Second Hand News / June 2015
Sting / This Cowboy Song (UK CD single) – 95p
Nothing dates a song more than the words “featuring Pato Banton”. As Terence Trent D’Arby once sang “You will pay tomorrow for what you do today…”. The Pato Banton collaboration is the least interesting thing on this CD single which has a few Sting treasures probably destined never to be issued anywhere else. Once example is the ‘Extended Remix’ of the single which after four minutes turns into a groovy jazz workout clocking in at over 11 minutes! If you can forgive the thick Jamaican accent Take Me To The Sunshine is a decent floaty, summery B-side and a final bonus on this four-track disc is a ‘classic radio’ mix of When We Dance which was the other non-album single (with This Cowboy Song) taken from the Fields of Gold: The Best of Sting 1984-1994. I think I prefer this remix to the standard version! Remarkably, Fields of Gold was Sting’s first UK solo top ten single after ten years of trying.
Lloyd Cole / She’s A Girl And I’m A Man (UK 12″) – £1
While we wait for the Commotions box set here’s a reminder of a single release early in Lloyd Cole‘s solo career. She’s A Girl And I’m A Man was the lead single from second solo album Don’t Get Weird On Me Babe. The name of the album was nicked from Raymond Carver. Anyway, there was never a title track on the long player and the nearest you get is the B-side to this single called Weird On Me. Joining it, is a cover of T. Rex’s Children of the Revolution. She’s A Girl And I’m A Man failed to penetrate the UK top 40, like much of LC’s solo output – this was largely down to not getting played on the radio.
Celine Dion / My Heart Will Go On Remixes promo CD – £1
A three track promo CD featuring three radio edit length remixes of Celine Dion’s Titanic ‘love theme’. Three tracks and three remixes. Tony Moran’s effort is pure Stock Aikten Waterman – and not in a good way. Richie Jones stompy dance version is much better but Soul Solution’s remix is also decent with clanging chimes and groovy keyboard fills.
Billy Idol / Whiplash Smile vinyl LP – £1.95
For a while in the mid-eighties it seemed like the tank was empty for Billy Idol, since two compilations, the remix set Vital Idol and Idol Songs, cashed in on the same classic tracks (Rebel Yell, Flesh For Fantasy, Catch My Fall, Hot in the City, White Wedding etc.). So it was a relief in 1986 when he issued Whiplash Smile. It had a fantastic front cover and some great songs, including singles To Be A Lover (later included in remixed form on a reissue of Vital Idol) and Sweet Sixteen. Note the sides of the record are labelled ‘5’ and ‘6’. These are ‘career’ sides since this was his third solo album.
Arcadia / Election Day Australian seven-inch – 99p
Unusual find in Oxfam was Duran Duran offshoot Arcadia‘s first single Election Day, as issued on seven-inch vinyl in Australia in 1985. This doesn’t appear to be a promo, so I’m not sure if this was issued down under without a picture sleeve (seems unlikely for the band were very ‘visual’). This features the B-side She’s Moody And Grey, She’s Mean And She’s Restless which was a remix of Election Day and was unissued on CD until the 2010 2CD+DVD reissue (which is now out of print, apparently).
David Bowie / Fashion UK seven-inch single – 49p
There is nothing that isn’t brilliant about David Bowie‘s follow-up to UK number one Ashes to Ashes. From the expression of a make-up free David on the superbly artworked front cover (later pinched for K-Tel compilation Best of Bowie), to the promo video where DB oozed new wave cool, to the song itself which is a bouncy, angled pop delight, which deservedly followed Ashes to Ashes into the top 5 in the UK. Two further singles were culled from Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps), the title track and Up The Hill Backwards. To give them a helping hand, RCA issued them on cassette single packaged in little cardboard boxes.
Prefab Sprout / The Golden Calf seven-inch vinyl EP – 99p
CBS really milked Prefab Sprout‘s third album From Langley Park To Memphis for singles, perhaps hoping to repeat the top ten success of second 45 The King Of Rock ‘N’ Roll (this didn’t happen). The Golden Calf was issued in 1988 and was the fifth single and this 4-track ‘Golden Hits’ EP shows that they were getting a bit desperate. Two of these golden oldies (Cars and Girls and the aforementioned King Of Rock ‘N’ Roll) were only a year old! This gatefold EP does at least include a couple of edits which I imagine are amongst the many single-related rarities yet to appear on CD.
Frazier Chorus / Typical! (3″ CD single) – £1
Frazier Chorus are perhaps best remembered thanks to their 1988 hit Dream Kitchen. I say ‘hit’ but ‘records’ show that it only got to number 57, which is a bit of a surprise and this follow-up actually did better peaking at number 53. The three-inch CD single (no adaptor) includes the seven-inch mix of Dream Kitchen and seven-inch and twelve-inch mixes of Typical! Both songs were from their debut album Sue. Born With A Headache was a non-album extra track.
Moby / Play “The DVD” – £1
A 2-disc edition of Moby‘s Play album which features a really horrendous ‘megamix’ CD along with a DVD of promos and TV appearances. Glad I only paid a pound, is the best I can say about this.
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One of the loveliest UK tours of the – very – early nineties must be Frazier Chorus / Cocteau Twins. Heavenly.
Not heard of that service before; sounds a much better deal than 256pks mp3s on amazon, who have the singles bundles at 1.99 apiece.
All the singles by Frazier Chorus from Sue and Ray are on qobuz in 16 bit CD quality including mixes that were only available on vinyl and they are cheap as well at £2.59 each .
Good info. Thanks Neil.
pinkfloyd is correct; Whiplash Smile was Oct 86, Idol Song was June 88. Inbetween there was a reissue/repromotion of Vital Idol from 85, with (I think?) some extra mixes included. So, while Paul is right about there being a lot of Idol rehashing in the 80s, his chronology is slightly out. And he also erroneously said Fields Of Gold was Sting’s first solo Top 10 hit when I am sure he meant When We Dance. You did, right Paul? Haha.
Still my favourit feature on SDE, glad to see it more regularly again!
Paul
Wasn’t “Idol Songs: 11 of the Best” released in 1988 after “Whiplash Smile (1986)” and all 3 singles from Whiplash are among the 11 Idol songs?
Now I really want those Frazier Chorus 3″ CD singles! I only have the standard CD albums of Sue and Ray. Had never realised about the Tim/Martin Freeman connection, doh! And I used to hang about in the same neck of the woods (and same music shops) as Martin back then, too.
I always found When We Dance rather ponderous (lovely, but ponderous just the same). Curious to hear this different mix too!
Sorry, I was referring to Frazier Chorus. Also, what ever happened to the first Julia Fordham CD reissue???
I think Julia Fordham’s first album is being worked on now by Vinny Vero, who did the other reissues
ITunes had all the 12″ ep tracks available, as well as 7digitat, in the US. Not sure if still available. Shame they are not available in lossless format. The cherry red release left off some good stuff!
Whenever I go to England you’ll have to tell me where to find some of these gems, Paul. Especially, the 4-track Prefab Sprout EP!!!
If anything is on your U.S. wishlist, CD or Vinyl, let me know… We could trade for readily available UK stuff, or rarer stuff. I am in Indie record shops twice a week minimum…
For me, the ultimate on my wishlist is a 1995 Pulp “Different Class” Vinyl release with the die-cut Aperture cover… but in great shape. Tough to find that one without tears around the opening and with a black sleeve, tough to keep nice… but if you ever see it… I could send paypal…
You’ll be much more likely to find mint sleeves (and inserts) for Different Class than you are the vinyl – TBH it did look like Island at the time had reverted to having their “short run” vinyl albums pressed in Jamaica complete with huge lumps of hash buried in the vinyl – no quality control whatsoever at that time (the live Orb album also suffered from the same problems). Out of two boxes of 25 Pulp lps, I couldn’t make up ONE MINT PACKAGE – they all got returned as faulty and they were never restocked.
Sometimes it’s not just the small quantities issued that leads to high prices for “perfect” examples of mid-to-late 1990’s vinyl…
I love reading this Paul.
Nice stuff! Funny (or not so…) anecdote – found the sam Frazier Chorus 3″ a few weeks ago at a fleamarket. Was already about about it just to find out the disc was totally scratched. Major bummer…
PS: shouldn’t it be Second Hand News May 2015?
> Was already about about
Was already happy about …
Frazier Chorus’ Sue album was produced by Ian (Lightning Seeds) Broudie as I recall. Flamin great album, great singles, remixes and B-sides. itunes have their albums/singles and extensive remixes and B-sides on their site. They actually did 3 albums; ‘Sue’, ‘Ray’ (with mini remix album) and ‘Wide Awake’. Cherry Red re-released Sue with extended mixes and b-sides a few years ago. ‘Wide Awake’ was basically just Tim Freeman as I recall, the other members of the band had left by then…not sure why but seem to remember ‘creative differences’ being cited due to Tim auteristic tendencies. A web based compilation/album of demo’s and bits and pieces (including answer machine recordings) was issued briefly called ‘Monkey spunk’ via a website…but I’ve never found it, despite my efforts.
Hi –
I have it actually (Monkey Spunk). I ordered from the website at the time. Unfortunately there was a mastering fault which ruins one of the tracks. The guy (another of Tim’s brothers?) that distributed them promised to sort it out but never did.
It’s okay but not as wonderful as the 2.5 albums.
The single edits of some of the Prefab Sprout singles appeared on other CD singles like the Collectors Edition of “Looking For Atlantis” which included both The King Of Rock ‘n’ Roll (Edit) and When Love Breaks Down (Original Single Version). I do wish that we would get some reissues of their albums similar to what Edsel did with Deacon Blue ones. I’m lucky enough to have the Japanese Remastered Paper Sleeve editions which sound great.
Kicking myself for not getting those Japanese Prefab paper sleeves! I live in Japan, too! I’ve been collecting paper sleeves for years, but just passed on the Prefab ones, for some stupid reason. I can only hope I get another chance if Sony feels like pushing them a second time, as they have with the Clash and Dylan. I am rather proud of owning the Clash reissues including the dodgy Cut the Crap album! What the hell; might as well have the works, but no Black Market Clash! What gives with that oversight?
Re Arcadia Australian single. EMI Australia were “notorious” for not issuing picture covers and if they did it was only ever for the first run of a single which was sometimes as few as 500 copies. The major stores in Sydney & Melbourne always got first drops so usually scored all the picture sleeves.
I have the Typical 10″ but not the CD. Would like it though as I don’t have Born With A Headache or the extended version. The 10″ came with live versions of Storm, Typical and studio b-side: String.
I do, however, have the sublime Sloppy Heart 3″ CD which contains one of my favourite cover version by any band: Anarchy In The UK. Simply delicious!
I’ve got the Typical! 3″ single. Good remixes!
Paul, you always find the most amazing gems! My local charity shops supply the usual 1990-2005 overstocks. It’s always the same old, same old… To think I spent a small fortune on building up Robbie Williams’ back catalogue several years ago only to find I can now buy all his albums for £1 (or less)! Bah!
Thanks for these 2nd hand posts – I really enjoy them!
Frazier Chorus – love that band. Wish they had done more than two albums and one mini-album. Great blend of electronic and acoustic sounds. So weird to think that Tim (who essentially was Frazier Chorus) is the brother of Martin Freeman (of Sherlock Holmes fame amongst other things).
Great tracks from Prefab, Cole and Bowie. This Cowboy Song was overshadowed by ‘When We Dance’ which I felt was much stronger (can’t recall which track actually did better).
trash, nice bit of trivia on Frazier Chorus! Thanks for that! I liked the band myself. It is a shame they didn’t go further!