Released at the end of the initial period of Wire’s 3rd act – after Send and before the band’s post-Bruce Gilbert re-invention – Read and Burn 03 never quite got the attention it deserved. However the opening track 23 Years Too Late, with its tour narrative text and motorik rhythm stands as one of the band’s finest achievements of any era in the view of both core fans & the band (a rare point of agreement!). The original EP, 3rd in the Read and Burn series and the one not compiled on to the Send album, was the last non-historic release by the original Wire line up of Colin Newman, Graham Lewis, Bruce Gilbert and Robert Grey and has never been properly released on vinyl. The 2026 version brings the original 4 tracks and adds 3 more. While some of the tracks originated as part of the 2001-2002 sessions that gave forth Send, others have a more storied history. 23 Years Too Late actually started life as a highly transformed cover of the 70’s Wire single Dot Dash – performed under the name Dip Flash as part of Iain Sinclair's London Orbital, a night at the Barbican London on 25th October 2002, celebrating London’s M25 motorway (AKA The Orbital). The never previously released piece in its original form is included as an additional track. Meanwhile Desert Diving actually started life as a version of the Chairs Missing track Heartbeat as performed live at the Garage, London during Wire’s series of concerts there in May 2000. The original version of Our Time and an alternate mix of Desert Diving are the other additional tracks.
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