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Berlin Blondes, ‘Science’ Japanese 7″ promo single (EMI, EMS 17031, 1980)

A little known Scottish band, was aware of them at the time but never heard them. Through the delights of vinyl blogs I have since become acquainted with their limited output and have liked what I have heard. One can imagine that they possibly got sucked up and spat out by the EMI corporate machine looking for the Next Big Thing. Only one album and three singles (one post-EMI) saw light of day, none of which have ever seen a subsequent CD release as far as I’m aware.

Berlin Blondes 'Science' Japanese single picture insert - front
^ Berlin Blondes ‘Science’ Japanese single picture insert – front

This particular number is a Japanese promo edition of their first single, ‘Science’. The album and first two single were produced by Mike Thorne, more famously associated beforehand with Wire and subsequently with Soft Cell. Musically, this might bridge both worlds, to some extent, with the requisite angular guitar and a very prominent bass to the fore, but plenty of synthesizer on board to colour the sound along with drum machines. Well worth seeking out if you have a penchant for early 80s pop oddness, this contrasts well with a lot of other material from the same era. Continue reading “Berlin Blondes, ‘Science’ Japanese 7″ promo single (EMI, EMS 17031, 1980)”

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Side by side: Associates ‘Sulk’ UK / European / US variations

If you are a fan of the Associates then ‘Sulk’ needs no introduction, being easily a high water mark for them and their particularly unique take on pop – but the variations on this release cause some confusion and probably you have a different idea of what exactly constitutes this album depending on when or where you bought it…

^ Side by side: Outer and inner sleeves of the original UK (left-hand side) and later European issues of 'Sulk' (right-hand side) on vinyl
^ Side by side: Outer and inner sleeves of the original UK (left-hand side) and later European issues of ‘Sulk’ (right-hand side) on vinyl

For me, the definitive version is the one I bought just after it came out in Britain;

‘Sulk’ (Associates/Beggars Banquet, ASCL1, vinyl LP)
Side One:

  1. Arrogance Gave Him Up
  2. No
  3. Bap De La Bap
  4. Gloomy Sunday
  5. Nude Spoons

Side Two:

  1. Skipping
  2. It’s Better This Way
  3. Party Fears Two
  4. Club Country
  5. nothinginsomethingparticular

A few notes before moving on… prior to the album’s release, ‘Party Fears Two’, ‘It’s Better This Way’ and ‘Club Country’ had all been released on singles – the versions on this album edition are all different to any from the singles. Continue reading “Side by side: Associates ‘Sulk’ UK / European / US variations”

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‘Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark’ US die-cut sleeve re-issue CD (MicroWerks, MW060, 2010)

A new release this, as of June 2010 – an American re-issue of the first album by Orchestral ManÅ“uvres in the Dark, this time round packaged in something approaching the style of the original vinyl issue.

Front of sleeve, opened out
^ Front of sleeve, opened out

I’ll let the photos speak for themselves so you can see what the packaging is like. Musically, the CD is like the 2003 CD re-master except that it loses two tracks, the ‘Electricity’ and ‘Almost’ Martin Hannett/Cargo Studios versions. If you’ve already got the CD and aren’t overly fussed about the packaging, walk on by people, nothing to see here and you are losing two tracks. If however you have a thing for a miniature reproduction of such a fantastic sleeve design, this may well be softly cooing your name already…

Back of front cover and inner
^ Back of front cover and inner

Continue reading “‘Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark’ US die-cut sleeve re-issue CD (MicroWerks, MW060, 2010)”

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Bauhaus – ‘Mask’ original UK issue LP (Beggars Banquet, BEGA29, 1981)

What we have here is the original release of the second Bauhaus album, ‘Mask’, released in 1981. I say original because it was later re-released in a slightly altered sleeve and label design (presumably after the breakthrough success of the ‘Ziggy Stardust’/’Third Uncle’ single, though I don’t know that for sure). The front and back of the cover remained the same, but as you’ll spy from the accompanying photos the inner gatefold of this version features a single band photo and all text in blue. The subsequent re-issue features a spread of photos taken from the shoot for the ‘Mask’ promo video and all text is in white. Label-wise, the original came with the standard-issue Beggars Banquet labels of a 1981 vintage – the later copies had the white/black Bauhaus ‘face’ design labels.

Mask 1981 UK LP - front sleeve and original label design
^ Mask 1981 UK LP – front sleeve and original label design

View at a larger size

There have been a couple of CD re-issues in gatefold mini-LP sleeve reproductions for this album now. First to appear was the Japanese issue in 2004 (featuring the standard album tracks plus a selection of extra tracks from singles of the era) and then late in 2009 a boxed ‘Omnibus Edition’ was released – this featured the ‘Mask’ album on one CD with its original tracks only and in a reproduction gatefold sleeve, plus two additional CDs – one with singles/B sides/previously unreleased out-takes and the other with a 1981 live recording. Both the Japanese mini-LP edition and ‘Omnibus’ re-issues have used the later sleeve design for their covers as opposed to the original version featured here today. Continue reading “Bauhaus – ‘Mask’ original UK issue LP (Beggars Banquet, BEGA29, 1981)”

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‘Dreams and Desires’ tape (Pleasantly Surprised, PS006, 1984)

‘Dreams and Desires’ was one the ‘Pleasantly Surprised’ series of various artist cassette compilations that appeared throughout the first half of the ’80s, this particular example hailing from late 1984. The sleeve design clearly has a nod and a wink to the Joy Division feel of ‘Closer’, while musically the selection is something of a feast for fans of the 4AD label, with demo/instrumental versions to be found from several of the then current 4AD stable.

Cassette - 'Dreams' side
^ Cassette – ‘Dreams’ side
Cassette - 'Desires' side
^ Cassette – ‘Desires’ side

Continue reading “‘Dreams and Desires’ tape (Pleasantly Surprised, PS006, 1984)”