Despite my love for the voice of Billy Mackenzie, I didn’t always back in the day go out there and buy vinyl for the sake of it.
For instance, I didn’t ever desire to own a copy of Take Me To The Girl, a stand-alone single released in late 1985. I didn’t, if you’ll pardon the pun, take to the song on the small number of occasions I happened to chance upon it via the radio, but there was always the intention that if I saw it in a bargain bin that I’d hand over a few pennies.
It never quite worked out and so, for the best part of almost 40 years, there’s been a hole in my collection (along with a couple of the early singles) which I’ve been attending to.
I got this one on 12″ through Discogs. It only cost me £1 plus postage (and it came along with a few more 12″ singles to save on the P&P). I would, ideally, have liked it to have had a few less pops and crackles, but I can’t grumble given what it cost. And while I now have a bit more appreciation for the single than I did in 1985, I still find it to be derivative of its time to be an essential Associates release, and it certainly hasn’t dated as well as many of the other songs of the era.
mp3: Associates – Take Me To The Girl (12″ mix)
Tucked away on the b-side, however, was a different and rather lovely version of the song.
mp3: Associates – The Girl Who Took Me
It’s vocal and piano for the most part, with a hint of quiet synth and brush drums in the background. This is one that would have made the ICA back in September 2017 if I had known about it.
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 
I’m not adverse to the A-side/12″ Mix but the B-side is a far superior, timeless version. Breakfast is another prime example, the single version bettering the over-produced album version.
Thank you! I rather like the A side but I’m not actually sure if I’ve heard the B side so off to explore!!!
Well done JC , the B / side that’s the one . I don’t remember that record although I properly heard it back in the day , the 80’s production was very nostalgic now but the stripped down version showed how good a song and singer it was . Cheers , Craig .
I bought the 10″ version of this at the time. It included “Perhaps” on the A-side. The B-side had 3 tracks recorded live at Ronnie Scott’s. Haven’t played it in ages, but it did make me see Billy Mackenzie in a new light.