Category: Versions, versions

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The Compact and Mercurial Bill Nelson Part 1: Quit Dreaming And Get On The Beam

Welcome to the wonderful world of Bill Nelson on CD – a small number of CD variants that played fast and loose with running orders, which may either leave you smacking your lips in anticipation of the otherwise unavailable obscurities to be found, or bamboozled at the wrecking of otherwise fine tracklists. Starting with Bill’s first solo release on Mercury records, ‘Quit Dreaming And Get On The Beam’.

Bill Nelson 'Quit Dreaming And Get On The Beam' CDs
^ Bill Nelson ‘Quit Dreaming And Get On The Beam’ CDs

Cocteau Records, JC CD 15

The first UK release on CD, released 25th July 1986 according to one of my Bill Nelson fan club newsletters from June 1986, five years in from the original release date. Continue reading “The Compact and Mercurial Bill Nelson Part 1: Quit Dreaming And Get On The Beam”

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Bill Nelson – Flaming Desire UK 7″ and 12″ and 7″ Promo (Mercury WILL5 / WILL 512 / WILL D 5, 1982)

Flaming Desire (4’55”) – LP and UK 7″ single.

Flaming Desire (Long Version) (6’22”) – UK 12″ single and US/Canada ‘Flaming Desire and Other Passions’ mini-album.

Flaming Desire (3’26”) – UK Promo-only 7″ single, US ‘A Half Nelson’ 12″ Promo EP, Canadian 7″ single.

A highlight track on what is already far and away one of Bill Nelson’s finest albums, ‘Flaming Desire’ tapped into the spirit of the times with a largely synthesized vibe, propelled by snappy, high voltage electronic percussion and rhythm box work and showcasing Nelson’s e-bow skills to fashion the guitar nearer the keyboard driven shapes of the song.

Bill Nelson - Flaming Desire 7" (front) and 12" sleeve designs
^ Bill Nelson – Flaming Desire 7″ (front) and 12″ sleeve designs

It wasn’t the hit single it should have been, sadly, but it did have a high profile courtesy of the black and white promo video produced to accompany it. I first came across that in 1983 on the BBC’s Monday night ‘Riverside’ arts programme, where Bill was interviewed by an up and coming Mariella Frostrup.
Continue reading “Bill Nelson – Flaming Desire UK 7″ and 12″ and 7″ Promo (Mercury WILL5 / WILL 512 / WILL D 5, 1982)”

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Tones On Tail – ‘Tones On Tail’ EP (4AD, BAD203, 1982)

The first 12″ EP release by Tones On Tail, at the time very much the prime focus was shining on Daniel Ash as a solo project from the day job with Bauhaus. The record itself has an interesting history in that respect, with ‘Copper’ having its roots in Bauhaus, but the mix of input from both Ash and fellow Tones collaborator, Glenn Campling, who was famously at this point involved in Bauhaus in the capacity of their road crew, brings a richer variety to it all. Campling’s basslines are somewhat unique on ‘A Bigger Splash’ and ‘Means of Escape’, while the record also showcases some lower-end of the market rhythm boxes, long before the arrival of Kevin Haskins to the drum stool in the project. The record also established two elements that would become definitive Tones On Tail – the moody and mysterious cover painting face and the use of Caslon Antique for the band logo.

Tones on Tail EP front cover design
^ Tones on Tail EP front cover design

Continue reading “Tones On Tail – ‘Tones On Tail’ EP (4AD, BAD203, 1982)”

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Love and Rockets – ‘Seventh Dream Of Teenage Heaven’ on CD – UPDATE

With this post I’m going to look at the various releases on CD of ‘Seventh Dream Of Teenage Heaven’, the debut album by Love and Rockets, released in Late 1985 and a particular favourite of mine through the years – and specifically digging about at the various different mixes of some of its tracks and bonus tracks which were added to the numerous CD issues. This updated post adds a few additional points that have become known since the original post, mostly thanks to the wonderful comments left by well-informed readers of this blog – thank you! In short, these are a slight edit to ‘The Game’ on the US version of the album and the US 12″ promo version of ‘Dog End of a Day Gone By’ being a unique mix that is not simply an edit of the US album remix.

Original UK CD (front)
^ Original UK CD (front)

Continue reading “Love and Rockets – ‘Seventh Dream Of Teenage Heaven’ on CD – UPDATE”

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Wire – ‘Life In The Manscape’ US CD single (Enigma/Mute, 7 75553-2 / MUTE 107, 1990)

‘Life In The Manscape’ turned out to be the one and only single release from Wire’s fan-testing ‘Manscape’ album, a period where the band’s insistence on devotion to process (in this case MIDI/computer-based recording and editing) dragged them well out of shape from the nominal ‘beat combo’ of the preceding Mute releases. (And even those releases had already had their fair share of playing second fiddle to the technology…) The album was viewed by Wire as their ‘1990’ album, a deliberate change in direction and methodology. I personally have a lot of time for it, but the band themselves have long since distanced themselves from it and many’s the fan who have either joined them in that view or would hope for some 21st century remix of it to sort it out.

Wire - Life in the Manscape US CD front insert design
^ Wire – Life in the Manscape US CD front insert design

Continue reading “Wire – ‘Life In The Manscape’ US CD single (Enigma/Mute, 7 75553-2 / MUTE 107, 1990)”