Wrong - Everything but the girl

Just like Walking wounded and Single, 'Wrong' was released as a jukebox-only 7" single. I only found out about this quite recently, and this prompted me to get hold of these singles as quickly as possible. Thanks to the internet, it isn't so hard to find rare singles these days, although obviously it depends on how much you'd like to spend on them.

I do have to wonder why record companies in 1996 felt it wasn't necessary to release vinyl singles commercially anymore. They were obviously being made, so why not make them available to the general public? But then, the workings of the record industry have baffled me ever since those days anyway.

My collection: 7" single no. 5843
Found: Discogs.com, received June 1, 2017
Cost: 3 pounds
Tracks: 'Wrong (Todd Terry remix edit)' / 'Wrong (Deep Dish remix edit)'

Single - Everything but the girl

'Single' was the third single taken from Everything but the girl's 1996 album 'Walking wounded'. After two top 10 hits in the UK, this single only peaked at number 20, despite being perhaps the best track of the three of them - in my opinion of course.

I was already quite happy to find a single of the previous single Walking wounded, but it turns out that 'Wrong' and 'Single' were released as a 7" single as well - albeit just for jukebox purposes. It's just a matter of finding them online because it's nearly impossible to find these singles any other way.

My collection: 7" single no. 5838
Found: Discogs.com, received May 16, 2017
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Single' / 'Corcovado (Quiet night of quiet stars)'

Listen to the song

Walking wounded - Everything but the girl

'Walking wounded' was released as the first single from Everything but the Girl's ninth studio album of the same name, their first album to showcase a more electronic and dance style, after the success of the remixed version of their song 'Missing' from the previous album 'Amplified heart'. The single reached number 6 in the UK singles chart and number 29 in the Irish chart.

I didn't know this song was released as a 7" single until I did a little research on EBTG 7" releases recently. Fortunately, a copy was available online so I ordered it right away.

My collection: 7" single no. 5267
Found: Discogs.com, received December 6, 2011
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'Walking wounded (Main vocal mix edit)' / 'Walking wounded (Hard vocal mix)'

Walking wounded - Everything but the girl

After Everything but the girl had a surprise hit with a remix of their song 'Missing' by Todd Terry and Tracey Thorn had a hit with Massive Attack's 'Protection', the duo thought that dance music could be the way to go if they wanted any success in the future. Their subsequent albums 'Walking wounded' and 'Temperamental' showed the band's musical progress as well as establishing Watt as a dance music producer.

'Walking wounded' was their first 'dance' single produced on their own, and this promotional one-sided 10" single featured a remix of the track by Dave Wallace. Further remixes appeared on other formats.

My collection: 10" single [unnumbered]
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 19, 2011
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Walking wounded (Dave Wallace remix)'

Covers EP - Everything but the girl

Those who know Everything but the girl from their big hit 'Missing' will be surprised to hear this intimate set of covers, recorded entirely acoustic. But of course, the first decade and a half of their career was almost entirely centered about such intimate material.

According to the blurb on the sleeve: 'In October 1991 we played two concerts at the Bloomsbury Theatre in London made up largely of cover versions - we had no band, just a guitar, a piano and two voices. Many people asked us to record some of the songs.' The four track EP reached number 13 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 5202
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 15, 2011
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Love is strange', 'Tougher than the rest' / 'Time after time', 'Alison'

Old friends - Everything but the girl

In October 1991, Everything but the girl released their sixth album 'Worldwide'. 'Old friends' was released as a single from that album, featuring a live recording of the 1988 track 'Apron strings', recorded live in Minneapolis/St. Paul in June 1990.

'Old friends' was one of many Everything but the girl singles that didn't reach the charts - not even in their native UK.

My collection: 7" single no. 4723
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, March 13, 2010
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Old friends' / 'Apron strings (live)'

Don't leave me behind - Everything but the girl

Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn created many albums together as Everything but the girl. Although these days, Tracey Thorn is active as a solo artist (her third solo album is due out soon), they are still together as a couple with their three children.

'Don't leave me behind' was released as a single from their 1986 album 'Baby the stars shine bright'. During a two week chart run, it stalled at number 72 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 4587
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, February 26, 2010
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Don't leave me behind' / 'Alfie'

I don't want to talk about it - Everything but the girl

'Everything but the grl are Tracey Thorn on vocals and Ben Watt on guitar and vocals. 'I don't want to talk about it' was released to coincide with their fourth LP, 'Idlewild' (February 1988) from which the B-side 'Oxford Street' is taken. The string arrangement was written by Ben Watt and Nick Ingman.'

The back of the sleeve tells a rather complete story. However, the single only became a hit in July 1988, but when it did, it reached number 3 in the UK singles chart, making it the duo's biggest hit up to that point.

My collection: 7" single no. 1566

Found: All that music, Leiden, January 2, 1992

Cost: 2,5 guilders

Tracks: 'I don't want to talk about it' / 'Oxford Street'

Come on home - Everything but the girl

It must be a shock for those who know Everything but the girl for their dance-oriented tracks in the Nineties to hear this orchestral ballad from 1986. The sparse beats of later years have made way for this lush, baroque sound.

'Come on home' comes from the duo's 1986 album 'Baby the stars shine bright', an entire album of original songs performed with an orchestra. The single peaked at number 44 in the UK, number 27 in Ireland and number 31 in the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 2756

Found: House of Rhythm, London, October 29, 1996

Cost: 1 pound

Tracks: 'Come on home' / 'Draining the bar'

Each and every one - Everything but the girl

Everything but the girl are a two person band, formed in Hull in 1982 by Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt. They released their debut album 'Eden' in 1984. It featured their first hit single, 'Each and every one', which reached number 28 in the UK and number 9 in the Netherlands.

I thought the song was intensely dull when it came out. Of course, there were a lot more interesting pop acts around at that time to grab my interest. So I only grew to like this song later, and it was at the end of the eighties that I finally bought this single.

My collection: 7" single no. 847

Found: Den Haag, May 27, 1989

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Each and every one' / 'Laugh you out the house'

Download: here