North Marine Drive is the debut album and only solo effort as a recording artist to date of Ben Watt

Ben Watt

Benjamin Brian Thomas Watt is a British musician, DJ, and record producer, best known as one half of the duo, Everything but the Girl.-Family:...

. The album was released on Cherry Red

Cherry Red

Cherry Red is a London-based independent record label formed in 1978.-History:Cherry Red grew from the rock promotion company founded in 1971 to promote rock concerts at the Malvern Winter Gardens...

 in 1983

1983 in music

This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1983.-January-April:*January – ZTT Records is founded.*January 8 – The UK singles chart is tabulated from this week forward by The Gallup Organization...

, prior to Watt's success in Everything but the Girl

Everything but the Girl

Everything but the Girl was a two-person English band, formed in Hull during 1981, consisting of lead singer and occasional guitarist Tracey Thorn and guitarist, keyboardist, and singer Ben Watt . They are currently inactive although vocalist Tracey Thorn hinted that they may reform someday...

, and reached number one in the UK Indie Chart

UK Indie Chart

The UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered...

 the same year. The tone of the album is reflective and melancholic, reminiscent of some of the more stripped-down work of Everything but the Girl. Its sparse, mainly acoustic, instrumentation effectively highlights Watt's songwriting and vocal qualities. Jazz saxophonist Peter King

Peter King (saxophonist)

Peter John King is an English jazz saxophonist, composer, and clarinettist.- Early life :Peter King was born in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, on August 11, 1940. He took up the clarinet and saxophone as a teenager, entirely self taught...

 who would go on to collaborate with Everything but the Girl contributes alto saxophone to several tracks.

Later CD reissues also feature 5 bonus tracks of Watt's collaboration with Robert Wyatt

Robert Wyatt

Robert Wyatt is an English musician, and founding member of the influential Canterbury scene band Soft Machine, with a long and distinguished solo career...

 originally released as an EP in March 1982 (Summer Into Winter). A downloadable version available from Cherry Red adds a further 3 bonus tracks, originally released on the compilation album Our Brilliant Careers: Cherry Red Rarities 1981-1983.

The song "Some Things Don't Matter" first appeared on the Cherry Red showcase compilation Pillows & Prayers

Pillows & Prayers

Pillows & Prayers is compilation album released Christmas 1982 featuring artists on the Cherry Red record label at the suggestion of A&R head Mike Alway...

in 1982.

Track listing

1. "On Box Hill" (2:27)
2. "Some Things Don't Matter" (4:27)
3. "Lucky One" (2:33)
4. "Empty Bottles" (4:38)
5. "North Marine Drive" (2:18)
6. "Waiting Like Mad" (4:52)
7. "Thirst For Knowledge" (3:30)
8. "Long Time No Sea" (5:24)
9. "You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go
   You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go
   "You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go" is a song by Bob Dylan, released on his 15th studio album Blood on the Tracks in 1975.-Cover versions:*Ben Watt made a cover of the song for his 1983 debut album North Marine Drive....
   
   " (Bob Dylan
   Bob Dylan
   Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
   
   ) (3:48)

CD reissue bonus tracks (Summer Into Winter, with Robert Wyatt)

10. "Walter and John" (4:07)


11. "Aquamarine" (4:12)


12. "Slipping Slowly" (2:53)


13. "Another Conversation With Myself" (1:24)


14. "A Girl in Winter" (3:50)

Digital download bonus tracks

15. "Can't"


16. "Tower Of Silence"


17. "Aubade"

Personnel

• Ben Watt – semi-acoustic and acoustic guitars, piano, vocals
• Peter King
  Peter King (saxophonist)
  Peter John King is an English jazz saxophonist, composer, and clarinettist.- Early life :Peter King was born in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, on August 11, 1940. He took up the clarinet and saxophone as a teenager, entirely self taught...
  
  – alto saxopohone