Interview 1986 - Kate Bush

This 'limited edition 3" CD', as it is described on the cover, is actually a 5" CD and not only a limited edition but also very illegal. The 'Interview 1986' was recorded in 1985 and was taken from an uncredited source. It's not a very long interview either: at just 7'19 it could be considered something of a ripoff. But I wouldn't have bought this if it was very expensive, so that shouldn't be a feeling connected to this.

The truest statement comes from the inside of the sleeve: "There will never be another Kate Bush".

KB7CD
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Martha's harbour - All about Eve

I discovered the band All about Eve in 1988, when a satellite channel on TV broadcast a special on the band, featuring two or three videos. I'm sure 'Every angel' was one of them, but I'm not sure 'Martha's harbour' was included. Still, I was inspired to buy a single by them later that week in the record shop (yes, that's vinyl guys). A few weeks later, I had their debut album, and a few weeks after that I had a whole stack of vinyl singles.

My first CD-single followed in 1989 in the shape of this CD Video. The best treat on this was the B-side 'Another door', which unlike the other tracks didn't appear on the album.

1. Martha's harbour
2. Like Emily
3. Another door
4. She moves through the fair

Mercury 080 522-2
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Tainted love - Soft Cell

The only CD single I bought during a holiday in London in October 1989 was this one, and it was made in Germany, sold as an import. Most of my money went into 7" singles, which were being sold in abundance in second hand shops at the time.

Featuring four singles from the illustrious duo, this CD single also featured the long version of their debut hit, 'Tainted love' as a medley with 'Where did our love go'.

1. Tainted love/Where did our love go
2. Torch
3. Say hello, wave goodbye
4. Numbers

Vertigo 888617-2
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Empty rooms - Gary Moore

Although I love the track 'Empty rooms' - which is, after all, the reason for buying this disc in the first place - I was knocked sideways when I first played the second track, a live version of 'Parisienne Walkways', featuring Phil Lynott on vocals. Not only are those vocals just wonderful, the guitar work performed by Gary Moore is one of the best pieces of guitar work I've ever heard. What a great melody. And so this turned out to be one of the CD singles I have played the most in my entire collection.

1. Empty rooms (long version)
2. Parisienne walkways (live)
3. Empty rooms (Summer '85 version)

Virgin CDT 35
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Dreaming - Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

Taken from their compilation album 'The best of OMD', also released in 1988, 'Dreaming' was the only new track on that album and the last to be released by Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys together, before Paul quit the band because he was unhappy with the band's commercial orientation. It would take until 2006 for them to reunite for their recent albums.

'Dreaming' was a great pop song and a great way for the band to wave goodbye - although Andy continued as OMD for some years on his own.

1. Dreaming (extended mix)
2. Satellite
3. Gravity never failed
4. Dreaming

Virgin VSCD 987
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Catch - The Cure

I already owned the 7" single of 'Catch' when I bought this CD Video and so I already knew that the B-side 'Breathe' was a great track. Adding to that the Tim Pope-directed video which was quite charming and I was convinced that I needed to have this disc.

I was less impressed with the other two audio tracks, but anyway, this is still a disc I'm very happy with.

1. Catch
2. Breathe
3. A chain of flowers
4. Icing sugar (new mix)
5. Catch (video)

Fiction Records 080 186-2
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You're my world - Nick Heyward

Nick Heyward had his biggest hits in the first half of the Eigthies, first with the band Haircut 100 and then solo with songs like 'Whistle down the wind' (delicious) and 'Warning sign' (funky).

'You're my world', released in 1988, was a very nice pop ditty, which failed to impress the audiences and so I had the opportunity to pick this up for a few guilders - quite a feat at a time when CD-singles were still new enough not to be found in bargain bins like they were in later years.

1. You're my world (edit)
2. Pizza tears
3. You're my world (extended version)
4. Strange life

WEA 921 041-2
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Take me to your heart - Rick Astley

The inlay of this CD-single is a bit odd, because what you see on the scan here was really it: the other side of the inlay card was empty and white. For the track listing, you need to read the label of the CD, which is pretty difficult if you're actually playing the disc.

This CD single comes with three versions of the title track plus a pretty good B-side. It's mid-Eighties pop by those famous producers Stock Aitken & Waterman, but although dated this sound pretty good still. Not least because of Rick Astley's smooth voice.

1. Take me to your heart (Autumn leaves mix)
2. I'll be fine
3. Take me to your heart (instrumental)
4. Take me to your heart (7" version)

RCA PWL  PD 42574
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Smooth criminal - Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson was never one to use understatements, and so it was a bit of a surprise to see a 3 inch CD single for 'Smooth criminal' when that single was released. One would expect a mega gold disc in an extra thick box, or at least a 5" disc.

But anyway, this small disc still came with three - count them: 3 - remixes of 'Smooth criminal', and they all sound a bit alike. But that doesn't mean I didn't like this disc, and I still do. I just wish I could get my hands on the other 3" discs by Michael.

1. Smooth criminal (extended dance mix)
2. Smooth criminal ("Annie" mix)
3. Smooth criminal (Dance mix - dub version)

Epic EPC 653026 3
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Somewhere in my heart - Aztec Camera

I was very glad to see that 'Walk out to winter' was included on this CD single - that track alone is a reason for buying this disc. Fortunately the title track is a very good pop song too and the other two tracks are not half bad either.

A great package, then, from one of the most underrated bands of the Eighties.

1. Somewhere in my heart
2. Walk out to winter
3. Still on fire
4. Everybody is a number one (Boston '86 version)

WEA 247956-2
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Halt mich - Herbert Grönemeyer

60 discs into my CD singles collection, it was time to finally buy some German music. 'Halt mich' by Herbert Grönemeyer was an interesting choice, brought on by its discount price and the fact that I liked the song. It's not often that a German love song is executed well, but this one proves that it can be done.

For those of you who wonder what 'Verlängerter neumix' (track 2) means: it's not a description of nuclear waste, but rather German for 'new extended mix'. And who would have thought that this disc now costs 95 euros? Wow.

1. Halt mich
2. Fragwürdig (Verlängerter neumix)
3. Lesmona

EMI CDP 560-14 7386 2
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Head over heels - Tears for fears

The second in the series of my CD Video discs was, just like the first one, by Tears for fears. It was another attractive package, with 'Sea song', originally the B-side of the single 'I believe', and a remix of 'Mothers talk' included.

I remember at the time having to choose between the different CD Videos (for budgetary reasons) and I finally decided on this one because the audio was better than the other ones. I wanted to have 'I believe' too, because I'd never even seen that video, but the audio tracks on that one were much less interesting: a choice of tracks from the band's debut album.

1. Head over heels
2. Sea song
3. The working hour
4. Mothers talk (USA)
5. Head over heels (video)

Mercury 080062-2
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Four letter word - Kim Wilde

It is a wellknown fact that Marty and Ricky Wilde wrote most of Kim Wilde's early hit singles, but only few people know which of her singles was the last to be written by the duo. It is this mid-tempo ballad, 'Four letter word'. This CD single features the album version and an extended version, although a 'Late night mix' also exists.

'She hasn't got time for you' originally appeared on Kim's 1986 album 'Another step' and is transformed from a ballad to a dance track for this release.

1. Four letter word
2. She hasn't got time for you '88
3. Four letter word (extended version)

MCA 257696-2
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Good tradition - Tanita Tikaram

Tanita Tikaram's second single, 'Twist in my sobriety', was amazing of course, but I was less impressed with her debut single, 'Good tradition'. By the time I bought this CD single, I'd already heard her album numerous times and I'd grown very fond of the song 'Valentine heart', which appeared on this disc.

After buying this CD single, I found out it wasn't the album version of that song, but rather a demo version with guitar and vocals only. Conversely, 'Poor cow', which is listed here as a demo version, is actually the album version.

1. Good tradition
2. Cathedral song
3. Valentine heart [= demo version]
4. Poor cow (demo version) [= album version]

WEA 247820-2
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All she wants is - Duran Duran

The second single from 'Big Thing', Duran Duran's 1988 album, 'All she wants is' intrigued me much more than the first single, 'I don't want your love', which I didn't buy.

The three tracks on this disc are all equally good, with the five minute B-side 'I believe/All I need to know' as good as any album track and mysteriously left off. The recent deluxe re-release of 'Big thing' actually revealed a longer version of that track.

1. All she wants is (45 mix)
2. Skin trade (Parisian mix)
3. I believe/All I need to know (medley)

EMI CD DD 11
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Big bubbles, no troubles - Ellis Beggs & Howard

If you think this sleeve looks a bit odd, you're right: it looks like the back of a sleeve instead of the front. Since this CD single was a so-called 'Picture CD single' (i.e. there was a photograph printed on the label of the disc) apparently the sleeve was designed this way.

It all distracts from the music, which is actually very good. Ellis Beggs & Howard was formed by Simon Ellis, Austin Howard and Nick Beggs. The latter was best known for his work with Kajagoogoo at the time. He went on in various music projects, and is currently touring with Kim Wilde and Steven Wilson, among others. 'Big bubbles no troubles' was this trio's debut single, and a very good song in my opinion. I bought this CD single in a sale in early 1989.

1. Big bubbles, no troubles (Bubble mix)
2. Hungry man
3. Rock me (Block mix)
4. Big bubbles, no troubles (Rubble mix)

RCA PD 42090
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Left to my own devices - Pet Shop Boys

If you're lucky enough to find a copy of this 3 inch CD single these days, expect to pay some 85 euros for it. (Well there is one for sale via the link below...) I wonder, though, if people would pay as much for my copy, which is pictured here. When I bought it, it looked exactly like this: scarred and blistered on the front. I don't know what happened but the shop didn't have another copy and I really wanted to have this one back in December 1988. So I bought it. I've always kind of regretted it, because it doesn't look very good, but anyway. It's still great to have this version on CD.

1. Left to my own devices
2. The sound of the atom splitting

EMI  CDP 506-20 3081 3
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Absolute beginners - David Bowie

This 3 inch CD single by David Bowie was part of the Virgin series that introduced the format to the general public by way of releasing old classic hits. And a classic hit this was. The title track from the soundtrack of the movie 'Absolute beginners' appeared on this disc in two versions. Although I had the 7" single, both the full length version and the dub mix did not appear on there - so this was a great addition.

It was my first ever David Bowie CD single... and certainly not the last.

1. Absolute beginners (full length version)
2. Absolute beginners (dub mix)

Virgin CDT 20
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Somebody to love - Queen

By 1988, retro CD singles were being made in high tempo. When a large selection of Queen singles appeared on 3 inch CD singles, I quickly opted for 'Somebody to love' because I loved the track and I never managed to buy the 7" single until then.

Originally I wanted to buy more from this series, but in the end I never did.

1. Somebody to love
2. White man
3. Tie your mother down

EMI QUECD 4
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You're a big girl now - Black

'You're a big girl now' was the second single off Black's second album, 'Comedy'. It was another accomplished song by the highly talented Colin Vearncombe who was still using the 'band name' Black even though he was the only remaining member.

This CD-single comes with three bonus tracks, including one live track from Japan. It's one of four tracks that were released as a mini album in Japan, 'Live at the Tokyo Power Station'.

1. You're a big girl now
2. Enough is enough
3. Reunion
4. Ravel in the rain (live at the Tokyo Power Station)

A&M 390386-2
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