I wouldn’t have been buying vinyl in 1994. I was doing well to keep hold of what I already had, as space was at a premium in the small flat I was living in at the time. It was strictly CDs, for albums and singles alike.
Which is why I wouldn’t have been on the look-out for either of the limited edition 7″ and 12″ releases of Bluebeard, the second single to be lifted from Four-Calendar Café, the seventh studio album by Cocteau Twins.
mp3: Cocteau Twins – Bluebeard
I already had bought the album on its release in October 1993, and wasn’t sure at all about shelling out four months later for the single, despite the fact that it had a couple of otherwise unreleased tracks. The doubts, however, were put to one side when I spotted that it also contained an acoustic version of the single, one which I was very keen to hear.
mp3: Cocteau Twins – Three Swept
mp3: Cocteau Twins – Ice-Pulse
mp3: Cocteau Twins – Bluebeard (acoustic version)
Both the unreleased tracks are enjoyable enough without being the sort of thing that really makes you sit up and pay more attention. And if I’m being honest, I was expecting a bit more from the acoustic take on Bluebeard – it just meanders a bit too much for my liking.
Enough fans were enticed by the release to buy enough copies to have it enter the charts at #33 on 26 February 1994.
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 
A fantastic song. Like JC I had begun to move away from vinyl – particularly singles. I’d made a pact with myself that I wouldn’t get caught up in Fontana versions and I didn’t.
I’ve noted before but my favourite version of Bluebeard is a session, or live version. I was told it was a BBC session but it doesn’t appear to be the case. It’s just gorgeous and is the version I listen to most.
Cocteau Twins = near perfection
Flimflamfan
First time I ever heard the word “toxic” used in that sense, long before it became a cliché. Curse you, Britney.
Léon Macduff