Another post documenting one more of the ‘Pic Label’ series of Japanese 12” compilation mini-albums that were such a collector’s delight – so far we have covered The Flying Lizards, John Foxx, and Japan – this time around the release is less unique, as it is based on the existing ‘Holiday ‘80’ EP from 1980, though no less appealing.
Obviously, the series format dictates a change of sleeve in order to accommodate a whole new label design – both sides feature a cheery photo of the serious/smiley Human League of 1980 pre-split vintage. Perhaps Oakey and Wright are smiling at the golden pop future of ‘Dare’ ahead, while Ware and Marsh are perfecting the more serious BEF look. I jest of course…
The double-pack 7” of ‘Holiday ‘80’ had included five tracks in total and they are all here – the John Leckie/Human League produced quartet from February 1980 of the fabulous ‘Marianne’ (the rhythm track of which Heaven 17 would go on to recycle for ‘We’re Going To Live For A Very Long Time’), ‘Rock’n’Roll’ / ‘Nightclubbing’ and updated ‘Being Boiled’. The proto-League ‘Dancevision’ recorded back in 1977 as The Future is also retained – plus the addition of one more track, the Long Version of ‘Toyota City’ that had first been issued as the B side of the ‘Only After Dark’ 7” single. That single has a tale of it’s own which we have touched upon before – it had come bundled with a re-issue of the band’s ‘Empire State Human’ 7” as the follow-up release to the original ‘Holiday ‘80’ EP.
It is nice to have the Long Version of ‘Toyota City’ in this release as opposed to the 7”, as it has never yet appeared digitally as far as I know. The CD versions of ‘Travelogue’ just feature the shorter edit and it has missed the cut on anthologies where it might have been welcomed such as the ‘A Very British Synthesizer Group’ boxed set.
The release comes with a one-sided text insert – it should also have an obi, but that’s missing from my copy.
Tracklisting:
Side One:
- Marianne (3’ 15”)
- Dancevision (2’ 19”)
- Toyota City (5’ 33”)
Side Two:
- Rock’n’Roll / Nightclubbing (6’ 20”)
- Being Boiled (4’ 20”)
Arrrrrghhh! You salt my wounds, sir! I had bought this as an import in 1982 and was delighted to have this artifact. Being of Japanese origin, it was $12.99 new [with obi, of course]. Three more dollars than what UK imports went for back then. Pricey. I never had any other copies of “Holiday ’80” back then. So when I bought the CD of “Travelogue” six years later, and it had almost all of the contents on it, save for the long “Toyota City,” I felt that was good enough and I sold it off, as I stupidly did with every record I re-bought on CD in that young and stupid time. I thought, “it’s just the extended version of “Toyota City”…I won’t miss that!”
HAH!!!
But that was 1988. Years before I began curating complete collections of rarities for putting down on CD-R! At least I now have a copy of the UK 2×7″ of “Holiday ’80” to assuage my grief.
Ahhhh… that’s a pity… but I’ve been there myself many a time with other releases where for one reason or another it seemed no big deal to part with a record only to regret it later – c’est la vie!