Working with fire and steel - China Crisis

'Working with fire and steel' was taken from China Crisis's second album of the same name. It was the second single from that album, but it still didn't manage to reach the UK Top 40. They would only manage to do so with their next single, 'Wishful thinking'.

The 12" single included two bonus tracks plus an extended remix of the track entitled 'Fire and steel'. With added instrumental breaks, this version knocks spots off the original version.

My collection: 12" single no. 227

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1994

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Working with fire and steel', 'Fire and steel (mix)' / 'Dockland', 'Forever I and I'

Download: here

Hanna Hanna - China Crisis

Having just had a top 10 hit with 'Wishful thinking' in 1984, China Crisis followed it up with another track from their album 'Working with fire and steel': 'Hanna Hanna'. The 12" single contained an extended mix plus two live tracks: 'Here come a raincloud' and their debut single 'African and white'.

'Hanna Hanna' didn't repeat the success of 'Wishful thinking': it only reached no. 44 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 12" single no. 407

Found: Record Exchange, London, 2002

Cost: 2 pounds

Tracks: 'Hanna Hanna (extended mix)' / 'Here come a raincloud (live)', 'African and white (live)'

Download: here

Tragedy and mystery - China Crisis

Another one of yesterday's finds is this twelve inch record. I've been listening more to China Crisis recently and I started to become curious about their extended remixes. They have never been compiled, and still there are quite a few around. My collection already contains a couple of those twelve inches, but this one I didn't have yet. I was very pleased to see that this version is longer than the single version, because it's such a beautiful song.

'Tragedy & mystery' was released in May 1983 and performed poorly in the charts: where Christian had gone to no. 12 in the UK earlier in the year, this one didn't come any higher than no. 46. There were enough formats around: there was a 7" single, a 7" picture disc and this 12" single, so the record company had done enough to promote the song. I'll never understand why such beautiful songs don't connect to bigger audiences...

My collection: 12" single no. 453

Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 22, 2008

Cost: 1 euro

Tracks: 'Tragedy & mystery [extended]' / 'A golden handshake for every daughter'

Download: here

Christian - China Crisis

Somehow I managed to miss the song 'Christian' when it came out. I only found out about it years later, through a live version that came free with the double single for China Crisis's 'You did cut me'. I liked the song, but it took some time to find out that it was actually their first big hit - in the UK at least. In the Netherlands it didn't reach the top 40, but in the UK it got to no. 12 in 1983.

When I found the 12" single for 'Christian', I checked it out. The label said the song lasted for 5 minutes and 45 seconds, which seemed incredibly long to me. So I bought it, hoping to hear an extended version of the song. Of course, as fans of the band would know, the song is originally that long. But still, it wasn't a bad buy, because the B-side tracks were worth a spin or two as well. The upbeat 'Greenacre Bay' and the introspective instrumental 'Performing seals' are just two examples of China Crisis's extraordinary talent.

My collection: 12" single no. 98

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1990

Cost: 2,5 guilders

Tracks: 'Christian' / 'Greenacre bay', 'Performing seals'

Download: here