BBC John Peel session July 1976)
14. Ballad Of Mr. Snake (BBC John Peel session July 1976)
DISC FIVE
Live Radio Concert Performances 1976
1. May I? (Radio Bremen Live August 1976) (previously unreleased)
2. Whatevershebringswesing (Radio Bremen Live August 1976) (previously unreleased)
3. Shouting In A Bucket Blues (Radio Bremen Live August 1976) (previously unreleased)
4. Observations (Radio Bremen Live August 1976) (previously unreleased)
5. Lady Rachel (Radio Bremen Live August 1976) (previously unreleased)
6. Blue (Radio Bremen Live August 1976) (previously unreleased)
7. Mr. Cool (Radio Bremen Live August 1976) (previously unreleased)
8. Shouting In A Bucket Blues (BBC Radio 1 In Concert September 1976)
9. Star (BBC Radio 1 In Concert September 1976)
10. Love’s Gonna Turn You Round (BBC Radio 1 In Concert September 1976)
11. Mr. Cool (BBC Radio 1 In Concert September 1976)
12. Ballad Of Mr. Snake (BBC Radio 1 In Concert September 1976)
13. Blue (BBC Radio 1 In Concert September 1976)
DISC SIX
Rainbow Takeaway
Released in April 1978
1. Blaming It All On Love
2. Ballad Of A Salesman Who Sold Himself
3. A View from A Mountain
4. Rainbow Takeaway
5. Waltz For You
6. Beware Of the Dog II
7. Strange Song
8. Goodnight Goodnight
9. Hat Song
That’s What You Get Babe
Released in February 1980
10. That’s What You Get
11. Where Do I Go From Here
12. You Never Outrun Your Heart
13. Given And Taken
14. Idiots
15. Super Salesman
16. Money, Money, Money
17. Miss Hanaga
18. I’m So Tired
19. Where Do The Stars End
Various Artists
Various Artists
Toyah
Toyah
The Riot Squad
The Fall
The Fall
Nightwing
Kevin Ayers
Kevin Ayers
Kevin Ayers
Kevin Ayers
Kevin Ayers
Kevin Ayers
Kevin Ayers
