'Beautiful' was originally released as a single from Athlete's debut album 'Vehicles and animals' in 2002. It was re-released in 2010 when the band released their contract-fulfilling compilation album 'Singles 01-10'.
It's not entirely clear when this 7" single was made. The sleeve and label only state the year 2002, but I suspect this record was actually made in 2010. However, I can't be sure. I'm just glad I found this single as it's pretty difficult to find.
My collection: 7" single no. 5205 Found: Record Exchange, London, October 15, 2011 Cost: 1 pound Tracks: 'Beautiful' / 'On and on'
When Aurora released 'The day it rained forever' as a single, two promotional double 12" single sets were released. I already wrote about one set here, an attractive set with seven remixes.
This second set, alas, is a different matter. It features just four remixes of the track, created by Headfunk and Thick Dick (no, I'm not making this up). Have a listen and I'm sure you'll agree that the other set is the better of the two.
My collection: 12" single no. 580 Found: Discogs.com, received August 5, 2011 Cost: 5 euro Tracks: 'The day it rained forever (Thick Club mix)' / 'The day it rained forever (Deep in my head mix)' // 'The day it rained forever (Thick Dub)' / 'The day it rained forever (Deep in my dub mix)'
'All nite (Don't stop)' was released as the third single from Janet Jackson's 2004 album 'Damita Jo'. The song contains a sample of Herbie Hancock's 1975 track 'Hang up your hang ups'. This 12" features two remixes of the track.
After what has become known as the 'Superbowl incident' in which Jackson flashed a boob during prime time on American television, MTV refused to air the video, leading to a failure of the single. However, in 2008 the single still reached number 40 in the US Billboard Hot 100.
My collection: 12" single no. 583 Found: Discogs.com, received August 5, 2011 Cost: 5 euro Tracks: 'All nite (Don't stop) (Sander Kleinenberg Club Mix)' / 'All nite (Don't stop) (Low End Specialists Main Mix)'
'Doesn't really matter' was the lead single from the Universal Pictures film soundtrack 'Nutty Professor II: The Klumps', in which Jackson co-starred with actor Eddie Murphy. It was used as the official theme song for the movie. It became Jackson's ninth number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and her first in the 2000s, staying at the top for three weeks, and also making Jackson the first artist in history to score number-one singles in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s.
An alternate mix of the song was later included on Jackson's seventh studio album, 2001's 'All for You'. This 12" single features three remixes of the track, one of which didn't appear on the cd-single at the time. The three remixes on the B-side are basically instrumental versions of these remixes and thus less interesting.
My collection: 12" single no. 586 Found: Discogs.com, received August 31, 2011 Cost: 6 euro Tracks: 'Doesn't really matter (Rockwilder mix)', 'Doesn't really matter (Jonathan Peters club mix)', 'Doesn't really matter (SpenSane Get Up extended mix)' / 'Doesn't really matter (Rockwilder instrumental)', 'Doesn't really matter (Jonathan peters Soundfactory dub mix)', 'Doesn't really matter (SpenSane Get Up dub mix)'
Although this blog is dedicated to music on vinyl (the name says it all) I would like to make an exception and make you an offer you can't refuse. There's a lot of music on here you can listen to for free, but this time I'm asking for $1. That's not a lot, is it?
Black has been making beautiful music for 30 years now. In the Eighties he was very successful with the song 'Wonderful life' and subsequent releases. His vinyl output during that time has been featured on this blog (see it here). After that, things became less commercially successful - although the music has always been beautiful. You can hear it for yourself on the new compilation 'Any colour you like', which was released today. You can download it here and if you use the discount code 'mrg4song' it will cost you just £0.75 - 10% of the original price! If you like this blog you MUST download this compilation. If only to do me - and yourself - a favour.
The follow-up to the first single from their self-titled debut album was Aurora's 'The day it rained forever'. A dynamic dance track, which was remixed by no less than five remix teams. Most of the remixes were again unreleased on cd-single.
This double 12" single features seven remixes by the Belgian group Lasgo, the Mancunian dance duo Flip & Fill (DJ's Graham Turner and Mark Hall) and Monoboy. It's quite an attractive package with some rather brilliant remixes.
My collection: 12" single no. 579
Found: Discogs.com, received August 5, 2011
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'The day it rained forever (Lasgo vocal)' / 'The day it rained forever (Flip & Fill vocal)', 'The day it rained forever (Monoboy Dubstramental)' // 'The day it rained forever (Monoboy Vocal)', 'The day it rained forever (Flip & Fill instrumental)' / 'The day it rained forever (Radio edit)', 'The day it rained forever (Flip & Fill radio edit)'
America was still in shock after having seen (part of) her tit when Janet Jackson's 2004 album 'Damita Jo' was released. It meant that the album did relatively worse than previous albums because the sight of all that flesh meant that no-one could listen to music anymore - of course!
Listening to the album now one can't help but notice that miss Jackson might have been a tad sex-obsessed, but a track like 'Just a little while' - which closes the album - is nothing more or less than a pleasant piece of pop music. The mixes on this 12" single could have been a massive club success.
My collection: 12" single no. 582
Found: Discogs.com, received August 5, 2011
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Just a little while (album version)', 'Just a little while (Maurice's Nu Soul remix)' / 'Just a little while (Peter Rauhofer club mix)'
I recently wrote about a promotional 12" single of Aurora's 'Dreaming', and here's the other one. This 12" single features three remixes by Love To Infinity, a UK-based remix, production and songwriting team consisting of Andy, Pete and Dave Lee.
It's inevitable that these remixes sound a bit the same, when the full length mix is turned into an edit and a dub version on the B-side. Still, a nice addition to the collection of Aurora remixes.
My collection: 12" single no. 578
Found: Discogs.com, received August 5, 2011
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Dreaming (LTI mix)' / 'Dreaming (LTI Instrumental Dub mix)', 'Dreaming (LTI Radio Edit)'
'We might as well be strangers' was the fifth single to be released from their 2004 debut album 'Hopes & fears'. It was a bit of a strange release, as it was only released on 10" single. It featured a remix of the track by a certain DJ Shadow.
The single didn't chart in any territory, although the 10" single was readily available in the UK, where the band had had four top 20 singles until then.
My collection: 10" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received August 5, 2011
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'We might as well be strangers (remix)' / 'We might as well be strangers (remix instrumental)'
The British electronic dance music group Aurora formed in 1999 and made it to the charts in the UK that year with the song 'Hear you calling'. After a top 10 hit in 2000 with a cover of the Duran Duran track 'Ordinary world', they recorded their only album, which was released in 2001. 'Dreaming' was the first single lifted from that track, a breezy pop track which was remixed by Love to Infinity, Goldtrix and Stella Browne.
The latter two appear on this promotional 12" single. Strangely, these remixes didn't appear on cd-singles released at the time.
My collection: 12" single no. 577
Found: Discogs.com, received August 5, 2011
Cost: 4 euro
Tracks: 'Dreaming (Lullaby mix)' / 'Dreaming (Stella Browne dub mix)'
Following on from this one, here's another promotional 12" single of Janet Jackson's 'All for you'. This release comprises two heavyweight vinyl discs, featuring one remix on every side.
With the exception of the original version on side C, the mixes were all created by the remix team of Barry Harris and Chris Cox, a.k.a. Thunderpuss. The club mix on side A also appeared on other releases (including commercial ones) but the two other remixes are quite rare.
My collection: 12" single no. 576
Found: Discogs.com, received August 6, 2011
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'All for you (Thunderpuss club mix)' / 'All for you (Thunderdub)' // 'All for you' / 'All for you (Thunderpuss drumapella)'
Janet Jackson released 'All for you', the title track of her 2001 album, as the second single from that album. As far as I know there was no release on 7" vinyl, but there are several 12" single floating around, and this promotional 12" single is one of the more interesting ones.
It features six remixes of the track: there are three different remixes on side A, and the instrumental versions of those remixes appear on the B-side. The instrumental version of the rock remix becomes quite boring, but the other two remixes stand up quite well in instrumental form.
My collection: 12" single no. 574 Found: Discogs.com, received July 29, 2011 Cost: 4 pounds Tracks: 'All for you (DJ Quik remix)', 'All for you (Rock mix)', 'All for you (Top heavy remix)' / 'All for you (DJ Quik remix instrumental)', 'All for you (Instrumental rock mix)', 'All for you (Top heavy remix instrumental)'
At a time when nuclear facilities are again messing up the environment, it's time to listen to Kraftwerk's timeless 'Radioactivity' again. That song is quite alarming, despite their clean and tidy way of mixing words with music.
This bouncy cover version is something else. It was recorded by Fatboy Slim for the compilation album 'Late night tales' in 2007. The track was released as a limited edition 7" single in October of that year.
My collection: 7" single no. 5109 Found: La La Land, May 14, 2011 Cost: 5 euro Tracks: 'Radioactivity' (Fatboy Slim) / 'Everything is everything' (Bootsy Collins)
In December 2010, the first posthumous album by Michael Jackson was released. The first, because as record companies and the estate of Michael Jackson are always interested in getting more money off the legend, there will be loads more in the coming years. You've got to wonder whether that's good news or not.
This album, anyway, was not too bad. Most of the stuff would never have been released had Michael been alive, but it's good to hear some of the tracks. This vinyl single, released on Record Store Day (April 16, 2011) in some territories, features alternate versions of 'Behind the mask' and 'Hollywood tonight'.
My collection: 7" single no. 5108 Found: eBay.co.uk, received May 12, 2011 Cost: 5 pounds Tracks: 'Behind the mask (edit)' / 'Hollywood tonight (Throwback mix)'
'We were so turned on: A tribute to David Bowie' was released worldwide on September 6, 2010 as a charity for War Child UK. It is the only tribute album that has been approved by David Bowie and his management.
This single was released from the album, featuring the tracks by Duran Duran and Carla Bruni. It is the first Duran Duran 7" vinyl single since 1995's 'Perfect day'. Upon first listen, I have to say I like the cover by French president Nicolas Sarkozy's wife Carla Bruni better: she has turned the wonderfully rich original into an intimate piano-and-vocal song - and that works very well. This single is a limited edition and was pressed on clear vinyl.
My collection: 7" single no. 5039 Found: HMV, London, received February 16, 2011 Cost: 4 pounds Tracks: 'Boys keep swinging' (Duran Duran)' / 'Absolute beginners' (Carla Bruni)
One of the standout tracks on Athlete's most recent album 'Black swan', 'The getaway' was released as an EP in the UK a few months ago. It was only released on the elusive 10" vinyl format, and as I never heard about its release I nearly didn't get it at all. A shame, because the bonus tracks on this EP are quite magnificent.
Like the previous singles from the album, 'The getaway' didn't reach the UK top 40. The band subsequently released a 'greatest hits' album which unfortunately was equally unsuccessful.
My collection: 10" single [unnumbered] Found: Recordstore.co.uk, received December 29, 2010 Cost: 3 pounds Tracks: 'The getaway (US radio mix)', 'Somewhere beneath my skin', 'Corner of my baby's eyes' / 'With you I never lose', 'The getaway (Athlete re-work)
'Better than today' was released on December 5, 2010 as the third single from Kylie's latest album 'Aphrodite'. Written by Nerina Pallot and Andy Chatterley, an earlier, acoustic version of the track was included on Pallot's EP 'Buckminster Fuller'.
Released on two cd-singles and a picture disc 7" single, it was a relatively minor hit for Kylie, as it only made number 32 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 4981 Found: Recordstore.co.uk, received December 29, 2010 Cost: 2 pounds Tracks: 'Better than today' / 'Better than today (Bills and Hurr remix)'
I wasn't the first to discover the band Hurts this year, but when I did, I was glad. They have been described as a modern version of Black and the Blue Nile, and in a way there are - although the most obvious links would have to be the song titles ('Wonderful life' and 'Stay' respectively).
'Stay' was recently released as the third single from their debut album and it's a very nice slice of Eighties pop - although it was recorded more recently than that. As far as I know, this is their first single to be released on 7" vinyl. It includes an exclusive remix of the track.
My collection: 7" single no. 4978 Found: Amazon UK, received December 14, 2010 Cost: 2 pounds Tracks: 'Stay' / 'Stay (Groove Armada remix)'
If nothing else, the songs by Lady Gaga are infectuous. I don't think they will really stand the test of time, as this kind of overproduced pop rarely sounds fresh a decade later. In the case of 'Alejandro', it sounds a bit like a rejected Ace of Base track from circa 1990, which is quite remarkable in itself.
That's not to say it's a bad track per se: after just one listen you find yourself humming the simple (and thus memorable) chorus. The fact that all of Lady Gaga's singles so far have been released as a 7" picture disc adds to the appeal.
My collection: 7" single no. 4967 Found: HMV, London, October 31, 2010 Cost: 3,5 pounds Tracks: 'Alejandro' / 'Alejandro (Bimbo Jones remix)'
Sophie Ellis-Bextor is best known for her 2001 hit 'Murder on the dancefloor'. But she's still going strong, as is evidenced by this picture disc 7", released earlier this year. Produced by the Freemasons, this track sounds a lot like the Eighties classic 'Blue Monday' by New Order, yet sounds very contemporary.
'Bittersweet' was released on May 2, 2010 and reached number 25 in the UK singles chart.
My collection: 7" single no. 4963 Found: Record Exchange, London, October 31, 2010 Cost: 1 pound Tracks: 'Bittersweet' / 'Bittersweet (Freemasons 7" mix)
'Beautiful' was originally released as a single from Athlete's debut album 'Vehicles and animals' in 2002. It was re-released in 2010 when the band released their contract-fulfilling compilation album 'Singles 01-10'.
