Posts

Posted on

Dif Juz – ‘Who Says So?’ UK Mini-Album (Red Flame, RFM 24, 1983)

Dif Juz are one of these acts who I have a few works by, but never really got to know too much about. Being on 4AD and hailing from the early ‘80s, they pretty much had my name written on it in their appeal, but for whatever reason they never quite got the recognition they were deserving of and that lack of profile tended to hamper my following of their work. I saw them live once, in support of the Cocteau Twins, late 1984 and they were quite something on the night. Although aware of their two earlier 4AD EP releases, the one that is the subject of this post had passed me by, so despite being a 1983 release, it was the start of 1985 before I came across it.

Dif Juz - 'Who Says So?' mini-album front cover design
^ Dif Juz – ‘Who Says So?’ mini-album front cover design

Continue reading “Dif Juz – ‘Who Says So?’ UK Mini-Album (Red Flame, RFM 24, 1983)”

Posted on

A Certain Ratio – ‘Waterline’ UK 12″ single (Factory, FAC 52, 1981)

What a brilliant single this was – an absolutely killer bassline, thumping and skittering around and anchoring this along with Donald Johnson’s crisp, precise drums and percussion workout. Atop was some seriously haunted horns and tape echo/electronic manipulations, with the dual vocals of the short-lived Martha Tilson bringing an ‘almost there’ presence and (presumably) Simon Topping in vocodered form. Something of a lost gem though – it hails from the same sessions as the ‘Sextet’ album, recorded late 1981 and released early 1982, but in somewhat typical Factory fashion of the time, it did not appear on that LP. Curiously, it has proved elusive in later reissues too – it can be found on 2002’s ‘Early’ CD compilation, but oddly was neglected from the ‘Old and the New’ compilation and various re-issues of ‘Sextet’.

A Certain Ratio - 'Waterline' 12 inch single, front design
^ A Certain Ratio – ‘Waterline’ 12 inch single, front design

Continue reading “A Certain Ratio – ‘Waterline’ UK 12″ single (Factory, FAC 52, 1981)”

Posted on

Ultravox! – ‘ROckwrok’ West German 7″ single (Island, 11 655 AT, 1977)

Another tasty West German picture sleeve design that differed markedly from the UK issue – whether that was to John Foxx’s satisfaction is unlikely, given that the original UK issue was designed by him and showcases what are now classic John Foxx design traits in its cut-up and juxtaposed figures. But this sleeve keeps with some kind of low-tech xerox style if nothing else, in lurid red and black. The flimsy, glossy paper used for the sleeve means that tracking down mint copies is especially difficult.

Ultravox 'ROckwrok' West German 7 inch single front sleeve design
^ Ultravox ‘ROckwrok’ West German 7 inch single front sleeve design

Continue reading “Ultravox! – ‘ROckwrok’ West German 7″ single (Island, 11 655 AT, 1977)”

Posted on

Section 25 – ‘The Beast’ UK 12″ EP (Factory FAC66, 1982)

A fine slice of prime Section 25, a band that in their original period on Factory were normally panned without pause as naught but Joy Division copyists, only to then be accused as New Order copyists as they drafted in the keyboards to fill their sound. This EP finds them somewhere between the two worlds, still guitar heavy but the sequenced synth patterns working their way in on ‘Sakura’.

Section 25 'The Beast' EP front cover
^ Section 25 ‘The Beast’ EP front cover

Continue reading “Section 25 – ‘The Beast’ UK 12″ EP (Factory FAC66, 1982)”

Posted on

Ultravox! – ‘Frozen Ones’ West German 7″ single (Island, 11 815 AT, 1977)

One to sate the sweet tooth of any fan of all things 7″ and collectable in the world of Ultravox, this was a West German only release that paired a fairly raucous LP cut, ‘Frozen Ones’, along with an exclusive remix of one of Ultravox’s finest moments on the flip side, in the shape of ‘Man Who Dies Everyday’ – and all finished off nicely in a unique picture sleeve design – manna from heaven for scratching that collector’s itch – if you can find a copy, as it’s not too easy to come by.

Ultravox! 'Frozen Ones' West German 7 inch single front sleeve design
^ Ultravox! \’Frozen Ones\’ West German 7 inch single front sleeve design

Continue reading “Ultravox! – ‘Frozen Ones’ West German 7″ single (Island, 11 815 AT, 1977)”