The Wedding Present - put simply, four ordinary looking blokes hailing from an ordinary Northern town, who just so happened to release one of the defining indie albums of the 80s.

Self released on the band's own Reception Records label in October 1987, George Best was The Wedding Present's debut LP, and was at the time hailed by sections of the alternative music press as one of the greatest debut albums ever recorded. Quite possibly a case of journalists getting a little over excited, as over time the genius of George Best has been somewhat pushed into the background of musical history – rarely mentioned; an almost forgotten classic if you will.  But to a generation of indie kids, this was one of the defining records of its era.

If proof be needed, fast forward to the present day- October 2007, 20 years since the album's release, and The Wedding Present are still going strong; currently embarking upon a sold out George Best 20th anniversary tour – playing the seminal record live in its entirety each night. The demand for tickets was massive – so much so that a handful of extra dates were tagged on the end of the tour. Clearly still a much loved band and album, but what’s the story, and why exactly did George Best strike such a chord with so many people upon its release?

Having formed in Leeds in 1985, The Wedding Present (led by vocalist David Gedge) self released a handful of singles on their own Reception Records label, winning them praise and plaudits from sections of the music press as well as a number or radio plays by DJ John Peel.

Having contributed their track This Boy Can Wait to the NME’s C86 cassette compilation, the band was unwillingly lumped in with this newly created ‘scene’ and collection of jangly guitar bands. As influential as the NME thought it was in creating this new genre of music, David Gedge was quick to disassociate The Wedding Present from the shambling, often one dimensional collection of groups. The first proof that The Wedding Present weren’t prepared to play the music industry game – they wanted to do things on their own terms.

By the time work started on writing and recording their debut album a number of independent and major record companies had begun expressing a keen interest, only for the band to boldly decline all offers – instead choosing to continue releasing their material themselves.

During these recording sessions the band completed 14 tracks that were to comprise the final album, which in tribute to one of the bands heroes was to be named after Northern Ireland football legend George Best. Choosing to work with trusted producer Chris Allison for the album sessions soon proved troublesome, as conflicts and disagreements on production values led to the final tracks being remixed at the last moment by the band's sound engineer Steve Lyon. Due to the low recording budget, the final album suffers somewhat from a tinny sound, but nonetheless David Gedge’s songwriting still shines brightly through – chronicling relationships breaking up or never even taking off. The album was an instant success with press and the UK indie community, with the first 3000 copies coming in a special Wedding Present / George Best carrier bag and with a free 7” copy of the My Favourite Dress single. To this day George Best continues to be the band's best selling album.

Underneath Gedge’s somewhat lump-throated Yorkshire vocal delivery, the essence of the band's sound is a surprisingly heavy and fast-paced take on UK indie rock of the 80s – a perfect amalgamation of the likes of The Fall, Buzzcocks and Gang of Four, while still stamping their own unique charm on proceedings. 

As was the case with many music fans of the time, John Peel had his heart won over by the plain honesty, passion and caustic humour of the songs on George Best, commenting that “the boy Gedge has written some of the best love songs of the rock n’ roll era. You may dispute this, but I'm right and you’re wrong”. Lofty praise indeed, but it appears many others agreed.

Each song tells a story – whether it be seeing your ex with somebody else (Everyone Thinks He Looks Daft), a female friend being hassled by her boyfriend (Shatner) or merely the nightclub pursuit of a young lady who you’ve had your eye on for a while (A Million Miles). Each song relates to some experience you’ve probably had at some point in your youth and beyond. The words were brutally simple, so too were the melodies – but it was the band's love of the sublime three chord pop song that was their key strength.

Gedge’s lyrics may not have always made for happy reading, but when the twisted and bitter tales of romance and heartbreak collide with the walls of insanely fast paced guitars, it all seems to make perfect sense. While The Smiths spoke to the more pensive, whingey and gloomy, many more looked towards David Gedge and his Wedding Present boys for moral support and sympathy. Some may have seen it as sad music, but in the same sense it was life affirming and defiant – like the world had thrown all it can at you but you were still there. 

George Best proved to be only the first in a long succession of great albums released by the band throughout the years, which saw their sound develop into something altogether heavier – expanding their trademark jangle into a planet-engulfing roar. Flirtations with Ukranian folk songs came and went, as did recording an album in America with famed producer Steve Albini, and finally signing to a major record label. But arguably most impressive of all was releasing 12 singles – one a month – during 1992, all of which charted in the UK top 40, thus creating a record breaking run that saw the band become a regular feature on Top of the Pops throughout that year. Not bad going for an indie band that was once written off as Smiths copyists. 

There came a break in band activities from 1997, during which time Gedge worked on material for his new project Cinerama, but late 2004 saw the resurrection of The Wedding Present, and a new album titled Take Fountain.

As has been quoted in the past – they said it was impossible to make a noise like a heart snapping. It’s not a pleasant noise, but a noise only one band has ever been brave, honest and inventive enough to make. With George Best The Wedding Present did just that. So dig out your old cassette, dust off your vinyl copy or simply re-visit the CD. Or if you’re lucky enough then go to along to one of the anniversary shows and remind yourself just why you thought this band was so special in the first place.

Release date: Oct 87
Artist website: www.scopitones.co.uk
Label: Reception

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