Since yesterday - Strawberry Switchblade

This 12" single of Strawberry Switchblade's biggest hit 'Since yesterday' features three tracks - and no extended version of the title track as one would expect in 1984.

Oddly enough, an extended version of the track does exist, but I don't know when and where it was originally released. Nonetheless, this disc is interesting for the two B-sides, which are as charming as anything this colourful Scottish duo have released. I.e. very.

My collection: 12" single no. 306
Found: Big Company Records, London, October 1996
Cost: 2,5 pounds
Tracks: 'Since yesterday' / 'Sunday morning', 'By the sea'

1000 years from today - The Beloved

The spacey track '1000 years from today' was robbed of its shimmering beauty and transformed into a dancefloor stomper on this promotional 12" single. Three different remixers went to work on this with varying levels of success.

Personally I prefer the Adam & Eve remixes on this disc, but other listeners may choose differently. It's an interesting choice of remixes, and an interesting disc.

My collection: 12" single no. 573
Found: Discogs.com, received July 29, 2011
Cost: 5 pounds
Tracks: '1000 years from day (Doc Baron's 80 Proof mix)', '1000 years from today (Adam & Eve's Timeless vocal mix)' / '1000 years from today (Adam & Eve's Commotion mix)', '1000 years from today (Todd Edwards dub mix)', '1000 years from today (Doc Baron's 101.9 mix)'

All for you - Janet Jackson

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)'

Your love takes me higher - The Beloved

The Beloved released 'Your love takes me higher' in 1989, before they became famous with similar dancepop tracks. This American 12" single features four remixes of the track that sound, I have to say, a lot like the PWL pop that was so popular just two years before.

Of course, the Beloved developed a style of their own and had a few massive hits in the early Nineties, but this 12" single shows their beginnings on that path to success - and it's quite an enjoyable package of remixes!

My collection: 12" single no. 572
Found: Discogs.com, received July 29, 2011
Cost: 4 pounds
Tracks: 'Your love takes me higher (The pod went pop mix)', 'Your love takes me higher (Divinely simple)' / 'Your love takes me higher (Deep joy)', 'Your love takes me higher (Simply divine)'

They don't know - Kirsty MacColl

With Kim Wilde releasing an album of covers on August 27, it's inevitable that I went searching for the original versions of the songs featured on that album - at least, the ones that weren't already in my collection!

Kirsty MacColl's 'They don't know' was released in 1979. I didn't know there was a picture disc edition of the single, but here it is... I found it for close to nothing on Ebay. It made me wonder why I never saw this single before, because I would certainly have snapped it up: it's much better than the Tracey Ullman cover released a few years later.

My collection: 7" single no. 5191
Found: eBay.co.uk, received July 29, 2011
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'They don't know' / 'Motor on'

Rock to the rhythm of love - Beloved

'Rock to the rhythm of love' was featured on this blog very recently, but yet again I've bought a 12" single of this track. And that's because this version contains different mixes!

This version of the 12" features an extended version of the 'MURK ride' which was featured on that other disc, plus a dub version that's not on that one at all. I would have been even happier if I'd had both discs of this 2 x 12" release, but that would only get me one extra mix - so in a way this was a good deal. However, if anyone can get me the 'C'est la vie power mix' of 'Celebrate your life', please do get in touch...

My collection: 12" single no. 571
Found: Discogs.com, received July 20, 2011
Cost: $6
Tracks: 'Rock to the rhythm of love (MURK extended ride)', 'Rock to the rhythm of love (Ride to the beat)', 'Celebrate your life (Beats for life)' / 'Rock to the rhythm of love (South Pacific mix)', 'Rock to the rhythm of love (Shelter me dub)'

Let's wait awhile - Janet Jackson

'I promise, I'll be worth the wait', said Janet Jackson back in 1986 when 'Let's wait awhile' hit the airwaves. We know now that she didn't lie: the many photographs and sexually charged songs she's released since then are evidence of the fact that Janet has left her prude days far behind.

This 12" single features the single remix of 'Let's wait awhile' plus the older remixes of 'Nasty', that were released as a separate 12" single a few months earlier.

My collection: 12" single no. 567
Found: Fun Records, Berlin, received July 9, 2011
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Let's wait awhile (remix)', 'Nasty (Cool summer mix - part 1)' / 'Nasty (Cool summer mix - part 2)'