Showing posts with label All About Eve. Show all posts
Showing posts with label All About Eve. Show all posts

Wednesday 30 December 2020

Scarlet - All about Eve

The British band All about Eve has few equals. Born from the goth scene they managed to cross over to the mainstream with their first and second albums, only to triumph artistically if not commercially with their third and fourth album. 

'Scarlet' was the third single from their second album 'Scarlet and Other Stories', released near the end of the Eighties. The B-side features a live version of one of their earliest tracks, 'Our Summer'. This promotional 7" single features a slightly edited version of 'Scarlet', chopping off 20 seconds without doing the kind of damage some other single edits can do. Still, this edit does not appear anywhere else, which makes this single a bit of a rarity.

My collection: 7" single no. 6335
Found: Discogs.com, received 29 December 2020
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Scarlet [edit]' / 'Our Summer (live)'

Sunday 31 July 2016

December - All about Eve

Ordering online can be a treat sometimes, especially when you're able to combine things and get a few interesting singles together. I was a little surprised when this one arrived in a picture sleeve. It is a promotional 7" single for All about Eve's 'December', featuring the single edit on one side and an even shorter radio edit on the other side.

This track is of course best in its unedited version, but to own an exclusive radio edit is a nice addition to my already impressive All about Eve collection.

Listen to the song

My collection: 7" single no. 5857
Found: Discogs.com, received July 1, 2016
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'December (radio edit)' / 'December [single edit]'


Sunday 4 December 2011

Flowers in our hair - All about Eve

I got to know All about Eve thanks to a TV special on a satellite channel. On that occasion I saw short clips of 'Every angel', 'Martha's harbour' and 'Flowers in our hair'. I hadn't had much of a chance to find out more about them, but within weeks I spotted this 12" single in a discount record store. A once in a lifetime chance, as I found out later. At least, this 12" single became quite expensive in later years, although the price seems to have dropped in recent years.

Besides an extended version of the title track, this disc features a cover version of the Cliff Richard track 'Devil woman'. Cliff Richard? Well it's hard to imagine him singing this lyric I have to say, but he did.

My collection: 12" single no. 77
Found: Haags Modehuis, Den Haag, 1989
Cost: 2,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Flowers in our hair (extended)' / 'Devil woman', 'Paradise'

Tuesday 29 November 2011

Our summer - All about Eve

Collectors items can be very frustrating to a collector, as sometimes you think you may never get hold of them. When I became interested in the band All about Eve, I quickly became aware of their early 'indie' releases. 'Our summer' was released in 1987 as the band's third indie release on 12", and it was one of those frustrating items for me for years.

I finally found a copy during a visit to one of those record exchanges in London, and the price had dropped to an almost acceptable level. I'm still very happy to have found this disc.

My collection: 12" single no. 175
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 1993
Cost: 9 pounds
Tracks: 'Our summer (extended mix)' / 'Lady moonlight', 'Shelter from the rain'

Monday 14 November 2011

Martha's harbour - All about Eve

All about Eve have really had only one big hit; the immortal 'Martha's harbour'. The single reached number 10 and it was their only single to reach the top 10 in the UK. It was an astonishing success, since at the time, inane house music and assembly line pop from the Stock/Aitken/Waterman stable was dominating the charts.

This 12" single in a box was one of the many formats available at the time. It featured a large poster, signatures of all four band members and two exclusive live tracks on the B-side. It was a numbered limited edition; I have number 4943.

My collection: 12" single no. 271
Found: Record fair, 1996
Cost: 20 guilders
Tracks: 'Martha's harbour', 'Another door' / 'In the clouds (live)', 'Shelter from the rain (live)'

Sunday 9 October 2011

Scarlet - All about Eve

All about Eve were in the business of creating beautiful songs, but they were also smart enough to saturate the market with many different versions of their singles. In 1990, they released 'Scarlet' as the third single from their second album 'Scarlet and other stories' on 7", 12" and two different cd-singles.

The 12" single was very special because of its gatefold sleeve, free poster and the four tracks. Three of them were included on the cd-singles as well, but the live version of 'Scarlet' could be found on this 12" single only. Longtime All about Eve fans were especially pleased with a live version of the early single 'Our summer'. A cracking version it is, too.

My collection: 12" single no. 136
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 1993
Cost: 3,50 pounds
Tracks: 'Scarlet (live)', 'Candy tree (live)' / 'Tuesday's child (live)', 'Our summer (live)'

Tuesday 4 January 2011

The dreamer - All about Eve

Although by 1991 the chart rules in the UK had restricted the number of different formats any single could be released on in order to count for sales, All about Eve still used the maximum amount of different formats to sell their singles. 'The dreamer', the last single to be taken from the album 'Touched by Jesus', was released on 7" single, cd-single, 12" single and this picture disc 12".

And this picture disc 12" came with one exclusive track, too: the demo version of the previous single 'Strange way'. It's an interesting version as the lyric of the song wasn't complete yet. The two instrumental B-sides, which were included on other formats too, have become classics in their own right.

My collection: 12" single no. 137
Found: Rhythm Records, London, October 1992
Cost: 4 pounds
Tracks: 'The dreamer (remix)', 'Frida of blood and gold' / 'Road to Damascus', 'Strange way (demo)'

Tuesday 19 October 2010

Farewell mr. Sorrow - All about Eve

This 12" single was released as a numbered limited edition, this being number 3608. The edition must have been 5000 or 10,000 copies. Besides the free colour poster included in the package, this 12" was notable for its cover version of 'Silver song', a track originally recorded by the folk group Mellow Candle. As you can hear in the video below, the original is also a beautiful recording, but it can't hold a candle (sorry for that pun) to All about Eve's beautiful cover.

Much of the appeal of the cover version has to be attributed to Julianne Regan's beautiful and passionate voice. I hear she is recording an album with The Mission's Wayne Hussey, so finally there's something to look forward to.



My collection: 12" single no. 112
Found: Wreckastow, Rotterdam, 1991
Cost: 20 guilders
Tracks: 'Farewell mr. Sorrow', 'Silver song' / 'Elizabeth of glass', 'All the rings round Saturn'

Tuesday 5 October 2010

Strange way - All about Eve

All about Eve had a habit of releasing as much formats of their singles as possible. Just before the invention of chart rules limiting formats to three, some of their singles were released on 7", two different 12" singles, a cassette single and a cd-single (or two). It was very interesting for their fans because more often than not these different formats would have exclusive tracks on them.

One of the last of these collectable 12" singles was 'Strange way', the second single from their third album 'Touched by Jesus'. It featured the B-side 'Drawn to earth', a weird track that was divided in two distinctive sections, plus two tracks unavailable elsewhere: 'Nothing without you' and 'Light as a feather'. Both tracks were quite rough and rocky, a sound that the fans had been missing on their rather polished and well-produced album. The 12" was released in a numbered limited edition: this is number 1981.

My collection: 12" single no. 119
Found: Wreckastow, Rotterdam, 1991
Cost: 15 guilders
Tracks: 'Strange way', 'Drawn to earth' / 'Nothing without you', 'Light as a feather'

Monday 24 May 2010

In the clouds - All about Eve

When I started collecting All about Eve records in the late Eighties, I quickly became aware that they'd released some independent 12" singles at the beginning of their career. The 12" of 'D for desire' never came within my grasp for a reasonable price, and neither did 'In the clouds', their second release from 1985.

While I was never prepared to shell out 50 pounds or more for 'D for desire' ever since I got a bootleg 7" single, I did buy this 12" single for 20 pounds. That's still a lot of money, but it was lot cheaper than they were going for at the time - plus it was in pristine condition. Sometimes you have to live a little.

My collection: 12" single no. 270
Found: Record fair, London
Cost: 20 pounds
Tracks: 'In the clouds' / 'End of the day', 'Love leads nowhere'

Friday 23 April 2010

What kind of fool - All about Eve

All about Eve released 'What kind of fool' as the last single from their self-titled debut album in 1988. As usual, the single was released in a variety of different formats. This 12" single was released in a limited edition and contains a version of the song that didn't appear on any other format: the Synthesis mix.

The B-side tracks were of interest as well: 'Gold and silver' was re-recorded on the band's second album 'Scarlet and other stories' (1989) and 'The garden of Jane Delawney' is a cover of a track originally recorded by the rock band Trees.

My collection: 12" single no. 128
Found: Record fair, 1992
Cost: 10 pounds
Tracks: 'What kind of fool (Synthesis)', 'Gold and silver' / 'What kind of fool (Autumn rhapsody)', 'The garden of Jane Delawney'

Friday 14 August 2009

Some finer day - All about Eve

When you compare all the sleeves of All about Eve singles through the years, this one is a pretty dismal affair. It's almost a shoddy sleeve, a piece of work that could only have resulted from disinterest from the record company.

'Some finer day' was the final single by All about Eve, the second one from their album 'Ultraviolet' (1992). It reached number 57 in the UK singles chart during its one week in the chart. Soon after this, the band was dropped from their label MCA Records and the band disbanded not long after that.

My collection: 7" single no. 1865
Found: Wreckastow, Rotterdam, January 30, 1993
Cost: 10 guilders
Tracks: 'Some finer day' / 'Moodswing'

Wednesday 12 August 2009

Phased EP - All about Eve

In 1992, All about Eve left their record company Phonogram and signed to MCA Records. They recorded a new album 'Ultraviolet', which was released in the autumn, with this EP preceding it. Well, it was... different. Gone was the romantic, goth-like All about Eve of the past: here was a modern, cold-sounding band, with Julianne Regan's vocals buried deep in the mix.

The Phased EP was a collection of two album tracks, one instrumental version of an album track and one non-album track ('Ascent/descent'). It barely caught on, but still managed to reach number 38 in the UK singles chart during its two week chart run.

My collection: 7" single no. 1726
Found: Tower Records, London, October 17, 1992
Cost: 2,3 pounds
Tracks: 'Phased', 'Mine' / 'Infrared (instrumental version)', 'Ascent/descent'

Saturday 1 August 2009

The dreamer - All about Eve

Since All about Eve was pretty much famous in the UK only, their singles became increasingly hard to find in the Netherlands. Some shops were still selling import records in 1991, but I was unlucky with this single: the shop in Rotterdam where I got my imports only got the 12" single, cd-single and picture disc 12" (which of course I bought too).

Thankfully, my friend Puck was taking an apprenticeship in Newcastle between September 1991 and January 1992, so I had the chance to ask him to pick up this single. He did, and when he returned, I finally had that single to complete my collection. Of course, the single did turn up at record fairs in the Netherlands - but that was a couple of years later!

My collection: 7" single no. 1581
Found: Newcastle, January 1992
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'The dreamer (remix)' / 'Frida of blood and gold'

Saturday 25 July 2009

Strange way - All about Eve

The release of 'Strange way', the second single from All about Eve's 1991 album 'Touched by Jesus' was promoted by the record company with a special promotional 7" single, featuring the full lengh track and a radio edit of the track.

It wasn't a very high profile promotional disc, in a custom black sleeve and a small info sticker at the front. But since these promotional items are collectable anyway and the radio edit never surfaced on any other disc, I'm glad I got hold of this item.

My collection: 7" single no. 1882
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, April 24, 1993
Cost: 7 guilders
Tracks: 'Strange way (radio edit)' / 'Strange way (full version)'

Thursday 16 July 2009

Strange way - All about Eve

'Strange way' was the song that started it all for All about Eve mark 2, featuring Marty Wilson-Piper on guitars instead of Tim Bricheno. Like Julianne Regan commented in 1998: 'On the very first day in the unglamorous King's Cross rehearsal room, within the first hour of playing, Andy, Mark and Marty had written the music to 'Strange way'. I was in a state of absolute delight. To see this instant musical chemisty develop right in front of me and to feel and be involved in this great natural rapport that was happening was, after the recent miseries we'd been through, nothing short of wonderful.'

Unfortunately, this great single release (with a marvellous B-side!) was not rewarded by the UK audience: the single stalled at number 50 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 1529
Found: Wreckastow, Rotterdam, September 28, 1991
Cost: 10 guilders
Tracks: 'Strange way' / 'Drawn to earth'

Monday 13 July 2009

Farewell mr. Sorrow - All about Eve

In 1990, guitarist Tim Bricheno left All about Eve to join the Sisters of Mercy. He was replaced by Marty Willson-Piper, who had worked with The Church. With this new guitarist, the band was pressured into becoming 'some sort of Fleetwood Mac', according to singer Julianne Regan. They resisted the pressure from the record company and instead made an album that was partly true to their own sound but also had definite influences from their new guitarist.

The clear-sounding, upbeat 'Farewell mr. Sorrow' was drawn as the first single from the album 'Touched by Jesus', and reached number 36 in the UK singles chart, which was a reasonable placing, considering their previous singles had peaked at number 34. Still, difficult times were ahead for the band...

My collection: 7" single no. 1454
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, June 22, 1991
Cost: 6,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Farewell mr. Sorrow' / 'Elizabeth of glass'

Friday 10 July 2009

Scarlet - All about Eve

The third single from All about Eve's 1989 album 'Scarlet and other stories' was 'Scarlet'. It was released in early 1990 and backed with a live track recorded at Hammersmith Odeon, where the band celebrated the biggest commercial success of their career.

'Scarlet' equalled the chart placing of the previous single 'December' in the UK, reaching number 34 in the singles chart. As always, the single was released in several collectable formats: the 7" single, a 12" single with a gatefold sleeve and a live poster, a cd-single and a picture disc cd-single.

My collection: 7" single no. 1205
Found: Wreckastow, Rotterdam, April 13, 1990
Cost: 10 guilders
Tracks: 'Scarlet' / 'Our summer (live)'

Sunday 5 July 2009

December - All about Eve

Sad to say, but the track 'December' was butchered for the single release. The track was probably deemed too long for a single release, so someone decided to cut out guitar solos, long intros and just about everything else. I still believe it hurt the sales of the single, which only managed to reach number 34 in the UK singles chart. As usual, the single did not chart in other territories.

All this despite the release of a regular 7" single (pictured above), a picture disc 7" (pictured below), a 10" single, a 12" single, a cd-single and a limited edition picture cd-single. With so many formats, it's no wonder the chart rules were changed some years later, limiting the amount of formats eligible to count towards sales to three.

My collection: 7" single no. 1132 (regular single) / no. 1226 (picture disc)
Found: Tower Records mailorder, received December 23, 1989 / Record fair, Den Haag, April 22, 1990
Cost: 2 pounds / 17 guilders
Tracks (regular single): 'December' / 'Drowning'
Tracks (picture disc): 'December' / 'Drowning', 'Paradise '89'

Sunday 28 June 2009

Road to your soul - All about Eve

When All about Eve released the single 'Road to your soul', some record company executives must have thought that the song was too long for the radio. At more than 5 minutes, there may well have been some reluctance by DJ's to play the song. And so they got to work: a DJ promo with the song was made, including an exclusive 'radio edit'.

If it were me, I would have made a different edit of the song. The radio edit featured on the A-side of this promotional single still clocks in at over four minutes, making it still a lengthy track.

My collection: 7" single no. 2912
Found: London, November 1, 1997
Cost: 3 pounds
Tracks: 'Road to your soul (radio edit)' / 'Road to your soul'

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