In recent years the British songwriting legend Labi Siffre has found himself embraced by an entirely new generation of listeners. His recording ‘Bless the Telephone’ alone having amassed 21 million streams during 2025.
This renewed appetite for his music intensified in 2026, when in February Siffre released ‘Far Away’ – his first new recording in years – which together with the BBC Concert Orchestra he performed live on BBC Radio 2’s Piano Room. It drew widespread acclaim and introduced his songwriting to an even bigger audience. He also announced the forthcoming release of a new album – his first in twenty-five years – with further details to follow in due course.
It is against this backdrop that Edsel, part of Demon Music Group, now begins its comprehensive reissues campaign spanning Labi Siffre’s classic catalogue. The campaign kicks off with two career-spanning 3CD collections, with further titles to be announced in the months ahead.
OUT NOW: 1970-1971 (Labi Siffre / The Singer And The Song) – 3CD
‘1970-1971’ gathers Siffre’s first two albums – the self-titled ‘Labi Siffre’ plus ‘The Singer And The Song’, originally released in 1970 and 1971 respectively – together with a bonus disc of B-sides and rarities all presented in deluxe 7”-sized packaging with a reversible front sleeve.
Siffre’s debut album introduced a rare and singular talent. The self-penned highlights ‘Make My Day’ and ‘A Little More Line’ sitting alongside Siffre’s sensitive covers of the Bee Gees’ ‘Words’ and Harry Nilsson’s ‘Maybe’. Siffre’s second album, released the following year, was an even stronger collection of entirely new compositions. Among them ‘When I’m On My Own You Are On My Mind’, ‘Thank Your Lucky Star’ and ‘Bless The Telephone’ – the song that, more than fifty years later, would go on to introduce Siffre to an entirely new generation via TikTok.
Long before Madness took ‘It Must Be Love’ into the charts, before ‘(Something Inside) So Strong’ became an anthem of resolve, and before Eminem and Dr. Dre sampled Labi’s work, this is where it all began.
OUT 9TH OCTOBER: 1972-1973 (Crying Laughing Loving Lying / For The Children) – 3CD
‘1972-1973’ brings together Siffre’s third and fourth albums – ‘Crying Laughing Loving Lying’ and ‘For The Children’ – alongside a third disc of B-sides and rarities, again presented in deluxe 7”-sized packaging with a reversible front sleeve.
‘Crying Laughing Loving Lying’ (1972) is widely regarded as the record that propelled Siffre into the spotlight, powered by the UK Top 20 hit ‘It Must Be Love’ – later to be a No.4 hit for the group Madness. The album also features the much-loved ‘My Song’ (later sampled by Kanya West for his multi-million selling recording “I Wonder”) and ‘Cannock Chase’, which featured in the Oscar winning film ‘Sentimental Value’. Also the album’s stunning title track recently soundtracking another Oscar winner ‘The Holdovers’.
Its follow-up, ‘For The Children’ (1973), proved just as assured, with songs including ‘Prayer’, ‘Let’s Pretend’ and ‘If You Have Faith’ placing Siffre alongside the great singer-songwriters of the era. Rounding out the set is a third disc of B-sides, the stand alone single ‘Watch Me’ and a clutch of rarities first released in 2006.
Together, these releases mark the beginning of a wider reappraisal of one of Britain’s most quietly influential and genuinely groundbreaking artists. Beyond the streaming figures, Siffre’s songs continue to find new life on screen and in pop culture – ‘Bless The Telephone’ soundtracking a viral Bumble ad campaign and his music featured across a wealth of TV shows including ‘Doctor Who’, ‘Better Call Saul’ and ‘Hacks’.
With renewed streaming success, a new song and album on the way, plus a full reissue campaign now underway, 2026 stands as a pivotal year in the rediscovery of Labi Siffre’s remarkable body of work – with plenty more still to come.
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