Some edited highlights from her new album 'Never for ever' - Kate Bush

I have very few flexi discs in my collection, because usually they are not very interesting and/or very hard to play. But since Kate Bush is one of my biggest idols, I've always wanted to get my hand on this particular promotional flexi disc. I finally managed to find a copy in August when I bought the - also extremely rare - promotional CD-single of Kate Bush's 'Cloudbusting' from an American seller.

This flexi features extracts from three album tracks, 'Delius', 'Blow Away' and 'Egypt'.

My collection: 7" single no. 5857
Found: Discogs.com, August 2017
Cost: $5
Tracks: Some edited highlights from her new album 'Never for ever'

For America - Red Box

One of the best CD releases of recent years is undoubtedly Red Box's 'Plenty'. Red Box are better known, of course, from their Eighties hit 'For America'. This blog already featured the 7" single and the rare 10" single, so obviously the 12" single has to appear here too.

I've already had it for a couple of years, so it's one of those collection pieces that simply never made it to these pages yet. Perhaps because it features a rather strange 12" version. The 'Bazooka mix' - as it's called - was made by Red Box with Phil Harding.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: 2014
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'For America (Bazooka mix)' / 'Ain't got no... I got life', 'R 'n A'

It's alright now - Beloved

The 7" single of  'It's alright now' was already in my possession for 20 years when I started hunting for the CD-single and 12" single. Having decided to hunt down remixes of the Beloved, there were a few surprises along the way. For instance: the CD-single of this track features the 'Back to basics instrumental' remix, whereas this 12" single features the 'Back to basics' version - i.e. with vocals. Both versions are very attractive.

This 12" single features three versions of the song, with only the first one also appearing on the CD-single. Worth owning this one, then!

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received May 6, 2017
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'It's alright now (Rattling good time)' / 'It's alright now (Back to basics)', 'It's alright now (Feeling fine)'

Endless road - Time Bandits

The list of Time Bandits 12" singles continues with this remix of 'Endless road', released in 1985. This remix was created by Ben Liebrand, just like the prevous single Reach out. You will find that this remix is different from the one on the other 12" single of 'Endless road'.

On the B-side, the remix of 'I'm only shooting love' by Steve Thompson reappeared.


My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, July 14, 2017
Cost: 2,5 euro
Tracks: 'Endless road (High Energy Dance Mix by Ben Liebrand)' / 'I'm only shooting love (USA Re-mix by Steve Thompson)'

Helden - David Bowie

When it was announced that the German magazine Rolling Stone would have a cover 7" single of David Bowie's 'Helden' in October, I despaired a little. It sounded like a great item to have, but it would probably be impossible to get a hold of it for a reasonable price, because of the collectability of such an item.

As it turned out, it wasn't so hard to get this single after all. The magazine was offered for sale on Ebay and it was simple enough to order a copy. The single brings together an '89 remix of 'Helden' and a live version taken from the album 'Stages'.

My collection: 7" single no. 5869
Found: Ebay, received October 19, 2017
Cost: 6 euro
Tracks: 'Helden ('89 remix)' / 'Heroes (live version)'

Right on - Zappo

You will recognise the track 'Right on', the A-side of this single, as the B-side of Yellow Bird's 'Attack Attack'. No, it's not a cover version: it's the exact same recording. So who is this Zappo person? Well, it's a nickname of Marty Wilde. On different pressings of this single he appears on the sleeve in a strange superhero suit - but since those singles are quite expensive I opted for this French pressing instead.

Most editions have 'Rock and roll crazy' (which is the B-side on this single) as the A-side. Like 'Right on', that song is written by Marty Wilde and Peter Shelley.

My collection: 7" single no. 5792
Found: Ebay, received February 10, 2017
Cost: 5 euro
Tracks: 'Right on' / 'Rock and roll crazy'

Attack attack - Yellow Bird

The band Yellow Bird only ever released one single. 'Attack Attack' was written and produced by Peter Shelley and Marty Wilde. The couple worked together intensively as songwriters and producers during the Seventies, while Marty was no longer successful as a pop star in his own right. In 1974, when this single was released, he was also trying to launch his son Ricky's career, but it would be Kim, his daughter, who would find success in the next decade.

Yellow Bird was a five man band, as you can see on the sleeve on this single, but I don't know who they are. The B-side is an instrumental track that you will also find on another single, soon on this blog...

My collection: 7" single no. 5790
Found: Ebay, February 10, 2017
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Attack attack' / 'Right on'