Friday 12 August 2022

Please Sir, I Want Some More

Following Blancmange's shock exit from the first round of the Imaginary Compilation Album World Cup earlier this week at The Vinyl Villain, I feel it is my moral duty to present another selection by way of compensation.

This is a companion piece of sorts to Just Desserts, the CD-R compilation I put together in July 2005 and featured in a Blancmange post earlier this year. Today's selection follows a similar path of presenting 12" singles, remixes and edits. Many of the same songs pop up, albeit in different versions. 
 
Lose Your Love was the penultimate single from “phase 1” of Blancmange. I bought the 7" double pack single at the time as it included the Joseph Watt (Razormaid) remixes of That's Love That It Is - featured here - and Game Above My Head. I bought a secondhand copy of the 12" single a few years later, with an extended version which runs to over ten minutes. The version opening this selection is a shorter remix from the Canadian promo 12" single.
 
Likewise, the Instrumental/Dub Version of Blind Vision appeared on the USA promo 12" single; on my copy, this was swapped out for the full length version of Waves.
 
The literally titled Side Two is the B-side of the preceding single What's Your Problem? and is an extended, re-recorded version of Believe You Me album track 22339.  

I've included one non-1980s version, a re-edit of Waves from 2010 by Berlin-based Gloyn, which takes a bit of getting used to but is a nice way to bring things to a close.
 
Blancmange reformed in 2011, although Stephen Luscombe left shortly after for health reasons. Neil Arthur has continued to regularly release albums since. Blancmange's (by my count) 14th post-reformation album, Private View, will be released on London Records on 30th September, almost exactly 40 years to the day since their debut, Happy Families. 
 
I'm seeing Blancmange live in concert for the first time the following week in Stroud, along with regular blogosphere commenter and nearly neighbour Mike, which I'm really looking forward to. Expect a "phase 2" Blancmange selection before then.

1) Lose Your Love (This Club Mix By John Luongo & Victor Flores) (1985)
2) Feel Me (Dub Version By Mike Howlett) (1982)
3) Vishnu (Full Length Version By John Luongo) (1983)
4) Blind Vision (Instrumental/Dub Version By John Luongo) (1983)
5) What's Your Problem? (Razormaid Mix By Joseph Watt) (1986)
6) Side Two (Extended Version By Neil Arthur & John Williams) (1985)
7) That's Love, That It Is (U.S. Extended Remix Version By Joseph Watt) (1983)
8) Don't Tell Me (U.S. Dance Remix By Mark Kamins) (1984)
9) I Can See It (Single Remix By Greg Walsh) (1986)
10) Living On The Ceiling (Album Remix By Dennis Weinreich) (1982)
11) Waves (Extended Edit By Gloyn) (2010)

Please Sir, I Want Some More (1:10:30) (KF) (Mega)

4 comments:

  1. THIS IS BRILLIANT - not only is it a blancmange mix but you have picked to post it on my birthday as well - many thanks Khayem!

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  2. Happy birthday, Mike, I hope you've had a great day so far! I'd like to take credit for some kind of telepathic ability but the playlist was a very happy accident. I'm pleased you enjoyed today's selection and I hope it'll make up for Blancmange's early departure from the ICA World Cup.

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  3. Sorry about Blancmange. It didn't help that they were in a tough group and perhaps an unusual choice for an opening track on the ICA made it a tough ask......

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    1. Ah, no need to apologise, JC. I am completely invested in the ICA World Cup this time around having not committed to voting four years ago. Every week's been a tough call and there have been some difficult decisions along the way and more shock exits to come. Controversially, I didn't vote for Julian Cope (my own ICA) the other week but it had to be all about the songs... Thanks for running the ICA World Cup again, it's been great fun.

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