A.C.Marias – ‘One Of Our Girls (Has Gone Missing)’ Japanese CD (Mute ALCB-5, 1989)

It was still in the era of vinyl-only for me when I first bought this album – it would not be until Wire’s ‘Manscape’ album the following year that the lure of CD would prove too much, since a good chunk of that album was missing from the vinyl copy. ‘One Of Our Girls (Has Gone Missing)’ was the one and only album release by A.C. Marias and the Wire connection comes via Bruce Gilbert primarily, though it stretched back to 1980 and the ‘Dome’ album by Gilbert and Lewis (with vocals on the cool and strange ‘Cruel When Complete’) then 1981 and first actual A.C. Marias named release on the Gilbert/Lewis ‘Dome’ label, with single ‘Drop’/’So’.

I’m focusing here on the Japanese CD release which I came across many years later when I realised it benefitted for extra tracks that the UK CD did not include.

A.C.Marias - 'One Of Our Girls' Japanese CD - front cover design
^ A.C.Marias – ‘One Of Our Girls’ Japanese CD – front cover design

Continue reading “A.C.Marias – ‘One Of Our Girls (Has Gone Missing)’ Japanese CD (Mute ALCB-5, 1989)”

A Tourist’s Guide to ‘Life In Tokyo’ – Part 4

So, now that the long anticipated super deluxe re-issue of ‘Quiet Life’ and its accompanying supplementary extra ‘Life In Tokyo’ CD EP, has finally been released, time for a final instalment in this series and take stock of what’s new and what’s what.

Japan 'Life In Tokyo' CD EP 2021 front cover
^ Japan ‘Life In Tokyo’ CD EP 2021 front cover

Even more version craziness!

In a maddening example of baffling record company thinking, putting together a whole CD EP that was (seemingly) intended to gather up all official mixes of ‘Life In Tokyo’ into one place manages to come undone from the off by the inclusion only on the ‘A Quieter Life’ CD of the super deluxe box set edition of a newly unearthed version – and leave it off of the CD EP! Continue reading “A Tourist’s Guide to ‘Life In Tokyo’ – Part 4”

A Tourist’s Guide to ‘Life In Tokyo’ – Part 3


1989

‘Life In Tokyo’ ‘Souvenir From Japan’ compilation version (4’02”)


‘Life In Tokyo’ ‘Souvenir From Japan’ compilation version (4’02”)

Another Hansa label compilation and yet another variation of ‘Life In Tokyo’ sees light of day, least when you might expect it. By 1989, Japan were a long time gone and this compilation appeared out of the blue, bang in the middle of all things Madchester, Acid House and the like. No ‘Assemblage’-like sales here, sadly, an all too easily missed release. Nevertheless, I first bought this on cassette (there was never a vinyl release) and later on CD.

The 1989 Japan compilation CD 'Souvenir From Japan'
^ The 1989 Japan compilation CD ‘Souvenir From Japan’

Continue reading “A Tourist’s Guide to ‘Life In Tokyo’ – Part 3”

A Tourist’s Guide to ‘Life In Tokyo’ – Part 2


1982

‘Life In Tokyo’ (Remix) (6’15”)
‘Life In Tokyo’ (Special Remix) (4’02”)
‘Life In Tokyo’ (Extended Remix) (7’05”)
‘Life In Tokyo’ (Theme) (3’55”)
‘Life In Tokyo’ (‘Street Scene’ K-Tel compilation LP mix) (2’58”)


‘Life In Tokyo’ (Remix) (6’15”)

This wildly different version of ‘Life In Tokyo’ first saw light of day as the opening track of side two of the ‘Assemblage’ Special Edition Double Play cassette-only re-release in the UK. I think this was released October 1982, based on this advert from Record Mirror magazine, issue dated 30 October 1982. On the cassette’s card inlay it was listed as ‘Special Remix’ (and wrongly listed with a duration of 7’05”), whereas the cassette shell itself listed it just as ‘Remix’.

1982 UK 'Assemblage' Special Edition Double Play cassette box
^ 1982 UK ‘Assemblage’ Special Edition Double Play cassette box – the first release for this mix.

Continue reading “A Tourist’s Guide to ‘Life In Tokyo’ – Part 2”

A Tourist’s Guide to ‘Life In Tokyo’ – Part 1

March 2021 will see the latest re-release for Japan’s third album, ‘Quiet Life’, this time in a super deluxe boxed set edition, amongst other remastered formats (single CD, vinyl LP on different weights/colours). That particular deluxe re-issue is set to include a CD of contemporary extras (‘A Quieter Life: Alternative Mixes and Rarities’) which will include the 7″ and 12″ remixes of ‘Life In Tokyo’ made by Steve Nye and released in September 1982 in the UK, as well as ‘Life In Tokyo (Theme Giorgio Moroder Version 1979)’, the exact nature of which is yet to become clear at time of writing.

Various 1979 and 1981 singe releases of 'Life In Tokyo'
^ Various 1979 and 1981 singe releases of ‘Life In Tokyo’

Continue reading “A Tourist’s Guide to ‘Life In Tokyo’ – Part 1”