Weeks after the official launch of a new reissue campaign, Australian rock icons TISM have now revealed the details of their forthcoming single.
The two-track single – which is yet to receive an official release date, but is expected this month – will be issued on a 7″ vinyl record, featuring a cover of AC/DC’s “For Those About To Rock” on the A-side, and the unreleased original “Let’s Hang Around The Shopping Centre” on the flipside.
For diehard fans of the band, the arrival of TISM’s cover of “For Those About To Rock” is something of an interesting, and long-awaited moment. Though the band’s depth of knowledge when it came to other artists in the music scene was quite admirable, the group were averse to the idea of ever covering another act, whether it be on stage or on record.
In 1995 however, TISM reportedly bucked this trend, taking on AC/DC’s 1981 track for a tribute album which was in the works at the time. While the specific details remain unclear, TISM’s cover was never officially released, and the track remained unheard until about a decade later when a trio of snippets were made public by way of the group’s fervent fan community.
Meanwhile, details regarding the B-side, “Let’s Hang Around The Shopping Centre”, are relatively unclear, with the only information released so far indicating that the tune was recorded following the sessions for TISM’s 1998 album, www.tism.wanker.com.
Following a fan pre-order over the weekend, orders for the single are now live (though they’re selling fast), with the vinyl available on a variety of different colours, and featuring an handful of different sleeves designed by different members of the band. Notably, the retail version is presented as something of a parody of the artwork to AC/DC’s For Those About to Rock We Salute You album. Meanwhile, the single will also be released alongside the first official TISM t-shirts in 16 years.
Despite TISM having officially broken up at the end of 2004, this past year has been surprisingly fruitful for the band’s fans. In January, the group’s back catalogue made its long-awaited Spotify debut, while a live performance at Melbourne’s Corner Hotel was also issued as part of the Australian Road Crew Association’s Desk Tape Series in April.
Earlier in October, David Roy Williams Entertainment announced the launch of the aforementioned reissue campaign, with a live recording of the band’s final concert – at the 2004 Earthcore festival in Victoria – being released on vinyl and CD in early December. This was also paired by the announcement of the The TISM Omni-Album, an ambitious release which collects the entire track-listing, liner notes, and artwork of the group’s discography onto vinyl, albeit with the omission of the music itself.
Copies of TISM’s new single are available for order now, along with the remaining copies of their live record, and the Omni-Album.
