April 2025

‘The Basics’ is a curious oddity, a 1986 Japanese-only compilation that gathers together various mixes of five singles that were peeled from the ‘Cupid & Psyche ’85’ album. It comes housed in a design based on the UK 1985 12″/gatefold 7″ single sleeve design. Why the title of ‘The Basics’? I have no idea. And despite being housed in a sleeve filched from the UK 12″ of ‘Perfect Way’, the mix of that song that is included is actually a quite different mix, originally hailing from the US 12″ single! Odd!

Scritti Politti 'The Basics' 1986 mini-album - LP and cassette front cover designs — ^ Scritti Politti ‘The Basics’ 1986 mini-album – LP and cassette front cover designs

The sleeve lists various differing mixes that are included – definitely worth a deeper dive to cross/reference… Continue reading “Scritti Politti ‘The Basics’ Japanese mini album LP and cassette [Virgin, 20VB-1083 / 20VC-1083, 1986]”

Another Record Store Day and another new, limited edition Propaganda release culled from the ZTT label archives. 2024’s, ‘Die 1000 Augen Des Dr. Mabuse’, was very much a ‘Part 1’, so you might have expected any Propaganda RSD release to continue onwards with that. But no, this year moved to focus on both sides of the band’s ‘p:Machinery’/‘Frozen Faces’ single, first released in summer 1985. The Propaganda of ‘A Secret Wish’ were always about the duality, so as well as both songs, this release also features the subsequent αlpha and βeta versions that have come to be released or retitled over the many ‘after the fact’ releases from ZTT.

Propaganda 'p:Machinery (The αlpha/βeta Definition)' Record Store Day LP 2025 front cover design. — ^ Propaganda ‘p:Machinery (The αlpha/βeta Definition)’ Record Store Day LP 2025 front cover design.

Continue reading “Propaganda ‘p:Machinery (The αlpha/βeta Definition)’ Record Store Day LP (ZTT / Universal Music Recordings, ZTDS 96 / 7535890, 2025)”