The Girl With The Patent Leather Face

I don't know how I missed this, but seminal 80s compilation Some Bizzare Album has been reissued on CD for the first time since a limited pressing in 1992. Prior to that it was only available on vinyl which had become rather scarce and was selling for loads on eBay.

The record is probably most famous for featuring Depeche Mode's first released recording: the "Some Bizzare Version" of "Photographic" (which was made considerably less rare by its inclusion on The Singles 81>85) as well as Soft Cell's "The Girl With The Patent Leather Face" which has never been released anywhere else. The The and Blancmange also make rare early appearances.

In other Soft Cell news, their classic first album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret has been given the deluxe edition treatment. The 2-disc set features the album as well as its companion remix album Non-Stop Exotic Dancing and various period b-sides and non-album singles. I'll have to do some research to see if this is the definitive version of the album (I have two other pressings) but something tells me it won't be. Typical.

A remix album called Heat: The Remixes was released simultaneously. It features 26 remixes by Manhattan Clique, Richard X, Playgroup, Solvent, and Atomizer and a host of others. I haven't delved into all of it yet but the remixes I've heard did a good job at the balancing act of maintaining respect for - and the spirit of - the original track while still giving it a contemporary update.

Listen:

Soft Cell - The Girl With The Patent Leather Face
Soft Cell - Seedy Films (Richard X Remix)

When I Return To The World

Lorraine. It's not the first name I'd choose for a band. It sounds too much like your grandmother, and not enough like a BIG! POP! OUTFIT! from Norway. Maybe Lorraine means something else in Norwegian. Something less old-lady-like.

Anyway, I've been reading about this band for a while now, but I've never been pulled in. I always felt like their stuff was a bit blah, if I'm honest. That is, until I came across their video for new single "When I Return To The World":



Wonderful, no? Is it just me, or does it sound like a combination homage to "Beautiful World" by Devo and "Living On The Ceiling" by Blancmange? I don't say this in a bad way at all. I mean:

Devo - Beautiful World



Blancmange - Living On The Ceiling



That's a compliment! "When I Return To The World" was released last week on 7" and iTunes, apparently. Lorraine have a bunch of older tracks streaming on their MySpace page (including a half-decent cover of "Heaven" by the Psychedelic Furs). Like I said, it's mostly blah but this new single definitely piques my curiosity about what they'll be up to next!

As an aside, watching that Blancmange video for the first time in a decade or so reminded me that I really miss 80s "on location" videos. A lot.