Kate Bush - Hammer Horror

With that picture on the front I would have bought this even it was the worst thing she'd ever done, luckily it's not it's another super single from her classic era.
I often wonder if she hadn't looked so good would I have still liked her? not sure but everytime I hear a Kate Bush song I think of this cover and it makes me happy.

Kate Bush - Hammer Horror
Kate Bush - Coffee Homeground

Wigan's Ovation - Skiing In The Snow

Absolutely love Northern Soul and now have a massive collection of mp3 versions of the whole genre, but have a lousy vinyl collection :(
So this is the best I can offer, one of a handful of "new" northern soul records that appeared around 1975.
I remember buying this with others by the Peppers, Dean Parrish and Wigan's Chosen Few which I assume were done to cash in on the Northern soul revival of that period.
Of course the genuine Northern soul records are still changing hands for massive prices, just look on e-bay for the highest value singles.

Wigan's Ovation - Skiing In The Snow
Wigan's Ovation - Northern Soul Dancer

New Order - True Faith

Another superb single from New Order.
I loved the video for this as well - True Faith Video

These originals are from 1987, although a remixed version was released in 1994.
The B Side "1963" hit the chart in it's own right in 1995

7"
New Order - True Faith
New Order - 1963

12"
New Order - True Faith Remix
New Order - 1963
New Order - True Dub

New Order - Thieves Like Us

Superb, Brilliant etc I love this track :)
For some reason I couldn't get my hands on a copy of this locally and ended up taking a trip to London just to find it, I think I actually found it in the Rough Trade shop eventually, also came home with a bag full of other stuff so it was a really worthwhile trip (ah good days).

New Order - Thieves Like Us
New Order - Lonesome Tonight

New Order - Murder

This one failed to hit the chart for some reason? which I don't understand as its as good as anything they released, the only complaint would be that at under 4 minutes it was a bit short for a New Order 12".
The B Side is an instrumental remixed version of the all time great tune Thieves Like Us.

New Order - Murder
New Order - Thieves Like Us Instrumental

New Order - Blue Monday

The original 12" version, which is quite famous for being the first single to hit the top 20 in the UK on 12" sales alone, and I believe it's still the biggest selling 12" single ever? I'm not sure if they ever did a 7" version but I imagine it's rare.
The B side is a remixed version of Blue Monday despite the title.

New Order - Blue Monday
New Order - The Beach

Television - Marquee Moon

Here we have another classic tune of the early new wave era.
The 12" version is the full nearly 10 minute version with stereo and mono versions, I actually bought the 7" version first which is the stereo version split into 2 parts over the 2 sides.
The reason for stereo and mono versions was probaly to impress young lads like myself who had only just got their first Stereo equipment and could listen in awe at different sounds coming out of the 2 speakers, and if it was all too much for us we could go back to the usual mono sound we were comfortable with :)

12"
Television - Marquee Moon (12" Stereo)
Television - Marquee Moon (12" Mono)

7"
Television - Marquee Moon Part 1
Television - Marquee Moon Part 2

Guru Josh - Infinity (7" Vinyl Rip)

This one's topical as the remixed 2008 version hit the chart recently, personally prefer the old one but the classic horn is on both versions so it's got merit.

Guru Josh - Infinity (1990's Time For The Guru)
Guru Josh - Infinity (Spacey Saxophone Mix)

UB40 - So Here I Am

Another UB40 for you, I have to admit I didn't like this track much at the time but it has grown on me since.Nice live version of Silent Witness on the B.

UB40 - So Here I Am
UB40 - Silent Witness (Live)

Karen Rix With Sideway Look - Hungry Waters

Why am I posting this? good question.
I was hunting through my "crap box" which is all the records I ended up with from my boot sale days when I used to buy boxloads of old singles for stupid prices to keep my stock up and in the hope there was something good contained.
This was in a large box of about 500 singles I bought for a £1 after some bargaining, I'd already seen the Prodigy singles I posted a while back so was willing to go higher but my disinterested look did the trick :)

Karen Rix With Sideway Look - Hungry Waters
Karen Rix With Sideway Look - Stop The Night

Lord Rockingham's XI - Wee Tom (10" 78 RPM)

One of the oldest thing I'll ever put here, I believe it was from 1959 or earlier?
I have a bundle of old 78 RPM records which haven't been played in at least 30 years so I thought I'd have a go at ripping them.
The Audacity program I have said it will convert from 45 RPM to 78 and it did :)
I had planned to do Hoots Mon but appear to have mislaid it, or possibly sold it years ago? but still had this one.

Jack Good Presents Lord Rockingham's XI - Wee Tom
Jack Good Presents Lord Rockingham's XI - Lady Rockingham, I Presume?

Runaways - Queens Of Noise

You know how it is, teenage boy and hot girl rock group, I just had to love this band :)
I wish we'd had YouTube and the internet in those days as it was really hard to find anything about this band, a few magazine articles and one or two posters meant you bought the albums just to see what they looked like.
Don't think they ever had any chart success in the UK, although "Big in Japan" :)

Although Cherry Bomb is probably their most famous single, here is the follow up "Queens of noise", to be honest I'm not too keen on this song but I've kept this single due to the totally brilliant B-Side "Born to be Bad".
Great guitar solo from Lita Ford and some great lyrics like "I want you to bring me his ears, To satisfy my mad desires, And if he bites the dust We'll just have to miss my fire".

Runaways - Queens Of Noise
Runaways - Born To Be Bad

Hot Butter - Popcorn

Back to the music, here's an oldie but goodie from 1972 I've loved this for 36 years now, so I thought it was worth a post.
Without wishing to sound like I've lost the plot I think this record was way ahead of it's time, considered a bit of a novelty song at the time I think it still stands up well today.
The quality is quite good considering it's age and the fact it was brought from a market (my pocket money didn't stretch to buying records in those days, sweets were more important).
The B-side on the other hand does sound very dated, and as with a lot of these oldies I have it has a lot more scratches than the A side (which doesn't really make sense as the B was rarely played).

Hot Butter - Popcorn
Hot Butter - At The Movies

I'm Sure That One Was Here?

Multiple posts are disappearing?

Paul Hardcastle - 19

Paul Hardcastle's Nineteen was a breath of fresh air when it came out and I'm not surprised it hit number one, It was new and exciting at the time although the format is commonplace nowadays.

I can't tell the difference in the 7 + 12 versions of the B-side Fly by Night (probably isn't any)
Might just be me but the last track "asylum" reminds me of the Prodigy so I wonder if Liam Howlett was just slightly inspired by this? (if he's ever heard of it).

7"
Paul Hardcastle - 19 (7" Version)
Paul Hardcastle - Fly By Night (7" Version)

12"
Paul Hardcastle - 19 (Destruction Mix)
Paul Hardcastle - Fly By Night (12" Version)
Paul Hardcastle - Dolores
Paul Hardcastle - The Asylum (It'z Weird)

Propaganda - Duel

Although the eighties overall stand up quite well for musical gems, the mid eighties were becoming pretty dull until Trevor Horn and ZTT shot onto the scene bringing us Frankie Goes To Hollywood and the brilliant Propaganda amongst others.
Duel was the folow up to Dr Mabuse.
These are the 7" and 12" versions, I think the shorter version of the B side is better than the 12" version personally (less farting around at the start).

7"
Propaganda - Duel (7" Version)
Propaganda - Jewel (Rough Cut)

12"
Propaganda - Duel (Bitter Sweet)
Propaganda - Jewel (Cut Rough)

Propaganda - Das Testaments Des Mabuse

Pretentious and very eighties, don't care I love it :)
The A Side is the full length 10 minute version and I'm not sure why they even did a shorter version?, the B Side starts with a great cover of the Velvet Underground's Femme Fatale and follows with a alternate version of Mabuse.

Propaganda - Das Testaments Des Mabuse
Propaganda - Femme Fatale (The Woman With The Orchid)
Propaganda - (The Ninth Life Of) Dr Mabuse

Jam - Down In The Tube Station At Midnight

Stunningly good track from the Jam, probably the single that made us all realise the Jam were here to stay (if they hadn't split up) so many good bands of this era had a few killer singles then faded away but the Jam were just getting started.

Jam - Down In The Tube Station At Midnight
Jam - So Sad About Us
Jam - The Night

Jam - All Around The World

First of the Jam's "World" trilogy and in my opinion the better one of the three.
Seems amazing that the Jam didn't have a top ten hit until the Eton Rifles hit number three in 79 when in my opinion most of their finest songs had been done by then ... people have no taste :)

Jam - All Around The World
Jam - Carnaby Street

Stranglers - Something Better Change

The Stranglers third hit which I thought was a double A because both sides were played on the radio but the single lists A and B sides.
Personally prefer Straighten Out but both are great tracks.

Stranglers - Something Better Change
Stranglers - Straighten Out