Here Come The Warm Jets Album: Feb 1974

Brian Eno steps out of Roxy Music’s shadow with a glam‑art explosion of sound

SUMMARY

Released on February 8, 1974, Here Come the Warm Jets marked Brian Eno’s first solo venture after departing Roxy Music. Issued on Island Records, the album fused glam‑rock flamboyance with avant‑garde experimentation, pop sensibility, and Eno’s trademark studio mischief.

Recorded and produced by Eno himself, the album brought together an eclectic cast of musicians — including former Roxy Music colleagues and players from Hawkwind, Matching Mole, Pink Fairies, Sharks, Sweetfeed, and King Crimson. Eno famously used unconventional studio directions and oblique strategies to provoke unexpected performances, shaping the record into a surreal, fractured, and forward‑leaning sonic world.

Upon release, the album reached No. 26 on the UK Albums Chart and No. 151 on the US Billboard chart. Critical reception was largely positive, and its reputation has only grown over the decades. It was reissued on CD in 1990 and remastered in 2004, continuing to be celebrated as one of Eno’s most influential works — a cornerstone of art‑rock and proto‑ambient innovation.

The album came housed in a matte picture sleeve featuring the distinctive pink rim 'palm tree' label.

This 1974 gem remains a cornerstone for Eno and Roxy Music fans. Timeless.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Released February 8, 1974

• Eno’s first solo album after leaving Roxy Music

• Issued on Island Records

• Features musicians from Roxy Music, Hawkwind, Matching Mole, Pink Fairies, Sharks, Sweetfeed and King Crimson

• Known for Eno’s unconventional production methods

• UK Chart Peak: No. 26

• US Billboard Peak: No. 151

• Reissued on CD (1990) and remastered (2004)

• Now regarded as a landmark of art‑rock and experimental pop

TRACKLISTING

A1 Needles In The Camel's Eye

A2 The Paw Paw Negro Blowtorch

A3 Baby's On Fire

A4 Cindy Tells Me

A5 Driving Me Backwards

B6 On Some Faraway Beach

B7 Blank Frank

B8 Dead Finks Don't Talk

B9 Some Of Them Are Old

B10 Here Come The Warm Jets

CHART PERFORMANCE

United Kingdom

• UK Albums Chart: No. 26

United States

• Billboard 200: No. 151

VARIATIONS

UK FIRST PRESSING

Label: Island Records

Catalogue: ILPS 9268

Notes:

• Pink rim “palm tree” Island label

• Matte sleeve with Eno portrait

• Some copies issued with a fold‑out poster

• Earliest and most collectible UK edition

UK LATER 1970s PRESSINGS

Label: Island Records

Catalogue: ILPS 9268

Notes:

• Blue “sunset” Island label

• Standard sleeve, no poster

• Widely distributed throughout late 70s

US FIRST PRESSING

Label: Island Records

Catalogue: ILPS 9268

Notes:

• Distributed by Capitol

• Tan/blue Island label variant

• Slightly different back‑cover typography

US REISSUE (1980s)

Label: Editions EG / Polydor

Catalogue: EG/Polydor variants

Notes:

• EG branding added

• Clean, minimal label design

• Common in US second‑hand bins

CD REISSUE (1990)

Label: Island Records

Notes:

• First official CD issue

• Early digital transfer, pre‑remaster

REMASTERED CD (2004)

Label: Virgin Records

Notes:

• Part of the Eno remaster campaign

• Improved clarity and EQ

• Widely available

MODERN VINYL REISSUES

Label: Various (Island / UMC / Back To Black)

Notes:

• 180g audiophile pressings

• Faithful reproduction of original artwork

• Some editions include download codes

NO SINGLES

Were there any singles from Here Come the Warm Jets?

No official singles were released from Brian Eno’s Here Come the Warm Jets in 1974.

Island Records issued the album without any accompanying 7" or 12" singles, which was unusual for the glam/art‑rock landscape of the time but very in keeping with Eno’s anti‑pop, anti‑marketing stance during his early solo period.

Why no singles?

Eno was positioning himself away from the traditional pop‑star model he’d occupied in Roxy Music.

The album’s tracks were experimental, collage‑like, and not structured for radio play.

Island Records marketed the album through press adverts (like the NME one you posted) rather than singles.

Promotional activity instead

The NME advert (Feb 9, 1974) served as the primary promotional push.

Eno performed some tracks live with The Winkies on TV (TopPop, April 1974), but even these performances didn’t correspond to single releases.

Later reissues?

Still no singles — even the 1990 CD reissue and 2004 remaster avoided issuing any tracks as standalone singles.

SOURCES

- Island Records release documentation

- UK and US chart archives

- NME Advert (February 9, 1974)

- Discogs catalogue references

- Wikipedia summary

This advertisement was featured in NME on February 9, 1974, announcing the album's release.