I keep coming across flexi discs tucked away inside some of the sturdier picture sleeves in my collection so it’s about time I shared some. This 1981 Smash Hits freebie, hidden inside my copy of OMD’s Red Frame White Light, features two tracks and they sound pretty good for a 26 year old flexi disc.
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark – Pretending to See The Future (Live)
The original version of Pretending to See The Future was the last track on OMD’s debut album and featured a laid back vocal. It seems they felt this wouldn’t work well live and performed it with a more strident vocal. They kept this arrangement when I saw them on the Organisation tour.
Nash the Slash – Swing Shift (Flexi Version)
Older readers may remember Nash the Slash supporting Gary Numan on the 1980 Teletour. Dressed like the invisible man, with surgical bandages covering his face, Nash The Slash was a one man band who played violin, mandolin and keyboards with a drum machine (and sequencer?) and various effects to create a unique and interesting live show. He is Canadian and his real name may or may not be Jeff Plewman. I am only familiar with one of his albums, Children of the Night, and without the visual aspect some of the impact is lost, but it is worth checking out. The CD re-issue of this album features the full version and this flexi-version of Swing Shift. Amazon in Canada seems to be the best place to get a copy.
9 comments:
Hey! I had all these but unlike you (tidy boy) have lost the lot. From memory there was a green Squeeze one, a yellow John Foxx one (which I've posted about)a red - damn! who was on the red one?!!
Well, let's see...
There was the green Squeeze one, the yellow John Foxx, red Skids/XTC, red Depeche Mode/Fad Gadget, yellow Jam and a Culture Club one that hasn't turned up yet. Then there are various flexis from gigs or given away with singles. You don't expect me to reveal all, do you? You all know how i like to tease.
I treated the John Foxx disc as precious for many years until it turned up on the Modern Art CD. It's tucked inside my copy of Miles Away and I always thought it was much better than that single.
Skids/XTC, that's the one! And I think my Jam one was pale blue - can this have been possible?
After that I think I lost touch with 'Smash Hits' and went all trench coat and NME...
..but not necessarily in a good way.
The only one I still have is an orange Pretenders one from Flexipop which has them doing The Small Faces "Whatcha Gonnna Do About It?"
Quickly checks Pretender singles just in case....
No, I haven't got that one. The Depeche Mode/Fad Gadget disc is from Flexipop. Number 11 according to the label. I seen to remember that mag didn't last much more than 11 issues.
Your memory is spot on, JC.
Weirdly this just randomly dropped out of another 7" I had when I wanted to play with my new USB turntable...I'd never seen nor played it before. I expect it was coupled with one of my OMD singles, but who knows...
It's ace :-D My version's almost as good as yours if not more crackly, but amazingly good sound for 26 years....
This version of PTSTF totally kicks ass and I've wondered for years why it remains unreleased other than on this flexi.
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