Category: Cassette pets

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Kraftwerk – ‘Tour de France’ UK cassette single (EMI, TC-EMI 5413, 1983)

What a complicated tale there is to Kraftwerk’s ‘Tour de France’ single. So many versions! This post takes a brief dip into the story to focus on only one release, the rather novel cassette single edition that came out in the UK for the single’s original release in 1983. The mixes of the song featured on this cassingle mirror those to be found on the original 1983 UK 12” single, these being;

Side One:

  1. Tour De France (Long Version) (6’30”)

Side Two:

  1. Tour De France (3’00”) (NB: This was the same mix as on the A side of the 1983 UK 7” single too.)
  2. Tour De France 2è Étape (2’40”)

Now then, it’s important to point out from the off that the first two tracks on this release are the French language versions. The third track – ‘Tour de France 2è Étape’ – is listed as ‘Tour de France’ (Version) on the 12” record label and cassette shell instead, for some odd reason. This 2è Étape mix is NOT the same as the mix that was on the B side of the 1983 7” UK single, despite having a similar duration of 2’40”. The 7” B side is a genuine, shorter instrumental mix whereas ‘Tour de France 2è Étape’ doesn’t really feature the music and is more of an electronic percussion and effects workout.

Kraftwerk – ‘Tour de France’ 1983 UK cassette single front cover design
^ Kraftwerk – ‘Tour de France’ 1983 UK cassette single front cover design

Continue reading “Kraftwerk – ‘Tour de France’ UK cassette single (EMI, TC-EMI 5413, 1983)”

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Side by side: Tones On Tail – ‘Tones On Tail’ US compilation CD and cassette (Beggars Banquet/RCA, 2410-2-H / 2410-4-H, 1990)

Another compilation that sifts through the Tones On Tail back catalogue panning for gold… this time out it was on CD and cassette formats only – and the cassette version included three extra tracks. This was issued in 1990 in the United States – and was the third compilation released in the US by this point (preceded by ‘The Album Pop’ in 1984 and ‘Night Music’ in 1987).

Tones On Tail - 'Tones On Tail' US compilation cassette and CD front cover designs side by side

    ^ Tones On Tail – ‘Tones On Tail’ US compilation cassette and CD front cover designs side by side

Continue reading “Side by side: Tones On Tail – ‘Tones On Tail’ US compilation CD and cassette (Beggars Banquet/RCA, 2410-2-H / 2410-4-H, 1990)”

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Scritti Politti – ‘The “Sweetest Girl”’ version craziness

‘The “Sweetest Girl”’ never provided Scritti Politti with the full-on pop chart hit that might have ambitiously been hoped for, but the impact it made with its sea-change in style ensured its high profile all the same. What I had not quite appreciated until more recent years was just how many versions of the song there are and it’s curiously stop/start release history.

Scritti Politti - The "Sweetest Girl" versions
^ Scritti Politti – The “Sweetest Girl” versions

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Year by Year: Cocteau Twins – 1988

1988 saw the band return from what, to the outside world, probably looked like some kind of extended break, but had witnessed the band finesse their studio in Acton and record the album ‘Blue Bell Knoll’. Along the way, it also saw the band make changes in their relationship with 4AD records, including signing a new deal for five further albums for the label and their American releases made via Capitol records, as well as further worldwide territories.

Blue Bell Knoll LP / CD / Cassette / DAT

LP version (4AD CAD 807)

The original release of the vinyl album came packaged in a tri-fold sleeve and, unlike previous releases, it was not the work of 4AD’s in-house designers 23 Envelope, but by designer Paul West and Jeremy Tilston, with photography by Juergen Teller.

Cocteau Twins 'Blue Bell Knoll' 1988 UK LP fold-out front cover design
^ Cocteau Twins ‘Blue Bell Knoll’ 1988 UK LP fold-out front cover design

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Year by Year: Cocteau Twins – 1987

Cocteau Twins stepped off of the production line in 1987 and their only release of the year was one previously unissued track which was included on a 4AD label compilation LP, ‘Lonely Is An Eyesore’, released in June 1987. The track in question was ‘Crushed’. The band were far from idle however, just that their efforts were in other directions, not least in the direction of creating their first permanent recording base from which to work, based in Acton, where they enlisted the aid of members of 4AD label-mates Colourbox and Dif Juz in the fit-out and construction of the space.

Deluxe Edition LP: ‘Lonely Is An Eyesore’ (4AD CAD D 703)

‘Lonely Is An Eyesore’ was very much a project of the label founder, Ivo – and consequently, it was lavished with some degree of effort in its presentation and formatting. The ultimate edition is a wooden box-cased version which gathers together all formats of the release (4AD, CADX 703), but that is up there in the stratospheric level of 4AD collectables due to the extremely limited numbers it was produced in (apparently 100, most of which were allocated to members of the acts involved. More on that below…

Next on the list however is this Deluxe Edition of the LP format…

'Lonely Is An Eyesore' UK deluxe LP pack front cover design
^ ‘Lonely Is An Eyesore’ UK deluxe LP pack front cover design

According to what looks to be an informed source via a comment of the discogs.com entry for this release, this Deluxe Edition appears to have been pressed up in an edition of 10,000 copies. Lavish it certainly is compared to the standard vinyl LP (4AD, CAD 703), since it comes packaged in an outer slipcase which houses a three-way fold-out insert/sleeve as well as  an inner sleeve for the record plus a large size (12”x12”) 24 page booklet. Continue reading “Year by Year: Cocteau Twins – 1987”