STARFISH (1988)

Tracks (click a title for details)		Media
1.	Destination (5:52)	/
2.	Under The Milky Way (4:58)	/ /
3.	Blood Money (4:25)	/
4.	Lost (4:49)	/
5.	North, South, East and West (4:50)	/ /
6.	Spark (3:45) (sung by Marty Willson-Piper)	/
7.	Antenna (3:50)	/
8.	Reptile (4:56)	/ /
9.	A New Season (2:57) (sung by Peter Koppes)	/
10.	Hotel Womb (5:40)	/ /

» Lyrics «

Credits

Marty Willson-Piper: Guitars, Lead Vocal on "Spark"
Richard Ploog: Drums and Percussion
Peter Koppes: Guitars, Lead Vocal on "A New Season"
Steve Kilbey: Bass Guitar, Lead Vocals

Keyboards: Greg Kuehn
Mandolin on "Antenna": David Lindley
Synclavier: Awesome Welles
Backing Vocals: Waddy Wachtel

Produced by Greg Ladanyi, Waddy Wachtel and The Church
Engineered by Shep Lonsdale
Assistant Engineer: Duane Seykora
Mixed by Greg Ladanyi, Waddy Wachtel and Shep Lonsdale
Direction:
Michael J. Lembo
Mike's Artist Management, Ltd.
225 West 57th Street, Suite 301
New York, NY 10019
For Church Correspondence and Information:
The Church, P.O. Box 21038
Columbus Circle Station
New York, NY 10023-9991
Cover Photography: Caroline Greyshock
Inner Sleeve Photography [starfish photo]: Michael Englert
Hand-Lettering: Bernard Maisner
Art Direction: Maude Gilman

Releases (rev. Feb. 27, 2024)

LP - Mushroom RML 53266 (Australia Promo)
With press release written by Steve Kilbey (how Starfish came about + track by track commentary)
LP - Mushroom RML 53266 (Australia) - Feb. 16, 1988
LP - Mushroom L38881 (Australia)
LP - Arista AL-8521 (USA Promo) - with gold promo stamp on lower left corner of back cover near barcode
Some or all originally included a press kit folder containing a band photo and a band history.
LP - Arista AL-8521 (USA) - inner sleeve
Variant 1: Matrix: Side A: A-1 AL 8521-SA TML-M, Side B: A-1 AL 8521-SB TML-M
Variant 2: Matrix: Side A: B-1 AL 8521-SA TML-X, Side B: B-3 AL 8521-SB TML-X
Variant 3: Matrix: Side A: B-1 AL 8521-SA TML-X, Side B: A-1 AL 8521-SB TML-M
Variant 4: Matrix: Side A: A-1 AL 8521-SA-1 TML-X, Side B: A-1 AL8521-SB-2 TML-X
With the catalog number on the right side of the disc labels and other small differences.
LP - Arista AL-8521 (USA) - Columbia House Record Club Edition - inner sleeve
With "CRC" printed on disc labels under "33 1/3 RPM" on right side.
LP - Arista AL-8521 (USA) - BMG Direct Marketing Edition - inner sleeve
With "Mfd. for BMG Direct Marketing, Inc. under license" printed on back cover and disc labels.
LP - Arista AL-8521 (Canada) - Feb. 16, 1988 - inner sleeve
LP - Arista AL-8521 (Canada) - Columbia House Canada Record Club Edition - inner sleeve
LP - Arista LAE 795 (Mexico)
LP - Arista 208 895 (UK and Europe) - inner sleeve
2LP - Arista 303.295 [Arista 208 895 + Arista 611 532] (UK and Europe) - Limited Edition, Numbered - inner sleeve
Shrinkwrapped with the Free Bonus 12 Inch EP.
LP - Arista 208 895 (Italy)
LP - Arista 5C 208895 (Spain)
LP - Arista 208895A (Portugal) - July 8, 1988
LP - Arista 74025 (Greece) - BMG Limited Edition triangle sticker on cover
LP - Arista 140 8026 (Brazil)
LP - Arista TLP-90128 (Argentina) - titled "estrella de mar" Cover - with Spanish titles on back cover
LP - Arista ASTC 204 (South Africa)
LP - Arista A27L-45 (Japan) - April 21, 1988 With Japanese review sheet / poor lyrics translation
LP - Arista A27L-45 (Japan Promo) - April 21, 1988 - same inserts as regular Japanese release
LP - Arista/Seoul Records SAPR-066 (S. Korea) With Korean review sheet / poor lyrics translation
Gold Cover Sticker
LP - RCA R173703 (USA) - RCA Record Club Issue
LP - Music On Vinyl MOVLP901 (USA) - Jan. 27, 2014 - 180 gram audiophile vinyl - Repro Arista labels. Info
LP - Plain Recordings plain206 (USA) - Jan. 15, 2016 - translucent green vinyl - Available at Runt Photo
LP - The Church Pty Ltd. [Universal Music Australia] 7705977 (Australia) - 2018 - Limited Edition
Matrix: Side A: 6775364-A 176100E1/A, Side B: 6775364-B 176100E2/A
LP - The Church Pty Ltd. [Universal Music Australia] 6775364 (Australia) - Nov. 2018 - Limited Edition
LP - The Church Pty Ltd. [Universal Music Australia] 6775364 (Australia) - Nov. 2018 - Limited Edition, white vinyl
Limited Edition release given to fans that purchased VIP Meet and Greet tickets for the Australian leg of the Starfish 30th Anniversary Tour. Includes inner sleeve with images and credits. No visible label on disc, sleeve or spine but came with a delivery note from Universal Music Australia. Digitally remastered by Don Bartley at Benchmark Mastering, Sydney, Australia.
Matrix: Side A: 176100e1/A 67753644-A, Side B: 176100e2/A 67753644-B
LP - Music On Vinyl MOVLP901 (Europe) - 2019 - Numbered Limited Edition of 1000 - 180 gram audiophile white vinyl Sticker
Vinyl housed in plain white poly-lined inner sleeve. Includes printed 12" x 12" insert. Repro Arista labels.
2LP - Intervention Records IR-027 (USA) - Sept. 2021 - Band-approved Expanded Edition - Gatefold, 180 Gram Vinyl, 100% analog mastered from the original master tapes - Available at Intervention Records
Tracks (click a title for details)
Side One
1. Destination (5:52)
2. Under The Milky Way (4:58)
3. Blood Money (4:25)
Side Two
1. Lost (4:48)
2. North, South, East and West (4:49)
3. Spark (3:45) (sung by Marty Willson-Piper)
4. Antenna (3:50)
Side Three
1. Reptile (4:56)
2. A New Season (2:57) (sung by Peter Koppes)
3. Hotel Womb (5:40)
4. Under The Milky Way (acoustic) (4:08)
5. Antenna (acoustic) (3:45)
Side Four
1. Frozen and Distant (3:58)
2. Texas Moon (5:45)
3. Anna Miranda (3:03)
4. Afterlife (4:13)
5. We Both Know Why You're Here (2:20)
6. Perfect Child (2:54)
CASS - Mushroom RMC 53266 (Australia) - Feb. 16, 1988 - BASF Chrome, Dolby
CASS - Arista ACP 8521 (USA Promo) - "PRE-RELEASE CASSETTE" / "PROMOTIONAL COPY"
Long insert includes: (rollover or tap an item to read it)
- Steve Kilbey interview excerpt
  Bucketfull Of Brains Magazine
  Issue #15, Feb. 1986
  
  Bucketfull Of Brains: When, why and how did The Church first come together?
  
  Steve Kilbey: The Church originally came together in April 1980; there was Peter Koppes, myself and a drummer called Nick Ward who played on some of the first album. Peter and I had known each other previously and been in a few bands—mucking about. I had a four track studio in my bedroom and we had been recording a few things and decided that they sounded good enough to do something. Peter hauled in Nick Ward, who he knew, who was a fairly heavy kind of a character—eventually it didn't work out and when he left the band Richard (Ploog) joined, that was after we'd recorded most of the first album. Then we were based, as we always have been, in Sydney. We started off doing very small gigs with a band who were friends of ours and things snowballed from there.
  
  BOB: What previous musical experience did you have?
  
  SK: Peter and I had been in a number of bands in Canberra that had never done anything at all, some of their names were Precious Little and Baby Grand but they never released any records — all we did was play at a few school socials. Marty Willson-Piper was in a band in England called the True Hundred, who also never released anything; Richard Ploog was in a whole lot of bands — Exhibit A, Loose Kicks....he was also in a band, at one stage, with Doctor Robert who's now in the Blow Monkeys.
  
  BOB: Who chose the name "The Church" and have you ever had any serious objections?
  
  SK:I chose the name. We've never had any really serious objections. We had a death threat once when we were playing on Easter Sunday — a whole lot of people rang up and thought there was a Mass on somewhere because of our name — that in turn got some newspaper coverage and the whole thing turned into a bit of a joke and someone objected to that and said they were going to come and get us live on stage with guns...but it never happened. The name was just one at random from a list I had — at that stage we never envisaged it being anything more than just a band mucking about in small pubs and things.
  
  BOB: What music were you listening to at that time, who inspired you?
  
  SK:The Church has always had an incredibly eclectic range of influences...the Beatles, the Byrds, Dylan, Be-Bop Deluxe, Cockney Rebel, Doctors Of Madness, pre "Dark Side Of The Moon" Pink Floyd, Big Star, the Stones, Who, T. Rex, basically anyone who's done anything good in the last 20 years. All of those bands inspired us. Marty's into Can and Neu and Amon Duul and all those things. I've been into electronic and folk music and Richard has always been an extreme '60s freak as has Peter.
  from Bucketfull Of Brains Magazine [UK], Issue #15, Feb. 1986
- The Church review snippets
  FROM DOWNTOWN MAGAZINE
  "Their blend of dreamlike, ethereal pop is built around a classic, guitar-textured wall of sound. Although it does borrow from '60s psychedelia, their music avoids the retro quality of much of the neo-psych genre—it's driving and modern, brimming with ringing, effects-laden guitars. Founding member and bassist Steve Kilbey is a master songwriter, creating power-packed riffs and memorable hooks."
  
  FROM RAM MAGAZINE (AUSTRALIA)
  "A timeless grasp of melody, dynamics and song structures, coupled with Steve Kilbey's ever more impressive vocals and the best guitar and (natural) drum sounds ever make this band worth seeing on any occasion — a truly divine experience."
  
  FROM CREEM MAGAZINE
  "The Church are one of those scarce magic bands that recall an abundance of things, musically and emotionally, yet still somehow manage to sound refreshing and new. Some key words to describe The Church: Melancholy, Bittersweet, Wistful, Hypnotic, Mesmerizing, Foreboding, haunting, extremely melodic, very beautiful."
  
  FROM MELODY MAKER MAGAZINE
  "I do think there were things done in the Sixties that were never followed up. Most bands just took the superficial aspects of it and never recaptured the emotion. It's like Christmas in Australia. They've got the Christmas trees and the plum pudding and the turkeys but it doesn't feel like Christmas. What The Church are trying to do is forget the superficial aspects and generate that real feeling."
- 1987 7th Annual RAM Reader's Poll highlights
  THE 1986 7TH ANNUAL RAM READER'S POLL
  
  BEST ALBUM (International)
  3. Heyday - THE CHURCH
  
  BEST AUSTRALIAN ALBUM
  2. Heyday - THE CHURCH
  
  ALL-TIME FAVOURITE SINGLE
  3. Unguarded Moment - THE CHURCH
  
  BEST BASS PLAYER
  2. STEVE KILBEY
  
  BEST VIDEO PERFORMANCE
  1. Tantalized - THE CHURCH
  
  BEST SONGWRITER
  1. STEVE KILBEY
  
  BEST GROUP (Aust/NZ)
  2. THE CHURCH
  
  BEST MALE SINGER
  1. STEVE KILBEY
  
  BEST GUITARIST
  1. MARTY WILLSON-PIPER
  
  BEST DRUMMER
  2. RICHARD PLOOG
  
  ALL-TIME FAVOURITE ALBUM
  2. Blurred Crusade - THE CHURCH
CASS - Arista AC-8521 (USA) - long insert includes Starfish poem - BASF Chrome, Dolby
CASS - Arista AC-8521 (Canada) - Dolby
CASS - Arista AC-8521 (USA) - Columbia House Record Club Edition ("CRC" printed on spine) - Chrome, Dolby
CASS - Arista AC 8521 / BMG Direct Marketing C173703 (USA) - short insert, no Starfish poem
CASS - Arista 408 895 (UK and Europe) - Chrome, Dolby
CASS - Arista 7A 408895 (Spain) - Dolby
CASS - Arista 408895 (Italy)
CASS - Arista 408 895 (Indonesia) - Distributed by P.T. Musica
CASS - Arista ZASC 204 (South Africa)
CASS - Arista A27T-45 (Japan) - April 21, 1988
CASS - Arista/Seoul Records SAPC-066 (S. Korea)
CASS - Arista ARTHG-16113 (AL-8521) (Philippines) - HG High Grade, Dolby
CASS - BMG 1352022 (Chile) - 1989
CD - Mushroom CD-53266 (Australia)
CD - Mushroom D 19554 (Australia) - 1992 Reissue - "Mushroom Midprice Masters" series
CD - Mushroom MUSH32378.2 (Australia) - 1992 Reissue - "Mushroom Midprice Masters" series
CD - Arista ARCD-8521 (USA) - Feb. 16, 1988
Variant 1: Matrix: ARCD 8521 2/88 1DB4
Variant 2: Matrix: ARCD 8521 12/87 1DA2
Variant 3: Matrix: ARCD8521 + + E427401
Variant 4: Matrix: ARCD8521 W.O. #8794-2 MANUFACTURED IN U.S.A. BY LASERVIDEO INC.
Variant 5: Matrix: 1AARCD8521 04 [Laservideo Inc. pressing]
Variant 6: Matrix: *5D* ARCD8521 B IFPI L431 - Reissue
Variant 7: Matrix: *10D* ARCD8521 B IFPI L431 - Reissue
Variant 8: - Longbox packaging
CD - Arista ARCD-8521 (USA) - Columbia House Club Edition
With "CRC" printed on the CD face and back inlay.
CD - Arista ARCD-8521 (USA) - BMG Direct Marketing Club Edition D101891
With "D101891 Mfd. for BMG Direct Marketing, Inc. under License Made in U.S.A." printed on the disc.
Matrix: ARCD8521 4/96 4DB2, Mastering SID Code: IFPI L431
CD - Arista ARCD-8521 (USA) - BMG Direct Marketing Club Edition D101891
With "D101891 MANUFACTURED IN USA FOR BMG DIRECT MARKETING, INC. UNDER LICENSE" printed on the disc.
Matrix: ARCD8521 DISC MFG. INC. (H) W.O. 8794-1.O. 8794-3P
CD - Arista ARCD-8521 (Canada)
CD - Arista 258 895 (UK and Europe)
CD - Arista 258 895 (UK and Europe) - Mispress
Reportedly, the disc, labeled for Starfish, contains the Grateful Dead album "Shakedown Street" by mistake.
CD - Arista/BMG Victor A32D-45 (Japan) - April 21, 1988 Cover
CD - Arista CDMS-078221852128 (Mexico) - 2002 Reissue
2CD - EMI 7243 4 77607 2 3 (Australia) - July 2005 - Reissue, Remastered
Starfish Sessions Photos: Robert Matheu
Memorabilia courtesy of Naomi Diamond/Mod Lang Achives
Repackage designed by Rachel Gutek @ guppyart
Repackage coordinated by Vicky Vogiatzoglou
Remastered by Don Bartley at Studios 301, Sydney, Australia
Bonus Disc Tracks (click a title for details)
1. Texas Moon (5:46) –
2. Perfect Child (2:55) –
3. We Both Know Why You're Here (2:21) –
4. Frozen And Distant (3:58) –
5. Anna Miranda (3:04) – /
6. Nose Dive (3:26) –
7. Afterlife (4:14) (instrumental) – /
8. Under The Milky Way (Acoustic) (4:08) –
9. Antenna (Acoustic) (3:46) –
10. Spark (Acoustic) (3:28) (sung by Marty Willson-Piper) –
11. Warm Spell (4:38) –
12. Musk (3:54) –
2CD - EMI 5099991817624 (Australia) - 2011 - Reissue of 2005 EMI remaster above, cardboard sleeve
Includes 16-page booklet of photos with extensive liner notes by Marty Willson-Piper.
2CD - Second Motion Records CD-SMR-028 (USA) - Feb. 2011 - Reissue of 2005 EMI remaster above, cardboard sleeve
Includes 16-page booklet of photos with extensive liner notes by Marty Willson-Piper. Review in The Big Takeover
CD - Arista ARCD-8521 (USA) - May 8, 2012 - Reissue
CD - Music On CD MOCCD 13158 (USA) - July 25, 2014
CD/SACD - Intervention Records IR-SCD6 (USA) - May 2021 - Band-approved Expanded Edition - Available at Intervention Records
Hybrid CD/SACD - plays on all CD and SACD players.
Mastered Direct-to-DSD from the original analog master tapes by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound.
Super Jewel Box packaging with 4-page insert.
Bonus Tracks (click a title for details)
1. Under The Milky Way (acoustic) (4:08)
2. Antenna (acoustic) (3:45)
3. Frozen and Distant (3:58)
4. Texas Moon (5:45)
5. Anna Miranda (3:03)
6. Afterlife (4:13)
7. We Both Know Why You're Here (2:20)
8. Perfect Child (2:54)
BOX - Arista (Canada Promo) 'Blue Box'
Reportedly contains Starfish CD, Life Before Starfish CD, t-shirt, bio sheet and 4 promo posters.

Vinyl Run-Out Groove Messages
Side A: INGREDIENTS: BLOOD, SWEAT & ZEUS JUICE
Side B: HERE'S ANOTHER CLUE FOR YOU DROOGS, THE STARFISH WAS PLOOG

Not on Arista AL-8521 or Arista LAE 795.

Notes

There is an untitled poem
Good, now and forever, music reaches and awakens,
Swimming in the shallow end, down, down, remember
A need, a gnawing longing for what?
Shapes and faces come slowly into mind
Glissando Australian insects out there signalling
The sound of dad's car in the drive
Lying in the grass, watching the sky
The piano washes over thoughts, the smell of crushed mint
The ants which come out as it begins to get dark
Helplessness, planes miles up turn on their lights,
Child, oh child, the tastes in our kitchen,
Not knowing the right words but wishing long and hard
Golden clouded moon, enveloped by the family
Melting further the cracks in the pavement become chasms
Shrubs whisper, walls conceal adult pleasures
A mere hint and we're gone too
Forever, beautiful things, the shop that sold shadows
A walk down the path towards our old home
Mercurial touch of past summers
The sheer wait of nostalgia
Maria, now long dead, glide through this tonight
Shimmer, disappear and return
Emerging random memory in flux
Falling felled the flowering kingdom
Finding buried tin soldier years later
The sounds of a carnival way off in the valley
An abandoned nest, the sprinklers splash on in darkness
Windows glimmer dim waiting for her at the edge of dusk
Distance, our hesitant conversation, someone calling
A bucket full of starfish, warm rain, the long sleep
Deep dream, dream of now, now and forever good
by Steve Kilbey in the liner notes.

Two songs from Starfish were used in episodes of the American TV series Miami Vice. "Under The Milky Way" was used in an episode called Asian Cut (aired Jan. 13, 1989) and "Blood Money" was used in Heart Of Night (aired Nov. 18, 1988). Read about more TV and movie appearances of Church songs in the Other Media section.

Advertisement for the Japanese Release

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MISCELLANEOUS

A softcover book of Starfish guitar tablature was published:
Cherry Lane Music CL6962 (USA) - with Poster

A Starfish sticky notes papercube was issued by Arista as a promotional item in the US.

"ANNA MIRANDA" FREE BONUS 12 INCH (1988)

The Church - Bonus 12 inch - Side 1 Label

Limited Edition EP free with initial copies of Arista 208 895 (UK and Europe).

Tracks (click a title for details)		Media
Side 1:		Side 1:
1.	Anna Miranda (2:57)	/
2.	Musk (3:55)
3.	Perfect Child (2:52)
Side 2:		Side 2:
1.	Frozen And Distant (3:54)
2.	Texas Moon (5:39)

Releases

12" - Arista 611 532 (Europe) - Die-cut sleeve with a numbered sticker stating Cat. No. 303.295