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’.
This mini-album, EP, call it what you will – doesn’t appear to have an official title and features an odd selection of tracks to pull together. ‘We Move’ and ‘Frequency 7’ on the A side of the release are both ‘Dance Mix’ versions that first appeared on the B side of the UK 12″ of ‘Mind Of A Toy’ earlier in 1981. So, I get why they would be here, for sure. Flipping over on to side 2 though and we have the album cut ‘Blocks On Blocks’… (scratches head)… why this?! Who knows! The real deal comes up next though in the form of a ‘Dance Mix’ of ‘Fade To Grey’. It is wonderful! The UK 12″ release of ‘Fade To Grey’ just reproduced the standard LP mix. A West German 12″ release did have an extended mix of the track though – but it was nothing to write home about. Despite clocking just not long over 6 minutes in duration, it was mostly a cut and paste type exercise to lengthen the track. This ‘Dance Mix’ however got stuck in to beefing the track up rhythmically and was a whole different affair. The mini-album finishes off with ‘Tar – again, an odd choice since it is already present and correct on the ‘Visage’ album and is not otherwise souped-up here with any kind of dance mix treatment.
It wasn’t until much later I came by the release, but it looks to have been originally released in July of 1981, on cassette as well as 12″ vinyl. I managed to come by an advert from the September 1981 issue of ‘Trouser Press’ magazine – goodness, what a jumble of typography on show and how it heralds ‘music to user in the New Romance Movement’!
