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Jimmy Pursey ‘Animals Have More Fun’ UK 7″ single (Epic, EPC A1336, 1981)

This is a release I know next to nothing about and which ordinarily might never have been in my record collection, given that I was never very much into the more ramalama punky end of the spectrum, much preferring the artier end of the new wave. So a solo release from Jimmy Pursey of Sham 69, which I’d have tagged at the shoutier end of the street in my ignorance, was never likely to be leaping out of the record racks back in my youth. Yet, this release is something else altogether. When I first heard it, I’d never in a million years have thought it had that connection. What it does have is Peter Gabriel written all over it – for musically this seems very much a production of he and John Ellis, one time Vibrator and later Strangler, amongst other credits. Musically, this certainly has 80/82 Gabriel all over it. A low quality dub can be heard on youtube.

Jimmy Pursey 'Animals Have More Fun' UK 7" sleeve
^ Jimmy Pursey \’Animals Have More Fun\’ UK 7 inch sleeve

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Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark – ‘Maid of Orleans (The Waltz Joan of Arc)’ (Dindisc DIN40-12, 1982)

The re-energised Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark will soon be releasing their second album since they returned to active duty, ‘English Electric’. The emerging picture points towards something that may revisit the spirit of 1983’s left-field wonder that is ‘Dazzle Ships’. Certainly the recently released cover artwork for the album harks back to Peter Saville’s angular design for that work.

'Maid of Orleans' front cover design 1
^ ‘Maid of Orleans’ front cover design 1

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Adam and the Ants – ‘Zerox’ UK 7″ (Do It, DUN8, 1979/1981)

An impeccable slab of early Antz, which has been resurrected in the live shows that Adam Ant has been playing in recent years. While I’ve known for a long while that there was the famous ‘mis-pressing’ that featured a take of ‘Physical (You’re So)’ on the B side instead of ‘Whip In My Valise’, it was much later in the day that I realised some small differences to the A side as well on different issues of this single.

Adam and the Ants - 'Zerox' 7 inch single
^ Adam and the Ants – ‘Zerox’ 7 inch single

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Japan – ‘Nightporter’ Japanese 12″ ‘Pic Label’ series single (Virgin, VIP-4181, 1982)

In a previous post, I looked at the UK single release of ‘Nightporter’, which saw a 7″, 12″ and unique DJ edit 7″ editions. Another notable issue is the Japanese 12″ 6-song ‘Pic Label’ series EP (Virgin, VIP-4181). Retaining the same design for the front as the UK 12″ release, the rear featured a band pic along with the titles for the featured songs – which gathered together a number of edits and non-LP tracks that had surfaced originally on UK singles.

Japan - 'Nightporter' Japanese pic label 12 inch single
^ Japan – \’Nightporter\’ Japanese pic label 12 inch single

Of note, despite being a 12″ single, it is the 5’02” remix that is featured, as per the regular UK 7″ single, as opposed to the longer 12″ remix you might have expected to find. Similarly, despite being titled as ‘Long Version’, ‘Ghosts’ as featured on this release is in fact the same 7″ edit as per the UK single release. Finishing off side one, ‘The Art of Parties’ is the live ‘version’ that first appeared on the flip side of the ‘Ghosts’ UK 7″ single. Side two of this 12″ features a couple of tracks from the ‘Gentlemen Take Polaroids’ UK 7″ single along with ‘Life Without Buildings’, the superb B side of the original ‘Art of Parties’ single release. Continue reading “Japan – ‘Nightporter’ Japanese 12″ ‘Pic Label’ series single (Virgin, VIP-4181, 1982)”

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Japan – ‘Nightporter’ remix single, 1982

UK 7″ single (Virgin, VS 554), 1982
A: ‘Nightporter’ (Remix) (5’02”) / B: ‘Ain’t That Peculiar’ (Remix) (4’58”)

UK 12″ single (Virgin, VS 554-12), 1982
A: ‘Nightporter’ (Remix – Extended) (6’48”) / B: ‘Methods of Dance’ (6’53”)

UK 7″ promo DJ edit single (Virgin, VDJ554), 1982
A: ‘Nightporter’ (Remix – Edit) (3’38”) / B: ‘Ain’t That Peculiar’ (Remix) (4’58”)

Japan 'Nightporter' UK 7 inch single sleeve
^ Japan ‘Nightporter’ UK 7 inch single sleeve

Japan were rich pickings for collectors in their heyday, due to the large amount of single releases that competing record labels issued to try and capitalise on the market that existed for a band who’s time had finally come, with the rise of all things New Romantic. Yet, as many flopped as would succeed. The band had been signed to the German label Ariola-Hansa and put out three albums and a handful of accompanying, and non-LP, singles between 1978 and the start of 1980, only to jump ship to Virgin, where a further two studio LPs would see a release. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason as to what hit and what didn’t. ‘Life In Tokyo’, easily one of the bands most commercial efforts was released and re-released several times over and never became anything more than a minor hit in the lower reaches of the Top 40 of the day, while the genuinely eerie sounding ‘Ghosts’ which you would never imagine as single material proved to be the bands biggest ever hit single, when it peaked at number 5 in the Top 40 in early 1982.

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