NOTES

'Melt The Snow' was originally released on Virginia's own Happy Valley label and distributed by Rough Trade in the UK. This Japanese edition is more or less identical apart from some minor additions to the sleeve artwork and an obi-strip.

Although no titles are given for the additional tracks on this EP, the second track was originally titled 'Bell Of New York', taken from the title of the barrel organ melody that opens the song. Virginia later referred to the track as "skating music".

The third track had originally featured on a 1983 radio session where it was called 'The Nursery At The End Of Time'. The track subsequently featured as the B-side to the November 1985 single 'Darkness Has Reached Its End' where it was simply titled 'The End Of Time'.

'Melt The Snow' had originally been conceived as a potential track for a planned follow-up to the From Gardens Where We Feel Secure album. Except the new album concept would switch seasons from summer to focus on more of a winter theme. Only 'Melt The Snow' and 'Bell Of New York' were plotted out for this album, which never actually materialised.

TRIVIA

The barrel organ intro to the second track on the EP was actually recorded by Virginia from a juke box in the London department shop Fortnum & Mason.

In an interview for this site back in 2003, Virginia mused on the potential winter-themed album - and album concepts beyond that: "I also at one point thought too that it would be – as a contrast – it would be good to do something that was much more.. well perhaps just more to do with the city, more dark and more… not dark, but more industrial and more city-like as well. But I didn’t ever do that either. ‘Melt The Snow’ was as far as I got. But I think actually a winter album would be really nice."