Category: Small objects of desire

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Thomas Leer – ‘4 Movements’ UK 12″ EP (Cherry Red, 12 Cherry 28, 1981)

‘4 Movements’ is a four track 12″ EP from 1981 on Cherry Red records, the second solo release by Thomas, following some time after his initial self-released debut 7″ single, ‘Private Plane / International’ and after his joint LP recorded with Robert Rental, ‘The Bridge’.

Thomas Leer - 'Four Movements' UK 12" EP - front sleeve design
^ Thomas Leer – ‘Four Movements’ UK 12″ EP – front sleeve design

The ‘4 Movements’ 12″ EP had been my entry point into all things Thomas Leer – specifically, the track ‘‘Tight As A Drum’, which I had heard played on the BBC Radio 1 John Peel show one night, August 1981 (I think). It sounded amazing – such a busy, unique sound and structure, its no surprise that that track in particular has had something of a renaissance by its inclusion on various post-punk compilations over the years. The sound has movement alright – like it’s been plugged into the voltage and animated into life as some form of echoing dub that is both coming and going at the same time. Continue reading “Thomas Leer – ‘4 Movements’ UK 12″ EP (Cherry Red, 12 Cherry 28, 1981)”

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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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Drinking Electricity ‘Subliminal’ / ‘Random Particles’ UK 7″ double-A side single (Survival, SUR001, 1981)

Once more a post on the mysterious Drinking Electricity. Their first few single releases were on the Pop:Aural label, (including the previously featured ‘Cruising Missiles’ and ‘Shake Some Action’) but by the time of this – their fourth 7” single – the band had parted company with Bob Last and Hilary Morrison’s label and with this release would debut their very own label, Survival Records.

Drinking Electricity 'Subliminal' / 'Random Particles' UK 7" double-A side single - 'Subliminal' side
^ Drinking Electricity ‘Subliminal’ / ‘Random Particles’ UK 7″ double-A side single – ‘Subliminal’ side

Continue reading “Drinking Electricity ‘Subliminal’ / ‘Random Particles’ UK 7″ double-A side single (Survival, SUR001, 1981)”

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Button Badge Goodness: Bauhaus (Part 2)

Following on from part 1 in this series posted late last year, here’s a modest follow-up that focuses on a badge set that was available to buy from the official merch staff at Bauhaus gigs from the period of their second reformation in 2005/2006. As well as a good number of live shows, that period of reformation also spawned the ‘Go Away White’ album, as featured on a previous VersionCrazy post in its Japanese CD edition with exclusive track.

Bauhaus button badge selection 2
^ Bauhaus button badge selection 2

Continue reading “Button Badge Goodness: Bauhaus (Part 2)”

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Kraftwerk ‘Computer World’ Japanese bonus track CD (Toshiba-EMI, TOCP-8974 / 0777 7460402 4, 1997)

To this day, Kraftwerk remain an act that does things its own unique way and more often that not flies in the face of the norms of the music business. If you expect to be able to find the band’s back catalogue re-issued every few years with a multitude of bonus tracks added, you will be very mistaken. For the most part, the albums come as the album’s were originally released, with no extra tracks such as remixes, alternative versions, etc. In some cases, you simply cannot find official releases at all – e.g. the bands first three albums (‘Kraftwerk’, ‘Kraftwerk 2’, ‘Ralf and Florian’) have never received any official re-release since 1980 and never on CD/digitally. One exception to Kraftwerk’s otherwise strict behaviour however is this CD dating from January 1997, a Japanese CD edition of ‘Computer World’ that contains… hold your breath… a bonus track!

Kraftwerk 'Computer World' 1997 Japanese CD re-issue - front cover and obi
^ Kraftwerk ‘Computer World’ 1997 Japanese CD re-issue – front cover and obi

Continue reading “Kraftwerk ‘Computer World’ Japanese bonus track CD (Toshiba-EMI, TOCP-8974 / 0777 7460402 4, 1997)”