House of thorns - Fiat Lux

While I was not impressed with the 7" single of 'House of thorns' by Fiat Lux (see it here), this 12" single pleases me more. It features a remix of the title track plus two B-side tracks.

The remix of 'House of thorns' makes it sound less like a demo and more like a track that could actually be danceable. The first B-side, 'Threes company' appears on the 7" single too, but the second B-side, 'Sally free and easy' is a bonus, and a good one at that: it's a modern version of a folk song written in the 1950's by Cyril Tawney. It's how Enya would sound if she was a bit more experimental.

My collection: 12" single no. 409
Found: Record Exchange, London, 2000
Cost: 50p
Tracks: 'House of thorns [remix]' / 'Threes company', 'Sally free and easy'

Feels like winter again - Fiat Lux

I've known the English band Fiat Lux since 1984 when their single 'Secret' made quite an impression on me. For a long time I thought it was their debut single, but I was wrong: they actually started two years previous with the independently released single 'Feels like winter again'.

The track is very catchy and with proper production and promotion could well have been one of THE synthpop hits of the era. The way it is now, I only discovered the single recently, almost three decades since its release, and I am definitely hooked.

My collection: 7" single no. 4963
Found: Sister Ray, London, October 31, 2010
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Feels like winter again' / 'What is this illness'

Secrets - Fiat Lux

Back in November 2008, I featured the 7" single of Fiat Lux's 'Secrets' on this blog. The song cannot be downloaded from there anymore as I never reupload tracks (so don't ask, please).

However, since I have this 12" single as well, both tracks are available once more. And it's just as well, since 'Secrets' is one of the best songs of the Eighties, I dare say. It's a shame that this 12" single does not include an extended version of the track, but there is an extra B-side - which I have to say is a bit of a throwaway track...

My collection: 12" single no. 248
Found: unknown
Cost: unknown
Tracks: 'Secrets' / 'Comfortable life', 'Aqua vitae'

Blue emotion - Fiat Lux

Fiat Lux is one of those great unknown synthpop bands from the first half of the Eighties. They had two singles in the lower regions of the UK singles chart, but that was about it for them. I featured their singles on this blog last year, but I'm glad to say that I also own the 12" versions of most of them too.

'Blue emotion' is a particularly good 12" single, as it features extended versions of both the A-side and the B-side. When you listen to 'Blue emotion', you could easily mistake the band for Ultravox, as it's got these creepy synth sounds that wouldn't sound out of place on the classic album 'Vienna'.

My collection: 12" single no. 246
Found: 1995
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Blue emotion (extended version)' / 'Sleepless nightmare (extended version)'

House of thorns - Fiat Lux

After the singles 'Secrets' and 'Blue emotion' had made a big impact on me, I started trying out other singles by Fiat Lux. I bought 'Photography' and this one on the same day, hoping for more jewels in their repertoire.

All I can say is: sometimes you strike out. While 'Photography' still sounds interesting, 'House of thorns' is a bit of a mediocre affair. It seems like an unfinished demo; the production could (and should) have been tighter. Oh well, it's still not bad compared to loads of other songs around these days, but I won't play this often.

My collection: 7" single no. 3161

Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 27, 1999

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'House of thorns' / 'Threes company'

Download: here

Blue emotion - Fiat Lux

Fiat Lux followed up their single 'Secrets' with the up-tempo track 'Blue emotion'. Some sounds on this track reminded me very much of Ultravox, and if someone had told me it was their new single, I probably would have believed it. My sister played this single a lot when I was younger, so when I came across this single years later, I still knew I wanted to have it.

I was really surprised, then, to find out I'd bought a copy on coloured vinyl. 'Blue emotion' was released on - wait for it - blue vinyl. How imaginative.

My collection: 7" single no. 2369

Found: House of Rhythm, London, July 1, 1995

Cost: 1 pound

Tracks: 'Blue emotion' / 'Sleepless nightmare'

Download: here

Photography - Fiat Lux

Fiat Lux had released one single on an independent label before they signed to Polydor. And 'Photography' was their first single on the Polydor label. It wasn't until the next single was released, 'Secrets', that the group reached the lower regions of the UK charts.

Contrary to what I wrote previously, Fiat Lux did release an album: the mini-lp 'Hired History'. Both tracks of this single appear on that mini-lp, as well as two other single a- and b-sides. I found 'Photography' together with a later single 'House of thorns' in 1999.

My collection: 7" single no. 3160

Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 27, 1999

Cost: 2 guilders

Tracks: 'Photography' / 'Aquae vitae'

Download: here

Secrets - Fiat Lux

In 1983, there were a few songs that I deemed instant classics. This was one of them. Fiat Lux was the best synthpop band that never made it. 'Secrets' was the best example of their extraordinary talent. Part ballad, part popsong, part classical music, it contained almost everything that I admired.

Fiat Lux formed in Yorkshire (UK) in 1982 with Steve Wright (vocals), Ian Nelson (sax, keyboard) and Dave Crickmore (guitars, keyboards). They never released any albums, however, there are several singles out there, most of which I have. The first one I bought was this 'Secrets', in 1989. Until then, I had to make do with a radio recording.

My collection: 7" single no. 780

Found: All that music, Leiden, March 24, 1989

Cost: 3 guilders

Tracks: 'Secrets' / 'Comfortable life'

Download: here