Category: Versions, versions

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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’

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VersionCrazy Rewind #1

In the first of what will likely be an occasional series, rather than post something new, time to rewind and revisit earlier posts where since first publication new information has come to light either via valuable reader comments or subsequent info coming to light.

Gary Numan – ‘Telekon’ 2015 double album reissue

At the the time of publication, I noted that one of the unique things about this latest (of many) re-issues to Gary Numan’s 1980 album ‘Telekon’ was that it included a previously unreleased ‘Alternative Mix’ (as listed on the cover) of ‘I Die: You Die’ which was a much earlier, less developed version – and that this release appeared to be vinyl only, so no easy way to get a digital format. Since then, I note that the full double album re-issue has become available to download in high quality (or stream) from Qobuz.com. Check this mix out for yourself here: Telekon 2015 on Qobuz.com. Continue reading “VersionCrazy Rewind #1”

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Side by side: Hard Corps – Porte-Bonheur / Lucky Charm versions

A surprisingly complicated tale to tell when it comes to the various versions of Hard Corps and their final single release, ‘Lucky Charm’ (in English) / ‘Porte Bonheur’ (en Français) that go beyond just the different language variants. In short – most have never been issued on CD and remain exclusive to the various original vinyl releases of the time, both UK and France, since the 7″ and 12″ versions not only differ in language, but in some cases the edits (rather than mixes) too. The only versions from vinyl that have ever appeared on CD are the 7″ mix of ‘Porte Bonheur’ – found on the B sides of the UK 7″ and French 7″ – this version appeared on the ‘Metal and Flesh’ CD – and the UK 12″ A side on a semi-official(?) compilation CD (and possibly a needle-drop at that?) ‘Euro Disco – The Lost Legends Vol. 2’. If you’re thinking that the ‘Metal and Flesh’ CD had the French language 12″ mix on it… pardonez moi, non! It nearly did… the mix is there, but edited down much shorter.

Hard Corps - Lucky Charm UK 7 inch single front cover
^ Hard Corps – Lucky Charm UK 7 inch single front cover

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Visage – ‘Visage’ US Mini-Album (Polydor, PX-1-501, 1981)

Back to another of my favourite formats, the regional exclusive mini-album – and once again, as was often the case for this type of release, hailing from the US and Canada. As is typical, a compilation of tracks pulled together from various UK releases but with one vital extra piece of firepower going for it – an at the time new ‘Dance Mix’ of ‘Fade To Grey’.

Visage - 'Visage' US Mini-Album front cover design
^ Visage – ‘Visage’ US Mini-Album front cover design

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The Sisterhood – ‘Giving Ground’ UK 7″ single (Merciful Release, SIS 010, 1986)

The Sisters of Mercy, but not… ‘Giving Ground’ on 7″ single was the opening shot of action by Andrew Eldritch to lay stake on the name of The Sisterhood, to stymie the efforts by former bandmates Wayne Hussey and Craig Adams to claim it as a continuation of the Sisters’ legacy. ‘Gift’ would fire off a later full salvo. The story is not without some point of intrigue many years on, may I direct your gaze towards the Sisters of Mercy site, the SistersWiki entry on the single, entry on the Sisterhood itself, and a wide ranging discussion on the Heartland Forum.

The Sisterhood - 'Giving Ground' UK 7
^ The Sisterhood – ‘Giving Ground’ UK 7″ single front cover

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