Just a quick bit of news to pass on. Bill Fay phoned up an hour or so ago, as he does from time to time, to let us know that he’s preparing a new reissue of his two classic albums – this time with a bonus disc of unreleased material.

“Bill Fay” and “Time Of The Last Persecution” look like they’re going to be released together by David Tibet’s estimable Durtro label in the spring, with all profits – at Bill’s behest – going to Medecins Sans Frontieres.

For those of us who already have those incredible records – and I’ve alluded to my love for Fay here before, when he played with Wilco in London last year – the bonus disc looks intriguing. According to Bill, his old bandmates have unearthed a bunch of sessions from the same 1971-ish period as “Time Of The Last Persecution”, with alternate versions (including a take on one of the stand-outs from Fay’s debut album, “The Sun Is Bored”) and some previously unreleased songs.

The last music we’ve heard from Bill, “Tomorrow, Tomorrow & Tomorrow”, came out in 2005, though it was recorded about 25 years earlier. Now, it seems there’ll finally be the opportunity to hear what he’s been up to in the interim, since he reckons the bonus disc will also include some home recordings from the past few years.

When he sends me some music, I’ll let you know. Can’t wait, to be honest.