In April of 2015 (or around that time anyway), something popped up on one my socials about a subscription service where, for £20 a month each subscriber would receive a box of five brand new 7” inch singles. Well, in June of that year, the first of those singles boxes dropped through my letter box and for the next six years, a new box would be on the door matt waiting for me.
This would continue until 2021 when supply chain issues, Brexit and Covid made producing those box sets became increasingly difficult for the company to produce so they decided to stop production. So, in the 76 boxes that did come out and the 400 plus artists that featured on there, a lot of excellent music was produced by bands that I may never had heard of otherwise.
To celebrate the ten years since the foundation of Flying Vinyl, I have deiced to produce a series of sample records. Unlike the samplers I made for Blood Records, there is no way I could feature every artist that featured on this singles, so I had a couple of criteria. One was that the song has not already featured on the podcasts I made celebrating the label. I only did the first two years so that would not be too difficult. The second was that the songs had to be available on Spotify so the artist would hopefully earn some money from this, however pitiful the royalty rate is.
What was interesting was finding that even though these songs are available on that streaming service, some of them are not available in the same version as on the single. What would be interesting to know if these versions were only available on the Flying Vinyl singles? As there was so many good records, I have followed the Blood Records Sampler template and made this a double album.
Side A
Misty Maker Stomp – Jouris
Saviour – Groves
Made Of Concrete – Cagoule
Something In The Water – The Amazons
Fly – Meadowlark
Side B
Eureka Moment – The Big Moon
Shaking Hands – B.Miles
All My Love – Trudy & The Romance
Shalala – Moses Gunn Collective
Ladybird – Beach Baby
World’s Too Fast – The Jar Family
Side C
Father Of The Universe – Venice Trip
Joy In A Small Wage – Asylums
Dove In Your Mouth – Eaves
Voices – The Belligerents
Go – Pleasure Beach
Side D
Hold Me Closer – Lanka
Booored – Magic Potion
Time Won’t Leave – The Temperance Movement
Water’s Fall – Oh So Quiet
Oslo – Holy Esque
The front cover is based on the logo that Flying Records had when they first launched.
For those of a certain vintage, like myself, Marty Wilde was Kim Wilde’s dad. Marty, along with his son Ricky were the songwriting team behind most (if not all) of Kim’s early hits, including the classic ‘Kids In America’. What I didn’t realise until much later was that Marty had been a performer in his own right and was one of the first British rock ’n’ rollers along with Tommy Steele and Cliff Richard. Performing with his backing band the Wildcats, Wilde had a number of hits in the late 50s and early 60s as well as being a regular performer on early British music shows, 6.5 Special, Oh Boy! and Boy Meets Girl. His marriage to Vernon Girl Joyce Baker lead to a decline in his popularity as a teen idol but Wilde was not finished with the music business.
He appeared in a West End production of the musical ‘Bye Bye Birdie’ as well as becoming a noted songwriter. This included penning such tunes aa ‘Jesamine’ for The Casuals, ‘I’m A Tiger’ for Lulu and ‘Ice In The Sun’ for Status Quo. However, Wilde also continued to perform and throughout the late 60s and 70 he released a number of singles under pseudonyms. What this compilation does is collect all of those singles together and present them in chronological order.
Side A
Abagevenney – Shannon (1968)
Alice In Blue – Shannon (1968)
Jesamine – Shannon (1969)
Lullaby – Shannon (1969)
When You Wish Upon A Star – The Scrumpy N Dumpy (1972)
The Scrumpy N Dumpy Boogaloo – The Scrumpy N Dumpy (1972)
Caterpillar – Cold Fly (1973)
Yesterday Started For Judy – Cold Fly (1973)
Side B
Rock & Roll Crazy – Zappo (1973)
Right On! – Zappo (1973)
20 Fantastic Bands – The Dazzling All Night Rock Band (1973)
20 Fantastic Bands (Continued) – The Dazzling All Night Rock Band (1973)
Shang-a-Lang Song – Ruby Pearl and The Dreamboats (1974)
Will You Stop That – Ruby Pearl and The Dreamboats (1974)
Come Back & Love Me – Shannon (1975)
She’s A High Flyer – Shannon (1975)
The front cover of the LP is adapted from the picture sleeve of the ‘Rock & Roll Crazy’ single that was released under the name of Zappo. A good deal of the these records came out on the Magnet label that was bought up by Warner Brothers. That is why that companies logo is on the front cover.
As a bonus, here is a mini album with all of the songs that Marty Wilde recorded under the name of ‘The Wilde Three’. These recordings came out on two singles and featured not only Wilde, but his wife and a pre-Moody Blues Justin Hayward. Side A contains these singles whereas the B-Side contains demos/alternative versions of songs that the group did not release at the time.
Side A
Since You’ve Gone – The Wilde Three (1965)
Just As Long – The Wilde Three (1965)
I Cried – The Wilde Three (1965)
Side B
Well Who’s That – The Wilde Three (1965)
Since You’ve Gone (Alternative Take) (1965)
Just As Long (Alternative Take) (1965)
I Just Wanna Dance (Demo) (1965)
There aren’t that many pictures out there of this group, but this is one of the better ones and is made to look like a Decca EP sleeve from the 60s.
In May 1985, Dire Straits released their fifth album, ‘Brothers In Arms’. This was the first album to sell more than one million units on the relatively new format of the Compact Disc. It was one of, if not the first album where the music was recorded with the CD in mind as some of the songs needed to be edited down to fit on the LP format. It was also the first album to be certified ten-times platinum in the UK and non times platinum in the US. Worldwide, it has sold over 30 million copies.
Considering this is such a monumental album and 2025 is quite a big anniversary for it, what has been officially released is, to my mind very disappointing. What we got was the original album (CD mix) and a a previously unreleased concert. All well and good but where are the B-sides, demos, single mixes, LP edits?
I decided that this was to right time to put together a compilation of all of those tracks, but not just from ‘Brothers In Arms’, but from the bands entire career. This is because, for whatever reason, the band themselves (or most probably songwriter, singer and lead guitar player Mark Knopfler) are just not interested in delving into the archives and including this material.
Apart from the disappointing set for ‘Brothers In Arms’, none of the other Dire Straits albums have received the deluxe treatment. Archive releases have been few and far between. The only major one I can think of was the ‘Honky Tony Demos’ from Record Store Day in 2015. The only other band from that era that has pretty much avoided the deluxe edition box sets is The Police, even though they did get around the doing exactly that for their last studio album, ‘Synchronicity’.
Disc 1
Sultans Of Swing – Demo (The Honky Tonk Demos)
Down To The Waterline – Demo (The Honky Tonk Demos)
Water Of Love – Demo (The Honky Tonk Demos)
Wild West End – Demo (The Honky Tonk Demos)
Sultans Of Swing – Single A-Side Version
East Bound Train – Single B-Side
Where Do You Think You’re Going – Alt. Mix (Money For Nothing)
Joy Division were formed by school friends, Bernard Sumner and Peter Hook after both of them had attended a Sex Pistols concert in Manchester, mid 1976. Ian Curtis joined soon afterwards as their vocalist, with the line up completed by the addition of dummer Stephen Morris. They initially called themselves Warsaw, inspired by the song ‘Warszawa’, a David Bowie’s instrumental from his ‘Low’ album. This name did not last very long as they did not want to be confused with a London band going by the name Warsaw Pakt. The name they chose to use instead was Joy Division. It was the taken from a novel called ‘House of Dolls’ and referred to the sexual slavery wing of a Nazi Concentration Camp. Nothing too controversial there then.
Early recordings were very much in the punk vein and the band managed to create enough of a buzz that they were approached by RCA to record a cover of N. F. Porter’s song ‘Keep On Keeping On’. The band were not too keen on the idea, preferring to record their own material. Matters came to a head and the band asked to be released from their contract. Not standing still, the band recorded and self-released their ‘An Ideal For Living’ EP. The EP featured a drawing of a Hitler Youth member on the cover. This and their name did make people wonder what their political allegiances were.
The band were signed to the newly formed, and soon to be iconic Factory Records. With gigs outside of Manchester and sessions for the legendary John Peel, the band were starting to get noticed but there was trouble on the horizon. Ian Curtis started to have epileptic seizures and the band realised that if they were to continue, this would be something they would need to work with.
Work they did, and their first album, ‘Unknown Pleasures’ was recorded in April of 1979. The band began a gruelling tour schedule which caused Curtis’ epilepsy to get worse. He started to have seizures on stage, which some members of the audience thought was part of the act. Curtis was also a married man with a young child, but had started a relationship a journalist which put his marriage under strain. This, his epilepsy and a tour to the USA seems to have too much of strain of Curtis’ mental health. On the eve of the tour, he took his own life.
For a band that lasted for only four years, Joy Divisions’ fans have been well served with compilations and reissues down the years. However, their rather excellent ‘Heart and Soul’ box set from 1997 had number of emissions from it. Originally, this project was designed to put together what was left off of that box set as a bonus disc, but there was too much outstanding material. I then got a bit carried away and thought it would be good to include all of the available live material. In the end, I rejigged the ‘Heart and Soul’ box set and it has turned into pretty much everything that I could lay my hands on it has become an 11 disc set. As far as I can tell, this would be a comprehensive set, even though I am sure that I have missed a song here and there.
Disc 1
Disorder – Unknown Pleasures
Day Of The Lords – Unknown Pleasures
Candidate – Unknown Pleasures
Insight – Unknown Pleasures
New Dawn Fades – Unknown Pleasures
She’s Lost Control – Unknown Pleasures
Shadowplay – Unknown Pleasures
Wilderness – Unknown Pleasures
Interzone – Unknown Pleasures
I Remember Nothing – Unknown Pleasures
Warsaw – An Ideal For Living EP
No Love Lost – An Ideal For Living EP
Leaders Of Men – An Ideal For Living EP
Failures – An Ideal For Living EP
At A Later Date (Live) – Short Circuit: Live At The Electric Circus
Transmission – Single A Side
Novelty – Single B Side
Digital – A Factory Sample
Glass – A Factory Sample
Auto Suggestion – Earcom 2: Contradiction
From Safety To Where…? – Earcom 2: Contradiction
Disc 2
Atrocity Exhibition – Closer
Isolation – Closer
Passover – Closer
Colony – Closer
A Means To An End – Closer
Heart & Soul – Closer
Twenty Four Hours – Closer
The Eternal – Closer
Decades – Closer
Atmosphere (Licht Und Blindheit) – Single A Side
Dead Souls – Single B Side
Love Will Tear Us Apart – Single A Side
These Days – Single B Side
Komakino – Single A Side
Incubation – Single B Side
As You Said – Single B Side
She’s Lost Control (12” Version) – Single A Side
Disc 3
Inside The Line – Warsaw Demo (18th July 1977)
Gutz – Warsaw Demo (18th July 1977)
At A Later Date – Warsaw Demo (18th July 1977)
The Kill – Warsaw Demo (18th July 1977)
You’re No Good To Me – Warsaw Demo (18th July 1977)
The Drawback – RCA LP Sessions
Leaders Of Men – RCA LP Sessions
They Walked In Line – RCA LP Sessions
Failures – RCA LP Sessions
Novelty – RCA LP Sessions
No Love Lost – RCA LP Sessions
Transmission – RCA LP Sessions
Living In The Ice Age – RCA LP Sessions
Interzone – RCA LP Sessions
Warsaw – RCA LP Sessions
Shadowplay – RCA LP Sessions
Exercise One – Unknown Pleasures Sessions
The Only Mistake – Unknown Pleasures Sessions
Walked In Line – Unknown Pleasures Sessions
The Kill – Unknown Pleasures Sessions
Something Must Break – Transmission Single Session
Ice Age – Licht Und Blindheit Sessions
Sound Of Music – Love Will Tear Us Apart Session
Ceremony – Demo
In A Lonely Place (Detail) – Rehearsal
Love Will Tear Us Apart – Pennine Studios Version
Disc 4
Exercise One – BBC Session
Insight – BBC Session
She’s Lost Control – BBC Session
Transmission – BBC Session
Love Will Tear Us Apart – BBC Session
Twenty Four Hours – BBC Session
Colony – BBC Session
Sound Of Music – BBC Session
These Days – Piccadilly Radio Session
Candidate – Piccadilly Radio Session
The Only Mistake – Piccadilly Radio Session
Chance (Atmosphere) – Piccadilly Radio Session
Transmission – Something Else TV Show
She’s Lost Control – Something Else TV Show
Insight – Eden Studios Demo
Glass – Eden Studios Demo
Transmission – Eden Studios Demo
Ice Age – Eden Studios Demo
Walked In Line (Re-Mix) – Still
Something Must Break – Central Sound Studios Version
Ian Curtis & Stephen Morris Interview – Richard Skinner Radio One
Disc 5
The studio cuts from the RCA sessions are added here because the mixes used on the ‘Warsaw’ album released by MPG Records in 1994. These songs were also released in 1997 on the ‘Heart and Soul’ box set, but the mixes sound slightly different so they were included here form completeness.
Dead Souls – Live at The Factory, Manchester 13th July 1979
The Only Mistake – Live at The Factory, Manchester 13th July 1979
Insight – Live at The Factory, Manchester 13th July 1979
Candidate – Live at The Factory, Manchester 13th July 1979
Wilderness – Live at The Factory, Manchester 13th July 1979
She’s Lost Control – Live at The Factory, Manchester 13th July 1979
Shadowplay – Live at The Factory, Manchester 13th July 1979
Disorder – Live at The Factory, Manchester 13th July 1979
Interzone – Live at The Factory, Manchester 13th July 1979
Atrocity Exhibition – Live at The Factory, Manchester 13th July 1979
Novelty – Live at The Factory, Manchester 13th July 1979
Transmission – Live at The Factory, Manchester 13th July 1979
I Remember Nothing – Live at The Winter Gardens, Bournemouth 2nd November 1979
Colony – Live at The Winter Gardens, Bournemouth 2nd November 1979
These Days – Live at The Winter Gardens, Bournemouth 2nd November 1979
The Drawback (Alt Mix) – RCA LP Sessions
Interzone (Alt Mix) – RCA LP Sessions
Shadowplay (Alt Mix) – RCA LP Sessions
As You Said (Alt Mix) – Komakino Single Session
Disc 6 – Live at Les Bains Douches, 18th December 1979
Disorder
Love Will Tears Us Apart
Insight
Shadowplay
Transmission
Day Of The Lords
Twenty Four Hours
These Days
A Means To An End
Passover
New Dawn Fades
Atrocity Exhibition
Digital
Dead Souls
Auto Suggestion
Atmosphere
Disc 7 – Live at the University Of London Union 8th February 1980
Dead Souls
Glass
A Means To An End
Twenty Four Hours
Passover
Insight
Colony
These Days
Love Will Tear Us Apart
Isolation
The Eternal
Digital
Disc 8 – Live at High Wycombe Hall 20th February 1980
Isolation – Sound Check
The Eternal – Sound Check
Ice Age – Sound Check
Disorder – Sound Check
The Sound Of Music – Sound Check
A Means To An End – Sound Check
The Sound Of Music
A Means To An End
Colony
Twenty Four Hours
Isolation
Love Will Tear Us Apart
Disorder
Atrocity Exhibition
Disc 9 – Live Preston 28th February 1980
Incubation
Wilderness
Twenty Four Hours
The Eternal
Heart & Soul
Shadowplay
Transmission
Disorder
Warsaw
Colony
Interzone
Disc 10
The Eternal – Live Lyceum Ballroom, London 29th February 1980
Heart & Soul – Live Lyceum Ballroom, London 29th February 1980
Isolation – Live Lyceum Ballroom, London 29th February 1980
She’s Lost Control – Live Lyceum Ballroom, London 29th February 1980
The Sound Of Music – Live at The Moonlight Club, London 2nd April 1980
Wilderness – Live at The Moonlight Club, London 2nd April 1980
Colony – Live at The Moonlight Club, London 2nd April 1980
Love Will Tear Us Apart – Live at The Moonlight Club, London 2nd April 1980
A Means To An End – Live at The Moonlight Club, London 2nd April 1980
Transmission – Live at The Moonlight Club, London 2nd April 1980
Dead Souls – Live at The Moonlight Club, London 2nd April 1980
Sister Ray – Live at The Moonlight Club, London 2nd April 1980
Disc 11 – Live at The High Hall Birmingham University 2nd May 1980
A lot has been written about ‘The Beatles’ or ‘The White Album’ as it is more commonly known. The only double album released during the band’s lifetime, it has become notorious in some circles for having the worst Beatles track ever released on it (‘Revolution #9’), some filler that should have remained firmly in the archives (‘Wild Honey Pie’), and ‘Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da’. This is most probably the most Marmite song in the bands catalogue, as it was not a favourite of the other Beatles, but it was a number 1 hit in the UK for the band Marmalade.
In the past, I had a go at making this a single LP but there was plenty of songs left over that were of high quality that it would have been a shame to lose them. However, there was, in my opinion, only enough quality material for three sides of really good music. A few weeks back, I was on Youtube and the algorithm threw up an intreating mash up of Jackie Lomax’s ‘Sour Milk Sea’ backing track with George Harrison’s vocals from the demo played on top. With three of the four Beatles on this (only Lennon was not involved), could this now be included?
Well, I thought so, so I looked to rejig the tracks to include this as well as another Harrison song, ‘Not Guilty’. This song took 102 takes to get right, and was a strong contender for inclusion but with its thinly vailed barbs at Lennon and McCartney, it was felt that airing their dirty washing in public was not the done thing. I have also included the ‘Let It Be….Naked’ version of ‘Across The Universe. Though it was not recorded for the “:White Album’, it was in the can and does not sound out of place, especially with this sparce arrangement. The introduction to Ringo’s song’ Don’t Pass Me By’ has been reinstated, having been first revealed to the world as the opening song on the ‘Anthology 3’ LP.
Overall, this is still not a perfect album but I would say that these additions make it much better one.
Side 1
Back In The U.S.S.R.
Dear Prudence
Glass Onion
Sour Milk Sea
The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Happiness Is A Warm Gun
Side B
Martha My Dear
I’m So Tired
Blackbird
Piggies
Rocky Racoon
Don’t Pass Me By
Why Don’t We Do It In The Road
I Will
Julia
Side C
Birthday
Yer Blues
Everybody’s Got Something To Hide Except For Me & Monkey
Sexy Sadie
Helter Skelter
Long, Long, Long
Across The Universe
Side D
Revolution 1
Mother Nature’s Son
Not Guilty
Honey Pie
Savoy Truffle
Cry Baby Cry
Good Night
The cover was adapted from an image taken and adapted from https://beatlesandrutles.blogspot.com/2020/09/beatles-fantasy-albums.html. I added a picture of The Beatles to the centre which means that they would now have an image on the band on all of the LPs they released during their lifetime. The original cover of ‘The Beatles’ was the only one not to have any image of the band on it all.
The Young Ones is one of the greatest situation comedies ever produced, even though it was not a conventional sit com. It was offbeat, anarchic, surreal and as far as my younger self was concerned, absolutely brilliant.
Broadcast between 1982 and 1984 on the BBC, the premise was simple. Four students all at the same University (called Scumbag College) share a house but as far as the individuals are concerned, they have little in common. These were Vyvyan, medical student and borderline psychopath. Rick, left leaning attention seeking radical who is shown leaving the sociology department in the credits. Neil, a hippy who cooks everyone else’s meals but is bullied by the rest of the house and then there is Mike. He might not be a student because in the opening credits of the first series, he is seen giving a member of the University staff some cash in what looks like a bribe. At no point at they actually shown being in lectures or rarely leaving the house. There was also fifth member of the house hold who would appear in the background, never interacting with the others or even saying anything. No one is quite sure who the person playing this role actually was. It just seemed like a good idea to have a figure in the background that no one talked about or have an explanation as to why they were there.
The series also featured Alexi Sayle in several supporting roles as well as numerous guests who would go on to great success themselves. These included Huge Laurie, Stephen Fry, Emma Thompson, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French and Paul Merton. The show was also able to acquire a higher budget by coming under the heading of a variety show. To achieve this, there was a music guest in each show except one. In that one, there was a lion tamer.
The show was also full of incidental music. Some of this composed and recorded by Peter Brewis, who had performed with the band Magnet, who appeared in the original Wicker Man film in 1973. There also lots of music used the background including well established songs, obscure tracks and library music.
The first part of this post is what a soundtrack LP could have been like if it had been released in the early 1980s when the show was originally broadcast. This would have included most of the songs performed by the bands that appeared in each episode. As this imagined record would have been released by try BBC’s own in house record label, they would not have used the recordings made for the show. Some of the bands had actually performed live.
The compiler, I suspect would have used the original recordings made by each artist. I believe that the BBC would have edited out the introduction to this recording of Dr Marten’s Boots so as to get rid of the profanity. The version of House of Fun by Madness used in the show was the single version. That person has an abrupt piano chord ending, unlike the LP version which fades out.
Some recordings would not make the cut, as these seemed to have been recorded for the show and not available anywhere else. The most prominent was a cover of Bob Dylan’s Subterranean Homesick Blues by Ken Bishop’s Nice Twelve. This was included in the second episode of the second series but this was a band made up of Chris Difford (Squeeze), Jools Holland (Squeeze), Martin Dobson (session player), Peter Brewis (music director of the show), Rowland Rivron (comedian/musician), Simon Brint (comedian/musician) and Stewart Copeland (The Police) which was recorded especially for the show and has never been officially released.
The second was included in series one, episode two and was called ‘Coo Coo Daddy Long Legs’. It was performed by Ronnie Golden, once of The Fabulous Poodles dressed to look like Buddy Holly, hanging upside down and still in a parachute. The last was another by Alexei Sayle. It was also in series two,, episode two and was called ‘Stupid Noises’.
Side 1 (Series 1)
Eleven Plus Eleven – Nine Below Zero
Dr Marten’s Boots – Radical Posture
House of Fun (Single Mix) – Madness
Jackie Wilson Said – Dexy Midnight Runners
You’re Not My Climate – Rip, Rig & Panic
Side 2 (series 2)
Ace Of Spades – Motörhead
Nasty – The Damned
Moonlight Romance – Amazulu
Our House – Madness
Body Talk – John Otway
If there was a deluxe edition of the compilation for the CD era, the second disc would include songs that were used in the Young Ones TV Show has background music. I imagine that this would been a niche release on the always reliable Cherry Red Records.
Rock Around The Clock – Bill Haley & the Comets
Travelin’ Light – Cliff Richard
Skin Tight – Paul Keogh (Bruton Music – Library Piece)
Souq – Ali Ishfahan And George Farid (Library music)
I’m Bustin’ My Rocks (Working On The Chain Gang) – Roy C
Fire – The Crazy World of Arthur Brown
Bermuda Triangle – Barry Manilow
Flash Barrier – John Hawksworth (Library Music)
The Teddy Bear’s Picnic – Henry Hall
Les Patineurs Valse (The Skater’s Waltz) Op. 183 – Emile Waldteufel
Good Day Sunshine – The Beatles
I’m Not A Juvenile Delinquent – Frankie Lemon & The Teenagers
Bluebird – Alan Hawkshaw (Library Music)
Cinderella Rockafella – Alan Moorhouse & His Bond Street Brigade
You’ll Always Find Me I The Kitchen At Parties – Joan Lewie
Ain’t Nothin’ But A House Party – The Paper Dolls
The Things That Dreams Are Made Of – The Human League
It’s My Party – Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin
Mama Told Me (Not To Come) – Three Dog Night
The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Wimoweh) – Tight Fit
The Day The Rains Came – Helen Shapiro
Move It (1958 Version) – Cliff Richard & The Drifters
At The Sign of there Swinging Cymbal – Brass Incorporated
Electric Gypsies – Steve Hillage
Comedy Cues (Comic) – Dave Richmond (Library music)
Twist & Shout – Brian Poole & The Tremeloes
Funky Feeling – Miki Antony
The Good Life Theme – Burt Rhodes
Chase Sequence – Don Banks
Not all of the music would be included due to limitations on the CD and these are listed below.
Morning Has Broken – John Gregory
Inferno Galop – Jacques Offenbach
All I Have To Do Is Dream – Unknown (From 20 Golden Hits of the 50s LP)
Introit Puer Natus Est – Gregorian Chant Vol III No 1 – Unknown
Greensleeves – Jack Shaindlin
If you wish to read more about the music contained in the show, check out the following links.
Eleven months from the release of their debut album, The Cure put out a follow up in the form of ‘Seventeen Seconds’. This album would be very different in tone from ‘Three Imaginary Boys’ and there was also be a new line up . Gone was bass player Michael Dempsey as he had not liked the direction in which band leader and main songwriter, Robert Smith was taking with the material he was writing. Smith wanted the sound of the band to become more minimal. Dempsey liked more ornate bass lines and these did not fit in with Smith’s vision. After hearing the demos for the next album, Dempsey left the band. His place was taken by two members of the Magazine Spies. These were Mattheiu Hartley on keyboards and Simon Gallup on bass.
This line up would last less than a year and ‘Seventeen Seconds’ is the only artefact from this period in the bands history. I must say that this is my favourite Cure album. It included ‘A Forest’, their first single to break into the UK singles charts top 40. It still sounds great to me to this day. This is also the second Cure album where I have tried to expand upon what had already been released when this album was given the Deluxe Edition treatment back in 2005.
Following the template I set last year with ‘Three Imaginary Boys’, Disc 1 includes the original album as well as the A and B-Sides to the singles released during this time. This includes the Cult Hero side project which was recorded ahead of the ‘Seventeen Seconds’ album as a way of seeing about the musical compatibility of Gallup and Hartley. There is also a Peel Session from 1980 as well as some alternative studio mixes and home demos.
Disc 1
A Reflection – Seventeen Seconds Album
Play For Today – Seventeen Seconds Album
Secrets – Seventeen Seconds Album
In Your House – Seventeen Seconds Album
Three – Seventeen Seconds Album
The Final Sound – Seventeen Seconds Album
A Forest – Seventeen Seconds Album
M – Seventeen Seconds Album
At Night – Seventeen Seconds Album
Seventeen Seconds – Seventeen Seconds Album
A Forest (7’ Single Mix) – Single A-side
Another Journey By Train – Single B-side (A Forest)
I’m A Cult Hero – Single A-side (Cult Heroes Single)
I Dig You – Single B-side (Cult Heroes Single)
A Forest – Peel Session 03/03/1980
Seventeen Seconds – Peel Session 03/03/1980
Play For Today – Peel Session 03/03/1980
M – Peel Session 03/03/1980
Secrets – Home Demo
Another Journey By Train – Home Demo
Three – Alternative Studio Mix
Another Journey By Train (AKA 44F) – Instrumental Home Demo
Disc 2 is a completely live affair. There seem to be a dearth of studio material at this point in the bands history. This might be down to the fact that ‘Seventeen Seconds’ was recorded on a minimal budget and there might not have been the time or the material for additional recordings. I have tried to mix this as though it was one gig even though the material comes from three. The Cult Heroes were seen as the warm up act, but did include members of The Cure backing up Horley postman, Frank Bell. The remainder of the material is mostly taken from a show that ended up being bootlegged as the ’Fading Roots’ LP. Two live tracks have also been taken for the 2006 ‘Seventeen Seconds’ Deluxe Edition.
Disc 2
I Dig You (Cult Heroes) – Live London ??/03/1980
I’m A Cult Hero (Cult Heroes) – Live London ??/03/1980
Seventeen Seconds – Live Sydney 09/08/1980
The Final Sound – Live Paris ??/06/1980
A Reflection – Live Paris ??/06/1980
Play For Today – Live Sydney 09/08/1980
Three Imaginary Boys – Live Sydney 09/08/1980
Fire In Cairo – Live Sydney 09/08/1980
In Your House – Live Sydney 09/08/1980
10:15 Saturday Night – Live Sydney 09/08/1980
At Night – Live Sydney 09/08/1980
M – Live Sydney 09/08/1980
Accuracy – Live Sydney 09/08/1980
Boys Don’t Cry – Live Sydney 09/08/1980
Plastic Passion – Live Sydney 09/08/1980
Jumping Somebody Else’s Train – Live Sydney 09/08/1980
Another Journey By Train – Live Sydney 09/08/1980
Grinding Halt – Live Sydney 09/08/1980
A Forest – Live Sydney 09/08/1980
Three – Live Sydney 09/08/1980
Killing An Arab – Live Sydney 09/08/1980
A Forest – Standing On A Beach Version
Disc 2 is full of live songs except for the last song which is an unique version of ‘A Forest’ which was released on the single compilation, ‘Standing On A Beach’.
The front cover is the same as the one used on the 2005 Deluxe Edition reissue of the album.
Back in 2013, Columbia Records released a Box Set called ‘Bob Dylan: The Complete Album Collection Vol.1’. The box contained thirty five studio albums and six live LP’s. it also contained a unique collection of songs called ‘Side Tracks’ which contained previous released material that was not included on any of the standard studio or live records. With a total playing time pushing 35 hours, you would think that it would be the final word in completeness and I was actually amazed that it contained the 1973 outtakes LP, ‘Dylan’ which has pretty much been ignored since it slipped out.
As is the way of these things, it was not complete. Not only did it not contain any of the albums in their mono mixes as these had actually seen the light of day three years earlier. Even though that mono compilation only contained the albums and none of the stand alone singles Dylan released during that period, the 2013 box also did not include some songs that had slipped out as singles A or B sides, on soundtracks albums etc.
Even though some of these songs have made it out of the archive since then, some of them are still waiting for a re-release. For this years Record Store fantasy release, I have compiled a set of those missing songs from the 2013 Box Set onto one LP. I wanted to keep these songs in the order in which they were released, but that would have meant not only that one side was four minutes longer than the other, but if this had been released, that longer side would have been pushing 28 minutes which would not have made for a good listening experience.
I also like to throw in a bonus single with my fantasy Record Store Day releases, but with this one, I had enough material for an E.P. This was because even though the scope of the Box Set only goes up to 2013, the artwork I have chosen for this compilation goes up to 2020, so I wanted to see if there were any single releases in those seven years that would be appropriate and there was. There is a live recording released in 2013. It was recorded when Dylan played live at The Gaslight Cafe in 1962, but strangely was not released when that gig finally received an official release. There is also a cover of The Beatles ‘Things We Said Today’ which comes from ‘The Art of McCartney’ tribute album. That was released as a download single as well. To finish off are two remixes of ‘Masters Of War’ were released in 2019 as a download so it would be good to have these on a physical release.
Side A
Corrina, Corrina (1962 Mono Single B-Side)
Just Like Tom Thumb Blues (1966 Live Single B-Side)
Spanish Is Allowing Tongue (1970 Single B-Side)
George Jackson (1971 Big Band Version Single A-Side)
Rita Mae (1976 Single B-Side)
Angel Flying Close To The Ground (1983 Single B-Side)
Side B
If You Gotta Go, Go Now (1967 Single A-Side)
Trouble in Mind (1979 Single B-Side)
Let It Be Me (1981 Single B-Side)
Band Of The Hand (1986 Single A-Side)
Shelter From The Storm (1996 Jerry Maguire OST)
Most Likely You Go Your Way & I’ll Go Mine (2007 Mark Ronson Remix On Line Single)
Bonus E.P.
Side A
Motherless Children (1962 Live Download Only)
Things We Said Today (2017 Download Single)
Side B
Masters Of War (2019 Download Single The Avener Rework)
Masters Of War (2019 Download Single SherGun Remix)
The cover was adapted from user Kıvılcım Er on the www.behance.net website.
The Umbrella Academy TV series is based upon a comic books detailing the lives of a functional family of superheroes. The background to this is that in the mid 20th Century, forty three babies are born to mothers who shows no signs of pregnancy just before the births. Seven of these children are adopted by the mysterious entrepreneur, Sir Reginald Hargreeves who moulds them into a superhero team known as the Umbrella Academy. The comics books were developed into a TV series by Netflix and ran for four series between 2019 and 2024.
I really enjoyed the music choices from each series, and I thought it would be interesting to curate a vinyl box set of tracks from each series. Each is a double album except the set for Season 2, as there was enough songs in there for a triple. Each comes with series specific artwork and as this is a vinyl set, if it were to ever see the light of day, it would no doubt retail for a stupid amount of money.
Side 1
Istanbul (not Constantinople) – They Might Be Giants
Barracuda – Heart
Memory Bound – Don McGinnis
Don’t Stop Me Now – Queen
Sinner Man – Nina Simone
Side 2
Sunshine, Lollipops & Rainbows – Lesley Gore
Picture Book – The Kinks
Saturday Night – Bay City Rollers
I Think We’re Alone Now – Tiffany
(Feels Like) Heaven – Fiction Factory
Mary – Big Thief
The Walker – Fitz & The Tantrums
Side 3
Blood Like Lemonade (Radio Edit) – Morcheeba
Lost Women – The Yardbirds
They Call Me A Fool – Damon
Soul Kitchen – The Doors
Never Tear Us Apart – Paloma Faith
This Year’s Love – David Gray
Good Too Shoes – Adam Ant
Side 4
We’re Through – The Hollies
I’ll Make it Easy – The Incredibles
Shingling – Tom Swoon
In the Heat Of The Moment – Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
Exit Music (For A Film) – Radiohead
Mad About You – Hooverphonic
All Die Young – Smith Westerns
Side 1
Bad Guy – The Interrupters
In Hell I’ll Be In Good Company -The Dead South
You Only Want Me When You’re Lonely – Jim Boyd
Who’s That Knocking – A Look At Yesterday
Love Is Blue – Marty Robbins
Comin’ Home Baby – Mel Torme
Beyond The Sea – Bobby Darin
Be Thankful You’re You – Fern Jones
Side 2
Sunny – Boney M
Twistin’ The Night Away – Sam Cooke
Hold On, I’m Comin’ – Sam & Dave
Unwind Yourself – Marva Whitney
Wicked Game (Radio Edit) – Parra For Cuba (feat. Anna Naklab)
Crazy – Daniela Andrade
MIrage – Chilo Escobedo
Side 3
Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo (The Magic Song) – Perry Como
I Was Made For Lovin’ You – KISS
Dancing With Myself – Billy Idol
Golden Brown – The Stranglers
I Wonder What The Future Holds – Glen Snow
Right Back Where We Started From – Maxine Nightingale
Side 4
Rocket Fuel – DJ Shadow (feat. De La Soul)
Won’t Be Long – Aretha Franklin
Polk Salad Annie – Tony Joe White
Higher – Reem
I’ll Never Do You Wrong – Joe Tex
Here Comes The End – Gerard Way (feat. Judith Hill)
Side 5
I’m A Man – The Spencer Davis Group
He Can’t Love You – 4 Holidays
Everyday (Backstreet’s Back) (Extended Version) – Backstreet Boys
Sisters Of Pearl – Baio
Pepper – Butthole Surfers
Side 6
No More – Tara George
Gone Off That Brown – Peleboy
Renegade – Styx
The Order Of Death – Public Image Limited
My Way – Frank Sinatra
Side 1
The Oogum Boogum Song – Brenton Wood
Another One Bites The Dust – Queen
My Silver Lining – First Aid Kit
Friday I’m In Love – The Cure
The Passenger – Iggy Pop
Sometimes – Gerry Cinnamon
We’ll Get Through – The Slugs
Side 2
Do You Believe In Magic – The Lovin’ Spoonful
Quando Quando Quando – Engelbert Humperdinck
Bruttosozialprodukt – Geier Sturzflug
Into My Soul – Gabin & Dee Dee Bridgewater
BItter Taste – Billy Idol
(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life – Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes
Lets Go On A Hayride – The McSharry Sisters
Side 3
Short Change Hero – The Heavy
No More Heroes – The Stranglers
Let’s Be Badder – Lucern Raze (Feat. Cherry Pickles)
It’s A Cryn’ Shame – Gentlemen
Ride Wit Me – Nelly (& City Spud)
Come In, Mr Lonely – Jerry Dyke
It’s A Crying’ Shame – The Upsouth Twisters
Side 4
Footloose – Kenny Loggins
Teenage Dream – The Rescues
What Makes You A Man – The Ninth Wave
Lady In Red – Chris de Burgh
Higher In Love – Lilly & Steve Winwood
House Of The Rising Sun – Jeremy Renner
I Gotta Cry – Sonny Golden Boy Williamson
Side 1
Boom Swagger Boom – The Murder City Devils
Facing You – Ernie Powell
Ain’t That A Shame – Fats Domino
Money (That’s What I Want) – Barrett Strong
The Bad Touch – Bloodhound Gang
End Of The Line (from ‘The Blob’) – Ralph Carmichael
Side 2
Jump Into The Fire (Single Version) – Harry Nilsson
Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves – Cher
Map Of The Problematic – Muse
This Must be The Place (Maine Melody) – Talking Heads
Side 3
Powered Up – Cobra Man
Ahead By A Century – The Tragically Hip
Secret Agent Man (Live At The Whiskey A Go-Go, 1966) – Johnny Rivers
Dead To The World – Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
I Think We’re Alone Now – Tommy James & the Shondells
Side 4
Witch Stomp – Guantanamo Baywatch
Jingle Bell Rock – Bobby Helms
Santa Baby – Eartha Kitt
Winter Wonderland – Lost Cat
Shchedryk (Carol Of The Bells) – Bel Canto Choir Vilnius
Paul McCartney has written with many people down the years. John Lennon, Linda McCartney, Michael Jackson, Eric Stewart, Ryan Tedder but it is his work with Elvis Costello that I am focusing on today. Working with Costello might seem an odd mix, but as has been shown, McCartney does like to bounce ideas off of other people. After 1986 and the disappointing sales (for him) of the ‘Press To Play’ album, he felt like he needed to get his act together for his next LP. He spent a considerable amount of time getting the songs into shape and to help him in doing so, he spent some of it writing with Elvis Costello.
From those writing sessions, fifteen songs were written. The collaboration may well have reinvigorated McCartney, but there were rumours that it was not harmonious. McCartney is said to not have been impressed with Costello’s attitude and work rate. Whatever the reason, it didn’t last with the songs divided up between the two men being released over the next six years on five different albums. However, what if these two had decided to record together and release the material as one album? Well, this could have been the result and there was even enough material to have some B-Sides.
Side A
My Brave Face – Flowers In The Dirt
Pads, Paws & Claws – Spike
The Lovers That Never Were – Off The Ground
You Want Her Too – Flowers In The Dirt
Don’t Be Careless Love – Flowers In The Dirt
So Like Candy – Mighty Like A Rose
Side B
Shallow Grave – All This Useless Beauty
Mistress & Maid – Off The Ground
Veronica – Spike
Playboy To A Man – Mighty Like A Rose
That Day Is Done – Flowers In The Dirt
Back On My Feet – Flowers In The Dirt
B-Sides
Tommy’s Coming Home – Flowers In The Dirt
Twenty Fine Fingers – Flowers In The Dirt
I Don’t Want To Confess – Flowers In The Dirt
Why didn’t this album happen? Well, it could have been down to the tense atmosphere between the two men. Writing and recording demos is different to spending the time putting together an album. Was it because they were on different labels at the time and no agreement could be reached, or was it that the collaboration was never to be anything more than what it turned out to be? They did guest on each others records though.
All of the songs that are on this ‘what-if’ LP were fully realised but the songs that I have thought would have been used for B-Sides did not get past the demo stage. Would they have recorded these properly if the album had actually been made? We will never know.
A few years back, the deluxe edition of McCartney’s ‘Flowers In The Dirt’ album was released and it contained all of the songs he and Costello had written together in demo form. However, for this release, I went with the songs as they were released on the original albums. As for the cover, there aren’t too many pictures of the two men together from that period. I also decided that Costello would have used his real name for this project. Having the two surnames as the name of the album has a certain ring to it. Being as this could have come out in 1989, I have gone for a minimalist sleeve. This was the era when CDs were becoming more popular and artistic sleeves with lots going on in them were going out of fashion.
