This EP of six tracks was the first Hideous Records release to feature other bands. The idea came about when the band decided that they didn't want to release just another single, and also, after hearing some recordings that their friends Baddies had made with INWT producer Sean Genockey, they started thinking about ways in which they could help their chums out in terms of radio play and tour dates. They decided to temporarily break the 'no other bands' rule for Hideous Records and made plans to release a split single with two tracks from each band. The single would be backed up by a tour featuring both bands. However, when it became clear that a third band would be needed for the tour it was decided to find one that would agree to participate in the release and bump it up to six-track EP, featuring two tracks by three bands, hence 'Twobythree'.

The Ghost Of A Thousand had been recommended to the band by their agent, whom they shared, and by manager Barney, whom they didn't. 'Ghost' agreed to the EP and the tour, so all that was left do was arrange a limited license with the band's label Undergroove for the two tracks in question.

Reuben's contribution to the EP was a version of lead album track Cities On Fire and a recording of one of their oldest and most sought-after tracks, the extended version of Shambles. The EP was limited to 500 copies in shops and 1000 to sell on tour.

The tracks:

Cities On Fire (single edit) A version of the album track with a slightly shorter intro

Shambles (long version) A five-minute epic from the start of the band

Black Art No 1 A track from TGOAT's album, previously released as a single

Up To You (Original mix) A demo version of another cut from TGOAT's album 'This Is Where the Fight begins'

Battleships A cracker from Baddies, later re-recorded and re-relased on Yo Yo Acapulco as their first single.

Tiffany I'm Sorry A harrowing Baddies song about a birthday faux pas.

The facts:

Cities On Fire was decided upon as the lead track after no one could choose between Agony/Agatha and A Short History Of Nearly Everything. As a compromise between 'most radio-friendly track on the album' and 'best actual song on the album', they decided to lead the EP with a song that was neither.

It had been arranged that the guitar fade of Cities on Fire would be left off the beginning of Shambles, but sadly this was ruined at the mastering stage.

A 'work in progress' version of Shambles was recorded for and included on the first 500 copies of the band's first EP, Pilot. The longer version was completed shortly after the Pilot session, and was demoed during a session at Surrey Uni (with singer Jim playing all the instruments as the rest of the band didn't know it), and later again for possible inclusion on the first album. It had been played only occasionally by the band who, at an early stage in their career, found its long complex format tough to tackle, especially live. The track gradually became known and much-talked about amongst fans in the intervening years before finally being released to a great reception. It would be played as a regular part of the band's Twobythree tour set.

Shambles was recorded with INWT producer Sean Genockey, this time entirely at his small studio in Worcester Park, which had previously only been used by the band for guitar tracking and mixing.

The song structure remains unchanged from the original demo of six years previous.

The band shot a video for Cities On fire, again directed by singer Jim, at a church in Camberley. Other locations, all shot on the same incredibly long day, included a woods in Camberley again, a bookshop in Petersfield and drummer Guy's garden in Haslemere.

The 'dead hand' in the leaves of the forest was played by Jon's girlfriend Abi Turner.

The book seen burning at the end of the video was in fact one of three old books bought for the video by band manager Barney Jeavons. Sadly, he had asked that that particular book not be the one burned, as it was a first edition of one of his favourites. Upon viewing the video he was extremely upset, until the band, not having heard his request, apologised and bought him another copy.

The burning of the book, although in itself a heinous act in the eyes of any artist, was nevertheless felt to be justified by the fact that the band were 'destroying art to make art', as it were. After all, it is what the song is about.

The cast of parishioners seen in the church scenes were rounded up by local Christian group Songs Of Rage, who filmed their own silent 'making of' documentary at the church, which can be seen here:


The video was a favourite of the band's, purely as it was one of only two where they didn't have to mime the song, a laborious and frustrating process.

If you want fun facts about the other songs you'll have to ask the other bands – we don't know none!