David Sylvian - Let The Happiness In [12"]

I bought this 12" by DAVID SYLVIAN because of the two non-album tracks on the B-side. Didn't know them actually, but since this single LET THE HAPPINESS IN was taken off the album Secrets Of The Beehive, which i really like, i suspected i couldn't go wrong. And indeed i wasn't disappointed. Blue Of Noon is a nice jazzy instrumental but especially Buoy is a beautiful song. It not only features Steve Jansen and Ryuichi Sakamoto, but also Mick Karn and his fretless bass. Just like the artwork for the album it's taken from, the artwork for this 12"is made by 23 Envelope.

Label: Virgin
Cat.nr.: VST 1001
Year of release: 1987

SIDE A:
01. Let The Happiness In

SIDE B:
01. Blue Of Noon
02. Buoy

David Sylvian - Secrets Of The Beehive [12", LP]

Of all the solo work of DAVID SYLVIAN after Japan called it quits, SECRETS OF THE BEEHIVE is without doubt my favourite album. It's more acoustic than his previous solo stuff and has a beautiful, introvert vibe. On tracks like The Devil's Own and Waterfront you can clearly hear that Ryuichi Sakamoto is collaborating. Also his former Japan bandmate Steve Jansen is featured. The album is jam-packed with amazing songs, but if i'd have to choose i'd say Orpheus is my favourite song - and probably even my favourite David Sylvian song ever. The great artwork clearly bears the signature of Vaughan Oliver and Nigel Grierson of 23 Envelope. If you wouldn't know any better, you'd think it'd be a 4AD release, for that matter.

Record label: Virgin
Cat.nr.: V 2471
Year of release: 1987

SIDE A:
01. September
02. The Boy With The Gun
03. Maria
04. Orpheus
05. The Devil's Own

SIDE B:
01. When Poets Dreamed Of Angles
02. Mother And Child
03. Let The Happiness In
04. Waterfront

Soundtrack - Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence [12", LP]

The soundtrack for MERRY CHRISTMAS, MR. LAWRENCE is one of the first soundtracks i ever bought. On CD, that is.This vinyl edition i only bought this year, in May at Camden Market to be precise. It didn't cost much and i had been looking for it for a while because i wanted to have that great song Forbidden Colours on vinyl. So now i have it. Obviously this was the first time for me as a young David Bowie fan back in 1983 to get to know both Ryuichi Sakamoto and David Sylvian. Bowie, pictured on the sleeve but furthermore not involved with this soundtrack, was of course the reason for me to see the movie and buy the soundtrack. I bought some other Sakamoto stuff later on, and i do like his soundtrack for The Last Emperor especially, but David Sylvian as an artist was -and is- more my kind of thing. So i started to discover his work with Japan, and also his later solo releases. Brilliant stuff of course. Sylvian has such a great voice. Oh, and it was even so that i had the book that this movie was based upon, The Seed And The Sower by the South African writer sir Laurens Van Der Post, on my books list for English at highschool. Anyway, a great soundtrack for one of the best movies i think Bowie has ever played in.

Label: Virgin
Cat.nr.: V2276
Year of release: 1983

SIDE A:
01. Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence
02. Batavia
03. Germination
04. A Hearty Breakfast
05. Before The War
06. The Seed And The Sower
07. A Brief Encounter
08. Ride Ride Ride (Celliers' Brother's Song)
09. The Fight

SIDE B:
01. Father Christmas
02. Dismissed!
03. Assembly
04. Beyond Reason
05. Sowing The Seed
06. 23rd Psalm
07. Last Regrets
08. Ride Ride Ride (Reprise)
09. The Seed
10. Forbidden Colours

Cocteau Twins - Tiny Dynamine [12"]

The TINY DYNAMINE EP was released between the Treasure and Victorialand albums. It features four tracks that can't be found on any of COCTEAU TWINS' albums. Word goes that these tracks (together with four more that were issued on the Echoes In A Shallow Bay EP) initially were just recorded to test the production capacities of a new studio. When the band was satisfied with the result, they were released after all. Ribbed And Veined is an instrumental track; something that's quite rare for Cocteau Twins' songs. My copy's on Virgin Germany who licensed it from 4AD.

Label: Virgin
Cat.nr.: 602 061           
Year of release: 1985

SIDE A:
01. Pink Orange Red
02. Ribbed And Veined

SIDE B:
01. Plain Tiger
02. Sultitan Itan

Simple Minds - Theme For Great Cities [12"]

THEME FOR GREAT CITIES is one of my favourite tracks by SIMPLE MINDS; originally released on the Sister Feelings Call EP back in 1981. When this 12" was released for Record Store Day this year i was at first a bit sceptic because i didn't see any added value to it, but then i found out that it contained two remixes instead of the original tracks. So after a quick check on Youtube how they sounded i was convinced i had to buy it, and so i did. Both Moby and John Leckie did a mighty fine job. The new versions of these songs still have that chilly new wave feel, while they don't sound outdated at all.

Label: Virgin
Cat.nr.: SMRSD 1
Year of release: 2012

SIDE A:
01. Theme For Great Cities (Moby Remix)

SIDE B:
01. I Travel 2012 (John leckie Remix)