The date has been set for the reissue of Sister, the long- out- of- print original Letters to Cleo EP. Sister was released only as a cassette in 1991 on the band's own Rebecca Lula records (which the band later adopted as the name of their publishing company).

The reissue -- available for the first time on CD -- hits the streets Nov. 17 through the band's Dot.Rat records (a reference to local slang for residents of Dorchester, a Boston suburb). In addition to being available through the band's Web site [www.letterstocleo.com], the CD is being distributed by Wicked Disc, the label operated by Boston record chain Newbury Comics.

"It's about not losing money more than it is about making money," says a spokesman for the band. The CD gives fans a chance to hear how the band has grown from their early -- and, it should be noted, somewhat funkier -- days without settling for a low-quality copy or paying for a bootleg version.

The Sister CD includes the original seven tracks (which feature only singer Kay Hanley and guitarist Greg McKenna from the current lineup) mastered for the first time, along with four songs previously available only on compilations or as B-sides.

"Green Eggs," the first song recorded with guitarist Michael Eisenstein, first appeared on the Crush compilation, the inaugural disc for Boston indie CherryDisc, which has since been incorporated into Roadrunner Records. Two covers, "Secret Agent" and Scruffy the Cat's "You Dirty Rat" (which was also on 1996's Safe and Sound compilation), turned up as B-sides on import versions of the "Here & Now" single, while a cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams" -- the last song recorded with Stacy Jones as a proper member of the band -- previously appeared only on the Spirit of '73 Rock for Choice compilation.

Meanwhile, Letters to Cleo, who were tapped for Jawbreaker, the forthcoming Darren Stein film (starring Pam Grier and Rose McGowan, among others), recently re-recorded "I See" for the soundtrack. The revamped version marks the third time the band has recorded the song. Earlier versions of the song -- recorded without current bassist Scott Riebling -- appear on Sister and the band's debut album Aurora Gory Alice. As previously reported in allstar, Riebling and Eisenstein, along with former Cleo drummer Stacy Jones, will avoid the late autumn chill in New England when they head to Hawaii next month to play on ex-Veruca Salt co-leader Nina Gordon's solo album.