THE 12″ LUCKY DIP (1)

Given that I’ve plenty 12″ singles sitting in the very large and near antique cupboard in which most of the vinyl sits, it makes some sense to introduce (or more likely, re-introduce) some of them to you.

Things are kicking-off with one that I picked up on one of my numerous trips or stays in Toronto.  The Fatima Mansions were on Kitchenware Records here in the UK, but it was Radioactive Records for the American releases.

Blues For Ceausescu, an absolutely blistering and incendiary piece of music, had been put out as a stand-alone single on Kitchenware in September 1900.    In some parallel universe, this will have acted as a call-to-arms to the disillusioned and downtrodden, provoking them into some sort of action that led to much-needed and desired change.   The reality was that it was ignored, being far too provocative for our media outlets to give time to.

mp3: The Fatima Mansions – Blues for Ceausescu

I have absolutely no idea why the American label, some six months later, issued it on  a 12″ single and CD, complete with a remix, but I’d very much like to thank them for doing so.

mp3: The Fatima Mansions – Blues for Ceausescu (Only Solution Mix)
mp3: The Fatima Mansions – Chemical Cosh (Scream Mix)
mp3: The Fatima Mansions – Chemical Cosh (LP version)

The Only Solution Mix is radically different.   Indeed, you’d be hard pushed to find elements of the original tune – it sounds in places as if Cathal Coughlan is fronting Pop Will Eat Itself…..which is far from a bad thing.

The LP version of Chemical Cosh is less than two minutes long, while the remix extends out to almost four minutes.  Both are interesting but kind of challenging, in different ways, to listen to.   But then again, the whole idea of The Fatima Mansions was not to make things comfortable for anyone.

Ciao.

JC