Kraftwerk – ‘Autobahn’ MusikExpress magazine German 7″ single (Kling Klang/Parlophone, 2019)

Given away with the April 2019 edition of the German magazine MuzikExpress, this blue vinyl, one-sided 7″ single includes a new and unique edit of the track. The magazine itself came with a lengthy write-up on the parent album, hailing it in the number 1 position of the ‘100 Best Albums from Germany’.

The record features the new 4’35” edit from the original recording of ‘Autobahn’ and this differs from the 7″ single edits originally issued back in the day. This new edit is something of a best of both and includes a good deal more of the vocal sections than either. Being a minute and thirty seconds longer than the rather brutal British edit, that’s perhaps no surprise.

Kraftwerk - 'Autobahn' MusikExpress magazine German 7
^ Kraftwerk – ‘Autobahn’ MusikExpress magazine German 7″ single front cover

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Fast Forward 008/009: Annual Report (Australian 2 x Cassette Magazine Compilation, December 1981)

This snappily packaged little item was attached to the wall of the wonderful 1-UP Records back in the days of their shop on Rosemount Viaduct for a long, long while. I would hardly dare guess quite how long it was sellotaped up on the wall (which hasn’t done the soft vinyl pack too much good), but it seemed to be up there forever. I can’t recall how it came to be that I decided to investigate it further, but at some point I think I became aware of the presence of Kraftwerk and The Cure in particular on it. And when it became clear that these were exclusive items, well, it was time to buy.

Fast Forward 008/009: Annual Report cassette magazine - pack front
^ Fast Forward 008/009: Annual Report cassette magazine – pack front

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John Foxx – ‘Burning Car’ UK 7″ single (Metal Beat/Virgin VS360, 1980)

Near enough to the day (11th July 1980), forty years have passed since the impeccably eerie synthetic ‘less is more’ dynamic of ‘Burning Car’ appeared. As Spring moved into Summer of 1980 it was exciting times for music for me. Spring had brought Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark with ‘Messages’ and The Human League with ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll’ to my ears and Gary Numan had released the exciting ‘We Are Glass’ single. New Musik and The Cure had also kept my cassette recorder busy, taped from the top 40 show. I had read about the forthcoming release of this latest Foxx single mid June in Smash Hits. It had competition from former band mates Ultravox, who had reactivated and were releasing the first notes with Midge Ure in the shape of ‘Sleepwalk’ – and would be an earlier release than Foxx’s latest.

John Foxx - 'Burning Car' UK 7
^ John Foxx – ‘Burning Car’ UK 7″ single picture sleeve front

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New Order – ‘The Perfect Kiss’ UK 7″ (Factory, FAC123, 1985)

Rounding out May’s posts is the standard UK 7″ issue of New Order’s first single release of 1985, ‘The Perfect Kiss’.

On first sight, and in comparison to many other New Order singles of the ’80s in particular, it looks quite uninspiring and bland, taking minimalism all the way by being packaged in a high gloss plain black card sleeve, with minimal silver print typography on plain black labels. In the grooves though we find two edits that are unique to only this 7″ single and which have never found their way on to any later CD releases.

New Order - The Perfect Kiss UK 7" front sleeve and label design.
^ New Order – The Perfect Kiss UK 7″ front sleeve and label design.

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Button badge goodness: Yet more Siouxsie and the Banshees

A final selection for now of some period Siouxsie and the Banshees button badges.

Two of these were magazine giveaways, the Smash Hits one was always a particular favourite of mine. ‘The File’ badge is of course from the fan club, not the most obvious connection, I suppose, unless you knew that was the name for it, but there we go.

Siouxsie and the Banshees 'Smash Hits' magazine giveaway badge.
^ Siouxsie and the Banshees ‘Smash Hits’ magazine giveaway badge.

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