Music News

Levellers – release brand new single ‘Alive’ – long-lost track available for first time

Acclaimed British band the Levellers have released their brand new single ‘Alive’. A dramatic and vibrant track, demonstrating the rockier side of the band full of chiming guitars and eastern-influenced riffs and rhythms, reminiscent of Led Zeppelin’s ‘Kashmir’ in parts, accompanied by an upbeat lyric of positivity, it was first recorded as part of the sessions for their number one album Zeitgeist, 30 years ago, but got replaced at the last minute and has been hidden in the vaults ever since.

Jon Sevink, the band’s violinist, reveals, “Every album has a story attached to it, a road leading from start to finish. The track listing doesn’t always give the full picture. On the Zeitgeist journey, ‘Alive’ was one of the first songs to be demoed. It remained as a potential album track right through the recording process until the mixing stage when another song ‘Just The One’ appeared as a late runner and was deemed more in line musically with the rest of the album tracks. ‘Alive’ was relegated to an also-ran and languished in the vaults until its potential was realised by a judicious edit and voila, a new lease of life. It’s a banger!!”

The video for ‘Alive’ captures the band recording in their – then – newly purchased Metway studio… which the band still rehearse and record in to this day, alongside on-the-road footage in Prague three decades ago.

ZEITGEIST 30^TH ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION TRACK LISTING
LP & CD 1: Zeitgeist 2025 Remix
1. Hope St.
2. The Fear
3. Exodus
4. Maid Of The River
5. Saturday To Sunday
6. 4am
7. Forgotten Ground
8. Fantasy
9. P.C. Keen
10. Just The One
11. Haven’t Made It
12. Leave This Town
13. Men-an-Tol

LP & CD2: Zeitgeist Bonus Tracks 2025 Remix
1. Just The One feat Joe Strummer (Single Version)
2. Drinking For England
3. Alive
4. Searchlights
5. Hope St (Acoustic Version)
6. Miles Away
7. A Promise
8. Sara’s Beach
9. Your ’Ouse

CD 3: Demos & Outtakes
1. Interview 1
2. Alive (Metway Demo 1995)
3. The Fear (Metway Demo 1995)
4. Interview 2
5. Hobo
6. Social Insecurity / Is This Art?
7. Interview 3
8. Maid Of The River (Metway Demo 1995)
9. Basement 23 Maddy Mix
10. Interview 4
11. Saturday Sunday (Metway Demo 1995)
12. Exodus (Metway Demo 1995)
13. Interview5
14. Know You (Metway Demo 1995)
15. Leave This Town (Metway Demo 1995)
16. Interview 6
17. Hope St (Metway Demo 1995)
18. P.C. Keen (Metway Demo 1995)
19. Men-An-Tol (Metway Demo 1995)
20. Interview 7
21. Zippo Man
22. Fantasy (Metway Demo 1995)