Category: Obscurios

Posted on

Rema-Rema, ‘Wheel In The Roses’ CD EP (4AD, BAD 5CD) / Various artists: ‘Natures Mortes’ (4AD CAD 117CD)

The original release of the ‘Wheel In The Roses’ EP was one of the earliest 4AD releases, coming after the initial batch of four singles that had gone under the label’s original name of ‘Axis’. It was the only release from Rema-Rema, a short-lived band but from whom the seeds of a good few other acts would evolve or intersect, including Wolfgang Press, Renegade Soundwave, Psychic TV and of course most famously Marco Pirroni’s saddle-up with Adam Ant.

'Wheel In The Roses' CD EP - front cover, inner sleeve (front), insert (front) and CD label
^ ‘ Wheel In The Roses’ CD EP – front cover, inner sleeve (front), insert (front) and CD label

What I love about this small object of desire is that despite it being so wilfully obscure and the band’s only proper release (two other songs did appear as live recordings on a tape-only compilation, ‘The Men With the Deadly Dreams’) (the songs from which can be heard on the Rema Rema MySpace site), 4AD saw fit to lovingly reproduce it in CD form. Perhaps it could be down to the fact that despite it’s obscurity, two of the songs had been covered subsequently – ‘Fond Affections’ appearing on the first This Mortal Coil album, ‘It’ll End In Tears’, with Big Black taking on ‘Rema-Rema’ itself. Continue reading “Rema-Rema, ‘Wheel In The Roses’ CD EP (4AD, BAD 5CD) / Various artists: ‘Natures Mortes’ (4AD CAD 117CD)”

Posted on

Flying Lizards ‘Move On Up’ Japanese ‘Pic Label’ series 12″ single (Virgin, VIP-5902)

Japanese releases have always been fabulously exotic and collectable to me, with their disregard for replicating the exact same releases elsewhere and willingness to mix and match tracks into new combinations, such as 12″ mini-albums and so on. Plus of course the extra attention to detail with the quality of sleeve designs, inserts and packaging in general. Virgin released a series of ‘pic label’ releases by a few of my favourites such as John Foxx, The Human League, Japan, and, in the subject of this post, The Flying Lizards.

Flying Lizards 'Move On Up' Japanese 'Pic Label' series 12" single front sleeve with Obi
^ Flying Lizards ‘Move On Up’ Japanese ‘Pic Label’ series 12 inch single front sleeve with Obi

Hailing from late 1980, this 12″ compiles various tracks from all of the Flying Lizards singles up to that point and comes in a die-cut sleeve with an over-sized 6″ picture label on show (front only) – ‘Move On Up’ (Single edit) and Portugal from the A and B side respectively of the ‘Move On Up’ 7″ single, ‘All Guitars’ from the B side of the ‘Summertime Blues’ single, ‘Money’ (the longer, album version though) from the ‘Money’ single (which was available on 12″ in some territories) and ‘Tube’ from the B side of the ‘TV’ single. Continue reading “Flying Lizards ‘Move On Up’ Japanese ‘Pic Label’ series 12″ single (Virgin, VIP-5902)”

Posted on

Ultravox! ’12” Mini-Album’ Australian Mini-LP (Island/Festival, L 20003 / IEL-8)

On first sight you’d be forgiven for thinking that you are just looking at the regular UK 7″ of Ultravox!’s ‘Retro’ live EP from 1978…

Front cover of the Australian 12" mini-LP from 1981
^ Front cover of the Australian 12″ mini-LP from 1981

But look closer though and you’ll then notice that only the ‘Ultravox!’ text is included (no Live / Retro text) and there is also a ‘Mini LP’ logo. Continue reading “Ultravox! ’12” Mini-Album’ Australian Mini-LP (Island/Festival, L 20003 / IEL-8)”

Posted on

Wire ‘Eardrum Buzz’ clear vinyl 7″ single (Mute, MUTE 87)

An odd little curio this one – I don’t recall it having been available when the single was first released in 1989 and I came across it a couple of years later courtesy of ‘Record Collector’ magazine, where it was advertised as a ‘withdrawn’ release. Given that Wire had already singed their fingers with the ill-fated ‘Outdoor Miner’ white vinyl single (excluded from its rightful chart position due to hyping allegations), perhaps this was culled at birth to avoid any similar troubles… who knows?

Wire 'Eardrum Buzz' clear vinyl 7" single and picture cover
^ Wire ‘Eardrum Buzz’ clear vinyl 7 inch single and picture cover

It is no different from the regular 7″ release other than the see-through nature of the vinyl, so its one for collectable vinyl junkies only, I dare say. Continue reading “Wire ‘Eardrum Buzz’ clear vinyl 7″ single (Mute, MUTE 87)”

Posted on

Steven Severin ‘Kidnap Garden’, UK promo-only CD (Ryko, RMCD003)

‘Kidnap Garden’ is a promo-only CD featuring a variety of Steven Severin’s non-Banshees songwriting examples – not only his solo material but also examples from The Glove (his 1983 collaboration with Robert Smith of The Cure) as well as Marc and the Mambas.

'Kidnap Garden' front sleeve design

Commissioned by his publishing company of the period, Ryko, the CD is a promo-only affair released in 2004 and not commercially available. More’s the pity, as it is a nicely packaged selection, complete with sleeve notes including track by track comments courtesy of Mr Severin himself. Continue reading “Steven Severin ‘Kidnap Garden’, UK promo-only CD (Ryko, RMCD003)”