Category: Region crazy

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Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark ‘O.M.D.’ US compilation album (Virgin/Epic FE 37411, 1981)

Quite a few of my favourite bands were to see their albums sliced and diced and re-packaged for overseas markets. With no UK equivalent, these were interesting regional curiosities that the record industry of the time would throw up and were exotic manna for collectors such as I. Released in America only, this compilation is one such example, others being similar releases by Japan and Heaven 17. ‘O.M.D.’ pulled together much of the band’s debut, self-titled, album and their second, ‘Organisation’.

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark O.M.D. US compilation LP, 1981, front cover design
^ Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark O.M.D. US compilation LP, 1981, front cover design

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Peter Murphy ‘4 Cuts Deep’ Canadian Promo-only Cassette EP (Beggars Banquet / Vertigo PROC 51, 1990)

‘Deep’ was very much Peter Murphy’s breakthrough solo album and perhaps it was in no small part due to the promotional push of the record company machinery of the era, still some years away from the MP3 meltdown and subsequent diminished times. This cassette is one of those curious promo-only releases of the era picked up along the way, a reminder of those times.

Peter Murphy '4 Cuts Deep' Canadian Promo-only Cassette EP - front pack design
^ Peter Murphy ‘4 Cuts Deep’ Canadian Promo-only Cassette EP – front pack design

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Danielle Dax – ‘The Janice Long Session’ UK 12″ EP / ‘The BBC Sessions’ US CD EP (Strange Fruit / Nighttracks, SFNT 006, 1987 / Dutch East India Trading/Strange Fruit, DEI8002-2, 1991]

Another example from the many releases on Strange Fruit from the late ’80s into the ’90s that delved back into the BBC Radio 1 session recording archives. This one is on the ‘Nighttracks’ imprint which was reserved for the sessions that were recorded for the BBC Radio 1 evening shows other than John Peel’s show – sadly, that sun-label only released a fraction of the possible sessions compared to the main label.

Slightly different titles on these two releases, but the same session. Dating from the period of the ‘Yummer Yummer Man’ single release, the tracks chosen range from the then current single back through the previous ‘Jesus Egg That Wept’ mini-album and ‘Pop Eyes’ album.

Danielle Dax - 'The Janice Long Session' UK 12" EP / 'The BBC Sessions' US CD EP front cover designs
^ Danielle Dax – ‘The Janice Long Session’ UK 12″ EP / ‘The BBC Sessions’ US CD EP front cover designs

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Suzanne Vega – ‘Live In London 1986’ Australian Mini-Album (A&M, L20054, 1986)

‘Live In London 1986’ is a curious yet appealing release I spotted amongst the racks way back in the day, styled to fit in with the UK single releases of ‘Left Of Center’ and ‘Marlene On The Wall’ (1986 re-release) by the looks of it. Turns out that it was only issued in Australia, New Zealand and Japan and it is made up of a variety of live recordings that in some cases found themselves spread across various B side and 12″ singles in the UK – but also a couple that look to be exclusive to this release. My copy is the Australian vinyl mini-album, picked up on import.

Suzanne Vega - 'Live In London 1986' Australian mini-album front cover design
^ Suzanne Vega – ‘Live In London 1986’ Australian mini-album front cover design

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Xmal Deutschland – ‘The Peel Sessions’ UK 12″ EP / US CD EP [Strange Fruit, SFPS017, 1986 / Dutch East India Trading, DEI8313-2, 1991]

The Strange Fruit label series of John Peel Sessions was a real godsend… so much good stuff made available from a fate of home recorded cassettes taped from (at best) occasionally hissy FM or dull and crackly medium wave radio broadcasts. This particular release of Xmal Deutschland and their spring 1985 John Peel session is an interesting one in a number of respects.

Xmal Deutschland - 'The Peel Sessions' UK 12" EP / US CD EP front covers
^ Xmal Deutschland – ‘The Peel Sessions’ UK 12″ EP / US CD EP front covers

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