Prof hat geschrieben:There's actually two original vinyl pressings of this great later-period NWoBHM-album. If I'm correct, the second one on Mausoleum - with a different title and cover - is supposed to be a bootleg that caught the band completely by surprise. Maybe you can confirm this?
Anyhow, it's great to hear that Chasar are about to reform, a totally underrated band indeed.
Yes, there was more than one pressing. the original vinyl from 1985 (the original format was a 1000 limited edition cassette in 1983) was the plain pale blue cover with the silver CHASAR logo in the centre (this was the one I had!), Muasoleum re-issued it (apparently without the band's knowledge) about 1987 with a different cover and called the album Gypsy Roller, which was the unofficial title of the blue version. (Still with me?)
Mausoleum also released it on CD a few years later and then (finally) in 2000 the album was re-released by Trax Studios who have also released an 'Official Bootleg' CD of demos and sessions for the second album which, unfortunately, never materialised (maybe next year?!).
I was lucky to be growing up in Scotland at this time and got to see bands such as CHASAR (and No Dice/Exit their successors) as well as Pallas* and various others, it's just a shame that EMI, who expressed an interest in both Pallas and Chasar, were only willing to back one band at the time and chose Marillion (supposedly as they were based nearer London?). I say it's a shame, but I must confess to being a huge Marillion fan, so I can live with it!
I'm hoping Chasar will end up playing more than just the two reunion gigs, mainly as I've just discovered that I've got a recording session with my own band on the first one, and I'm supporting GUN for the second!!
*I loved this band and had many of their demos/albums on cassette, I was also lucky enough to see them on one of their rare reunion gigs in the early 90's (before they started again with a vengeance)... they were stunning, simply brilliant! (That was the week before I saw Tredegar, but that's a different story!!)